Remembering 2006

From Popeye 2006

Part of this past weekend was spent in utter frustration. This is partly due to two people using two different programs to organize our pictures with neither of us really having learned the programs. Add to that different versions of each program on different computers, and you can imagine the trouble we made for ourselves.

It seems that when Bob backed up all of our 2008 trip photos, he unintentionally put them into one file containing 2006 and 2007 photos. That left me with over 18,000 photos to sort through, and that was only up to Oct. of 2008. Finally, I found the 2006 photos and put just the photos taken from Sept. 20, 2006 to Dec. 31, 2006 into a separate album. That narrowed it down to just under 2,700 photos.

Of these, I selected the pictures most representative of our trip, from the time we picked up Popeye at the factory on Sept. 20th until the end of the year. I put those 216 photos into a separate album and created a web album of these.

Since these pictures have never been made public, I thought it would be fun to display 20 or so here, and if you like what you see, move to the right column and click on the link to my web albums. There you are free to view all 216. Enjoy!

From Popeye 2006

The lighthouse at the top is located at Cape Disappointment, at the mouth of the Columbia River on the Washington side. We made a circle tour of Oregon, before returned to the factory and picking up our dining room chairs, which needed to be reupholstered.

This next picture was taken en route to Nevada. From there we went through Arizona, New Mexico, and stayed in Texas for the rest of the year. Therefore, the remaining pictures were all taken in Texas.

From Popeye 2006

Who would have guessed that downtown El Paso has such great art? We had never been downtown in this rough and tumble city, and found much to our surprise.

From Popeye 2006

Our next stop was at the Caverns of Sonora, really out in the middle of nowhere! This is a great place to stop for a private tour of these amazing caverns. They even have an RV park with hook-ups.

From Popeye 2006

Next stop? San Marcos Texas. Actually they have a nice walk along the Colorado River, but this public building sits in the middle of the town square.

From Popeye 2006

Here's a view of the inside of the Capital Dome in Austin. One word of caution: If you park on the streets under trees after dark, be prepared to wash your car, that is, before you drive back from where you came!

From Popeye 2006

This photo of Carp was taken at the Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin. A neat place to visit if you've never seen it.

From Popeye 2006

After visiting with family in Plano (I'm sorry, but it's an ugly city for pictures!) we parked in Kemah, which is more or less between Houston and Galveston, which makes a good base for sight seeing. Of course we went to the NASA Johnson Space Center!

From Popeye 2006

We came across this interesting Quilt Museum in Galveston. Much to do and see, although the town probably doesn't look as good as my pictures since Katrina.

From Popeye 2006

An icon of Houston, there was much to do and see here. We got a fabulous tour of downtown, and without further commentary, here are a few of my favorite pictures:

From Popeye 2006

From Popeye 2006

From Popeye 2006

From Popeye 2006

From Popeye 2006

Here's a picture of the opposing ferry as we crossed over to Port Aransas. This was a great vantage point for visiting Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas. Would you believe the ferry ride was free!

From Popeye 2006

I found this display inside the USS Lexington. We visited way too many battleships to show here.

From Popeye 2006

How about a view of the beach and Gulf of Mexico?

From Popeye 2006

Naturally we visited San Antonio on our way back. A favorite city that also has a Central Market!

From Popeye 2006

This was taken at the Lyndon Johnson Ranch, and is the resting place for President Johnson. Lady bird was still alive and living on the ranch when we visited.

From Popeye 2006

Finally, we visited all the missions, beginning with the Alamo. I think this may be Mission San Juan, one of the last missions on the chain. They are all beautiful and we're glad we were able to see them all. If you want to see more, just click on the link to the web albums to the right and visit Popeye 2006.

Catching up on the Spanish Govenor's Palace

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

Today I posted our visit to the Spanish Governor’s Palace on December 5th. It was built to protect mission San Antonio De Valero, aka The Alamo and was the seat of Spanish Texas and the capitol building of the Spanish province of New Spain in 1772.

This is a real treat. Be sure to look at the Archive on the right for December 5th to see this treasure. Daughter Julie told us about how they were taken with it on their visit to San Antonio last March. We had never heard of it, and are we glad we had a chance to visit.

After leaving San Antonio, we drove over 1,000 miles in two days to get to Tucson, our favorite city in the southwest.

