My name is Woogie. I am a black and tan Irish Terrier. I love to travel. I see new things, smell new places and make new friends. One day, I watched my mom stuff suitcases and containers. She packed everything in our minivan. That meant one thing. Road trip! Where were we going? I wasn’t sure, but my seat was reserved! We drove north from our home in Tampa, Florida. It was August and very hot. We took a break at a rest area. I wanted to swim in the pond to cool off. Mom wouldn’t let me. I wondered why. She said alligators lived there. Then we drove west through Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Where to next? TEXAS At the Texas Welcome Center, I had fun stretching my legs. But, I didn’t see any place to swim. We took a trip to the San Jacinto Monument near Houston. It marks the spot where the Texas soldiers overcame the Mexican Army in 1836 and won their independence. It’s the world’s tallest memorial column. There’s an interesting museum built in its base. We drove onto a ferry to get there. The boat ride was bouncy but fun! I wanted to swim, but we were not allowed out of our van. We left Houston and drove north to the small town of Round Top. The town’s library was in a beautiful, old church. Mom held a program there. The children loved the craft of decorating real horseshoes with glitter and sequins! No place to swim, though. Where to next? THE SOUTHWEST DESERT REGION We traveled west and arrived in New Mexico. At a rest area, they had warning signs so I couldn’t take a long walk. It was hot, over 100 degrees. There was no place to swim. I was glad to return to our air conditioned van. We drove through New Mexico, Arizona and southern Nevada. The desert had funny-looking plants. Cactus varieties and Joshua Trees like the hot, dry climate there. It was hot, hot, hot and still no place for a swim. Soon, we arrived in the mountains. In Nevada, there are mountain sheep, but we didn’t see any. It was so hot that they were probably taking a nap in the shade. Where to next? We drove across the Hoover Dam. It provides electric power for three states. The lake looked like a great place to take a dip, but Mom wouldn’t let me. After the mountains, we returned to the flat plains. Dust storms and dust devils are common here. Dust devils are vertical whirlwinds, like mini tornadoes. We saw a few in the distance. Where to next?
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