DAY 112- Civil Rights and a Confederate Capital…

Early the next morning I went to downtown Montgomery to the Rosa Parks Museum that is run by Troy University.  Rosa Park has been referred to as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.  It was a wonderful experience visiting the museum.  I started in a room the showed a film of Montgomery now and then it showed how the city was prior to the arrest of Rosa Parks.  There were local citizens of the community that spoke on film of their memories of how it was with the Jim Crowe Laws in effect.  The film showed photos of signs of white only and black only.  Next, the doors opened up into a room where there was a old bus in the middle of it.  It was like a step into the past.  Through the windows of the bus played out the scene of Rosa Parks’ arrest.  Rosa was firm but passive during the whole event.  She maintained her dignity too.  It was fascinating to watch.

Photo- Just inside of the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, AL.

Next, a set of church doors opened and I learned about what happened within the community after that.  It was very interesting to learn about the influence that Rosa Parks had on Martin Luther King too.  It was also amazing the level of planning and community involvement that it took to keep the boycott going.  There was a great deal of organizing that went into the carpooling that managed to get people to their jobs over the 13 month boycott.

Photo- The home Martin Luther King lived in Montgomery, AL
which is now a museum and was closed for the day.

Next, I found I had to laugh a bit and found it rather ironic that I ended up following a Montgomery City Bus on the way to Martin Luther King Jr’s house.  The home had been turned into a museum but had been bombed when the Kings lived there.  Well, the MLK House was closed.  Darn it!  So I just ended up driving by and taking a photo.

Photo- The front of the Alabama State Capital.

Then, I parked my car a few blocks away in front of the Alabama State Capital which happened to be the same Capital that was used by the Confederates as a base for government.  I really found it interesting that all of this history was within a few blocks.  I put money in the parking meter and then walked up the front steps of the Capital.  Meanwhile, a group of elegantly clad high school kids were coming down.  It looked like a choir with the boys in suits and the girls in long blue taffeta skirts.  I felt a bit under dressed and wondered if something special was going on in the Capital.

Photo- The foyer area just inside the front door of the Alabama State Capital.

The state capital of Alabama is like a mini replica of our nation’s capital.  It’s white with the columns down the front and a dome up top.  It’s placed on a hill that I found out was called “Goat’s Hill” which accounts for the gift shop’s name in the basement.  I took a picture of the outside.  They have a statue in the front that’s Mr. Confederate President himself, Mr. Jefferson Davis.  I’m always fascinated that they like to brag about their confederate history here in the south.  I would’ve been embarrassed to be a part of this but here they almost brag about it; which makes it even more interesting that a few blocks away is a museum dedicated to the mother of civil rights.  The south is such a quandary.

Photos- Of the rotunda of the Alabama State Capital.

I walk into the front door of the capital expecting security like most state capitals with roped off areas, a scanner and a gate that I would walk through; after I empty my pockets of change and keys.  Nope!  There’s a large Christmas tree in a foyer with stairs wrapping up on each side as I walk in.  Off to one side and back, there’s a security guard sitting at a table with an older lady at an information table.  There’s a table and detection gate way back and off to the side.  I say hi and the guard asks to check my purse and then after a bit has me walk through the gate.  It was a very laid back type of thing.  I was really surprised. 

I got a map of the capital from the lady and she asked where I was from.  She was rather proud that someone as far away as Utah wanted to see her state capital.  She asked me to sign the visitor’s book and welcomed me.  From there I just walked around on the main level which was mostly all white walls with elaborate molding.  Down the center hall, they must have had some event going on there were men in military outfits and dressed up people.  I walked around them; getting the eye from some state policeman with a wide brimmed flat hat.  I took out my camera, took pictures, and read signage about the building.   The state policeman is really keeping an eye on me and standing next to another man that other people are shaking his hand and wanting to talk with.  It turns out later that I was actually in the same room as the Alabama governor.  Their security is very laid back; it was mind boggling.

Photo- The first floor area, all very white.

I walked up to the next level where I could see in the dome area which was lovely but smaller than other capitals I have been in.  I was also amazed at how many doors were open and I could see Capital workers and statesman at work at their desks.  It was a very much open door policy.  In fact, there were only a couple of hallway areas that were roped off from visitors.  Otherwise it was a free for all. 

