near Brenham, Texas

Half way between Houston and Austin, we pulled off the road in a small RV park. It is 7 miles west of Brenham in Texas. We're going to explore the historic Brenham town tomorrow, including checking out the legendary ice creamery. We'll stay here tonight and tomorrow night before heading the last 100 or so miles to our friends place at Round Rock just north of Austin. It has been pleasant to be driving in "hills" again -- the first time in nearly 4 months since we hit the east coast lowlands of North and South Carolina, Georgia and all of Florida as well as the Gulf area of all the southern states. Even Louisiana was relatively flat where we traveled. We hear that there are more hills ahead...

In transit - Beaumont, Texas - 6 month celebration

Today is our 6 month anniversary of being on the road. We’ve traveled 12,000 miles so far and passed through 26 states in US and Canada. We left Lafayette this morning and crossed into Texas in the early afternoon (our 27th state). As a celebration for ourselves we are staying in a nice hotel. We went for a swim this afternoon but ate a simple picnic in our room this evening. Tomorrow we continue on toward Round Rock, just north of Austin. We'll likely pull up somewhere for another night on the road before arriving there on Friday. Temperatures are in the 70's and expected to be in the 80's near Austin. The girls are starting to complain about the heat. The parents are loving it! We had a riotous good time for Mardi Gras on Feb 24th... After attending a morning parade in "downtown" Lafayette (picture above - Rose & Ruth calling for beads) we drove up to the small 2,000-person town of Iota and walked their small but crowded main street sampling good local food and enjoying the foot-stomping live music. Most striking was the change in Mardi Gras costumes from city glitter of New Orleans (and Lafayette) to the very rural look of pointed hats, screened masked and clown-like outfits. Not everyone was in costume but we enjoyed a performance by 30-40 youngsters in full regalia. Much of the singing was in Cajun French. Part of the rural scene is for costumed Mardi Gras celebrators to lean forward pointing to their hand and ask you for 5 cents (or any change you might have). We experienced more of this as we traveled even further inland to Eunice where we were ecstatic to see more than 100 horse riders coming into town as part of their local parade (picture above). The riders had been on the go since 8:30am Mardi Gras morning, riding in a long caravan and calling in on the local farms. Historically they would be asking local farmers for a chicken to bring back to town to put in the Gumbo (a Cajun soup of sorts). There was a respectable amount of drinking going on and by the time the revelers made it to the parade a rather drunken though good-natured rabble of riders added to the overall celebration. Rose and Ruth got more beads and "throws" from the horse riders and floats in Eunice than in all the parades we've been to so far (picture above - just some of the beads). They were ably helped by an elderly woman and her two (older) daughters we were standing next to at the parade who would pass along beads to the girls that they didn't want. (It's a strange but true phenomenon that you scream out for the first beads but by the time you have 15-20 strands you start being more selective -- only wanting the "good stuff"). Unlike the other parades, in Eunice the horse riders came right alongside the crowd. We petted more than one horse as it went by -- after the rider invited us to -- as well as stroked a half-dozen or so chickens being carried by various proud riders, since catching chickens is part of the rural Mardi Gras tradition (picture above - rider with chicken). Some of the strange and wonderful sights cannot be described in writing. We can only hope we caught them on camera. Overall we have loved our time in Louisiana amongst the warm and friendly Cajun people and celebrating Mardi Gras with them.

