FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD

Sunrise reflected on a skyscraper in San Antonio
Out our hotel window

Once the “home bug” bites you, it’s hard to refuse its itch.  Today we’ve traveled across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and as I write this we are in Georgia, approaching Atlanta.  Dave is determined to get home tonight.  The rain may cure our itch, but I doubt it.

Yesterday we drove to Baton Rouge and Deb enjoyed a beer and appetizers with a colleague from Teaching Strategies, Cate Heroman.  We had retired at about the same time, and have grandchildren the same age, though she’s had two more!  Since Cate is one of TSI’s authors, she had kept up much better than Deb with news at the company and shared a little about who is still there and who isn’t.  We also exchanged travel adventures in retirement.  Right before she retired, Cate went to Saudi and Jordan for TSI and had interesting tidbits about how they handled multiculturalism and other curriculum quirks.  (They were not allowed to use any musical instruments except percussion ones without melodies.)

As we droves across the Gulf States we enjoyed the bayou, but did not enjoy the smell of the oil refineries.  They are SO ugly, but I assume the gas we are using starts there.  We’re listening to a Tom Clancy novel.   At breaks we “catch each other up” as he has so many threads going and we get distracted driving and writing blogs, etc., that it takes both of us to keep it all straight.  It should end about the time we get into North Carolina if our timing is right.

I think we are now experts on Holiday Inns and HI Expresses.  We have also become adept at what to take in, what to leave in Bert, and our checking in/getting the luggage trolley/ parking the car routine has become a practiced dance which we reverse in the morning.  I’m strongly considering writing a letter to Holiday Inn with praise and critique type feedback.  The trainer in me just can’t be cut off.  We’ve had more pleasant experiences than unpleasant, but of course we have a few suggestions… lol (If the maids can unplug the coffee pots and hairdryers, couldn’t they also take 10 seconds to see if the hair dryer is working!  And when you change the carpet, could you add a carpet change in the hall to help us find the turn for the elevator?....and if these are our “biggies” they are doing a pretty good job!)

A month for this trip was about 2-3 weeks too short:  Waaaaaay too many “stop and drops”!!  We’ve had several discussions about what we'll do when (and who knows when!!) we reconnect with Bessie.  We would like to take a much slower pace.  We would like to explore a place well rather than rush through on the Interstate.  I think we've said that about the last several trips! One prevailing thought (at least for now) is to sort of “walk” her back east over several trips, taking several weeks each time to explore whatever state we are in.  Whether we take Bert (or his successor) back, or fly out and rent a car has yet to be decided.  Flying out gives us an extra week to 10 days, but we would not be able to take our segways and towing a rental car would be expensive and complicated.  Another thought we’ve had is perhaps being a camp host at one of the parks at Morro Bay.  We would do it in a heartbeat if we thought we’d get SC and NC visitors. Any volunteers?  Morro Bay is in the middle of wine country! Decisions in retirement are sooo interesting. 

Bert continues to get a C-….We were without AC for about an hour today and it was HOT… We switched drivers and Dave was able to wiggle the right wire, unfortunately it is in a bundle and he doesn’t know which one it is!!  Before we go again, Bert will need to be re-pimped or we will get Bert 2.0.

Unless a miracle happens, I only got 47 license plates, and haven’t seen a new one since Arizona.  Alaska (that one is usually not that hard), Vermont, and North Dakota eluded me.

 As we approach SC (less than 100 miles), it is considerably cooler.  This morning in the Observer they were talking about the leaves peaking in the High Country and we looked at the weather and saw highs in the 70’s…. this sounds mighty good after being in the desert or Land of Perpetual Summer.

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!

Pic of Texas countryside I sent to Greg... good for his jeep!

Yes, we are deep in the heart of Texas and while we have had fun in the Hill Country and the past 2 days in San Antonio… it sure did take us a L-O-N-G time to get here.  We left Tucson and drove to El Paso.  Then we drove, and drove and drove through Texas to Fredricksburg.  I felt like I was in a John Wayne movie.  Mesa after mesa, with nothing but scrub brush in between.  At least Arizona had interesting cacti!  The only town between El Paso and Fredricksburg was Fort Collins.  I was expecting more… it wasn’t even “walmart size”… and B’s diner was the best in town at 3 Yelp stars. 

