Labor Day in Texas

It's kind of crazy how the pandemic has warped time. As you may know, Victoria and I moved from Austin, TX, back to my native Wisconsin. We got the keys to our apartment in Sun Prairie on February 29th, 2020. But, of course, everyone knows what happened a few weeks later.

Our ultimate goal was to travel to Texas several times a year to visit. The pandemic kind of put a damper on those plans. For about the first six months, we were in a holding pattern. I didn't travel at all. Then, slowly but surely, I started "traveling like a hermit." I'd visit county courthouses and other places. I'd sleep in my car, pack my food, and avoid going into places. Effectively, I avoided people and was essentially a mobile hermit.

While I'm perfectly fine with traveling like a hermit, Victoria is not. She prefers to stay in hotels and not sleep in the car. I also think the dawn to dusk schedule that I keep on the road probably wouldn't be the most fun for her. Additionally, if we both travel, we have to make a dog-sitting plan for Maya or figure out a way to bring her along.

Another big factor is COVID. Victoria is currently pregnant with our first child, so we have to be extra careful with that. With that being said, we have both been fully vaccinated since this spring. The summer of 2021 was looking good for COVID numbers. With that, we finally felt more comfortable traveling.

We started planning a trip, and Victoria was going to fly. I would do my normal driving and visit courthouses along the way. As August approached, the COVID numbers started to spike, so we thought it would be safer if we both drove.

I took off Friday, August 3rd. I'd use this day to drive to Marshfield and drop Maya off since my parents would be watching her. After doing some planning, we realized it would also make sense for me to drop Victoria off at work. I'd then pick her up on the way back down. This would save us a trip home and about 30-60 minutes' worth of time.

On that Friday morning, we loaded up the car. I dropped Victoria off at work and then headed to Marshfield.

Highway sign indicating exit for Marshfield, Wisconsin on Interstate 39 West with blue sky and trees

Maya is very familiar with my parents' house, so she took to her favorite spot and settled in.

Black and white dog curled up sleeping on gray couch with patterned throw blanket

In the meantime, I headed to Nasonville Dairy to get some cheese curds to bring down to Texas.

Boulevard Brewing Company facility exterior with large silver fermentation tanks and industrial building

White plastic container filled with golden-brown fried cheese curds in clear plastic bag

I visited for a while and then was back on the road. I had to fight a little traffic on my way back down to Madison.

Highway construction zone with orange barrels narrowing lanes and traffic ahead

Thankfully, I made it right on time to pick up Victoria from work. We hit the road and were in Iowa in no time.

Iowa state welcome sign on highway overpass displaying "The People of Iowa Welcome You" with Fields of Opportunities slogan

We were trying to make as good of time as possible, so we made a quick pit stop at McDonald's and then high-tailed it to Missouri.

Modern McDonald's restaurant exterior at dusk with illuminated golden arches and contemporary gray architecture

Missouri state welcome sign at night with distinctive blue design featuring sun and river symbols

One gem of a hotel we found is this SureStay in Cameron, Missouri. We've stayed here a few times before. This hotel is pretty cheap overall, but it's always been clean and a great place to stay. So that's where we stayed for the night.

Budget motel exterior at night showing parking lot with motorcycles and patrol cars under street lights

Clean motel room interior with queen bed, white linens, teal accent wall, and traditional furnishings

When we woke up, the radar didn't look good. It looked like we would hit a big line of storms as we drove south.

Weather radar app on smartphone showing storm systems moving through Missouri and surrounding states near Cameron

It actually got so bad near Kansas City, our exit to get on the Kansas Turnpike was closed. We had to take US-69 as an alternative route.

Driving view of wet highway during heavy rain with reduced visibility and water droplets on windshield

Things eventually cleared up, and we were able to cruise along at the speed limit.

Open highway with clearing skies after storm showing straight road stretching to horizon

Now an interesting thing happened. Since Victoria was on this trip, I had no intention of visiting courthouses. We needed to get down to Texas ASAP, especially with her limited vacation. The thing is, with as many courthouses as I've been to, I can spot courthouses from literally miles away.

When we started passing through Girard, Kansas, I could see a set of buildings. There appeared to be a big lawn in the middle of them. I instantly knew it was a courthouse!

I was able to pull into a parking spot on the road I was currently on. It made sense to stop and visit to "collect" this county. I took a 5-minute break to visit the Crawford County, Kansas Courthouse.

Classical Revival style county courthouse with white stone facade, columns, and American flag

I was happy to collect another county, but it was time to hit the road again. It wasn't long before we were crossing the Oklahoma line!

Oklahoma state welcome sign on rural highway with leaning utility pole and speed limit sign

We kept driving but were getting hungry. We eventually found a Golden Chick in McAlester.

