Viva Las Vegas!

We had planned two nights in Las Vegas to give us a break from tenting. I needed one as the night before in Williams Koa a large group of boys scouts settled in for the night after we had gone to bed and were just ready to go into slumber land. For the next hour he heard yelling, calling, and peg pounding. Apparently, they needed to do this well in order to get their merit badge in tenting. Finally, when things got quiet we heard the crunching of pebbles close to our ears in the path to the bathrooms. Even with earplugs in my ears, I would awaken with the crunch-crunch all night long. So we didn't get much sleep that night, and we rolled into the Palace Station Hotel a bit drowsy thinking about a comfortable bed.

Later that afternoon we decided to explore the hotel. We found that there were two pools. We gathered our goggles and set out to do some laps. When we arrived at the pool we found a family playing the catch game, but they were using a special kind of ball that skipped on the water. Dad would throw the ball and the three teen-aged girls would catch it. They were pretty good as the Dad did everything he could do to make it tough for them. He would throw the ball and make it bounce five times bong, bong, bong, bong, bing, SPLASH! John and I looked at each other and knew we could not compete with this group. So we went in search for the next pool. We found it near the back of the back of the hotel. It was much more mellow and more our style. We quickly put our goggles on and dove in to do our laps. For fifteen minutes we scissored back and forth scattering the bathers to the edge of the pool. We got out satisfied with our workout and left the bathers to enjoy the pool all to themselves.
We headed for our room in the tower which was a $20 upgrade from our sky miles deal. It was a newly renovated part of the hotel. After dinner John was determined to win this money back so he headed for the nearest blackjack table. We could see why this club was favored by the locals as the minimum down was five dollars. So John plunked down his five dollars and played for about fifteen minutes. As soon as he was ahead twenty-five dollars, he quit happy to have beat the dealer.

The second night we were scheduled to move to the Flamingo – the original Las Vegas hotel built by Bugsy Siegel. The hotel had been renovated many times since its beginning, but it still had the choice spot on the strip. It was built in a horseshoe with a beautiful tropical garden in the center. Looking down from our window to the sight below we could see water falls, and lagoons filled with huge koi and exotic ducks. We were eager to see more of this lovely garden, so we got dressed in our swim attire and headed down to explore and then hit the pool.

We meandered around the grounds and noticed a section with pink flamingos, just like the ones we have at Jungle Gardens in Sarasota. Around the corner we came upon a lovely water fall that spilled twelve foot outcrop of rock. It looked like a scene from Kauai with lots of vines and orchids all around. As we moved closer for a better look, we almost tripped over a mermaid. At least that's what we called her. The girl had her feet in the water and was draped over a rock reading a brochure. She was a journalist out of work and had just been give a free ride status with the airlines a as friend designated her as his "significant other." She was now checking brochures to see where she wanted to go next. The only problem was that "Sharon" did not have any money and was also trying to figure out how to get some. We gave her some ideas as we wondered how she ever got herself in such a situation. Later on in the afternoon after having gone swimming, we saw her lying down sleeping on the park bench by the flamingo exhibit.

That evening we didn't want to go out into the strip to find a show so we opted for a show in house. Our choices were: Donny and Marie or X Burlesque. John chose the latter and I was not going to argue as he is our driver after all! After a little nap we went down to the stage door. The host seated us in the second row which was close enough for this small cabaret. He seated other people in strategic places, like a group of four young guy's right in front of the Pole. He also stopped to whisper to a young man in front of us and then asked, "Is that ok with you?" to which the young man named Paul, answered with an enthusiastic. "Sure!"

Six beautiful well-endowed dancers began as a still cameo picture behind a frame and then one by one stepped through the frame and the dancing began. Most of the routines were in the jazz style like some of the dances we do in our Dance Trance exercise program but with more emphasis on T&A. In one interesting sequence one dancer who was at least 6ft tall came forth and did a cartwheel in pike heels landing on the platform in front of the Pole. The guys nearby had eyes as large as saucers. The dancer then proceeded to whip her body around the pole extending her legs with the spike heels just missing our boys. She then shimmied up the pole like a zoo animal and turned herself upside down holding on the pole just by her highs! She extended her hands out to the boys doing little fluttering motions with her hands. You could almost see the sweat glistening on the boy's brows. She then swept around, stepped off the platform and was gone in an instant leaving us sitting with mouths open.

Now it was time for audience participation. The number had to do with taking a flight on an airplane and something about a five mile club. I guess this is what Paul consented to doing because a dancer came down and took him by the hand to the stage where he had to sit in a chair. The dancers went on with their routine around him and he was looking a bit worried with a nervous grin on his face. Finally, the lead dancer turned his chair around and wheeled it through the open curtain and then it closed. They left it to our own imagination as to what was happening to poor Paul. Then the dancers finished their dance and Paul was rolled back on stage with his shirt open and hair all tousled and with a bigger grin than before. He was then escorted back to his little wife.
The last part of the show were routines in the different styles such as Country Western, belly dancing, and an Arial dance like you might see in Cirque du Soliel. The dancer suspended herself by her arms and did all sorts of tricks while swinging back and forth on the stage. At one point she spun around so fast that she was almost a blur. Being a dance teacher, I enjoyed the performance on another level than that of other audience members. So I was delighted with the evening entertainment.

 

Hoover Dam – A Great Man Made Wonder!



On the By Mass over looking Hoover Dam



We made it to Nevada!

We left Arizona and the great natural wonder of the Grand Canyon on way to Nevada. As we drove near the border of Nevada we came upon the great man made wonder, The Hoover Dam. It was named after Herbert Hoover and it is the second structure named after him that we knew, the first being Hoover Tower on the campus of Stanford University. Some call it Hoover's Last Erection.
We drove in to the parking lot and went through inspection. Security saw our Rocket Box and flagged us aside. Bummer, we thought. In San Padre we found out that our Rocket Box had a defective lock so we had to tie it down with ratchet tie down straps. So now John had to get up on the ladder and unstrap the box, open it and show the security guard that it had nothing but sails. We passed inspection and were told to go and park.

