This is much overdue and I tried to start documenting the entire trip based on my notes (yes, I seriously took notes while we were driving!) Since it's five months later, I'm not going to bore you with the details but will leave you the story that I started and some of the more entertaining pictures from our Easter trip to Louisiana...
I doubt that I can do our trip justice but I will rack my brain, scrutinize my notes, and browse through the pictures to try and bring you a decent account of the Bassett Family road trip we like to refer to as "The Long Buh-Bye".
We left Vista at 4:44am on Wednesday, April 8th with the Explorer filled to the brim with luggage, books, DVDs, games, pillows, blankets, people, and of course the dog. Camille started "funny time" right off the bat when she decided she'd put her "night goggles" on as soon as we got in the car. Now I've never heard of eye covers referred to this way, but it seems like a good enough name...
As you will find out, I was very diligent about my notes for the first few hours of the trip but soon realized that it was all the same...long straight highways, no real scenery, a potty stop every couple hours, and three meals a day.Our first stop was three hours later in Yuma, Arizona. This stop marks Molly's first taste of McDonald's breakfast. I believe the term that was used for her Egg McMuffin was "A Feast for the Beast". I've never seen anyone or anything chow down so fast. From that moment on it was nothing but unhealthy yet delicious food for all of us. 
Around 11am we made a pit stop somewhere near Tucson. At 1:40pm we stopped somewhere in New Mexico. This time I got to sit shotgun while Mom and Camille watched Twilight in the back. (Our neighbors were kind enough to loan us their portable DVD player which has two screens that attach to the back of the seats. Needless to say, this gadget was a lifesaver!) This is where the trip started to get interesting. I'd never been to New Mexico and found myself wondering why anyone would want to live there. No offense to anyone who reads this; small, hot, dusty, windy towns in the middle of nowhere are not my cup of tea. There happened to be a sign at this particular rest stop so we took this as a photo opp... 
We stopped in El Paso, Texas for gas and snacks around 5pm. This was our first mistake. In case you don't know...El Paso is less than 1.5 miles from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. If this still doesn't ring a bell, go ahead and read all about the recent serial killings in the area: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/ciudad_juarez/
We stopped in El Paso, Texas for gas and snacks around 5pm. This was our first mistake. In case you don't know...El Paso is less than 1.5 miles from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. If this still doesn't ring a bell, go ahead and read all about the recent serial killings in the area: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/ciudad_juarez/
or the drug wars that have been crossing the border:
Actually, to make sure you understand just how safe we were in El Paso, go ahead and visit this link. It's a Google search for Ciudad Juarez in which not one headline doesn't mention drugs, crime, war, or death!
Ok, now that the scene has been set, you probably won't find it too shocking that Dad witnessed a drug deal while standing in the parking lot of the gas station. Us three girls just happened to be in the bathroom but we were ordered to get in the car immediately upon our return. The funny part was that there was a highway patrol car parked at the station when we went into the bathroom and apparently the dealers were circling the area waiting for the patrol to car to leave. How obvious can you be?!?
