Ok I’m Back
OK so after some…gentle…prodding by Nathan I have resolved to be more consistent about posting. So I did go on a trip during this past Christmas holiday and it was mostly good. There were a few bumps along the way that those of you who are in the know…know about…you know…family stuff that I won’t bore you with.
So here is the story:
After buying a plane ticket to visit my family in Louisiana over the holidays, I discovered that my friends Barbara and Jaime were driving to Florida which would take them right through that state and potentially the very town I was going to visit. So I decided, especially after learning that Jamie would not be able to make the return trip with Barb, to cancel the return leg of my flight. I’m so glad I did.
First Barb came into town and met my crazy, black, southern, creole family! It was fun to watch her reaction to my peeps. Then we headed out for Dallas Texas to visit the Sixth Floor Museum. This museum is housed in the actual venue from where John F. Kennedy was shot. It was amazing and eerie to be there.
Oswald's Perch
It was a self guided tour that took us through the life of JFK all the way up to the assassination. We weren’t allowed to take photos in the building, but we did take photos outside of the grassy knoll and the spot where JFK was killed. Check out the photos that we took here.
Take a look at the museum’s website here. It’s worth a visit if you are ever in Dallas.
After Dallas we traveled on to Oklahoma City. We stayed with the Gunns (Sally and Nathan) that night. They were gracious hosts to us, and Kennedy, their daughter, allowed Barb and I to take over her cute little bedroom. Sally and Nathan have adopted the cutest brother and sister, Bronson and Kennedy, who were anxious to share their toys with us. They also have a biological child, Gabriel, who is equally adorable and a fabulous big brother.
me, kennedy, gabriel, bronson, and barb
Sally took Barb and I around OKC. It is a VERY cute city. I had no idea what to expect. We had lunch in a part of town called Bricktown. Lots of restaurants and nightlife. The homes there were really nice too.
barb, sally, me
Barb and I also had the opportunity to visit the Oklahoma City Bombing site. They have a very sobering exhibit and tribute to the lives that were lost there. Again, if you get the opportunity to visit it…do. There is a section on the history of domestic terrorism up to 1995 when the bombing occurred. They then take you through what happened that morning. There is news footage to artifacts to explore. At the ends there is a gallery that includes photos of all of the people who died as a result of the bombing. Here is a link to some of the photos we took.
Here is a link to their website.
After leaving Oklahoma City we ventured out on Route 66. Barb had a plan that we would hit some of the famous sites along the way so first on our list was the Barbed Wire Museum. It was closed. Then we went to the Route 66 museum. It was closed. Fine. So we drove on through to our next destination which was the giant cross. THE LARGEST CROSS IN THE WORLD! 
(It’s not that exciting really, but the signs claim that it will be a life-changing spiritual experience. It wasn’t. it’s still neat though. After leaving there we went on to Cadillac Ranch, which is exactly what it sounds like. (You’ll just have to see the pictures) We arrived just as the sun was setting. I was so glad that we made it because it was so much fun to see the cars and hang out with the cows (just look at the photos).
After leaving Cadillac Ranch and spending the night in Albuquerque, Barb and I decided to sneak in one last adventure so we decided to take a trip to Inscription Rock at El Morro. Despite the impending snow storm with a predicted 8 inches or more of snow. El Morro is a national park and a pretty amazing one at that. Breathtakingly beautiful. We pulled off of route 66 on to the road leading up to Inscription Rock in light snow. I really didn’t know what I was in for, but it turns out that Inscription Rock is the place where travelers passed through for centuries on their way to greener pastures. The neat part about it is that they left their marks.
So you can go there and see where a traveler came through in the 16 or 17 hundreds. They left their names and the dates that they came through. It was pretty amazing. Granted, this is usually a place you would come to in the summer, but it was gorgeous in the snow.
