We were so happy that A.J. was able to come home to visit for Christmas. He flew in to spend the week, then we took a family trip to deliver him back to Fort Hood in Texas.
Our route west took us through western Kentucky, where just two weeks prior a series of tornadoes ripped through, causing horrible destruction and loss of life.
There were several areas where you could tell the tornadoes had crossed the interstate, toppling trees and bending light poles in half.
We timed the first leg of our trip to be in Memphis at dinnertime...BBQ.
After the first four BBQ joints we tried were closed, we ended up on Beale Street with a large contingency of soon-to-be-disappointed Mississippi State football fans, who were in town for the Liberty Bowl.
Memphis BBQ!
A.J. loves him some ribs.
We drove right past the Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel (where MLK was assassinated). We'll have to come back again to take in that opportunity.
The trip is too long for these old folks, so we broke it into two legs, staying the night in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The kids were "too tired" to walk anywhere, so they stayed in the hotel while Mom and Dad went downtown to see the lights, like this festive bridge over the Arkansas River.
The Arkansas State Capitol
The next state line to cross - Texas!
Amy was determined to stop at a Buc-ee's, a truck stop the size of a grocery store with the population of a small Caribbean island.
Bucc-ee is apparently a terrifying beaver.
Every road in Texas was under construction, but none were worse than in Waco.
On Tuesday evening we made it into San Antonio and checked out the Riverwalk.
Since the entire Riverwalk and all of its restaurants were slammed with later-to-be-elated Oklahoma football fans, we found a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant for a little Tex-Mex.
Bexar County Courthouse
The San Fernando Cathedral, founded in 1731, is the oldest continuously-functioning religious community in Texas.
We were fortunate to be in town on a night that they were showing The Saga - a video art show that is projected on the front of the cathedral, showing the history of San Antonio.
Mom & Dad on the Riverwalk
On Wednesday we made a toured the San Antonio Mission Walk, beginning with Mission San Jose, established in 1720 and the largest of the San Antonio Missions.
Essie
Statue of San Antonio himself
Next was Mission San Juan Capistrano, a self-sustaining farming community established in 1731.
Essie
Mission Espada, also established in 1731
Mission Concepcion
Dedicated in 1755, the church at Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepción de Acuña is the oldest unrestored stone church in the United States.
The most famous and oldest of the San Antonio missions, founded in 1718 - Mission San Antonio de Valero, better known as the Alamo.
Davy Crockett, the famous frontiersman who was killed at the Alamo
Dad shakes hands with Davy
Jim Bowie, a Kentucky-born frontiersman and inventor of the Bowie knife, also killed at the Alamo
A legion of Oklahoma fans and a handful of Oregon fans were in town for the Alamo Bowl.
Centennial monument erected in memory of those who died in defense of the Alamo.
El Mercado
One of our Christmas presents this year was to attend a Spurs-Heat basketball game, but the game was canceled due to COVID just hours before tipoff. Disappointing. :-(
Matt's cousin, an Oklahoma football fan, was in town with his family for the Alamo Bowl, and we were excited to get to share some good Texas BBQ with them - an unexpected and unplanned joy!
Unable to go to our NBA game, we had to settle for watching the Kentucky basketball game on a cell phone.
Our San Antonio hotel had a first for us - a basketball court. So we got some shots up before hitting the road on Thursday.
On our way from San Antonio to Austin, we stopped at McKinney Falls State Park. It was...underwhelming, to be honest. But it was an opportunity to get out and stretch our legs.
The Upper Falls on Onion Creek
This rock overhang, a shelter for indigenous people, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Turtles sunning
The Lower Falls
We were going to get out and see a little of Austin, but we just didn't have the energy. But a couple that introduced themselves to us in a restaurant in San Antonio (it happens a lot to us) told us that Austin has a vibrant Ethiopian community with some good Ethiopian restaurants. That was great news for our kids.
Yum!
Chloe
On our way out of Austin on Friday, we met our good friend and college buddy Paul for breakfast.
We dropped A.J. back off at Fort Hood before pointing the wagon northeast for the two-day journey home. A lot of miles, but good time with the family.
