TX Trip Day 6 - Waco & the Salt Lick

Since our original plans for the trip became a little skewed last Saturday we made some readjustments. On Sunday March 24th, we had planned on having lunch with my Great-Aunt Margaret and her daughter Betty Ann, but we had to drive south instead of east due to Winter Storm Virgil. We re-scheduled with Margaret and Betty Ann for today. They live in Dallas (about a 5 hour drive from where we're staying), so we arranged to meet in Waco (just under a 3 hour drive for us). It was nice to meet Betty Ann (1st cousin to my mom, 1st cousin-once removed to me). She worked as a missionary in India for 11 years mostly during the 1990's. She continues to work for the same organization, but stateside. Aunt Margaret has long since retired and is living with Betty Ann. They brought some old pictures to share and we chatted a lot of about family history. I'm sure Thckblckglasses was bored, but he endured for us!

Aunt Margaret knew this was our first time in east Texas and so she had copied a page out of a Texas guide book. It had a few attractions listed for Waco and at first glance I could see Dr. Pepper Museum. I was ecstatic! How cool would that be? The hours were until 4 pm, and I didn't want to rush the ladies with socializing so I just put it out of my mind. Lunch was over by 3:30 pm and we needed to kill some time before heading out to a suggested BBQ joint south of Austin. We could make it to the museum in 6 minutes and check it out.

Upon reaching the museum we learned that the last ticket is sold at 4:15 pm, but it's open until 5 pm. Jack pot!!! Thckblckglasses and I bought tickets and took the self-guided tour. The museum is located in the exact spot where Dr. Pepper was invented and first turned into a mass product. There was a lot of history behind the product and other products it has since merged with (i.e. Big Red and 7-Up). We had Dr. Pepper floats afterwards and bought a few souvenirs. 

We finally headed south to The Salt Lick. The place was suggested by a friend that recently moved away from Austin; and highly recommended by her husband - no other place could compare - he said. The place is cash only and BYOB (yes - bring your own beverage!), so on the way in we stopped for some alcohol (at a local gas station - and, no, not that crappy 3.2 stuff, it's the real stuff). We arrived just before 8 pm and were told it would be an hour wait for a table. There was plenty of space to hang out and listen to the musician on an outdoor stage. 

Half-hour later we were seated at a table. Alcoholic beverages in hand we each ordered the Family Platter - BBQ sausage, pork ribs, and brisket piled high on a plate - ALL YOU CAN EAT. They also give sides like bread, coleslaw, beans, and potato salad. We stuffed ourselves full - maybe even past - and rolled back to the car. The food was so well done and smoky, it made it hard to put down. It will be hard to compare any other BBQ from here on out once eating at the Salt Lick - No Regrets!!

After dinner it was only an hour drive home. We are checking out of the condo tomorrow (apparently check out is before 10 am!!), but we're getting a free breakfast from the management company. We'll meet up with the rep. (the same lady who's been taking up so much of my mom's time) and she'll buy! Then we'll pack and head out for Odessa, TX. There will be loads of family to visit over the last 3 days of our trip. More to come!

Texas Trip - Day 5 - San Antonio

We stayed in San Antonio today. The original plan was to spend a day in Corpus Christi but I think all the driving is wearing us out and we wanted a day to relax. Mom spent the morning with the condo lady - getting hooked up with some swag; Thckblckglasses and I slept in and waited for her return.

We had lunch at a BBQ place called County Line. The service was slow, but they were packed and the waitress was kind enough to give us free iced tea. The BBQ was okay, nothing to write home about (oh wait, isn't that kind of what I'm doing here?!), but if you're on the riverwalk and want some BBQ it seems to be the place to come. Thckblckglasses and I shared a 5 item plate with pork ribs, beef ribs, sausage, brisket, and turkey. The beef ribs were huge, but a bit tough. I think we both agreed that the pork ribs were the best. I'm not sure if it's common in TX, but there was no BBQ sauce on the table - we like to add more - so that was a bit disappointing.

After lunch mom wanted to go to some caverns for spelunking, but due to time constraints and the distance we would have been unable to make it in time. We decided to try for the Tower of Americas again. Thckblckglasses and I took a river taxi to the Hemisfair Park area, close to the tower, and then just walked over to it. The tower is 750 feet tall, and we traveled to the top to find a double level deck. One was enclosed and included information about the history of Texas and San Antonio; the other deck was open air. Today was clear so we could see far in the distance.

Afterwards, we explored a bit of the park. There were some old homes left on the property of the park, which was created for the World's Fair in the 1960's. One house was labeled as belonging to an old mayor and was dated around 1898. All the properties were run down and most were not labeled as important.

Previously, we had bought an all-day ride ticket for the taxis, so we decided to ride the whole riverwalk. From one end to the other it took us about an hour. By the time we made it back to the condo it was already dinner time.

