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Monday, April 25, 2016

Leaving Texas

Everything is BIGGER in Texas!

Longview, Texas was definitely a great place to stay this past month and before we left, we decided we needed to try the local Kilgore Crawfish Boil located a few minutes away. It's just a simple shack that sells local favorites like alligator, frog legs and crawfish. 


We were met by Dan's friend Dave, Daves coworker and his wife. It was casual and friendly. Dan and I both ordered the 2lb crawfish boil with a side of frog legs because, why not?

Our spread of food
Caiden loved the frog legs, or as he called them "chicken"

We left Longview the following morning and drove to Sunset, Texas to rest up for the next leg of our journey. We stayed at Sunset RV Park where they actually offered FREE laundry! I wished I hadn't just done like 6 loads of laundry before we left Longview. Anyway, it was a wonderful little town with a lovely couple running the RV park and we would definitely stay there again if we passed through there again.

Ultimately we headed towards Albuquerque, New Mexico to stay at the Kirkland Air Force Base. We plan to stay there a couple of weeks and get out taxes done just before the deadline.

Before we arrived in Albuquerque, we needed to stop around Amarillo, Texas which is the halfway point so we could rest and relax before heading back on the road. I just happened to read the latest weekly newsletter from DitchingSuburbia.com (a family of four who have been traveling full-time for several years now) and apparently they were staying in Amarillo for the next few days. 

It was too big of a coincidence! It was Awesome! 

Let me explain...They were one of the first full-time travel family's I read about like 3 years ago when I was still just dreaming of traveling with my own family. I dutifully read their blog dreaming of my own family travel some day. Once I actually hit the road full time with my own family, I even thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be great to meet this pioneering family on the road?" 

I wasted no time. I contacted them to see if they would even be interested in meeting up with my sorta groupie/crazy self and as it turns out, they were. 
Great!

We met up at the Oasis RV Park (right next to the Cadillac Ranch). We met Mike, Crissa, and Miranda Boyink of the Ditching Suburbia crew. They have a 19 year old son Harrison, who has recently left the full time travel life to work a full time job back in their hometown of Holland, Michigan, so it was just the three of them. 

They were so laid back and relatable. It's obvious that the carefree vagabond lifestyle of full time travel has left them able and willing to connect with perfect strangers. They treated us as if they had known us for years and I was grateful for the opportunity to have met them.

The wind was blowing really hard here and we were all just trying to hurry up and take the picture 

While we were in Amarillo, we had to stop at the World Famous Big Texan Steak Ranch home of the 72oz steak challenge. If you can eat the 72oz steak as well as a few accompaniments, your meal is FREE. 

Here is the front of the restaurant. 

No, we did not attempt the 72oz steak challenge, but Dan did order a big steak and I enjoyed a delicious chicken sandwich. The boys ordered the kids meal and they came with cowboy hats that they got to take home with them. Wow! 

Her's out delicious food.
Howdy there cowboy!
Here is a view of the restaurant from our table.
I made the boys pose for this picture outside the restaurant. They were not thrilled, lol.
Daniel in front of the famous bull.

When we got home from the restaurant, the wind started picking up and by that night, we were wrestling 70 mile an hour winds that felt like a tornado. I had just put Caiden to sleep and Daniel was still up when the strong winds hit our trailer.

Our trailer rocked and shook. Was this something to be afraid of? Yes. Dan began strategizing our escape plan to a tornado safe building several yards away and I was slightly panicked. I had my shoes on and my children's shoes in a pile with my purse on the couch. I was ready. Time ticked by and I didn't put Daniel to sleep at his bedtime--it was better is if he was awake when we had to bolt for shelter.

After what seemed like forever, the high winds died down to a more normal level and Dan and I took a deep breath, finally relieved we didn't have to run for shelter while our tiny home became wreckage. We've never been so terrified of Mother Nature. Thank goodness we were leaving in the morning.

Next stop...Albuquerque, New Mexico!



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