LONE STAR ADVENTURES

After Carlsbad Caverns we head south on the I-10 into Texas.  At the state line highway quality takes an abrupt change for the better (woo hoo!) but in all of our travels so far we have never seen so much trash on the roadside: fast food debris, aluminum cans, bottles and plastic bags fluttering from the bushes and barbed wire fencing.  The “Don’t mess withTexas” anti-litter campaign seems forgotten in this part of the state.

Calcite Formations

Our plan is to meet up with friends in Austin who migrated there from California a few years ago.  A perfect half way point to stop is Sonora, TX where the Caverns of Sonora have an RV park.  We arrive early afternoon; which gives us time to take a tour of the caverns.  These caves are some of the most decorated caverns in the world with many unique formations, including a famous butterfly, which unfortunately was damaged by some yahoo a few years back. Even damaged, this piece of calcite is pretty amazing.  Our tour guide also tells us a bit about the west Texas culture and economy… lots of ranching, horses, goats and white tail deer.  The deer are bred for freakishly large antlers and breeding bucks are sold to hunting resorts where “hunters” pay big bucks (pun intended) to put one of these heads on their walls.

The next day we head to Austin.  First impression here:  Traffic Sucks!  We stay at the Lone Star RV Park on the I-35 (home of the worst of the worst traffic) right next to the Adult Superstore MegapleXXX.  (Anyone in Austin knows exactly where this is LOL)

After setting up we ask Siri where to get the best BBQ close-by.  We are directed to Chief’sBBQ, a hole in the wall in a strip mall across the freeway.  The ribs are super smoky with a crispy dry rub and zesty vinaigrette BBQ sauce for dipping and pouring over the meat.  Not a bad first introduction to BBQ in Austin. 

Most of our time here is spent with friends who either show off their Texas acquired BBQ skills or treat us to meals at their favorite restaurants.

Best breakfast by far is at Juan in A Million where we have to order the “Don Juan” El Taco Grande, a secret combination of potato, egg, bacon and cheese in a deliciously hot tortilla. There is so much tasty filling that one tortilla is grossly inadequate and our waitress is more than happy to bring us more.  Ultimately we fill six tortillas with the yummy filling.  And the best part:  it only set us back $4.50!

Tako Pops

Most unexpected meal is at Uchi for contemporary Japanese cuisine.  In addition to unique combination sushi rolls they offer lots of tasty small dishes that mix local seasonal ingredients with the freshest seafood from around the world.  Everything we sample is mouthwateringly great.  With the exception of the Tako Pops – Grilled baby octopus on sticks – visually intriguing – emotionally disturbing (they are just babies after all) – gastronomically disappointing (like eating teriyaki rubber bands).

The weather is sketchy, with all of these bothersome April showers that come in March.  On one particularly dreary day we head 80 miles south to San Antonio to visit The Alamo. (Where the theme song from Disney’s Davy Crockett stays stuck in my head.)  The fort is well preserved and the docents are well informed.  In addition to the entry fee, we rent the audio tour (which is well worth it.)  The short film is fairly well done and another excuse to keep out of the rain.  Afterwards we head over to the river walk and have a forgettable Mexican meal.

Jamaica Beach

After biding tearful goodbyes to all of our friends, we head to Galveston Island.  We spend a couple of days in Jamaica Beach at the Jamaica Beach RV resort.  Our space is right on the road and we are actually glad that they could only accommodate us for two nights.  So we spend our one full day here exploring the less populated end of the Island.  Lots of fancy new houses high on stilts dot the beaches.

Galveston Visitor Center

Next we move to the Sandpiper RV resort in the city of Galveston.  It’s a great location with ocean views. Galveston has some incredible architecture.  The Galveston Visitor Center is housed in the spectacular carriage house of the Ashton Villa and offers a glimpse into the luxury side of the island.

Astronaut Exhibit

At the Gumbo Diner we enjoy BBQ oysters, these tasty morsels are coated with a Louisiana hot sauce with a blue cheese dipping sauce.  The Gumbo was a bland disappointment but the Beignets were absolutely to die for. We actually returned for the Oysters and Beignets.

A visit to this part of Texas is not complete without a day trip up to Houston and the Johnson Space Center.  This is where the astronauts train.  After touring the museum, we take the tour of the actual building housing all of the training equipment and marvel at the sheer size of the Saturn V rocket. Admission is a bit pricy, but it’s half the price of admission to Canaveral and well worth the money.

  

One thing that we need to keep on top of is the weather and avoiding golf ball sized hail is of utmost importance.  (Dimples on Dimples is so not cool!) There’s a storm brewing and we’ll start heading east and try to stay ahead of it… time to move on…

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