Mom has a good habit of buying cheap coupons on restaurants.com so she had a $25 "gift card" to Tony Romas (that she probably spent $7 on!), so that was our destination. River taxis shut down around 9 pm, and it was already 8 pm, but we took one to the restaurant anyway (we figured we could take a car taxi or walk back to the condo).

After dinner, and several beverages of the alcohol persuasion, we convinced mom to walk and stop at bars along the way. Most everyone seemed to closing shop for the night (yep, it was only about 10 pm). The Original Mexican Restaurant & Bar was still open (24 hours a day, in fact), so we found a table right by the river and ordered some drinks. It was nice to just sit and chit-chat in open air. Although San Antonio has been cooler than usual, it has been great weather for us Coloradans to enjoy.

Now, midnight, we are back in the condo, and some members of our party are snoring away - possibly on to a hangover!!!

TX Trip - Houston - Day 4

Day 4 of our trip brought on a day-trip to Houston. It's about a three and a half hour drive from San Antonio and we had good intentions of leaving early. The place we're staying in is actually a timeshare condo in which my mom owns; and they were plying her with her with a 'visitor packet' and saying they wanted to meet with her. Uh, once you buy the timeshare, aren't they supposed to STOP harassing you? Guess not!

Anyway, a person from guest services (or whatever they call themselves) came up to chit-chat with my mom. She didn't show until 8:30 am, so we were waiting around. Our original goal had been to leave at 8, so we didn't think it would be a big deal. The lady came in, made herself comfortable on the coach, and started asking a whole list of questions from a sheet. I thought we'd never get out of here, but the lady was kind enough to ask what we were up to today. When she found out we were headed to Houston she made another appointment with my mom and took off.

So, we could finally get on the road, right? Haha! We had yet to grab some breakfast, so I found Einstein Bros. Bagels on the map and thought we could access it from the street. After circling around the address I finally let my mom and thckblckglasses out of the car to search on foot. Half-hour later they had ordered and made it back to the car. Leaving San Antonio around 10 am, with a 3.5 hour drive, and NASA closing at 5 pm, was cutting it close!!!

Driving between the two cities wasn't terrible. The normal crazy truck drivers that pull out in front of a speeding (80 mph or more) vehicle to pass a fellow trucker at 70 mph did nothing for the car's gas mileage. We came into Houston at mid-day so at least it wasn't rush hour. I'm pretty sure I got into the HOV lane when I wasn't supposed to (EZ Tag only signs prevailed - whatever that is!), so I may receive a ticket in the mail soon.

Our first stop was NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. We bought tickets online because they were half price, which was a good deal because most of the attractions were for children. The daily schedule that's handed to you upon arrival gave the suggestion of a tram ride, space gallery show, blast off! show, and something else (slips my mind!). My first thought was to hop on the tram for a tour of the grounds. I'm glad we did that, apparently this was a popular destination for spring breakers and we stood in line for almost an hour.

The tram drove past the buildings were NASA scientists, engineers, and other busy bees were hard at work planning the next mission to space. The tour took us through the training facility for astronauts preparing to stay on the International Space Station. Usually, it goes through other training facilities too, but as they were currently in use we were unable to see them. The campus is huge and built like a typical college campus to encourage comradeship. The last stop is a walk-through tour of the storage facility for the Saturn V rocket. Several rockets and components sit outside the building (including the Mercury - Redstone), but upon walking inside the view of the fully restored rocket is incredible!

At the end of the tram tour we had just under an hour to explore everything else. Many of the suggested shows were already in progress for their final run of the night. Math Alive! was front and center, so I did walk through that a bit, but realized that it would have be much more exciting and fun with a kid. I thoroughly enjoyed the tram ride, but would mostly suggest this visit to families with children.

For dinner we met up with my cousin at a cajun restaurant she suggested. It was just a little out-of-the-way place called BB's Cafe, but those are usually the best. My cousin explained that many of the displaced New Orleans-ites came to Houston after Hurricane Katrina and set up restaurants. Yum! Authentic cajun food!

The drive home took only 3 hours, so with relief I crashed on the bed. It's tough to do a day-trip to Houston from San Antonio, but I'm glad we did it :)

TX Trip Day 3 - Fun in San Antonio

After the debacle of the last 2 days, we decided to sleep in a bit and just get up when we were ready. I think we made it out the door around 1:30 pm, but we were able to cram in some fun stuff.

Taken by Liveislife (http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5309985)

In any city, we have to visit Hard Rock Cafe; this trip is no exception. It was our first stop for lunch and merchandise. Located along the Riverwalk, we were able to sit out and watch the people go by. The temperature was around 55*, so it was bit chilly, but there were strategically placed heaters all around the patio. It was a nice place to sit, check out the huge cypress trees, watch the water taxis, and grab some grub.

