Last year I traveled to New Orleans the day after Christmas for a short trip. This year I decided why not celebrate Christmas in New Orleans. The advantage of revisiting a city is you can revisit the places you liked and look for different things to do.
I arrived in New Orleans around 4:30 PM and checked into my hotel, turning my truck over to the valet to not see it again until I leave on Friday morning. The drive getting here was very much like the previous year, so I won’t bore you, go look for it if you are new here. I can say the same annoying traffic jam on the bridge going over the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge happened. Back to the details I want to say about this trip.
After getting settled into my hotel room, so wish I had a good view out of my windows to show you, but I’m in the back corner on the 10th floor so I get to see the other back sides of the hotels around me and nothing of the city. So if I want to see the city, I’m going to have to go into it.
I was hungry and went to the Vampire Apothecary that I enjoyed last year to try another meal and desert. This time I tried their salmon sandwich, purple velvet cake. (The chocolate cake from last year was better.)
After dinner I walked around to try to find Christmas decorations and lights.
Tomorrow the plan is to see the Botanical Gardens.
I had a good thinking in the hot springs this morning and decided I could work up the courage to cross the mountains again. Highway 207 isn’t really that bad, I was in a rental car, and taking those curves at the 45 mph speed limited seemed a bit fast to me. Gladly, I’m an early bird so I didn’t have too many people behind me. I did make up for the slow curves, when given a nice straightaway.
Lake Tahoe and Brunch
I spend my morning between breakfast and the soak in the hot springs, surveying eateries in South Lake Tahoe that would give me a view of the lake. Amazingly, there aren’t that many that show up on a Google search. Parking also is a big problem. The large hotels on the California side all have parking garages, just like Hotel/Casinos do on the Nevada side. This doesn’t allow for much parking spaces. This influenced my choice of dinning to only 2 places, Riva Grill on the Lake (has the best view of the lake), Artemis Lakefront Cafe (decent view of the lake, but set back from Riva Grill) and Empanash (no view of the lake). I went for Artemis, because I wanted to try some Greek food. I got there around 10:30 AM so they were still on their breakfast menu, so I channeled my inner hobbit again and had second breakfast.
Enough about the food, here are some pictures from the beach. Most of the beach is private property and only accessible if you are staying at the resort there, but there is a marina and you can walk out on the pier.
If I’m judging my location correctly, one of those mountains over there is the one I climbed up in yesterday’s post. It’s the one above Emerald Bay.
To the top of a mountain
After doing some shopping at the souvenir store were I bought a Lake Tahoe T-shirt and magnet. (These items are a must when I visit a place.) I decided to visit the sister resort, which is a sky resort, to David Wally’s. So back up route 207 with a left turn to keep going up past lots of different resorts and sky locations. This gave me a really good view of the valley below, which I wish I could have taken while driving; however, I was driving and taking photos would have been a bad idea. I’m going to have to save up for a GoPro or Insta360 camera for my next adventure in the mountains. Enjoy the view looking down at the wetlands. Enjoy the bonus squirrel cameo.
Drinks and Saloons
I returned to Genoa, Nevada to have a drink at the oldest saloon in the State of Nevada. I had what was in essence, a Kentucky Mule, which they called a Six Shooter. It wasn’t bad, the choice of ginger beer dominates this drink and at least that tasted good. What I should have ordered was a Bloody Mary; even if I don’t like the drink, they make the mix themselves and I over heard the bartenders discussing their current supply from when they made up the mix the other day. So if you are in Genoa, stop at the Genoa Bar and Saloon, bend down to open the door and enjoy an adult beverage or too. If you are lucky the food truck will also be open and you can get a burger and fries.
Before leaving Genoa, I visited a few shops that were closed the last time I was here. Bought some desert and local Nevada honey.
I’m going to end tonight at the David Wally’s Saloon and take one final soak in the hot springs before calling it a night. I need to be in Reno by 8 AM to return the rental car, so I’ll have to leave here by 7 AM just to be safe. Until the next adventure, I hope you enjoyed my rambling. Stay safe, stay happy.
This morning when I woke up I debated just sitting in my room and reading a book, but reviewing things to do near Lake Tahoe I decided to drive to the Eagle Falls Trail and walk to Eagle Lake. It’s only a 1 mile hike, up a mountain. Going up took me almost and hour, but coming down was quicker at 45 minutes.
Pictures going up to Eagle Lake
I’m glad they had rocks or logs along the trail that you could sit and listen to nature. The trail was not difficult to find your footing, but the “stairs” were still steep. This was a very popular trail due to the short length, so I wasn’t alone with people of all ages and their canine friends. There were even some individuals that had fishing poles and nets, specifically to fish in the lake and river that feeds the lake. I did see some fish jumping in the lake, but I didn’t witness any one catch any fish.
