Father and Son Defendering launch: T minus 2 days

We had to run over and take this - didn't
want the security guard to get upset!

Waking up in the Dallas, TX, we loaded up the car and headed over to our first location: the Market Hall where the First Annual Texas Video Game Championships were held in 1982. We approached the massive building and learned that there were no visitor parking spaces. Apparently it's not a big hotel; it is a secure building now, and you can't just walk in. We find a security guard and get approval to snap a pic in front of the main entrance. 

Cool. But man, the guard agrees... that ballroom is huge. And it was FILLED with arcade machines during the finals.  You would think that someone would have pictures of it with all those machines! I only have one Polaroid and dang, there are only people in that. :)

Couldn't ride the real ones, but these'll do

Next on the day's activity list is the Dallas Zoo. Matt is a huge nature lover and I am trying to find outdoors things we can do together on this trip. Most require a lot of planning, like hunting and fishing, but walking and zoo visiting? No problem.

We spent five hours at the zoo, took a ton of pictures, watched a few live events, and headed out for lunch. We remembered to check in in Four Square as we exited to find that they were giving away a half cup of Blue Bell ice cream for a check in. Matt had Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. :)

Having fun, Matt?
Don't worry, you'll get plenty of sleep in the car.

Afterward, we found a lunch buffet and took to the road pretty hard. The decision was made to drive through the night so we could check in early in DeKalb and save the money on the hotel room. Matt said he'd stay up with me and we prepped to make a long night of it. About an hour after he started the "he who yawns first loses" contest, he was sawing logs. I guess I won?

I called the hotel and they said to just call them in the morning. I went ahead and drove all night and when we were about an hour short of the hotel, I called and they said that we'd need to wait until noon before they can assure that we'd be able to get in early.

More on the next update!