The rest of Our Cross-Country Adventure:
Preface: In the future we will try to make our posts more timely, less biographical and shorter. :-)
Day 2 (January 9):
Day 2 started with a trip to the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. I was most excited about this stop as Clinton is really the first political leader that I recall following. My parents took me to a campaign rally (at Freedom Hall, I think) in Louisville in 1991. Anyhow, the exterior of the library resembles a double-wide trailer on stilts. The museum overlooks the Mississippi river and, according to the volunteer working at the library, Clinton has a residence in the top floor which he uses whenever he returns to Little Rock.
The museum was great. You can see me taking a seat in the President's Chair in an exact replica of the Cabinet room (above). The President's chair is two inches taller than the chairs of all other meeting participants. The museum also had a complete replica of the oval office (left). The museum housed gifts given to the Clintons by foreign leaders and permanent exhibits highlighting all the noteworthy events of his presidency. If you are in Little Rock it is worth the trip.
Chelsey and I took off from Little Rock around noon and were headed to either Austin or San Antonio depending on both the weather and how industrious we were feeling. Unbeknownst to us we had timed our departure from Kentucky perfectly to drive right into a nasty rainstorm as soon as we crossed the Texas border. The storm covered the majority of the state (huge, right?) and we were on the interstate with some huge trucks. Chelsey and I decided to bail on the interstate and take state roads. It was a great decision as we did not get on another interstate until we were like 40 miles outside of Albuquerque
Day 3 (January 10):
We stayed just outside of Austin, got up early and drove into the city. To gain a little perspective we aimed for a park recommended by David Mervis which was allegedly the highest point around and provided a great view of the landscape. This was appealing to me - I always like to find the highest point when I am in a city - so we came to St. Bonnell Park. Mervis knew where to send us to start our tour of Austin-- the absolute nicest neighborhood in the whole city. The houses on this stretch were spectacular and the roads reminded me of the riviera with their sharp turns and steep ledges. It provided awesome views of the small Austin skyline (top left) and of the Colorado river (top right) which is not in anyway related to the Colorado river in CO.
I could not have been more surprised about the city of Austin. It must be an absolute anomaly because it blows normal stereotypes about Texas out of the water. The downtown was pedestrian friendly and, as far as I can tell, supported a fairly progressive population. We toured the State House, walked around downtown a bit and explored Congress Avenue, which is the 'hipster' part of town. When we walked into the State Capitol we experienced some very loud protestors who 'wanted their doctor back.' I never understood the whole story but, as best I can tell, the State of Texas has taken their doctor hostage and is keeping him in the basement. After an awesome lunch and some window shopping for cowboy boots, etc., we hit the state roads, and were on our way to San Antonio.
We headed West through Dripping Springs and South through Blanco and were in San Antonio in less than two hours. San Antonio was so different than Austin. Chelsey and I met Brian Tate and his girlfriend, Jessica, at one of their favorites in town - La Gloria.
Day 4 (January 11):
National Park. We went to the next mission (Mission Concepcion) and
talked to this guy who was driving an elliptical bike cross country from CA.
He plans on arriving in New Orleans on Super Bowl weekend. He is riding the elliptical to raise awareness about the power that non-profits have in assisting communities (http://stand-upamerica.com/). Anyhow...I thought that was cool but we were also there to see the Alamo (Left). It was fine but not as great as the San Jose misison. It was just a bit more commercial on the inside and I think it took away from the reverence that you expect in that type of building. Brian and I decided we wanted to play golf so we went and played a quick 9 holes - unexpected and a lot of fun. The highlight of the day, however, was dinner at Rudy's BBQ (Right). Rudy's specializes in hill country BBQ, was located inside a gas stations and was awesome. Since eating there, I have discovered that it is a small chain and there is a location in Albuquerque but I do not dare go there for fear it could diminish the impression left by my first experience. Everything was priced according to the weight of the food you selected. I chose to have a half pound of baby back ribs and a half pound of spare ribs. I cleaned my plate. I believe it was the best food I have ever eaten (http://www.rudysbbq.com/page/home).
