We drove into the park and up and up and up. When we entered the park, we were given a map. It’s a huge park. HUGE! You could easy spend days here and not be disappointed or bored.
Our first stop was at the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint. We pulled off to the viewing area and parked.
There are so many pictures that we took and I honestly don’t even know how to narrow them down.
This is just the first viewpoint that we stopped at and there is so much more.
We got back in the car and carried on until we came to this formation called “The Organ”
The photo doesn’t do this justice. We took a video and it’s incredible and even then, still doesn’t translate.
We drove past The Great Wall and the Petrified Dunes and headed to Balanced Rock because the boys were desperate to get out of the vehicle and walk around.
There was a short easy walk around the base of Balanced Rock and we started with that.
It started out on a cement path and progressed to more of a trampled pathway through the the sand and brush.
It doesn’t matter which way you turn or what you look at; the colors, the shapes, the textures – everything is so incredibly gorgeous!
Even dead trees are gorgeous.
Look, it’s true! I really was here!
Siah twisted his ankle while monkeying around Balanced Rock. He probably should have quit at that point but he kept going. We packed back into the truck and headed to the Lower and Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoints. I believed that the hike to the actual Delicate Arch would be too much for Siah’s ankle.
Quartz on a rock on the pathway up
The Lower Viewpoint was nothing and both boys swore they could make the Upper Viewpoint, although they seemed quite happy to stop about 3/4’s of the way up the path. It’s a decent incline on a sandy, rocky path.
Delicate Arch from the Upper Viewpoint
After we made it back down the path and to our truck; we headed to the Fiery Furnace Viewpoint to use the toilets and from there we headed to see the Sand Dune Arch and planned to do the circuit of Broken Arch and Tapestry Arch.
I’m going to split this into another part because otherwise it’s going to be just too long……to be continued!
One of our propane tanks ran out in the night and it was really cold last night. Jon got up this morning and switched tanks and the heater came back on and all was right in our world. We made coffee, ate breakfast, packed up the Trailer for travel and hit the road right on schedule at 10am.
We left Farmington, New Mexico and headed towards Colorado. It was a beautiful sunny day but not warm.
It was a short trip through the bottom corner of Colorado and into Utah.
The closer we got to Moab the more incredible the landscape got.
Mesa’s, plateaus, faults, arches…..so many incredible sights to see and we weren’t even at Moab or in the Arches National Park.
It’s awe inspiring, surreal and a little bit overwhelming – to be honest.
We pulled into a rest area and the boys jumped out to explore a little. It was so fun to see them so excited about this part of our adventure.
The colors are gorgeous. The oranges, greens, browns and all the shades in between; contrasted with the blue sky, yellow and purple wildflowers. It’s amazing.
We pulled into the Moab KOA around 1:30pm. It was just after 2pm when we got set up in our designated spot.
We were about half an hour away from Arches National Park and our timed reservation entry was for 3pm. We headed out to grab some lunch before we hit the park.
There was a Mobile Drive-Thru Taco Time on the way so we stopped there. I have never seen one of those before; but the food was as expected.
We drove through the city of Moab on our way to the park and it is SO cute. It kind of feels like the old west, the 70’s and Whistler had a baby. Kinda old, kinda yuppie and just a whole lotta cute!
We pulled up to the park and there was a short line up but we moved through it pretty quickly and soon we were headed into the Park.
We got up and got ready for the day. Wifi still sucked. Kids still complained. It was sunny but windy and freezing cold. We still had no firm plan about whether we were headed through New Mexico or up into Colorado.
Part of the dilemma was that New Mexico had brutal winds and driving against or across wind with our decidedly not aerodynamic trailer sucks. It sucks because it pushes the trailer around and Jon ends up driving with a death grip on the steering wheel or it just literally sucks gas.
Colorado was going to be less windy but was actually going to have below zero temps and possible rain and snow. So, we decided to push through New Mexico and hope for the best.
Day 17 and still smiling…mostly.
We headed out just before 10am and planned to make it to Cuba and then we’d reassess if we were done for the day or felt we could do a bit more driving. New Mexico is beautiful.
We drove from the central east of New Mexico through Albuquerque and towards the north west of the state.
The photos don’t do justice to the depth or beauty of the landscape. It truly is even more stunning in person.
We stopped for lunch and gas just before Albuquerque and the winds were 50 km’s per hour. It was crazy!
