Littler Dude's First Trip to Texas

As family life evolves, so does my travel. The complexity of travel increases exponentially when you go from one kid to two. With that, Littler Dude was ready to take his first adventure to Texas and meet family and friends there.

One of the first complexities is Little Dude's school schedule. He is now starting 4K. That means we cannot just pick a week and travel anymore. We wanted to get in this trip before school started. That meant braving the heat in the middle of a Texas summer.

The news must have known we'd be in the College Station, TX area. That was one of the places listed that would have extreme heat.

Television screen displaying a weather broadcast about intense heat and severe storms, featuring a meteorologist standing in front of a heat index map of the southern and midwestern United States showing College Station at 108 degrees.

We would hit the road on Saturday, August 15. On the 14th, we got everything ready. I dropped Maya off at the boarding place. For supper, we got Taqueria Los Olivos. Since I would be eating plenty of tacos in Texas, I decided to get a burger instead.

A cheeseburger with melted cheese and a side of french fries served in a white styrofoam takeout container from Taqueria Los Olivos.

The next morning we got gas and everyone was ready to go.

Interior view of a family vehicle's back seats and cargo area, showing two child car seats and luggage packed for the road trip to Texas.

Once we got to Illinois, we hit some rain. It looked like we were going to see rain for a while.

View through a car windshield covered in raindrops while driving on an Illinois highway on a dark, overcast day. Smartphone screenshot of the First Alert 15 Weather radar app showing a large band of severe storms stretching across Illinois.

We noticed a bit of a smell and eventually got to a rest stop. Littler Dude must have gotten car sick. We had a mess to clean up. Thankfully he was fine after that. After our stop, I sat in the back between both car seats.

View from the back seat of a car between two child car seats, showing Victoria driving with the dashboard navigation screen visible.

Littler Dude was getting grumpy. Ms. Rachel on the iPad to the rescue! An iPad in a blue protective case mounted to a car headrest playing a Ms. Rachel video to entertain a child sitting in a car seat.

While Ms. Rachel played, an alert went off on my phone.

Smartphone lock screen showing an emergency alert from the National Weather Service for a Flash Flood Warning during the drive.

The interesting thing is I didn't see any flooding the whole time. We combined our first gas and lunch stop at a Love's. Exterior view of a Love's Travel Stop building featuring its signature red heart and yellow text logo on a brick facade.

Overall, Love's are good stops. Their bathrooms are usually clean. They have a decent selection of grab-and-go things. They also usually have a fast food restaurant attached.

One annoying thing about them is the hold they put on your card for gas. It used to be $150. Now it's over $200. If you stop at a few Love's along a road trip, your credit card company starts flagging it. I get that with the rising gas prices, these holds serve a purpose and are standard practice at gas stations. With that, Love's holds seem to be several times more than other stations.

With that, we got gas and then had lunch at the attached McDonald's.

Three wrapped McDonald's sandwiches resting on a wooden table alongside an orange drink cup and a packet of ranch dressing from the lunch stop.

After that, I had backseat duty again. We got Little Dude a lap desk. That kept him occupied.

A child's hands playing with translucent colorful magnetic tiles on a metal lap desk tray inside a car, with a toy organizer nearby.

Because we only have one iPad, Little Dude could have it when Littler Dude was sleeping or calm. Littler Dude fell asleep so Little Dude got his turn.

View from the back seat of a car showing a child watching an iPad in a blue protective case while resting their hands near a reusable sticker pad.

Before you know it, we were in Missouri! View from a moving vehicle driving across a highway bridge, showing the Gateway Arch and the downtown St. Louis skyline in the distance.

It was definitely hot as we pulled into a Flying J. If we're going to go to a truck stop sort of place, this is our preferred one.

Smartphone weather app screenshot showing a hot temperature of 97 degrees in Matthews with an active Extreme Heat Warning. Interior of a travel plaza featuring a large red 'Welcome to Flying J' sign painted on the wall above the checkout counter.

With a little more driving, we were soon into Arkansas.

View through a car windshield driving on a highway, approaching a blue 'Welcome to Arkansas' state line sign.

For supper, we stopped at a Zaxby's. I tried to order the bone in wings tossed in Zaxby's sauce. The best I got was boneless wings with sauce on the side.

A Zaxby's meal in a black plastic bowl containing boneless chicken wings, crinkle-cut fries, and Texas toast, with packets of Zax Sauce on the side.

