Please Note: This only includes travel from October 2011 – March 2012.

On the road again!!!

Okay, so it’s not technically October… but hey, if they can start selling candy corn and pumpkins in the stores… well, it’s close enough to count as October.

So…once again the wheels started turning and the big old Bear is following behind…Who knows where we will end up in the weeks ahead… (although I hope it’s somewhere they have plenty more candy corn!)

Chimney Park

Our first thought was to visit a few places in the Florida panhandle that we hadn’t really explored. Plus, we wanted to see the new hangar at the National Museum of Naval Aviation. So we spent some time in Pensacola and discovered some great attractions along with a few little “sites” tucked away.

Another place we “discovered” and will no doubt be returning to is Fort Pickens. Located on Santa Rosa Island (turn west at Pensacola Beach and you can’t miss!) you’ll think you are in the Arctic, as the snow white sand blends in with the deep blue Gulf of Mexico. (See photo of the truck below.)

Hmm… let’s see… nope… don’t want to tell you about that… Can’t let you know everything! Oh, we did have some problems, but I’ve already posted them at the Home page – so I won’t rehash all that!

No, not snow - it's white sand!

Okay, okay… we crossed into Alabama one day to look around. Then found ourselves back in Florida to see a few more things before deciding to head West.

Now, we honestly had no clue we’d head westward for winter. It is just one of those things where you throw around the “journey vs. destination” debate. And being the type of folks we are… well, life’s about the journey… so whichever entrance ramp you’re near… that’s where you’re going to head!

Heading westward...

Which reminds me…I am delighted to report we saw 3 alligators in Alabama! Don’t ask…

Mississippi remains much the same as it was the last time we were there; however, the roads are much worse. You watch “IRT: Deadliest Roads” and you wonder how folks can drive in such conditions… until you get on I-10 and wonder how much easier it would be to drive in a foreign country…down a one-lane mountain pass with no brakes …

We spent a week in Louisiana which is always a nice time. You have to love Louisiana – nice folks, great food and cool history.

Trailer of hay bales on fire in Houston.

As we headed westward we were amazed at yet another highway fire (first a semi trailer in MS, then a hay trailer on fire in TX). Usually we come across accident scenes, but never fires. A bit scary with such dry conditions in the South.

We woke up one morning (TX) surprised to find ourselves experiencing an earthquake. Although we later learned this may not have been natural, but because of fracking.

After a few weeks on the road, we decided to put the tire covers on and rest a bit in Texas.

At rest... in Texas... for now!

Our first un-hooked adventure was to visit the historic town of Gruene during the Texas Clay Festival. Now I know what you’re thinking… no, it’s not just piles of mud… it’s a festival with a large number of talented folks showing off and selling their pottery.

At Gruene for the Texas Clay Festival

Well, several weeks have been marked off the calendar since I last posted here… where to I begin? We enjoyed several day trips (a couple pictures will follow) and had a lovely Thanksgiving.

Heading out - again!

Then we found that the RV park we were staying at no longer enforced rules. A travel trailer pulled up beside us and erected a garage-sized tent… then a large-screen TV, stereo, sat dish, tables, chairs and a tiki bar found their way inside the tent… along with several boxes of bottles to stock the tiki bar! Now we have seen a great deal while living on-the-road, but this was a little more than we could tolerate. Especially when it was apparent that the no-tent rule, no loud music, no-noise after-hours, etc… rules were not going to be enforced.

Having settled ourselves (the intention of staying a few months) we found ourselves scrambling to find another RV park or campground that could accommodate us for an extended stay. Since we are in the middle of the Winter Texan “season”, that was a bit of chore! Fortunately we did manage to find one and once again, found ourselves heading out on the highway.

A visit to the Texas Forces Military Museum at Camp Mabry.

The aquarium inside Cabela's (outside Austin).

Now we are re-settled here (although that itself is a story worthy of the home page…) and have the Christmas decorations up and are ready to celebrate the season.

Must be Christmas!

Welcome 2012! Although it has been a crazy couple of weeks… including a hungry squirrel chomping on our truck wires…. We are looking forward to what adventures the New Year will bring.

It’s been a couple weeks since I updated this and to get you all caught up, read “New Year, new stuff”.

The weather in Texas has been crazy this season. Some days are beautiful and others are a bit gloomy. Although I won’t complain too much… no snow to shovel!

But at least the air-condition days are back! Woohoo! Note to self: Never complain about the summer heat again!

Okay, enough about weather… let’s see, what have we been up to… oh, definitely one of the neatest places we have visited is the LBJ National Historical Park – LBJ Ranch in Stonewall. Well worth a trip if you find yourself in the region!

The "Texas White House" at LBJ Ranch

A view of the past at the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm

And while we were there we visited the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm. A tour of the early 1918 farmstead you literally step into living history – just watch out for cow and sheep patties! The folks dressed up as settlers actually grow and can the foods you see on display. Around lunchtime they actually prepare foods as they would during the period. And all the food comes from the farmstead (including the meat). So don’t pet the critters…

Hmm… what else have we been up to? Oh, visited historic Fredericksburg… lots of antique shoppes and galleries. Also several museums to visit there, including the National Museum of the Pacific War.

Outside the National Museum of the Pacific War

Fredericksburg is the birthplace of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

Right now the site-seeing is winding down as we begin to prepare for our trek across country to… well, I think I will keep you in suspense for awhile longer!