I walked down the back stairs to the gift shop which the information lady had recommended I visit.  There was another lax set of security guards by the back door with a table off to the side and the detection gate.  I walked by them saying hi and walked into the gift shop just across the hall from them.  Wow!  I will say that this was the nicest gift shop I have seen in any of the state capitals.  It was well presented and had a lot of items made in Alabama which I was amazed at the variety; from pottery to Alabama mud stained t-shirts to scented candles handmade tiled angel ornaments to cheese sticks (??) to candies.  I got a couple of postcards and could help but laugh about the Alabama mud stained t-shirts.

Next, I was fueled up and heading out of town heading east through Alabama back country towards Macon, GA.  I was about 30 miles out and it’s raining with dark clouds in the sky when the car radio announces a thunderstorm warning until 2pm and a tornado watch until 3pm.  It was strange because I haven’t had to worry about tornadoes for years since I moved away from Iowa and here I was driving on a back road in Alabama with a tornado watch.  I was almost out of the county that had this watch but it made me keep an eye on those dark clouds a little more closely and be aware of what shelter may be in the area as I drove along.

Photo- A Hillbilly Mall along a back road in Alabama?  Now that wasn't surprising!

It was pouring rain when I got to Macon, GA.  I managed to drive right to the hotel; only to find I had made the reservation for the next night.  Ooopps!  We got that rectified and I got settled in.  Then, I proceeded to try to locate a pizza place in the area but there was none; even though there was no shortage of restaurants nearby.  I finally gave up because driving in the area was near impossible with all the accidents.  They really don’t know how to drive in Macon when it rains.  I found a Sammy’s BBQ place about a block from my hotel and went in.

It was a rustic little BBQ place where a majority of the clientele was local southern middle class whites.  I seemed to fit right in except for having no accent.  I ordered a half slab of ribs with coleslaw and fries.  The ribs came hidden under the fries and a piece of garlic bread.  There were 4 different sauces to choose from on the table; I went with sweet and spicy.  It was good stuff!

DAY 98- San Antonio, TX...

I woke up to a thick fog.  At first I could barely see the interstate that was running along outside of my window.  Later it became lighter out and I could see the interstate but the tall downtown buildings were lost in the fog.  I turned on the local news and they were showing accidents and backed up traffic all around the area.  I had considered a morning bike ride but I didn’t think it would be safe now.

Photo- A foggy morning in San Antonio, TX.

I went down for the grab and go breakfast at the Red Roof Inn where I was staying.  A muffin, some orange juice, a coffee and US Today paper, I was back up in my room.  I figured I would just wait out this fog thing.  The weatherman said it would clear as it warmed up during the day.  It was supposed to rain later that night and bring in a slight cold front.  The temperatures would be in the upper 60’s; sounded pretty good to me.

A while later, I found myself at the yellow trolley stop a half block away sitting on one of two benches.  There were two black guys there that were sitting on the bench not waiting for a trolley but taking a work break from the auto repair just down the street. I talked with them for a bit while I waited.  As the trolley (which was a regular bus) came I wished them a good day.  I rode the trolley over to the San Antonio Market Square stop.

Photo- Outside at the Market Square in San Antonio.

San Antonio’s Market Square is a colorful walking mall area where there are a lot of Mexican goods for sale.  It has a very festive air and there’s a whole variety of things to look at.  It was rather fun window shopping.  I walked around for a little bit and then decided to get lunch.

Photo- Inside the Mi Tierra's Cafe and Bakery.

I went to Mi Tierra’s Café and Bakery that says it’s always open.  I walked in and was enveloped by some wonderful smells.  Upfront, there’s a glass enclosed counter where there’s a whole selection of mouthwatering freshly baked goods.  Yummy!  I went up to the hostess stand and she started to take me back.  “Where would you like to sit?” she asked me.  She asked if I would like to sit at the counter or a table.  I said whichever is more interesting.  She gave me a perplexed look.  I asked about the covered patio area and she happily sat me out there; looking a bit relieved to be rid of me.

