Saturday in Austin

Today was kind of disappointing. We went to Barton Springs Pool in the afternoon, but I couldn't go swimming because I forgot my swimming suit.

Just kidding - Tiggers swim very well without swimming suits!

I hoped to see the endangered Barton Springs salamander, but they were hiding.

This evening Poppa took me to see the Congress Avenue Bridge bats.




(Don't forget you can click or tap the picture to make it bigger).




Around 750,000 Mexican free-tail bat mommies move to Austin to live under the bridge in March. Their babies are born in early June, and can fly by the middle of July so then there are 1,500,000 bats under the bridge. I can only count to twenty (because that's how many fingers and toes I have), but I think there more bats than that.

They come out every evening around sunset, so Poppa and I went to see them.



We waited and waited and waited. No bats. We waited and waited. Finally we saw about 6 bats, but it was too dark to take a picture for you to see.

Maybe next week when we get to Carlsbad Caverns we can see some bats and get pictures.

Posted from Nana's iPad

Friday in Austin

Last night we slept in a screened-in porch, which was really cool! (Except for the constant calling of some kind of birds that sound like mourning doves on steroids - I don't think they ever sleep!)





This morning Poppa got to use the outdoor shower and now promises to have one when we get home.





We walked around Austin today. One stop was at the Driskill Hotel, built in 1886 by a cattle baron. Those cattle had pretty big horns.





After the hotel, we toured the Texas Capitol Building. It has really tall ceilings, probably so it can hold all of the hot air.

Austin is known for music, so tonight we're going to have dinner at a Mexican restaurant and listen to Blues. That sounds like a strange combination, but no stranger than the Cuban hot dog Poppa had for lunch with onions, spicy black beans, rice, and fried bananas.


Posted from Nana's iPad

Thursday, April 19

We drove 247 miles today from Caddo Mills to Austin, Texas. It wasn't a beautiful drive like across southern NewYork or across Pennsylvania, but it probably looks nice to the people who live here. We started to see a lot of wildflowers and should see a lot more in the Hill Country next week.

On the way to Austin we stopped in Waco, Texas so Nana and Poppa could get lunch at the Health Camp:



Don't be misled by the name - lunch consisted of cheeseburgers, fries, and a chocolate shake.

But maybe it's not that unhealthy. One of the first customers in 1949 is still a loyal customer, and he just had his 95th birthday! Poppa found the following article about him:

"No mention of Mr. "D" the honorary manager? I was looking at the photos on the wall of him and then looked over and there he was, eating his dinner. Asked him about he photos. Struck up a conversation. Turns out he showed up there on opening day in 1949 after hearing a rumor that Health Camp was a nudist camp. Disappointed, but none-the-less, he has been coming back ever since. What a character."


After lunch we went to the Texas Rangers Museum. All kinds of neat stuff, including my new badge (enlarge the picture and look closely):




Then it was off to Austin, where we found Jill's really cool house. Jill was Nana's room mate in graduate school. She has 2 kids, Larissa and Sergey, two cats, and an amazing tree in the front yard:



Yes, I'm in that picture too!

Nana and Poppa especially liked the outdoor shower. They might build one when they get home and think their friends in Rochester should too.

Good night for now - lots of sights to see tomorrow.

Posted from Nana's iPad

Wednesday, April 18

We left Little Rock, Arkansas this morning and drove 283 miles to Caddo Mills, Texas. Boy, the drivers in Arkansas are crazy - cutting each other off, tailgating, swerving across multiple lanes. Poppa wanted to stop at President Clinton's birthplace in Hope, Arkansas to take some pictures to send to his friends in Florida, but we had to get out of Arkansas.

We were glad to get to Texas, especially Poppa. He stopped at Cooter Brown's to get beer and a bag of ice. Poppa thinks Cooter might be related to one of his friends in Florida. The lady there asked if he had a cooler and Poppa said yes. She said "Y'all just pull your truck and trailer across the grass and in here. We'll put the beer in your cooler and ice you down."(People in Texas talk funny.)




He did and they did. Poppa said "Is Texas a great state or what?"

He also found out that Yuengling has made it across the Mississippi at least as far as Texas (more important information for friends in Florida).

The campground here in Caddo Mills has a nice lake -





It also has some nice oak trees -





And a great swimming pool -





Tomorrow we drive to Austin, Texas where Nana's friend Jill lives. We'll be there a few days enjoying music and art. That's where the real fun of the trip will start.

Posted from Nana's iPad

Tuesday, April 17

Today we drove 365 miles from Illinois to Little Rock, Arkansas.

I saw my first armadillo, which I didn't expect so soon since they are called "Texas speed bumps".

We went past New Madrid, which in 1811 and 1812 had some of the worst earthquakes ever in the Unites States. I learned a long time ago that if I ever catch on fire, I should "stop, drop, and roll". Today I learned that if I'm ever in an earthquake, I should "drop, cover, and hold on". That means drop on my hands and knees so the earthquake doesn't knock me down and I'll be able to move, get under cover of something sturdy like a desk, and hold on to it so I stay under it.

When we got to the Little Rock North KOA campground, Nana said "That was much better, traveling at 65 miles per hour, and we got here an hour sooner."

Poppa said something that sounded like "@$&# 10.1 miles per gallon? That means that if I drive 85 miles per hour I should get 12.1 miles per gallon. I'll try that tomorrow.

This is a nicely wooded campground, with oaks, buckeyes, and pines. Nana talked to an older gentleman who works here and got his whole life story.

After all the time in the truck, I decided to get some exercise.







Then time to relax:



And, finally some fun:








And how often does one get to ride on a Citroen?




This one was imported from France by a couple from Fresno, California, and has been across the United States 4 times.

Nana and Poppa should have started this 4 years ago.

Posted from Nana's iPad

Monday, April 16

Today we drove 302 miles to Whittington Woods campground in Illinois.

Nana said "Can't we go any faster than 55? It will takes us forever!"

Poppa said something that sounded like "$&#% 9.1 miles per gallon? I'm trying to save gas."

The campground was beautiful. Mary and Reed bought it in 2008, when it was a bit run-down, but had beautiful oak and buckeye trees. Now they've added a lot of new stuff.

I got right to work looking for dinner, and thought I had found it:




Unfortunately, she had friends:




Not one to wallow in defeat, I decided to celebrate instead.






Posted from Nana's iPad

Sunday, April 15

I thought that was MY comfy bed, but this is what I saw when I woke up:





Here is the campground we stayed at in Richmond:





Lots of kids were catching fish in the lake. Nana talked to their Mom and got her whole life story.