Texarkana, Arkansas

Cows, cows and more cows.  Then lots of trees.  Sums up today.  This area of Texas is called the Pineywoods.

Sure is a change from palm trees and cacti. 

Another good drive with not too much traffic and no bad weather.

We had lunch at Denny's and supper at Schlotskys Deli.  Both were good but I'm ready for beef. Maybe tomorrow.

I forgot to mention yesterday, we saw wild turkeys along the side of the road.  Today Wayne saw 2 herons in a pond.  There was also a deer and armadillo.  Unfortunately both were roadkill.

Texarkana is an interesting town or should I say towns.  There is a Texarkana, Texas and a Texarkana, Arkansas.  They share a main street called State Line.  One side is Texas and the other is Arkansas.

Tomorrow we are headed for Sikeston, Missouri.  The home of Lambert's Throwed Rolls.  Wayne says we aren't eating there.  It is very busy on Sunday afternoon.  Lots of buses and church groups dining out.  Fun place though.

Back On The Road Again

We're on our way home after a super winter.  Lots of fun and sun.  Kathy was able to spend more time in the south and we had a great time.  Good to know that we three can cohabitate successfully.

We have headed north a little earlier than normal.  Dad has been having a rough time, in and out of the hospital the last little while.  It seemed foolish to sit stewing in Texas.

So, tonight we are in College Station, Texas.  It is the home of Texas A & M University.  The drive today was not bad, the weather is warm and the roads were not busy.

Gorgeous Sunrise

Stopped for lunch at one of the many Dairy Queens we passed.  Texas is very big on DQ.  It seems that every little town has a DQ.  The food is different than in Canada.  Texas toast and white gravy.  Very tasty.

Cows , Cows and more Cows

There were Brahmas, Angus, Brangus, Santa Gertrudis and even a few long horns.  We saw more cows this year than ever before.  I also think that there was more water in rivers, streams and ponds.  Probably allows the ranchers to have bigger herds.  My theory and I'm sticking to it.

These oil wells were sprinkled along our route.  I don't think oil is booming right now but it still has a powerful presence.

So a good day's travel.  Also a tasty Olive Garden supper.  Now we are relaxing and ready to hit the road again tomorrow.  Next stop Texarkana, Arkansas.

A Week Later - All Settled In

One week ago we arrived at our winter home.  After much unloading, unpacking, and cleaning we are settled in.

Wayne is taking a well deserved break.  He has been working very hard getting everything set up and checked out.

The patio is set up and the flowers planted.

Let the fun begin!  We're ready.

Texas At Last

Left our luxurious quarters at the Golden Nugget Casino and returned to real life.

Today was overcast, humid and drizzly.  The temperature dropped all day.  When we got to Victoria, Texas, Wayne dug way down to the bottom of the clothes bucket to find a pair of long pants.  Didn't think they would be needed for a long time.

We left the interstate just inside Texas.  For two reasons - I don't like driving through Houston and I do like riding on ferries.  We took a ferry from Port Bolivar to Galveston.  The ferry is free and runs 24 hours a day.  The trip takes about 15 minutes and the ship holds about 30 cars.  I enjoyed it immensely.

Ferry flag.  Flags are at half mast due to yet another mass shooting.

GPS depiction of our ferry ride.  Almost like driving on water. lol

We drove through some of the areas that were hit by hurricanes and very severe weather this fall.  I wasn't fast enough to get pictures of piles of debris along the highway.  Didn't really want to gawk at the hardship of others.  However we did pass some road signs stating that the roadway may flood.  I can believe it.  I think some of the roads are below sea level.

Ditches on both sides of the highway are still filled with water.  Of the over 500 roads that were closed because of flooding, only 1 is still closed.  That road is quite a ways from the main storm impact.  

Guess where we had lunch.

So at one end of Galveston Island, the ferry is free of charge and at the other end, there is a $2.00 toll to cross this bridge.  Sort of tickles my fancy.  

We are relaxing in our hotel for the last night of our 15 day trip.  Tomorrow God willing and the river don't rise, we will arrive at our home in Weslaco at about lunch time.  Hurray!

Farewell to the Emerald Coast - Moving On to the Golden Nugget Casino

Yesterday was another laid back day.  Walk along the beach front, a little shopping and lots of hanging out at the pool.

These little guys are everywhere. So cute.

We had a long drive today.  Over 450 miles or 700 kms.  We were on the road by 6am.

Sunrise as we travel across the bridge to the mainland

It was a long but uneventful drive.  We passed through 4 different states. (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana)

Crossed the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge, LA

Our destination today is the Golden Nugget Casino at Lake Charles, LA.  It is a beautiful facility with outdoor pool, hot tub and lazy river ride with a poolside bar.  We arrived too late in the day to try the lazy river.

Our room is huge.  The bathroom alone is the size of a normal hotel room.

We also have a small balcony.  Love it.

Rear view of  resort from docking facilities.

The casino is located on an island backing onto the shipping canal.  It has docks for boats up to 206 feet long.  There is a nice boardwalk along the water.

After trying our luck at the slots, and making our donation, we strolled the boardwalk.  Then we enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner featuring BBQ, and southern fare as well as Asian, Italian and Mexican.  There was lots of shrimp prepared in different styles.  But we are seafooded out after our week in South Carolina.  We found lots of other choices.  The desserts were beautifully presented.  I finally found bread pudding.  Yum!

Super Sunday at the Beach

Contemplating life

My happy beach face

Destin Beach

The Emerald Coast

We walked along the beach this morning.  It is so gorgeous.  The water actually looks emerald green.  Amazing.

And yes Kathy, I went into the water.  Just along the shore, though.

The cottages at our resort ring around the pool.  It is so lovely.  The cottages are pastel coloured with one unit on each of the two floors.

We spent a couple of hours lounging and swimming while I did a load of laundry.  Best way to do laundry.

This afternoon we went in search of a J C Penney.  It was about a half hour drive.  We had a good look at a few of the local beach towns.  Spent a little bit of money and got lots of great deals.  Have to stop shopping as the van is now pretty full.

Back to the beach for a wonderful sunset.  A great day!

Destin, Florida

We're at another beach.  This time in Florida's panhandle.  Beautiful white sugary sand.  Destin is much more of a commercial town.  Lots and lots of restaurants and shopping choices.  Lots more traffic too.  A very different vibe.  Both beaches however are great.

We haven't had a chance to walk the beach yet.  Or to take exterior pictures of our condo.  Will do that tomorrow.

This complex is set up with two storey cottages ringing a small outdoor pool.  Very pretty.  We are in a ground floor unit with French doors and a small patio across from the pool.

There is no laundry in the units but there is a laundry in a building beside the pool.  Just a few pics of the interior.

Bunk beds for extra people.  In the hall. Right beside the living area. Kind of weird.

We caught a beautiful sunset on the way home tonight from the car.  Tomorrow we are going to the beach to take better pictures.