Chicken tenders meal with french fries and dinner roll on food tray with Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packet

Crispy chicken tenders on fresh garden salad with shredded cheese, tomatoes, and mixed vegetables

After eating, I realized how hot it was getting. This definitely wasn't Wisconsin anymore!

Car dashboard display showing trip statistics: 79.5 miles traveled, 37.3 MPG average, 374 miles range remaining

Oklahoma seemed not to want to let us go. Right before crossing into Texas, there was a huge traffic jam.

Multi-level car carrier trailer hauling vehicles on sunny highway with clouds overhead

We fought the traffic and were soon in Texas!

Red granite monument shaped like Texas with state name engraved, displayed outside with green lawn and trees

We also ran into some Texas-sized traffic jams around the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The temperatures were now in the triple digits!

Highway traffic congestion in Texas with multiple vehicles under blue sky with white clouds

Car infotainment display showing Cheap Trick's "Need Your Love" playing via Bluetooth at 102°F and 4:20

Things finally opened up, and I was happy to set the cruise control again.

Flat Texas highway with 75 mph speed limit sign stretching across open prairie landscape under cloudy sky

On I-35, exit 353 is one of my favorite exits. It is home to Slovacek's, which makes some pretty amazing sausage. We stopped there for gas, and I made sure to pick up some sausage.

Open Texas highway with 75 mph speed limit sign and vast prairie grassland extending to horizon

Grocery store refrigerated shelves fully stocked with variety of packaged sausages, meats, and deli products

Hand holding 14-ounce package of Slovacek's hickory smoked beef sausage with nutrition label visible

The open roads didn't last long. There were massive backups in Waco.

Evening highway traffic with vehicles ahead and guardrails visible under clearing sky

Eventually, we made it to Austin and visited some friends. Then, we had a late supper of fajitas.

Fajita tacos with grilled meat, peppers, onions, and guacamole served with Mexican rice on holiday-themed plate

We stayed with those friends, and the following day we all went to Kerbey Lane.

Torchy's Tacos restaurant exterior with crowded parking lot full of vehicles on sunny day

This place is an Austin institution, so I had to do the Austin thing and get breakfast tacos.

Two breakfast tacos filled with scrambled eggs, melted cheese, and sausage on white plate

After visiting with those friends for a while, we headed up Mopac to check out our old stomping grounds.

Blue highway sign indicating Barton Creek Square Mall exit on next right

By this time, it was lunch. We stopped at Dos Batos Tacos. This is my favorite place to eat in Austin. They have wood-fired meats, and their pirata tacos are unique. I don't think anywhere else in Austin serves what they do.

Torchy's Tacos restaurant storefront with red awning, modern architecture, and outdoor seating area

Metal basket of crispy tortilla chips served with white queso dip in small cup

Two folded tacos with grilled meat filling on paper-lined tray with green and red salsa containers

To be central to all the places we wanted to visit, we stayed at the La Quinta in The Domain.

La Quinta Inn hotel building with distinctive red tile roof, tower signage, and parking lot

Clean hotel room with two queen beds featuring white linens, dark wood headboards, and decorative runners

We took a little time to rest and then drove around a little more to see what had changed. Sadly, Fry's had closed. This was an electronics store that I shopped at often for my projects.

Large vacant retail shopping center parking lot photographed at early morning or dusk

I saw there were now exits for the new soccer stadium. I lived around that area in one of my apartments, and I can't imagine the traffic around there now.

Multi-lane highway with brown road sign indicating Austin and Q2 Stadium ahead

It was nice seeing the Northwest Hills neighborhood was essentially unchanged. I had lived in 2 different apartments there (I moved every year to keep rent down).

Tree-lined residential street at dawn with street lights and rolling hills visible in background

We were still kind of full from eating at Dos Batos, but I wanted to stop at Wally's. This was another one of my favorite places in Austin.

Wally's Burger Den in Austin featuring retro Art Deco design with stone tower, Texas flag, and outdoor patio area

I got a Wallybanger for dessert.

Hand holding white foam cup filled with creamy iced beverage and straw in restaurant booth

We made it back to the hotel to get a good night's rest. The next morning, we headed down Burnet and right past the new soccer stadium.

Commercial urban street with overhead power lines, traffic signals, and Starbucks store visible

We stopped at another favorite place, Waterloo Ice House, for breakfast.

Snooze restaurant exterior with distinctive red metal awning, modern stone and brick facade, outdoor seating planters

Restored vintage orange International Harvester pickup truck with Waterloo Ice House signage and whitewall tires

I got an egg sandwich with plant-based sausage, and Victoria got breakfast tacos.

English muffin breakfast sandwich with fried egg, fresh tomato, and sautéed spinach dusted with powdered sugar

Two large breakfast burritos filled with scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, and melted cheese served with green salsa

After eating, we drove down Burnet a bit more.