Eagle Lake
The texture of the bark on the tree fasinated me.
Wow, the water was crystal clear, but I shouldn’t expect anything less. My question is how did the first fish get up to this lake? Something to ponder.
The hike back down
I’m sorry this pictures are not in order. And I can’t seem to make wordpress to order them chronologically. They are basically in reverse order. For example, the squirrel, who I think was looking for a handout, was the 2nd to last picture I took today, the bridge was the picture I took before I took the picture of Lake Tahoe thru the trees.
I only hiked 2 miles, but almost all of it was vertical. I also had the sole of both of my hiking boots started to come off and by the end of the hike I was wearing reverse flip flops. The soles were only attached at the heel.
I’m glad I decided to put my running shoes in the trunk. With my hiking boots out of commission I wasn’t going to try to hike anymore trails plus I really need to get hiking poles that I can pack in my luggage. Just doing some free thinking. Back to the narrative.
So, I put the top down on the Mustang and drove back to the resort to make lunch, do laundry and write up this blog. I’ve got tomorrow (Friday) left to experience the area. Going to take the rest of the afternoon to recharge. There is a part of me that wants to get a picture of the sunsetting over Lake Tahoe, driving some of the mountain roads are nerve racking even in a sports car that hugs the road.
Short video collage of the sounds of nature, with music playing to fill in the dead spots.
If you read yesterday’s post, I teased you with blue eggs for breakfast. I honestly didn’t know that chickens laid anything other than white and brown eggs. Nice to learn something new.
Yolk of blue eggYolk from the brown egg
The yolks are brighter, deeper yellow than the regular white eggs. I’m thinking the better color is from the food the chickens are feed. There is something to be said about free ranging chickens vs those that are not.
Natural heated spring soak
After breakfast I headed over to the hot springs to soak in this natural spa. The water was very hot, 106 degrees Fahrenheit. I soaked for about 15 minutes, about all I could take then relaxed in a chair before going back in for another 15 minutes.
As I was leaving, a group was getting started in the big pool on aquatic aerobics. They looked like they were having fun. I will be returning over the next few mornings to enjoy a morning soak. Don’t worry, no more pictures of my feet.
To a museum
It’s time to get some history on, so off to the Nevada Museum in Carson City. The building was originally one of the federal government’s mints for gold and silver coins.
Silver coins minted for each stateall coins are from the 1970sClose up of the Texas CoinCoin Pressing MachineTools used to measure and test the quality of coins
There is also a section on the history of the mining in the mountains near by. The reason Carson City became a federal printing press for USA coins was because the silver and gold was being pulled out of the mountains. We will get more mineshaft pictures when we visit Virginia City later in this post.
The first image is of a Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal, the second picture is of a shaft minecart being pulled up from the base of a vertical shaft, and the final picture is down a mining shaft.
And I hear you saying, what about the guns, and war equipment, every museum has to have this stuff, right? Well here you go… Enjoy guns and more guns.
If you want to learn more about dueling and why to men, will mostly men, would stand only a few feet from each other and shoot at each other, check out this podcast, BE WARNED!!! the hosts have potty mouths and you will have to deal with some adult language, the information about dueling is worth your ears burning a bit. We Are Not So Different
To Virginia City
The drive to Virginia City from Carson City is a very short drive, only 16 miles. These are mountain miles so it takes about 30 to 40 minutes.
The majority of the buildings are along this 2 way street with a speed limit of 20 mph.
I drove down the road with recording video. It would really be nice if they didn’t allow parking on the street so you could see the buildings better. Almost all of them are from 1876 after the rebuild of the city following the fire of 1875.
You can learn more about the city and the fire here at the official Virginia City Website.
One of the saloons, Ponderosa Saloon, was a bank in its former life. Inside you will vault #1 from the bank. At some point they decided to link up the underground vault to a mine shaft that is about 300 feet behind the building. You will have to visit to get the whole story, I’m just here to show you pictures.
After the tour of the mine, it was time for a train ride. The ride is very short, but you get a view some of the remains of the above ground evidence of the mining below ground.
After the train tour, I went on a final walk through the town, back toward where I parked my car.
Now back to my room, eat dinner, type of this blog and recharge for tomorrows tour around Lake Tahoe.
Welcome to the next installment of my travel blog for June 2024. As the title says, we will be exploring the Carson Range today and tomorrow, or at least we will be staying on the Carson Range side east of Lake Tahoe. I’m planning on exploring Lake Tahoe on Thursday and Friday, so keep coming back. On to today’s adventure..
