It was time to head home. Among all of us, we went via car, plane, and train to get home, stopping over in two different cities on the way.

For our last full day in Texas, we went to Natural Bridge Caverns and had a quiet rest of the day. Even so, we made the most of the day.

Eclipse day! We were watching the chance of clouds continuing to rise, but as long as it wasn’t raining, we would still try to take a look. In the afternoon, we saw the Alamo and walked a bit on the San Antonio River Walk.

This was a travel day, driving from Houston to San Antonio. Before we hit the road, we spent time at the Houston Space Center. And on the road, we stopped by Buc-ee's to fill up to see why it's so popular.

For our other full day in Houston, we spent the bulk of the day with Lindsay, Joe, and Noah. It started with lunch at the Farmers Market, then a walk through the Houston Arboretum, then snacks and dinner. After saying goodbye, we tried to see bats emerging at sunset.

After everyone got up and had breakfast, we went to Hermann Park to view the Japanese Garden, the Centennial Garden, and other parts of the grounds. After stopping by the Rothko Chapel, we went back for lunch and hung out. Lindsay and her family spent some of the afternoon and dinnertime with us, where we celebrated her and her baby's birthdays.

I’ve been thinking for quite a while about trying to see the 2024 total solar eclipse. I do have cousins in Ohio and Indiana in or near the path of totality, but it occurred to me that I also have a cousin in Texas whom I haven’t seen for several years. The fact that it could be likely that the chances of good weather seemed good, I asked the kids if they were interested. Hearing “Yes” all around, a plan started to form.