Exhausted in Evanston

If I had to use one word to summarize how I felt when we made it to Evanston, it would be exhausted – “drained of one’s physical or mental resources; very tired”. If you’ve been reading along with us, Arthur and I just spent 520 days living in a Class B RV and traveling the country. It was a grand adventure, but it left us depleted.

Other than some work trips, this is how I slept for most of those 520 days. Estella – our Class B RV – has a slide-out with a sofa that converts into a full-sized bed. I tried a number of things to make that bed comfortable. The problem was that when you fully unfold it, you lose a lot of space because it takes up the entire “living room” area, which is the most spacious part of the small RV.

I tried a self-inflating mattress pad, which was fine, but I’m a side sleeper, so there wasn’t enough cushion from that on my hip even when I folded it to double the cushion. The previous owners had used a “egg crate” style mattress pad, but I have tried those in the past and knew it wouldn’t work for me. My ultimate solution was a combination of using a series of things that I ordered or already had in the RV to create an extension to the sofa (middle picture). I had a storage cube that sat between the driver’s and passenger’s seats and and bigger storage rectangle (?). I also had a small, hard-sided cooler. Then I leveled them out with pillows.

On top of that, I modified a 3″ memory foam mattress topper by cutting off the end to fold it under for more of a level across the pillow-storage cube-cooler extension. A set of full-sized sheets were the best fit over the makeshift mattress, and I slept with my head in the corner.

On the left is blanket set-up I used most often (SandCloud XL Towel + MacAuslands Wool Blanket). When it was warm, it just used the SandCloud towel. On the right is the sleeping bag (yes, the kid’s size) I used as a comforter for cold nights; I’ve raved about its “zip plow” before, but that thing makes zipping so easy.

Other Supplies to Make the Extension

  • Storage Cube 1: I had something similar to this link, and it mostly sat between the driver’s seat and passenger’s seat when we were traveling. It was handy to keep books and reusable shopping bags and assorted odds / ends.
  • Storage Cube 2: I bought this one when I dreamt up this bed extension. It offered a lot of great storage and was a wonderful foot rest. These two different cubes were also great for creating a lot of different seating options.
  • Cooler: When we went to Wisconsin, I knew we wouldn’t have regular power, so I bought a cooler and ice packs for the stuff we needed to keep cold. This late edition to the bed extension made it a lot easier to keep the mattress pad in place.
  • Memory Foam Mattress Topper: This was a game changer. I could sleep on my side again without my hip hurting. To mitigate the smell of the mattress and keep the parts together, I used a mattress cover.

I will say that this is a one-short-person-and-cat set-up. I’m 62.75 inches tall, the sofa is about 52″ wide. With the sofa extension, I could sleep stretched out and at an angle, but I mostly slept with my knees tucked up with Arthur sleeping in the crook behind my legs. During the day, the blankets and mattress pad got folded up and tucked on the driver’s seat, and when we traveled, I secured the folded mattress pad to a towel rack in the bathroom.

In Evanston, sleeping every night in a real bed was a life-changer. After we arrived in April, I unpacked the car and had a great night’s rest. When I wasn’t working, Arthur and I spent a lot of our time in Chicagoland resting and cooking.

Arthur loved having the space to spread out and found a new hobby – hiding under pillows.

Next time, more on our time in Evanston, IL, when we weren’t sleeping.

What’s Next?

I finally had a moment to make a page dedicated to our 520 days living in Estella and traveling the country. If you haven’t seen it, you can find it here: https://mshapsandestella.com/where-we-stayed/. Some days, it feels like that time passed in a blink of an eye, and other days, I am so exhausted when I think back to all the places we traveled.

We have narrowed our list for phase two of the journey, and I’ve updated the page to reflect that we’re on to our next thing – just me (Ms. Haps) and Arthur. If you missed it, I started jotting down ratings of the cities that I thought could possibly be our new home. When we were in Texas, I narrowed the list down to a few of my favorites and eliminated some others.

