Day 8 and all is great!

Waking up in Raton, NM was part of the plan. Waking up in Raton, NM at 5:30am after getting in bed around 11:30pm the night before was not part of the plan. But since someone forget to set their watch back an hour when we crossed into NM, that's what happened. I'm not pointing fingers, but I (Brad) haven't worn a watch this entire trip. So, someone gets up thinking it's 6:30am and takes a shower. What can I say, it meant we were ahead of the game. We were in the car a little after 7am, rolling to our western-most destination, Westcliffe, CO.

Since we had enough time, we swung by the cabin, the Shortage, to pick up Abby, Megan's sister, to go to church. We worshiped at Community UMC in Westcliffe, CO, where we heard a good message and sang some favorite old hymns. The kids seemed to have a good time. They were loud and agravating, which reminded both of us how blessed we are to have people at both St. Andrews Parish and Cokesbury UMC to care for our children while we lead in worship. Probably a few of the people at worship in Westcliffe thougth quietly to themselves, 'those parents should take those kids to church more often so they will learn how to act right.' Oh well.

After worship we headed back to the cabin to get ready for...wait for it...the Westcliffe Annual Rodeo.

A real rodeo folks. The 68th Annual. And part of the CRA, Colorado Rodeo Association for you beginners. So seriously, we have seen the rodeo advertised both times I've been here and for many of the times Megan has but we've always missed it. Well, the stars aligned and we were ready for it.

So we dressed the kids up, threw our own new boots on and headed into town.

First up was the 4H Livestock Auction. Big dollars here folks. Great community involvement and my first timer hearing a real auctioneer. He did not disappoint.

(Megan, Abby, and kids are to the right of the bright orange shirt.)

Then it was time for some rodeo.

There was even some competition for the youngsters, in which our eldest participated. The Little Bronc race where he rode a stick horse and the Calf Scramble where the chased a calf around the arena trying to pull a ribbon off its tail. Our little rookie was no match for some season veteran little cowboys and cowgirls, but he got out there and tried.

(Red shorts)

Then it was time for the main event, the Bull Riding. It was as amazing as I had hoped. Only one out of 10 made it eight seconds and we did see one guy get pummeled pretty bad along with a couple of the 'bull-fighters'. Everyone did get up and walk away. 

(Sangres make for a beautiful back drop)

Overall, it was quite a day, one we won't soon forget.   

A record travel day

So when we orginially set this whole crazy Epic Family Road Trip up, we knew there would be one day that was going to be really hard. We dreamed of driving to the Shortage (Short family cabin in Westcliffe, Co) in the morning so we could see the mountains and in time to be able to make it to worship at the little UM church in Westcliffe. This meant that we would have to make it some 11 hours (just drive time) on Saturday, after the Friday night wedding, with two kids under 5. 

Wheels up at 7:45 (cst), we started strong. The kids always do great in the morning. But let's be honest, we are who we are, which means that we were going to stop every so often. We made it all the way to Lampasas, TX. But when we heard about this large catfish we had to stop.

And then there was this place:

Back in the van, we plowed through, stopping in Slaton, TX for the World's Greatest Thumbprint Cookies, at the Slaton Bakery. We didn't get pictures because we ate them too quickly.

Lubbock was the next stop mainly because it was on the way. But, of course I wanted to see the Texas Tech Football Stadium, which is really nice.

This looks like all the other buildings on campus, but it is the entrance to the stadium.

We had a late lite lunch at the park and made some time for running around.

We then ventured onto Amarillo where we did a little shopping and a little dinner. 

Only 80 miles from Lubbock, this provided enough time for everyone to grab a nap.

Any visit to Amarillo has to include swinging by Cadillac Ranch. So the story goes that some hippies from San Francisco came to Amarillo and with permission from a wealthy landowner, buried a bunch of Cadillacs from a variety of years. People are then encouraged to add their own touch to this 'art project' by spray painting them. Yes, the kids thought this was cool and did a little painting.