We hit the road and made it to North Little Rock. We've stayed at this Home2Suites before, so we knew it would be a good stop.

Interior of a North Little Rock Home2Suites hotel room featuring two beds with yellow headboards, a flat-screen TV, and a teal sofa.

Little Dude was excited that there was a pull-out couch. He asked to sleep on it. A hotel room sofa converted into a pull-out bed, where a child is sleeping completely covered by a white waffle-weave blanket.

We now know that this is an option for booking future rooms. It also makes a good place for the kids to play.

Two young children in pajamas kneeling on a pulled-out sofa bed while looking at a tablet together.

We got a good night's sleep and had breakfast the next morning. This hotel has an insane selection! A large, well-stocked hotel breakfast area featuring a long serving counter with food warmers, a central island, and a juice machine. A hotel breakfast plate filled with scrambled eggs topped with shredded cheddar cheese, seasoned diced potatoes, a sausage patty, and packets of salsa.

After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel. The Kum & Go was now a Maverick. Victoria went inside while I pumped gas. I then pulled up next to the building. A car pulled right next to me. He was motioning me to roll down the window.

I did and then he begged for money for gas. That was definitely a sketchy moment. Thankfully, he went away. In the meantime, Victoria came back and I got my caffeine fix.

A hand holding a cold Monster Energy drink inside a car, with a Maverik gas station storefront visible through the window.

At 9 AM, it was already hot as we started our drive.

Smartphone screenshot of the First Alert 15 Weather app for North Little Rock, Arkansas, displaying 89 degrees and an Extreme Heat Warning at 9:18 AM. View from a car approaching a highway overpass with green signs directing traffic to Interstate 30 West towards Little Rock and Interstate 40 West towards Fort Smith.

It was so hot that trucks were clearly having issues with their tires.

View from a moving vehicle on a highway showing a white semi-truck smoking from tire issues and pulling onto the grassy shoulder due to the heat.

Thankfully, our car continued to run fine. We were getting our money's worth from the A/C as we headed into Texas.

Driving on a highway approaching a green 'Welcome to Texas' sign featuring the state flag posted on the shoulder.

Panda Express has become a good food stop for us. Little Dude loves their orange chicken. Littler Dude loves the string bean chicken. A nice hack I've found is getting the three entree meal. I then request a plate and split it with Littler Dude.

A Panda Express takeout meal showing a styrofoam container filled with chow mein, broccoli beef, and orange chicken, alongside a smaller cardboard box of string bean chicken. A child's hand reaching toward a portion of string bean chicken served on a divided Panda Express paper plate, resting next to a green sippy cup.

While the car worked well, Google Maps continues to get worse. It's almost becoming unusable with its route suggestions. In our case, it wanted us to take some random Farm-to-Market road versus staying on a main highway.

Close-up of a car dashboard navigation display showing a suggested Google Maps route requiring a left turn onto a rural Farm-to-Market road.

We opted for US-79. I sat in the back until we got to a blazing hot Bryan, TX.

View from the back seat of a car showing a woman driving into a sunny Texas town, with water bottles resting in the center console area. Smartphone screenshot of a weather app for Bryan, Texas, showing a blazing hot temperature of 102 degrees with a 'Feels like 103' heat index.

We finally got to our home away from home for the week. This Stay Apt Suites gave us the room we needed and was also decently priced.

Exterior of a modern stayAPT Suites hotel building in Bryan featuring a grey and dark blue facade under a bright sun.

We've found that having a separate bedroom and living room really helps. The kids go to bed early and we don't have to sit in the dark.

Interior of a hotel suite kitchen featuring full-size appliances, a granite peninsula with bar stools, and an open living area. A separate hotel bedroom containing two beds, a dark wood desk, and a window with a drawn shade. A hotel suite living area featuring a grey sofa and a patterned armchair next to the granite kitchen peninsula.

Additionally, it was great they had a bathtub. This would make bathtime much easier.

A hotel bathroom containing a white bathtub and shower combo, a toilet, and a dark wood vanity.

Later that night, we headed to Victoria's grandparents for supper.

A large slice of pepperoni pizza resting on a plate on a wooden table during supper at the grandparents' house.

After that, we returned back to the hotel. The interesting thing about where we are staying is they have limited lobby hours. This probably is the reason they're able to keep their rates down. There was also a minimum stay, so you would eventually find a time to go to the lobby if you needed something.

Hotel wall signs detailing limited lobby hours and after-hours check-in instructions above a row of electronic key lockboxes. View looking through locked glass doors into a dark, closed hotel lobby.