We climbed and climbed and climbed in elevation until we hit over 7,000 feet above sea level and we crossed the Continental Divide. There has been lots of interesting learning opportunities along the way and it’s been fun to learn as we go.
As we approached Cuba, New Mexico, we decided that we still felt good about traveling a bit further and I found a decent RV park in Farmington, New Mexico that was only an hour and a half further so we made the call to carry on.
We pulled into Farmington around 6:30pm, made dinner and settled in for the night. This RV park definitely has more acceptable wifi than the last place.
While planning our route for the next day, we realized that Moab and Arches National Park was 3 hours away AND we could actually get timed entry tickets. We had wanted to go to the park but I thought we would make it there for Saturday and I wasn’t sure we’d be able to get the timed entry tickets as it was a free entry day. So we had given up on going. BUT…because we were a whole day earlier, everything worked out. We got a timed entry ticket, the park pass AND booked an RV site. We plan to leave Farmington at 10am. Arrive at our RV park for check in at 1pm and head to the Park shortly after. Woot! I’m excited.
We woke up in heaven and drove out of it and now I want to go back.
Sunglasses would have been helpful
Apparently Brady, Texas is pretty close to the center of Texas. We woke up and it was warm and sunny. The wind was blowing and we sat outside and had coffee listening to the quail coo. I just feel happy when I’m warm and it’s sunny. Siah climbed this HUGE tree while we had breakfast.
I ADORE the trees down south. They are so gorgeous and sprawling.
Jon walked around the property and found a field of cacti just about ready to bloom.
I wish we could have seen an entire field of flowering cacti. It must be stunning.
We left Brady around 11am. I really was in no hurry to leave; although Siah and Jude are not the hugest fans of the heat and they are starting to talk about getting home soon.
Got the arm wrapped up and in the photo
It’s been a good trip. For 4 people living on top of each other – 2 introverts. 2 extroverts, meeting people, eating food that’s not typical, living in a different place most nights, with iffy wifi connections, iffy toilets, random showers, way too much fast food, no personal space and WAY TOO MANY HOURS in a vehicle – we have done spectacularly. I’m kind of proud of how well we’ve done. You can tell how tired the boys are by how much bickering they do ;but they’d bicker at home, too. Honestly the only difference is they don’t have the luxury of going to their own bedrooms.
We drove and drove and drove and drove. Texas is really pretty. I kind of love it. The wild flowers, the open spaces, the wildlife, the warmth, the wind……I don’t think I’d want to live in the city but put me outside the city…….oh man.
We weren’t exactly sure if we were going to make it into New Mexico but considering that we crossed a time zone, we decided doe go for it. We crossed over from Texas into New Mexico at 6:55pm and then gained an hour.
We pulled into the Clovis RV Park around 6:15pm and got set up for the night. It was SO cold and windy. The park was quiet but had horrific wifi according to the boys. It would have been better if it had none, because it was like teasing them with wifi bars and then they kept dropping the signal.
I have done pretty well at planning out our routes the day before or at the very least in the evening but I was really struggling to get the next day planned. I think I’m just sad about leaving Texas and both options – Denver and New Mexico – are cold and windy with overnight temps dropping below zero. Not cool. Seriously not cool! Maybe a good night sleep will help me gain some clarity. I certainly hope so.
We left Round Rock around 10am with plans to head to Inner Space Cavern which was only 20 mins away in Georgetown.
When we arrived, the parking lot was FULL, the overflow parking was filled with school busses and there were millions of little children running around like feral cats.
We tried to find a place to park our truck and trailer in the overflow lot but it was difficult to navigate and in our efforts, the brake cable got pinched and short circuited, triggering the brakes to lock in place.
At that point, we were parked, whether we wanted to be or not. So in a super avoidant maneuver, we decided to go for the tour of the caverns and deal with the issue after.
We sidestepped through the chaos and went inside, only to be told that the next public tour was at 12:50pm.
So, it looked like we were going to deal with the trailer electrical first. I looked up RV service centres and there was one 2 minutes up the road. With the brakes being locked up, Jon cut the brake cable to release it and we carefully drove up the street and into the RV lot.
Jon took the cut piece of cable into the shop and bought a new one…..rather than doing a hack job and splicing the new cable onto the old cable, Jon decided to replace the cable properly.
Once replaced, the lights would turn on but not the turning signals.
While Jon was working on the truck, I was eating my feelings.
So Jon checked out the fuses and sure enough, we had blown fuses. So we had to buy and replace 6 fuses. But, Jon got it all figured out and working and at this point it was 1pm, so we decided to head back to the caves. Oh what fun!