This says "Texas Women shoot their own snakes"  a bumper sticker I saw in Fort Collins.
Funny and a little scary!

Fredricksburg however was a cute, if touristy town.  When Texas was part of Mexico, they recruited Americans and Europeans to the area with the promise of free land.  120 Germans came and made a settlement at Fredricksburg.  (Later too many “foreigners” came and the Mexican government wanted them to become more "Mexican" and conform to their type of government.  Does this sound familiar?  Later the Alamo was a battle in Texas' war of Independence.)  General Nimitz is also from Fredericksburg and it houses an extensive Museum of the Pacific Campaign of WWII.  Which worked out really well:  Dave did the museum while I shopped.   I gave out after about ½ of Main Street and Dave said, “I need 45 more minutes.”  (This was a first!)  So I did a wine tasting in one of the tasting rooms in town and then met him for German food and beer at the Fredericksburg Pub and Brewery.  (schnitzel at least 6 ways! And the sweetest red cabbage ever!)  I bought a few things but mostly took pictures of things that reminded me of folks and texted the pictures back… a quilt shop to Kasey, typical Texas sculpture to Laurie, a dog-only store to Mary Lou, and a picture of the countryside ready for 4 wheeling to Greg (see above).

After lunch we followed a wine trail through the Hill Country.  The Texans are proud of their wine and charge $12-15 per tasting and the only thing we liked was $60/bottle, so we just bought a glass and enjoyed the breeze and view on their patio.` What we saw of their vineyards reminded us of NC about 15 years ago.  Most of the vineyards were pretty young and one of the tasting room attendants confessed that most of their grapes come from New Mexico.

OK Dave is too much in the shadows....but ya'll know what he looks like
Look at the view!

While driving around the countryside, we came up upon LBJ’s ranch and the Western White House.  It was too late to get the tour, but we could still drive around and see it, including the 1 room school house he attended and where he signed the Elementary and Secondary School Act in the 60’s. This school is touted as the first Head Start.  I can remember as a child the hub bub he would cause when the reporters would have to come to the “Texas White House.”  How he would pick up the beagle by its ears and make the reporters ride horses with him.  Definitely one of the more colorful presidents, at least in my time.

1st Head Start School

Pic of marker at the school of LBJ signing the Education Act

From there it was an easy 45 minute drive to San Antonio.  Our hotel is right on the River Walk and Dave and I walked around Tuesday night after settling in.  It was still in the 90’s at 9:30… or at least felt like it.  Margaritas on the river tasted really good!  Today has been hot too.  This morning we did the River Walk boat tour and then went across the street to the Alamo.  Right now while it is really hot, we are taking a siesta until it cools down (“when in Rome”… or San Antonio…lol), then we hope to go up in the observation tower left over from the Hemisphere World Fair and eat some “real” Texas BBQ.

Yes... these pictures are heavy on shadows and shade... but believe me you seek out the shade here!

the River Walk from the boat

New sculpture along the river walk titled.." Driving the dogies into San Antonio"

Deb and Dave under a live oak tree at the Alamo

The Alamo

A few random things I learned at the Alamo and Texas history:  Both SC and NC had 7 men die there for the cause.  One panel said that Davey Crocket and and John McGregor played the fiddle and bagpipes to keep up the men's spirits.  The Alamo was restored by the DTR - Daughters of the Texas Revolution.  So we in the South and East have the DAR and they have the DTR!  And lastly, in 1856 the Army established the Camel Corps, using camels to scout wagon routes through the desert.  After 10 years they were all sold, because they were contrary, smelled bad, and frightened the horses!

Here are a few more I just thought were interesting:

Interactive :art: on the side of a building in San Antonio

This was a poster at the liquor store!  They have a dozen different flavors of funnel cakes on their "after school special" menu (it was across from a Catholic School)
My favorite was "recess pieces"... I think they meant the candy bar!

A coffee table I coveted in a glass shop...It was "only" $11,000!!

After our "siesta", Dave and I went out for Texas BBQ and then up in the Tower of the Americas.  It had cooled off and was a nice walk.