From Amarillo, we made our way to Raton, NM where we would stay for the night. Two things: the northwest part of Texas, outside of Amarillo, may be the worst smelling place ever. The cattle processing plants will make you rethink eating meat just because of the odor they produce. Even GBG was asking, 'what's that smell?'  And secondly, we used a two lane highway, for 35 miles, and did not see another single living thing. No animals. No other cars. No homes. Nothing. It was a little spooky. And it reiterated that we live in a large world and Texas is freakin' huge.

Along the way, we knew we would be out in the middle of nowhere which meant we should be able to see some amazing stars at night. We were disappointed in the overcast skies, but then rewarded by getting to see an amazing lightening storm off in the distance. The flat terrain allowed us to see for miles and to see the lightening bolts come vertically down. It was quite impressive and a nice reward after a long day.

Crossing into New Mexico, we were greeted by mountain time, meaning the clock turned back another hour. So while the clock said 10:45pm when we pulled into Raton, we really knew that we had turned in a 16 hour day, travelling some 600 miles. With only a few minor melt downs, mainly from the older folks, ok, from me (Brad) I would say it was a tremendously long, but good day. But I don't want to do it again any time soon.

Another great day in Austin

So it seems the hits just keep on coming. Thanks to a friend of a friend in the wedding party, we got to experience Longhorn Football up close and personal. We received a tour from one of the coaching staff of all the football facilities (minus the lockeroom) complete with a walk on the field. Shout out to Brian Bennett, Defensive Quality Control for Football. I'll tell you, I think Coach Charlie Strong has the ball going in the right direction and the Big XII should look out, UT will be back real soon. The pictures don't do it justice how amazing it was.

Then it was time for the main event, Gill and Julia's wedding. It took place at an event center called Memory Lane in Dripping Springs, TX. It was beautiful and really well done. The reception was a blast and we were so proud to get to be a part of it. We cannot wait to see what great things God has in store for those two.  

Wheels up tomorrow early for a long travel day. Prayers please!

IHG standing in front of the lockeroom and underneath the all time winningest BEVO

A future DB?

107,000 seat Texas Memorial Stadium

Standing on the 50

'Cool Breeze' with his nachos

Little sis didn't want to be left out

The whole family

Selfie with the bride and groom

Our time in Austin

So we are in Austin for Gill and Julia's wedding. Gill is the younger brother of Taylor, my (Brad) best friend growing up. I presided over Taylor's wedding a few years back up in Cape Cod. So this year Austin was the destination for Gill's wedding which is tomorrow (Friday) and I have been asked to preside over that as well. That's a quick update as to why we find ourselves in Austin.

So one of the 'just once I'd like to try' things in Austin was to go to Franklin's BBQ. It is widely believed to be the best place for brisket, ribs, and pulled pork in the country. Being from SC, we know a thing or two about pulled pork. That title for Franklin's is debatable at best. So going and waiting in line, I decided I could care less about the pork, I wanted the good stuff. Give me the beef.  The other thing about Franklin's is the line that forms every single day, except on Monday, because, really, who opens on Monday. Apparently no one. Anyways, the wait at Franklin's can be up to five hours long. That's right, I said 5 hours.

So I knew what I was getting into and thankfully Megan decided to hang on to the kiddos, allowing me to go. And to make it even better, Taylor was able to go with me. Arriving at 10:15, we found ourselves very near the back of the line. As the guy came out to get a pound count, he quickly let us know that they were out of pork and ribs. So it looked like just brisket and sausage. And just two people behind us, a girl was handed the 'last man standing' sign. This meant that they could not guarantee anyone else food. They may or may not have it by the end. And they serve until they run out.

Surprisingly, the wait didn't seem that long at all. Probably because Taylor and I spent the time catching up. In fact the three and a half hours really flew by. Before we knew it, we were up front ordering. And luckily, they had some ribs left. All in all we left with 4 lbs. of brisket, a pound of ribs and a pound of sausage. And I had a great time hanging with a great friend.

So what's the verdict on the food? Well, I am not the most eloquent when it comes to describing food. And you can find more reviews that describe it with beautiful words and phrases.  But let me tell you this, it was the best brisket and best ribs I have ever eaten. Hands down. Not even close. Shoot, it very well may be the best food I've ever eaten and I live in Charleston that has some of the best food in the world. So, if you are ever in town and have 5 hours to burn, I promise you, you will not regret it. Bring a friend, a couple of chairs, and wait in line. It is amazing.

