Exitlude

Well, we are safely back in Albuquerque after 9 weeks on the road and 13,800 miles. It's definitely bittersweet to have the trip come to an end, but we're so thankful for the experiences we've had and the people we've met during our time on the road.

After New Orleans we headed west into Texas. After a quick night at a hotel in Houston, we made it into San Antonio the next afternoon. We got to stay with my good friends Brad and Holly there, and we enjoyed a great visit and amazing food! We also got to check out historic Castroville, the Alamo, and downtown San Antonio.5th

Next we visited Guadalupe Mountains National Park in west Texas, our 15th and final National Park of the trip. After one last night camping under the stars in the southern New Mexico desert, we made it back to Albuquerque. What a trip! We hope our story has inspired you to go out and have an adventure of your own. To everyone we stayed with along the way--thank you!!! You all have made our trip so much more awesome.

Home again. You get a little nutty after 9 weeks on the road. Photo by Noah Childs.

                                                                                 

French House in Castroville, TX. Photo by Bowen Childs.

The Alamo. Photo by Andrew Seidlitz.

San Antonio Riverwalk. Photo by Andrew Seidlitz.

 Guadalupe Mountains. Photo by Andrew Seidlitz

 Guadalupe Mountains. Photo by Andrew Seidlitz.

Night sky over the Organ Mountains near Las Cruces, NM. Photo by Bowen Childs.

The Gulf Coast

Hello again fellow adventurers! 

After our amazing experiences in Key West, we made our way up the gulf coast to the Sarasota, Florida area. We had amazing hosts there who took us around the city for some great local food and to the MOTE aquarium. We also visited Siesta Key beach, which was voted #1 in America. Unfortunately we didn't get to spend much time there because of rainy weather.

From there we drove to the Biloxi, Mississippi area, which made for a long day, but my cousins Cheri and David were ready for us with a great fish fry. We also got to try shrimp & grits the next morning--a classic southern breakfast. 

That afternoon we made our way to New Orleans where we got to stay with Noah and Bowen's friend Mike. Mike took us for some great Po Boy sandwiches and then we went out to explore the French Quarter. We walked down Bourbon street a ways and eventually ended up in Jackson Square to visit Cafe Du Monde. The Beignets were definitely something to write home about. We also got some amazing gumbo at a French Quarter restaurant. We ate a ton there, and it was all fantastic.

The next morning we got to visit the World War II museum before leaving town. We definitely learned a lot and enjoyed talking with the veterans and workers there.

We're making our way across Texas and back to New Mexico now. We'll give you one final update when we're back.  

Siesta Key lifeguard station, Sarasota, FL. Photo by Noah Childs

Photo By Andrew Seidlitz

Sharkheads store, Biloxi, MS. Photo by Cheri Cone.

Great Jazz band playing on the street in New Orleans. Photo by Noah Childs.

French Quarter, New Orleans. Photo by Noah Childs.

French Quarter, New Orleans. Photo by Bowen Childs.

French Quarter, New Orleans. Photo by Bowen Childs.

French Quarter, New Orleans. Photo by Bowen Childs.

Downtown New Orleans. Photo by Bowen Childs.

Downtown New Orleans. Photo by Bowen Childs.

Jackson Square, New Orleans. Photo by Andrew Seidlitz.

Cafe Du Monde Beignets. Photo by Bowen Childs.

Snorkeling Adventure

The Florida Keys

This week we got to visit one of our favorite stops so far--Key West, Florida. We took the overseas highway 122 miles from the south coast of Florida into the islands. The keys are a lively place with shops, seafood restaurants, and fishermen all along the highway. 

On our way into town we stopped at a visitor center and got a reservation for a snorkeling excursion the next morning. That day we went to the beach and explored Duval street. We stayed for the sunset celebration in Mallory Square. It's an incredible experience where the people in Key West gather every single night to throw a party with music and street performers. We also got some amazing coconut pineapple drinks there. 

The next morning we returned for our snorkeling adventure. It was absolutely incredible. We took a catamaran about 45 minutes from the shore to the third largest barrier reef in the world. We saw amazing coral formations, brightly colored fish, a jellyfish, and a sea turtle. Noah was able to take the GoPro into the water with him so we got some great video! We'll post it shortly. 

When we got back to shore we had lunch at a local restaurant with the best cuban sandwiches we've ever had. After that it was time to leave the islands and we made our way back to the mainland. From there we're making our way up the gulf coast and we're staying with our awesome friends Bill and Darla!

Key West Beach. Photo by Noah Childs.

The guys with the nuts. Photo by Noah Childs.

A great fruit stand in south Florida where we got a fantastic mango. Photo by Noah Childs.

Key West Beach. Photo by Bowen Childs.

Key West. Photo by Andrew Seidlitz.

Key West Sunset. Photo by Bowen Childs.