Chicagoland, IL

I initially didn’t have this on the list because Chicago is huge, but there were a few things that swayed me to add it. There are a lot of potential suburban areas that aren’t as big as Chicago itself. It’s easier to find a condo where I would have zero yard work. And, most importantly, it’s really close to my family and friends in Minnesota.

Grand Rapids / Ann Arbor, MI

I really enjoyed my time in Michigan. Both Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor are great-sized cities, and they both have a lot to offer in terms of medical care, diversity, climate, and all the other things on my list. This was an easy choice to add.

Buffalo, NY Area

I just fell in love with East Aurora, NY, and the towns in that area. I could take or leave Buffalo itself, but the surrounding communities and the proximity to the Great Lakes and the East Coast vibe were definitely drawing me in.

Why didn’t those other highly rated cities make the list?

If I only had to give one reason why most of them didn’t make it, it would be because it would too hot in the summer. Prescott, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, and Austin, TX were all really great, but I know the summers would do me in. Missoula, MT was right up there in the running, but in the end, it was too small for what I was looking for and maybe a bit too remote. Salem, OR, was highly rated, but the west coast seemed just too far west. Prince Edward Island (yes, all of it) was my hands down favorite, but Canada just isn’t in the cards for me yet.

So, back in April, Estella was stored in one of my parents’ out buildings, and Arthur and I left for Chicagoland – Evanston, IL, to be exact. We will spend a couple of months in each of the areas and have a longer stint in the Buffalo area. I know IL and MI winters, but a winter in Buffalo is something I’ve never experienced, so we will be spending the 2025-26 winter there to see if we can endure it. It’s been over a decade since I experienced a real winter; I just want to make sure I’m still made of the stuff that can take it.

We will be living in furnished places in all of these areas. While we were in Texas, I booked AirBnBs and places through Furnished Finder for the next 12 months, signed leases, and tried to explain to Arthur that we weren’t done just yet.

What if they don’t work out?

It’s a distinct possibility that we’ll travel to all these great areas and not be as enamored with any of them as I had hoped. I’ve kept Estella just in case that’s what happens, and we’ll head back out again. I’ve been lucky enough to live in all sorts of places, so I think, at the end of the day, it’ll either be somewhere I’ve lived before or one of these new areas.

I hope you’ll stick with us even if we’re not traveling in the RV anymore. There are many more adventures to come as we continue the search for our Unicorn City.

One Last MN Appreciation Post

“There’s no place like home.” It’s so true. The place that raises you will always have a special place in your heart. People ask me why don’t you just live there? You know it. Your family is there, your friends are there, what’s not to like? It is hard to explain, but after living on the East Coast for over a decade, there are parts to MN that don’t fit with who I am anymore.

That said, I do love to visit, and I had a good time when I was back in March / April of this year. After celebrating Dad’s birthday with gifts I had collected for him while I was on the road, I had a chance to drive my new car. We all know that I have so much love for Estella, but she’s not small, so navigating tight spaces and her general mobility are just not the same as having a car. I ended up buying a used Nissan Rogue with about 18,000 miles, and it has been a joy to drive, to fit in a parking space, to parallel park, and to not pay for diesel.

I ended up having to go on a work trip to San Antonio about week after I got to MN, so back to Texas I went.

Arthur was not a fan, but the good news was that I was reunited with my suitcase! After many trips just with a backpack and tote, this was so liberating. It was Minnesota in March, so of course there was a trip through the de-icing zone at MSP. I was even lucky enough to score an upgrade, which is the only time I’ll sit by the window – hence the obligatory sea of clouds pic.

My mom spent some quality time with Arthur when I was away, but he was happy to see me when I returned. I made a couple of trips to my storage unit to shed some things from the RV and to pick up a couple of small things to make our next phase a bit easier.

My friend’s eldest son had a leading part in his college’s play, and I was lucky enough to get to see him and spend some time with her. I ate donuts with another friend and her parents as well. I also had a lovely brunch with my aunts and uncles and parents, which has become such a rare treat now that I’m all grown up. It was so wonderful to spend time with them all together in one place, laughing, telling stories, and catching up.

