We took the more direct route back to Texas. So we drove through eastern Oregon, south through Utah, a little Colorado, some New Mexico, and then back to Austin. There really is some beautiful scenery in those parts. Some of it looks like The Land Before Time. Like a dinosaur family might be roaming about right on the other side of the mountain.

When we started off, it was so foggy we could barely see, and everything was covered in a layer of ice, except the road, thankfully.

But then suddenly, the fog cleared, and it was a beautiful, chilly, sunny day. It was like angels singing cleared the fog away.

We drove through all types of terrain: gorge, mountains, desert, hills, and these kinds of magnificent, ancient land formations. We saw snow on the ground, but we never did see any fall from the sky.

I kept a sharp eye out for this rock with a hole in it for miles. I was starting to think it was just all a publicity stunt, and then, there it was.

A road trip is like 50% snacks. We had to eat this box of cookies right away, since the sun was going to melt the chocolate.

The sun spent about 8 hours a day glaring me in the eyes, and then it would go down, and I could spend a nice 5 minutes being able to see before it went completely dark.

Yay! We made it to Texas! You are happy for crossing the state line for a couple minutes, and then you realize that you have to drive like 8 more hours before you get to the middle of the state.

Even though there were some long driving days, our road trip was the best. I would do it again, with a few minor changes, in a heartbeat.

Here are a few tips for long couple road trips that we learned along the way:

• Pack smart snacks that keep well. Mostly healthy with some treats. We had mainly crackers, muffins, beef jerky, little carrots, and baby oranges. We also brought a little cooler with lunchmeat and cheese, and we would make bagel sandwiches for meals if we didn’t want to stop. Some states do make you declare any fruits or veggies you bring into the state. We had to show a policeman our oranges when we got to California.
• Remember to drink water. You can also use empty water bottles as pretend microphones for car singing. It makes you less grouchy, and its ok to have to stop and stretch your legs every now and then.
• Keep a separate spot for trash, and throw it out when you make stops. Also paper towels are handy, as are pillows/blankets.
• Be sure to have a car charger if you are relying on a phone for travel info, and be sure to have actual music stored somewhere for all those times when the radio and phone service are weak.
• Make rules beforehand. Our rules were to: 1. No matter what, be nice to each other, and 2. obey the traffic laws.