Hoover Dam-A Man Made Wonder!

We climbed up to the Hoover Dam Bypass just opened this year. This bridge is dedicated to Mike O'Callaghan, the governor of Nevada responsible for the building of the bridge, and Pat Tillman who gave up his football career to go to Iraq and lost his life to friendly fire. We stood by the memorial plaque and did some reading about the dam. Here are some stats: Building started in 1931 during the Depression employing people. 112 people died in the project. J.G. Tierney, a surveyor, was the first to die and his son Patrick was the last to die 13 years later to the day of his father's death. To those who died, a plaque was erected that said, "They died to make the desert bloom." The dam was built by a consortium of five companies two of which were Kaiser and Bechtel from San Francisco. It cost $49 billion dollars. It was finished by 1936 ahead of schedule. It is 726.4 Ft in height, 1,244ft in Length, and holds 250,000 cu. Yd. of water. This water created Lake Meade Reservoir and generates 4.2 Kwh of energy for Nevada and Los Angeles. Bugsy Siegel owes his success to this dam as well as the Motion Picture Industry in L.A. Wow!

We walked until we were right in front of the dam and took our pictures. We didn't have time to go into the dam and see the generators though we had been in several dams on the Columbia and studied how they work to generate electricity. I remember supervising the making of electro-magnates when I taught physics in middle school. This was just one on a grand scale. It just goes to show you the power of moving water with the help of gravity all being put to good use.

The Grand Canyon Experience!

The Triceritops



Mushroom Tents of Many Colors



We set aside two days for out Grand Canyon experience spending two nights in Williams, Arizona instead of spending one night in Flagstaff and then going on to Williams. We were glad that we made this change in our itinerary as we were pretty tired after going through the Painted Desert. We found the Koa Campgrounds about half mile from the interstate and happily realized this campground was the find a perfect site only a short walk to the bathroom and showers. So we set up our tent in record time and checked the camp out. This Koa had a restaurant for breakfast and dinner, a large indoor pool, a theater to show movies, and a stage for entertainment. There were plenty of showers which were clean and well kept. Finally, there were running trails up the mountain that would be a joy to attack after a long ride. We were determined to work out every day and I brought my weights and exercise bands as well as my jump rope, but running outdoors or swimming laps have always been our first choice of fitness.

We set up our campsite among many dome tents and it looked like a colorful mushroom city from the Wizard of Oz. Our "Triceratops" seemed to fit right in. We then went into the town of Williams a small cowboy town. We passed under the large archway that pronounced, "The Gateway to the Grand Canyon." It was clear that many people there had been or were going to the Grand Canyon and this little town was making the most of getting the business with many quaint restaurants, curio shops, and gas that sold for $4.30 a gallon! We were interested in some kind of a sports bar to find out who was ahead in the U.S. Open so, we went into Poncho McGuillecudy's Mexican Restaurant. We ordered our meal and were surprised that it was the best Mexican food since eating at Pedros in Los Gatos.

As we were ready to leave, John asked the couple behind us for directions to the Canyon since we were planning to go first thing in the morning. As we got to talking we found out that Scott grew up in the bay area and knew some of our best friends. Small world! Both Scott and Sandy were teachers and liked to travel during the summers. They were about ten years younger and were still teaching, Bob teaching Special Ed. and Sue was teaching Kindergarten. They enjoyed their jobs but were not happy about the system and had plans to change things. He came into teaching after being a policeman and Sue had been working the computer field with Atari when it first materialized as a game computer in schools. They too were writing a blog and so we exchanged e-mails and blogs so we could stay in touch.

Early the next morning after breakfast at the Camp Diner were made our way up the hill for the drive to the canyon and soon we were joined by tour busses, cars of every description, motorcycles, and even bicycles. It was about a fifty mile drive with little to see until we got near the canyon. Then we saw hotels and a regular village adding to this all the building that harbored the welcome center and gift shops. The south rim if the canyon was definitely suited for tourism. Judging from all the different nationalities of people there, the sight was popular all over the world. Several groups were accompanied by their own guides and spoke in their language explaining about different attractions. We followed the group in the welcome center and went in to see the prepared film that would set the stage for us when we made our way around the rim. It was very enlightening to find out how the canyon configuration came about and to power of the Colorado River as it carved the canyon revealing for us the thousands of years of layers of rock. The fact is that this natural phenomenon is presented like an open book for everyone to see and examine. People see it on many levels. To some it is a challenge to scale down its path and reach the river. To others it is the beauty of the ever changing colors as different light shines its colors, so artist and photographers study the canyon in different lights. To geologists it is a wonder to explore its many types of rock and how they accumulated throughout the billions of years our Earth has gone through change.

On top of the world!

John and I left to explore the rim. If we were younger or planned for the altitude change, we might have wanted to scale down Angel's Path but we were not prepared for it. Our young friends from New York back at our campsite spent the previous day hiking down the Kobab path which was more difficult and they noted that it was not a piece of cake. It was very narrow and a steep drop to the side. So we decided that was not for us at least on this trip. We went around the rim and observed the unbelievable rock formations below and took pictures that would never do justice to natural light. We followed the billion year walk that would take us close to the end of the rim and touched the different rock samples along the path. My father, a mining engineer, imprinted on such the love of rocks as he had a wonderful collection and loved explaining about them as if they were real living things. Seeing the many samples and where they were in the canyon each telling their stories, they seemed a part of the living planet that we must learn to preserve.

Another group of people that feel the same way about the canyon are the Navaho Indians who live near the canyon. The Navaho House stands near the end of the rim walk. In it is their beautiful artistry in their jewelry, basketry, and clothing. Their spokesman presented us with the importance of the natural world and how the Navahos believe it as a sacred part of life. They presented us with their dances and being a teacher of dance of other cultures through the IB program; I was fascinated by the beauty of the choreography and the style and measured rhythms of their dances. The first dance presented was the dance of the hunt. They presented this dance as the Navahos do it and also the variations as done by the Utes and the Piute's. The second dance added girl dancers and they did the dance of the basket. This dance showed how the basket is used and the importance of it in everyday life. These baskets are woven with such perfection and they can even hold water. Finally, the spokesman asked his parents to come and dance. As the elderly couple walked on the stage with great dignity, they performed a movement dance with the father moving about in sprite jumping steps while the mother moved in a slow repetitive touch-step sequence with beautiful straight posture and elegance. To end the program the narrator emphasized how important it was to make sure the young never forgot about their Indian heritage as well as the importance of the natural world such as the Grand Canyon.