Chips and salsa were brought to the table and I ordered one of the specials of the day just picking something at random.  Their prices were very reasonable.  A very hot plate was served with a cheese enchilada, Spanish rice, a covered container of warm tortillas (corn and flour), and a huge chicken leg.  It was all tasty.  While I was enjoying my lunch, a table of Latino men were sitting and chatting in Spanish.  It was someone’s birthday and one of them was getting a hard time.  A short bit later a trio of guitar players showed up at their table along with a group of restaurant employees.  It was birthday song time; all sang in Spanish.  The birthday boy was turning all shades of red.  It was so cute.

After lunch I walked around the Market Square a bit more.  I went in a few shops and was tempted to try on some of the cute colorful clothes but I didn’t have the room in my car; so I thought I better not.  I caught the yellow trolley back to my hotel where I jumped in my car and drove to one of the Mission Churches in the area.  There are four of them in the area and they are a National Park.  There are guided tours that they do at a few of them and I thought it might be interesting to catch one of these.  So with my Google directions in hand I wandered south through San Antonio.  I went south on St. Mary’s which changed names twice before I came to the San Jose Mission and it’s visitor center. 

The tour was given by a National Park’s employee named Nanette.  She was a cute native Texan gal with an amazing unique southern drawl that almost had a hint of Spanish accent.  It was just amazing listening to her as she gave the tour.  She talked about the history of the Mission San Jose and pointed out the different areas along the way.  We got to see the “apartments” where up to 20 Indians would live.  It made my Salt Lake City one bedroom apartment look like the lap of luxury compared to these two linked rooms; one of which had a fireplace where cooking was done. 

Photo- The cute Nanette with the wonderful Texas drawl accent.

Photo- The outside of the little "apartments" that line the outside wall of the San Jose Mission.

Nanette talked about what was expected of the mission Indians and what an average day for them would have been like during this time frame.  Most of their life was centered around the church.  They would get up and attend church in the morning; go back to their “apartments” for breakfast and then report to whatever work area they were expected.  Then, at the height of the day would be siesta time.  Then after their nap they would be expected to attend church again.  Then, it would be dinner and they had free time in the evening time.

Photo- The Famous Rose window.

During the tour, we steadily worked our way over to the church part of the mission where she ended her tour.  She told of two different legends regarding a Rose window on the side of the church and said we could decide which one was true.  The actual church was not part of the National Park.  Though, it was open to the public.  It’s an active parish church and run by the San Antonio Diocese. 

Photos- San Jose Mission Church, outside and inside.

After that I wondered around taking pictures and reading some of the displayed signs.  It was all very fascinating.  I walked over to the milling area which was just outside the wall areas.  It was the miller’s day off but normally they would have someone that would be operating the mill.  It was the only one of the four missions that had a working mill.  Most of the missions had been somewhat restored in the 1930’s.  It was while viewing this that I had this kitten rubbing up against me and getting all friendly.  It was a sweet thing but I wasn’t taking it home if that was what it was hoping for.

I headed back to the hotel where I did a quick shower and change before going over to the River Walk Area.  I got some change at the front desk just in case I decided to take the trolley back after dinner.  I walked over the 6 or 7 blocks to the River Walk taking a bit of a different route now that I was getting to know the area.  I walked along almost all of the River Walk area trying to decide where I wanted to eat dinner.  I went by almost every restaurant; checking quite a few menus.  I must have walked about 2 miles in all; nothing seemed to be sparking my interest.

Photo- Lighted carriages you can rent in the River Walk area.

Great deals of the restaurants along the River Walk are Tex Mex, Italian, and BBQ.  I finally decided to turn around and go back to the Waxy O’Connor Irish Pub.  They had a lamb stew that sounded rather good and it did turn out to go very well with a draft of Blue Moon.  I was enjoying the outdoor table until rain started to sprinkle just a bit.  I asked the server to move in and finished my meal indoors while watching a bit of Monday night football.  The rain started to come down a little harder and I ordered another beer in hopes of waiting out the rain.  It finally calmed down and I walked back to my hotel.

Photo- One of the restaurant areas along the River Walk.

 

DAY 96- Texas Rangers & Dr. Pepper...