We paid the admission and the next tour was leaving right away. So we headed into the caves.
The tour guide was funny and interesting. You walk further and further underground and it gets darker and warmer and more humid. They warn you to not touch anything in the cave because the oils on your hands destroy the formations ability to grow and develop. There is this one place where you are allowed to touch the formations as it had been touched when the caves were first found.
The ground is wet and damp and they have railings to hold onto and rugs nailed down into the ground so that you have better grip and don’t slip.
About half way into the tour, Jude did slip and fell onto his right arm, hurting it. And then he started to panic. Jon took him back above ground and got him an ice pack from the trailer.
Siah and I finished the cave tour and found Jon and Jude waiting for us.
It’s a good thing that we had a light day of travel planned because these two events, while nothing huge or horrible were unexpected and wearing. We packed back into the car and headed towards Brady, Texas where I had reserved a spot at an RV Park.
As we travelled further into Texas, it got hot and windy. It was beautiful with the wild flowers and cacti growing and the wide open spaces and rolling landscape.
We pulled into “The Heart of Texas RV Park”. It is such a cute little place. The wind blows warm. There are quail in the neighbouring yard cooing along with the hooting owls. The grounds are filled with wild flowers and brush and the most gorgeous trees.
We sat outside in the sun for a bit, before each of us ran through the shower in the guest house; and then made some dinner. After dinner, I had time to put the trailer in order – it felt a bit chaotic as we had spent time with family and friends over the past few days, rather than stay on top of keeping it neat.
Jon did a bit of schoolwork with Siah and then we settled for the night. A chaotic and unplanned day ended much more calmly than it began and for that I am so thankful.
We started the day a bit slower than usual as we were up so late the night before. We had plans to meet up with some friends in Dripping Springs around 11am and it was about an hour away from where we were staying. We got on the road just at 10:30am. We pulled into Dripping Springs and found our way to Mazama Coffee Co. & Roastery
We met up with Darren and Lori and we’re treated to delicious coffee and scrumptious baking and the absolute best friendship & company. The boys were thrilled to be on their own connected to wifi. And we went and sat outside on the patio under a huge sprawling tree. It was magical. We talked and talked and caught up and it was another incredible moment of soul filling connection.
After a couple of hours the boys started to get antsy and so we had a quick tour of their roastery. It’s fascinating, truly.
It’s an art form. It’s another beautiful craft that results in a delicious, perfect cup of coffee.
We headed back to Round Rock and found out that not only was it one cousin’s birthday but Jon’s cousin WAS available for dinner. He hadn’t been previously, but events worked out and he was free.
We spent the afternoon chatting with Tammie while Burton finished work.
They have a fabulous covered back porch and the great company and the warm wind blowing through combined with the incredible bird sounds made for a magical afternoon.
Their kids and our kids spent the entire afternoon chatting and laughing and sharing. When Burton finished work, we got ready to go to Chuy’s – a delicious Tex-Mex Restaurant.
On the drive there, Siah shared that he was so enjoying spending time with the cousins and said, “I am loving this. These are my kind of people.” It’s so good to hear and it was amazing to see how quickly we all connected.
It really was incredible how well our families got along. We talked and listened and our hearts were knit together. I’m filled with gratitude that we had this special time to connect. We chatted much later than we should have, knowing that our time together was short. Eventually we hugged, made plans to have coffee in the morning before we took off and headed to bed.
We had the most incredible thunderstorm roll through last night between 1am and 4am. So much rain and thunder and lightening; and our trailer weathered it like a champ.
Gorgeous white sandy beaches
We spent the day traveling from Bay St Louis, Mississippi to Austin, Texas where we were headed to see family. It was a mostly uneventful 12 hour day of travel.
As we left Mississippi and headed into Louisana the sun came out and the sky started to clear.
There was a wind blowing from the north and we were heading west. The cross winds made for a wheel griping ride for Jon. The trailer really wobbles in the wind and there was a tremendous amount of road work which meant that they had the road shifted over into the shoulder which mean there was little to no shoulder to handle the trailer wobble.
I find the forest to be so interesting in the south. It’s all the same height and when the highway goes up high over low lands or rivers you can see the tops of the tress and it looks like an ocean of green puffy clouds extending forever. As you get into Texas, the entire height of the forest shrinks by a few feet.
