Day 10 (6/23/11) - Taylor

Thursday we went back to Shreveport.  We didn't get home till 11pm.  All we did was drive.  We drove for over 12 hours.  Talk about boring.  So it was a relief to get home.

~Taylor

Day 10 (6/23/11) - Jagger

We left from the hotel and saw a helicopter drop hay on the burnt ground.  We stopped in Roswell, NM and went to a alien gift shop and I bought an alien in a bottle and an alien credit card.  Then we ate at a diner in Post, TX.  We drove all the way to Shreveport but for we had Wendy's and I had a junior cheeseburger.

~Jagger

Day 10 - Ruidoso, NM to Shreveport, LA - OUR LAST DAY.

This day started out like all the rest.  We all knew we were getting close to the end of the trip but didn't think it would be this day, at least I didn't.  Both the boys were eager to get home, eager to sleep in their own beds and eager to see their mom and share all the tales of their adventure.  When I woke in the morning I knew there was a slight chance we would drive all the way but thought there was a better chance of us just staying in Dallas for the night because I just knew everyone would be burnt out on riding in the car.  I know now the desire to get home to our own environment weighed more.  It was a long, long day of driving.  The kids did their best to stayed entertained.
Our first and only tourist stop of the day was in Roswell, NM.  I was a little disappointed with this stop.  I'm not sure what I expected to be there to see and experience but it fell short.  The town itself is impressive.  The town offered more corporate business than I thought it would.  It's a nice little, big town.  We ended up walking through one of the several alien gift shops and spent a little money.

Miles traveled for the day: 716

TOTAL MILES FOR THE TRIP: 3,771

~~bob

Day 9 (6/22/11) - Taylor

On our way to Ruidoso, NM we passed the airplane boneyard.  Which is where our military stores unused planes.  We also went to Tombstone, an old western town from the 1800's.  Then we passed White Sands Missile Range.  Then we trekked the rest of our way to our hotel.  Then we ate dinner at K-bob's.

~Taylor

Day 9 (6/22/11) - Jagger

We passed the airplane boneyard where military stores planes they don't use.  We ended up eating lunch at Burger King and I had the kids cheese burger.  We ended up staying in Ruidoso, New Mexico.  We had dinner at K-bob.  I had a 4oz. steak and salad.

~Jagger

Day 9 - Tucson, AZ to Tombstone, AZ then Ruidoso, NM

Day 9 - Tucson, AZ to Tombstone, AZ then Ruidoso, NM

We started our day off stopping by an airplane boneyard in Tucson, AZ.  I read that it's 35 billion worth of outdated, used airplanes that are stored for spare parts on current models.  We were not able to walk on the base but we drove by a portion of the fields and I took a free pictures.

aerial photo of Davis-Monthan air base, home of the airplane graveyard.  photo provided by their website.

After leaving Tucson we headed to Tombstone, AZ. "The town too tough to die"

The town from the late 1800's that Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday walked the streets.  It was a nice stop, small western town out in the middle of nowhere.  The town is set-up for tourist now but I don't think they get the business they wish for.  

We then made our way through White Sands, NM.  Which for some reason I thought would be a totally different experience.  I saw very little WHITE sands.  I've seen footage of rolling sandy hills, I just didn't see it on our drive.  It is home to a missile testing range.  From what I've read it's one of the largest, testing areas for branches of the military in the USA.

We then drive a little further to a small town for the night, Ruidoso, NM.  It happened to be the closet town to Roswell (our next stop) that had a hotel available.  I must admit I was very impressed with Ruidoso.  It's a small, clean town in New Mexico that I'm glad we were able to visit.  The people of Ruidoso were very friendly and courteous.  The area was hit with a forest fire about a month ago and are still cleaning up.  

Miles traveled for the day: 426

~~bob

Day 8 (6/21/11) - Taylor

We left Palm Desert to Tucson, AZ.  We ate lunch at Subway.  Then we just kept driving.  Basically all we did was stay in the car.  It got up to 109.

I think that it wouldn't be the best place to live.  I say that cause it didn't look very fun.  When we got to our hotel we went swimming.  Then we went to a Mexican restaurant that Chewie recommended called Mosaic Cafe.  I had a taco & enchilada.  After we tried to go to U-Swirl but it was closed.  So instead we ate cookies.

~Taylor

Day 8 (6/21/11) - Jagger

We went to Subway for lunch.  Then we went to the hotel.  I finished reading and went swimming.  We at at a mexican grill that Chewie recommended.  I had the meat, beans and cheese burrito.  We went to the hotel and had cookies for dessert.  Then we watched the Tonight Show and went to sleep.

