Texas....Texas...Texas.....and Finally California

     On April 2, 2018, we departed Sun-N-Fun bright and early, hoping to have a good jump on the morning commuter traffic.  We always feel sorry for them, slaving away probably at a job they don't enjoy, and having to endure the ridiculous traffic every day!  But we know just how fortunate we are to be able to live the lifestyle we have, so we just wave at our idiot earth mates we're forced to share the rode way with. 
     Debbie had returned last night after a whirlwind flight up and back to NY.  Gage was being welcomed into the Catholic Church, and Debbie wasn't going to miss it.  Everyone is pretty proud of him....except Superman.....but we're gonna work on that this summer!! I have given up flying, and opted to stay home.  Just can't seem to pull the trigger on climbing onto one of those things.  Gage passed all the tests with flying colors and MaryAnne got a Reeses peanut butter ice cream cake to top off the celebration.  I had been left with the job of getting Big Red ready to move, and we had an uneventful departure right on schedule. 
      Florida seems to have completed most of the construction on I-75, and we cruised northbound before hitting our first tie up near Tampa.  After that it was pretty clear sailing, and we headed for our first stop along I-10 at the Twin Lakes Camp Resort in Defuniak Springs, Fl.  Eight hours and a little over 400 miles later, and we found ourselves still in Florida on our first night out.

 

     

     We were up bright and early for Day 2, as we were kinda under the gun to get to California before the arrival of grand baby #2!  Total trip was going to be a little over 2400 miles, but Grammie was convinced we weren't going to make it.  I did a thorough check of the astrological charts, ascertained that we weren't facing the arrival of a full moon, and was pretty confident that the arrival of grand baby #2 was not imminent!  None the less, each day my navigator pushed the envelope, and managed to talk me into 400+ miles each day!  With little fanfare we pushed through Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and into Louisiana before stopping on Day 2!
     No matter what, we knew that Day 3,4 & 5 were going to be in Texas, so the navigator went to work finding a route around the major Texas cities we were aiming for as we traversed the state on I-10.
     We turned north just outside of Houston, and even though it got a little thick with traffic, we managed to get through it unscathed, and pointed Big Red toward Austin.   It wasn't long before our 2 lane highway brought us into the Texas Hill Country.   Cruising along Texas Route 290, we passed a sign for College Station, home of the Presidential Library of George H.W. Bush, and our friends John and Sharon, fellow RV'ers and bloggers of  On the Road of Retirement  As we approached the town of Chapel Hill, Texas, suddenly, there they were!  We had only heard stories about them and we had hoped to see them one day.  Now here they were, spreading out over the Texas hills before us.  The Texas Blue Bonnets!  We've been told that their blossoming depends completely on the winter rainfall, and locals are never sure where or when it will happen.  But suddenly we were surrounded by massive fields of blue! 

     It was a complete surprise as we topped the hill to a display of blue with  field after field full of Texas Blue Bonnets, the official flower of Texas. We thought we were just a tad too early for them, but today was our lucky day.  We found a safe place to pull over, and exited Big Red into a cool crisp Texas afternoon. 

It's hard to describe just how striking the fields of Blue Bonnets were, and you'll just have to go to Texas and experience it yourselves.  Debbie even jumped in and helped some other "tourists" memorialize their visit.
      Then, after an overnight outside of Austin, our next stop was near Fredericksburg, Tx , home of the Lyndon B Johnson National Historic Park.  This was out 2nd pass through this are of Texas, and we haven't been able to get over there for a visit.
     Next of our agenda was a lunch date with Randy and Retha. Time just wasn't going to allow an overnight visit to San Angelo, but since we were passing just a little to the south on I-10, Debbie phoned up Retha and made plans for a rendezvous in Sonora for lunch.  Amazingly we arrived within a few minutes of each other and had a wonderful lunch.  It's always a great treat to meet up with them whenever our paths get close to each other.  After a quick lunch, it was back to I-10 to continue our journey westbound.
     The remainder of the journey was uneventful until we crossed into CA and Debbie started receiving weather alerts for high winds in the Jacumba area.  Seems like every time we pass through here, we're faced with having to decide on whether to chance a desert and mountain crossing in high winds, or to just wait a day for the weather to clear.  As always we slowed our pace, and parked early in Yuma, deciding to wait it out.  If you've ever experienced these winds and seen the destruction these winds can produce, you'll understand why we always err on the side of caution.  We enjoyed a very hot afternoon in the campsite pool, and returned to Big Red just before the winds converged on our site completely obliterating the sun with the dirt and dust from the surrounding desert.  Looks like we made the correct decision.
     On April 8, we pulled into Santee Lakes, a day ahead of schedule, and still no sign of any granddaughter.  Patting ourselves on the back, we set up camp, and headed over to see Liam, Jamo, and oh yea......Ben and Joanne! 