Victoria basically dropped Littler Dude and me off. She then took Little Dude with her to Target to get some essentials. I put Littler Dude to bed and eventually everyone got to bed. We could tell Littler Dude was a bit overwhelmed by this trip.

I stayed with him and let him decompress. He is obsessed with Ms. Rachel, so we watched that.

A young child sitting on the floor looking up at a wall-mounted flat-screen TV playing a Ms. Rachel video to decompress.

The fridge was stocked with essentials, so we were good to hang out. I had a burrito for breakfast.

An open full-size hotel fridge stocked with essential snacks and drinks including string cheese, Uncrustables, yogurt, and milk. A plain wrapped breakfast burrito resting on a white paper plate on a granite countertop.

One thing about hotels is they aren't fully baby proofed. We had to get outlet protectors since Littler Dude appeared to be curious.

Close-up of a white electrical wall outlet fitted with clear plastic child safety plug covers for baby-proofing.

Also, I wished there was a door separating the rooms. We made a chair work to keep the play area contained.

A patterned armchair wedged into a narrow space next to a kitchen appliance to act as a makeshift barricade for the play area.

While Victoria was out, she picked me up lunch from McAllister's Deli. I knew we'd be eating heavy for many meals, so I wanted something lighter. I got a veggie sandwich.

A halved veggie sandwich from McAllister's Deli served alongside a bag of Miss Vickie's Sea Salt chips and a pickle spear.

For the rest of the time in Bryan, we settled into a daily routine. It was dangerously hot for the kids to play outside.

Smartphone weather app screenshot for Bryan, Texas, showing dangerously hot afternoon temperatures at 103 degrees.

Instead, I would hang with Littler Dude back at the hotel each morning. Victoria would take Little Dude somewhere. Littler Dude would then take a nap. After the nap, we would visit Victoria's grandparents and then have supper.

For that night, I got flautas at Lupe Tortilla.

Takeout containers from Lupe Tortilla holding a Mexican meal of flautas, rice, refried beans, and a side salad with guacamole.

The next morning, Littler Dude helped me work. While I was on vacation for my day job, I still had to do some work for my teaching side gig.

Over-the-shoulder view of a small child sitting at a desk looking at a laptop displaying a blank Word document.

For lunch, we braved the heat and went to Fuego for tacos.

Smartphone weather app screenshot for Bryan, Texas, showing 90 degrees and a feels-like temperature of 99 before heading out to lunch. A taco from Fuego served in a cardboard food boat, layered with corn, diced tomatoes, guacamole, and shredded white cheese.

Then Littler Dude and I took a nap together.

A dimly lit hotel room showing a blue Pack 'n Play travel crib set up for nap time beside a large bed.

That afternoon, it was brutally hot again. We visited with Victoria's grandparents and had C&J BBQ.

Smartphone weather app screenshot for Bryan, Texas, displaying a brutal temperature of 103 degrees with a heat index of 110. A C&J BBQ meal in a styrofoam container, featuring sliced smoked sausage, chopped brisket, macaroni salad, potato salad, and a slice of plain white bread.

I stayed at the hotel the next morning. For lunch, we ventured out to Chicken Oil. It was great to see they were open after they had a kitchen fire a few years back.

Exterior view of the rustic Chicken Oil Co. restaurant building featuring weathered wood siding and bright yellow signage. Interior of the Chicken Oil Co. restaurant densely decorated with vintage oil and gas signs, taxidermy mounts, and a large wooden barrel.

I got a chicken fried steak sandwich.

A chicken fried steak sandwich served on toasted bread alongside thick-cut french fries resting on paper wrapping.

After that, we drove around a bit before heading to the hotel. View from inside a moving vehicle driving down a highway under a bright blue sky filled with scattered clouds.

After nap time, it was back in the brutal heat to go to Victoria's grandparents' house. Smartphone weather app screenshot showing an active Heat Advisory and a partly cloudy 102 degrees with a feels-like temperature of 111.

This would be our last night visiting. In the morning we'd head to Austin. It seems like it's a tradition to get Wings 'N More at least once while we're there.

I got some chicken fried chicken and a "bunch of carbs" as her grandparents pointed out.

A takeout container from Wings 'N More filled with chicken fried chicken, curly fries, a slice of Texas toast, and a side cup of white gravy.