Sunrise… well and attempt
First, I want you the reader to know that I almost needed a blood transfusion after trying to get these pictures. I should have realized that being so near a wetland the mosquitos would be a force to be reconned with.
I’m thinking this video shows dragon flies feasting on the mosquitos.
Now on to the sunrise photos.
A morning walk to Genoa
Genoa is 1.5 miles north of David Walley’s Resort, where I’m staying. Along the way wild life was encountered both on the journey there and back.
Enjoy some lizards, bees, and birds. The bunny rabbit and squirrel were too fast for me to get a clear picture of them.
Genoa, Nevada
Genoa is the oldest permanent settlement in Nevada. It was founded in 1851; however, Nevada didn’t exist then, it was part of the Utah Territories. The original settlers were part of the Mormon Church and the settlement was originally called Mormon Station. You can learn more here at the official Nevada Historical Website.
The Pink HouseLillian Virgin FinneganOldest Saloon in Nevada
You are probably thinking “why is there a statue of a woman holding a tray of candy?” Well, there is a story behind this statue. Back in 1919 the town wanted to install electric streetlights but didn’t have the funds. Lillian suggested the town hold a Candy Dance. Citizen danced and purchased candy from the local candymakers, and the funds raised went to purchasing and installing the streetlights. The city liked her idea and vola “let there be light”; however, there always is a however when it comes to city budgets. Who was going to pay the monthly electric bill for the lights? Well, candy will. If a Candy Dance worked once why not make it a yearly event, and the city did just that. The tradition lives on to this day. The city has expanded it to include an Arts and Craft Fair and the money goes into the Genoa City budget. Sometimes it pays to live in a small town.
Before heading back, I channeled my inner hobbit and went for 2nd breakfast at the Genoa Country Store. I enjoyed an egg sandwich with sausage on an English Muffin. Now being recharged, I headed back to the resort.
Coyote?
Onward to a Museum… after a short break
Honestly, I need another rest after walking there and back again; round trip was 3 miles or a 5K race. I did contemplate running the track tomorrow, but I’ve ruled against it. The weekend after I get back I’ve got a 5K. Too much of a good thing can turn out bad, hey, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. Back to the history lesson.
This museum is only open from 11 AM to 3 PM and is located in busy city building. The center room and the downstairs is the museum while the rooms on the side and front are for city business. The cost is $5 and I feel that is a reasonable fee. On the main floor the walls have murals. As you enter the wall on the left tells the history of the Mustang and Nevada’s push to create a safe place for wild horse herds to roam. I didn’t even know there are herds of wild horses, but 10 states have reserved areas for them. You can learn more here at the Herd Managment website.
Sheep, I want to now talk about sheepherding. Why? because I can… or it’s actually related to the history of Nevada. Sheep herding in Nevada began in the 1880s, when Basque families from Spain and France immigrated to the Western United States for better job opportunities. They supplied the gold and silver miners with mutton and wool. This was a solitary life for the herder who could only count on his dogs and the 100’s of sheep he was managing. You can learn a bit more here at the National Park Systems Website. What little is known about these men comes from the carvings they left on the Aspen trees in the area.
Now let’s take a moment to talk about the first peoples, the indigenous tribes of the Lake Tahoe area. They called themselves Wá∙šiw, or Washoe in English. I’m just going to copy directly from the tribes website, “The four directions of Wá∙šiw territory was occupied by different bands of the Wá∙šiw that made up the whole of the tribe. Although one tribe, each band was unique in its own area of occupation with subtle differences in cultural diversity and language patterns.” To get the full history I recommend following the link to the Washoe Tribe Website and downloading the PDF writen by the tribe telling their history. To quickly summarize, European settlers moved in for the gold and silver and destroyed the tribe’s way of life. The Wá∙šiw were always an adaptable people and they managed to survive and keep their traditions if not their way of life. At the museum there is a room dedicated to this tribe which was famous for its weaved baskets.
One last thing before we move on to more modern times.
As a fan of archeology and digging things up to learn more about the past, the statement here saddens me. I realize this happened before archeology became a solid science, but I wonder what history we could have learned if an archeologist had been called in to excavate the area. From what I understand about the Indigenous tribes of the area they didn’t do much with stone, because it was heavy, and they moved around frequently. Why did they take the time to carve this stone statue? We will never know. Which gives me the chance to stand on a soap box and preach for a moment. It is a federal crime to dig up, remove or relocate artifacts found in public parks and native tribal lands. If you happen upon something, record the gps location, take pictures don’t touch anything, and then report what you found to the state or federal government agency. If you want fame, I’m sure you will get more credit for reporting and letting the professionals do their job than making a TikTok or Instagram post about it. I’m now getting off my soap box. Let’s continue to more modern times.