Lafayette, Louisiana

We arrived here in Lafayette on Friday after driving a few hours west from New Orleans. Rather than get drawn into the larger, more adult-oriented Mardi Gras celebration of New Orleans, we’d been told that Lafayette would be more family-friendly. It would also give us a chance to explore more of the Cajun and Creole culture. The rural Louisiana tradition for Mardi Gras is different from that of the Big Easy (New Orleans). In the country, riders group up into a traveling parade and go from farm to farm asking for something to add (usually a chicken) to the local Gumbo. Masks are used and young men from the local farms joining the ride must catch the chicken as a symbolic rite of passage to show they are now able to get food on the table for their own future family. Lafayette leans more toward the floats and bead-throwing parades of New Orleans but the rural activities are also visible and quite accessible. What’s not obvious until traveling through this area is the strong influence on family and community that is so pervasive. It has roots in a strong Roman Catholic foundation from the French who were forced out of Nova Scotia a few hundred years ago, some finding their way to Louisiana where, as a very hardy people, they set up their new home in a place they called Acadiana. Forced to support each other as a means to survival their large, extended families and tightly knit communities also enjoyed a strong tradition of music and dancing. Over the past few days we’ve been enjoying the welcoming, family-friendly dance floors where a healthy beat of Cajun and Zydeco music gets everyone hopping – including us – from very old men and women to youngsters being coached by family, friends and neighbors through basic two-step dancing. Rose danced twice the other night with women who simply asked her to join them because she was showing an obvious interest (and delight) in the music. We went for a family bike ride on Saturday. The ride was unfortunate for a flat tire (Denise), a pedal that went flying off while crossing a road (Ruth), and poorly designed roads for bike riding, but we did enjoy some very local experiences. On our short ride, we passed at least 4-5 groups of people who ALL waved or hollered a greeting as we went by. One woman hung out her passenger side window while waiting at the traffic light (as we crossed in front of her) to commend us on doing a “family ride”. Noticing we had 2 girls she held up 5 fingers and explained that she had five daughters herself. The conversation would likely have continued except that the light turned green and her driver pulled away. These Acadians seem to be a very friendly and open people who live out loud and who hold the family unit in high esteem. In this whole Acadiana region, symbolism and traditions continue strongly. This is evidenced by the Mardi Gras celebrations that go back centuries in the old World. Many of these now local traditions are built from a strange concoction of Roman Catholic faith and practice blended with Pagan ritual, Voodoo beliefs and a healthy dose of farmers’ pragmatism. And then there is Cajun food… A strong influence of French, Spanish and African American cultures weighs into the local cuisine - cultures that all figure strongly in the history of the area. Combined with the relative abundance of food that can be drawn from the bayous – crawfish (fresh water crayfish), catfish, oysters, and alligator plus the farming staples of beans, rice, chicken and pork – and a healthy dose of farm style cooking, you begin to understand what Cajun food might be. Add a hot climate where meat and food traditionally would not keep well except through a generous amount of salting or by using a heavy hand of seasoning to mask the rotting meat taste and you have the basis for very tasty Cajun food. From these relatively humble beginnings Cajun food was practical and filling but was never destined to be a world cuisine. Its distinctive flavorings and key ingredients set it apart as the deliciously unique food it is today. But it is the strong cultural influences of music, dancing and community-centered life that raise Cajun food above simple body nourishment to make the whole experience a distinctive and truly soul-nourishing one. So far we have met with two locals – Denise and Dave – who introduced us to our first Cajun meal and the dance floor that makes up part of the restaurant. As Cajun’s they are (thankfully) coaching us in the food and culture of the region. We’ve also caught the tail-end of one daytime parade and we plan to participate again on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). We have visited the Museum of Natural History, Acadian Cultural Center, and Vermilionville – a 23 acre Cajun/Creole Heritage and Folklife Park providing an historic recreation of early Cajun/Creole life and village, with (of course) great Cajun food and (of course) a music hall pounding with live Zydeco music and dancing. This is a fascinating part of America and we are only just coming to understand that the French influences and history we discovered in Quebec City, Canada are also at play here in southern Louisiana!

Diesel - new low - $1.90

Woohoo. Happy half-tank fill up on our way out of New Orleans after a very fun visit here!!

New Orleans, Louisiana

Two days of eating our way around the French Quarter in old New Orleans. A great city! With Mardi Gras less than a week away the town is in a more festive mood than usual. We're loving it. Tomorrow we're going to catch a few evening parades.

Pier to Nowhere

We found where all the sand went from those Dauphin Island beachfront homes...

It landed near the Public Fishing Pier a few miles down the beach. The pier is now a good 50-100 yards from the shore line. Funny. But also a bit sad.

We leave Dauphin Island tomorrow (Mon) for 4 nights camping near New Orleans.

One Great Journey Subscribers

Dear Friends, We are currently on Dauphin Island – a Gulf island in the southern tip of Alabama, just south of Mobile. We’re off the road this week to re-group in preparation for the second half of our 11 month road trip around the US. We left Seattle on August 25, 2008 and still plan to be back by end of July 2009. Valentine’s Day marks the half way point of our journey! When we left Seattle we fully expected to update our website – www.onegreatjourney.com – much more frequently than we’ve been able to. Sorry about that. This has been tricky in part due to an absence of regular Internet connections and in part due the incredible amount of time it takes every day simply to get to a place, set up camp, prepare food, clean up, make beds and do home schooling. I’d be lying if I didn’t also mention that we sometimes are just having too much fun to pull back from the experience to write about it! Communications Lane Change What we have discovered is that “Mr. Google” has made it super easy for us to update our free blog site. From our main site, the link is, “Where Are They Now?” on the left side navigation. (It goes to http://onegreatjourney.blogspot.com). We’ve started to lean more heavily on ensuring our blog is updated when our main website isn’t. We’re able to send a short message from our cell phone to automatically update the site, including any photos taken from Doug’s phone. Originally we’d hoped to use a third-party email management system, Constant Contact, to let people subscribe (and unsubscribe) to regular travel updates we’d be providing. This didn’t happen. And it doesn’t look like happening, so we’re closing down our Constant Contact account. From now on, everyone who subscribed will receive a regular email from us when the blog is updated (2-3 times per week, most weeks). You can simply reply to a mailing and let us know if you’d prefer we remove you from future mailings. And you can always just hit REPLY if you’d like to send a message back to us. Happy Valentine’s Day to all! Doug, Denise, Rose and Ruth