But it wasn’t all fun and games when I was back in MN. I ended up getting really sick. It wasn’t COVID, but I slept on the floor of my parents’ half bathroom for three nights because I couldn’t chance being far from a toilet and running water. Thankfully, no one else in the house got sick, but there was plenty of time to consider all my life choices, and at one point, I thought I would never see sunlight again.

Glamour shots from my time in quarantine and my reunion with Arthur. Needless to say, this bout of the plague (or whatever it was) limited how much I could do when I was there.

Early in the morning of April 19, Arthur and I said goodbye to my family and Estella, and we hit the road for part two of finding our Unicorn City.

Iowa & The Almost Missed Birthday

In the RV, Arthur lost all concept of personal space. To be fair, there wasn’t a lot of space, but he started to sleep on my pillow while I was still sleeping on it. Most mornings, I woke up with a cat foot in my face. 😺

Leaving Pirate KS was absolutely beautiful. I can certainly see how Bella Vista got its name. Once we left what seemed like a river valley, we got hit with wind – a lot of wind. We fought the wind all the way to Iowa. Estella gave up on letting me use the cruise control, and I received the message that it was too slippery – something we hadn’t seen since the winds in Kansas almost a year ago.

We made a quick stop at a Love’s on the way for fuel and snacks, and I saw this kitty sitting outside the gas station. It looked pretty healthy overall, but it was sheltering next to the building because of the wind. Yes, I was tempted to see if it wanted to come with us, but I didn’t think Arthur would appreciate another camper in his space.

We arrived at our Boondocker’s Welcome site after driving by it and having to do a U-turn. It was easy to park and plug in, and I decided not to open the slide out because of the wind.

It was a cozy night, and Arthur found a new place to perch since we were in such tight quarters. We also saw a beautiful sunset as we ended our evening.

The next morning, we were up early and headed to get Estella checked out at Lichtsinn RV. This is our second visit since I bought her, so I had a list. The first thing on it was the fitting to the water heater. The second thing was the window that I had over-cranked months ago. The third thing was the crossbar (?) under the tanks that I was dragging around Colorado before I noticed, crawled under the RV and remove it. I also had some water damage in the bathroom for them to look at and just a basic “health check” on Estella.

Our appointment was at 7:30, and when we got there, they took her in right away. Typically, it’s a whole day visit. Last time, Arthur wasn’t with me, so this time, he got to make some new friends with the service techs and stayed in the RV while I made friends with a very cute dog in the waiting area.

I even had my favorite Kwik Star lunch from the gas station across the road.

Unfortunately, we ended up having to stay the night. On the plus side, Lichtsinn has places to park with electric service, so we had a nice evening even if it was planned. My plan had been to leave that day and get to the farm for my Dad’s 77th birthday, which was the next day. We did get to leave on his birthday, with Estella all fixed up, and were home to wish him a happy birthday in person, but it would’ve been nice to be there the whole day.

A farm morning sunrise, Estella in her outdoor spot, and a sunset on the farm.

Next up, one more post about time in MN, including two work trips and our plans for the next stage of our adventure. Stay tuned!

Laters, Texas!

And, just like that, four months had flown by, and it was time for us to head back to Minnesota. I knew that this was probably not gonna go well for Arthur, so I planned a stop between Austin and Arkansas near Dallas.

So, in Austin, I had a minor disaster with the water heater. 🍫🍫🍫🍫

I first noticed the leak when I was leaving to go on a work trip, so I grabbed a bucket and put it under the van. When I got back the bucket had some water, but it wasn’t full. Of course, I looked at it when I got back to find the source of the leak. And of course, I found it and tried to fix it, which – of course – turned into me breaking it. I ordered a part and thought I could replace the broken part. I could not, so back to a life without running water. Luckily, I was able to make an appointment at Lichtsinn RV on our way back to MN.

We left Austonia on Saturday around 10AM and headed toward Dallas. Since we didn’t have far to drive, I planned for an extended stop at the George W Bush Presidential Museum.

