The Big Meander

1322 driving miles, 2 great cities, 12 oysters, 1 national park, 3 roadrunners, 1 javelina, 1 UNESCO World Heritage site, 2 states, 2 hours waiting in line for amazing barbecue, $73.15 OVER budget.

What do you do in your next to last travel week of the Big Meander?

1. You drive in a relatively straight line south from Carlsbad, New Mexico as far south as you can before crossing into Mexico, hike a nature trail and make a stupid joke or two about how “it’s not Mexico but I can see it from here”. In order to stay in the air conditioning a little longer you take a drive around Big Bend National Park until late afternoon when the temperature cools to 108, then return to the campground to sit in the shade waiting for cooler temps. Shortly before sundown the javelinas and roadrunners start their rounds, the neighboring campsites turn on their music, and you and the other inhabitants of the campground begin coming out from the shade like a bunch of ants returning to the surface after a rainstorm.
2. From Big Bend you take a couple of days in San Antonio where it’s warm, but at least there’s water. When you are in the heart of beef country you have a wonderful seafood dinner because you are hot and something lighter sounds better. You visit the The Alamo and take a lovely stroll in the river walk area. You read signs and learn more than you ever thought you wanted to know about those who died defending the Alamo.
3. When you decide you’ve seen enough of San Antonio you drive slightly further north and have some of the best food you’ve enjoyed since your return to North America. You spend a couple of days kicking it in Austin, planning a return trip to see live music and eat more great food and hang in the AirB&B with its amazing location, totally stocked kitchen and fabulous A/C.
4. You end the week in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as a stop on your way home to see family in Kansas, and even though there’s is plenty to see there you are exhausted enough from the drive that dinner and a margarita is all you can manage.

That is all.

Next week; Kansas, a flight to Virginia and our final road trip home to Denver!