Mark Halliday Travel Log: Road Trip: Oregon to Austin

ROAD TRIP: OREGON to AUSTIN

March 1996

Dad called in February to ask if I wanted to buy his 4WD Colt.

I decided it was finally time for an air-conditioned horse after living in Central Texas for 12 years!

I flew to Oregon,

and joined Granma Kemmerich for ice cream

Starting towards Texas,

I drove to the East side of the Steens Mountains in Eastern Oregon.

I enjoyed sitting in an isolated hot spring at sunset.

The place was pretty much as I remembered from more than 10 years ago.

In Salt Lake City, my sister Karen joined me for the rest of the trip.

Lake Powell, Utah

We drove to Natural Bridges monument.

That night we camped and had a campfire dinner.

We had our first look at Comet Hyakutake in the clear desert night.

Further south in Navajoland,

I looked for my friend Austin Sam, but we didn't connect.

Driving down the Coronado scenic highway in Arizona,

then via Silver City, New Mexico.

We visited White Sands National Monument.

This place surprised me; particularly the bizarre gypsum formations similar to those in Cuatrocienegas, Mexico.

More excellent comet Hyakutake views that night!

Rio Grande River near Las Cruces.

The next day we visited Carlsbad Cavern through the natural entrance, a first time for Karen.

Then a visit to the McDonald Observatory in West Texas, and into Austin that evening.

We took a day trip on Lake Buchanan northwest of Austin.

Called the Vanishing Texas River Cruise,

it was supposed to have some Bald Eagles.

Karen then took the car to see Whooping Cranes

at Port Aransas NWR on the gulf coast.