It was my last day in Dallas and I was kind of dragging my feet.  It was while I was at breakfast that I talked with a guy visiting from California that I discovered that there was a Federal Reserve that printed paper money in Fort Worth but it was only open on weekdays; and today was Saturday. Darn!  That would’ve been fun to go to.  I guess I’ll have to try that when I’m in Washington DC.

So just minutes before the checkout time at the hotel, I was on my way to find Rudy’s in Arlington, TX which is about 40 minutes southwest of downtown Dallas.  Rudy’s is a Texas BBQ place that came highly recommended from several native Texans.  I pulled up to a place.  There were pickup trucks and trucks pulled up out front with Rudy’s BBQ logo on their sides.  It looked more like a gas station/ convenience store. I had been told to expect this but still I’m thinking this is a restaurant?  Another couple of pickups pulled into stalls next to me and started to walk right in.  Okay, here goes!

Photo from website- Texas BBQ place that looks like a gas station?

I went into a front area which looked like a basic convenience store on one side.  The other side had picnic tables covered with red and white checked table cloths.  I followed the group back to a long counter area in the back corner.  Above the counter was the menu.  I had been told to try their brisket and told that it was like dessert.  There was a choice of moist brisket or lean and then it went by the half-pound or pound.  I choose a half pound moist with a side of potato salad and a soda.

The potato salad was in a Styrofoam covered cup and the brisket was put on wax paper.  It was all then put on a black plastic square framed that looked like it was used to hold pop bottles at a factory.  In fact, there was a Dr. Pepper logo imprinted on it.  I carried the tray over filled up my soda at the fountain area and then proceeded to find utensils and what not.  I sat down at the table near a square wooden box that had salt, pepper, and two bottles of BBQ sauce.  One of the bottles said Rudy’s BBQ sauce; the other said Sissy sauce.  It was no surprise that the Sissy sauce was fuller of the two.

I put just a bit of the Rudy’s sauce on the brisket, cut into the brisket, and took my first bite.  OMG!  I have to agree that this brisket was dessert.  It was that good.  While I ate the place started to fill up and I could see why.  I was glad that I got there early for lunch.  And oh, by the way Rudy’s does ship around the country.

Next, I was back on the road heading south to Waco, TX.  I know the town in Texas that has a bad rep from a standoff between Federal agents and a religious compound.  But there’s more to Waco than that bad history.  But there were a couple of places that I was visiting there.

Photo- Roads? Texans don't need roads!

But on the way to Waco, I experienced some heavy traffic due to construction and learned how Texans deal with such instances.  Some of them take their trucks or other vehicles and drive down the side off the interstate to the next road and on they go.  I watched one guy in a four wheel pickup truck drive back and forth a couple of times between the frontage road and the interstate trying to get ahead.  I thought to myself why does he even bother with the road.  I’m surprised he isn’t whipping through someone’s field.

Photo- Sign outside Texas Ranger Museum.

Two and half hours later, I happily exited off the interstate in the town of Waco.  Just off of the interstate, I pulled into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum.  I thought I had to check this out when I saw it on-line earlier in the morning as I was checking the Dr. Pepper Museum address.  I pulled up to a series of long low stone and timber structures with a sign out front and several statues of cowboys with guns and horses.  I went in and paid the $7.  The gal said that the next film was at 3:30PM in about an hour.  I asked how long the film was and she said,” 45 minutes. We took all the commercials out.”  I asked her how late the Dr. Pepper Museum said open and she said that they admitted the last person at 4:15PM.  I told her I probably wouldn’t catch the film then.  She said that was alright there were plenty of other things to see.

Photo- Inside the Texas Ranger's Museum.

I walked into a large room where a figure on a horse with a sign that read Established in 1823.  Yes, the Texas Rangers have been operating a long time.  They first started out as protection for settlers in the Texas territory from Indian raids.  Some of them even worked a side line gig as surveyors in that time because they were able to protect themselves as well as survey the land.  In 1874, a Special Forces section of the Texas Rangers was formed to tame the lawlessness along the Mexican border. 

Photo- Photos, guns, and saddles on display in the Texas Ranger Museum.

