One Year Ago Today

This is the anniversary of the day we finally closed on the house in Dallas and began the adventure to the rest of our lives.

We started out the next morning driving to Texarkana where we had a short visit with my sister and her family.

Then we took the train to Chicago and met my future daughter-in-law and step-grandchild (that’s my #1 son in the picture, too).

Then back to Texarkana, and some time spent checking out the cemetery, Old Washington, and Hope, AR – all important for my genealogy interests. The obligatory “State Line” photo in front of the Texarkana, USA, Post Office.

And of course a trip to Bryce’s Cafeteria (where I met LeMichael James’ aunt).

Next it was a visit to Burns, TN, to see my cousin and spend a couple of days with her.

Then we drove down the Natchez Trace…

…on our way to see #2 son and his family in South Louisiana.

Then began our trek across the country. I declared I didn’t want to mess with Interstate Highway travel, so we kept to the regular US highways as much as possible.  This is a stretch of the old Route 66 that’s still there in Western Oklahoma (or maybe the Texas panhandle).

While we were in Amarillo, we got a chance to visit Palo Duro Canyon, and really enjoyed our time there, particularly since it was a little rainy and not too hot.

Unfortunately, we still had to ride on the Interstate in some places, like here in New Mexico.

We took a couple of days and drove up to Santa Fe and Taos.

Then due south through New Mexico and turned west again on I-10. We got to see White Sands.

And then into Arizona where we took a detour to see an old trading post and Indian war Fort.

A couple of days in Tucson, and then north through Phoenix and into Flagstaff where we finally got to see some trees again.

Then the Grand Canyon

Bryce Canyon National Park

and Zion National Park

North through Utah, and into Idaho where we saw Craters of the Moon National Park.

And on to Spokane where my father was born. We found one of the houses he lived in as a child.

Then across the great state of Washington, including the Columbia River Gorge.

and in to Tacoma, and Franke Tobey Jones.

Thus endeth our trek from Dallas to Tacoma.

Tomorrow, I’ll try to review a few of the highlights of our year here.