Of course we had to start the birthday celebrations, and it was hard to see who was more excited when the ice cream cake came out.  Just who's 63rd birthday were we celebrating??  Ben and Joanne had a very nice dinner planned, and it was hilarious to see Liam and Jamo jockeying for position near the cutting board as dad carved up a nice, juicy tri-tip.

   Trust me, Jamo is parked in betweem the two of them, waiting for his handout also.

      So now we're on baby watch.  And then  we'll be on house selling watch.  And then moving watch!  Not too much going on right now.  Stay safe everyone and we'll let you know how this turns out.

Sarasota and Back to California

     We are currently in Santee, CA celebrating the arrival of Nora Kathleen!  Making preparations for a cross-country adventure to New York.


     We've been having a pretty good time here at Sun-N-Fun, Sarasota.  The weather has been quite comfortable, and if we can keep Debbie out of the doctor's office, everything would be perfect.  The vertigo episodes that started in CA are persisting,  and have really knocked her for a loop.  People report that their attacks last only a few minutes, but she's been down for a few days now.  The latest doctor says there's no underlying issue and this will probably have to run its course.  Hopefully it resolves soon.
     

   

     St Pat's Day 2018 started early as we made preparations to get all the trimmings into the Davey Crockett Grill for 5-6 hours of easy smoking.  No mess-No fuss-  everything into an aluminum pan and it turned out as tender and delicious as we knew it would.  Dean and Joanne joined us after their daily pickle ball routine, and I had a rough time getting Dean filled up!
      Dean and Joanne also mentioned a visit to the Ringling Museum in downtown Sarasota.  The admission price was a little steep, but then I found out it was valid for 3 days, which gives visitors an opportunity to visit the entire compound.  The museum includes massive displays of circus paraphernalia and exhibits.  If you can imagine the excitement generated in the cities and towns around the country in the early 1900's when the circus train would arrive and the show would begin. 

     From the railroad depot, the parade would begin, as all the equipment and animals needed to be moved to a field large enough to handle the show.  Lions, tigers, elephants, and brass bands would make their way through town, and I would imagine that everyone from miles around would plan on attending! 

     Everyone was in costume, including the animals, as the day finally arrives for the Greatest Show on Earth!  Why wouldn't every kid in America want to run away to the circus!

These are actually miniature carvings recreating the scenes that entertained thousands of people across the country.  The display was massive and the details are incredible. 
      We also had the opportunity to tour Ca'D'Zan, the home of John and Mable Ringling, completed in 1920 on the shores of Sarasota Bay.  Unfortunately Mable died within a few years of completion, but the guests invited to the mansion included who's who of the political and entertainment machine. 

Unfortunately I was not permitted to take photos of the interior of the house, but you can imagine the opulence on display inside.  Priceless portraits adorned in gold plated frames, porcelain vases and statues from around the world are on display throughout. 

     One of the most impressive aspects of the mansion is the multiple colored panes of glass in each of the windows.  With the sun shining into the windows, the interior rooms were bathed in multiple colors adding a unique display to each room.  You can see the multiple colors displayed on the interior draperies in the photo above.  The tour also included admission into a massive art gallery of portraits and sculptures collected from all over the world.  A truly unique feature of the art museum is found in the walls and floors of several of the displays.  John and Mable Ringling were able to purchase entire rooms of mansions which were destined for destruction in NYC, and actually reconstructed them in the gallery.  Many of the floors, walls and doors originated in these mansions and are preserved forever in the Ringling Museum.
     On April 3, 2018 we departed Sarasota enroute 2400 miles back to Santee, hopefully before the arrival of our first grand-daughter, Nora Kathleen.  We actually do not know the name, but we do know a girl is on the way.  Debbie's guess is Nora Derek Jeter Doody.  I wonder how close she is this time.  Remember her guess for our grand-son was Liam Derek Jeter Doody!