Wind, wind, go away

I pulled off the road again, even earlier than yesterday. The wind was battering me about. Once I noticed the grooves in the steering wheel at 10:00 and 2:00, and realized cars were passing me hugging the yellow line on their left side, I called it a day.

The wind is still battering us, securely snugged in a campground. Skittles cried to go out, and 1 minute later cried to come in. We'll wait out the "winter warning" until tomorrow."The sun will come out Tomorrow...Tomorrow! Tomorrow!....."

Snow, snow, go away.

I'm back on the road, and feeling good. Nice to be back in the rolling home.

I took some trips this summer, but didn't write about them. Went to Gloucester for a couple weeks, during the St. ???? Festival. It was fun - went on a sailboat cruise, a lighthouse cruise, got together with friends and a niece, and enjoyed a garden tour. Also went to CT/RI with a grandniece and grandnephew. The kids love the ocean like I did when I was their ages. We saw the aquarium in Mystic too. Worth a visit. I spent time in Maine - up at Moosehead where we stalked a moose, and down at the shore in the south. There we sampled clam chowder at every place we went.

This week I was trying to leave home before any snow came. I was targeting the 27th, but decided to stay another day because of the storm. So then I targeted the 28th, but didn't get everything ready in time, so I took off today, the 29th. I figured I would leave before the snow started at home, and hoped I would get ahead of the storm, since it was brewing in the ocean. I got into New Jersey before I was inundated with those BEAUTIFUL, but ANNOYING white flakes. I went by a couple accidents, and felt the driving was not the best.

I pulled into a truck stop. I'll be staying here for the night. But, of course, it's only the afternoon.  I decided to write this, and then play my games, and read. Skittles is bored. She slept all the way down. She'll go back to sleep when she decides she wants to be warmer and climbs under the covers.

Home Again

Just to close out my trip. I stopped in Hershey, PA, and took the visitor center tour. I had been there in the 70s, but it was very different. It made me think of Disney Land.

Then we went home, arriving March 20th. I walked in the house and got the flu. I must have been infected at Hershey with all those kids.

I'm better now, and happy to be home for a while. But I'm disappointed that the wild turkeys haven't come calling yet.

Drinking on the Tour

I went to the Jack Daniels Distillery to make sure their facilities were clean and well-organized. It was a very interesting trip. They talk about processes which make their whiskey better than others: (1) the use of spring water filtered through the natural limestone, and containing no iron; (2) the charcoal they make and filter their whiskey through; and(3) the barrels they make themselves, to ensure the quality. They have a master distiller, who tastes every barrel. He must have some pretty discerning taste buds, since he decides what barrel goes where, when the whiskey is ready, when the charcoal needs to be changed, etc. Sounds like a pretty good job, huh? You'd wonder how he could make it home after work, but, of course, he can't swallow the product - must spit it out. But still, how much tasting can you do in one day? He must have some minors in the background, being trained and picking up the slack.

The tour guide billowed the top of a huge vat, and 25 tourists wobbled down the corridor. We had to grab the railing to get down the stairs. And we didn't even put the product in our mouths.
 

I also tried to go through the Saturn plant, which is close to Nashville. When I got there I was told the tours were not being held, since there is no current production (not for 3 years). I guess the Saturn was discontinued. They are being retooled to start production in fall, 2012, on, I think, the Chevrolet Equinox, which has not been able to meet demand.

Skittles and I are pretty much driving home now. I doubt we'll stay for a more than a day until we roll into Sturbridge.

"These boots are made for walking..."

I stayed in Dallas until my car was ready for the 2nd time. Then I drove down, picked it up and went to Manahans to see their sand park. It reminded me of the dunes right off the road to Race Point, Cape Cod. I remember running and rolling down them when a kid. These dunes are great in that you can play as much as you want in them. In fact you can even rent discs to slide down the hills. I didn't get too far into them. The more I walked, the less distance I made.Then I returned to Dallas for a couple nights, driving past a number of oil fields again. 

I had a new water hose delivered to my cousins' house, and was delighted with my purchase. It has taken all the hassle out of connecting the water hose. After 3 trips to Dallas to stay with my cousins, over a period of 3 weeks, I finally said goodbye. Kind of sad. I enjoy spending time with them so much!! While I was in Dallas, I bought cowgirl boots -

exactly what I wanted - and handcrafted in the U.S.of A.

My next stop was Hope, Arkansas - first house of Bill Clinton. It was fun seeing all the pictures, and hearing the stories. His hero as a kid was Hopalong Cassidy. He stayed with his grandparents when his widowed mother left to be educated for a profession. His grandmother told his mother that, if he was going to be President, he needed a desk. I doubt he brought this one to Washington with him. He also was born a Blythe, but legally changed his name to Clinton (stepfather's name) in high school. He went to the courthouse to do it on his own. They had to call his mother to get approval. She knew nothing about it.

