Texas

I hate Texas. Every single time I come here something bad happens. 

Now I have dragged someone else into the misery that is this state. To fully understand this you must have some background on the events that have caused my intense dislike:

1998: Food poisoning at the Sun Bowl

2002: UHaul blows a tire 50 miles outside of El Paso

2003: Hospital visit due to strep while in Houston for a wedding

2008: Hurricane Ike while in Dallas for work

2011: Tornado while at the Texas Rangers Game

Our day started off pleasant enough...we hit the road from New Orleans early this morning and headed west. We got to the hotel about 4:30, which was plenty of time to change and head back out towards Ranger Ballpark, where we had tickets to watch the Rangers host the White Sox.

Here are some photos taken before things got nuts:

All of a sudden we noticed that the sky that had been slightly overcast was starting to look ominous. There seemed to be a wall of thunderstorms moving quickly across the area where the ballpark was. At the top of the third inning the announcer came over the PA system and said that anyone sitting in the upper levels (we were) was required to move down to a lower level and find a seat due to severe weather in the area. We though this was pretty awesome since the seats we ended up in were on the ground level about ten rows behind home plate. We were thoroughly enjoying our complimentary seat upgrade!

Before we knew it it started to rain--hard. So we headed back up from our new seats to the concession area to seek shelter and wait out the storm. At this point the tarp was over the baseball diamond to protect it from the elements and the game was temporarily on hold. After waiting approximately forty-five minutes we headed back towards the field because it appeared that the rain was stopping and there was a chance that the game would still be a go. Unfortunately things just got worse and we were ordered to evacuate the stadium and head to the basement, which is where the locker rooms are. So there we are, thousands of people, just hanging out. We were under evacuation orders between thirty and forty five minutes.

The photos below were taken from the gates of the ballpark before we were ordered to evacuate.

Once we emerged from the ballpark we hightailed it to the car (which was thankfully where we had left it) and hauled ass back to the hotel. We contemplated driving to Phoenix this evening to get out of this hell hole.

In all seriousness, we will hit the road tomorrow towards Albuquerque. One has never been so happy at the thought of going to New Mexico.

Elvis and Bourbon

This morning we set out in search of Elvis. We were not disappointed. We drove into the gates at Graceland and immediately could hear him singing over the loudspeaker.  We got our tickets and waited to get on the bus that would take us across the street to the mansion. Once inside, it is almost like you’ve stepped inside of a time machine. Everything appears to have been left just as it was in the 60s and 70s when Elvis and his family lived there. There are some pictures of the inside of the mansion below.

After taking the tour we decided to get on our way to New Orleans! We headed due south through Mississippi and took right at the Louisiana border. We are staying in a lovely little inn in the French Quarter and it is like stepping back in time in the courtyards and quaint rooms.

We unloaded our stuff and turned right around and headed out to Bourbon Street. If you’ve never been to New Orleans, it is a sight to behold. There are some things that are seen that one wishes they could un-see! But it is an amazing atmosphere like no other you will ever experience. Here are some scenes from the middle of the chaos:

Tomorrow we get up early to make the drive to Arlington, TX, where we will watch the Texas Rangers take on the Chicago White Sox. We will then be on the downward slide towards home! Pun intended.

Sunburns and Baseball

Good morning from Memphis!! We arrived late last night at our hotel, which is actually across the state line in Mississippi. We were pretty tired from our eight hour drive from Chicago when we got here!

We got up pretty early in Chicago and headed out to Starbucks to fuel up. From there, we turned our car in the direction of US Cellular Field, where we had tickets to watch the White Sox play the Dodgers!

Chicago is a pretty busy city! Here's the traffic...on a SUNDAY:

We had checked the weather before we started this trip and the forecast called for rain the entire weekend in Chicago. Luckily we were pleasantly surprised! It was sunny without a cloud in the sky! The field was amazing as well:

We had an amazing time and our skin, rather, Allison's skin, is scorched. We headed towards Tennessee!

We do not recommend driving from northern Illinois to southern Illinois. Ever. It is quite boring and there is nothing to see for miles.

Today we are off to see if Elvis truly is in the building. Graceland, here we come!

Teeth and Time

It's official!!!  We are on the road to Phoenix! Yesterday was our first day of the journey and our goal was to make it to Chicago and we succeeded! We headed from Virginia through West Virginia, into Kentucky and then there was an Indiana/Ohio/Indiana combo before passing into Illinois. This was the longest leg of the journey and we were pretty exhausted when we finally arrived. After a good night's sleep we are heading out today to US Cellular Field (Comiskey Park) to watch the White Sox take on the Dodgers.

We also learned that all rumors about the lack of dental hygiene in the state of West Virginia are TRUE. Not a tooth to be seen ANYWHERE.

The roads in West Virginia are absolutely terrible. We did however pay $11.00 in tolls during our stay there and would like to suggest that the money be used to not only repair said roads but also to subsidize some dental care for the citizens who live there. Just an idea.

Here are some sights we saw on yesterday's journey:

A New Adventure!

Once upon a time there was a girl who traveled a lot for her job. She met lots of very nice people all over the country. One day she met a guy who happened to work at the same company and they became friends.

This friendship would span eighteen months. In that eighteen months they got to know each other and would catch up every couple of weeks.

Then one day there was the hint of a request for a phone number. A chance was taken and the number was given.

They have not stopped talking since, and have decided that they cannot live without each other. 

And so...they are moving him to Arizona!

Which leads to the happy ending: ROAD TRIP!!

Beginning this Saturday, the adventure begins!

The blog will be updated each night so please check in and follow the adventure!

Shopping and Triumphe

We are winding down our visit here in Paris, and we board the plane in the morning to come home. It has been a wonderful week here and although it was cold, that didn't stop us from seeing everything we wanted to see.

Today we spent the day shopping and walking around, snapping some last photos of beautiful Paris before we leave. Here is one that's a favorite:

Tomorrow morning we must board the train to the airport with all of our belongings, which is always tricky, and there is concern over what types of foul odors await us...

This blog posting will also serve as a due process announcement for the lovely folks that work in the Costco photo department. Please get your rest in the next couple of days. I'm coming home, and you will be busy.

Au Revoir from Paris!

Montemarte and More Steps

Today we visited the oldest neighborhood in Paris, Montemarte. This neighborhood is the quintessential European village, complete with cobblestone streets and village cafes. It also is the location of the Sacre Coeur Cathedral, which is massive. We arrived well before the village was bustling, which gave us a really unique view of it when it was quiet. We were able to walk around and take pictures without a lot of people, which was a fantastic opportunity.

Yesterday, stairs were mentioned. This must have pissed off the stair gods because they set up Sacre Coeur to mock me.

There are so many steps that the Paris metro built a subway car that will take people to the top.

Did we do this?

No.

We began the journey up the steps to this beautiful cathedral. Five hours later, we arrived.

Kidding.

It was magnificent. The wonder of the building outweighs any cursing done as you climb the multitude of steps, and if so desired, confession is available if you feel your expletives were overheard.

After visiting the church, we headed back down towards the village.

The famous Moulin Rouge is located in Montemarte, so we headed in that general direction. The path took us through lots of cafes and shops, including some of the most delightful bakeries ever seen by humans.

We are beginning to wind down our visit here.

What does this mean?

Shopping!

We are in the shopping capital of the world, and plan to do our part to contribute the French economy.

Tomorrow's plan includes more shopping and preparing to come home, as we leave Paris on Thursday.

For those that were concerned that the foul odor smelled here would go away, never fear. It makes an appearance at the worst of times and ALWAYS smells the same.

Tomorrow's forecast: 37 F and rain/snow.

Bon soir!