Big Texas FUN - Day 1

Last night, we set off on another road trip...this time, back to TEXAS!

Early this morning, we made a ceremonial stop at a Buc-ee's in Alabama...

because no road trip in this area is quite complete without!

When we finally crossed into Texas...

we made a beeline for Austin!

We grabbed photos at this popular mural...

before stopping for lunch across the street at Joann's Fine Foods...

The hash brown nachos appetizer was one of our favorites!

My rice bowl was really good, too!

From Austin, we headed north up to Dallas...

where our M was able to meet up with camp friends, E, M, and J...

to grab dinner at Mesero...

While they were reminiscing, we took L downtown...

for dinner at the oldest restaurant in Dallas, El Fenix...

Everything was delicious, but the desserts were extra good!

The multitude of birds in the parking lot were something else, too!

After we dinner, we grabbed M from her friends, where they were facetiming yet another sweet camp friend, R, in DC!

From there, we backtracked a good bit, down to Houston, where we grabbed a hotel for the short night...

More on tap for tomorrow!

{Weekend Adventure} More From Presidential Texas

This morning we set off first thing for a tour of the 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza...

The museum is housed on the 6th floor of the former Texas School Book Depository building overlooking Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas...

The museum is really well-organized and though it ultimately shares information about the horrific death of one of our nation's presidents, it talks a lot about our country leading up to his election and his presidency, as well.

On the day of the assassination, President and Mrs. Kennedy were headed to a luncheon at the Dallas Trade Mart...

The area around the 6th floor corner window is left staged as how it was discovered on November 22, 1963... 

 Of course, the trees would've been much smaller, but it was very eerie looking down at the street below from this vantage point...

   

Also included in the museum were some of the models used to prove how this plot was carried out...

After touring the museum, we headed down to Dealey Plaza...

and took in the view from the grassy knoll...

I can't even begin to imagine what it must've been like to change from an innocent bystander waiting on a glimpse of the president passing by in his motorcade into a witness to an unthinkable crime so incredibly horrific in a matter of seconds...

It was definitely a very moving morning to say the least...

From there we continued on to Parkland Memorial Hospital on likely some of the same roads the president's motorcade took that day...

At the new hospital, across the street from the old hospital where President Kennedy was taken, there are a few displays that depict some of the history of the hospital...

After a late lunch, we headed over to the campus of Southern Methodist University to visit the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum...

We learned that with the government shutdown, only two presidential libraries have remained open thanks to their foundations. Thankfully, THIS is one of them!

We didn't have much time to explore, as we got there late in the afternoon, but the girls really enjoyed the exhibit honoring the former First Lady Laura Bush and her past as a teacher and librarian...

  

and B has always been interested in trying to understand the events of 9/11. This part of the museum was very impactful...

One of the last exhibits offers up a fun photo op in an exact replica of the Bush Oval Office...

  

From there, we continued on toward College Station TX and stopped for dinner at Proudest Monkey in downtown Bryan, TX...

before calling it a night!

{Weekend Adventure} Go Tigers!

What a FUN day! Our Tigers were set to play in the Cotton Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish tonight, and we came prepared to cheer them on to victory!

After breakfast at the hotel, we headed on over to the stadium to explore and grab some lunch.

Hubby & B checked off another NFL Stadium on their list!

I was excited to see the "Sky Mirror" sculpture by Anish Kapoor, the artist behind the famous "Cloud Gate" sculpture, affectionately referred to as "The Bean", in Chicago's Millennium Park.

We grabbed lunch from the food trucks parked outside in the (Notre Dame - ooops!) fan area and headed inside as soon as the doors opened...

GOOO TIGERS!!!

Clay Walker sang the National Anthem...

We ran into several people we know...friends, family, and classmates, too, and the kids' dance moves got them on the jumbotron... 

Bless...

All in all, it was a GREAT night!

The Tigers are headed to California next for the 2019 CFP National Championship Game!!!

Not sure if we'll make it out there or not, only time will tell, but my vote is that we just keep driving WEST from here... You think I'm joking...

Everyone knows that I LOVE a good road trip, and I mean, we're already a third of the way there at this point!

Oh, if only things like work and school and army commitments didn't get in the way...darn it!