Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 2006

Texas

We were interested to get to Texas and especially to Galveston to see what it was all about.  It was a long 12 hours of driving leaving Panama City, FL and making it into Beaumont, TX.  This brought us through Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana on the way.  We did make a very short detour into New Orleans to just see what it looked like.  It was sad to see all the damage that still was there.

Also we have to note that while driving through Louisiana never have we seen so many bugs.  We actually had to pull over to clean the windshield a few times.  Poor Lil Cooper was plastered with dead insect bodies.  We had to get special "Bug Off" Cleaner to get rid of them.

We slept in Beaumont,TX that night.  Already Texas seemed like such a confusing place just the way the roads were designed.  The next day we drove to Galveston.  We had to drive onto a Ferry to get over to the island.  We looked around, and soon after lunch we decided that it definitely was not a place that we wanted to live.   It was another place that had the extreme humidity like Charleston, SC.  We then went farther South to Corpus Christi.  People were saying that the beaches got better the farther South and the humidity became alot less. 

Texas you can drive for 100 miles and not see anything in sight.  Although what we did see alot of were chemical plants and oil refineries as we drove along the coast.  We finally reached Corpus Christi.  The humidity definitely was alot less, but the beaches really were not much different.  Just with the whole feel of everything we knew without question that Texas was not a place where we wanted to live.

We decided the next day we would work our way northwest toward New Mexico to leave Texas.  We also knew it was going to take two days to do that. 

We do realize that there are wonderful cities in Texas like Dallas, Austin, etc, but for our taste (not to be critical) Texas is just not for us.

Driving in towards New Orleans

Entering New Orleans

Windshield of bugs!

The miles of open land in Texas is impressive and also pretty.

On the Ferry to Galveston Island

They like to watch as you get on the Ferry.

All the homes are on extreme stilts.

The Beach in Galveston.  What is all the foam????

That is what we have to share of Texas.  Now let's move on to New Mexico!

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November 3-5, 2006

Las Croces, NM

Driving into New Mexico was almost instant change of scenery.  There were beautiful mountains that lined the drive. The first main city we came to was Las Croces.  Here we stayed for two nights.

Las Croces is home to Stahmanns, the largest pecan producers in the world.  It also is near to the White Sands National Park.  300 square miles of white sand dunes made of gypsum.  Gypsum is the product that drywall is made from.

We enjoyed our stay here very much.  It was filled with investigating the historic small town of Las Croces, bike riding, climbing numerous white sand dunes, and enjoying great Mexican food.

So many rows of Pecan Trees!

Yes, this is the Rio Grande.

What's this SNOW in New Mexico??  No silly those kids are in shorts!  It is what families do at White Sands National Park.  What would you do with 300 square miles of sand dunes in your back yard?

We trudged for hours on a horse with no name. 

BBQ Oasis

Do you even need coals?  Could be a good thing!

November 5-7, 2006

Santa Fe, NM

Definitely the essence of the Southwest in this small town.  Let the sharing of our pictures suffice for our words.

November 7-9, 2006

Monument Valley, AZ

All the big 4 wheel drive vehicles said he couldn't do it, but Lil Cooper proved them all WRONG!  Lil Cooper dynamically made his way through this incredible wilderness known as Monument Valley.

Monument Valley was one of the most awe inspiring places that we have enjoyed on our journey.  It is just so different then anyplace we have ever seen.  We spent a whole day exploring its many rock formations by car and half on our bicycles.

Whose head is this??

I am the happiest Mini Cooper on this earth.  I am eternally grateful to my drivers Trace & Christine for rescuing me from Mr. Eddie's Used car lot in N.J.  Never would I of imagined that I would travel this United States and conquer Monument Valley.  Now onto the Grand Canyon!

Trace saved the day when he stopped a run away rock that had just fallen off one of the monuments!

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