Eatin' ribs on the River Walk

Western vistas seem to go on forever

Tower of the America built for the World Fair in the 60's

Tomorrow we truly head for home.  The bug has got us and we’re ready to “beat feet” home.  I especially got that way when Emily pasted on Facebook that Ella announced she had a great dream.  She dreamed she was at Gammy’s.  sigh!

Addendum on Bert:  Bert is down to about a C+ . Dave finally put the new part in, but the AC still cuts off some of the time and then will crank back up on its own, which probably indicates a short in the spaghetti of wires.  Thankfully so far, the AC has worked more than it has not, so we keep praising him when it does!!

BESSIE, BERT, AND BORDERLANDS….GOODBY, COPING, AND SCOPING IT OUT!

Sunset in Arizona

GOODBY BESSIE....ROLLING WITH BERT

We pulled into our first gas station in Arizona (a Costco… we’re getting good at finding them and Flying J’s) and when we got out the heat hit us!!  Dave said, “Welcome to Arizona!”  It was somewhere around 104!!  And its been like that until just as I write this a storm is brewing into Tucson.  (It turned out to be all wind, and a few clouds, but it at least brought the temperature down to the 80s!) Nights have been somewhat cooler  - high 70’s to 80.  Our campground in Phoenix had no shade (and just 3 or 4 campers) and packing and cleaning was cruel. Dave and I both cleaned and packed in our bathing suits.  We would jump in the pool which was right across from our site and work until we dried off, and then repeat the process!! But somehow we got everything into Bert!  Thank goodness David is a master packer. 

Bert update:  he is getting a B-!  Every now and then his AC will cut off but so far for less than 5 miles at a time and then he miraculously cuts back on!  Dave ordered one last part that MAY solve our problem before getting into his “spaghetti inards”… But so far, just the threat of installing it has been enough to make him behave.  (Dave also “adjusted” some of the connections.)  I figure as soon as we reinstall the glove box, he’ll give  us a bad time!!  What will really be ironic is when the $35 part fixes Bert after THREE $169 diagnostics!!

  

Friday we arrived in Tucson and began a new routine of arriving at a Holiday Inn and instead of connecting water, sewer and power, hauling in a shared suitcase and cooler (and grocery box, computer brief case, and, and, and,…..).  “Myrtle”, our GPS called this stop, “HI Tucson!” (Holiday Inn, Tucson)… I guess we’ll have HI El Paso, HI San Antonio, etc. etc.)  Advantages:  reliable TV and internet and great hot tub! Plus there's always coffee in the lobby and someone else cooks breakfast!

BORDERLANDS

Borderlands is a brewery David invested in 4 years ago in Tucson.  He has bought blocks of stock twice to help them expand their production.  So far he (and Russell) have been “silent partners.”  But they have questions about their production levels, and why they are not turning a profit.  So Dave’s intent was to scope out the place and ask a lot of questions (He told Russell he didn’t plan to go in “Trump style”.. lol), but he wasn’t going to be silent.  When they started 4 years ago, they had only nano breweries as competition, now they obviously have more.

 Friday night we went to Born and Brewed, Tucson's 2015 Beer Cup , a craft beer festival in an historic Hotel courtyard.  Borderlands, and 7 other craft breweries were showcasing their beers.  It was  Octoberfest –light, very light!!  (Same idea - $35 bought you a taster and food tickets, the courtyard and a great cowboy blues band.)  We were really impressed with Borderland’s offerings compared to their competition, though they did not win this year after winning 3 years in a row.  One had some good IPA’s and a few had decent red ales.  I was really impressed with Borderland’s Citrana, a sour of course.  (Clay, we’re bringing home a growler and we’ll “have to” drink it next week before it fizzles!) Folks voted for best specialty and best overall and then there was a judges ballot.

Saturday we took the segways down to the brewery and used it as a base to see their progress and production, and to explore Tucson.  They have improved their downtown warehouse location, adding a courtyard with a bocce ball court, and place for tables and a food truck.  They have also expanded their tasting room.  While we were there they had a good bit going on:  a pub crawl tour came through, the food truck was busy, and they had a chili cook off.  And in Arizona that means chili peppers. 