By the time the sun was starting to set we were enriched with so much natural beauty that we set for home to our campsite fulfilled with our experience at having seen such a great Wonder of our World.

Arizona – A place of wonder- The Painted Desert

A place to buy great presents!

Arizona – A Place of Wonder!

Part 1: The Painted Desert

Crossing the line to Arizona we went into the visitor's bureau where we talked to the director, Roxanne. She was a Navaho Indian and proudly shared with us the sights we should see. We were planning to go only to see the Grand Canyon but she insisted we stop and to the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest. She also said that as seniors we could get a pass for $10 that would be good at any other National Park. So we bought the package and set out to find the Painted Desert.

Stopping at a rest stop on the way, we met people from Tennessee who were traveling in a huge, red, tour bus with Tennessee Tours written on the side. They seemed to be going to the same sights as we were, and we were bound to see them often in the few days to follow. They were going on the Route 66 and then to San Francisco. The tour had them stop at hotels along the way. They all seemed pretty contended as they traveled in air conditioning and had TV for entertainment. We ran into this group at the next stop which was a curio shop along the highway where you could buy presents and mementos of the trip. We stopped here and got some presents for Lynda, Jake, and Berkeley.

John and his new friend Roxanne

The Painted Desert and Petrified Forrest were self-guided tours that you did following a map given to us by Roxanne. As we approached the guard house we were waved on with our Senior Card. We drove seeing sage brush and not much else for a while and we thought maybe we had been duped into this route. When suddenly we turned the corner and the sight took our breath away. The earth suddenly took on the most amazing colors as if a master artist had a field day. We got out of the car and took pictures that were amazing. The pictures do not even do justice to actually seeing the different shades of pinks and reds in the rock formations. We continued our drive and stopped at the Navaho house where John picked up a pamphlet on how to become a Junior Ranger and handed it to me with the challenge to see if I could fulfill the requirements. It looked pretty interesting so I said, "Great!"

We follow the tour eventually getting to the Petrified Forest. We were amazed for the second time that day as we saw great chunks of wood that had been made into rock. Again we took pictures of the colors imbedded in rock that was organic matter. We hiked around the whole area where these trees had lived when this part of the world was in the tropical zone. As it happened, North and South America were joined with Europe into one land mass. This part of the world was about where we find the equator today. There was also a large inland sea so much of the land that is now Utah down to Arizona was underwater. I remember when we lived in Utah it was possible to go hiking up the hills and find tiny sea shells and fossils.

Sample of a petroglyph

We stopped at one point of interest where there were petroglyphs that were visible through telescopes set up for viewers to see. We share the site with a group of youngsters from a nearby reservation. The group had driven three hours in three minivans to get here. The reservation elders felt it was most important for the young teens to know everything about their culture including knowledge of the land and the primitive peoples that came before them. The kids seemed to be enjoying the trip as we talked to them by their cars. Just like kids anywhere they were listening to rap on the radio and were pretty hip.

We continued our drive to the Information Center and I only had half of my form filled. I was hoping to get some answers here or I would never get to be a Junior Ranger. I expressed my concern to the real Ranger at the desk and she said to go and view the film and then look about the exhibits and then go outside to find the rest of the answers. That seemed a lot of research and John was regretting having mentioned "Junior Ranger" to me. I, however, was getting excited as we went in and saw the film which turned out to be most informative. They had an animated section showing how the logs were swept down river and settled into the silt. As time went by the minerals in the soil permeated the organic matter in the tree and formed a solid rock. The film also mentioned the prehistoric animals that were living in this habitat and I knew there were lots of questions regarding these animals on my form. When the film was over we went out to look for the giant tree. We hiked until we found a section that looked like a forest with a great many large trees lying undisturbed. The rangers are ever on the alert for people taking any rocks. The film even showed a guy get hand cuffed when they found some rocks in his pocket. So though it was tempting, we simply took pictures. One question asked for me to put my arms around the largest tree and see much circumference was left to cover. So I found a large tree and did the bear hug while John guestimated the rest of the tree. Now all needed to do was find out about the animals in the museum. Jake, our grandson, would love to be here to see this exhibit. I know he may not know these unusual animals though he knows many by name. Several of the animals on display were similar to the Alligator of present day. And some looked like the typical prehistoric carnivores from Jurassic Park. I finally completed my form and triumphantly went up to the desk to have the ranger check it out. She said it was fine and had me do the oath of the Junior Ranger and got my badge which I shall wear proudly.

Teens from the Navaho Reservation taking the tour.

A sample of petrivied wood

A Junior Ranger  - at Last!



Mary infront of the Painted Desert



New Mexico – The Land of Enchantment!

As soon as we crossed the line from Texas, we saw a complete change in scenery. No longer did we have the lovely roads and the fields of corn, cotton, and wheat. Instead everywhere your eye could see there was sage brush and long plateaus known as mesas. We also had to change our clocks to Mountain Time so we made up an hour, putting us ahead of our schedule which is always nice. Around sixty miles from Albuquerque we passed by a platoon of motorcyclists riding free as the wind with their hair flying like Easy Rider. It was No Helmets for this group! They wore black leather jackets that said, "Survivors – Clean and Sober."

The road was suddenly redressed with many billboards advertising local Indian casinos and restaurants. We found ourselves in the center of a vibrant city and since we were famished decided to find a place to eat. There were many interesting restaurants but we chose Jason's Deli. It was noon and the Deli was full of people going through the line. We opted for a salad bar and sandwiches. I was surprised that they offered a whole menu for non-gluten entrees and breads which is seen more and more in pure food communities. We opted for the salad bar that had Romaine lettuce and baby spinach as well as a great variety of fresh vegies and fruits. This was my kind of place.

