Day 14
Today was typical of the weather we have been enjoying - crisp, sunny morning, warming up to the low 60s by Oklahoma City. We crossed the Red River, saying goodbye to Texas. Our major sightseeing for the day was at the Oklahoma City National Memorial. A ranger spoke to us about the symbolism of the outdoor plaza, and then we spent time on our in the museum. It was a very sobering visit. Ironically, before we left, we heard about today's domestic terrorism at the IRS building in Austin, TX where we had been 24 hours earlier. Our afternoon drive to Emporia took us past some green fields of winter wheat and through the Flint Hills, rolling pasturelands for as far as the eye could see.
Day 13
It was a chilly start to the day with 31 degrees, as we took our last look at the Riverwalk and the city of San Antonio. Again, bright sun and clear skies were a treat all day. An hour after leaving, we were in Hill Country with all the live oak trees and miles of hills. Our first stop was in Johnson City where we toured LBJ's boyhood home. Next we drove west to the LBJ National Park. Our tour through the park took us along the Pedernales River. We saw the family cemetery where both Lady Bird and Lyndon are buried, a replica of LBJ's birthplace, the school he first attended, and finally a tour through four rooms of the Texas White House. Johnson's office, the family living room, dining room and kitchen have been opened to the public. We also got to see several family cars, including one that was amphibious. Lunch in Austin was followed by a drive past the governor's mansion (being restored) and the state capitol building. We continued on to the Dallas/Fort Worth area where we are staying for our last night in Texas.
Day 12Starting the day in the low 30s, we made great strides. With bright sunshine, no wind, and temperatures at 61 degrees by noon, it has been just perfect. Palm trees around San Antonio, hanging baskets of pansies, green live oak trees along the Riverwalk, other trees beginning to leaf out, and the smell of freshly mowed grass all made for probably the nicest day yet. We watched the experts make shoes at San Antonio Shoes (SAS) and then bought some of that hand-crafted comfort for ourselves. Nickel coffee, fresh cookies and popcorn were also enjoyed before we left. We continued on to the Tower of the Americas, symbol of the 1968 HemisFair held here. After "flying" over Texas in a 4-D movie with special effects, we took the elevator to the very top for a bird's eye look at San Antonio. The view was clear in all directions. This afternoon, we are free to enjoy the RiverWalk, shopping, area restaurants and resting.
Day 11A step-on guide took us on a San Antonio city tour this morning. Outdoor visits to San Fernando Cathedral and Mission San Jose were brisk with morning temperatures in the high 30s with a little breeze. But clear skies and sunshine made the day dry, and by mid-afternoon it was in the high 50s. We learned about the rich history of the city with its many cultures. After lunch we explored the Buckhorn Hall of Horns and the Texas Ranger Museum followed by shopping time at the Mexican marketplace, El Mercado. The all-year-round Christmas decorations at Mi Tierra Restaurant were something to see, and quite a few of us bought some of their pastries or candy. This evening is another chance to take advantage of the country music show across the street, reported by those who went last night to be just excellent.
Day 10
This morning's drive was flat to the horizon in the Rio Grande Valley, but the closer we got to San Antonio, the more rolling the land became. Also there were were more large live oak trees. After lunch at the big River Center Mall, we walked in warm sunshine to meet our chartered boats for the ride on the Riverwalk. With 72 degree temperatures, for the first time we had short sleeves and thought about getting a tan. It was wonderful. We ended our ride at the Hyatt Hotel, where the San Antonio River flows through the building. As we came out of the Hyatt, we were looking directly at the Shrine of Texas Liberty, the Alamo. Our visit there included a history talk, a movie, and time to explore on our own. Our hotel tonight is right on the RiverWalk, a perfect location for exploring. Fifteen minutes after getting to the hotel, the wind came up, the temperature dropped 15-20 degrees, and it started to mist!
Day 9
Driving south of McAllen this morning, we saw more agricultural fields than e have seen previously. Our goal was the parking lot at the border with Mexico. We were ready to experience a different culture and shop. It was sunny, in the low 60s, and we had a great time. We bought belts, belt buckles, billfolds, jewelry, little statues for the yard at home and vanilla. We tried the pastries and coffee at Rene's Bakery, and we safely ate food at our choice of several Progreso restaurants. After coming back across the border, we went to the DonWes Flea Market. Both the Farmer's Market section and the regular flea market gave us plenty to look at and buy. We had some rest time at the hotel, and then it was time for the mariachi mass at the Virgin de San Juan del Valle Shrine. The church seats about 3,500 people, and the music is delightful. It was a good way to end our international day.