I had lunch at the museum’s restaurant – Cafe 43. There was a really profound quote from the former president that struck a cord with me in the freedom exhibit. “I believe that freedom is a gift from God and in the hope of every human heart. Freedom inspired our founders and preserved our union through civil war and secured the promise of civil rights. Freedom sustains dissidents bound by chains, believers huddled in underground churches, and voters risk their lives to cast their ballots. Freedom unleashes creativity, rewards innovation, and replaces poverty with prosperity, and ultimately freedom lights the path to peace.” I was also impressed with how they presented the events from 9-11 – very moving.

One of the skills I’ve mastered was backing up Estella into a variety of spaces, including the one above at the GW Bush Museum. Arthur seemed to enjoy the break and hopped up onto his cat stand while we drove through the city, which was much better than his puking fit during the first 5 minutes after we left Austonia.

We ended up on 635 to reach our Boondockers Welcome site in Garland. By this time, I was exhausted, and I just wanted to rest. The hosts were very kind and suggested a walk in the neighborhood to a nearby park. It was just what I needed. It was a windy evening, and a neighbor was having a party, but it was still very quiet and restful.

The next morning, we were up early and on our way to Pirate Kansas – my nickname for ARRRRR-Kansas. 😉 The drive was really good, and Arthur did awesome. We were reminded of how great the roads are in Oklahoma and drove past a beautiful and Oklahoma’s largest lake (Eufaula Lake) as well. When you drive on roads you’ve never been on, it’s such a beautiful surprise to see lakes and mountains that you had no idea were just around the corner.

When we got to Bentonville, I stopped for supplies at Walmart because when in Rome…. Then we were off to our campsite at Blowing Springs RV Park in Bella Vista. We had a good spot near the bathrooms and trash, but not too close. There were a lot of other campers there for the biking trails. The spots were long and relatively close together but very long. The showers were fine but not memorable. I think that it was during this week that it really hit me how tired I was. We spent most of the week just working and lounging.

Arthur was able to relax and enjoyed the days when we could have the screen door open. Next stop – back to Iowa!

Even More Austin!

You can probably tell that I have my notebook from when I was in Austin – unlike Houston where I was going strictly from memory. Lots more details thanks to past Ms. Haps who remembered to write things down. Every mile is a memory, but only if I put pen to paper before I forget.

One of the shows that I watched while I was on the road was “The Great Pottery Throwdown” – think Great British Bake-Off meets clay. It was a fantastic series, but HBO didn’t renew it after five seasons. It also inspired me to try my hand at hand-throwing pottery. I’ve been to those shops where you paint something that has come out of a slip mold, but this was my first time learning about the process to throw pottery by hand. I signed up for a class at Rosa Pottery while I was in Austin. The class was informative and entertaining, and I really enjoyed just feeling the clay shape under my fingers. I was terrible at it, but I had a lot of fun, and I hope to try it again when I’m a little more settled. Thanks to Hillary for shipping my pieces to me in Minnesota since I left Austin before they were fired.

Speaking of art, I had a lovely day to visit the Blanton Art Museum. Here are some of my favorites.

The museum had these modern, flower-like sculptures that provided shade, which was needed on the sunny day I visited. The second image was one of a series by Tavares Strachan which focuses on depicting Black men from history who were violently silenced, held by their own mothers. This one depicts Alice Nokuzola Biko and the body of her son, Bantu Stephen Biko, an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa. The set of landscapes are by French artists – Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Frederic Emile Jean-Baptist Ragot.

The Blanton is across the mall from the State Capitol of Texas, so I walked over to take the tour.

The area around the capitol was undergoing some renovation, but you can see its dome to the right of the crane in the first picture. The second picture is the interior of the dome. It was a Saturday when I visited, and the place was very busy.

My friends from Houston came to town for a visit as well while I was in Austin. We had brunch at Pheobe’s Diner and then went to throw axes at Urban Axes. Probably not a shock to most people I know, but I was much better at throwing an axe than I was at throwing pottery. We also had a great instructor who was from Minnesota, and I hit some bonus thing (no idea what it was called) and got to sign the wall.