We had the rehearsal dinner tonight at a BBQ (go figure). It wasn't bad, but the best part was listening to all the stories and the way in which these two have been impacted and impacted so many people. Tomorrow truly will be a celebration of their love and I am thankful to be a part of it.

The counter at Franklin's. This guy had been to Charleston only few weeks ago and we talked about all the places he'd eaten while he was there. Such a small world.

Me and my boy Taylor

The only real reason why many of you read this stuff. My kids. GBG, IHG, and their friend, Taylor's daughter.

We've gone nuts!

Day 4 was our shortest travel day to date, resulting in a nice morning of sleeping in, both kids and adults. Yay! We then left Columbus, TX heading toward San Antonio.  But before meeting up with Brad's family and friends, we had to stop in Seguin, TX. I mean, we may never have a chance to see the World's Largest, World's Second Largest, and the World's Oldest Largest Pecans. That's right, Pecans. This probably confirms what most of you speculate, we've gone nuts.

World's Largest Pecan

World's Second Largest Pecan

World's Oldest Largest Pecan.

After lunch on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, which is fairly impossible to keep the kids focused on food with the boats and the ducks passing by, we headed up to spend some time at the Alamo. Despite the rising temperatures, we had fun, especially one particular young historian who was just fascinated by the story. IHG ended up toward the end of our time at the Alamo being tour guide, pointing out all the places to others. This picture tells it all:

After dinner with Brad's extended family that lives in Texas (Uncle Bob, Aunt Elena, and Cousin Julie), we ventured out to what appears to be one of the more popular things in Austin, to see bats fly out from underneath a bridge in the downtown area. Serious, thousands of people were out to see this nightly event. The community and diverse feel was really cool.

So this concludes our travel for a few days. We are in Austin for a family friend's wedding and will be here until Saturday morning. May or may not update until we leave. Here's some other pictures of Day 4 of the Epic Family Road Trip! Thanks for following along and for praying for us. 

Unexpectedly Long Day

We had a slow start to our third day on the road.  The kids slept past 6:30am and we took our time getting out.  The hotel staff gave the kids extra goody bags for the road and we both commented on how awesome people can be! (Shout out to the staff of the Hampton Inn in downtown Jackson.)

Our first stop was in Natchez, Mississippi at Grand Village of the Natchez Indians.  They were mound-builders and we were able to climb the ancient mounds, though the highlight was the kids finding a tiny frog.

Our next stop was into enemy territory as we ventured into Baton Rouge to stop by to see Mike the Tiger, LSU's live mascot. Admittedly, that place is really cool. GBG had her first accident on the road, but not too much of a disaster.

Since we were in or near the Bayou, we believed that crawfish needed to be on the menu. We found a local place in Lafayette on-line called Straws and Claws. It literally was a small shack that was supposed to serve crawfish, boudin (pronounced 'buddha'), and snowballs. Of course what we, the non-locals, didn't realize is that crawfish season ended a few weeks ago, so while restaurants still have some and are serving, local dives are not. So we settled for boudin, snowballs (which GBG wore quite nicely), and hot dogs for the kids.

The next stop found us in The Frog Capital of the World, Rayne, LA. Who knew? So we took a picture with a large metal frog and then ventured on, soon crossing our 5th state line into Texas. They say everything in Texas is bigger, which includes speed limits...hello 75 MPH.

Texas rest stops are bigger and nicer too, including a playground and nature walk that included an animal hunt, which only yielded a cool looking frog.

At this point, we had a decision to make. We were feeling good and the kids were hanging in there, so we decided to continue on into Houston for dinner and then beyond to stay.  After texting a friend, we were hooked up with a United Methodist pastor who gave us several nice recommendations and even offered his place for us to crash.  We didn't really feel like we could bring this crazy circus to anyone else's house, so we passed up the offer. Thanks to Rev. Josh Hale, who blogs at expatminister.org. Btw, Houston is HUGE. Didn't expect that at all.