Day 8
It gave us a chuckle to hear, in the dark at 7 AM on February 12, a lawn mower and a weed whacker being used outside our hotel this morning! It was 45 degrees but dry as we drive east of McAllen. At the Texas Visitor Center, we picked up maps and brochures and watched a most interesting and informative video on sugar cane in the Rio Grande Valley. As we headed south, we passed a couple of fields of sugar cane. By the time we got to South Padre Island, it was still 45 degrees, still mostly cloudy, with a stiff breeze. We bundled up the best we could for our dolphin watch. Believe it or not, we were on an open boat and consider ourselves not really survivors but at least tough Midwesterners. We did see dolphin and we also enjoyed the close-up views of Port Isabel and the mobile homes right along the waterfront. As part of the ride, the crew dragged a net behind the boat for awhile, then pulled it up to show us what lives underwater. We got to see a hardhead catfish, a brittle starfish (early residents tried to get rid of them by cutting them up and throwing them back into the water, but starfish can regrow and instead of destroying the population that just multiplied their numbers) and puffer fish. We learned a lot and got to see brown pelicans close up as they hovered over our boat. By lunch time it was up to 56 degrees, and we were able to taste some fresh seafood, including shrimp and Red Snapper. When we came out of the restaurant, the sky had cleared, and the sun was bright. We drove to the northern part of the island where we discovered drifting and some people were trying to shovel out a stuck pickup. Not from snow, but from sand. We got off the bus to walk along the edge of the Gulf of Mexico which had really high waves today. Our next stop was at Sea Turtle, inc. where we learned about the different types of sea turtles. They had a number of large tanks, covered partway because of the cold weather, with these large turtles on display. After a stop for T-shirts and souvenirs, we made one more beach stop at Isla Blanca Park at the most southern end of the island. It looked to be high tide, and the waves were really rolling in. At least one of us learned that you never turn your back on the waves, even for a picture. Even with the low temperatures, in the bright sunshine, our impression was that the island looked like a tropical paradise with all the light colored buildings, resorts, palm trees and tropical vegetation. Tonight we are again enjoying gathering over hot food and cold beverages at the hotel.
Day 7
Breakfast this morning was an experience, as we were on the 11th floor of our hotel overlooking the marina below us on Corpus Christi Bay. Facing east, we were able to enjoy the sunrise and clouds. We looked at palm trees, sailboats, white buildings and joggers with city views from the left and right as we had glass on three sides. It was quite a view.
With 44 degrees and clouds, we headed south. There were flat plowed fields from horizon to horizon. A sprayer plane was working one field near the road. By the time we got to Kingsville, we had seen a DVD on the history of the King Ranch. On our tour of the ranch, we saw their Santa Gertrudis breed of cattle, experimental breeds of cattle, quarter horses, new foals, ranch buildings, the main house and some of the thousands of acres of ranch land. Pastures covering 1,000 acres are the small ones. The bigger ones are 5-10,000 acres. There are enough fences on the ranch to stretch from Kingsville, TX to Boston, MA, and you can drive 50-75 miles and still be on the property. After our driving tour, we had a barbecue at one of the camp houses used by cowboys in years past. With 45 degree temperatures, no sunshine and a breeze, we found that it was more comfortable eating if we shut most of the many windows! The food - roast beef, of course, with sausage, beans and cole slaw - was tender and delicious. After leaving the ranch, we spent time in downtown Kingsville at the Saddle Shop and at Harrel's Drug Store. They have great ice cream, and Midwesterners can eat that even when it's chilly!
The weather forecasters were right. This morning was rainy, so we changed our scheduled activities from outdoors to indoors. We ended up driving to Rio Hondo, seeing plowed fields that looked as if they went to the horizon and a large cotton gin. After a quick coffee break, we went to Reed Lang Farms Gift Fruit Packing where we met 84-year old Mrs. Lang. What an absolutely delightful little woman. She and her husband have been growing and selling citrus for 60 years, so we learned a lot from her. We learned that oranges and grapefruit do not ripen after they are picked. That oranges with green spots can be just as sweet and flavorful as solid orange ones, but for gift boxes, appearance matters. We saw where the fruit goes through the de-greening process using ethylene gas. We are not ready to go into the citrus business, but it was an impressive visit!
From there we drove to Edinburg where we had lunch and then visited the Museum of South Texas History. Native Americans, Spanish and Mexicans were all here first. When irrigation and the railroads came in the early 1900s, then they started bringing land seekers into South Texas. Because developers didn't tell the entire story of what life was like here, they were sometimes called "land suckers." But ranching gave way to crops of all sorts including the 49 different kinds of fruit and vegetables raised here. It really is an interesting museum, complete with an old jail and hanging room.
Our last stop of the day was at a packing shed, where we saw truck loads of cilantro, lettuce, kale, cabbage, onions and peppers were being packed. There was so much activity with fork lifts moving product from the trucks to the lines, then from the lines to the coolers, and from the coolers to waiting semis. Our guide was so informative. We learned that carrots were originally purple and that this area has developed a maroon carrot. We also learned that the Vidalia onion has been surpassed in sweetness by a new Little Bear Honey Sweet (ask your grocer to carry them!).
Ending the day with 56 degrees and skies promising better weather tomorrow, we enjoyed hot food and cold beverages at the hotel. We also had dessert because the manager of the restaurant this noon sent two pecan pies home with us!