As Texas, got more and more civilized and became a state the duties of the Texas Rangers changed some more.  They were dealing with a variety of situations such as civil unrest, labor strikes, Ku Klux Klan activity, political corruption, Bootlegging and Gambling, and other situations due to the Oil Boom.  It was interesting learning about the history of the famous Texas Rangers.  There were a lot of glass cases with guns; as to be expected.  There was also a great deal of prominent figures in the Texas Rangers that were pictured and had some of their items on display. 

A whole area talked about the history of the Texas Rangers in fighting crime.  A posse of Rangers took down the famous duo of Bonnie and Clyde. Another room was dedicated to Texas Rangers on the Silver Screen.  There were posters with Tommy Lee Jones and Chuck Norris among the gamut.  In the Hall of Fame room there were photos that looked like current photos of Texas Rangers and they were divided up into different companies A through to F.   It was interesting learning about Texas Rangers.

Because of the construction in the area I ended up going back on the interstate taking the next exit to the north and then getting back on the interstate going south; all so I can cross the interstate.  It was construction at its best.  I managed to find the Dr. Pepper Museum and parked in the parking lot across the street.

Photo- An old soda fountain bar at the Dr. Pepper Museum.

I was rather pumped to visit this museum because I’ve always been a fan of Dr. Pepper.  I paid the entrance fee and walked into a room that looked like an old soda fountain store.  Dr. Pepper started out from a drug store in Waco, TX and created by a pharmacist Charles Alderton.  He created the formula with 23 flavors that became known as Dr. Pepper.  In 1885 the formula was patented.  It took off from there.  Most of the first floor had some of the history and bottling equipment that was used in the early manufacturing of Dr. Pepper.  There were videos about the bottling and now canning of Dr. Pepper soda that you could watch which was interesting.

Photo- Commercials playing on the second floor.  Fun watching these!

The second floor of the museum I thought was the most interesting.  It contained most of the advertising memorabilia of Dr. Pepper.  In fact, there was a TV area where you could watch and listen to older commercials.  It was divided up into generations.  The earlier commercials were on the radio and they showed pictures of advertisements on the screen while the radio commercials played.  Later on, there were actual TV commercials.  It was fun watching the older and some of the more current commercials.

Photo- The 3rd floor dedicated to W.W. "Foots" Clement known as Mr. Dr. Pepper.

The third floor of the museum was dedicated to Woodrow Wilson “Foots” Clement who made Dr. Pepper the international brand that it is today.  He started as a route salesman for Dr. Pepper and rose through the ranks to President, CEO, and Chairman.  Next, I took the elevator down to the first floor and went in the gift shop.  There was an older southern couple debating about buying some of the Dr. Pepper syrup while I browsed through the shop.  They were still debating as I bought a couple of postcards and a bumper sticker.

Next, it was the drive on to Austin where it was construction and traffic and traffic and more traffic.  Is this construction season for Texas?  I was really starting to wonder.  I found my hotel just off of the interstate and decided no more driving for the day.  I had dinner in the hotel bar and watched Notre Dame win.

DAY 91- Cadillacs, RV's, & Horses...

I decided to wake up early and get over to the famous Cadillac Ranch before the sun had risen much in the sky. I thought that it might make a more interesting photo with the angled light.  It was turning into a pretty sunrise as I drove the 2 miles that was practically a straight shot from my hotel.  I was the only one out there for all of 5 minutes. 

Photo- Cadillac Ranch with the sunrise behind it.

There was just a little gate out by the frontage road and then a dirt track that was about ¼ mile into where the ten cars were buried nose first into the Texas dirt.  The hotel clerk wasn’t lying when he said it was open 24 hours a day.  There were two spray paint cans sitting out and the other two, a cyclist and a gal in a van, asked if they were mine and then tried them to find that they were empty.  I hadn’t even been aware that you could graffiti the cars if you wanted to.  Of course, it was bring your own paint can if you did.  I just kind of marveled at why anyone would bury cars like these.    

Back at the hotel, I got ready for the day and got directions for the other places I wanted to go visit for the day.  The hotel didn’t provide a free breakfast at this one so I headed out hoping to find a place to get a cheap breakfast like Denny’s or something like that.  I ended up at the Waffle House, which is a chain in the south here that’s a bit of a dive diner but it’s a cheap breakfast.  I sat at the counter and ended up striking up a conversation with a guy from New York who was in Amarillo for business. 