Urban commercial street with moderate traffic, power lines, and mixed retail buildings under clear blue sky

We eventually circled our way back towards the hotel and went through The Domain.

Modern mixed-use development with Domain signage, tree-lined pedestrian street, and contemporary retail buildings

As you can see, there's been a lot of driving around and eating. We wanted to see how much had changed and also visit our favorite spots. It was soon lunchtime, and we met a friend at another favorite place, Texican Cafe.

Texican Cafe with vibrant pink exterior, decorative window awnings, and colorful oversized sphere sculptures

I always love their flautas.

Mexican combination plate with red enchiladas, Spanish rice, black beans, shredded lettuce, guacamole, and fresh pico de gallo

Victoria got a chicken burrito.

Three cheese enchiladas covered in rich brown mole sauce with Spanish rice, refried beans, and crispy red tortilla garnish

After visiting our friend, it was time to leave Austin to go to Bryan. We were going to see Victoria's family there.

Straight rural Texas highway with Route 20 shield sign and grassland extending to tree line

We made it to her grandparents' house and visited. We got takeout from Wings N' More. I got the fish basket.

Fried seafood platter with golden breaded shrimp, curly fries, crispy onion rings, submarine roll, lemon wedges, and tartar sauce

After visiting, we headed to another La Quinta.

Modern La Quinta hotel building illuminated at night with covered entrance and multi-story white facade

Contemporary hotel room featuring king bed with geometric duvet, teal accent chair, and colorful abstract canvas artwork

The next morning, we caught breakfast at Blue Baker. This was one of Victoria's favorite places to eat in college.

Blue Baker bakery and deli storefront with blue awning, decorative brick pattern, and "Taste Baked from Scratch" signage

I got a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel. It was pretty awesome!

Everything bagel sandwich sliced to reveal layers of smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, and capers

Before visiting Victoria's family again, we decided to head to HEB. We wanted to get some Texas products we can't get in Wisconsin.

H-E-B Fresh Foods grocery store with signature barn-style limestone architecture and bold red lettering under cloudy Texas sky

H-E-B grocery store interior showing aisle 7 with kitchen department signage for cutlery, cookware, and bakeware with shoppers browsing

We then visited with family for a while until we got hungry. So we decided to get some BBQ at Cooper's.

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que exterior featuring covered outdoor dining area with white columns, metal roof, and manicured lawn

Texas barbecue platter with thick-sliced smoked brisket, white bread, dill pickle chips, and two cups of sauce and beans on brown butcher paper

It was now time to start heading back to Wisconsin. Our visit had gone so fast!

Highway approach to Buc-ee's travel center with large American and Texas flags flying above commercial complex

Before leaving Texas, we did a quick pit stop at Buc-ee's for some fuel and other products we could only get in Texas.

We were soon on the road and into Oklahoma.

Oklahoma state welcome sign on divided highway with colorful geometric design and tree line in background

It was getting dark, and we were trying to figure out a good place to stay. Once you get a little north of Oklahoma City, it starts to get desolate. So we found another SureStay in Blackwell, Oklahoma.

Mid-range hotel exterior illuminated at night with covered entrance portico, stone accents, and three-story building

Traditional hotel room with two queen beds, cream bedding, dark wood furniture, striped carpet, and wall sconce lighting

We got a few hours of sleep and back on the road to see the sunrise.

Dawn or dusk highway view with vibrant orange and golden sunrise colors blending into blue sky above horizon

Then came Missouri and Iowa.

Missouri state welcome sign on highway featuring state law notice about emergency vehicle procedures

Iowa welcome sign reading "The People of Iowa Welcome You" with Fields of Opportunities slogan and highway construction visible

We just kept driving, and soon we were in Wisconsin and on the home stretch!

Interstate highway with steep grassy embankment and stone archway or structure visible on hillside

When we got home, I put everything we had bought on the table and took a picture.

Beer collection display featuring Shiner Bock box, Yuengling Lager case, Lone Star beer box, and various craft beer cans arranged on wood surface

The next morning, Victoria had to go to work. I had taken an extra day off so I could drive up to Marshfield and get Maya.

Rural Iowa highway with dual route signs indicating Interstate 39 North and US Highway 51 North through agricultural landscape

We left Marshfield and made our way back down to Belleville. She was definitely happy to be home.

Black and white dog with floppy ears looking directly at camera with alert expression, backlit creating glow effect

It was great taking this trip to Texas after all this time. It was crazy to think the last time we were in Texas, it was a year-and-a-half ago, right when we moved to Wisconsin. Hopefully, as things normalize, we'll be able to start making regular trips there.

Labor Day in Texas

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