Wednesday, July 1st - We left in the morning so we could spend some time in St. Louis. We had a nice, downtown hotel (thanks to Hotwire) that was just a few blocks from the arch and Busch Stadium. We were worried about Alex riding in the cart that gets you to the top of the arch, so I stayed down with him.
That night we went to see the best player in baseball, Albert Pujols. We were amazed at how many fans had his jersey and name on t-shirts.
After the game, we went to the rooftop swimming pool. There was a fantastic view of the arch. You could also see directly into the stadium.Thursday, July 2nd - We got up for the 2nd (& longer) leg of our trip. We got to Waco around 7 pm and had one of my favorite meals waiting (Bush's Fried Chicken). We got to meet Briana's and Alex's nephew Mase for the 1st time.
Friday, July 3rd - We visited my brother Ricky's school. He became South Waco Elementary principal last school year and we had never seen his school.
We ate at another one of my favorite places in town (Krispy Chicken), then went to the children's museum on the Baylor campus.
Saturday, July 4th - We celebrated the 4th of July all day long. It started with a parade in Uncle David's neighborhood. Alex seemed to enjoy it (in his Woody Hayes hat).
David and Briana actually got to walk in the parade.
And we got a nice family picture.
We got to eat at another one of my favorites, Krispy Taco. We spend the late afternoon (and ate dinner) at the Connell's. Briana and Alex loved swimming in their pool!
At night, we went to a (surprisingly good) fireworks show in Speegleville.Sunday, July 5th - We were all worn out from our busy 4th of July, so we took it easy most of the day. We had a gathering with all of my aunts and uncles (and a few cousins) later in the day.
Monday, July 6th - We all took a trip to Dallas. Ricky and I went to take a tour of the new Cowboys Stadium, while the rest went to the American Girl Store. I have been to many sport facilities, but Cowboys Stadium is the most impressive that I have ever seen. Here is the famous scoreboard (over 50 yards long).
I took a picture in one of the field-level luxury suites ($5 million a year to rent).
After the tour, we drove over to catch up with the family. Briana bought the newest American Girl, Rebecca Rubin. On the way home, we stopped at the outlet mall in Hillsboro.Tuesday, July 7th - Ricky and I golfed in the morning and got a tour of Baylor's new on-campus football facility (very nice). We packed so we could leave early in the morning. Around sundown, we went over to the pond in Ricky and Cari's development to take some family pictures. They turned out really nice; here are a few:
Wednesday, July 8th - We decided to extend our trip a day by stopping in Tunica, MS. We arrived around dinner time and checked in to Harrah's. They had a babysitting service, so Gretchen and I got to go in the casino. Overall, we didn't do well gambling, but we had a great time.
Thursday, July 9th - We went to a very nice children's museum in Memphis. They had a lot of interactive activities that Alex and Briana enjoyed.
For a late lunch, we ate at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken. We saw the restaurant on Man v. Food on the Travel Channel. It was definitely worth the trip. That night, we gambled a little more and got ready for the last leg of our trip.Friday, July 10th - Finally, the last day of the trip. The ride was pretty uneventful (thankfully). We got home around 5 and were worn out. We had a fantastic time, but we were ready to get back home.