The next morning, it was time to head to Austin. We checked out of the hotel and made a pit stop at Another Broken Egg for breakfast. This place has seafood on the menu so I got a shrimp egg benedict.

A plate holding a shrimp eggs benedict breakfast dish served alongside a bowl of diced breakfast potatoes from Another Broken Egg.

After breakfast, we hit the road. The news was saying this would be the hottest weekend of the year.

Smartphone screenshot of a KXAN news webpage displaying the headline 'Hottest temps of the year so far expected this weekend'.

One thing I noticed is Casey's is making its way into East Texas. Prior to that, the furthest south they went was Oklahoma. Belleville, WI, where I live, has a Casey's. I guess there's more places I can use my points! Exterior view of a new Casey's gas station in East Texas featuring a wide red canopy over the fuel pumps.

We had some time to kill before checking into our hotel. Victoria and I both lived in Round Rock for a while. We took a detour to see how much it grew. They were building up A.W. Grimes for more traffic. You could see there was additional growth since we were last there.

View from a vehicle driving down A.W. Grimes in Round Rock, passing newly constructed apartment complexes.

I lived off of Sunrise and there was also a decent amount of growth there.

View from a moving vehicle driving down Sunrise road, passing a large, newly built complex elevated by a stone retaining wall.

We got a text saying our hotel was ready. It was near The Domain. Even that has its own skyline now! Driving view approaching The Domain in Austin, showing its newly developed business district skyline featuring several modern office buildings.

We stayed at the Home2Suites there. There was plenty of room for the kids to roam! Spacious interior of an Austin Home2Suites hotel room featuring two beds, a long wooden desk unit, and a dark grey sofa.

With the brutal heat, we realized that there wasn't great airflow in the back seat of the van. It was worse for Littler Dude since he is rear-facing. We solved this by buying some battery-powered fans from Target. When we weren't using them in the van, I was charging them in the hotel.

Two small battery-powered portable fans charging via USB cables on a hotel room countertop.

Talking about hot, the heat was just getting dumb.

Smartphone weather app screenshot for Austin, Texas, displaying an active Heat Advisory and a temperature of 104 degrees.

That night, we were going to meet our friends and their kids for supper. On the way there, we saw a Waymo. I'm not going to lie. Seeing a driverless car is kind of creepy.

View from a vehicle stopped behind a white Waymo autonomous driverless vehicle equipped with a large roof-mounted sensor dome.

We had BBQ at Southside Market. This was the first time I got steak at a BBQ restaurant. Between that and a Sausage Slammer, it was an amazing meal! A metal tray lined with butcher paper holding a Southside Market barbecue meal including smoked steak, a Sausage Slammer, white bread, and pickled jalapeños. Close-up of a sliced Sausage Slammer revealing a center stuffed with a jalapeño pepper and melted cheese.

After supper, we headed to a playground so the kids could play. It was still hot, but not as hot as before.

Smartphone weather app screenshot for Austin showing a temperature drop to 98 degrees during an evening park trip.

One thing I'll give Texas is they will put canopies over playground equipment to keep it cooler.

A park playground area at dusk featuring blue shade canopies covering the play equipment to keep it cooler in the Texas heat.

After playing, we needed milk and diaper cream. We stopped at HEB. Even at 9PM on a Thursday, the place was a zoo. It was hard to find a parking spot. The lines were long and it definitely wasn't the in and out I'm used to at Piggly Wiggly.

Nighttime view looking across a busy parking lot at a brightly lit H-E-B grocery store. A hand holding a box of Desitin diaper cream and a bottle of milk in an H-E-B store aisle.

I waited my turn and then checked out. Soon we were back to the hotel. In the morning we had some "inspired" breakfast.

A hotel sign detailing the 'Inspired Table Breakfast' hours of operation. A heated display case at the hotel's Inspired Table breakfast stocked with biscuits, egg patties, sausage, and potato wedges. A hotel breakfast plate holding a simple sandwich, chicken tenders, and potato wedges next to a cup of juice.

For lunch, we went to my favorite place to eat in Austin, Dos Batos Tacos. I got a shrimp taco.

A large, colorful chalkboard mural inside Dos Batos Tacos reading 'I Smell... Smoke!' positioned above a decorative stack of chopped firewood. A metal tray holding a Dos Batos shrimp taco topped with slaw and sauce, served next to tortilla chips and salsa.

After lunch, it was nap time. Littler Dude and I took a nap. Victoria took Little Dude out and about. After nap time, we braved the heat and went to Chuy's to meet another friend.