We stopped in Lake Charles, Louisana for lunch, a bathroom break and gas. We stopped at Wendy’s which was next to this crazy building that was mostly boarded up. Apparently it used to be the IRS and FBI but they’ve relocated. No idea what happened here but it’s crazy looking. The blue panels are glass the but brown panels are all boarded up wood.
I don’t know what I was expecting Texas to look like but it’s a lot greener, at least the parts that we’ve seen so far. I understand that it will change as we travel further west.
There are miles of these fields filled with colourful flowers that just look so beautiful. And I’m not the only one who thinks so as there were tons of families and photographers out taking photos in the flowering fields.
We stopped in Brenham and got chicken fingers and fries from Jack in the Box and we can finally check that restaurant off our list.
As we drove into Austin, the sun was setting and it was so incredible beautiful. The photo doesn’t even begin to do it justice.
Our first stop was to see Tyrone – one of Jon’s cousins. We’ve met Tyrone before when we came and stayed with us in Abbotsford. I can see Josiah, in Tyrone’s look and it’s always fun to see family resemblance. We also met Tyrone’s oldest daughter, Alishah. We chatted and hugged and our visit was way to brief. It’s been an incredible experience for the boys to meet family from Jon’s side of the family. My family is mostly all near by in Canada and we are close but Jon’s family, on both sides, are spread all over the world so this is a truly special experience.
We hugged and said good bye and headed out to Jon’s other cousin’s place where we are going to park for the next day or two.
We arrived in the dark and got about parking the trailer. We received such a warm welcome from family that we’ve (Patti and the boys) never met and Jon hasn’t seen in 40 years. We sat and chatted until midnight. The boys were so happy and comfortable talking with the extended family and it was just incredible to see.
I feel like a broken record but there are so many soul warming moments. Our hearts just feel so full! We are so very thankful for this incredible experience to see the States and visit family.
We woke up this morning expecting a thunderstorm to blow through during the day and sure enough, the sky was grey and cloudy.
We moved a lot slower in the morning than I had expected. Siah really enjoyed the spicy Jimmy Dean sausage that we had at Xani’s and we had bought some more. Jon made eggs and sausage for us, for breakfast.
Siah was pretty happy and really, it was pretty delicious.
We tidied up and headed into New Orleans and down to the French Quarter. It’s just about an hour away from Bay St. Louis.
We drove across Lake Ponchartrain and planned to come back over the Ponchartrain Causeway. It was pretty grey and definitely felt like it was gonna rain although it was holding off.
The Ponchartrain
Driving into New Orleans was fun as Jon shared memories of where they lived when Pastor Charles Green brought them back from Indonesia and pointed out where the church was.
Driving down into the French Quarter was amazing. The trees hanging way out over the roads and the colourful houses with their offsetting colourful window shutters. The wrought iron balconies are gorgeous too. There is stunning graffiti art all over and it’s just a riot of color and creativity.
We found a parking spot right on Decatur Street about a block away from the Cafe Du Monde.
The boys were a little overwhelmed with the smells and sounds and the sheer number of people around; but it sounded and felt like excitement and anticipation and creativity to me. Smelled like weed and BO!
We found the line up for the sit down part of the Cafe and it wasn’t very long at all. So we queued up.
Jude is happier then he looks, I promise. It’s hard to catch a smiling picture of him. He pointed out this artist sitting on the bench beside us. Look at the saturation of color on his pages. It’s incredible.
While we waited a few light drops of rain started to fall and Jon ran back to the truck to grab an umbrella. He came back just before they seated us.
There was an incredible busker serenading the line up with his Karoke machine. He was joined by a gentleman dancing along. The dancer definitely looked down on his luck but he had the kindest smile and eyes!
We were seated in the cafe and our waiter came over to get our order.
We ordered 3 orders of Beignets, 2 Cafe au Lait and 2 Sprites. As soon as we ordered, the heavens opened up and the floods came.
The Thunderstorm that we had been expecting arrived with a bang. A lot of bangs. There was thunder and lightening and SO MUCH RAIN. It was awesome!
You can see the sheets of rain in the above video. And even though it’s pouring and storming, it’s warm. When the rain started all the people that had been in the streets and parks moved into the covered sidewalks and it got even more crowded, loud and pungent. The beignets and cafe au lait was delicious and the boys would have ordered another 3 orders if we said yes.
We stopped in a few of the stores along the way back to the truck. We had planned to walk through the Market but when we got back to our truck, the boys were done and just wanted to head back to the trailer.