The next day I went up to Little Rock to see the Clinton library. I was so impressed. Of course, I really liked Clinton as the president. I felt he did a great job for our country.  The tour of the library begins with a film narrated by Clinton, and I found myself getting emotional - surprise!, surprise! They have an exact replica of the oval office, and the cabinet room. As I passed the cabinet room there were some high school kids sitting there solving the world's problems, or at least the problems with the Arkansas education system. There were alcove exhibits showing life in the White House as well as action taken in different areas - health, sciences, world relations, economy, etc. Clinton did a pretty good job - balanced the budget, brought about welfare reform, health care reform, Middle East negotiations, started a domestic "Peace Corps," passed the Brady Bill, and more and more. Like I said, I was impressed. I bought the 2 book series of his life, and am plowing through them.

My next stop was Nashville, TN. I hadn't been here for 42 years, and thought I should go back. I love Nashville. There is much to do in Music City and around there, and the atmosphere is terrific. I took a tour, walked around the downtown, moseyed into a saloon which had music all day and night. Traveling alone affects my going into places, particularly if I'm going to drink and then drive. There were about 6 people in the place. I sat at the bar and had 1 light beer (MGD 64). The guy singing asked where I was from, and what songs I liked. Of course, not a follower of music, all I could think of was Johnny Cash. I finally had to tell him I just turned on the station and listened, but couldn't tell you what I heard. Kind of embarrassing to say that to a country-western singer. But he called me "Darlin" in that southern drawl, which made it all worth it.

They have some interesting architecture in Nashville. There's the Batman building and beside it,

the R2D2 building. And, of course, being country, you see big guitars (with Minnie Pearl hats on them, selling of course, for $1.98), and big boots.I did check out the Buy 1, get 2 free in the boots, but - you guessed it - made in China.
 

 

In Nashville, on the 100th birthday, they built a replica of the Parthenon. On the 200th birthday, they built a great Bi-Centennial mall and park.There is a huge farmers' market, craft outlet, etc. Across the street they have a very impressive display of history of the area. There are very large columns with years on them, starting BC, but around 1700 the years are pretty steady and state along the wall what happened at that time. Davy Crockett played fiddle in Nashville and was elected to Congress before he volunteered at the Alamo and ended his life there. The Cherokee were forced to emigrate from their lands in the area on the Trail of Tears by 1838. A sad note. Next, I'm touring a couple area businesses.

I gave up trying to align this blog. There's only so much time you want to spend on these things.

Shootin' Them Up in El Paso

It has been forever since I have written. Almost a month. I mentioned before, that I blew out my engine on the tow car. After quite a time, it was finally ready. I was told that each time they had all the parts, and thought they just had to put it together, they uncovered another part needed. Who knows, but once they finished it, they realized the new engine was defective. What!?! The Service Manager said it was under warranty, so I could get it fixed for nothing at home. I said I wanted to leave Texas with a perfectly running car, so get a new engine. I had been staying the last few days at a nice campground, but it was under construction and had no internet. I read all the books I had, including what I had on Kindle, and said I've got to go. So, I went to El Paso. 


I love the "shoot-em-up, cowboy" stuff in Texas, and I found a lot of it in El Paso. I took a tour from an independent tour operator, who knew the history, and told a good story. "He died of lead poisoning - from a 45 in his back." El Paso is separated from Mexico by the Rio Grande. This was per the Guadalupe - Hidalgo Treaty. This treaty between the US and Mexico ended the US - Mexican war, allowed for the purchase of some Mexican land by the US, and "settled" the border disputes. Of course, no one told Mother Nature, so she brought down rain, rain and more rain, changed the route of the Rio Grande, and in so doing, changed the border. How about going to bed a Mexican resident, and waking up living in the US?


 El Paso is built on both sides of the mountain range (actually, the southern part of the Rockies). Going over the mountain range, you look down on Mexico. Down below, with the drought affecting the river, if there isn't a fence you can jump into Mexico. Marty Robbins found love (and death) in El Paso, at Rosa's Cantina. A shot from a fight in Mexico put a bullet hole in El Paso's new City Hall, miles away. But, my favorite stop was the cemetery.
 
There is an enclosure in memory of the Buffalo Soldiers, who are buried in the cemetery. There is also a section for the Chinese, who originally came building the railroads. There are sections for other nationalities. There is also a sign which reminds you, that this is not an ordinary cemetery. One of El Paso's gunfights, which started with an insult, killed 4 men in 5 minutes. They're all buried in this cemetery, along with many of El Paso's famous characters.