Smartphone weather app screenshot for Austin showing 104 degrees and a Heat Advisory before a dinner outing. Exterior view of a Chuy's restaurant building with a red shingle roof and colorful painted trim on a sunny day.

I got a taco salad.

A Chuy's taco salad bowl filled with grilled steak, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, and tortilla strips, served with a side of creamy dressing.

After supper, we headed back to the hotel. One thing I will say that has been improved since we left Austin is the overpasses are much cleaner. There used to be so much garbage and other stuff under them.

View underneath a clean, massive concrete highway overpass in Austin supported by thick pillars.

The next morning, I had a lighter breakfast before we checked out.

A lighter breakfast plate holding a bagel spread with cream cheese and strips of bacon, accompanied by a carton of chocolate milk.

We killed a little time before lunch and then headed to HEB.

Exterior daytime entrance of an H-E-B plus! grocery store featuring a brown facade and red and blue store signage.

This would be Littler Dude's first trip to that impressive grocery store. We always try to stop at HEB before heading home to get things not available in Wisconsin.

Brightly lit interior of the expansive H-E-B grocery store showing wide aisles and a fresh produce section.

This includes different hot sauces.

Long grocery store shelves at H-E-B densely packed with a massive variety of bottled hot sauces.

Surprisingly, they had Heartbeat Hot Sauce! It was cool seeing a Thunder Bay product in addition to the local stuff.

Close-up of an H-E-B shelf stocked with a row of black-labeled Heartbeat Hot Sauce bottles.

We filled the cart with a few essentials.

A shopping cart filled with essentials for the road trip home, including snacks, trail mix, Prasek's beef jerky, and salsa.

The gas pumps were something new that I hadn't seen before. They had a touch screen to even select the grade. You could also view traffic and the weather. This is useful information for road trips. I wonder if more places will get pumps like this. The only thing I wonder is how well they will work when it's -10F out.

Close-up of a modern gas pump touch screen displaying a local traffic map of the Lake Travis area and the fuel meter.

For lunch, we got our Torchy's Tacos fix. Of course, I got ones with shrimp in them.

Two gourmet Torchy's Tacos holding fried shrimp, fresh garnishes, and creamy sauce served on brown paper in a metal tray.

Our next destination was Fort Worth. As we left Austin, I saw the insane traffic going into the city. I do not miss this at all.

View from a vehicle leaving Austin, looking at heavy traffic entering the city on the opposite side of the highway.

Also, I do not miss the extreme heat. Thankfully, the van's AC was good in addition to the fans.

Interior of the van showing a small black battery-powered fan mounted above a sun-shaded side window.

The fans especially helped since I had to sit wedged between the dudes in the back.

View from the back seat wedged between the kids, showing Victoria driving the van on the highway.

By the time we got to Fort Worth, it was the hottest that I would see it on the trip. Absolutely miserable! Smartphone weather app screenshot for Fort Worth showing a miserable high of 108 degrees with a feels-like temperature of 113.

We booked another Home2Suites.

Interior of a Fort Worth Home2Suites hotel room featuring two beds with red headboards, a grey sofa, and a red ottoman.

The reason we stopped in Fort Worth was to meet up with Victoria's cousin and his family. Her aunt and uncle also came to visit them from Bryan. We met them at Maple Branch Craft Brewery.

Wide view of the bustling interior at Maple Branch Craft Brewery filled with patrons sitting at tables and standing near the bar.

I got some wings and the biggest beer they served. A large glass mug of beer sitting on a wooden table next to a plate filled with seasoned chicken wings.

There were some outside games that we almost had to pry Littler Dude from. He was having such a great time, but we had to be careful in the heat. We had a good visit and headed back to the hotel.

To be honest, Google Maps seems to be getting more useless as time passes. One new feature I will say is pretty cool is it shows historical buildings like the courthouse.

Car dashboard Google Maps screen displaying a 3D model of the historic Fort Worth courthouse while navigating downtown. View from a vehicle driving down a Fort Worth street, passing the actual historic courthouse building featured on the map.

Once we got off the surface streets, we hit the toll lanes. It was nice to see open roads! Driving on an open highway at dusk, approaching an overhead electronic sign for Express toll lanes.

We returned to the hotel and I checked the temperature gradient. I was looking forward to the next day. We would be high tailing it back to Wisconsin. It was going to keep getting cooler as we headed north.

