Eating an Elephant

Have you ever heard someone say,
when they are overwhelmed by a project...
"How do you eat an elephant?"
The answer being,
"one bite at a time"
Although the idea of eating elephant
with it's ashy wrinkly tough hide
never appealed to me....
I have decided it is the answer to my situation.

I have sat down on at least 5 different occasions to write about my
road trip to Utah with my family.
I had a great time...
I don't want to forget it and I will freely admit that
you were on my mind like mental hitchhikers.
I missed you while I was gone.
(No need to falsely reciprocate the feelings...)
The problem is that I have too  much to show and tell
and so with your patience and indulgence I will tell my story in 4 chapters....
Chapter One: Traveling the Winn Way.
I had only one request when I was invited on this road trip.
Well it was more like a demand.
Queen Beds.
I do not like sleeping with other people.
Even Mr. T and I have a strict understanding that when the snoozing begins we each have our own sides.
When the thought of sharing a room with my parents and a bed with my sister came to mind,
I remembered a trip to NYC with my sister and I in a double bed....
Never again!
So in an effort to please the travelers my father set out to find a suitable room at a reasonable stopping point.
Not too expensive..not too cheap ...senior discount....
and queen beds.
When he told us that the room that he booked and paid for (non-refundable) was in Lubbock...
Well Mr. T. burst in to guffaws.
If you get an early start (my dad ALWAYS gets an early start) then you reach Lubbock by about 2:00 in the afternoon.  
What would we do...the four of us in a hotel in Lubbock?
I pitched a plan.
Let's do this road trip the Winn Way.
Winn Way Rule #1: If there is anyone in the vehicle that expresses a real interest in stopping to look at something....you stop. No complaining or grumbling from the other passengers.
I know that sounds like an open invitation for driving disaster but it has been one of the best parts of our adventures.
It all started on a grueling two day push from Houston to Salt Lake City.
We were at about the halfway point just outside Fort Sumner New Mexico when we saw a sign touting Billy the Kid's grave 10 miles ahead.
Mr. T. sighed and said, "When I was a kid I always begged my Dad to stop there, but he never did. We were always in a hurry to get to my grandparents in Utah" 

I imagined Mr. T. a young boy, dark hair and dark brown eyes, husky build, mind filled with stories and books that he had read about the Old West, wistfully looking out the car window as he passed by the street that lead to the grave of a wild west legend.
"We're stopping then", I declared.
And we did. 

 The kids who were ages 4, 7 and 9 were a little freaked out by the thought of visiting a grave but I think the gift shop attached to the museum helped out.
And Mr. T....
well he looked like a kid again himself.
And that is how the Winn Way rule #1 began.
And I have seen things that I might never have seen if the final destination had been our only goal.
Someday I am going to devote a post about those stops.
But back to my story....
I thought that I might have a hard time convincing my mom, dad and sister to do the Winn Way
being in a car full of Laucks,
but they were real troopers.
And so stop we did.
Multiple times.
Here a few pics to prove it.

Brenham Texas where the best ice cream in the whole world is made...seriously I know that from experience.

My mom outside the factory. She is the best picture poser in the whole world and stands where ever anyone with a camera tells heMr. Isn't she beautiful!

My dad  who loves old cars, hats, and anything free. Here he is standing by an old car wearing his free Blue Bell hat.

 I'm not kidding...this is the best ice cream!!!!

Three different Sonics in three different Texas towns.

The courthouse in Gatesville Texas. Teeny tiny town but huge courthouse and prison. This is where I met my road trip friend in chapter 2.

The beautiful Lubbock Temple at sunset.

It had a sun motif....one of my favorite motifs for a temple.

The mule in Muleshoe Texas! He is famous. He was in the inaugural parade for George Bush and was flown to Washington. You didn't think a star of his magnitude would walk did you? Look at Mom clinging for her life to follow the photographers orders. Isn't she a photographic peach?

The world's largest muleshoe...only Mom would get out of the car with me on this one. Okay so I guess they had their grumbling moments.

Where tradition began; Billy the Kid's grave. Don't worry Dad is not in any pain, he is just trying his best "Billy the Kid" impression.

 A brand new stop for me and a definite keeper. Only 9 miles off of the beaten track and just breathtaking. In the corner of Colorado outside of Cortez, I fell in love with it. I am bringing Mr. T and the kids as soon as I can. It is an Indian pueblo set on the edge of a canyon with beautiful views and air that smelled so fresh it was like God had just created it.

Overall an amazing journey with delightful companions, people I love who humored my Winn Way and gave me some memories to cherish.
I think I will make them all official honorary Winns.


Next post..... Chapter Two: Road Hog; A Pigtorial.