Day 4 is in the books! And it was overall a pretty smooth one, too, except for all that darn wind. And everyone is still on speaking terms! Win, win!
Overview of Day 4
Springboarding off of yesterday’s post, Texas is big, y’all! And pretty amazing in its diverse landscape. It didn’t quite compare with the awe-inspiring rock formations from Day 2 but definitely better than Day 1 overall.
Miles traveled
Today we covered 403 miles, keeping us on track for our goal of 400 miles a day. Turns out my father had actually wanted to travel 500 a day but that sure isn’t happening with this crew and its caravan of vehicles. And as I mentioned, the WIND! It is fun driving while constantly overcorrecting your steering to stay on the road while being buffeted by winds. Check out the windswept hairdos!
What we saw
Over dinner we were discussing the highlights of the day, we came up with:
- a pink bunny
- cows
- ranches and ranges
- wind
- Buc-ee’s
Not to try to short-change Panhandle Plains, Prairies and Lakes, and Piney Woods regions of Texas and their beauties but from the I-20 they are pretty boring.
The start of the morning was a clear indicator of the weather to come, windy! I was almost blown over while putting gas in the car. As we set out from Sweetwater, we saw a handful of pump jacks and windmills but the landscape was quickly shifting to rolling hills with more greenery. And then lots and lots of ranches and ranges, each have a unique name and impressive front gate to the property.
Prairies and Lakes region earn the name for sure! Fields filled with cows and steers grazing the grass punctuated by numerous ponds and lakes was the sight out the window for the bulk of the day. A few of the cows looked like they were ready for cow equivalent of a juicy cheeseburger because they were a bit too skinny to be on my steak dinner plate.
Along the way we stopped off at another fun Texas rest area with a playground, I have a love/hate relationship with these places. This one gave a nod to the Civilian Conservation Corps in design.
We passed through Ft. Worth/Dallas metro without a single issue, which given the road design and driving styles of the natives is a feat in itself! Following our departure from DFW metro, we stopped off at Buc-ee’s for fuel for the cars and passengers.
If you suffer from any form of social anxiety or compulsive shopping disorder I highly recommend avoiding Buc-ee’s. Goodness, that place is crazy! Think parts convenience store, fast food restaurant, candy shop, dried meat emporium, toy store, and country/cozy t-shirt/clothing boutique, knickknack/souvenir shop all rolled into one building.
Following Buc-ee’s, the next biggest highlight of the day was spying something large and pink along the interstate. At first, thought it was a giant inflatable Peep, I was close! It was a pink inflatable bunny! It was at an adorable looking children’s entertainment area called Yesterland Farm. I wish we had the time to stop, it looked like a fun place for Wilhelmina.
Where we wound up
We finally left Texas!! We made it 13 miles into Louisana, Shreveport was the endpoint. The day ended early enough for a leisurely dinner at a place with Sam’s Southern Eatery on the outside but Jordan’s Seafood on the menu and signs inside. Who knows where we actually ate but the food was good and the service was fantastic!
Pants worn
Since we spent most of the day in Big 12 country, I decided to represent my Big 12 team! I wore my West Virginia University colored leggings and my Take Me Home (Country Roads) t-shirt. Have I mentioned how comfy LuLaRoe leggings are for traveling? 😉
Thanks for reading today’s update. Feel free to drop me a line or comment below with anything we should check out along I-20 between Shreveport, LA to Atlanta, GA!
