Why?
We had been talking about going to San Diego for our anniversary (April 12 1979 - April 12 2014 = 35 years.) But it didn't really appeal to either of us. Suz decided she wanted to go to south Texas, someplace neither one of us has ever been. So I mentioned Corpus Christi, she found the Port Aransas Sand Festival on the web, I tacked on Big Bend and the trip was born.
My father was from Austin, my mother from San Antonio. They came to Utah in 1941; planning to spend one year and then return to Texas. So Pearl Harbor happened that year, and plans changed. Either they couldn't get enough gas ration cards to get back in the Model T; or...
My father was descended from German ancestors who migrated to Texas in the 1860's. But, the Texas of the German migration did not mix into the rest of state. At the start of WWII the U.S. government detained some, not many, citizens of German descent. The detention camps were in Texas. So maybe they were concerned with that.
Regardless of why, they stayed in Utah through the war. And by the end of the war my father was on a tenure track at the U. So they never moved back to Texas.
So, every summer we would pack up the car and drive to Austin. The start of this trip mimics one of those trips. We would usually go south from Durango to Alberquerque, never went through Chinle. Or they would go south from Jacob Lake (the last place we could camp) to Flagstaff and then east. But I have memories of hot sticky nights in Fort Stockton, or Fort Sumner. The cars had no air conditioning, and the motels with kitchenettes generally did not either.
My father was from Austin, my mother from San Antonio. They came to Utah in 1941; planning to spend one year and then return to Texas. So Pearl Harbor happened that year, and plans changed. Either they couldn't get enough gas ration cards to get back in the Model T; or...
My father was descended from German ancestors who migrated to Texas in the 1860's. But, the Texas of the German migration did not mix into the rest of state. At the start of WWII the U.S. government detained some, not many, citizens of German descent. The detention camps were in Texas. So maybe they were concerned with that.
Regardless of why, they stayed in Utah through the war. And by the end of the war my father was on a tenure track at the U. So they never moved back to Texas.
So, every summer we would pack up the car and drive to Austin. The start of this trip mimics one of those trips. We would usually go south from Durango to Alberquerque, never went through Chinle. Or they would go south from Jacob Lake (the last place we could camp) to Flagstaff and then east. But I have memories of hot sticky nights in Fort Stockton, or Fort Sumner. The cars had no air conditioning, and the motels with kitchenettes generally did not either.
Wednesday: Grants, NM
How can you get lost in Page? With the road from Page to Flag closed (see previous post) the signage in Page got me confused. So instead of heading south on 89T towards Tuba City I turned on AZ 98 east towards Kayenta. Long drive through the Navajo Nation including Window Rock then onto to Grants. One of our cost saving ideas for this trip was to carry sleeping bags and stay in KOA Kamping Cabins when possible. It was possible here, so we did. We took advantage of the 'room' service for dinner.
Thursday: Sweetwater, TX
Drive, drive. Through Albuquerque, through Santa Rosa. Stopped in Fort Sumner for lunch. Couldn't find a reasonable looking restaurant, so we went to a grocery store and bought some snacks. Across the street from the parking lot was a mural on the side of the 'visitors bureau' so we went across and took some pictures. As we were walking back to missionaries came up and asked if we were from Utah. Two rather homesick young men looking for a friendly voice in rural NM.
Had lunch at a drive in in Clovis NM. Where Susan had the 'best' hamburger ever, sweet home made bun and relish! Best burger, because that's how her mother made them, with relish and home made bread. Susan was so pleased, she went inside the drivein and thanked the cook personally.
Then on through Lubbock and on to Sweetwater and some so so bbq for dinner.
Friday - Sunday: Port Aransas, TX
Friday
South from Sweetwater (did an HOA meeting while Susan drove). Stopped in Kerrville for lunch. Then through San Antonio to Corpus Christi to Aransas Pass. And ending with a short ferry ride from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas.
So we got to ride on the Texas DOT ferry, for ten minutes after a 45 minute wait. Six ferries back and forth with a ten minute ride. That's a fair amount of traffic.
Saturday
My idea for the trip was to go to Corpus Christi. Susan found the Port Aransas Sand Festival on the web; so Corpus became a via point with Port Aransas as the goal.
So Saturday morning was spent on the beach, watching the sculptures get started. Lunch was a $1.00 bratwurst from the wordless biggest bbq grill -- the Johnsonville brat Big Taste Grill, half the proceeds went to a local charity, and the brats were good.
After lunch we left the beach and went birding at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, we saw a Roseate spoonbill and two alligators.
Unfortunately dinner was a cheap pizza joint, bad choice.