It was rather funny because it seemed like he was glad to be talking to someone not from Texas.  He started in talking about how they talk slower down here and between that and the accent he keeps on having them repeat what they are saying.  He also said that they were mostly the blue collar type and he didn't fit in well with them.  Then, they kind of complain that he talks too fast too.  He went on and told me a story about how an old high school friend had passed away.  His friend had been a Dallas Football fan and wanted his ashes spread around at the stadium in Dallas.  He just got down doing that this last week with other friends.  Then, we somehow got on the subject of Donald Trump and how many wives he’s gone through and I almost laughed out loud when the guy said that Donald wasn’t very good marriage material.  I’ve heard women say stuff like that before but I never heard a guy say that before; just when you thought you had heard it all.

Photo- The outside of the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum in Amarillo.

Next, I was on down I-40 a little bit further for the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum.  The headquarters for the American Quarter Horse Association is right next door to the Hall of Fame and Museum; nice how that worked out.  As soon as I got out of my car, I’m greeted with some amazing horse statues.  I went in with limited knowledge of horses having only done my first horseback ride literally a few months ago.  I paid $5 and was directed to first go see the film.  On the way to the theater where they show a 17 minute film on continuous loop through the day, I walked through the Hall of Fame.  I will say that I did recognize some of the names and faces which rather surprised me.

Photo- The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.

While I waited for the film to restart again, I looked at some amazing horse oil paintings on the wall in the theater room.  The film was about a little girl and her horse; from there it talked about how much of our great country was built from being on the back of an American Quarter horse that has a great deal of versatility in what they can be used for.  I found it interesting because I never thought about what all that a horse could do.

Photo- A comparative of a man's lungs to a horse's lungs in the educational gallery.

Next, I went into the educational gallery area where there were fun kids interactive things to do in where you learned more about horses.  It went over the lineage of the horses and how the quarter horse came into being.  It went over the care of horses, the anatomy of horses, and possible careers in horses.  I was the BIG kid and I found that I was even possibly learning just a bit.

From there I went upstairs where there was a timeline about the history of horses from the late 1500’s up till almost present day.  I especially liked how in the timeline they would list other things that were going on in national or world history.  It kind of helped to put a historical perspective in it that made it easier to understand; at least it did for me.  I swung quickly by the gift shop, got a couple of post cards and I was off to the next place on my list.

Photo- The outside of the RV Museum.

The next place on my list was Jack Sisemore’s Traveland RV Museum.  I know this was a bit off the wall to say the least but it was partly because it was off the wall and different that I decided that I HAD to go check it out.  The RV Museum is in a back warehouse area of a current RV dealership but they are more than happy to direct you out to where you need to go and they are very nice about it too.

Photo- The Flxible that was used in the RV movie that Robin Williams was in. 

On the outside of the warehouse that houses the museum there’s a HUGE painted sign that says Jack Sisemore RV Museum.  The Sisemore Family began restoring and collecting unusual RV’s over 25 years ago and they’ve built a museum to display them.  They are several gems among the collection but the three that really stood out to me were: the 1948 Flxible that was in the movie RV in which Robin Williams was in, the 1921 Ford Lamsteed Kampkar that was ready to mount on the side of a model “T” Ford chassis which would “comfortably slept 6” (No way would 6 fit in there), and the 1946 Tear Drop Kit that I could very well find handy myself on my current trip.
 

Photo- The Lamsteed Kampkar-- It's advertised as sleeping 6 comfortably...
Where? And How?

The RV Museum was definitely built with love and a passion for the RV and it did feel like a bit of a walk into the past.  It’s open Monday through Saturday from 9AM to 5PM and is free to the public.  It’s also just a short bit off of the freeway too; which worked in nice for jumping back on the freeway and heading to Lubbock which was my next stop in Texas.

Photo- The 1946 Tear Drop Kit-- Now I could use one of these!