We left San Antonio early and jumped on State Route 90 Westbound. After having such a good experience off the interstate between Little Rock and Austin, we were determined to finish the trip
off the beaten path. This was the right decision as the terrain was beautiful. Our goal was either to go to Big Bend National park or to Carlsbad Caverns by the end of the day. The road was covered with Border Patrol agents as we were driving parallel to the Rio Grande. At one point we drove through a checkpoint and had to answer questions about where we were coming from and where we were going. Despite having nothing to hide, it is stressful. I do not have any idea how someone with something to hide could come across as comfortable in answering the long list of questions they throw at you. Back to the terrain - the most amazing thing was the way that the landscape changed so frequently. We left San Antonio on total flats and then came to a huge white canyon with a river flowing through the bottom (top right). This was followed with the long flat stretches of road that eventually came to more mountains and canyons. This pattern repeated itself multiple times throughout the day. There was nobody else on the road and, without even trying, you find yourself zipping down the road at 90 MPH. I was just impressed with how far you could see. On the long, flat stretches there is just nothing between you and the horizon. was supposed to be our longest day of driving (like 10 or 12 hours) but it flew by. In the middle of the day we stopped in Alpine - this small town in West Texas. We had been in the car all day so we went inside for lunch at this nice little trattoria (not what you expect in West Texas, right?) The place had board games, including Backgammon and so Chelsey and I played Backgammon (we are guessing it had never been used before) and eating Italian amidst cowboys and cowgirls.
Post-lunch we continued the journey and decided, because we passed on Big Bend to take a slight detour through Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This added a couple hours but the the views were stunning. The sun was setting behind us as we drove through the mountains so we got to see some really vivid color on the rocks. (Left and Bottom Right). The day ended with Pizza and football in Carlsbad, NM.
Day 6 (January 13):
We got up early and backtracked 20 miles to Carlsbad Caverns. It was cold outside and an absolute relief to descend into the cave. It is strange to think about but the temperature below ground is a constant 56 degrees and was nearly 30 degrees warmer than the air temperature. Carlsbad Caverns are very different than Kentucky caves because they were formed by chemical reactions that caused Sulfuric Acid to actually eat away at the earth - causing some fantastic and strangely shaped caverns. Another interesting thing about Carlsbad - it is home to hundreds of thousands of bats that leave the caverns every night (during warm weather) and then return before daybreak. The entrance to the caverns is way off the road and it was only discovered when settlers saw a large form leaving the mountains every night. They went to see what the form was and it turned out to be hundreds of thousands of bats leaving in a swarm. If you go at the right time of the year you can watch the bats take flight and it is supposed to be spectacular to see in person
(http://www.youtube.com/watchv=yLufIO5fZ6o). We opted to hike into Carlsbad (it is also ADA accessible/elevator is available). The caverns
which are available for tour are like 1000 feet deep so it is a pretty good walk to get down into the caverns. When you get down to the largest cavern (the Big Chamber) you are just blown away with the size. It is 4000 feet long and up to 625 feet wide. I think they said it was like 6 football fields. I would have liked to do a 'wild caves tour' but with the limited time we had we just walked along the path and admired the formations. Because we were there on a weekday at like 8:00 am the caves were nearly empty and very quiet - it was a great way to see the caverns.
The caverns are situated on the edge of Guadalupe Mountains National Park which we had driven through the day before. The caverns' entrance is toward the top of the mountains so we had a fairly spectacular view when we were up top (above right).
We left Carlsbad around Noon and had a short 4 hour drive into Albuquerque. I did not think that the road could get any straighter than it did in Texas but I was proved wrong. As we came into New Mexico we started seeing the red dirt and the cliff sides that you expect in the southwest (right).
We arrived in Albuquerque that afternoon and were greeted at our new home (below) by Mary, the VOICA program coordinator, and Sister Antoinette who oversees the VOICA program. Both made us feel at home within our first hour of being here.