Dauphin Island - storm damage end

We took a short drive to see the "other end" of Dauphin Island where they have beachside homes with uninterrupted views of the ocean. But there is a cost... Many beach side homes were either destroyed or just hanging in there after recent hurricanes. Some homes fared better than others but it seemed like only a matter of time before Mother Nature took out those last standing. On this very low, flat part of the island the ocean is coming up to within a few feet of those homes on the Gulf side of the island. Some even have water under them during the high tide. One road we drove down ended right at the beach with the surf break just 10-20 feet beyond that. Apparently Dauphin Island "lost" a few miles in continuous length to hurricanes that created a channel in the middle of the island. There are now two islands, one not yet named. Picture: In the foreground are house stilts cut off at 4 feet high leaving stumps where a home was once built above. Picture: A house on stilts (they all are). Sea water underneath. Picture: End of the road. The 100 yard "road" was sealed when we turned off the main road. It then petered out, eventually merging completely with the beach. We could see the recent high tide mark from the van's drivers seat. Picture: Water in front and back. The distant home is almost touching the surf. The shoreline was pushed back in a recent hurricane. It is only time before the sand and shoreline move even further "inland". This house, like others before it, will eventually succumb to the ocean.

Dauphin Island, AL - hanging out for a week

We're about half-way through our journey now. After a very enjoyable stay in Pensacola we left yesterday afternoon for Dauphin Island in Alabama where we have rented a small cottage for one week. The cottage is very cute -- small but well appointed on the inside with very comfortable beds. Apparently it was built in the 1930's from the wood of a local shipwreck. Our street is quiet and, although not directly on the water, we are near the village. Beaches are only a mile or so away. We plan to begin exploring Dauphin Island today on our bikes. The weather is a pleasant 70F but there is a cool breeze blowing. Our hope for the week is to enjoy some time "off the road" while getting the van Spring-cleaned, reorganize much of our gear and firm up our travel plans for the next few months. UPDATE: A few key experiences from yesterday's journey to Dauphin Island. First, we stopped at the local Lambert's Cafe in Foley, Alabama -- home of the "throwed roll" -- where the meals come in big sizes but the novelty is having warm, recently baked rolls thrown at you across the restaurant. Meal serving is combined with gag pranks played on diners -- such as "accidentally" spilling a jug of iced tea over the diner (which turns out to be a jug molasses so does not spill at all). Or the raccoon tail "accidentally" pulled from the serving dish. Both kids and parents got a laugh. Secondly, we filled the van on $2.19 diesel at a service station near Interstate 10 -- a new record low for diesel we've purchased on the journey so far!

"Flounders" at Pensacola Beach

Picture: Sunday afternoon beach volleyball next to the bar and restaurant (to the right) and intercoastal waterway (off to the left).

70F, sunny.

Kids being babysat.

Bliss...

Pensacola, Florida

Pulled in yesterday afternoon to a friends place here in Pensacola. It was a short, sunny drive from Henderson Beach to here. The weather continues to warm and it's Doug's birthday today -- 45th! We're staying in Pensacola for the weekend with a barbeque (or "cook out" as the locals call it) planned for this evening.

Sunny at Henderson Beach

After a very cold day yesterday we're loving being on these beautiful beaches once again. Denise still feels a little cold, when the breeze blows, but the active girls are fine.

It went down to 24F last night and is only expected to be 50F today. But out of the breeze it is very toasty!

Henderson Beach State Park, near Destin, Florida

Picture: The girls preparing dinner in the van.

A bright and sunny (but cool) afternoon gave way to a very clear and cold evening at sunset. We retreated to the van for an evening of family games - after we'd prepared dinner.

The Destin beach is another beautiful white-sand, Gulf beach. One we hope to play on tomorrow.

Panama Beach City, Florida

We pulled in today and have elected to stay in a hotel for 2 nights so Doug can do some work. At lunch we realized we crossed into the Central Time Zone today -- we've officially begun our return leg to Seattle. Our plan is still to return by end of July (another 6 months) so we are busily mapping out the next major legs to our journey. We're beginning to consider an "S" tour through the southwest, heading across the warmer southern parts of the country before heading back into into higher altitude, more northern parts of the southwest. We're hoping to enjoy Mardi Gras in New Orleans and/or Lafayette before heading west across to Austin and San Antonio, Texas to visit friends. We plan to then trek down to Big Bend National Park on the Mexico border for a stay. Our next main destination will be Phoenix, Arizona by way of meandering through southern New Mexico. This would buy us time for Spring temperatures to warm sufficiently for planned longer stays in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. We're eagerly looking forward to enjoying the many great National Parks and high desert of the southwest and realize that we have most fun when we are able to spend sufficient time living outside (versus being stuck inside the small van in poor weather). Fortunately, the natural lengthening of days will also make living a little easier so we can stay outside longer in the evening and eat a little later (when cooking by campfire). It's been fun to "hide out" in Florida for the Winter but we're welcoming the longer and warmer days of the months ahead.

New low - $2.29

A happy fill-up just north of Port St. Joe on our way to Panama Beach City, FL. We left St George Island this morning having enjoyed a wonderful afternoon on sugar-white beaches with pristine Gulf waters.