So on the west side of Houston, we found a place called Crawfish and Noodles, a Vietnamese restaurant where we could finally satisfy a craving for the Gulf Coast staple. And yes, it was amazing. Big win there. 

So after dinner we made one final push, going farther than we ever thought we would, making it to Columbus, TX. This will afford us the opportunity to get into even more stuff tomorrow, including visiting the Alamo in San Antonio and then on to our first long destination, Austin, Texas. We can't wait!

Mike the Tiger snoozing.

Crawfish and Noodles.

Early Adventures, Late Disappointment

For those of you who don't know, Sunday marked the beginning of vacation for this Gray family. And when I say 'vacation', I am putting a huge emphasis on the 'vacate' part of the word. We left Sunday on an 18 day, across more than half the country, road trip. Three big destinations, a Wedding in Austin, TX, a three day stay at the Shortage (Short family cottage) in Westcliffe, Colorado, and then Hesston, KS for the every other year Stone Family reunion.

After worship on Sunday, we headed straight for Atlanta. We made fairly decent time, only a few stops along the way. That night's dinner was really good and a great way to start our vacation. Fox Bros. BBQ in Atlanta did not disappoint. Pulled pork, brisket, slaw and tots. Yessir to all of it.  And we even saw some of the cast of The Walking Dead, which is filmed in Atlanta. Thanks Steve-O for picking the spot and meeting up with us!

After a refreshing night of sleep at Abby Lou's (thanks sis), we were ready for our big adventures. We were told, 'don't leave between 7:30am and 9am' because of traffic. Of course, when the kids woke at 6:30 and by the time we could get packed up, it was 7:30. Lucky for us, traffic wasn't bad at all, especially b/c of the HOV lane.

Once we downloaded the Roadside America app and purchased a new US Atlas, we began to do what we do, which is find the craziest, coolest stuff our country has in store. This began at Bud Jones Taxidermy in Tallapoosa, Ga. That's right, a taxidermy place. Hopefully we'll post pictures at some point. This place was cool. Hundreds of animals, many exotic ones, in this place. He had filled many a museums, including several animals at our very own in Columbia, SC. This visit also included the line, "Oh, I'm sorry, just try to ignore that coyote, we just pulled him out of the freezer so we can skin him tomorrow." Bud Jones and his wife were really sweet and very hospitable. The kids left with a piece of skin of a zebra, wild boar, and white-tail deer.

Mrs. Jones also told us about two other places, the Tallapoosa Museum and the Natural History Museum in Anniston, AL, both of which Mr. Bud had provided some of his work. As we got to the museum back in town, which was just down the road from the Jones' place, we were greeted by a lady who told us that Mrs. Jones had already called to make sure we had made it. (Thank God we decided to take her advice and go, or she might have sent a search party after us.) The museum was nice, sort of what you would expect from a small town museum, except this one had dinosaurs, about 15 in all, pretty good size ones, all coming from the hands and work of Bud Jones.

The Natural History Museum in Anniston was an unexpected surprise. Having just been to Smithsonian Natural History Museum a little less than three months ago, the only difference is the Smithsonian is free. The Anniston Museum was so well done and the displays were so expansive and thorough, it really was a great find. Full size replicas of an elephant, giraffe, lions, and even a cheetah (Gray kids' favorite).  

After a full morning, we set our sites on trying to get to Jackson, MS. Driving by to see Talladega Superspeedway and Hoover Met Stadium (SEC baseball tourney site), we plowed through some very boring stretch of road.

Jackson was our destination for one reason and one reason alone: Big Apple Inn. I saw this local dive on the Travel channel several times and was looking forward to eating my first 'pig-ear' sandwich. In spite of never seeing otherwise, the disappointment was tremendous when I found that it wasn't open on Mondays. Seriously, better websites people! Or maybe I should have called ahead, my bad. So here we were, in Jackson, MS for no real reason at all. Oh well. After dinner of pizza, breadstick, tamales, and chips and salsa and a quick dip in the pool, we were done for the night and day 2 of our Epic Family Road Trip was in the books. More tomorrow!

Bud Jones Taxidermy

Anniston Natural History Museum