Preface: In the future we will try to make our posts more timely, less biographical and shorter. :-)
Day 2 (January 9):
Day 2 started with a trip to the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. I was most excited about this stop as Clinton is really the first political leader that I recall following. My parents took me to a campaign rally (at Freedom Hall, I think) in Louisville in 1991. Anyhow, the exterior of the library resembles a double-wide trailer on stilts. The museum overlooks the Mississippi river and, according to the volunteer working at the library, Clinton has a residence in the top floor which he uses whenever he returns to Little Rock. 
The museum was great. You can see me taking a seat in the President's Chair in an exact replica of the Cabinet room (above). The President's chair is two inches taller than the chairs of all other meeting participants. The museum also had a complete replica of the oval office (left). The museum housed gifts given to the Clintons by foreign leaders and permanent exhibits highlighting all the noteworthy events of his presidency. If you are in Little Rock it is worth the trip.Chelsey and I took off from Little Rock around noon and were headed to either Austin or San Antonio depending on both the weather and how industrious we were feeling. Unbeknownst to us we had timed our departure from Kentucky perfectly to drive right into a nasty rainstorm as soon as we crossed the Texas border. The storm covered the majority of the state (huge, right?) and we were on the interstate with some huge trucks. Chelsey and I decided to bail on the interstate and take state roads. It was a great decision as we did not get on another interstate until we were like 40 miles outside of Albuquerque
Day 3 (January 10):
We stayed just outside of Austin, got up early and drove into the city. To gain a little perspective we aimed for a park recommended by David Mervis which was allegedly the highest point around and provided a great view of the landscape. This was appealing to me - I always like to find the highest point when I am in a city - so we came to St. Bonnell Park. Mervis knew where to send us to start our tour of Austin-- the absolute nicest neighborhood in the whole city. The houses on this stretch were spectacular and the roads reminded me of the riviera with their sharp turns and steep ledges. It provided awesome views of the small Austin skyline (top left) and of the Colorado river (top right) which is not in anyway related to the Colorado river in CO.I could not have been more surprised about the city of Austin. It must be an absolute anomaly because it blows normal stereotypes about Texas out of the water. The downtown was pedestrian friendly and, as far as I can tell, supported a fairly progressive population. We toured the State House, walked around downtown a bit and explored Congress Avenue, which is the 'hipster' part of town. When we walked into the State Capitol we experienced some very loud protestors who 'wanted their doctor back.' I never understood the whole story but, as best I can tell, the State of Texas has taken their doctor hostage and is keeping him in the basement. After an awesome lunch and some window shopping for cowboy boots, etc., we hit the state roads, and were on our way to San Antonio.
We headed West through Dripping Springs and South through Blanco and were in San Antonio in less than two hours. San Antonio was so different than Austin. Chelsey and I met Brian Tate and his girlfriend, Jessica, at one of their favorites in town - La Gloria.
Day 4 (January 11):
Brian had to work a half day on Friday so we took to touring town. Chelsey and I drove to the Spanish Missions on the outskirts of Albuquerque. The first we visited was also our favorite - Mission San Jose (Right). I did not know that churches this old existed in the US. One of the most amazing things about the Mission is that it is still an active parish. The Missions are approximately 3-4 miles apart and are connected by a popular driving tour route which is also protected as a
National Park. We went to the next mission (Mission Concepcion) and
met Tate who took us to another authentic mexican dining experience.
After lunch we headed to the Alamo and sat outside people watching. We
talked to this guy who was driving an elliptical bike cross country from CA. He plans on arriving in New Orleans on Super Bowl weekend. He is riding the elliptical to raise awareness about the power that non-profits have in assisting communities (http://stand-upamerica.com/). Anyhow...I thought that was cool but we were also there to see the Alamo (Left). It was fine but not as great as the San Jose misison. It was just a bit more commercial on the inside and I think it took away from the reverence that you expect in that type of building. Brian and I decided we wanted to play golf so we went and played a quick 9 holes - unexpected and a lot of fun. The highlight of the day, however, was dinner at Rudy's BBQ (Right). Rudy's specializes in hill country BBQ, was located inside a gas stations and was awesome. Since eating there, I have discovered that it is a small chain and there is a location in Albuquerque but I do not dare go there for fear it could diminish the impression left by my first experience. Everything was priced according to the weight of the food you selected. I chose to have a half pound of baby back ribs and a half pound of spare ribs. I cleaned my plate. I believe it was the best food I have ever eaten (http://www.rudysbbq.com/page/home).
