My alarm went off at nine in the morning. Our hotel room was frosty. That seems to be the one reliable thing about cheap accommodations—the ACs only have two settings, freezing or sweltering.
Kolbe—associate editor of Texas Towns Revealed, one of my good friends, and current travel buddy—slept in the other bed. Her dog, Mowgli, a Chinese Crested, must’ve heard my alarm because he rustled around in his kennel. Soon we were all out of bed, wiping the sleep from our eyes, awake in Tyler, TX. We were ready for adventure, exploring, and meeting new people!