Since we came to the South for our honeymoon 6 years ago, Carolyn has wanted to visit a plantation. We did not have the opportunity to do so back then but decided it was high time to do so as we traveled through Louisiana. Carolyn researched the plantations and found a website by Independent Travel Cats that had some amazing, comprehensive information regarding the plantations between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. There used to be hundreds of plantations along this road and currently there are just over a dozen open to the public for tours.
We chose the Houmas plantation because of the opulence of the house and gardens as well as the guided tour that was offered. We were not disappointed in the least. We chased lizards through the 38 acres of gardens and our tour guide, Karen, was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the area. There was no question we could ask to which she did not have an answer. The plantation originally comprised of 300,000 acres bought from the Houmas Native Americans for a paltry sum. Sugar cane was the primary crop grown on this land but they also grew cotton, corn, tobacco, and indigo. If you visit any plantations in this region, be sure to choose from the list given in the website above. This is one we would highly recommend.
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After our visit at the Alamo, we walked down to the Riverwalk. Upon arrival at the waters, we noticed a boat tour taking people along the water. Deciding to spend $30 for the 3 of us ($12 per adult, $6 for the kiddo) we climbed aboard and set sail. Actually, it didn't set sail as it was an electric motor. We learned the history of the town as we cruised the canal passing modular hotels, octagonal sky-scrapers, locks of love, beautiful bridges, and spectacular sculptures. We really enjoyed our short amount of time in Texas's oldest municipality and would love to return if the opportunity becomes available. San Antonio proved to be a fascinating town and I think it has made it to the top of my list of favorite cities. We would love to return someday to do a lot more exploring.
After a fabulous visit with family in Hondo, Texas, we made our way into San Antonio to see the famed Alamo. Originally built in the early 1700s as a Spanish Mission under the name Misión San Antonio de Valero, it was given its current name after Mexico gained independence from Spain. From a USA Today article, "In 1835, a band of 200 Texas volunteer soldiers drove the Mexican soldiers out, and several months later, Mexican General Santa Anna sent back an army of 6,000. Led by Jim Bowie and Davey Crockett, the defenders held on for 13 days before eventually being defeated. Six weeks later, an army led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexican soldiers at the Battle of San Jacinto and Texas' independence was won."
While visiting the Alamo, we opted to do a self-guided tour of the grounds for free but there are options for an audio tour, or guided tour as well. Neither of which were very expensive. We attended a period rifle demonstration and walked through the museum. The architectural beauty and history of this monument draws millions of visitors every year. It was easy to see why. A beautiful oasis outside of San Antonio became our resting place for the night on our way to Hondo. This gorgeous redrock canyon in the middle of the grasslands of Texas was a welcome park for our overnight in the area. We didn't take much time to explore but all agreed that we could probably spend many weekend trips investigating what this park has to offer. The wildlife in this campground was definitely used to human interactions. First of all, a flock of wild turkeys hung out with us while we were eating our dinner. Then, as we were getting in the van to take a drive to the end of the road to explore, a deer walked right up to us... like close enough for us to reach out and touch (we didn't of course, but could have). That night the night sky was so clear and bright that Dylan and Will spent as much time outside watching the sky before the skeeters got them. Lastly, the next morning, we woke to the songs of what appeared to be dozens of coyote calling back and forth to each other in glee. This park presented itself with some very cool animal encounters and a lovely backdrop to fall asleep in Reddy.
WHAT? Like, really - WHAT? As we pulled up to the ranch we had no idea what to expect, except that it was on Google's list of must dos in San Antonio.
This place is a small piece of oddity. The fact that someone took the time and energy to "plant" a dozen old cadillacs in the ground, on an angle, in a straight row in the middle of a huge agricultural field was one thing - BUT - they then opened it to the public so that each visitor can spray paint them to leave their own mark. The paint was in every spot, on every car and about 3 inches thick. The disturbing part was that there were 1000's of spray cans strewn all over the ground as well. Odd - but a fun side trip on our way through this huge state. An unplanned side trip brought us to the Capulin Volcano National Monument, a unique little National Park in eastern New Mexico. Driving through the grasslands, we noticed numerous hills popping up, just as we noticed the sign for this National Monument - of course we had to stop. The park visitor's center was at the base of the cinder cone and a narrow road took us to the top of the rim to look into this 60,000 year-old volcano. The views looking out from the rim were spectacular to see over the grasslands bespeckled with old cinder cones. The geology of this area is fascinating. Oh, and Miss Dylan became a Jr Ranger once more.
Two months ago we were in Colorado dropping off all of our worldly goods at Will's parents' house to begin our new phase of life. Unfortunately, Dylan was plagued with the a 7 day stomach bug and we spent the entire time trying to keep her little body hydrated - so this round we did lots of playing. We.....
After 2 full months on the road exploring the west coast it was time for us to head back to Utah to take care of some house business so that we could prepare for the next phase of life. Although we spent the majority of the 10 days we had in Utah doing a few more house renovations so that the house could find its new owners, we managed to squeeze in many hours of quality family time. One of our favorite Saturdays is the End of Summer festival at Bear Park which we were fortunate to attend. Our time in Utah wouldn't be complete with a trip to the aquarium, a hike along the river of Big Cottonwood Canyon, visits with many of our close friends, a trip to the Wheeler Farmers Market, some child labor, a ride in a convertible from chosen family, and a birthday celebration session at Top Golf.
After a lovely visit with some chosen family in Boise, we stopped near Idaho Falls to check out the Shoshone Falls. This quick stopover was well worth the opportunity to stretch our legs. The Snake river, which is a tributary of the Columbia, powerfully flows over the Shoshone Falls creating an incredible view. The river is so powerful that it is harnessed to provide power for the surrounding area. Although a quick stop for us, it is definitely a recommendation on your way from Boise to SLC.
Venturing to the windy coast, we found the last lighthouse we would see in the west for a long time. The Tillamook Rock lighthouse stands on an island in the northern part of the state, barely visible through the fog. We watched a short PBS Documentary on the lighthouse to gain more information. It has an incredible story. Our lunch this day was some delicious Dungenous Crab with an overlook of the lighthouse. We also had the opportunity to spend time with our friends from Utah again, this time on the beach. We frolicked among the sands and shallows of Lincoln City.
As our time on the west coast was coming to a close, we took the time to reflect on how lucky we have been to spend so much time enjoying and exploring this gorgeous area of the US. We were often asked what our favorite part of our time on the coast was, and we had a very hard time answering as we had many life altering experiences.
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April 2019
AuthorCarolyn and Will Bollwerk share their adventures with their 5 year-old daughter, Dylan. |