There really is no way to capture the singular joy of I-10 after 
crossing the Louisiana border. The pavement gaps clunk beneath the 
tires giving the whole car an irritating bump-de-bump ride. It’s not 
all bad–helped keep me awake.

Inching out of Houston on the Katy Freeway, Zuzu caught sight of the 
trailer in the mirror, spun around and saw it behind us. "That guy is 
awful close, Dad."

…he could watch it all day. Fellow scout John Kleypas does the work 
of hooking up the trailer as my John observes from a safe distance.

The only reason this ever gets put on the Expedition is Boy Scout Road 
Trip. This time we’re rolling East to Lumberton, Texas–just south of 
Jasper; halfway between Lufkin and Beaumont. Lovely country… Uh, not 
so much, really. But there is a wildlife preserve and a river–perfect 
for the scouts.

The girls and I were faced with a choice: drive about two hours home, 
or drive two hours elsewhere. A two-hour circle around Lumberton 
landed us in Lafayette; a great place to take in the true Cajun 
experience. C’mon along and enjoy the ride!

Dropping the trailer and John marked the beginning of OUR part of the road trip. The girls and I were out to make a daytrip of discovery on our trip back.

Who knew our road would lead us past Purgatory. I knew it existed and all… And, since Texas is so close to heaven I guess is makes perfect sense to find it here. Just so you know, it appears to be a single-lane road which just goes to prove that narrow gates of heaven stuff. There’s a great story about the road here.

I spotted a directional sign to Dripping Springs on our way to El Rancho Cima and told the girls, “that’s where the wizard lives.” Intrigued, they agreed to make that our first stop. On a hilltop south of Austin, Roy Williams’ Wizard Academy has altered the path of thinking for marketers of every size. He’s certainly had a big impact on my firm. Since I spend two to three weeks a year at the place, I thought the girls would enjoy seeing it. They’re pictured here in front of Chapel Dulcinea–a free wedding chapel that’s booked for weeks and months in advance and has been the site of weddings from around the world; one couple met there to exchange vows having come from New York and China.

One of the cool things about taking Texas back roads is the beautiful discoveries hidden along the way. The road between Cima and Austin had several places where it dipped so low to the riverbeds the water scarcely missed washing over the road. I snapped this one from the side of one such dip. Scenes like this prove the point: God blessed Texas.

The road took us from Cima up through Dripping Springs, to Austin and down to La Grange. Somewhere along the way, Zuzu lost some cookies. It was a scene from Parenthood. I picked her up and she said, “Daddy, I don’t feel well…” She convulsed and pure parent instinct kicked in as I reflexively spun her away
and watched her paint a driveway. Kate, seeing the whole thing said, “you’re gooood, Dad.” No one was more amazed than I.

Points to Stella for spotting our next stop. Latte on the Square: A heaven-scent oasis in La Grange. Who knew you could get a killer Latte on a Sunday afternoon in this sleepy little town.
Actually, sleepy may be an understatement. Comatose is more appropriate since this was the ONLY place in town to get something to eat. Travel Lesson: pack food, don’t count on roadside support. (Note that Zuzu regained color AND appetite…)

Our next stop was really a destination I had in mind all along. In the
almost hidden village of Hostyn, there stands Czechoslovakian-founded Holy Rosary Catholic Church. The church itself is pretty unremarkable. What makes it worth the stop is
what surrounds it: a massive grotto and Stations of The Cross etched of marble and mounted on stone monuments which dot the grounds’ perimeter.

The parish is so small it has only three Masses a week. Even so, it has a majestic presence and is a must-see stop if you share my fascination for sacred spaces. Because it truly deserves little description, I’ll let the photos tell their own stories.

The Grotto

The Stations