Day 5 (January 12):
We left San Antonio early and jumped on State Route 90 Westbound. After having such a good experience off the interstate between Little Rock and Austin, we were determined to finish the trip 
off the beaten path. This was the right decision as the terrain was beautiful. Our goal was either to go to Big Bend National park or to Carlsbad Caverns by the end of the day. The road was covered with Border Patrol agents as we were driving parallel to the Rio Grande. At one point we drove through a checkpoint and had to answer questions about where we were coming from and where we were going. Despite having nothing to hide, it is stressful. I do not have any idea how someone with something to hide could come across as comfortable in answering the long list of questions they throw at you. Back to the terrain - the most amazing thing was the way that the landscape changed so frequently. We left San Antonio on total flats and then came to a huge white canyon with a river flowing through the bottom (top right). This was followed with the long flat stretches of road that eventually came to more mountains and canyons. This pattern repeated itself multiple times throughout the day. There was nobody else on the road and, without even trying, you find yourself zipping down the road at 90 MPH. I was just impressed with how far you could see. On the long, flat stretches there is just nothing between you and the horizon. was supposed to be our longest day of driving (like 10 or 12 hours) but it flew by. In the middle of the day we stopped in Alpine - this small town in West Texas. We had been in the car all day so we went inside for lunch at this nice little trattoria (not what you expect in West Texas, right?) The place had board games, including Backgammon and so Chelsey and I played Backgammon (we are guessing it had never been used before) and eating Italian amidst cowboys and cowgirls.
Post-lunch we continued the journey and decided, because we passed on Big Bend to take a slight detour through Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This added a couple hours but the the views were stunning. The sun was setting behind us as we drove through the mountains so we got to see some really vivid color on the rocks. (Left and Bottom Right). The day ended with Pizza and football in Carlsbad, NM. Day 6 (January 13):
We got up early and backtracked 20 miles to Carlsbad Caverns. It was cold outside and an absolute relief to descend into the cave. It is strange to think about but the temperature below ground is a constant 56 degrees and was nearly 30 degrees warmer than the air temperature. Carlsbad Caverns are very different than Kentucky caves because they were formed by chemical reactions that caused Sulfuric Acid to actually eat away at the earth - causing some fantastic and strangely shaped caverns. Another interesting thing about Carlsbad - it is home to hundreds of thousands of bats that leave the caverns every night (during warm weather) and then return before daybreak. The entrance to the caverns is way off the road and it was only discovered when settlers saw a large form leaving the mountains every night. They went to see what the form was and it turned out to be hundreds of thousands of bats leaving in a swarm. If you go at the right time of the year you can watch the bats take flight and it is supposed to be spectacular to see in person(http://www.youtube.com/watchv=yLufIO5fZ6o). We opted to hike into Carlsbad (it is also ADA accessible/elevator is available). The caverns
which are available for tour are like 1000 feet deep so it is a pretty good walk to get down into the caverns. When you get down to the largest cavern (the Big Chamber) you are just blown away with the size. It is 4000 feet long and up to 625 feet wide. I think they said it was like 6 football fields. I would have liked to do a 'wild caves tour' but with the limited time we had we just walked along the path and admired the formations. Because we were there on a weekday at like 8:00 am the caves were nearly empty and very quiet - it was a great way to see the caverns. The caverns are situated on the edge of Guadalupe Mountains National Park which we had driven through the day before. The caverns' entrance is toward the top of the mountains so we had a fairly spectacular view when we were up top (above right).
We left Carlsbad around Noon and had a short 4 hour drive into Albuquerque. I did not think that the road could get any straighter than it did in Texas but I was proved wrong. As we came into New Mexico we started seeing the red dirt and the cliff sides that you expect in the southwest (right). We arrived in Albuquerque that afternoon and were greeted at our new home (below) by Mary, the VOICA program coordinator, and Sister Antoinette who oversees the VOICA program. Both made us feel at home within our first hour of being here.
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