~Jagger

Day 8 - Palm Desert, CA to Tucson, AZ

Palm Desert, CA through Phoenix, AZ to Tucson, AZ

This ended up being a long drive on a hot day.  We started early and made our way to Phoenix, AZ.  I thought we would eat lunch in Phoenix and maybe try to sightsee.  We ended up eating lunch before getting to Phoenix and then we were eager to make it to Tucson to our hotel.  I think the best part of the day was all of us going swimming.  It was the first time on the trip and I think we all enjoyed and needed it.

Miles traveled for the day: 391

~~bob

Day 7 (6/20/11) - Taylor

Day 7 (Monday)

Monday we went to Malibu and we watched people surf.  Then we went to Beverly Hills.  After we went to The Grove for lunch.  While we were there we saw Mario Lopez.  Then we went to Hollywood Blvd.  We saw the walk of fame.  After we went Santa Monica Pier.

~Taylor

Day 7 (6/20/11) - Jagger

Day 7 (Monday)

We went to Malibu beach.  Then we left and went to Beverly Hills.  We left Beverly Hills and we went to The Grove and I had a French Dip.  Taylor and I saw a beat-boxer.  Then we left and got yogurt.  We went to the Santa Monica Pier and rode the rollercoaster.  Then we ate at the Sizzler.

~Jagger

Day 7 (6/20/11) - Los Angeles, CA to Palm Desert, CA

Day 7 (6/20/11)

This turned out to be a fun, but long day.  We started the day off by driving up PCH to Malibu.  We stopped at one of the beaches and let the kids play in the sand.

We then drove over to Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive.  Then we made our way to The Grove to walk around and have lunch at the farmer's market.  Then we moved over to Hollywood Blvd & Kodak Theater.  After seeing the Hollywood sign we headed to the Santa Monica Pier and rode the roller coaster.  We then made the quick decision to drive to Palm Desert for the night.

~~bob

Day 6 - by Taylor

Day 6 (Sunday)

Sunday we went to Disneyland.  It was so fun we had a great time.  We road every rollercoaster.   My favorite was the train cause it looked like it was going in a coal mine.  We also went on a submarine ride.  Every ride had a wait.  Now I've been to both Disneyland and Disneyworld.

~ Taylor

Day 6 - by Jagger

Day 6 (Sunday)

We woke up and went to Disneyland and rode every ride.  My favorite ride was "Space Mountain" which is a dark rollercoaster.  Then we left that ride and went to TomorrowLand and played games.  Then went on the waterslide.  Then we left.

~Jagger

Day 6 - Disneyland

Day 6 (6/19/11)

This is one of my favorite Father's Day so far.  Being able to spend it with my dad and my kids at Disneyland made for a great day.

We all had a great first time at Disneyland.  For the record, DisneyWorld is still the better park.  DW has so much more to offer.  It was fun riding all of the rides together.  We ended up spending the whole day there, having to leave because Taylor got soaked on Splash Mountain.

waiting in line

Submarine ride

~~bob

Day 5 - by Taylor

Day 5 (Sauturday)

Saturday we went to Los Angeles, CA from Las Vegas, NV.  Coming into California I thought everything would be bigger.  We also went to Dyrdek Enterprises.  It was cool cause I watch his show all the time.  Then we checked in to our hotel.  After that we ate at Panda Express for dinner, it was ok; but they give you too much food.  So I guess so far so good.

~Taylor

Day 5 - by Jagger

Day 5 (Saturday)

We went to eat lunch at Magnolia.  Then Dad and I went on Flight Linez.  Taylor did not go because he did not wasn't to.  Then Taylor bought a hat.  As we left I chased a pigeon.  Then we went to the hotel.

~Jagger

Day 5 (6/18/11) - Las Vegas, NV to Los Angeles, CA

DAY 5 (6/18/11) Las Vegas, NV to Los Angeles, CA

We wanted to go sightseeing a little bit more before heading out of Vegas.  We drove by Gold & Silver Pawn.  The boys wanted to go in but there was a line to get in the doors, it was around 11A.  We then went down to Fremont St to check it out.  Jagger noticed a zip line that traveled down the street.  Jag and I ended up doing the zip line.

video of us on the zip line.  It's me in the front and then Jag.  There were two other guys on separate lines that show up on the video after Jagger.