Our next stop was The Alamo! The mall across the street is playing an IMAX movie about it, but unfortunately we ran out of time. It's a highly recommended movie, so if you're in San Anton, check it out. The Alamo was built in the 1700's and ended up being the symbol for Texas' freedom. No pictures are allowed inside the original Shrine, but the facade is famous (and front and center on the website!). The grounds surrounding the shrine are beautiful gardens and other various buildings taken care of by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

Afterwards, we attempted to see the Tower of the Americas, but it was reserved for a private party. Maybe later this week we'll get the chance. It's the second largest free standing tower in America and has a rotating restaurant on top with an observation deck above it. I'll be sure to post if we get the chance to visit.

We spent the rest of the evening along the Riverwalk. There is a short, half-hour, narrated barge tour throughout the downtown area that we hopped on. This gave us a bit of insight into the Riverwalk, it's origins, and what types of shops and restaurants are along the way. This covers just a portion of it, and if there's time we may tour other sections.

Dinner at a nice little place called Rita's on the River allowed us to relax a bit. A mariachi band came over and played us a catchy tune while we ate. Afterwards, we walked down the river to a margarita bar, Rio Rio, and sat right against the railing to the river. Ducks swam around and the throngs of people closed in. 60 oz. later we decided it was time to go back to the hotel room. I'm glad we didn't feel rushed today, but tomorrow we're off to another adventure - Houston and the Johnson Space Center!!

TX Trip Day 2 - Successful Arrival

So I have to start tonight's blog post with 2 contrasting travel pictures. The top one here is yesterday, our attempt to get out of Colorado. The bottom one is our successful travel through New Mexico and into Texas!

All of us, including Pepe Monkey, decided to take it slow this morning as we were unsure what would lay before us. Leaving the hotel around 9:45 am, we found the roads a bit slushy, but nothing we couldn't handle. Only a few miles into New Mexico (about 20 minutes into our trip), we turned off the major highway I-25 onto a smaller one, only to find it blocked by a big "Road Closed" signed.

Luckily enough, 2 cars decided to slide past the sign and talk to some state troopers watching over the road. Upon their return thckblckglasses waved one car down to ask what was said. We were told that the road may be closed for half an hour or five hours, the trooper was non-committal. TBG flipped the car around and we headed in a new direction - again diverted!

Eventually, we were able to head in the right direction. The roads were still slushy, but the further east we traveled, the less slushy they seemed to be. Once reaching Amarillo, TX the roads were clear and the speed limit was 75 mph - time to catch up.

It was a relief to finally be going in the right direction and travelling through multiple states, as intended. There was a good driver rotation and snacks all around. 

I'm not sure how well you'll be able to see the details in the picture. In the foreground are 2 oil pumps (known as grasshoppers!) and they are surrounded by hundreds of brand, new wind turbines. I love how this is a contrast of old fuel and new fuel resources.

 Well, it's time for bed in the old west. More adventures to be had this week, so stay tuned for the family adventure :)

Spring Break - Texas Road Trip Day 1

This has easily been the weirdest day ever!

Me, thckblckglsses, and my mom left our house this morning at 5am with intent to be in Wichita, Kansas by nightfall. During the night it had started snowing, and unbeknownst to us the highway between our major city, Denver, and the state line was closed. In theory, this trip should have taken us around 9 hours to complete (including stops). In reality, we are not there, not even close.

We hung out at a local fast food joint called Del Taco in order to pass the time and hope the highway opened up again. After 2 hours we realized this would not happen, and started to discuss our options. It was finally decided that instead of driving east to Kansas, we would drive south directly into Texas (our final destination for this road trip). An hour later we were on the road, and by Noon we were ready to stop for lunch. 

Although, it was still snowing the roads were passable and the goal seemed to be a possibility. 

By 2pm our hopes dwindled. Diverted from the highway due to a multi car pile-up, we picked our way through the small town of Fountain. Emerging back on the highway around half hour later, only to find ourselves at the back of the line of cars stuck behind the pile-up. My mom made the brave decision to drive through the median (thoroughly covered with snow and a bit slick) in order to pop us back out on the opposite side. A short drive back to our exit point allowed us to follow a side road an hour down the road to Pueblo.

After stopping for a quick bathroom break (ok, not quick, as everyone else on the road was there!), we were back on the highway and happily headed toward the border. Roads were intermittently slick and wet. A mere 8 miles from the border we were again diverted off the highway!!! So frustrating!!!

Someone did not want us to make it out of the state today. Cozily snuggled in beds at the local hotel we wait for sleep and pray for better weather tomorrow. Texas is our final destination, and, as I told my sister on the phone today, we will get there even if we have to walk.