ricerrx7
08-03-2007, 03:42 PM
It was a long journey, but it was fun. Spent last weekend in New Oleans with my sister and dad. My sister used to take people on "destruction tours", but they are quickly becoming "renovation tours". The city is really coming back. The French quarter wasn't damaged at all, but we went to some of the places that were. Lakeview has a lot of development happening, and is looking quite nice. Kind of weird seeing the search markings and water lines on the still-abandoned properties though. The lower ninth is pretty much gone. You drive through that area and see random porches and foundations (and random chickens running through the streets), but almost no houses. Spent Saturday night on Bourbon street, and that was a cool experience. It's the off season for the area, but the arena bowl was last weekend, so that drew in some crowds.
Monday we (my dad and I) drove to San Antonio, and when we got to our hotel it turns out that they had upgraded us to a suite! So that was pretty cool. Didn't do any sight seeing there, as my dad used to go there all the time for business, and I saw the Alamo last time I drove through there (and I avoided all city streets due to having the 4x8 uhaul trailer following behind me).
Tuesday we drove to El Paso. What a beautiful drive! You'd think it would be desolate and depressing, but it was incredible! Cacti, plateaus, mountains, just all around great scenery.
Then Wednesday we arrived in Palm Springs where my cousin was waiting to greet us. I'm staying at his resort until my dad leaves, so that my new roommate doesn't feel strained putting my dad up for the weekend. And the condo in which I will be living is incredible! I feel like I'm ripping them off with the amount I'm paying. I'll only be living there temporarily though, as my cousin is going to remodel part of his resort, which will leave a room open for me to live in (I'll be living at a beautiful resort in paradise!) I'm so happy to be out here!
Tomorrow my dad and I are driving out to Las Vegas for the weekend. He hasn't been out there since the first time I moved here 3 years ago, and it's been about 2 years for me, but this is the first time I'll be there since I turned 21, so that should be interesting...
He'll fly out of Vegas on Tuesday, and I'll return here. But then at the end of next week, my brother's stuff is supposed to arrive in Manhattan Beach, where he is moving to, so I'll go help him get settled in. It's going to be great living so close to my big brother again! (I have the best big brother in the world. When I turned 16, he took me on an Outward Bound trip in to the Colorado Rockies where we went mountain climbing, face climbing, white water rafting, camping, and did high-ropes courses)
Then I'll start looking for a job (reality has to set in at some point, right?) Shouldn't be too hard to find one out here...
Towing the Uhaul sucked. The one I got had a water leak, so my mattress and dad's clothes got wet. It also brought my gas mileage down to 23mpg average, whereas I usually get 38mpg. But the car handled the trailer quite well (only had to downshift on the really large hills).
All in all, I'm happy to be home!
Monday we (my dad and I) drove to San Antonio, and when we got to our hotel it turns out that they had upgraded us to a suite! So that was pretty cool. Didn't do any sight seeing there, as my dad used to go there all the time for business, and I saw the Alamo last time I drove through there (and I avoided all city streets due to having the 4x8 uhaul trailer following behind me).
Tuesday we drove to El Paso. What a beautiful drive! You'd think it would be desolate and depressing, but it was incredible! Cacti, plateaus, mountains, just all around great scenery.
Then Wednesday we arrived in Palm Springs where my cousin was waiting to greet us. I'm staying at his resort until my dad leaves, so that my new roommate doesn't feel strained putting my dad up for the weekend. And the condo in which I will be living is incredible! I feel like I'm ripping them off with the amount I'm paying. I'll only be living there temporarily though, as my cousin is going to remodel part of his resort, which will leave a room open for me to live in (I'll be living at a beautiful resort in paradise!) I'm so happy to be out here!
Tomorrow my dad and I are driving out to Las Vegas for the weekend. He hasn't been out there since the first time I moved here 3 years ago, and it's been about 2 years for me, but this is the first time I'll be there since I turned 21, so that should be interesting...
He'll fly out of Vegas on Tuesday, and I'll return here. But then at the end of next week, my brother's stuff is supposed to arrive in Manhattan Beach, where he is moving to, so I'll go help him get settled in. It's going to be great living so close to my big brother again! (I have the best big brother in the world. When I turned 16, he took me on an Outward Bound trip in to the Colorado Rockies where we went mountain climbing, face climbing, white water rafting, camping, and did high-ropes courses)
Then I'll start looking for a job (reality has to set in at some point, right?) Shouldn't be too hard to find one out here...
Towing the Uhaul sucked. The one I got had a water leak, so my mattress and dad's clothes got wet. It also brought my gas mileage down to 23mpg average, whereas I usually get 38mpg. But the car handled the trailer quite well (only had to downshift on the really large hills).
All in all, I'm happy to be home!