MADDIE'S TEXAS ROAD TRIP: June 3-11, 2017
On June 3rd, as we wait at DFW for the flight from Salt Lake City to arrive, we couldn't be more excited that our granddaughter, Madisen Empey, is on her way to spend a week with us in Texas! We have outlined a jam-packed road trip through the "Heart of Texas" for the upcoming week and can hardly wait to get the wheels rolling! Uncle Gary is aboard the flight, too, accompanying our Sweet Maddie to Texas.
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| Howdy, Ya'll! Welcome to TEXAS!!! |
Maddie and Gary arrive a few minutes ahead of schedule, at around 1:20 in the afternoon. Grandpa and Grandma are waiting just outside security. They race to give Maddie and Gary big hugs! Since everyone is hungry, we meet Kristen and family for lunch at Chick-Fil-A in Frisco.
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| Kristen and Seth Greet Our Visitors at Chick-Fil-A |
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| We eat lunch at the Chick-Fil-A where Cousin Parker is working. |
We stay the night at Kristen's. After Sacrament Meeting the next morning, we hit the road to spend three days in San Antonio, our favorite tourist destination in the Lone Star State. Grandson Seth joins our Texas Road Trip to be Maddie's cohort in kid fun! Years ago, when he was only two years old, Seth used to say to newborn Maddie, "Baby Maddie, what'cha doin'?" Well today, nearly nine-year-old Maddie is taking a big leap of faith, far from the security of her parents and home, to begin this big adventure!! Her trust (as well as that of her parents) means the world to us, so we proceed with extra care and caution. Our party of five, combined with five suitcases, food and miscellaneous supplies, is a tight fit for our Ford Explorer. (We were spoiled by our old, roomier Suburban,
which always carried everything we wanted to take with us on vacation.) It takes muscle and extra brain power to get the SUV packed just right, but we're soon driving south along I-35, with great anticipation for the week ahead! :-) Big thanks to Gary, who sits in the back seat to hold up a stack of suitcases. Otherwise, it would certainly topple over!
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| Maddie and Gary with Parker, Justin and Seth Buhler |
In San Antonio, we enjoy Ripley's Believe It or Not (Wax Works, Odditorium & 4-D Ride), the Alamo, Riverwalk, River Taxi Tour and a full day at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. We are blessed with excellent weather! It rains just one time during the trip, but only briefly. During the last fifteen minutes of the river boat ride, our guide warns that thunderstorms are heading our way. Just as we climb out of the boat, the skies open up and the downpour begins. Luckily, we plan to eat dinner at Casa Rio, just a half-block away. Prior to the rain, we hoped to sit at a table alongside the river, but now request an inside table instead. This keeps us safe and dry from the craziness outside. By the time we finish our meal, it's a clear, beautiful evening once again. Tender mercies!
DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO - Monday, June 5th
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| Tons of Surprises at Ripley's Believe It or Not! |
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| Kids Don Robes to Join Harry, Ron and Hermoine at Hogwart's |
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| Two Hulks -- Both Pretty Incredible! |
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| Future Iron Woman? |
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| Common Thread = DESIRE! | |
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| Maddie, Remember the Alamo? (If not, be sure to read your souvenir book!) |
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| We happened upon a living history reenactment on the grounds of the Alamo. |
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| River Taxi Tour (Wait for it! Wait for it! Heavy rain is on the way!) |
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| Inside Casa Rio, Keeping Safe and Dry! |
SIX FLAGS FIESTA TEXAS: Tuesday, June 6th
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| Road Runner Express -- Maddie's First Ride at Fiesta Texas |
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| Bugs' White Water Rapids |
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| Hangin' with Daffy |
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| Congrats, Kim! You started quite a series of "Run with Scooby-Doo" family photos! |
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| Maddie, Scrappy-Doo Loves YOU! |
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| Nice Views of Fiesta Texas from Crow's Nest Ferris Wheel |
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| Batman: The Ride (guaranteed to turn your stomach inside out) |
On Wednesday, we check out of our rooms at TownePlace Suites and drive to Houston, arriving just before noon. Still, we're able to fit in tons of fun by the end of the day!
BAY OF HOUSTON: Afternoon and Evening of Wednesday, June 7th
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| We take the elevator to the top of San Jacinto Monument for great views of the bay. |
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| Cute Maddie by San Jacinto's Reflecting Pool |
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| Not much reflection happening in this muddy water. |
We take a super short drive (two minutes max) from San Jacinto to the USS Texas. While Maddie is excited to board the ship, she's a little unsure about climbing down steep, narrow ladders into the ship's lower levels. But she's brave and is soon scurrying up and down ladders all over the ship!
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| Maddie Crossing the Bridge to USS Battleship Texas |
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| Gary the Great -- Galiant Defender of the Bay of Houston |
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| Maddie Hones Her Ladder Skills |
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| Seth Inspects Ship's Galley But Finds Nothing to Eat |
By the time we leave the battleship, we are all hungry as bears...with a
brilliant solution that would make Yogi proud! It's our tradition to take visiting
grandkids to lunch at Kemah Boardwalk's Aquarium Restaurant -- and it's not too far away. Off we go!
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| Hungry and Drooling before Lunch at Aquarium Restaurant |
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| We've Eaten Lunch ... But There's Still Room for THIS Dessert! |
We spend the remainder of the afternoon and evening at Kemah Boardwalk, along the Bay of Houston. Maddie really enjoys the rides at Kemah, especially one called Rockin' Rocket. It's a nice change of pace from the huge roller coasters at Six Flags. Seth especially enjoys Boardwalk Bullet, the wooden roller coaster at Kemah, that really rattles the brain. What a fun day!