In El Paso, I started thinking I should have some cowgirl boots. I checked a few stores, but didn't find any. For one thing, I want them made in the US. Why would I come to Texas, to buy boots made in India or China? Mexico isn't quite as bad, but I want them made in the US!!

I decided to go back to Dallas to stay with my cousins, while I continued to wait for my car. This is my second home. When visiting, I usually stay for a week. This year, it has been 3 weeks. And... they haven't gotten tired of me yet. Or... they're not saying anything. I'm so glad I could go to Dallas. I knew I could have a great time there, and I wouldn't be more than a day's drive away from my car.

Still in Texas

My car is in Odessa, TX for at least a week, so I might as well see what is around here. I found Stonehenge in Odessa. At the university, they have built a replica of THE Stonehenge. I have never been to Stonehenge, or any part of England, so I thought this was cool. The Stonehenge in England took thousands of years to build, while the one in Texas took 6 weeks. Can you imagine how patient we would have been back then? How many times have you or your friends said, "They started this project 3 months ago. I don't understand why it is taking so long." I liked walking into the middle of the structure, and I liked the fact that no one else was there.



In Odessa, TX, I also visited the Presidents' Museum. It was interesting, like looking into the lives of famous people. There were paintings, plates, vases and bobble-head dolls of the presidents through the years, pictures of their wives (no husbands yet), and newspapers from the times.  I forgot that Lincoln coined the phrase, "You can fool some of the people all of the time,...." At one point in my life, I think I knew all the presidents' names, but not now. I went through the museum saying to myself, "He was a president???" At one point in the display, they said that John Quincy was the only son of a previous president. They need to update their display. I probably should have told them. And the other son....is from Texas!!

 

I saw George, Barbara and "little George's" first house - modest. I visited an art museum, where I thoroughly enjoyed a photography exhibit of views along the Seine. I thought it captured the "essence" of Paris. Of course, people who have been to Paris more recently may totally disagree. I also liked one exhibit of paintings, and the garden sculpture garden. In the outskirts of Odessa I visited a meteor crater and the museum attached. Actually 2 meteors fell here; one was huge, and the other not so much. They excavated the site, and discovered quite a bit of information. This happened when there were prehistoric mammals roaming. One thing they uncovered was a tusk from a prehistoric elephant.

 

Then I went to Pecos, TX, which sounded like a fun town. This was the home of the very first rodeo. On a July 4th weekend when all the cowboys from nearby ranches were in town, they were bragging about how well they could bring down a cow or something, and VOILA!!!! a contest was arranged. From that time forward there has been a rodeo on that weekend in Pecos, and it was duplicated throughout the country.

One of the things I like about town museums, is that you see what towns consider important, and what unique things have happened in that town. In Pecos, the museum is in a building housing an original saloon where 2 men were shot. Plaques are on the floor where each man died, and a bullet hole is marked on the wall. Up the stairs leading to the bedrooms are pictures of the Golden Girls. They also feature saddles, hats, etc. from local cowboys and cowgirls through the years.

From Pecos, I went to Guadalupe National Park and stayed the night there. A number of people said to me they HEARD it was a great park to visit. Beautiful of course, in the mountains, with great rock formations. I arrived in a cold wind, and woke up to freezing rain and ice packed on my rig. I felt sorry for myself until I heard it was 17 degrees at home. And once more, I am THANKFUL!!!!

Big Bend and Stillwell's

 
I'm still in Texas, and am tempted to stay another week or more at Stillwell's. They (the campground and ranch) host a trail ride, starting this weekend. People from all over bring their horses and some wagons. The Stillwells hire a gourmet camp cook. There's music, and dancing, and all have a great time. I'd be more tempted if I would actually do the trail ride, but I don't have my horse with me.

 

 

I couldn't remember if I had been to Big Bend when working around the country with Penelope. My nephew said "Go." A couple guys I met in Bandera said, "Don't bother." But, I'm here, and loving it. I spent Saturday going through the park. I hiked out on some short trails, visited the hot springs, saw some deep and beautiful canyons. I also saw some pictographs, drawn by the native people 3,000+ years ago. One of the most interesting things was finding a number of mortar holes, which the native peoples used to grind their grains, flowers, etc. for food, paints, or ?? Some were deep, some shallow. Different holes must have been used for different purposes.

Sunday I went to the Superbowl party at the campground. Oh well!

