Getting to Texas Via Camera Phone

Once again, our annual Texas treck was upon us.  This has been a blur of a summer because it has been jam packed with house guests, projects, day trips, school work (tons for me) and the typical stuff summer entails on a normal basis.  I haven't had time to catch my breath.

My dad (aka The Gov) flew in very late on Tuesday night.  After visiting and finally getting to bed about 1:00 a.m. the next day came early with loads of preparations for our trip.  Even though I started packing at 9:00 that morning, I wasnt completely finished until 10:00 that night.  I can't explain how much brain power goes into packing for six people to make a two week trip 1,300 miles from home. 

Ready to load into the van the night before.  This isn't everything- some stuff was already in the van and luggage carrier. 

We hit the road at 8:00 on the dot.  When making these trips, I am a stickler for staying on schedule!!!

We stopped for lunch in Cortez, Colorado.  We grabbed food from Sonic and took it to the little city park.  Normally we eat at a sit down restaurant when we stop for lunch, but we went this route instead and it was wonderful to let the kids run around and use some of their pent up energy!

Stopping for cold drinks in Gallup, NM.

Nasty truck stop bathrooms!!

We finally pulled into our hotel in Albuquerque around 8:45.  I ordered pizza and took the kids down to swim while Dad waited in the room for the pizza to come.  Then we headed back to eat and the kids were finally asleep sometime around 11:15.  Looooong day. 

Missing Daddy back home.

After breakfast in the hotel, we were back on the road at 9:00. 

Each time we pass this sign on I-40, my heart expands.  I know it's still seven hours to home, but it feels so close!

About five miles west of Amarillo, right off the freeway, we always pass these crazy looking cars sticking out of the dirt.  It's called Cadillac Ranch and this year I suggested we pull off and check it out.  Gov had never stopped there either, and he was interested in it.  The air was hot, dry, and horribly windy.  In fact, we were only there for maybe twenty minutes, but I got a bad wind burn in that little amount of time.  There were a million cans of half used spray paint and people go in and paint the cars.  It was a cool little place an we can now say that after all these trips, we finally stopped at Cadillac Ranch.  Then it was onto Amarillo and our traditional lunch stop at Fazoli's.

Nasty wind almost blew us away!!

David Bowie is that way?  Don't mind if I do!

Two days in the car does this to people.

Pulling into Fort Worth and seeing the skyline always makes my heart swell.  It's home.

The Gov had undoubtedly just told me a very dirty joke here, thus the look on his face!

Hailey's crazy hair at the end of the trip.

We got to Granana and the Gov's a little before 9:00.  We stopped to pick up chicken, okra, hush puppies, and mashed taters on the way to the house and it was like seeing Mecca pulling into the drive off of the highway.  This place is home to me.  Uncle Philip and Granana were there waiting for us and the party ensued the second we walked in the door, and didn't stop until late into the night.  Getting kids to go to sleep on the first night is always a challenge, but it's worth it.  I love these trips.  I love the two full days I have my Pop to myself.  With the exception of a very heated discussion about religion (sometime around Shiprock NM that resulted in my dropping some really filthy words his way) Gov's and my time in the car was great.  I love that guy and I cherish our trips together. He is never at a loss of a dirty joke or inappropriate story and I am in stitches with laughter for 1,300 miles.  Being a McCorkle means being crass and and loud and irreverent and laughing...and I love it.  It's who I am.