Coming up next: Visiting with friends in Tucson, Arizona.

From San Antonio at the Holidays 2008

Hi everyone! Just a quick blurb to let you know that our post of the River Walk in San Antonio is now complete, and dated December 4, 2008. We actually were there both on our anniversary after visiting Mi Tierra on the 3rd, and again on the 4th. Too many things to see and do!

Friday it felt like we were on the road again. We were up before dawn and got home after the stars were out. Tax seminar time! This is how I get behind on my posts. Leaving The Popeye Express prior to sunrise and returning with the stars day after day leaves me too tired to do anything but hit the bed when we return; that is, after a little time with the kitties.

Soon I will have the Spanish Governor's Mansion posted. It's an awesome place and if you haven't seen it before, be sure to do so when you next visit San Antonio!

Happy New Year!

The above picture was taken on our 31st wedding anniversary. The blog was just posted and dated on the actual day, December 3, 2008. I included this picture as I wanted to show you the trees they have everywhere in the restaurant. The decorations are nothing short of fabulous!

The next post will be of the River Walk, taken both on the same day and again on the next. We have lots and lots of pictures - too many in fact! Of special interest, was the visit to the Spanish Governor's Mansion. I'll have a separate blog on that.

However, tomorrow is the start of reality. Bob and I need to get up before the sun and drive to Del Mar for a tax seminar. I hoped to get more done, but getting ready for the tax filing season is a big job. After tomorrow, I'll try to get at least 1 blog done every few days until all our 2008 trip is posted.

Bob joins me in wishing you all a blessed New Year with good health, and if asking for prosperity is too much, at least maybe we can hope for a little financial security! The Kitties wish you all happy "meows."

Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas everyone. The end of our trip has arrived, and yes, there is much still to post. I'm still 2 1/2 states behind along with the end of our trip. Keep watching - I'm determined to get it all posted by the first of the year. Today, yes Christmas Day, was spent trying to figure out how to get 10,000+ photos backed up & one computer & restored to my desktop. Some of them actually made it - whew!

Since Christmas is all about families, this is a very short post with pictures of our family. None of the labels transferred over, so I had to use the hunt & peck method. They aren't great photos, but hey, they're here!

With blessings to all,

Honey, Bob, Pangor, Daphne & Tiazzi

Tucson, AZ

From Tucson AZ

Meet Maggie MacDonald, not the greatest picture, but still, cute as a bug, or in this case, a Yorkie. Her "Parents", Ron & Sandi drove down from the Phoenix area to meet with us in Tucson. I'll introduce Maggie's parents a little later.

So how did we get from San Antonio to Tucson? Well, if you've ever driven on I-10 through Texas, you will know there isn't much reason to stop. It's pretty barren out there. After 7 months on the road, a little R&R sounded pretty good. We drove from San Antonio in one day to El Paso.

The Welcome Center on the Texas side of the New Mexico border in Anthony, allow RVer's to park for 24 hours, has excellent lighting and even an armed guard. Of course, the prison located not far away (incidentally it is the most picturesque prison you will ever see!) may be the reason for the armed guard. In any event, there are lots of trucks that park overnight as well as other RVer's so we don't feel at all "at risk."

From Tucson AZ

From El Paso, it's an easy drive into Tucson. Of course this time of year is the beginning of high season. So rather than pay outrageous prices in cramped campgrounds for a few days, we opt for the Desert Diamond Casino, pictured above.

Although there are no hookups, if you enter off Highway 19, which goes to Nogales, and then take exit 80, you can easily pull into the drive for delivery trucks and go around the back of the casino coming around far enough to park along the edge of I-19.

From Tucson AZ

It is my practice to go into the casino to the security desk and ask for permission. They are very accomodating, asking only for the license on the RV and signing a statement which is pretty basic about not littering, and making noise, etc. They allow us to stay for an entire week!

As you can see from the picture, there is plenty of room, we are in no one's way, and this was taken at the height of the "crowds." I might add the buffet in the casino is slightly above average, and the ventilation system is good. I hate coming out of a casino smelling like an ash tray.

From Tucson AZ

We are blessed to have many friends in this area. Here we are with the Mac Donalds, (Maggie had to stay in the car) Ron on the left rear, and Sandi on the right rear, and friends Gloria, on the left, and Jack on the right, also RVers who live in Green Valley. The red hatted guy on the right is, of course, Bob.