When we were done, we put the Garmin Girl to work again. She directed us to our Koa Campsite a few miles out of the city. This Koa had limited number of campsites for tents, but we were able to locate one in the far corner. It was perfectly suited for us under the shade of large poplar trees and away from the road. We quickly set up our campsite and hit the pool which was under shaded roof. This was a welcome sight as the heat index was in the 100s.By far this was the longest pool of all the Koa Campsites with its rectangular size making it perfect for swimming laps. We had the pool all to ourselves and enjoyed our favorite football-catch game.

Albuquerque is a vibrant city with many things to offer visitors. We were told to make sure we went on the Tram that took you to the top of the nearby mountain. We were also told about the great bike trails all over the city. We were sorry that we had not set aside more time in this lovely place, but we found we had just a small window of time for the evening. We chose to be picked up by the Casino bus and go there for dinner. The small bus picked us up at our campsite. The driver was a walking-talking Chamber of Commerce for Albuquerque. He went on and on about how great the place was. He actually had only arrived six months before. He sold his house in Maine and relocated when his daughter got a great job in Albuquerque and his son became stationed nearby in the air force. Now that he was semiretired, he worked for the casino driving people about. He took us to the popular Casino run by the local Indians. Since it is within the reservation line, Indian casinos are often out of the jurisdiction of local governments. We had no plans to gamble and we were not hungry yet, having had a large lunch, so we went to the bowling lanes upstairs from the Casino.

We got a lane, rented shoes, and found a ball that would fit my hand. I was pretty rusty rolling lots of balls in the gutter, but John soon got into the groove and was hitting strikes. We had the lane for an hour so the second game I did much better and John kept breaking 100. Next to us there were three other bowlers. One was an Asian fellow who was super smooth and he delivered the ball with a deep knee bend so it slithered hitting all strikes. The other fellow was a lefty and prepared his motion way over to our lane so we had to be careful not to collide with him on his delivery. The third fellow had some kind of palsy and walked with an awkward gait holding the ball at shoulder level. When he delivered, he let it drop so hard we thought he would crack the floor. BONG! Somehow he never put the ball in the gutter and his scores were higher than mine. By the third game I was doing better bowling a few strikes that put me over the 100 mark. Somehow I beat our neighbor by a few points. By now John was on a roll and got his score up to 140. Not bad for not having bowled for over a year!

John hits another strike!

The bowling experience gave us an appetite so we went to the first floor restaurant and sat and ordered a light meal: Mild chicken wings for John and a bowl of soup for me. For some reason we waited forever for our food and finally when it came John's wings were so hot he turned as red as his shirt and gulped down his beer. I was waiting for my cream of chicken soup to cool, and John asked me if I wanted a chicken wing. Watching his eyes still dilating, I said, "NO Thanks!" So now it was my turn and took a large soup spoon and delivered the soup in my mouth. Within a second I grabbed for my water glass and gulped down as much as I could to put out the fire in my mouth. I looked carefully at my soup and saw a lot of green things flowing around. My suspicions were correct; my soup was full of jalapeno peppers. It was too late to ask for reorders as our bus was waiting for us but we voiced our concern to our server and her reply was, "Welcome to New Mexico where everything is HOT!"

Amarillo – Get Your Kicks on Route 66!

We arrived near the city of Amarillo, Texas so we turned on the Garmin Girl who then gave us excellent directions to our Koa Campground. We were greeted by furious, hot wind so much so that just opening the door to the office yanked my hand and slammed it against the side of the building. Ouch! Dust was flying all around and the trees were swishing in a wild dace with the wind. I wondered how we would be able to set up our tent let alone sleep with it blowing everywhere. To my surprise, John opted to getting a log cabin which came to $60. The cabin had air condition and electricity for recharging the computer and all the other gadgets that needed recharging which was a must on this trip. It had two sets of bunk beds in the back room and a full bed in the main room. We used the full bed for our entire luggage and slept in the bunk beds in the back with John choosing the bed near the air conditioning.

By now we had accumulated lots of laundry, so we decided we would do this and take a swim while we were waiting for the wash to end. The pool was perfectly cool and refreshing and we managed to do our laps as the water in the pool was too cold for other campers to enjoy. Because we were the only ones in the pool, we also got to play our favorite game of catch with our sponge football. By and by more campers came so we decided to check on our laundry. While the clothes were drying, we had an opportunity to talk to Jeff and Marie who were retired teachers from Ft. Lauderdale. They traveled every summer and since they knew we were going to southern Utah, they told us of some of the best trails to follow. They were on their way to meet other campers in Colorado. They traveled in a fifth wheeler which is a camper pulled by a pick-up truck. They used to tent for many years when their daughters were growing up. Now they felt they deserved a bit more luxury. We gathered our laundry and placed it back in the cabin then made plans for dinner.

The BIg Texan's Boot!

A New Hat for Mary

This Chair is TOOOO Big!

John likes the Western Stringers!

A local restaurant called, The Big Texan, sent a courtesy limo come to the campground to pick people who wanted to enjoy a steak dinner. We joined another family and left in the limo which we thought was great since we didn't want to go driving around in the wind to places unknown. We arrived at the Big Texan and everything was BIG! The limo, of course, then the Boot…perfect for a picture. We walked in and I headed to the curio shop, much to the dismay of John who was on a budget. I found the perfect red hat and told John to put it on my credit. As we waited for our table, I spotted the largest chair I had ever seen and climbed on it to show you how big it was. We then were guided up stairs which was great so we could see all the action below. We split a meal because we knew it would be BIG! We were right. Our server, Andy, prepared our meal in two separate dishes. As we began our meal there was great drama occurring down below. A fellow who sat at a raised table was attempting to complete the challenge of eating a whole meal consisting of a huge steak, spud, salad, vegies, and desert. If he was able to eat it all, the meal was free; otherwise he would pay the restaurant $100.