For this first picture, our instructor had prompted us to pretend we were facing a horde of zombies (from L to R: Gonna smile those zombies to death, Ready to take ’em down, and Already in the battle). Second picture is when I hit that spot that I can’t remember what it’s called, and the third is us with our instructor. We ate dinner at P. Terry’s Burger Stand, which was fantastic. I wish I had stopped there sooner because my time in TX was just about over.

Just a couple more highlights from my time in Austin. This beautiful mural was outside of a very prolific tortilla maker in Austin that I cannot remember the name of, but the tortillas were as delicious as the mural. I also met some friends in Gruene, TX, at Gristmill River Restaurant for a really nice lunch on the patio that overlooks the river.

One last glamour shot of Arthur before we start to make our way out of Texas. I don’t think he’ll miss HEB as much as I will, but I think he really enjoyed four months of very little travel. The trek back to Minnesota might be a rough one.

Weirdly (about) Austin

I was realizing that the last post was more about San Antonio instead of Austin, so this one – I promise – will actually be about, you guessed it, Austin.

When I returned from Austin, the part for my fridge had arrived, which I also forgot to tell you that I ordered when I got to Austin. I figured out that it was likely the thermistor after doing some reading and asking around. This did involve me learning what a thermistor is, but when it arrived, I installed it without issue, and just like that – we have refrigeration again. Thankfully, I have small hands and a basic sense of survival, which proved to be vital in this repair. 🍫🍫 Throughout this journey, I’ve learned that I can live without running water, refrigeration, and in the most desperate of times – without electricity.

This prompted a trip to HEB for fridge-worthy supplies, an hour and thirty minute round trip to Chicken Salad Chick, and a stop at an independent bookstore (BookPeople) for a book. Austin is excellent for indie shops, and since I decided I was going to go to some library book clubs while I was in town, it was a great find.

Meanwhile, back in Minnesota, my Dad went to test drive a car for me that I had seen online and had expressed some mild interest in. (After Austin, it was gonna be just a short amount of time before Arthur and I would leave Estella behind and head out for some extended stays in the cities that were the finalists for our Unicorn City.) So, through my Dad and his BFF at the car dealership, Troy, I was able to buy a car in MN while living in TX. More on that later.

Because I was so close to College Station and had meant to go to the George Bush Presidential Museum the last time I was there, I made the trek there. It was a really well done museum. I even got to look very presidential.

I really didn’t want the picture behind his desk, but the docent made it sound like it was a requirement, so TA-DA, here I am behind a replica of President Bush’s desk, looking very presidential with my backpack. The sculpture outside the museum was also outstanding. I love horses and how they incorporated them into a monument celebrating the Berlin Wall coming down was well done.

There were some really beautiful moments at the RV park as well. Like this sunset.

And stars!

I had a work trip to Florida during my time in Austin, so I got to experience the Austin airport, which was great – easy and breezy – a very different experience from Houston.

A friend visited from Waco for a day of adventure in Austin. We went for brunch at True Food Kitchen at The Domain. Then we headed over to LBJ’s Presidential Museum.

There was a really nice art display and a good amount of Lady Bird’s personal effects and her office, overlooking the university. We had a good time wandering through history and then decided to go to grab a snack near the RV park. It was good, but I can’t remember where we were, but it’s just outside of Del Valle, TX. And I do remember that I had the steak nachos.

Well, we’re all starting to get tired, so more Austin later.

Keeping Austin Weird – Part 1

It’s almost been two months since I’ve had a chance to sit down and write. Between work, getting out and about, and adjusting to living in spaces larger than a van, I’ve been busy, but it’s time to finish up our RV journey and talk about how our search for our Unicorn City is going.

I’ve always known that Texas would not be my final destination for one reason >> the seemingly never-ending, oppressively hot summers that start in March and last through October. If you ask a Texan, they’d probably disagree and tell you that it’s “really nice in March, April, September, and October”, but I am here to say that 100 in September is not “really nice” in my book.