After spending a couple hours on Fremont and eating lunch we ended up getting on the road to LA.  We ended getting into LA and headed over to Dyrdek Enterprises first thing, one of Taylor's stops.  

We then drove around Hollywood and through Santa Monica before heading to the hotel.

~~bob

Day 4 - by Taylor

We left from Flagstaff, AZ to Las Vegas, NV.  First we went to a little town on Route 66.  It was cool cause they had a bunch of old stuff.  Then we went to Quizno's for lunch.  After we went to Hoover Dam for a couple of hours.  Then we went to the Fabulous Las Vegas.  We had a great time.  We went to the Bellagio and watched fountains dance.  Then we walked through a bunch of casinos with loud music.  We walked the strip till 12:30am.  People act crazy on the strip at night.

~Taylor

Day 4 - by Jagger

We left Flagstaff to Las Vegas.  As we left we stopped at Route 66.  When we arrived at the hotel, we went to eat at Tacos & Tequila.  I had steak tacos and then we left and walked down the streets as we were walking people were passing out bad pictures.  We left and went to sleep.

~Jagger

Day 4 (6/17/11) - Flagstaff to Hoover Dam to Vegas

Day 4 - June 17, 2011

Flagstaff to Hoover Dam to Vegas

It was an interesting morning.  Waking up at 6a to the sun already up for awhile but no one moving around the hotel or the town.  Arizona doesn't observe daylight savings time, so my internal clock was a little off.  It was also 45 degrees outside but warming up a bit when we ended up getting on the road.  We now start our journey to Hoover Dam, which was the second most anticipated stop on our trip.  On our trip we end up stopping in Seligman, AZ, a small Route 66 town.  

We all enjoyed this fun stop, I think dad more than anyone.  It was neat seeing all the old signage and the little tourist shops.  We then get back on the road to the dam.  For those who haven't already seen it, it's breathtaking, an absolute marvel.  

Hoover Dam - atop the dam on the state line

They also have a new bridge crossing over the dam.  I recommend walking to the state-line on the bridge as well to look down onto the dam, another great sight.  

Hoover Dam - from the state line of the bridge

We leave and head to our next stop, Las Vegas.  

We get into Vegas and drive down the strip.  

We go and check into our room at Luxar and end up eating dinner there, T&T (Tacos & Tequila).  Then we started making our way up the strip to sightsee.  One of the first things we came across was New York New York casino where Jagger noticed the roller coaster.  Jagger wanted to do just about everything he saw, this being one of the few that I felt we could do.  Jag and I rode it together.  This was Jagger's first roller coaster and it was exciting for both of us.  I'm glad I now have someone I can ride coasters with.  We continued down the strip to Bellagio and watch the fountain show.  For the record, Friday night in Vegas is very busy.  We then make our way through the crowded, loud and sometimes obnoxious street to Caesars Palace and then Mirage.  We tried to get to Treasure Island to watch the show but found out that we were too late.  We then walked back to the hotel.  Dad mentioned it, I agree, the boys did a great job hanging in there for the long day and not complaining for the long journey.

Miles traveled for the day: 285 (by car) - by foot: unknown, but A LOT!

~~bob

Day 3 - by Taylor

Thursday we left New Mexico to Arizona.  On our way we stopped and ate lunch at Cheba Hut.  Cheba means pot smoking.  Then we continued to the Grand Canyon.  It's an amazing site to see.  The whole crew had a good time.

~Taylor

Day 3 - by Jagger

We went to Cheba Hut for lunch in Flagstaff.  We left there and went to the Grand Canyon.  We left there after 3-4 hours.  We read our books and I finished mine and then we ate at Olive Garden.

~Jagger

Day 3 (6/16/11) - Albuquerque to Grand Canyon to Flagstaff

Albuquerque to Grand Canyon to Flagstaff

We started our day early again to get on the road to the Grand Canyon.  We've been fortunate with the great weather on this trip so far.  This is part of the trip I was excited about.  I've never seen the Grand Canyon and wanted to for some time.  Before getting to the Canyon we stopped to eat lunch in Flagstaff at "Cheba Hut", (Cheba Hut Link) a marijuana themed restaurant.  The sandwiches are good and some say the brownies are better.  We then headed north to the canyon.  Dad and I were very impressed with the way the park is laid out and how organized the South Rim is with free shuttles and the observation points.  I'm not sure how to describe the view except, Amazing or Incredible.  It is an absolute MUST SEE, a bucket list requirement.  I'm glad I was able to share it with my dad and boys.  Once leaving the canyon we headed towards Flagstaff for the night.  I think I speak for everyone when I say it was a long day and we were all extremely tired.