Day 6
We continued south through dry ranch country into the Rio Grande Valley. Water brought by irrigation makes the difference in appearance. Our first stop was at the Iwo Jima Memorial in Harlingen where it had warmed up to 59 degrees. We saw the plaster model used to make the Marine Corps Memorial in Washington, D.C. Once we started driving to McAllen, we began getting a heavy mist, but by then we were finished with anything outdoors. They have had drought conditions (the King Ranch did not have one drop of moisture - either rain or mist - from September '08 - September '09) so they are now making up for it.
A little city tour of McAllen introduced us to the City of Palms before arriving at our hotel. Now everyone is enjoying the evening social hour, an opportunity for us to visit as well as have a light meal together.
Day 5
A cold front came with the heavy rain last night, so this morning we woke up to temperatures 25 degrees colder than last night. With a brisk wind, it was chilly! Our drive took us south into the Gulf Coast region of the state. Large flat plowed fields had water standing in between the ridges. We also passed both cleared and uncleared ranching acreages with cattle and new calves that gave us a feeling of spring. The farther south we drove, the greener the grass looked and the more palm trees we saw. By late morning we were in Corpus Christi, a large city located right on Corpus Christi Bay. We first drove along the waterfront, admiring the large homes and their beautiful landscaping. Then we went over a very high bridge, looking down at the busy port facilities. Our first stop was at the USS Lexington, a World War II aircraft carrier nicknamed the Blue Ghost. We were able to tour the various decks including the flight deck, have lunch and end our visit with the very exciting movie, "Fighter Pilot." From there we drove to the Texas State Aquarium. Their dolphin show and a close-up look at the dolphins was followed by a guided tour. Highlights included sea horses, birds and various fish found in the Gulf of Mexico. It was a delightful visit. Our hotel this evening is right on the waterfront downtown. With clear skies, brilliant sunshine and 55 degrees, we are enjoying the walkway along the waterfront and the chance to try some of the local fresh seafood.
Day 4
Leaving our Huntsville hotel this morning, we drove past the Texas State Penitentiary, one of five prisons within 10 miles of town. It is here that all of the death sentences are carried out in the state of Texas. As we drove south, we passed the large white cement statue of Sam Houston, first president of the Republic of Texas, who lived in Huntsville.
As we drove to Houston, we finished the movie, "Apollo 13," knowing that we would be seeing the actual Mission Control room on our tour at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. But our first stop in the metro area was at the San Jacinto Monument. It was a beautiful clear day, so our view from the tall structure was perfect. We looked out over the Houston Ship Channel which connects the port of Houston with the Gulf of Mexico. We had driven past miles of refineries getting to the monument, and learned that 1/4 of all the United States oil is refined in the area. The rest of our day was spent at Space Center Houston. With a space shuttle having been launched early this morning, it was exciting to attend a briefing of the current status of the mission, seeing pictures and hearing about their schedule and goals. Our tram tour of the Space Center took us onto NASA property and gave us the opportunity of looking down into the large facility used to train the astronauts. Some of our people "flew" the flight simulator. There were a few safe landings, but most of us crashed!
The forecast for today had been thunderstorms, but instead we were thrilled to have patches of blue sky, some sunshine and temperatures up to 69 degrees. We saw the first few raindrops after we had left the Space Center and were driving past the Astrodome and Reliant Stadium. By the time we got to the hotel, it was dry again. Everyone got into the hotel, all the baggage was safely under cover, and just as the bus (including the driver and escort) pulled away from the hotel to park, the sky got dark and it started pouring. Perfect timing!
Day 3
We are slowly warming up. Today it got up to 51 degrees, and although we had no sunshine, at least it was dry while we were outside sightseeing. Our morning started with a tour of Southfork Ranch, where the outside scenes of "Dallas" were filmed. The museum, two gift shops and the mansion itself gave us a chance to relive the glory days of that television series.
We continued south into the heart of the city of Dallas. At the Sixth Floor Museum we relived the Kennedy era with displays, videos and photographs about the assassination, the events following and the various theories. We saw the window from which the shots were fired, the grassy knoll and the triple underpass. On a brief sightseeing walk we saw Dealy Plaza where Dallas began, the tiny cabin where the first settler lived and the John F. Kennedy Memorial, an open tomb.
By then we were really ready for food, and our lunch was at Sonny Bryan's where we tasted some authentic Texas barbecue. For dessert, we stopped an hour later at a Russell Stover store.
From there it was a straight drive to Huntsville, TX. We watched "Apollo 13" to get ready for tomorrow's visit to Space Center Houston, but we also saw a variety of scenery outside the window: a few fields for row crops, some cleared pasture land with black angus grazing, ranch land that had uncleared scrub brush, and finally miles and miles of forest with large pine trees on either side of the interstate.
Indicators of warmer weather were seeing lots of bright pansies, leaves on live oak and magnolia trees, and more and more green grass. Again, we are praying for drier, warmer, sunnier weather tomorrow.
Day 3
Day 18
Day 14
