texas IS big

we can lump Texas all in together because we made quite a few stops in this large state.

Snyder, Texas

first stop was Snyder! this was for us to have a quick pit stop to sleep on our way to eastern Texas. we ended up thoroughly enjoying the hotel! our drive out there was kind of random because western Texas is so flat. it was full of cotton, corn, wheat, and oil pumps. the smell of that oil was quite strong, if I say so myself. what blew Adam’s mind was all the land and empty towns we passed through. naturally, he wanted to purchase them all (recall the cave we went into that he wanted to purchase?).

we really did love the hotel. the next morning, we slept in and missed breakfast completely. but the nicest woman at the front desk brought food out for us so we could still eat. it was really touching. once we were fed, we hit the road toward San Antonio.

San Antonio, Texas

once again, on the road, it was so dang flat and full of cotton, oil pumps, and empty fields. lots and lots of ranches out here (duh) as well as wind turbines. apparently this is the spot for them to collect energy and send it to California. we did stop in Sweetwater for a car check as our precious caravan has been expressing concerns to us and she needs a bit of a check every once in a while.

the further east we got, the more trees and hills started showing up. we were getting into the greener part of Texas. when we finally made it to San Antonio, we were welcomed with lots of traffic and insane Texans driving on the highways. the roads out here in the major cities are too much sometimes haha.

The Alamo

we did stop and see the Alamo - just in time before they closed. and to be honest, it was a little underwhelming. it wasn’t what I expected. and part of the landmark is closed so we had a hard time finding our way around. if anything, it was nice to see a piece of history and walk around the town a little. more importantly, we were ready for food and to get to our hotel. so back in the car we went for another drive!

our hotel was just outside San Antonio. this was pretty uneventful. we ate lots of Oreos that night and woke up to hit the road once again (surprise surprise). the drive was for me to get a test at Walgreens so I could attend a concert over the weekend. after that, our main goal was getting some food since breakfast at the hotel was lame. honestly, this time during Texas is kind of a blur because we kept stopping in random towns and hitting the road the next day. our stop-over before going to Houston (to see my family) was in College Station. Just for the purpose of sleeping anywhere but Austin, which was quite expensive.

College Station, Texas

We ate some breakfast at our hotel, which we have been taking advantage of whenever we can - Adam loves his waffles and so do I! Then it was time to hit the road for Houston to see my family. This was the first time we had seen rain on the entire road trip - how crazy is that? First stop was my cousin, Patrick’s house. He had the most comfortable bed by Helix and immediately took a nap when we arrived. But that evening I went to a concert with my other cousin Melanie while Adam went to see a movie. It was nice for us to be settled in one place for a couple days.

Houston, Texas

Next morning, we got tacos with my cousin and headed over to my aunt and uncle’s for some family time! Adam got to meet a bunch of my extended family and he survived. we had a blast though in all honesty. it was great for me to see my family and Grandfather again after quite some time! our second full day was also spent with family and eating delicious foods. the last morning, we slept in and did some laundry then headed off to New Orleans! my cup full of family time, we were ready for the open road again. I do already miss them though…

p.s. all the pictures are from the beginning of Texas, we didn’t take any when we were in Houston! also, the dinosaur is from the gas station called Sinclair - Adam is obsessed with it and they have a dinosaur at every single station. it was quite a highlight of our drive on the first half of the road trip! so naturally he’s included in the blog.