It was another section of flat boring drive through Texas on the way to Lubbock.  I will say this that Lubbock once I arrived was very, very easy to figure out how to find places; the streets were numbers or letters and very consistent.  I found the hotel got checked in and asked if there was a good BBQ place nearby.  All of the gals behind the counter just looked at me.  Well, I said I thought I was in Texas and might try some of you famous BBQ.  To which I heard one of the gals was a vegetarian and the other didn’t like BBQ.  Great I thought!  I think I need to rethink this asking the hotel staff where to eat.

Photo- Bigham's Smokehouse a local BBQ place in Lubbock, TX.

One of the other gals that they brought up front suggested a place nearby called Bigham’s Smokehouse which was a few blocks away.  That’s where I went after I ran my bags upstairs.  There were only two tables when I went inside this rustic wooden restaurant but there were cars going through a drive through on a regular basis.  I looked at the menu and then asked the guy behind the counter what was popular in the restaurant.  He said that the brisket was the most popular item on the menu followed by the pulled pork.  I ordered a two meat combo plate with onion rings and a drink.  I carried my full tray over to a table and ate.  The brisket was okay but I thought that the pulled pork was really the gem of this place.  But you have to consider that’s coming from a Yankee! J

DAY 90- Three Months, Roswell, & Amarillo by Nightfall...

It was day 90 and it’s kind of hard to realize that 3 months has passed.  The time has just flown by.  I’ve done a lot in those three months; visited 11 national parks/monuments, went horseback riding for the first time, gone on a scenic motorcycle ride and boat ride, almost worked my way through 6 states, been on parts of Route 66, tasted a bit of wine, did a bit of gambling, tasted some wonderful food, visited a presidential library where I walked on an old Air Force One, biked some interesting spots, driven through some wonderfully scenic areas, did some hikes, attended a wedding, gotten stung by a bee, and several other things.  The list could go on for a while.  All these things I wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t taken that first step and said to myself,” No excuses; I’m doing this!” 

I’m really glad I did that and sometimes I admit I get a little bit uneasy because I’m SO out of the box that I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to fit into a box again.  Where does this all end?  I’m very unsure and I never really thought about an “exit strategy”.  I just jumped in with both feet and never thought too much further.  I’m just going and living in the moment day by day.  I meet new people almost every day and have some of the most interesting conversations. 

But I know that this will need to come to an end.  The money will run dry and I know that over time I just can’t physically continue this pace of going and going and going.  Sometimes, you just need to stop and pause; give yourself sometime to evaluate where you have been and where you need to be.  I’ve got this going on in the back of my mind; mainly in the evening times before I fall asleep.  I ask myself—what do I really want to do when I grow up.  It’s silly but in essence this is a HUGE growing period for me and I’m not sure where I’ll be when I come out on the other side.

Okay, so with all that being said let me get going on what my day 90 was like…

I woke up to rain in Roswell, NM.  Ugh!  I managed to keep a bowl of cereal down this morning; that was a plus.  I’m wondering if it was something I had for breakfast or dinner the prior night that had caused yesterday’s sour stomach.  I had just gotten done with the shower when my hotel room door was opened by a maintenance staff.  Another two minutes later and he might have caught me without my towel.  He might have gotten a REAL eyeful!  LOL!  I think he was more embarrassed than I was; he quickly apologized and said that the front desk said I had checked out.  He left quickly closing the door behind him.  I had gone down stairs earlier to return a movie I had borrowed from the hotel and put an extra bag in my car but I wasn’t checked out yet; someone had jumped to conclusions.

Photo- The International UFO Museum and Research Center.

Later, I dropped off the keys at the front desk and said that the maintenance guy could now get in my room to fix whatever needed to be fixed.  They were all sorry for what had happened but I kind of found it a bit amusing.  I asked one of the gals for directions to the International UFO Museum and Research Center.  Then, I was in my car driving along the rainy Main Street area of Roswell.

I will tell you that most of the businesses rather play up the space alien stuff here in Roswell.  You’ll be driving along and a fast food sign will have a space alien holding the enter sign or there will be green statues standing on each side of the door.  Green aliens with HUGE black eyes are a common sight in Roswell.  I drove along to the old part of Main Street to the old theater that is now the place where the International UFO Museum and Research Center resides.  It’s rather hard to miss this place; and there are another couple of places nearby that stand out too.  I narrowed it down to just visiting this one place from doing a bit of web surfing the night before I found this place seemed a bit more authentic and interesting than the other tourist traps along the main drag.