Our boys do so well travelling but we must adjust our wants to accommodate their needs and that often means cutting our plans short. So we hold plans loosely so as not to be disappointed and even then, it can be frustrating and disappointing to want to see or do something and not get to but going to an emotional breaking point is not worth any “attempt” to “make a memory”.
We headed back to Bay St Louis and seeing as both boys were on the edge of meltdowns we didn’t go over the Ponchartrain Causeway as it added an extra hour to the trip. We also did not communicate that well enough and the lack of communication did trigger a meltdown. That’s hard. It’s really hard. It was just the last straw that an “already at his breaking point” kid reached!
Part of the stress was mounting internal pressure of undone schoolwork, so we found a McDonalds with wifi and the boys did some school while I shopped at Walmart for a few groceries for the trailer.
The battery in Siah’s computer died and the Walmart McDonald’s didn’t have plugs available for customers. He wasn’t quite finished so I finished shopping quickly and we headed to a different McDonald’s that did have outlets.
We headed back to the trailer and the storm had settled some.
Siah wanted to go back in the water. Jude wanted to try fishing again and I wanted to tidy the trailer and take a shower if possible.
So Siah went in the water. It was quite a bit colder than the previous day, thanks to the storm so that didn’t last long and he was actually the first to try out the shower!
Jon took Jude to a pier down the road to try and catch a fish one last time. They had no luck but it’s still fun though.
They came back to the trailer and Jon and I both made it through the shower although it’s more of a bird bath situation and less of a luxurious relaxing experience but clean hair and parts are worth it.
After showers, we made hot chocolate for the boys and I had a tea.
There are times when things feel more peaceful and normal and other times when it just feels more chaotic than anything. I really love peace and calm.
The boys chattered and played together before bed and Jon chilled and it was such a nice evening. We are up bright and early tomorrow headed to Texas to see family and friends. It gonna be another great day of travel and I’m so thankful that we had this special time to see where Jon grew up and to see first hand things, places and people that he’s talked about for years.
Coming to Bay St Louis is a home-coming for Jon. He spent his childhood here before coming to Canada when he was 13. He was back in the South for a couple of weeks when he was 15 but other than a one day stop a couple of years ago, he hasn’t been back. So this is a special visit.
We were fortunate to have a gorgeous day lined up for us, with clear sunny skies and temps around 24 degrees. We woke up at 6am to catch the sunrise and was it ever stunning.
It was amazing how fast it rose up out of the horizon once it started.
Our RV pad is right behind this little beach area. The sand is white; the water is warm and it’s SO shallow. It’s a small piece of heaven.
Our trailer is behind Jon and Jude!
After the sunrise, Jon and Jude walked out a little further on the beachfront; and Siah and I headed back to the trailer.
I was still in my pyjamas wrapped in a blanket.
As the sun and the temperatures continued to climb, we made coffee and had some breakfast. Jon connected with a family friend who had some fishing gear so He and the boys popped over to grab them and I had some quiet time to set the trailer straight and enjoy my coffee.
Isn’t this a gorgeous place to base ourselves from for the next few days? Look at that sunshine. Look at that view.
The boys came back with the fishing gear, donuts and a pound of shrimp as bait; and Jon took them down to the water.
They tried a few different spots with no luck. Oh actually, Jude caught a 2 in wide crab!
I went down and joined them as they came closer back to our RV pad and found a whole bunch of blackberries already ripe and ready to eat.
We relaxed in the sun for a bit. FYI – When you wake up at 6am there is a whole lot more day to fill up.
And then we headed to Long Beach to have lunch at Steve’s Marina with Ron and Phyllis. Sadly we got NO photos of our time with them because we were too busy being loved on and talking. Jon was able to get some Gumbo and Blackened Red Fish. I had a Fried Shrimp Po Boy, Siah had a Cheese burger and Jude had Chicken Strips and fries. It was delicious and the time spent together was SO incredible. The boys started to get antsy to leave and so we reluctantly said good bye.
I lied. I took a picture of a pelican from the restaurant patio. We ate outside & it was windy.
We drove back to Bay St. Louis and through some of Jon’s old neighborhood. His childhood home is still there and is so cute.
The boys headed back down to the beach. Jude to try fishing again and Siah to swim.
When did my baby grow up? He was such a tiny little button and now he’s morphing into a man.