Miles traveled for the day: 483

~~bob

Day 2 - by Taylor

New Mexico is our second state to travel to.  We did so many fun things. First we went to a cadillac park, it had 10 cadillacs nose down.  Then while we were leaving we saw a Bates Motel sign.  After we ate lunch at Tune Up Cafe.  We had a great tramway ride up to 10, 678 ft. high.  I was scared.  It's safe to say we had a good time in New Mexico.

~Taylor

Day 2 - by Jagger

We went to the Cadillac graveyard and took pictures.  As we left we saw a Bates Motel sign and I took pictures.  Then we went to lunch at Tune Up Cafe, I had the Cuban sandwich.  Then we went to the plaza in Santa Fe and met dad's friend Andy Ryan.  We left there and went to the tramway in Albuquerque which was 10, 678 feet hight which is 2.1 miles.  We left there went to the hotel and then dinner at Souper Salad.  I had chili and salad.
~~Jagger

Day 2 - Amarillo, TX to Santa Fe, NM then Albuquerque, NM

Day 2:  Amarillo, TX to Santa Fe, NM then Albuquerque, NM

We got up early to another beautiful day.  As we started our route to Santa Fe we remembered there is a Cadillac Graveyard in Amarillo, TX on I-40.  We pulled over to check out this unique site.  They buried 10 older cadillac's nose down in the middle of a field. 

Cadillac Graveyard

Cadillac Graveyard

Once leaving graveyard, we headed to Santa Fe, NM.

When we got into Santa Fe we went to eat lunch at Tune Up Cafe Tune Up Cafe Link one of my favorite restaurants.  After lunch we went and walked around the Downtown Plaza, walking through the shops, visiting the Cathedral Basilica and then got on the road to Albuquerque.

When we got into Albuquerque we headed to the Sky Tram and rode to the top of the mountain.

Sky Tram - Albuquerque, NM

Top of the Mountain - Albuquerque, NM

Miles traveled for the Day 353

~~bob

Day 1 (addition) - My Dad

It was noted that Dad has not been mentioned in some of the previous entries.  I wanted to take this time to mention that I am glad Dad came with us. Actually, I could not have done this trip without him.  I wanted to post one of my favorite pictures of him so far on the trip.

You can see how much he is enjoying the sights and the trip....

~~bob

Day 1, by Taylor

Day 1, by Taylor

Tuesday morning we left Shreveport, LA and ended up at Amarillo, TX.  We ate lunch at Taco Diner in Dallas.  We then traveled to Amarillo and ate at The Big Texan, home of the 72oz. steak.  Even though none of us tried, one man did and didn't finish it.  After dinner we went to our hotel, checked in and unpacked the car.  After that we went to a drive-in movie.  We saw X-Men First Class.  It was fun cause I've never been to a drive-in, it was a new experience.

~~Taylor

Day 1, by Jagger

Day 1, by Jagger

We went to Taco Diner for lunch.  I had the kids burrito.  Later we figured out there was a drive-in movie theater.  We went to the Big Texan and while we were there somebody tried to eat the 72oz. steak luckily he gave up.  After that we went to the hotel and went to the movie.  The movie we saw was X-Men First Class.  It ended at 11:45 then we went to bed.

~~Jagger

Day 1 - Shreveport, LA - Amarillo, TX

Tuesday, June 14, 2011  -  DAY 1:

We made it through our first day.  We left Shreveport early Tuesday morning and headed to Dallas, TX.  Our first stop was to drive by Dealey Plaza and see where President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.  After driving the path and reviewing the information about the assassination that we brought with us, we headed to lunch.  Once we finished lunch we headed to Amarillo, TX for the night.  We all enjoyed our ride over to Amarillo.  Boys played games on their ipod's and read several chapters for their summer reading assignments.  One of the stops I wanted to make was "The Big Texan Ranch" in Amarillo.  Big Texan is a restaurant I've seen on several Food Network programs and wanted to try it.  Dad noticed in one of the tourism magazines that Amarillo has a drive-in theater.  After dinner we checked into our hotel room and rushed over to the drive-in to see "X-Men: First Class".  I know this was the first, and possibly the only, time for the boys to ever go to a drive-in.  The theater experience was actually better than I remembered it.  We had a great day.
545 miles for the day.
~~bob

www.bigtexan.com