Keith... these are for you....Chili Fest!

Chili Smoker... it had a hand crank and the cylinders were attached to a propane tank

Between scoping out the activity at the brewery, and meeting with the owners, Dave and I took out the segways and followed a gallery “crawl” we found in a brochure at the hotel.  We went to a terrific glass gallery, and a gallery featuring interesting western photographs, and some wonderful nudes.  Deb bought some pottery and a small rock sculpture that reminded her of the many mountain scenes outside our window.  We also rode on a “green”way… more like cactus-and-gravel-way, along a “river” that was a big wash.  While not the magnificent mile in Chicago, it had its own kind of beauty.                                                           

     

THE WEDDING IN THE REDWOODS

Wednesday we arrived at our campsite for Julia’s wedding.  It was in the middle of the Redwood Forest and we were ready to be in one place for a while.  After settling in, we went to supper in San Jose.  Santa Cruz would have been a better choice.  As we were driving Bert, the truck, his air conditioner failed.  We were hot unhappy campers.

Thursday we drove into San Francisco and walked along Fisherman’s Wharf.  Since we were meeting Julia and company for supper, we realized that Fisherman’s Wharf didn’t have much to offer except views and restaurants.  We drove by the Painted Ladies and sent pictures back to Mollie, teasing her about the lack of gray ones! 

We met Julia and Chris, Rosanna, Michael and Jen and Chris’s family at a Food Truck event in the Presidio.  It was Food Truck “Friday” (or Thursday!) done right.  The trucks lined a 3 or 4 block linear park overlooking San Francisco Bay.  Clamshell tents were scattered about to protect you from the wind.  They were first come first serve along with plastic Adirondack chairs (or you could reserve them for $100).  We got the last free one on the last row.  A band was set up near the bay.  They also had propane heaters scattered about, and they became the favored spots when the sunset and the temperature dropped.  The food was great and everyone got something different.  It was a lot of fun to be with our family and to meet Chris’ family.

Friday was the rehearsal dinner at the wedding venue.  They had a portable wood fired pizza oven and the venue under the redwoods was stunning.  George and Rosa, and Karen, Lisa, and Lil arrived and completed the Park contingent.  The wedding party had moved from San Francisco to the “tree houses” at the venue. 

Lil Ready to fill her plate and handing out napkins

Saturday we all gathered about 2:30 for the 3 o’clock wedding.  The groomsmen arrived via a path through the redwoods and Julia made a stunning bride.  The service was absolutely wonderful including a special poem that was Charlie’s favorite, and a tribute from their friends that was very heartwarming.  After a cocktail hour, dinner was served under the trees followed by dancing in the barn.  It was a great event.  It was definitely a “millennial” event, as it was streamed live over the internet, and captured on more phones than you could count!!  It can be viewed for a month at:  www.upstream.tv/channel/dacb9mPX3Ec .  As young as the crowd was, the older generation was able to dance to the predominating “oldies” such as Sweet Caroline and Shout!

Talking to Emily and Mamie on the phone after the ceremony

Two brothers

                                        The Parks and the Crowders

Michael, making a manic entrance to the dinner reception

Karen and Rosanna dancing the night away!

Sunday, we said good by to the Redwoods and drove into Santa Cruz, leaving Bessie at a Costco and taking Bert to a sports bar where we watched the Panthers beat the Jaguars over breakfast.  It really feels odd to have eggs and bacon as tailgate food.  The bar was crowded and friendly with a few other Panther and 2 Jaguar fans.  Most were there to watch either the Seahawks or Green Bay.

As I write this we are moving south on #1 and seeing “strawberry fields forever!”  Once in a while they are replaced with artichokes, cabbages or lettuce.  And once in a while, we aren’t sure what we are seeing growing.  They need to put up signs for us city folks!! Occasionally the Pacific will peek through on my right (west) and we are looking forward to our campground in Morro Bay by the ocean.