Smartphone weather map displaying a color-coded temperature gradient, showing extreme heat in Texas and cooler temperatures to the north.

We got breakfast from the QT and got moving. I took backseat duty to help the dudes eat as we drove.

A hand holding a wrapped breakfast taco and a package of salami snacks in the back seat of the car. View from the back seat of the van showing Victoria driving on a highway heading north.

We made a gas stop at OnCue. I really wish this gas station chain would expand. They are currently only in the Oklahoma City area. They are always clean and have a great selection of stuff. The bathrooms are also easy to get in and out of through a side door.

Exterior view of an OnCue gas station and convenience store featuring a red brick building and gas canopy.

Another thing I appreciated is they sell every grade with no ethanol. In Wisconsin, they only sell this for 91 premium. My Cougar can run 87, but since it's carbureted it's not good to run ethanol in it. I'm forced to buy premium I don't technically need. At OnCue I could just get the gas I actually needed and not pay a premium for premium.

Close-up of a gas pump at OnCue displaying various fuel grades including ethanol-free options for 87, 89, and 91 octane.

A short while later, we stopped at Braum's for lunch. I like their concept of having a little grocery store on the other side of the restaurant.

Exterior view of a Braum's Fresh Market building featuring a stone and brick facade. Interior of the Braum's Fresh Market grocery section showing shopping carts and refrigerated display cases. A Braum's fast-food meal consisting of a hamburger and a side of crinkle-cut french fries.

They also have impressive toys for kid's meals. Little Dude had a great time with this baseball game. They really don't make toys like this anymore. As a family food stop, this place is top notch! A hand holding a kid's meal prize from Braum's, a small handheld pinball game with a baseball theme.

There was a lot more driving until we stopped at Taco Bell for supper.

Three Taco Bell Doritos Locos Tacos wrapped in branded paper packaging sitting on a table.

Taco Bell was in Missouri. We eventually made it to Altoona, Iowa. We would be staying at a Hampton Inn. We got so used to the Home2Suites, a Hampton Inn room felt crowded. It was like we were on top of each other! Interior of a Hampton Inn hotel room featuring two beds packed tightly together in a smaller space.

All we needed was a place to sleep. The next day would be our last day on the road. We got a good night's sleep and then hit the road right away in the morning. The Kwik Star (Kwik Trip Iowa) was kind of unusual. It wasn't up to the usual Kwik Trip standard.

This one had broken pumps.

A gas station pump area at a Kwik Star with yellow out-of-order bags placed over the pump handles. Close-up of a frozen gas pump screen displaying the message 'Starting PLEASE WAIT'.

The food was also sparse.

A nearly empty heated grab-and-go food display case in the Kwik Star convenience store. An understocked refrigerated food display case in the convenience store containing a few pre-packaged salads and sandwiches.

Despite that, I found something good for breakfast.

A Wenzel's Farm beef stick and a foil-wrapped breakfast sandwich resting on a lap inside the vehicle.

I sat in the back with the dudes to feed them, as we tried to beat out the rain.

View from the back seat showing Victoria driving the van through rainy weather as they approach Wisconsin.

We were soon in Wisconsin. One trick we've found is stopping at the rest stop on US-151. We then place an order for JonnyO's with a pickup time around the time we'll be home. That's an easy hack to have hot food ready when coming back from a big trip.

View from inside a vehicle looking out at a grassy US-151 rest stop with trees and outdoor waste bins. A takeout meal from JonnyO's consisting of a slice of pepperoni pizza, fried chicken wings, and a breadstick.

The food was good and so was the cooler weather!

Smartphone weather app screenshot for Belleville, Wisconsin, displaying a comfortable and sunny 75 degrees.

I soon picked up Maya and we resumed our normal routine. It was nice to be home with our babyproofed setup and predictable environment. I can tell you, that is one of the biggest challenges on the road with two young children. They were definitely out of their element. Everything required extra vigilance to make sure they don't get into anything.

I swear I was constantly having to grab one of them or tell them not to do something. We tried to make the environment as child friendly as possible. With that, we were constantly readjusting. Littler Dude wasn't the happiest with his pack 'n play. He would go to sleep, but wake up and cry in the middle of the night. One of us would grab him and he'd sleep with them.

As you can see, we tried to maintain a daily routine the best we could. When it comes to these sort of trips, it is purpose driven. We wanted to visit family and friends in the time window we had. We endured the extreme heat and the ever-changing environment. While it was a lot of work, we accomplished our mission and it was a good trip!

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