Andy stopped by from time to time to see how we were doing and we would chat with him for a while. He was twenty-three and just graduated from University of Texas and was looking forward to getting him Masters in finance at NYU. His secret passion was surfing in Hawaii. John pointed out that he was probably pretty good since he had a low center of gravity. And added, "I bet you played football." Yes, he had been a fullback in high school and though he could have gotten a scholarship to play in college, he opted not to and to concentrate on his studies. We asked him where he liked to go surfing in Hawaii, thinking he might be one to hit the North beach. He said he had an aunt who had a condo on Waikiki beach and he liked to surf out by the farthest swell. We sympathized with him as we loved to surf Waikiki with the long rides into shore.

Suddenly, we heard a great hoopla downstairs and looked over the railing. The challenger had done it; he had eaten the whole meal. Several people came up to take a picture of him as he sat on his high thrown with a big belly and a sheepish grin on his face. By the time we had finished our desert, we were serenated by the Western Stringers who had made their way to the balcony. John told them that I was a line dancer, so they played a fast two step with the fiddler doing his best to keep to moving at a fast pace. It was a great meal and a great evening and it did not break the bank. As we were waiting for our limo for our return trip, we watched the eating hero waddling out the door with a tooth pick in his mouth and still wearing a grin on his face.

We returned to our cute little log cabin and tried out our bunk beds. This was not unlike our experience on the cruise ship. The beds were just as narrow and a challenge for both the top and bottom bunks. John chose a bottom bunk and had to be careful not to bonk his head when he got up and I chose a top bunk and had to be careful not to fall over and carefully make it down the wood ladder. Outside the wind kept blowing and we were grateful to be in our cozy cabin.

The BIG Texan Limo at our Service!

Our Little Log Cabin

Big D for Dallas!

American Airline Center home of the Mavs -NBA Champs

We arrived in Dallas and found ourselves in front of the American Airline Center where the basketball playoffs had been played the few nights before. John was so excited about seeing the beautiful stadium, he jumped out and took a picture. We found out by asking several people admiring the center, that we were far away from the Double Tree hotel that we had booked through out frequent flyer program. We plugged in the Garmin Girl and gave her the address. With the Dallas traffic we needed every bit of help we could get and we were banking on the Garmin Girl to get us there. By golly, she came through by navigating us through some very tricky freeway switching in the labyrinth of highways.

We got to our hotel and checked in and went to see the well, equipped workout room then we went to check the pool which was a perfect lap pool sparking clean as if no one had used it for a very long time. We got our luggage to the room and found our workout gear and swimming suits and spent the next hour letting out bodies do their thing after a long drive. IT felt like heaven to hit the cool water on such a hot day. We usually play catch with our Florida Gator football but since we had forgotten it, we took a pair of socks and bundle them up and had ourselves a time tossing it back and forth. Most pools in the campgrounds frown upon tossing games in the pool, but hotel pools that get little use don't seem to care, or at least no one came out to see what we were doing.

The Double Tree is part of the Hilton chain and they spare little expense in the room accessories. Many of these hotels cater to the business crowd by making their meeting rooms available to have conferences. This being the case many companies pay for any frills that their employees may need. For this reason the hotel did not provide free Wi-Fi or free breakfasts. In fact when we looked down the atrium from our room in the morning, the dining room was full of people going through the breakfast buffet. I wasn't going to complain since we got the room for "free." I went ahead and used my own wireless system. We decided to pack up early the next morning and since we were not going to have breakfast there, we asked them for cookies to go. They have the best chocolate chip cookies always warm to the touch. With these in our tummies we could drive for several hours and stop for lunch down the road!

The Charm of San Antonio

We left Corpus Christi overjoyed that we were able to do some windsurfing and headed north to San Antonio. We left early enough so that we would get there in the afternoon which would give us time to set up our site and be able to go to the famous Riverwalk to enjoy a light meal. We had little trouble getting there by three and quickly set up our site under a lovely shaded spot. We then hit the pool as it was 103 degrees and the cool pool felt fabulous. It was crystal clear and long enough to swim laps. We then made plans to catch a local bus that would take us into town.

The bus trip was an adventure in itself as we waited at the bus stop challenging ourselves doing triceps dips and push-ups. When bus #24 rolled around we were ready to hop on. We enjoyed watching all sorts of people get on and off the bus and it made the ride interesting. There were several families that got on and off the bus with their groceries, teen-agers with their IPods staring into space, and a wheel chair lady. When the bus driver spotted, her he motioned us to move across the aisle, so we hoped over. The fold out ramp automatically went down and the wheel chair went up and got situated where we were sitting after the bus driver folded the seats up. He then secured the back of her wheel chair and the front with cable ratchets. During this process, neither the lady nor the bus driver said a word. It was all so mechanical, yet I would have thought some recognition by either one would have been nice. Soon we arrived at our destination near the Hilton where we were to catch the same bus on the return trip.

We stepped off the bus and joined the many tourists who were disappearing down the stairs to the river walk below. We were amazed to see so many people in what looked like a cave setting with a river running between the shores filled with restaurants and boats like gondolas moving swiftly with tourist eating or just listening to the guide as he explained about the many interesting sights to be seen. It was certainly a different world as we walked enjoying the music and the wide variety of eateries. We decided to go to The Pisano, an Italian restaurant. We ordered a light salad and an appetizer of jumbo shrimp. The restaurant was doing such great business that they had a waiting line and this was for tables inside and out by the patio. We were amazed at the great business this little river was bringing in. At once the riverbed was a dried river bed. Ten they build a dam that held all the water letting a bit at a time to get the river flowing again and with it the economy.

We found an old fashion creamery and went in to get some ice cream cones. We sat in the patio and watched the boats go by on the river with people laughing and having a great time. Below us a Mariachi band was playing and across the river a small combo played jazz. It was hard to leave the sight, but we had to head up stairs and catch our bus by the Hilton. We waited for the correct bus #24 as many other busses sped by. A young student just got off work and was waiting for his bus. He was envious of our adventure.  He played baseball for his high school team and was hoping for a scholarship. He had a lot of hope for his future and just like so many kids he had to work as well as go to school. He was enthusiastic about everything and had a great outlook on life. It was clear he had no room for pessimism. We saw our bus round the corner and flagged him down and jumped on and headed for camp refreshed and happy!

