Followers

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Fall Trip to Texas

virginia 002 We started our trip on Oct. 17th, 2010.  We took I-81 through Virginia – a very scenic route.  This is a photo of the Blue Ridge Mountains along our route.

virginia 001 This “camper” is from California.  It was in a Virginia rest stop and we got a chuckle seeing it.

TN & AL 009 We met George and Joanne Dunn in Alamo Palms a couple of years ago.  They are “full timers” and we visited them in their home state of Alabama. 

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Alabama Friends 005 This is Lakeside Landing – our campsite while visiting our Alabama friends.  George & Joanne drove us all around – we saw the Honda plant where Don’s Accord was made; we had a great catfish lunch & shopped at the Pink Store – that’s even better than the Dollar Store, which George calls the “Alabama Macy’s”. 

Lakeside Landing, RV, Cropwell, AL

Alabama Friends 006 Jim & Sara Prickett put on a dinner for 14 people – all folks that we had met in Texas.  This is Sara’s big country kitchen.  She made spaghetti and homemade sour dough bread, plus peach cobbler.  We learned about real Southern Hospitality!

Alabama Friends 009 Jim Prickett - and

Alabama Friends 011 Sara Prickett.  Our Hosts!  Their 50th wedding anniversary is very soon and they will renew their vows. 

Pricketts Lake The Pricketts have 45 acres and a lake. After dinner,  I picked up pecans while Don went fishing.

Don's fish Don’s fish!

Joe Joe  Talton and

alabama 009 his wife Mary Patt .  She’s wearing her Alabama dirt shirt and I’m laughing at the big breakfast.  We’ll be seeing them in Alamo Palms this winter.

alabama 008 Our farewell breakfast.  L to R- George, Joanne, Don.  We sure had a wonderful time in Alabama.

Racoon Valley RV Park, Heiskell, TN Knoxville, TN – We stayed at the Escapees’ Raccoon Valley RV Park in Heiskell.  From there we toured Oak Ridge where Atomic Energy was developed – along with the atomic bomb that ended WWII.

Heiskell, TN 008 Outside the Energy Museum is this tower sculpture made from pieces of the World Trade Center tragedy on 9/11.

Oak Ridge, TN museum from a brochure on the museum.

Sam's Town Casino - Shreveport, LA While in Shreveport, LA, we couldn’t resist the great lunch buffet at Sam’s Town Casino.  We also lost a few bucks – very quickly  - playing the slots.

Church, Shreveport, LA We saw some REALLY BIG, beautiful churches in Shreveport.

TN & AL 007 These huge crosses are sure to catch your attention as you drive through the south.

TN & AL 004 This is KUDZU – the plant that ate the south.  It’s invasive and is all over- literally. 

 

Livingston, TX Escapees In Livingston, TX, we stayed at the Headquarters of the Escapees – Rainbow’s End.  Thousands of “full timers” use this as their home base and mailing address.

Welcome to Houston!Welcome to Houston, TX!  We stayed at Elks Lodge 121 – full hookups, huge concrete pad – and easy access to the freeways - (Don’s nightmare).

IMG_0867 I have always wanted to visit Bayou Bend, former home of Texas Governor Hogg and his philanthropist daughter, Miss Ima Hogg.  We were not able to tour inside the home because of a private tour, but we enjoyed the beautiful gardens with an audio self-guided headset.

iron gate Even the iron gate is a work of art.

IMG_0864 These formal gardens are on the south side of the house.  There were 9 separate garden areas to explore – a very pleasant afternoon.

Houston downtown Don braved Huston’s freeways again on Friday to take me to the International Quilt Show.  This photo of downtown was taken outside the Convention Center.

Houston Convention Center We had never been is such a huge convention center before.  The quilt show took up the entire building with half dedicated to quilt display and the other half to vendors. 

Eleanor Burns & Alice Eleanor Burns of “Quilt in a Day” fame,  gave a funny, half hour presentation.  I caught up with her at her booth and Don took our photo.  Great fun!  Below are some of the quilts that we photographed. 

Lunch @ Gringos Kitchen - taco salad After the quilt show, we had lunch at Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen – one of our favorite restaurants.

Don outside of Gringo's I love this photo of Don eating his ice cream cone.  Adios, Houston!

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