We woke up to a rainy San Antonio, so we didn't get to revisit the Alamo as planned. Instead we decided to hit the road and head on toward Houston. We're aiming to north Houston to visit Jim's friends, Chris and Natalie West. Chris gave us directions for a scenic route off the freeway through … Continue reading San Antonio to Houston →

Jim and Lisa said goodbye to Ft Stockton and continued east over the long, arid west Texas desert toward San Antonio. The trip was super boring at first, just desert with the occasional oil pump. No mountains, no water. A mountain peak in West Texas After a few hours, the terrain started to change as … Continue reading Ft Stockton to San Antonio →

Bruce and Jim checking out the morning view from the Johnson's deck After a great hometown breakfast at Viv's Cafe with Bruce Johnson, Jim and Lisa said goodbye to the beautiful Johnson home in Tucson, and hit the road again. 2300+ miles into the trip, we have made the turn from south to east as … Continue reading Tucson to Texas →

Inside lobby of the El Tovar. Totally old school! It was a little chilly the morning we left. We learned later that it snowed quite a bit after we left! Looking out at Mather Point Jim's iPhone does cool focus features Learning how this canyon was made! The colors are so much better in person … Continue reading Grand Canyon to Tucson →

We arrived at the Grand Canyon and staying at the El Tovar (or is that 'staying at El Tovar'?). We got an awesome room for Jim's retirement, complete with balcony with views of the Canyon. Pics so far....

A day of rest for us. Two days of 12+ hour driving has given us the opportunity to stay in one place for two nights (that and the cheap hotel rate at Treasure Island). Lisa woke up with a cold and it's raining outside. On top of that, Trump Tower is the only view from … Continue reading Day 3 – Vegas, Baby →

6:11am - We're up, gassed and ready to go! It's 35 degrees, gas was $2.45/gal and the surrounding mountains are covered with snow. Last night we didn't see house lights for hours. Winnemucca was a glittering mecca when we came over the horizon. We slept like logs in our little 50's era motel...clean but definitely … Continue reading Day 2 – Winnemucca to Vegas →

Well, we made it to Pendleton despite car GPS telling us to go different way. We're Team Google Maps I guess. May try for Reno if we can. Found rooms for $50 and in Vegas later on for $20 at the Luxor. Cheaper than camping! Unless we gamble. Lisa's Take: It didn't take long for … Continue reading Day 1 – CDA to Winnemucca →