Number of Miles Driven: 484 (Day 5); 166 (Day 6)

Drive Time: 8:15 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. (Day 5)

States Driven through: LA, TX (2)


After the delicious breakfast tacos we were on our way to Austin. This is the kids first time in Texas, and it did not disappoint. The actual drive from Prairieville to Austin was not an easy one - it rained most of the trip and there were several portions of the road that were under construction which meant thin lanes with no shoulders (and concrete barriers right next to the edge). 





As Kylee pointed out, it's somewhat demoralizing when you enter Texas and they highlight how you have almost 900 miles until you reach the other side. They obviously do it for enjoyment - one more way to brag about how big they are (still love all my Texas peeps though :-) ).

I think Michael's blood pressure increased significantly on the drive. It also didn't help that a man ran out onto the interstate and began crossing all the lanes near Houston. We were in the far left passing lane and it looked like he was going to run right in front of us, but, after slamming on brakes, he waved us by - yes, waved us by as if he's doing us a favor. It was like a game of frogger because there were cars in other lanes and he was dodging them while also sprinting between lanes. I honestly don't know how he didn't get hit. The episode certainly left our hearts racing. But we were safe (and I think the man was safe too after he hopped the median barrier and resumed crossing the interstate on the other side). 

We made excellent time to Austin considering the poor weather. We only stopped 1 time for a bathroom break between Prairieville and Austin (7.5 hours) - praise for premade PBJ and  the kids' bladders of steel.  We had our eyes out for a Buc-ee's but the nearest one when we were ready for a bathroom break was 71 miles away. Instead we stopped at a convenience store where you had to get a key to open them on the outside of the store - the kids were so confused. And the bathroom quality was less than desirable. Dani asked to use the bathroom and we refused her that opportunity. 

We pulled up to the UT football stadium at 3:45 and met our friend (and hostess for our stay), Brittany. She is a professor at UT and her office is in the football stadium - we had our fingers crossed that a conference room that overlooks the field would be open, but, alas, it was locked. We still enjoyed a quick walk around UT, including the stadium and Tower. Andrew was most excited about the stadium because his friend Josh Tingelstad is a Texas football fan. Carolyn, Matthew, and Dani were most excited to pose with the horses and longhorns at Texas Exes. Andrew liked pretending to lasso the cattle. Our last stop was the Co-Op - a campus bookstore - and Andrew, Carolyn, and Dani got the same stuffed longhorn (I'm sure you'll see it in future pictures). Andrew named his Wooly, Carolyn named her Hornsy, and Dani named hers Everest. Matthew got a back scratcher and attempted to scratch people's back in the store (smh...). I got a UT hat - love it already! 






We finished our day at our hosts' house - Brittany and Reggie Crim. We met them while in grad school at UA and always had a great time together. They moved back to Texas before we left Tuscaloosa, and this was the first time we'd seen them since 2010. They have four kids of their own (5, 7, 11, 14) and our kids hit it off with them quickly. They also have several dogs, one of which is a pug - Pickles. Andrew and Matthew LOVED Pickles and kept playing with him. Their 11-year-old, Skylar, was excited to help host and was very accommodating by helping set up the beds, making breakfast for "the kids," and generally offering to help with whatever we needed. Carolyn immediately found Skylar's gymnastics equipment (e.g., balance beam and floor mat) and began doing routines. We ordered Torchy's tacos for dinner - a Texas staple - and had a low-key evening just catching up. One of the best parts of this road trip has been seeing old friends!


On Wednesday, June 30, we headed to New Braunfels, TX to go to Schlitterbaun - an amazing waterpark about 75 minutes away from Reggie and Brittany's house (thus, the 166 miles driven on Day 6) even though it wasn't a "travel" day. The kids were in "awe" when we arrived at the size of the park, but Andrew was immediately anxious that he would get lost. Ever since his incident where he got lost on the bike trail, he's had this concern about being separated from us in crowds. Schlitterbahn was not an exception. Because his anxiety was already elevated, he didn't really enjoy the first part of the day and rides. The first water ride was a "rapids" ride and he was far enough behind me on his tube that he got really scared of being "left behind." When we reconnected at the end of the ride, he said "I'm not doing anymore water rides the rest of the day." Well...I hated to break it to him, but the whole day was water rides. Therefore, he didn't have a great first part of his day, and he refused to go on several rides at the beginning (except the wave pool). Dani and Matthew also freaked out at the beginning of the first rapids ride and screamed not to go when it was their turn to get into a tube. 