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| Rockin' Rocket -- Maddie's Favorite Ride at Kemah Boardwalk |
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| Maddie and Seth on the Century Wheel |
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| Hands Free on the Double Decker Carousel |
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| Leaving the Bar at the End of the Night |
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| Boardwalk Bullet -- A High-Speed Coaster |
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| Seth stands on Frisco; Gary stands on College Station; Maddie stands on Houston |
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| Still Smiling at the End of a Long Day! |
GALVESTON ISLAND: Thursday Morning, June 8th
Maddie fondly remembers going to Southern California's Manhattan Beach with Justin and Seth three years ago. She was able to dig in the sand, build a sand castle -- even help Erin bury both Justin and Seth in sand. However, the gulf water around Galveston Island is anything but clear, and the sand is anything but fine. It's dense and hard packed. Still, Maddie tries her best to build a sand castle during our morning at Galveston Island State Beach Park. The sand sticks stubbornly to her bucket mold every time she attempts to turn it out. It's not easy, but Maddie completes a one-turret castle, with water-filled moat. Way to go! Next, she's off to search for seashells. She finds plenty of nice shells, then selects the very best ones to take home. Seth spends time swimming out into the surf, while Grandma keeps a watchful eye on him from shore. He also makes a game out of throwing a foam football into the waves, then retrieving it from the incoming surf. The two Garys (not Seth Gary) spend most of their time tossing a Frisbee. All in all, it's a nice, relaxing morning at the beach. We leave at noon for Whataburger, Gary M.'s must-do hamburger stop in Texas.
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| Love Maddie's Sun Hat! What a Doll! |
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| Warm Day, Cool Water ... Perfect! |
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| Seth Plays Throw and Retrieve with the Surf |
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| Maddie Builds a Sand Castle |
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| Cute Maddie's Seashell Collection |
MOODY GARDENS, GALVESTON: Thursday Afternoon, June 8th
Moody Gardens is one of our favorite destinations in Galveston. There are many options here, but the best attraction (in my opinion) has always been their aquarium. The Moody Gardens Aquarium just reopened in May 2017, following an extensive renovation to make the guest experience more interactive. We definitely put interactivity to the test for several hours on this day. Yep, there is fun in learning!
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| Aquarium Pyramid at Moody Gardens |
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| Under the Sea at Moody Gardens Aquarium |
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| Hands-On Jelly Fish Experience |
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| Hands-On Skate Experience |
RAINFOREST CAFE, GALVESTON: Thursday Evening, June 8th
We celebrate Maddie's 9th Birthday a few days early at Rainforest Cafe in Galveston. A chorus of waiters sings "Happy Birthday, Dear Maddie" as they deliver a lava cake to our table. Is it just me, or have Rainforest's lava cakes gotten smaller since Erin's 18th birthday??
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| First, we do dinner at Rainforest ... then we go on an amazing River Adventure! |
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| Happy Birthday, Dear Maddie, Happy Birthday to You!! |
HOUSTON ZOO: Friday Morning, June 9th
Sadly, this is our last full day before heading back to Dallas on Saturday morning. Why do fun times with loved ones fly by so quickly? Thank heaven for pictures to keep these precious memories fresh and alive!
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| The Lion Pounces, but Brave Maddie Doesn't Blink an Eye |
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| Big Family of Giraffes, All Sizes and Ages |
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| Houston Zoo's Monkey and Great Ape Exhibits Are Incredible! |
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| The Live Cheetah Is Maddie's Favorite Animal at Houston Zoo |
HOUSTON MUSEUM OF SCIENCE: Friday Afternoon, June 9th
During our time in Texas, we have taken many grandchildren to visit this museum, but don't recall as many prehistoric skeletons, fossils and imprints as we see here today. Exploring the gigantic skeletal displays of dinosaurs, mammoths, saber-tooth cats, and other extinct animals on the ground floor is an awesome experience! This area has definitely been upgraded since our last visit. The second and third floor exhibits are also wonderful, but haven't changed much through the years.
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| Not surprisingly, the Houston Science Museum reminds Maddie of Vernal. |
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| Skeletal recreations of many types of prehistoric creatures are on display here. |
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| This has to be one of the most disturbing displays in the museum! |
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| It's almost like being back at Moody Gardens Aquarium. |
HOUSTON ASTROS BASEBALL GAME: Friday Evening, June 9th
Sadly, this is not a great evening for the Astros. Their pitchers just can't pull things together tonight. When the third relief pitcher comes in during the fifth inning, we leave for the hotel, but it's been a fun evening at the ballpark. So much is happening here besides just baseball!
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| Ready to Cheer On the Astros, Leaders of American League West |
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| It's Star Wars Night at Minute Maid Park |
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| Maddie with Rey |
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| Seth with Kylo Ren |
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| Hots Dogs, Popcorn, Candy and Soda = A Great Night at the Ballpark |
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| The Roof Slides Away, Revealing a Truly Gorgeous Sunset! |
Thanks so much for sharing this week with us, Maddie! We feel so
blessed to have spent this priceless time with adorable, lovable YOU! It was
almost like seeing your mom as a child once again. You are a lot alike
and we love you both with all our hearts!
