the trip home

For the homeward bound leg of our vacation, we took several days, and had some fun with where we stopped. It wasn't nearly the endurance test of the drive out, and I think we enjoyed our trip home.

On Monday, we made it to Atlanta, hoping to include a visit to the Georgia Aquarium. Ron got directions to the Aquarium, and we found a hotel that was on one of the mentioned streets. Sounds easy & convenient, right? Well, we ended up having to call the hotel, who put us on the phone with an ambassador thing they have to help people find their way around the city. Thank goodness, because we would have remained hopelessly lost otherwise. It took them about 15 minutes to get us turned around, through the one way downtown streets, and to the OTHER PART of the street that also went a couple of blocks by the museum. We had a great view of a chain link fence and parking lot out our motel window, but the thunderstorm was lovely. The next morning, the rain was over, we found the aquarium again with no trouble, and had a great time going through it.

This was the ceiling and those were trout.

From Atlanta, we went on to Biloxi. We had considered New Orleans, but I don't think either Ron or I was up to another busy city. Biloxi hit the mark, though. We found a reasonable hotel across the street from the beach, and we got to wade through the low tide and find shells, hermit crabs, and even a small jelly fish to look at (and not even get stung by). We followed the recommendation of the lady at the hotel desk, and had a wonderful cajun seafood meal, with the main disappointment being that they were out of alligator.

It was totally worth the stairs!

The next day, we made Houston, where we braved the city traffic for an extremely short visit with some of my cousins. I had a great time talking with them and catching up. My cousin Mark went to the trouble of calling everyone and setting it up, and even getting us to & from the restaurant. I wish there had been more time, but I'm so glad everyone took the time & trouble to come for at least that.

Having made the trip from Cruces to Houston many, many times growing up, I knew that it was do-able in one day, but it isn't fun. Especially at the end of a long trip, when everyone is tired and tired of the road. So we stopped in Ft. Stockton for one final night on the road. We got to stop kind of early, which meant Raine got to go in the pool - OK, we ALL did - in the afternoon before dinner, and then I took her back and let her swim some more in the evening. We got up and ate a little breakfast, and made it home before noon.