So Saturday morning was spent on the beach, watching the sculptures get started. Lunch was a $1.00 bratwurst from the wordless biggest bbq grill -- the Johnsonville brat Big Taste Grill, half the proceeds went to a local charity, and the brats were good.
After lunch we left the beach and went birding at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, we saw a Roseate spoonbill and two alligators.
Unfortunately dinner was a cheap pizza joint, bad choice.
Sunday
The morning was spent at the sand festival; the sculptures were finished and the judges were judging. We walked through again and then went birding again. This time at Port Aransas nature preserve.We saw two Carara's and a Brown Heron among others.
Monday: Kerrville, TX
Through Bee County and Beeville to Seguin. Bernard Bee was my mother's mother's (Zelita Bee) grandfather(?). This is the Texas of my mother's side of the family. Bernard Bee did recruiting for the Confederate army; he may well have recruited in New Braunsfels (the Biesele/Jahn side) but would not have gotten many recruits. The Texas Germans were not happy with being part of the Conferacy. Neither Barnard E. Bee Sr, or Jr was ever in Beeville or Bee county. Junior was in the state legislature when the county was proposed and got the name changed to honor his father. Senior moved to Mexico after the civil war (how can a war be "civil"?) and started another family. Then came back to Texas.
Then on the Seguin, back in the German migration area. I am named after my father's mother's younger sister (Henriettea Jahn) and her husband (Willy Weiss). Willy emigrated from Germany in the 1920's and ran a photography shop in Seguin for years. He sold it to a gentleman (?) and when that gentleman died his family donated the negative collection to the county historical society. So we went to the historical society and talked about Willy's photo collection I was thinking I find my baby pictures, but the collection not been indexed. Tried to find the square W (his ranch), but couldn't find any place that definitely looked like it. This was a possibility, house was burned.
Then through New Braunfels and on to Kerrville. Stayed in another Kamping cabin and photographed a lunar eclipse (blood red moon).
Then on the Seguin, back in the German migration area. I am named after my father's mother's younger sister (Henriettea Jahn) and her husband (Willy Weiss). Willy emigrated from Germany in the 1920's and ran a photography shop in Seguin for years. He sold it to a gentleman (?) and when that gentleman died his family donated the negative collection to the county historical society. So we went to the historical society and talked about Willy's photo collection I was thinking I find my baby pictures, but the collection not been indexed. Tried to find the square W (his ranch), but couldn't find any place that definitely looked like it. This was a possibility, house was burned.
Then through New Braunfels and on to Kerrville. Stayed in another Kamping cabin and photographed a lunar eclipse (blood red moon).
Tuesday: Marathon, TX
Went up to Fredericksburg for a wander and lunch then on through Fort Stockton to Marathon. Two horse town, cute retro motel and great food in the historic hotel.
This is west Texas oil country. My mother's step father (her father died in WWI) was in the 'oil' business. If the wells were flowing, he was buying two Cadillacs every year, a black sedan for himself, and a coupe or convertible (occasionaly pink) for my Grandmother. One summer they left San Antonio in her car to come to SLC. On the way through Amarillo, the dealer had a pink convertible on the lot. They pulled in and traded the old one in. And drove up to parents small house in SLC in a pink Caddie convertible. When the oils were dry there were no new Cadillacs and my grandmother would blame bankers running off to Argentina. After retiring from the oil business, he had a used car lot -- selling only Cadillacs. |
| Check the scraggly pony tail and large bald spot. The pony tail was cut off when we got home. |
Wednesday - Thursday: Terlingua, TX
My family never went to the Gulf Coast, or to Big Bend, or even Dallas or Houston. My first visit to Big Bend was with my brother and son in 2002(?).
Big Bend: birding and wildflowers/cactus flowers. Susan and I saw our first cardinal.
Friday: Fort Davis, TX
McDonald Observatory, Holland Hotel in Alpine TX - where my parents stayed on their honeymoon. The trip that included a visit to Zion National Park. So we may have followed their tracks from here to home.
Saturday: Alberquerque, NM
Great mexican food on the square. bought susan and anniversary necklace.
Sunday
zoom, zoom, zoom Grant, Williams, Flagstaff, Navajo Bridge, Jacob Lake, home.
Hair Cut
During the trip I decided it was time to cut off the pony tail. I started it in 2009 (the year we bought in St George) and kept it through retirement. I was about to cut it to do a contract at the church; but Susan convinced my to quit before that contract came through. But this trip convinced me that the bald spot was growing faster than the pony tail, and my youthful rebellious streak was getting kind of old; so...My father grew a beard when my mother cut her hair. He didn't like either my long hair or beard. The hair never got this long (never really past shoulder length) then. I don't know if those memories were in my mind when I decided to do this; maybe so.
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| No longer a hippie, just a retiree in St George; having fun. |
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