So, January and February in Austin were perfect for me, Arthur, and Estella. On January 17, we left Houston and headed to Austin, and I planned a three-hour drive for many reasons but mostly because Arthur hadn’t been on the move for over two months. He did pretty well considering, but when we stopped in Bastrop for provisions, his will to continue had completed depleted.

Since we were only about 30 minutes from our RV park, the howling was tolerable. We stayed at Austonia outside of the city, and it was one of the very best parks we stayed at. When I made the reservation, they were undergoing a renovation but were certain they would be done by the time we arrived. The bathrooms were fantastic. The shower rooms were so spacious and clean, which was great for our two-month stay. They were also a lot more comfortable about water usage during the winter, and that was refreshing.

On our second night, we got snow! It wasn’t a lot, but it was really nice to have some snow and feel a little winter.

This was the view out of Estella’s front window.

I picked up a rental car after being in Austin for about two weeks. Time to get out and explore! I went out to get my hair done, found a Sbarro for a slice of pizza, and got ready to head to San Antonio for work. Once again, I found a wonderful Arthur sitter through Rover.com, so I knew he would be in good hands while I was away.

My drive to San Antonio was a reminder of what happens to highway infrastructure when cities grow faster than the roads. There was a lot of road construction, and the traffic was more than your average city’s rush hour. Even though Houston’s labyrinth of highways and frontage roads were daunting, it efficient.

In San Antonio, I had some credits to use, so I stayed at the Eilan Hotel & Spa. This place was massive, but my room was the perfect size with a balcony and plenty of space to spread out.

Great views from my hotel room balcony.

Since I didn’t get into San Antonio until late afternoon, I didn’t do a lot of exploring. I did try Raising Cane’s and went to see “A Complete Unknown” in Boerne. I had heard so many good things about Raising Cane’s and about their sauce. I thought it was fine. The chicken was good, but the sauce – to me – was meh.

I was treated to this beautiful sunset as I was leaving Raising Cane’s and headed to the movie.

On Sunday, I met with some friends at the historic Pearl district near downtown for lunch at Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, and we had great conversation and a lot of laughs. The food was delicious as well. We walked around after lunch and visited a gorgeous market. I also stopped at Bakery Lorraine for an almond chocolate croissant and cookies. A tres manifique day!

The rest of my time in San Antonio flew by. I was able to work in the company office in downtown San Antonio and then had a delicious dinner with a friend, his wife, and their kids at Dough Pizzeria Napoletana.

Arthur enjoyed looking out the window at our neighbors throughout our time in Austin.

What Did I Miss – Part 2

I took a little side trip to Galveston in December. There were two historic houses that I wanted to tour, and the traffic due to road construction did not deter me! The mansion on the left is Bishop’s Palace and the one on the right is the Moody Mansion.

They were both well-preserved and decorated for the holidays. Both tour guides said that the summer breezes kept the houses “cool” in the warmer months, but I’m sure they were still stifling! I was glad, again, that I was visiting in December and not July.

Did I mention the millwork in these houses? Absolutely incredible to see that level of artistry in wood all over both mansions; samples below.

Just lovely. It’s hard to pick my other favorites from these homes, but here’s another sample from a butler’s pantry, bathroom, and a bedroom.

The pink tile on that fireplace. 🔥

I also took a drive down to the beach to see the sunset and drive past the boardwalk. I was warned that these beaches are not the same as a Florida or East Coast beach, but it was still a lovely sight to behold. After, I drove to the downtown area past some other very charming historic neighborhoods in a search of a mailbox to send some postcards. Even at the post office, there wasn’t a mailbox where I could drop them. 🍫 There was a cruise ship in the bay (harbor?) – not sure what they call it.

On the way back to my hotel, I placed a to go order at Salt Grass – a Texas (?) chain that has reasonable steak prices and good sides. Not sure if they are based in Texas, but that’s always where I’ve visited their restaurants. I also treated myself to a hotel stay to sleep in a big bed and have a hot shower without my flip flops.

