Fried Oreos

Where but in Texas would you find Fried Oreos, Fried Snickers, Fried dill pickles, Fried Twinkies...???

This was a surprise yesterday...this nice policewoman riding this beautiful mount, Mikey, walked up to the RV window to talk while we were parked in a WalMart parking lot. I just love Texas!

We seek out factory tours and love to find the ice cream factories. This is Blue Bell Ice Cream (really, really good!). We added that to our list of ice cream factories we've toured...Blue Bunny, Ben & Jerry's, Blue Bell. May be Breyers will be next...

One of our favorite On the Road activities...Presidential Libraries. This is at President George H.W. Bush's in College Station, TX --- a 2.5 ton section of the Berlin Wall.

Best part of traveling - looking up friends and family. This is Sal's cousin Frank, his son, daughter-in-law and grandson. We just love seeing Frank who has had a life of adventures that just knock your socks off. We'd never met his family before and that was a treat. We plan to meet up with all of them again in July at a family reunion in IL.

Still in Texas...

One of the things we've learned to seek out - State Capitol buildings. Beautiful and free admission! Here's Austin ... and the trees are blooming.




Another thing we seek out - Presidential Libraries and Museums. Wonderful history lessons.





My favorite thing in LBJ's library was this letter from a school boy.








More to look for in Texas...BBQ joints! They are renowned for smoked beef, pork, sausage. Go in and buy right out of the smoker...
smells so good in there. (And then you and your clothes smell like that all day long.)



We have had SUCH a good time visiting friends from Scottsdale who relocated to a ranch outside a tiny Texas town. Allen and Mayra have the most incredible collection of animals. These 3 - Paco, Macho and Guapo (which means "handsome" in Spanish) - Mexican long horn cattle.


Notice the new hairdo that the photographer gave me?






This little cutie is Clementine, one of 3 burros who live with 3 horses.











And this is the herd of 7 mini African goats that love to go for walks. We took them on a long walk around the ranch.






Allen lets the chickens out to graze then gets them back in their pen with his special chicken broom...



That's their beautiful house in the background that they built - overlooks their pool and pond and acres of land. Not a neighbor in sight. So peaceful.

Fredericksburg, Texas

Yes, I DO drive the big rig diesel pusher! It's fun and easy (well, at least on the Interstates..)


.
.

Gregg still does the hard part of driving but he has found he really likes my new front passenger recliner seat...

.
.
OK, now what could be better than a cute little town of 10,000 or so that has German Biergartens and breweries and friendly people???

We've been through Fredericksburg twice before but this is the first time we've been able to stay long enough to see a lot of it. We are loving it.

Newly re-opened 12-7-2009 by George H.W. Bush is the National Museum of the Pacific War and it is world class ... absolutely fascinating. Admiral Chester Nimitz was born here in Fredericksburg.

See some of my pictures here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/sschin999/MuseumOfThePacificWar#5444545874020926082

I loved this pennant, the personal motto of a ship man that means "What the Hell." It confused the Japanese, stopped a bombardment, and allowed evacuation of some missionaries in China.

There is so much interesting information in this museum. I learned that the Japanese did not surrender right after the dropping of the 2 big bombs. Almost a week later 800 bombers and 200 fighters dropped another 6,000 tons of ordnance on 8 more Japanese cities before they surrendered.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

May we all learn from a museum like this...the best we have seen since the incredible museums in France remembering the horrors of the European World War II.

Deming, New Mexico

We've had a great time here with sister Betty for 2 days. She & I worked at things like hanging these pictures on her living room wall, organizing her quilting studio, shredding bags full of old files from her office. Gregg had fun running around town getting a screen repaired and new tires on her car for her. So we rewarded ourselves with a pizza feast and watching Mel Brooks' Spaceballs last night.
Thanks for fun times, Betty! Now we need to hit the road again - still looking for warmer weather...

On the road again ....

Wow - we finally dragged ourselves out of Prescott. Been trying to leave for weeks and just couldn't break away from good friends, things to do, needed a new roof on the house, needed tax documents, Dr and dentist and eye check ups, just life...

We have had a great time at home in Prescott but have this ITCH to be traveling. It's NOT just that we are WW's as our friends from Wyoming say - Weather Weenies. (Though it has snowed and rained a lot this winter...good for the vegetation. The roots must be partying underground this winter.)

Tonight we are in the Benson, AZ Walmart parking lot. Had dinner with son Andy in Mesa last night. Stopped in Tucson today to see former clients Bonnie & Russ and RV friends we met in Duluth, MN last summer - Ellen & Mike. Great to see all of them. We'll be off tomorrow for a couple of days with sister Betty in Deming, NM.

McDowell Mountain Park

Gorgeous out here in Fountain Hills. One of our favorite parks, where we were married on Jan. 13, 2003. Snow on Four Peaks this year.

Sunset reflected on Superstition Mountains.

.

.

.

.

.

But the storms last week left some damage. Ranger tells me the are 11 saguaros confirmed down in the park. Doesn't happen often but 7 inches of rain here followed by high winds did the old guys in. Some are hundreds of years old. Good thing they are plentiful here, not endangered species. They can't be saved due to breaking when they fall.

Maps - 2009 and 2010 plans

Here's the tentative plan for Feb-Sept 2010: 18 states. Are we going to cross your paths anywhere?? Let us know!
.
.
.
.
Here's what we did in 2009 - 6 1/2 months, April-Nov, 16 states.