From NC to TX & Everything in the Middle

I knew this trip would be difficult with three dogs, a cat, and a two-year-old, and it lived up to my expectations a lot of the time. However, there was so much good, fun, and beauty during this move, and that totally made up for all the difficult times.

My in-laws helped us pack up the truck Wednesday, and came to see us off the next morning.

Clementine had a little accident in the moving truck and cut her hand on a fire extinguisher right before we left. It was pretty traumatic for everyone because it was in the crease of her thumb which made it look a lot deeper than it actually was. We were all really worried, but she calmed down, and we were able to see that it was just a long scratch. My poor little accident prone boo.

We said our goodbyes, a few tears were shed, and we were off!

We had to reroute last minute to avoid the coast where Hurricane Harvey was due to strike at the same time we would be there.

Our first stop was in the outskirts of Nashville, TN.

The drive to Nashville was stunning. We drove right through the Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains, which were towering over us at times, and other times we were on the very tops of them! I wish that I could have taken photos while driving, but that wouldn't have been safe ;)

At first, we didn't want to book hotels in advance in case we didn't make it that far, but after sleeping in double beds (which was all they had left) and missing each other, we decided to plan out the rest of our trip.

My handsome baby kitty makes himself right at home in any situation. One of the many things I love about him.

Clementine found ways to make fun out of ordinary things like hotel mirrors. She would practice faces and talking while watching herself. Such a cutie.

Our next stop was in Bryant, Arkansas. Surprisingly, this was my favorite area we stayed in.

The King suite was a lot bigger and nicer than our last hotel room, but what really made this place unforgettable was the people I connected with at the hotel.

There was a couple that I chatted with for a long while about dogs, as we both had several. Then I met Josh who is a veteran not much older than myself, and we conversed about life. I love getting away from the typical small talk, so it was refreshing to have a conversation with substance. The last person who made this location special was Ginger. She's a refugee from Texas who evacuated due to Hurricane Harvey, and absolutely one of the sweetest people I've met. She also told me about some killer spots in Texas to take photos! It was awesome to make so many wonderful acquaintances in less than 24 hours.

In the morning, we stopped to play in this indoor playground before heading back on the road.

The road into Texas was really neat. The sky all of a sudden got huge, and everything seemed to flatten out a little bit. One thing I noticed (but couldn't get pictures of because I was driving) were the immaculate bridges in Texas. Many of them are spotless and the architecture is more interesting than 99% of other bridges I've seen.

Along the roads there were fields of yellow wildflowers, much like this one, and also mini-sunflower looking plants.

I loved driving behind the moving truck because the strong gusts of wind created windy waves of grass. The glittery, sparkling pavement of the highway was also something ordinary, but so beautiful when you took the time to notice it.

We arrived in Dallas, Texas in the afternoon on Saturday.

Selfie with my Ollie.

Staying here was nice because we were on the first floor next to the door which made taking the dogs out super easy, but it was also a little bit of a pain because everyone else had to go out those doors as well and that caused some initial disturbances with our dogs barking. Luckily, we stayed here for two days, and it didn't take long for the dogs to adjust.

Our old girl, Ruby, and Clementine in the back near her tent from Grammy.

Since we stayed here for two days, we wanted to do something fun with Clementine on Sunday.

We found this cool little amusement park that reminded me of Hoffman's Playland, which was a fun place I went many times growing up.

We left early for Sandy Lake Amusement Park on Sunday morning. I was a little worried when it started sprinkling on the way there, but it cleared up before we arrived.

We only had to drive about 20 minutes from the hotel, and it has free admission! We got there, purchased a pack of tickets for the rides, and got right to it.

First thing we did was the train ride around the park. Clementine LOVED it!

We learned about this twisted tree that supposedly got transported here by a tornado and survived!

Clementine was big enough for most of the toddler rides.

I think her favorite was riding the pony.

During the train ride they showed us all the animals they've rescued that live here. We had to go say hi to them since we're major animal lovers.

They were all so cute and extremely friendly. They even followed us around, although I think they might have just wanted a snack.

I thought this view was neat.

Clementine is awesome because she doesn't want to stay places extra long. Pretty much right after riding all of the rides once, she was ready to go get some vegan donuts!

It started raining as we drove into downtown Dallas. That's about all we saw, weather wise, of Harvey.

Glazed had a bunch of delicious looking donuts to choose from.

Coconut creme, Cinnamon Sugar, and Vanilla Glazed.

We dug right in before I remembered to get pictures hahah. Sooo good.

We went back to the hotel hoping the Clementine would take a nap.

She didn't, but at least she's adorable.

We found this amazing all raw food restaurant, Be Raw, and promptly ordered dinner around 4pm.

I got "Rawsagna", Dave got Pad Thai, and we got carrot cake to share.

Dave ate all his before I was able to get a picture.

Clementine ate so much of the raw lasagna. I wasn't too surprised, though, because it was way better than even I expected!

Monday morning we left Dallas and made our way to our new home in San Antonio!

This was such a lovely adventure, and an experience we'll always remember. I'm so glad to be able to share it with you all, and I hope you enjoy following our story.