Photo- It's set up to let you decide what to believe.

I paid the $6 entrance fee and started off in the Museum area.  There was a timeline of newspaper articles and pictures of UFO experiences in other parts of the world starting with the 1940’s.   Then, on July 4^th, 1947 the Roswell experience happened.  There was a timeline of the next days, then weeks, then months afterwards.  Some of it was newspaper articles, some of it contained copies of signed affidavits from those that saw what happened.  It was all laid out in a fashion to let you decide what happened in Roswell.  To tell you the truth, it made me wonder about all of the possibilities and I’m undecided.

There was space alien art done in one corner and then the museum worked its way through the subjects of what a UFO is.  Then it showed photos of what people thought were UFOs; some of the photos had been examined and disproved for one reason or another, but others, well, they just don’t know.  Then, the museum covered the subject of space aliens being in art of ancient cultures and showed some examples.  Next, were the crop circles and the theories and possibilities.  It was all very interesting and rather entertaining.  They had a space ship with aliens out in a large open area that would periodically start making noises, lights would flash, and fog would come out.  But is there other life out there?  I think it’s egotistical of us to think we are the only ones but have they already tried to contact us.  I don’t know.

Photo- A fun little alien invasion within the
International UFO Museum and Research Center.

I went back through Roswell to head north; the goal was to be in Amarillo before night.  Hey, isn’t there a song about that?  I stopped before I left rainy Roswell at a place called the Rib Crib; a BBQ place that I would hope to have some of that famous Texas BBQ.  Though, I have to admit that I’m a HUGE fan of Kansas City BBQ so it’ll take a bit to dissuade me from that.  Well, it turned out that this was a BBQ chain and quite a few of their restaurants were in Kansas.  They even had one in my home state of Iowa; Mason City.  Well, I wouldn’t therefore classify this as Texas BBQ.  Oh, well but then again what did I expect… I was still in New Mexico.  Hello!??

The drive from Roswell to Amarillo was rainy and very, very flat.  I thought that Nebraska was flat but in comparison Nebraska is interesting because they have ponds and trees that they plant almost everywhere there along the highways.  This was barren and flat.  There were abandoned houses along the way, and a lot of people living in trailer homes out in the middle of nowhere; literally.  The rained started to clear up more as I got closer to Amarillo.  Just after the town of Hereford, there was a HUGE cattle holding pen area along the railroad.  It was a pretty smelly stretch for about 1 mile there.

Photo- A section of flat Texas.

The landscape did have a few hills getting up to the plateau that Amarillo is on.  I got to my hotel in Amarillo and got out of my car and there was that mild smell of cattle that permeated the air.  As some people would say, that’s the smell of money.  It’s not a new smell to me; growing up in Iowa which is second to Texas for beef producing I’ve gotten my fair share of smelling that, especially attending an agricultural college in Iowa.  But I have been living in a city in Utah for almost 23 years and have forgotten what that smell is like.

I ended up asking the hotel clerk about a good BBQ place and he was directing me to Famous Dave’s which is a BBQ chain that is all over the west.  I was looking for more local.  He told me of another place but it was closed on Sundays.  Then, I said that maybe I should just try an Italian place to which he gave me a suggestion of another chain restaurant.  Please don’t tell me this indicative of the people in the south that they love chain restaurants because then I can skip half of Texas in one fell swoop. 

Photo- The sunset from my hotel room window.
I made it to Amarillo before nightfall.

I opted to go to a place down the road called Salt Grass Steak House.  I’m sure it was another chain restaurant but I will admit that I had never heard or been to one of these before.  It wasn’t too bad.  The steak was good, cooked to order and I had sweet potato fries alongside the steak but they put maple syrup on the sweet potato fries which I thought was a bit too much sweet.  I ordered ranch dressing for the fries and the server looked at me funny.  I was half tempted to explain I was a Yankee to see if that might explain my strange behavior.  I have the feeling that I’ll be falling back on that excuse as I go along.