We met at the La Placita in Green Valley for what was an outstanding lunch. As we all have RVing and many other things in common, it was a great get-together. The next time you happen to visit Green Valley, check out the La Placita. Your stomach will be happy!

And speaking of restaurants, those of you unfamaliar with Tucson will be blown away. Tucson, a destination city for resorts, ranches, and spas, has many killer restaurants.

From Tucson AZ

The one place we miss the most, both while in San Marcos and in our travels, is Beyond Bread. This photo shows the exterior at the Speedway & Wilmot location in east Tucson. The original location is on Campbell on the west side. The Speedway location is where all the baking takes place. Several years ago I asked just how much bread they bake on a daily basis. The answer? 1,800 loaves on weekdays, and about 2,500 on weekends. There are no preservatives, colors, or artificial leavening in any of their breads. The crusts are really crunchy and the inside is simply, well, divine. Open early for breakfast, they close around 8:00 PM at night. In addition to breads, they have soups, salads, the best sandwiches on the planet, and I won't even go into the desserts!

To avoid lines that literally can go out the front door, it's a good idea to arrive by 11:30 AM or after 2:00 PM for lunch. They also have free WIFI during the off-rush hours.

From Tucson AZ

And just in case you're wondering, no I don't get paid for anything I say or write about. These are just our findings about the places we visit and stay. There are other really great places to eat in Tucson, but since I don't have pictures from this trip, I'll pass for now. I am, however, thinking of adding campgrounds we stay at and restaurants that are outstanding at the end of each blog for our upcoming trip. I should add that when it comes to eating, Bob & I strive for fresh, organic, and minimally processed foods. A vegetarian restaurant is always a bonus. If you've come across some good ones, please leave your comments below. I've also added a gadget poll to the right. Please let us know if you're interested in my adding campgrounds & restaurants with the above criteria!

From Tucson AZ

Arizona sunsets are world famous. All that dust in the air! As we were sitting inside Popeye one night, I noticed the sky turning red. I grabbed our camera, crouched down in front of Popeye, and took this photo, right where we parked along the freeway. In dim light & without a tripod, & especially with no great vantage point, it turned out fairly well.

From Tucson AZ

Then I turned around 180 degrees, and took this picture of the casino. And lastly, I snapped this last picture. Hope you enjoy it. Our trip to Tucson was for 5 short days. Mostly we rested and were able to meet with really good friends. We are so fortunate to be able to Go RVing, see interesting places, meet good friends we've found along the way, and stay in touch. That's what life is all about.

From Tucson AZ

Coming up next: Catching up in North Carolina.

Spanish Governor’s Palace

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

This palace, what we today would call the Governor’s Mansion, is one of the earliest buildings in the Presidio de Bejar. It was the capitol building of the Spanish province of New Spain in 1772 until 1821, when Mexico won its independence from Spain.

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

The National Geographic Society considered it “the most beautiful building in San Antonio.” Bob and I find the architecture nothing short of serene. It may be the sole remaining example of an aristocratic early Spanish house, at least in Texas.

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

Consisting of 10 rooms with a grand courtyard and fountain, today you can rent out the courtyard for receptions. The 10 rooms consist of a Chapel, Entrance, Ballroom, the Governor’s main quarters, Chamber Law Room, Family Room, 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and terrace.

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

The elaborate keystone above the front entrance is marked with the coat-of-arms of Spanish King Ferdinand VI and the phrase “ano 1749 se acabo” suggest the construction was completed in 1749. The seashells represent la Niña, la Piñta, and la Santa Maria sailing for the new world, and the dragons represent the dangers encountered by the first settlers. Finally, the baby face suggests the new country, America. Of course, the picture I took vanished!

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

The Spanish Governor’s Palace fell into private hands after Spain lost control of Texas. In 1929 the Palace was acquired by the City of San Antonio and restored. It is now maintained by the Downtown Operations Department and is open to the public as a museum. A very small entrance fee is charged. It is located between Market Square and the San Antonio River Walk near City Hall.

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

From The Spanish Governor's Palace

Several more pictures follow in this slide show. As flash photography is not allowed inside the palace, the low light conditions made some of the pictures a little grainy. I think you will enjoy them anyway.



For further information: (210) 224-0601

Spanish Governor's Mansion