OLD CARS AND AN ANCIENT LAKE

We finally slowed from our “stop  and drops” and settled into Reno for 2 nights.  Nevada is an odd state.  So much desert and seemingly deserted territory,  then bang!  You’re in Reno with all of its glitz and gambling.  Gambling has its own culture:  garish architecture, enough neon to go to the moon, Native American croupiers, and populated by both zombie -like gamblers and flamboyant high rollers, or at least  want-a-be’s.  After walking around a nearby casino, Dave and I agreed that we didn’t care to throw our money away, and after the BBQ, the food looked as cheap as it was advertized.

On Labor Day we did a day trip in the truck up to Lake Tahoe.  David had secured tickets on a boat cruise and we left in time to drive around the lake the “long” way so that we would see as much of it as possible in our drive and then more from the water.  Being 99% pure (according to the narrative on the boat), the water draws a deep blue from the sky.  With mountains all around, it is beautiful.  Because the lake is so deep and takes hundreds of years to “turn over” its water, pollution is a big danger.  Luckily this was recognized early and most of the development around the edge seems to have happened in the 50’s and 60’s.  The land is so valuable, buildings are rehabbed and while there were some gorgeous houses, their foundations seemed to have been there a long time.  You feel as if you’re in a time warp.  Only in South Tahoe are there many commercial endeavors and it was obvious that re-habbing buildings is encouraged.  For instance, we saw a CVS that was obviously inserted into an old Ace Hardware building, and the fast food places all conformed to the local “mountain cabin architecture.”

Emerald Bay from an overlook...We would be on the paddle boat in the center in an hour.

The boat ride was aboard an old paddle wheel tour boat and we enjoyed the cruise along with about 500 of our new BFF’s.  Being Labor Day, the cruise was filled, and other than feeling a little like cattle being herded on board, we enjoyed the cruise.  We sat on the center compartments on the upper deck that held life vests as they were the only open seating when we came aboard.  (We were thoroughly ticked by the woman in line ahead of us, who was holding a place for about 50 tour group members who suddenly wedged in ahead of us.  It seemed especially rude…But I guess I would have had a different point of view if I were on the tour…lol)   Being good at making lemonade out of lemons, I stuck up several interesting conversations with our deck mates.  The young couple beside us worked in San Francisco and she was from the Ukraine, and he was from Jordan. They were really interesting. There was a fun group of women seated together just aft of us who were on their 50^th High School Reunion. 

Emerald Bay from the boat... same island.

A wealthy lady in the 20's built a castle on shore and a "tea house" on the island

An eagle's nest

Dave said, "There's a glare and i have no idea what I'm filming"... yea right!!

Deb, dressed and ready to drive!

Tuesday morning we took in a car museum before leaving the campground.  Most of the cars were in a collection from Harrah’s.  The really old cars that predated the Model T were fascinating and it was sobering to realize that several of the cars we had driven are now considered antique!!   The whole museum was extremely well done.

Dave was ready to buy this car until they told us a small door ding would cost
 $24,000 in gold plating!

A copper Rolls Royce

The Rolls hood ornament was a likeness of his mistress/secretary!

Before mass production, Model T's were painted by hand and came in many colors

In the 50's my Dad swore the gas mileage in his bug was so good, he would have to dip gas out!
I learned to drive on one like this!

After learning on the Beetle, my sister and family drove a sporty Corvair

Daddy, this is how I remember John and Sue Evans

Of course there had to be an Edsel

This fish tale car from the 50's went 80 MPH and got 47 MPG...
Detroit has been holding out on us!!

This looked like our old Henry J to me... but it was labeled an All State car... you could order it from the Sears Catalogue

As I write this we have crossed into California.  Abbie and Ella have been worried that we will have “earthshakes”.  Emily said it was from a volcano scene in a movie they watch, “The Land before Time”.  I figure with my vertigo which has reared its ugly head again, I’ll never know.  Dave just finished maneuvering through Sacramento’s rush hour traffic and  the rich farmland of Lodi surrounds us on either side of the freeway.  There are huge vineyards which I’m guessing are table or juice grapes as we’ve not seen any winery signs and the field looks very industrial.  We have also passed olive trees, corn, beans, and a dairy farm.  We’re back in the bread basket.  The farms here are obviously getting water.  Though’ on the weather this morning they said it would be “clear with occasional smoke.” 

After one last "stop and drop" in a state park, we will settle into Santa Cruz and Ben Lemmon for Julia's wedding!