East of the Mississippi: Heading Home

     Tuesday August 30th thru Thursday September 1st- We left San Antonio early, heading east on Rt. 10.  Our plan was to drive Rt. 10 to Florida, then head south to see my sister in Winter Park.  However, Tropical Storm Hermione had other plans...  we would need to drive through the height of the storm on Thursday as we neared Florida, so made the decision to continue on to home instead.  
     There had been recent flooding in Louisiana from excessive rain.  As we crossed the border from Texas, we noted how there were rivers and bayous everywhere.  We could see piles of rubbish and destroyed household goods in front of some of the homes and businesses, obvious damage from this devastating event.  We spent the night in Lake Charles, not getting as far as we wanted, as hotels further east were closed due to damage.  Lake Charles was a nice area, and we enjoyed some local seafood near our hotel.
     Wednesday we continued on Rt 10, crossing the Mississippi River near noon.  This time, we did not miss seeing the Mississippi River!  After crossing over the bridge from Baton Rouge, we pulled off and found an area near a casino where we could park and walk to view the river.  The river is quite wide here, and fairly industrial, with an active port on the Baton Rouge side.  OK- east of the Mississippi- we are no longer "Out West"!
     Rather than continuing on Rt. 10, we took Rt.65 near Mobile, Alabama, which would take us northeast into Georgia, then onto Rt 16 home.  We spent the night in Montgomery, Alabama.
     We lucked out on Thursday, as we did not hit any of the rain from what was now a category 1 hurricane.  We arrived home in the mid-afternoon with mixed feelings. It is always sad when a great trip is over, but we were happy to be home and to reunite with our girl Autumn.
     We did have a great trip.  I think our favorite spot from this trip had to be Glacier National Park.  Just a spectacular place!  Second would have to be Cedar Breaks National Monument.  It was wonderful to be able to connect with friends and family while seeing this great country.  Overall, we both felt the trip seemed a little more rushed this time, perhaps trying to see too much in the one month we had.  I wish we had been able to squeeze in a hike or two- our only real experience on the trail was at Dinosaur National Monument, with a short hike at Cedar Breaks.  Getting off the beaten path makes you feel like you've really experienced the area.
     I have taken a few minutes, as I have done after our last two trips, to summarize some statistics.  Overall, gas was much less expensive than previous trips, but hotels were considerably higher.  This was especially noticeable when we went to book some of the same hotels as on previous trips.  Gas was made even more reasonable, as we were driving a different vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, that gets very good gas mileage.

     On the road: 28 days
     Total miles: 8228

     Gas:
          Lowest price paid:  $1.51 per gallon in Bluffton, SC, just prior to leaving on our trip
          Highest price paid:  $2.60 per gallon in Beaver, Utah (compared to $4.19 per gallon on our last trip in 2012!)
          Average price:  $1.92

          Total cost of gas:  $583
          Average MPG:  32
          Cost per mile:  7 cents!

     Lodging:
          Highest price paid: $208 at a Hampton Inn in Kayenta, Arizona
          Lowest price paid:  $85.50, both at a Comfort Inn in St. George, Utah and a Quality Inn in Burleson, Texas
          Nights paid with Choice Privileges points: 2 (points don't add up as fast as in prior years...)
          Nights with friends or family: 4
 
          Total cost of lodging:  $2657
          Average cost per day (includes free nights):  $98.40 (compared to $64.66 in 2012)

     So, there it is, another great trip at an end.  I will get on my soapbox, as I always do after exploring our amazing country, to urge you to get out there and see what is yours!  As one ranger reminded us, these lands belong to you.  It is your obligation to see them, to make sure they are being cared for as they should be, and if they are not- complain!  National Parks and other protected lands have been underfunded for years, taking a hit year after year.  In addition to being vocal with your representatives, you can help by supporting groups such as the National Parks Conservation Association, whose mission is "To protect and enhance America's National Park System for present and future generations."
     If you have yet to visit a National Park, you are in for a huge treat.  These areas have been protected for a reason!  We plan to continue to explore this country, perhaps on a more local level, but there is lots to see close to home.  There is nothing more eye-opening and mind-expanding than travel!  I will end this blog as I did the last:

KEEP EXPLORING!

