Day 14 or 15

 I think I missed a blog somewhere along the way, but never fear, tomorrow we will be home and I will blog from my computer and be able to include pictures from this amazing adventure. Today we drove through the Smoky mountains of Tennessee and spent a lovely afternoon and evening with a favorite cousin of my wonder spouse. As she treated us to ham and sweet potatoes and apple pie my spouse recounted the highlights of our trip to her and I realized, as I listened, that this really has been an excellent trip. Tomorrow will be our last driving day, straight north on I 75 for most of the way. We will park the car in our own garage, agree to deal with the laundry on Friday, and thank God for 4000 miles of safe travels. 

Day 13

 Today was a people seeing day. No more sight seeing on this trip. We spent the afternoon and evening with my dear niece and her husband in Smyrna, Tennessee. The temperature was mild and we spent some time sitting around talking outside, then more time at dinner, and more time late into the evening. There's a lot to talk about when you only see family once a year if that. But the thing I enjoyed most was the hugging. I've mentioned before in this blog that I like to hug and be hugged. It must be a family trait because my niece and I hugged and hugged. It's a special kind of closeness. I will remember the fun we had and the things we talked about but I will most especially remember the hugs. 

Day 12

 Some days are made for sight seeing and some days are made for friend seeing. My wonder spouse and I spent most of the day today visiting a friend we have known since college. So I guess you could say an old friend. 60+ years ago she and I roomed together at Ball State University for two summer sessions and lived across the hall from each other for three years. During some of that time I was lavaliered (almost engaged) to the man she eventually married. No hard feelings, I had moved on to the man who became my first husband before she and my ex got together. You can see that we've had an interesting, but always good, relationship. Today made us realize that we really must stay in touch more frequently, even if it's just by text and phone. Really good friends need to be held on to. 

Day 11

 Remember the Alamo! Today we spent some hours exploring the Alamo. The first time I saw the Alamo, in 1968, it was just a semi ruined building, sitting at the edge of a busy street. You could walk through it and see the bullet holes but that was about it.  I am happy to report that a lot has happened since then. Some old city buildings were torn down and the Alamo is now part of a city block outdoor museum full of 3-D displays and posters telling the entire history of the Alamo through all its various uses beginning in the early 1700s. The focus is not just on one sad battle; the Alamo is treated as the church it was, men are told to remove their hats, everyone is asked to whisper while they are inside. The entire experience was much more informative, moving and interesting than I expected. So, the next time you're in San Antonio, by all means visit the Alamo. You will remember it. 

Day 10

 After a long south eastward drive across Texas (it's a big state) we arrived in San Antonio and checked in to an elegant old hotel. Then we proceeded to the River Walk which has changed a lot since I was last here. My spouse had been here more recently so he wasn't so surprised. Loud music everywhere we walked and crowds of people. It is a Friday night and some kind of festival was going on so there were lots of people in strange costumes. Everyone was very friendly and helpful as we walked around. We ate at a pub and I had excellent fish and chips. My spouse had potato soup, also very good and we shared a margarita. All in all a fun day. Tomorrow the Alamo. 

Day 9

 Today was spent mostly underground, exploring Carlsbad caverns. It was an amazing adventure. So different from the starry night experience but equally awe inspiring. We took an elevator 750 feet down into the cave then spent an hour and a half walking the trails and looking in amazement at the variety of stalactites and stalagmites. So much beauty hidden underground. We took lots of pictures but they don't do it justice. Now we are waiting to see the bats swarm out of the cave at sunset. Another natural world experience. We are not allowed to take pictures so no bat photos to share. I know you'll be so disappointed. 

Day 8

 This may be my shortest blog ever. My wonder spouse and I spent most of today driving south east across New Mexico. We left Grant's at about 10 am as planned and arrived at Carlsbad about 4 pm. The scenery was nice, much the same as yesterday and the drive was uneventful which is the way we like it. I did get a delicious frozen coffee drink at one of our stops and we had very good French dip sandwiches at McAlister's Deli. Just a driving day in other words. Tomorrow we will explore Carlsbad caverns which should be much more exciting. Thanks for checking in.