I discovered last March how much I enjoy road trips, so this summer when I had an opportunity to take a road trip through Texas I couldn't wait. I am the only member of my immediate family that hasn't lived in Texas for some portion of my life. My parents both lived there during childhood, in Amarillo and Irving. My dad was born in Amarillo. My sister lived in Dallas for a few years while working for Dillards. My brother, Ryan went to college in Abilene. My youngest brother, Justin was born in Fort Worth and lived there for the first month or so of his life. I, on the other hand, have never lived there. Like Arkansas, I have a lot of family in Texas, so I've been to and through the state visiting them, but not using the lens of a tourist. I decided to be a tourist on this trip.
Dallas
I started my trip in Dallas, well Aubrey to be exact. One of my mom's sisters and her family live in Aubrey which is a small town outside of Denton. I made it to town last Monday in time to see my fifteen year old twin cousins play basketball. They were so much fun to watch! They are very talented! On Tuesday they went with me to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. We had so much fun. There was a lot to see and the facility is state of the art. It definitely sets a new standard for additional presidential libraries to be built. When I visited the Eisenhower library last year I bought a passport to presidential libraries (yes I know I'm a nerd). I was able to get it stamped during our visit.
After the library we had lunch in downtown Dallas before going to the 6th Floor Museum. The 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository building is where Lee Harvey Oswald was standing when he shot President Kennedy. The museum is full of artifacts and videos dedicated to that moment in history. After touring the museum we went to Dealey Plaza which is just outside the building. The grounds are beautifully kept and offer a peaceful setting in the midst of a bustling downtown.
Austin:
When I originally was planning my time in Texas, I had thought that I would spend a majority of my time in Austin. What I discovered however, was that many of the things advertised as "top attractions" in Austin are not things I wanted to do alone. Austin is known for nightlife and the music scene. I would love to experience those parts of Austin, but didn't want to go it alone. I decided instead that I would lengthen my time in Dallas and shorten my time in Austin to just the LBJ Presidential Library.
The LBJ Library was my fifth presidential library to visit, and yes, I got a stamp. There were three floors of exhibits at this library. I always learn so much by visiting these places. Going to the LBJ Library just after going through the 6th Floor Museum made for a seamless look at an important part of our history. I really enjoyed it!
Houston:
The purpose for my trek through Texas was to ultimately get to the Houston area for my cousin Whitney's wedding. My aunt and uncle actually live in Magnolia which is about 35 miles north of downtown Houston. I don't have any wedding pictures, my mom and sister have those, so I'll have to share them later. Thursday evening we enjoyed a rehearsal dinner of Texas barbecue. Friday my parents and I drove into Houston to pick Kayla up from the airport. We came back to Magnolia where we met my Mamaw and my aunt Pam for lunch. We had time that afternoon before we needed to leave for the wedding, so mom, Kayla and I went swimming. Well....that's actually probably not fair. We didn't go swimming, we got in the water. It was SUPER cold!! It took forever to get used to, so we just water walked and chatted. My aunt Pam came and joined us too. We had a good visit.
The wedding Friday night was beautiful. It was held at an outdoor venue that was simply gorgeous. The only rough part was the heat, it was 102 when the ceremony started. The area was pretty shaded though and the ceremony only lasted about 30 minutes. The whole thing was fantastic. We then went inside for a reception that was tons of fun. I'll have to post pics when I have them.
Saturday we didn't have any major plans so mom, dad, Kayla and I went to a Houston Astros game. Since one of my goals is to visit every major league ballpark, this game got me one park closer! The Astros play at Minute Maid Ballpark which is a building with a retractable roof. I had never been in a dome before, nor had I ever sat behind home plate. Granted we were way up high, but we were directly behind home plate. It was a completely different game experience! I had so much fun spending the afternoon with my family.
We finished our time together with an evening of visiting at my aunt and uncle's house. They were both so tired from all of the wedding festivities, but they graciously invited us over for the evening to eat and chat. It was so nice to visit with them. We just don't get to see them enough!
Home Again:
Today I drove home. I made four very brief stops, but otherwise just kept moving. I made it home in exactly eight hours. I'm tired tonight, but I'm not so exhausted I can't function. I'm ready to go back to work tomorrow. I needed the break that I took and I'm looking forward to the start of my next school year, which really kind of starts tomorrow!
It was a great vacation -- now back to reality!
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