At dinner time, we headed over to Word of Faith Christian Fellowship to see the church that Jon’s dad started 44 years ago. It was fun to see some more of Jon’s history and where he grew up. The current pastors were long time family friends and we went out for a good Southern meal with them. Again, we got almost no pictures except I did grab a photo of Jon’s HUGE shrimp Po Boy.
It was so lovely to connect with Tyrone and Carol and have dinner and hear from their hearts. I can see why Jon loves these people so dearly. They are amazing, amazing people with incredible hearts. After dinner, we stopped by their house to get some crawfish to take with us. Jon was so excited about that and I was so surprised that both boys tried one. Siah said it was okay and I managed to get Jude’s reaction on video.
They gave us a dozen eggs straight out of the coop, showed us their property; and the best part of the night was that they had 3 big dogs who the boys loved on for about half an hour. Big highlight for them.
We headed back to the trailer exhausted but happy. It was a huge day that filled our hearts and our tummies. Jude had been awake since 2am and we barely got his bed made before he fell asleep still in his clothes.
Tomorrow we head into New Orleans and to Cafe Du Monde. It’s SO exciting!
Coming to Bay St Louis is a home-coming for Jon. He spent his childhood here before coming to Canada when he was 13. He was back in the South for a couple of weeks when he was 15 but other than a one day stop a couple of years ago, he hasn’t been back. So this is a special visit.
We were fortunate to have a gorgeous day lined up for us, with clear sunny skies and temps around 24 degrees. We woke up at 6am to catch the sunrise and was it ever stunning.
It was amazing how fast it rose up out of the horizon once it started.
Our RV pad is right behind this little beach area. The sand is white; the water is warm and it’s SO shallow. It’s a small piece of heaven.
Our trailer is behind Jon and Jude!
After the sunrise, Jon and Jude walked out a little further on the beachfront; and Siah and I headed back to the trailer.
I was still in my pyjamas wrapped in a blanket.
As the sun and the temperatures continued to climb, we made coffee and had some breakfast. Jon connected with a family friend who had some fishing gear so He and the boys popped over to grab them and I had some quiet time to set the trailer straight and enjoy my coffee.
Isn’t this a gorgeous place to base ourselves from for the next few days? Look at that sunshine. Look at that view.
The boys came back with the fishing gear, donuts and a pound of shrimp as bait; and Jon took them down to the water.
They tried a few different spots with no luck. Oh actually, Jude caught a 2 in wide crab!
I went down and joined them as they came closer back to our RV pad and found a whole bunch of blackberries already ripe and ready to eat.
We relaxed in the sun for a bit. FYI – When you wake up at 6am there is a whole lot more day to fill up.
And then we headed to Long Beach to have lunch at Steve’s Marina with Ron and Phyllis. Sadly we got NO photos of our time with them because we were too busy being loved on and talking. Jon was able to get some Gumbo and Blackened Red Fish. I had a Fried Shrimp Po Boy, Siah had a Cheese burger and Jude had Chicken Strips and fries. It was delicious and the time spent together was SO incredible. The boys started to get antsy to leave and so we reluctantly said good bye.
I lied. I took a picture of a pelican from the restaurant patio. We ate outside & it was windy.
We drove back to Bay St. Louis and through some of Jon’s old neighborhood. His childhood home is still there and is so cute.
The boys headed back down to the beach. Jude to try fishing again and Siah to swim.
When did my baby grow up? He was such a tiny little button and now he’s morphing into a man.
At dinner time, we headed over to Word of Faith Christian Fellowship to see the church that Jon’s dad started 44 years ago. It was fun to see some more of Jon’s history and where he grew up. The current pastors were long time family friends and we went out for a good Southern meal with them. Again, we got almost no pictures except I did grab a photo of Jon’s HUGE shrimp Po Boy.
It was so lovely to connect with Tyrone and Carol and have dinner and hear from their hearts. I can see why Jon loves these people so dearly. They are amazing, amazing people with incredible hearts. After dinner, we stopped by their house to get some crawfish to take with us. Jon was so excited about that and I was so surprised that both boys tried one. Siah said it was okay and I managed to get Jude’s reaction on video.
They gave us a dozen eggs straight out of the coop, showed us their property; and the best part of the night was that they had 3 big dogs who the boys loved on for about half an hour. Big highlight for them.
We headed back to the trailer exhausted but happy. It was a huge day that filled our hearts and our tummies. Jude had been awake since 2am and we barely got his bed made before he fell asleep still in his clothes.
Tomorrow we head into New Orleans and to Cafe Du Monde. It’s SO exciting!