San Antonio's Riverwalk

Four Days in Corpus Christi






We left South Padre Island after a good bike workout and headed to Corpus Christi. On the way we arrived at the check point crawling forward for a half mile with large trucks other work vehicles until we got to the check point. Beside us a law officer was inspecting a suspicious looking car with the dogs sniffing all around. The young girl in a uniform asked us if we were U.S. citizens and took a look at the mess in our car, we said yes! She said, "Have a nice day!" and let us through.

Everyone stops for inspection here!

We arrive at Corpus Christi at our La Quinta hotel we found through Hotwire. We got a great deal with four days for $200. The room came with a free breakfast, Wi-Fi and since they did not have a workout room, they gave us a free membership to the Corpus Christi Athletic Club right down the street. We thought we had a good deal until we went as saw the club, and we were in awe at what a great place it was. After unpacking we went back to the Club and played tennis indoors and did a light cardio workout. The next day after a light breakfast John did a spinning class and Mary did a Cardio Salsa class. Happily, we then went exploring Mustang Island and Port Aransas the home of the Summer Surf Camps directed by the Quicksilver Pro Surfer, Morgan Faulkner. It was past two in the afternoon and sessions were over so we went back to the Club to play more tennis.

John can't read the menu without the use of a flashlight!



John with the Old Woodie



John and Charles of the Surf Museum

That evening, being Saturday Night, we went down town looking for some action. We went to Landry's on the water in downtown Bay Side. We had a light meal while we listened to a great rock band overlooking the marina. We got a tip to go to the Executive Surf Club, an outside dance and music spot. We stopped in at the Surf Museum next door and met Charles who gave us some pointers about Windsurfing at Bird Island State Park. We then followed the great rock and roll sound coming from the Executive Surf Club, and checked it out. There didn't seem to be anything executive about it as the band was playing on an outside stage, and everyone was sitting on wood benches and bleachers. It all was pretty casual, and it reminded us of Rozzati's Beer Garden on Whisky Hill Road in Palo Alto near Stanford.

U.S.S.Lexington

The following day didn't seem like a windy day so we made plans to go and see the Battleship Lexington anchored as a museum in Corpus Christi. As we approached the ship we couldn't believe the size, it being three football field lengths. Everything about it was big: the anchor, ropes, chains, and decks. We had been on large ships before but none with a variety of fighting airplanes parked on the deck. Besides a Blue Angel Jet there were many others dating back to the fifties with propelers and strait out wings. Several jets had wing swept wings and many had fold up wings that would enable more planes in a small space below. The next part of the exhibition took you into the living quarters of the ship. We went up and down stairs into the officer's quarters as well as the navy shipmen. We realized that anyone over six feet would be vertically challenged on this ship not to mention anyone being claustrophobic. Finally, the last part of the exhibit we wanted to see was that of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. We were both teaching school in Ewa Beach during the filming of Tora,Tora, Tora. The Japanese Zero planes would go right over the school and we would all go to the window to watch how low they passed overhead. Even if we knew it was just movie making, it was still pretty scary. Checking out the exhibit made us think of how destructive that day must have been with so many ships attacked on that Sunday morning. For instance we didn't realize the flight pattern of those planes coming in two swarms through and around the Pali. We had toured the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii, but at that time did not realize the vast number of casualties as they were listed on this wall. These men were the first to fall and many more would give their lives in the battles throughout the Pacific. When we left the ship, we were exhausted and felt great reverence toward the men in uniform. We remembered how the story was told through the Victory at Sea series we watched on black and white tiny T.V.in fifties, but this exhibit almost put you there as you walked through the Lexington.

Mary with her Sarasota sign

The next morning we had breakfast and headed toward Bird Island Basin National Sea Shore. The drive took us over two bridges and down Padre Island. We were surprised to see a thriving community of new homes and a string of condos newly built. Beyond these there was nothing but brush and dunes as far as the eye could see. About five miles down the road we came to a State guard house where we had to pay $10 and $5 for parking. We drove towards the bay and saw the several RVs parked near the main Worldwind building. According to their brochure this half mile stretch of beach on the protected Laguna Madre is internationally recognized as one of the top windsurfing sites in the mainland USA.
We arrived about noon and only light wind was blowing which was fine for the beginners who were out there learning about the wind. Randy, the instructor, was teaching two teens how to up haul and catch the wind. He had been an instructor in Hood River about five years with Big Winds and knew many of the same people that we knew. Small world especially when you are into a sport like windsurfing. Don the owner, had sailed the Caribbean with his wife and two boys for many years and found that San Padre had what he wanted in the way of schools for his boys and sailing needs. He bought a house on the Island and then bought the windsurfing business that had been established in the 70's. He was well equipped with the newest gear which he buys every year. His boards are mostly Fanatic and Ezzy sails with a few other types of equipment thrown in. Since Mary was looking to buy a used 120 liter board she asked him about the latest types that were popular now. Most boards are shorter and wider and have more flotation so they are easier because it is easier to balance and to jibe and tack. That's what Mary wanted to hear as she looked at last year's Fanatic model.
By one in the afternoon the wind had not come up yet though it was starting to gust. Don gave Mary some paint and a pointed board so she could make a sign for the Post. There were signs made by previous sailors from all over the world but Mary could not find a sign for Sarasota. She spent the next hours designing a Sarasota sign with a circus tent in the background. Don liked it and found that Sarasota was 995 miles away as the crow flies and she put that on the sign as well. When the paint was dry, Don nailed to the post in the direction of Sarasota.