"Something will have gone out of us as a people

if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed...

we simply need that wild country available to us, even if

we never do more than drive to its edge, and look in."

                                             Wallace Stegner

Waco and San Antonio, Texas

Sunday August 28th and Monday August 29th-  We had decided to add a few miles to our trip to San Antonio by driving through Waco.  We could say it was because of the Mammoth site in Waco, which we found out about from the ranger at Dinosaur, but it was really to visit Magnolia Market, the store owned by the HGTV stars of Fixer Upper.  Love that show...
     We had a long day of driving on Sunday (much longer than intended due to a misread of the map and a non-refundable hotel booking), but enjoyed the scenery.  I know it is Montana that is known as the Big Sky state, but Texas' sky is certainly right up there.  At one point, the land was so flat in all directions and the clouds in the very blue sky looked like they were tracking along the horizon in all directions forming a circle around us- it looked like the earth was covered with a big round dome.  Very pretty!  It was the first time we had been below 2000 feet of elevation in several weeks.  We spent the night in Burleson, just south of Fort Worth.  Our map error actually helped us here, as we hit the city early evening on Sunday.  There was confusing construction everywhere, but no traffic, so breezed through without any problem.
     Monday morning was a short drive to Waco and Magnolia Market.  We had been warned by a waitress the night before that we should plan to stand in line to get in.  Again, as it was a Monday after school started, no lines, not crowded at all.  I can say, however, Chip and Joanne are making hay while the sun shines!  The market was a large warehouse-size building with several outbuildings including a bakery and a garden shop.  The silos referenced on their show are not yet in use.  Curious to know what they will do with them.
     After wandering the store and purchasing a few items, we enjoyed coffee on the grounds, then headed south to San Antonio.  Our first stop was the Alamo, located in a central area downtown.  It is an unassuming building, fairly small with thick stone walls, with a grassy garden area surrounded by walls. The Alamo was originally a Spanish mission, but was changed to a military outpost when Mexican Calvary unit was stationed there in the early 19th century.  At the time, Texas was considered a sovereign republic.  In 1835, Texian volunteers took control of the Alamo by defeating the Mexican forces quartered in the city.  In response, General Santa Anna launched an attack on the fort. The Texians, which included Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, held their own for 3 days, at which time Santa Anna's troops breached the walls of the Alamo, killing most of the troops within, but sparing the women and children who were living there with the troops.  Out in front is a statue commemorating those who died in the battle.  As you know, this is where the famous "Remember the Alamo" battle cry originated.
     The second "must see" for us in visiting San Antonio was the Riverwalk.  The Riverwalk, a pedestrian walkway lined with restaurants and shops along the San Antonio River through the center of town, is hard to miss.  It came into being because of a devastating flood in 1921.  Rather than pave over the entire downtown section of the river, as the City Fathers wanted, the women of the San Antonio Conservation Society fought for a flood control program.  As a result, the river now flows through a lovely tree-lined urban park, under pedestrian bridges allowing easy access to either side of the river and its shops and restaurants, with pedestrian access stair ways from street level.  A system of dams and channels functions to help reduce flooding.
     After our tour of the Alamo, we walked a large section of the walkway.  We were thinking it would be great to come back for dinner, but had not booked a hotel so were not sure how far away it would be.  We took a chance and called, finding a hotel in walking distance from the river- less expensive than many others we had stayed in during our trip.  That was a surprise!
     We settled in to our room and, as we were preparing to walk to the river for dinner, we were hit with a monsoon deluge!  It came down in buckets.  We had almost made the decision to order in pizza when the sun finally came out.  A short walk later, we were back at the river, choosing our restaurant.  We found a great steak house with covered outside seating- perfect in case of additional rain.  We even got serenaded by a mariachi band!  A great evening.
     There is much more to see in San Antonio but, for us, time was growing short.  We had seen the two main items on our list, and we decided we would head East towards home in the morning.  But first, a stop to see my sister in Florida was still on the itinerary.