 

 

Monday, I went on a jeep tour. Last week, the owner of a ranch next door to the Stillwells, tested a jeep tour with some people from the Stillwell Camground, and decided they'd try it out. So, lucky me, I had the opportunity to go on the second tour. This was through the owners land, climbing up the mountains, and visiting his house, and his parents' house. What a trip! I was also lucky enough to be able to sit on the high back seat of the jeep the whole time. We saw the remnants of an operation where they would extract the wax from candelilla plants. They also had built a dam in the hills to secure enough water for the operation. This product is used in gum, lip balm and ?? We saw a couple sink holes which were quite large. One was discovered when a CAT backhoe or ??? started sinking. The spot had been a dry lake, which would hold the water very well, but no more. The guys were joking about going down there and discovering another Carlsbad Caverns. I didn't see any bats, but it was early.

We passed by caves in the rocks used by native peoples 3000 - 9000 years ago. We saw a balancing rock which was amazing. How much longer will it remain? Who knows. We also saw some deer, and quail. We probably would have seen more wildlife, but it is so, so dry.

The owner of this ranch put in a well years ago (1700 ft deep), and pumps water to different places on the ranch. The horses he keeps, and the wildlife, drink from the troughs around the ranch. The current drought has lasted 4-5 years. His main income is from hunters who pay a pretty penny to stay and hunt on his property. With this drought, there wouldn't be anything to hunt, if he didn't provide water. Even so, this hunting season, I think he said there was only one deer shot. It is sad, to think of the continuing damage there will be, if the drought continues. I offered to do a rain dance, but they said, "Please don't."

It's a hard life in these parts: hauling water miles for a ranch or ??? At this point if you didn't have a well 1500' or more, you would have moved. A number of the people I have just met are from old Texas pioneer stock, and try anything to keep the ranch going.

And the views!!!! Waking up in the morning on the top of a mountain, with a view down into the canyon, is pretty good. I've always liked the wetter climates better than the dryer climates, but the Rio Grande has made some pretty country out here.

So, I didn't stay for the trail ride, and started off through Big Bend to camp one night on the other side to do 2 more things in the park. But I had another important lesson to learn, and it was expensive. I burned out the engine of my tow vehicle. There were actually pieces of a crankshaft and piston on the road. I towed it to the Ford dealer in Odessa. They'll have it about a week, and have told me what I receive back will be as good as new. Ah well, it could have been worse!!

Still on the Border

 I arrived in Del Rio, TX on Sunday. Nice place! It sits on the border, with Acuna being the city on the Mexican side. It neighbors Amistad Lake, which is a great bass fishing lake, with over 50 major tournaments a year. Monday I visited the Amistad Dam, built where Amistad Lake and the Rio Grande merge, between US and Mexico. I then drove to the Pecos River. There I had some beautiful views of the river and the limestone canyon.

I also went to the Seminole Canyon, which contains pictographs 3500 years old. I arrived on a day when they didn't have any tours into the canyon, so I only saw pictures and drawings of the stone art. The State Park facility had tremendous pictorial displays and dioramas of the environment 10,000 years, 5,000 years and 3,000 years ago, as well as more recent times, shown through pictures. They also had some pictures honoring the last Seminole Negro Indian Scouts. They now have reunions of descendants of this group.

 


I stopped in Langtry to check out Judge Roy Bean's Saloon, Courthouse and Opera House. Justice west of the Pecos, was at the whim of Judge Roy Bean. The legend may have grown bigger than the man, but there is a lot of fun in the legend, and the man. "But Judge, the bill was $1.35. I gave him a $20 gold coin. He owes me." Judge: "I fine you $18.65 for disturbing the peace. Now, get out of this town and don't come back." The Courthouse was in his saloon. The Opera House was in his home. The saloon and the town were named after Lillie Langtry, an opera singer, for whom he also built the "Opera House."  Langtry finally did visit the town, but months after Roy Bean's death. One of his children made a presentation to her. I'm going to have to find the movie "Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean", starring Paul Newman (rrrrrhhh, or meow, meow).

 Next was a long strip without gas stations. At one point, I knew I'd be looking for gas pretty soon, and asked Gypsy (GPS) how close we were to gas. She said over 50 miles, and I thought, "hmmmmmm," but luckily she was wrong. At the gas station I mentioned to the owner that I was getting worried. She said this seemed to be the longest stretch in Texas without gas ( and warnings). There had been flash flooding and a number of businesses had closed. Now, this part of Texas is extremely dry.

I stayed overnight in Marathon, TX, which was a fun little town. They advertise the town as Marathon, where there is nothing "to do." They have a webcam, so you can see that nothing is being done. And they have a nice upscale restaurant and bar, a great breakfast and lunch place, and a fantastic train, which runs all night across the little street from the campground.