By two in the afternoon, more sailors had arrived and were rigging their sails. It was time to take our sails and equipment to the beach and do the same. Mary rigged her 5.6 sail and planned to use the Mistral Screamer and John rented a 6.0 sail and a Fanatic Shark board. Randy told us to stay along the dark line where the sea grass started to grow as the wind was blowing off shore and if we went too far it would be difficult to get back. John was doing fine but Mary liked to go fast and practice jibing which took you farther out. Soon she found she was off course and in order to get back one had to point into the wind which was not so easy to do now that there were lots of white caps in the water. Eventually, she got back which is always a triumph. All in all it was a great day of windsurfing.

South Padre Island, Texas

We left Houston at ten in the morning after a Waffle House breakfast so we would not need to stop for lunch. We knew this would be along ride so we had several ways to entertain ourselves. John had down loaded, Two for the Dough: a Stephanie Plum Book, by Janet Evanovich on his new Kindle. Mary had collected crossword puzzles for the last two months and brought the stack to use for times like these. This ride was uneventful with miles of agriculture growing on both sides of the highway. There were no risqué signs or HOOTER sightings. So we were content to spend this time with our own thoughts. The closer we got to the border of Mexico, however, things got exciting. We started seeing official looking cars driving past us with markings such as BOARDER PATROL, HOME LAND SECURITY VEHICLE, TEXAS STATE TROOPER. Soon after, we saw a forest of flood lights and cameras on poles on both sides of the street. A few miles down the road we noticed a group of buildings where more cars were stored. Then to affirm that they were doing their job, we saw a guy get pulled over as several troopers were inspecting his car with sniffing dogs. Well, you don't see that every day!

We finally arrived in Port Isabel around four in the afternoon and looked across the bridge to South Padre Island. It was like Eric our biker friend from Houston said it would be, very much like Miami Beach. There were high rises in a row all along the stretch of the island. We had planned to stay at the KOA campground but they did not accommodate tents. So John got on Hotwire to look for discount motels and found a Days Inn. I was pretty sure it was not one of the High Rises that we could spot from across the bridge, but anything was better than sleeping in the car! We rolled into our modest $55 motel, placed our luggage in the room and set out to explore the Island.

The Island is approximately five miles long and one fourth mile wide. The East side is bordered by the Gulf which today was flying a red flag due to the turbulence and the rib currents. We asked an official manning one of the fifteen beach access if people windsurfed out there. He answered with a mischievous grin, "You can try it!" I'm sure his life was without much excitement and would love to see us poor blokes make fun of ourselves tackling the waves! The other side of the island is on the bay side which seemed to be pretty flat but with a few white caps. As we drove up the island we noticed several kites bobbing above the dunes. We noticed a string of cars parked at the water's edge and we were ready to go there but noticed the soft sand and thought better of it for now until we investigated if there was a better way to get there. On our way back we noted the street were girl's names, then names of the zodiac, and finally names of the heavenly bodies and planets. We were sure that our contact person by the name of Phil Money lived on a street with a girl's name. We planned to deal with that in the morning, for now it was time to find a place for dinner.

We drove around until be found Louie's Backyard a restaurant on the gulf. We have found that if we share an entree and get an extra salad we have plenty to eat at restaurants. So that's that we did getting one sea food platter and salad bar. We ate as we were serenaded by a great mariachi band that played a variety of songs with German and French influence in Mexico. As we left the restaurant we saw that the amusement park next door had opened and people were taking advantage of the events. John wanted to try the bunge jumping but I told him he would probably lose his dinner and maybe have a heart attack. We only just started this adventure and we didn't need to lose our main driver, after all. I was hot to go on the car track but John talked me out of it and said I would have enough to do going windsurfing. So we relaxed and explored the rest of the island that night.

In the morning we went to see Phil Money who was recommended by our Tiga Brother, Larry. Phil had another commitment and sent Joe to get us started with our windsurfing needs. Joe was a retired engineer who worked at a plant across the border for many years. Soon after he retired the plant closed and moved to China and it was a good thing too as the border town near Brownsville has been plagued lately with vicious drug wars. Joe hasn't returned there for the last two years and now he has another job helping out with the windsurfing shop which allows him to play with all the toys.

The windsurfing shop is located on Carolyn Street at the dead end that faces the bay. We had to ask the neighbors because it was tucked behind another house and you had to walk around to the back and there it was! Phil lives across the street which makes it perfect for him if as he can walk across the street when customers come calling. We met Joe who showed us all the pre-rigged sails in the sail shack and in the store besides wet suits there was a wide varied of boards. Joe provided John with a 6.5 meter sail and a 130 liter board as the winds were pretty light. Mary wanted to use the 120 Liter JP Aussie board and a 5.6 meter sail. We had to wait for a gust to get across the deep channel in front of the shallow surfing area and once we got across we were able to stand if we fell off our board. The bay is covered with a sea grass and since we had our booties we managed to stand on this carpet without getting freaked out by what else was living down there. Mary attempted a few runs but couldn't get into the harness as it was set too high and the boom could not go lower on the mast. So that meant hanging like a monkey on a limb when the gust started to blow. That didn't last too long as the arms get pretty tired. John got into the harness but it was too light to get into the foot straps. Like Tierra Verde in St. Petersburg, the water is only a few feet deep for miles and if conditions were great we would have

The last impressive building before the long flats where the kite surfers played was the South Padre Convention Center. We decided to investigate the building and see what was in store for the next few days. We discovered that the local theater group was performing The Fantastics. This was the longest running play on Broadway and some of the original actors were playing in this play. We got tickets for front row seats. This is a play about two lovers and their fathers who built a wall to keep them apart. Secretly, however, they wanted their kids to marry. With the help of El Gallo, who sets up an abduction (Rape) and with two helpers the old bard Henry, and Mortimer his side kick who specializes in death scenes; they stage a way for the boy to rescue the girl and win her hand. The old bard, Ray Steward, was an original "boy" on Broadway. Watching him perform, you can see he still on top of his game. Mary had a special appeal for this play as it was the first production she choreographed back in 1970 at Ewa Beach, Hawaii. It was also the first play we took Ted and Lynda to see at Sundance Ski Resort in Utah in 1992. A perfect play for young love birds. "Remember there are no small actors, only small parts!