We thought it was going to be a LONG day... Luckily, after having some time in the kiddie/wave pool, everyone's spirits lifted. Carolyn meanwhile was our daredevil and was begging to ride ALL the slides - even the biggest ones. So she and I went on several rides while Michael stayed behind with the rest of them. After lunch, I convinced (e.g., forced) Andrew to go on a "racing" slide with me and Carolyn - one where you ride head-first down the slide on a mat. He didn't protest too much until we got to the top of the slide - and then he begged to not go. "Too late," I said. When we got to the bottom he yelled...quite dramatically..."Mom, you almost killed me!" I was honestly surprised by his reaction given how much he LOVED Great Wolf Lodge - and specifically liked the racing slide at GWL. 

When we got to the second part of the park, all the kids seemed to enjoy the rides more - even Andrew. We did another "rapids" ride and Dani LOVED it. She had a huge smile on her face as she went over the huge drop. Michael commented on her big smile and how she seemed to be having fun, and she said "I am, now that you let go of me!" (he had been holding onto the handles of her tube). From that point on she couldn't get enough and she became our second daredevil of the day. Matthew made friends with teenage girls on the rapids ride and they helped push him along - our little charmer. Even Andrew voluntarily (I didn't force him!) agreed to do one of the bigger blackout slides - and he had a good attitude about it the entire time. He even wanted to do the biggest/fastest slide but by that time it was too late to get in the 1-hr-long line. There was a "lazy river" with waves that everyone enjoyed - everyone wanted to go around and around and around. Matthew set a trend by wanting to do it without a tube. There were also "mid-size slides" that all the kids rode over and over. By the end of the day everyone was (finally) happy and bummed to have to leave. Andrew even got a shirt..you know...to remember all the fond memories of the wonderful day he had...

*I wish I had more pics of the waterpark, but I put my phone away the whole day so it didn't get ruined.*


After Schlitterbahn, we headed back to Austin to watch the bats fly out from under Congress Avenue bridge. We finally stopped at a Buc-ee's, per Britt Payne's suggestion, and it was everything he claimed it to be! The kids were in awe at its size (at least 50 gas pumps, "more than 30 urinals" - per Andrew, and all the food you could want). We picked up some Buc-ee nuggets, grabbed some Pulled Pork and Brisket sandwiches, and were on our way. But not before getting pressed pennies and checking out all the stuffed animals. 


After our Buc-ee fix, we continued to Austin and arrived just in time for the bats. Or so we thought... The bats, supposedly thousands, are known for flying out from under the Congress Avenue tunnel at dusk/sundown. Sundown was at 8:37 pm, and we could hear the bats screeching (do bats screech?) in the minutes leading up to that time. Carolyn was ready and waiting with her camera so she could take video - she was really excited to see the event. 

Bored waiting for the bats...

Unfortunately, 8:37 came and went...and then 8:57...and then 9:07 - nothing. To their credit, the bats did emerge but they remained under the bridge and they didn't have a sudden exodus out from under the bridge. Carolyn was the most disappointed - she had sat there diligently the entire time with her camera in ready-mode to record the whole event. Hopefully we'll see bats in Carlsbad. Even though we didn't get to see bats, we got to see downtown Austin at night - which was a fun thing in and of itself. The kids loved all the lights - it's a very pretty skyline! 



By the time we got to Reggie and Brittany's it was past 10 and the kids were exhausted. Matthew wanted to make sure he could pet Pickles one more time before bed, but otherwise it was straight to bed for the kids. Brittany had made her famous tacos for dinner so she reheated them up for us and taught us how to make her perfectly cooked fried tortillas. Michael and I took advantage of our last night with Reggie and Brittany and somehow managed to stay awake chatting with them until 2 a.m. - we paid for it this morning but it was fun at the time, and it's so hard to let the night end when you know you're leaving the next day! We did delay our start to the day by 2.5 hours... sorry, Carlsbad - we'll be there soon!

Crims - thanks for your hospitality. Austin was a great time and we're so glad we got to spend it with you! Already looking forward to our next reunion in 10 years when our kids are in college. 

Next stop...Carlsbad Caverns!