BATON ROUGE, La., July 28, 2006
Dan's Diary: End Of The Road
Adventures in Austin And Baton Rouge
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Play CBS Video Video Freys Headed To Wine Country Only On The Web: Thanks to a friend who appreciated the Freys charity work during Katrina, Becky and Keith are headed to Sonoma, Calif., as part of the "Great American Vacation."
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Video Price Visits An Alligator Farm While visiting the next stop in the "Great American Vacation" giveaway series, Dave Price decided to stop by an alligator farm in Baton Rouge, La.
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Video Waco Couple's Caribbean Cruise Only On The Web: Dave Price stopped in Waco, Texas, to present Sandie and Ronnie Paris with a "Great American Vacation."
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When will they learn? You shouldn’t encourage me, it just makes me bolder. CBS affiliate KEYE in Austin, Texas, took a chance and threw me on live TV, July 18, 2006. I’m clearly made for this. (CBS)
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A big crowd turned out in Austin, Texas, on July 19 for the "Great American Vacation "giveaway. (CBS/Dan Baruch)
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Dave Price kisses a new friend on July 26 in Baton Rouge, La. (CBS/Dan Baruch)
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Dave Price stirs a pot of Jambalaya with Andy Fontenot of the Jambalaya Shop looking on in Baton Rouge, La., on July 26. (CBS/Dan Baruch)
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Photos "Vacation" Photos See the places we've been and the people we've met during The Early Show's "Great American Vacation" tour.
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Video Archive 'Vacation' Video The Early Show's "Great American Vacation" recipients and stories from our road trip
I've got to warn you: I'm really bad at keeping in touch, so please don't take it personally if you don't hear from me; I swear I really like you, America. I've got one nit to pick though … turn signals. Come on people, just drop the hand and flick the wrist. I and all your fellow motorists can now anticipate your next move, and we're very thankful for it. With your help we can make turn signals cool again. Really though, you've been a sweetheart. I can't count the number of smiles, waves, hoots and hollers I've received during the past eight weeks.
Reminisce with road trip photos!After my last seven hours on the road, nothing kept me as ebullient and upbeat as a pickup truck packed with fanatical Southerners flailing to get my attention on the highway. Motoring through the heartland, I saw mile after mile of ear-to-ear smiles. This must be what it feels like to be beautiful. Before I get too nostalgic (and vain), I have to tell you about the past few giveaways.
Some time ago I was in Denver. Back then I was naïve; just a boy. I thought I could grasp basic concepts like size and temperature. What a fool I was. As it turns out, it's all relative … to the Lone Star State. Texas is big. I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but it's worth mentioning that it took two days to traverse the ever-changing landscape of this country within a country. I also know how that horse met its demise. It's hot … stupid hot. That's a very technical meteorological term; don't question it. Occasionally birds spontaneously burst into flames mid-flight … it happens; don't question it.
Photos... fresh from AustinI’m also pretty sure Austin rocks … and once again, I’d recommend not questioning it. So that last factoid doesn't have much to do with the string of 100-degree days that glued my ratty flip-flops to the pavement, but I can assure you Austin is in fact a gem. That's probably why we picked it for a visit for a visit from Dave Price and The Early Show. Don't miss Dave in action enjoying the Austin nightlife … he's a real urban cowboy, and quite the ladies' man to boot.
watch Dave Price in actionWhile Dave was getting tipsy on milk and music, I was making TV with the local CBS affiliate KEYE. How I keep ending up on live television is beyond me.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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