Arriving at South Padre Island

John, don't even think of it!

John flying his sail.

Mary, at Padreritaville adding the blog name on the Wall.

The Fantastics, our favorite play! 

South Padre Island looks like Miami Beach!

John listening to his Kindle!

The next morning we had time to do a quick bike run down the Gulf Road that provided a large bike trail for about five miles. We got up early and drove to the start and got our bikes off the rack. This would be fun because it was a straight run on a flat course with ample room to go fast hunkering down on the aero bars. Going south we flew moving around a few runners and in line skaters. Then at the end we turned and then the wind hit us…BAM! We were ready for the challenge going down a few gears and pushing the quads, we really got a good work out. By the time we were done, we felt sweaty and pooped. We were ready to do the drive north to Corpus Christi.

Drive Straight to Houston!



We left Panama City early knowing we would have a long ride to New Orleans, but when we arrived the city was under a veil of rain and we did not plan on setting up our tent in the rain. So we made a quick decision to keep on driving to Houston. We made it as far as Lafayette and stayed at a Drury's Inn for the night. In the morning it was time to hit the road again and head to Houston. We followed I-10 and it was clear that it is a road heavily used by truckers. The billboards were advertising gentlemen's clubs, adult book stores and casinos as well as HOOTERS. We were fascinated with the variety and competition of these clubs for the male travelers. Here is a sample of some that we noted: The Lion's Den Adult Store, Plantation Gentlemen's Club, Love Shack Adult Store, truckers welcome!

The center of Houston was an adventure in itself with the six lanes of traffic going every which way. We were looking for the Crowne Plaza near Westlake. From time to time our minds were diverted from a HOOTERS citing. So far from the start of our trip we counted ten, and we always found it exciting to add one to the list. As we drove on, it seems that the Garmin Girl does not lock on to the address until she is within a six mile radius. So we were on our own with the help of a phone call to the registration desk. When we got close enough, I wrote in the address and The Garmin Girl did her thing directing us right to the door of the Plaza.
While our room was getting ready, we had an opportunity to play tennis at a near-by park and explore the area for biking. The Terry Hershey Park has an endless bike trail that goes under the roads to avoid traffic and meanders by lakes and woods. We plan to go early in the morning as the heat index was already rising into the high nineties. We talked to several bikers who said that the trail was very popular and there were water stops along the way. That was perfect!

Ready to ride Hershey Park!

Every hotel so far has been well equipped with a workout room and this one was no exception. It seems workout rooms, wi-fi, TV, free breakfast, and swimming pools are a must. This is good for the patron weather a traveler or conference person. Our hotel is in the middle of the gas industry with roads in the vicinity named BP Way and EXON EXPRESS. So it was not surprising to be among a large group of tired Transocean workers returning from an all-day conference as we all waited for the elevator. Another group of people speaking in a different language were a few Asians. I asked them if they were speaking Korean, but no they were Chinese. I asked, "…form Taiwan?" no from Mainland China. John chirped in, "Oh, Na Li!" He was referring to the winner of the French Open. They seemed confused until he clarified, "You know… the tennis player." They seemed to understand and nod their heads without much enthusiasm. If she were a table tennis star, they may have given us high fives. Tennis is still marginal as a sport in China.

Since we realized that our next drive to South Padre would take about six hours, we decided to do our bike ride in the late afternoon and build up an appetite for a late dinner. We went to Hershey Park, took the bikes down from our rack and it looked like my front tire was flat. So John tried to pump it up, but it didn't seem to inflate. Eric, one of the bikers came over to see if he could help and looked at the flat tire. He took out his nifty tool and took out the inner tube. I happened to have a spare one in my bike pack and gave it to Eric who quickly changed the tube. John was at the pump again, but soon we heard a PHFFF-POP, and down went the tire again. Eric told us to go to THE BIKE WORLD the closest bike shop only a quarter of a mile away so that we could get our tire repaired.

Off we went to the bike shop and brought in the wheel to show the attendant. He inspected the lining and asked if had ever changed the lining? He showed us how the lining was worn down and the inner tube pushed through the holes in the ring. He replaced the lining, put in a new inner tube, pumped up the tire, and it was good to go! All the while this was being done, we got into a conversation with Manny who also worked at the shop. He had done a great deal of long distance bike riding all around the nation. He related to us about several rides he had taken that were most memorable like the one in Death Valley. By the time he was finished we were thinking he was super human. Next week he will be on the support team that will ride from Ocean Side, California near Los Angeles to Maryland. The group consists of 4 man teams, 2 man teams and solo riders. They ride off the beaten track day and night, except the solo riders.

We were amazed that people would do such feats for the fun of it and not to be outdone, we told Manny that we were going cross country on our adventure. He was genuinely interested and asked for our blog address so he could find out about our travels. He gave us a title of a book that we might like to read to add to Travels with Charley and On the Road. He suggested, A Walk through the Woods, about hiking through the Appalachian Trail.Fully pumped up about riding, we took our bikes to Hershey trail and joined the many riders, runners, and walkers who were everywhere. Up to now we were used to riding on flat trails in Florida. In fact the only hill we encounter is the Linger Lodge over pass. So, we were not totally prepared for the ups and downs of this ride especially with riders coming at you sharing the path. The path followed a meandering trail under several roads that meant a steep descent and a quick ascent off the saddle in the lowest gear you can manage. Then the path went on narrow wooded bridges over a stream that crossed from time to time. We were doing pretty well even though John said that he could see the whites of my eyes and my hand pressing on the breaks at each descent. The only mishap was the hair pin turn on the descent on our return ride. That was the one I had to walk up as it was so steep curvy that I couldn't get momentum going. So, on the approach I saw John flying down calling, "Follow ME!" A few minutes later I heard a scrape and an "Aaaaaa!*@#" By the time I walked down to the bottom of the hill, he was up and ready to ride again. He never mentioned any pain from the gear scratches on his leg. What a trouper! He just got up and rode on into the sunset. By the time we were done our ride, we were ready for a Texas steak with all the trimmings!