Speaking of food, I had so much good food when I was in Houston. I went with my co-worker to a couple of bakeries and tried concha for the first time. Arthur thought they were pretty good, too. I had a delightful “taco” on a flour tortilla with a crusted on layer of melted cheese, then steak, and then cut-up poblanos. I also had a chance to meet up with some other co-workers in downtown Houston for brunch one crisp morning; the food was ok, but the conversation was fantastic.

I am officially an H-E-B convert. I have a lot of co-workers who live in Texas, so they always talk about how great it is, but I was able to experience it for myself, and it was a delight. I still miss the butter tortillas, the flavored almonds, the pre-washed, packaged TX russet potatoes, and just the general grocery atmosphere. I highly recommend if you are in anywhere in TX near an H-E-B. They are also great to their employees. One of my current co-workers has kept her part-time (one day a month) H-E-B gig because they are so generous.

Before I leave Houston, just a couple of things I wanted to add, so I don’t forget as a look back at this time.

Overall, we had really great weather when I was in Houston, but like a lot of places I’ve been, the tornados showed up. We also had a couple weeks when the RV park got really nervous about water usage, so we were back to using water for gallon jugs and hoping it would get warm enough for the park managers to feel comfortable with turn on the water.

On one visit downtown, we discovered this amazing rooftop garden. In the main building there were a few shops and some restaurants, but the outdoor space on the roof was really the highlight.

My now favorite road trip meal is a baked potato with butter, bacon, and cheddar cheese. If I was feeling fancy, I would add a bit of sour cream. Most of those ingredients are refrigerated, and at some point in Houston, a part in our fridge decided it was done with the road trip. 🍫🍫🍫 More on this later in Austin – our next stop in TX.

You’re probably wondering how Arthur is doing. By the time we reached Houston, we’d been on the road for a full year. He endured a couple babysitting stints with help from our friends at Rover.com while we were in Houston when I went to FL and MN. He made friends with a new toy and then decided he didn’t like it. He chased the red dot without me having to wave my arm in the air to keep him entertained. And, for time to time, he got annoyed with me and face-planted into the wall. Oh, Arthur.

Up next – two months in Austin, TX. 🤠

What Did I Miss?

Houston is a massive city, and I’m sure I didn’t get to see even half of what I could’ve seen, but I made my best effort, starting with the donuts. I tried multiple bakeries around Houston and enjoyed donuts and kolaches from as many as I could. It was delicious because…

While I was eating donuts and Chicken Salad Chick, I also toured the Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park in downtown Houston and heard an hour and a half of tour guide commentary on the history of Houston. I was the only person on the tour, so I’m not entirely sure why it lasted as long as it did, but I learned a lot, forgot it, and donated some cat food to feed the large assortment of feral cats in the park.

The homes were beautiful, but I wasn’t allowed to take pictures inside, so you get a picture of cats, the history behind a recreation of a TX general store, and some beautiful trees on the property. There was also a beautiful and informative exhibit about the Karankawa people. They rotate the exhibit, but the employees create each of them after extensive research.

We had tea at two different spots. The first one was in the northern suburbs near Spring – the Hummingbird Tea Room. It was a lovely tea service.

I enjoyed their take on the traditional cucumber open-faced sandwich with strips of cucumber on top of cream cheese. They also had a lovely English garden outside of the shop.

We took the tea bus around downtown Houston. It was a different experience but fun! Then we visited the downtown Houston library, which was confusing but expansive. They had this beautiful mosiac outside the library, so we grabbed a picture.

I also had a chance to drive out to the Johnson Space Center. This is where I learned that I really don’t care that much about space or learning more about it. I don’t know if it was just the mood I was in that day or what, but I was not interested or impressed. It really made me wonder if I have lost the wonder and amazement of a child when they think about space.

Don’t worry. My lack of enthusiasm did not prevent me from taking some pictures.

See? Rockets.

Can you believe that this t-shirt ^ was on clearance?? Can you believe that I didn’t buy it?

Next up – fabulous food in Houston and a side trip to Galveston. Stay tuned.