Vacation Time Again

A few weeks ago it was vacation time again. This year we drove to Texas to take in some of the sights and visit some friends and family along the way. We stopped in Oklahoma on our way there for a much anticipated visit with some good childhood friends. Next was a stop in Dallas to visit Dealey Plaza and the excellent JFK museum. Brady was pretty sure knew where the second gunman on the grassy knoll was positioned.















And went to investigate.
















Next up was a visit with our dear friends Paul and Kelli which included riding around on their souped-up golf cart, a highlight for Brady.




















San Antonio was our next stop with the obligatory photo in front of the Alamo.

It is at this point that I will interrupt the story and point out that this picture was taken on Tuesday, September 8th. As we drove to Houston the next morning, we began to notice the preparations for hurricane Ike, caravans of charter buses going to staging centers, etc. But hey, the hurricane's headed for Corpus Christi, so no problem right? Let's go to Houston! If you know our history of vacation luck, are you groaning yet? It wasn't that bad, this time we didn't have to leave our car behind.

Our first scheduled stop in Houston was the Downtown Aquarium in Houston to see some cool fish during which Ike decided to dramatically change paths and head directly for Houston.

Dinner and the subsequent evening with my aunt and uncle revealed that there would be no more sight seeing in Houston the next day and that perhaps our planned Thursday afternoon in Galveston wasn't such a good idea now what with the Hurricane coming on Friday and the 4-5 foot waves already at the shore. After a flurry of hotel rescheduling, we got up early the next morning, told Houston and Galveston we'd come back to finish our visit another time and got the heck out of Dodge. My aunt and uncle weren't far behind. The sights of the evacuation were interesting - cars loaded with people, suitcases and pet crates, every person on a cell phone; caravans of ambulances and generators driving into the city; a prison evacuation with buses full of men in orange jump suits and the guys riding shotgun actually carrying shotguns - yikes! I am happy to report that my aunt and uncle's house fared well but my heart goes out to those who weren't as fortunate.

On the way home, we stopped at a Civil War site in Vicksburg, Mississippi and took a picture of what may become a vacation tradition - Brady looking down the barrel of a cannon. Seeing as we may have encouraged this picture, I'm sure he's going to need therapy when he gets older.

When we got home, Ike sent us a message by jamming a tree branch upright in our yard. I think it says "Don't mess with Texas." Which, I know doesn't really make sense for the situation, but it had to be said.

Updated to correct the name of the hurricane. Special thanks to my brother who politely pointed out that I am in fact a gigantic idiot, which I'm sure he took no small pleasure in.