Let’s look at some medical equipment and telephone equipment…
Isn’t that old water fountain cool? And check out all those phones? f
Wow, it’s taken me 2 hours to type, edit and upload all of this content. Time does fly when you are having fun. I’m having to remind myself to enjoy the collection of content as much as writing about it. That’s all for today, tomorrow there will be blue chicken eggs for breakfast and I’ve decided to drive to Virginia City myself and skip the guided tour. I honestly didn’t want to be trapped for 5 hours. Virginia City is only 45 minutes away and I can visit or skip the museums along the way. So until tomorrow, have a great day, enjoy a pizza. I had one for lunch.
It’s June 10, 2024 and I’m up very early for my flights to Genoa, Nevada. Genoa is located on the east side of the mountains that encircle Lake Tahoe. I have no set plans other than to hike some easy trails, tour the lake, and visit some historical sites; hopefully along the way I can take some good pictures and share my experience.
Traveling Day
I made it to Austin and now I’m waiting for my connecting flight. Since it’s early in the morning I also just paid $13 for $5 breakfast tacos, but I’m no longer hungry. Not going to talk about prices at airports where people are trapped and have no choice when all the prices are fixed.
Something I found interesting is the gate I arrived at is the gate I’m leaving through. Maybe that will improve my odds at winning the lottery this week. 🤪
What to do while waiting
The main thing I’m doing or did do was listen to some podcasts. My listening choices are mostly historical or about Christianity. Here are the episodes I listened to I do recommend them if you like learning things.
I’m getting ready to board the next plane to Reno with a stop to load / unload in Las Vegas. Does that count so I can say I’ve been to Vegas? Because honestly I can’t think of a reason to go to Vegas unless it’s to see a musician’s show. Oh well.
A plane, not the plane I’m on. 🤪
So the picture of the plane is the flight before mine. It would be cool to have the super power of being in two locations at once but sadly I don’t have that power or do I? 😇
Made it to Vegas baby… Not getting off the plane though
Next stop is Reno..
At the time I’m writing / typing this I’m glad I was able to take a few naps on the plan flights. I’m thinking the 2 hour time change is going to catch up with me eventually, but until then Go Hard or Go Home!
So I arrived in Reno and before you can even leave the airport you find these machines.
And no I didn’t give them a try. I have terrible luck; plus, I’m holding all my luck up to win the Mega Millions Lottery. One day my numbers will hit, I will probably have been dead for 50 years, but still they will hit. Hehe
The rental process was a breeze with Enterprise, I did all the paperwork the day before and all they did was verify my credit card and I was given the key fab to a 2023 Mustang Convertible. (Pictures tomorrow or maybe Wednesday) I want one now. The Android Auto synced with my phone without a single issue and I was able to use Google Maps via my phone linked to the Android Auto to navigate. It even started to play the Spotify playlist I was listening to on the airplane. Sometimes technology can be cool, when it works.
So, here is the view from my room, in Genoa, Nevada. I’m on the east side of the mountains that encircle Lake Tahoe.
I drove through the small town of Genoa, at a very, very, very slow speed. This was not by choice, the speed limit was only 25 mph. It’s 1.5 miles from where I’m staying and there is a path that walks along the river in the picture above that I’m thinking of walking tomorrow and getting the history of this little town. So that is Tuesday morning planned. There is a van / train tour to Virginia City that interests me, but its $90 and I’m debating if I like trains enough. FYI, I do like trains, go back and check out these previous trips. So it’s highly probable there will be a train trip, if I can schedule it.
And with that, I’m going to end the post. But one last things, wow groceries in this town are expensive compared to home. A package of 10 slices of cheese costs me $2.60 in Texas and is $3.90 here. Until tomorrow.
If you need ideas for how to celebrate pi day, click this link to the site I’m using this image. Or just go eat a piece of pie. This may prove harder to do than you think. I was looking at the online menus here in Canyon Lake, Texas and couldn’t find a single pie on a menu. The Wildflour Bakery I had lunch at yesterday, only said they have pies on occasion, mostly in November or December. Today’s trip took me into Wimberly, Texas and there I was able to find at least 2 restaurants with pies on the menu, Wimberly Cafe and Chill’s On the Creek. More about my pie quest for π day later.
I know I mentioned going to a history museum, but I decided not to go. Looking at their information online, and they didn’t open until 12 PM. I didn’t want to wait around that long so I decided to go to Wimberly, Texas.
This town puts Gruene, Texas to shame. Or maybe, Gruene needs to learn a thing or two from Wimberly. They had nice public bathrooms, easy to find and access near the public parking.
There was both a city QR code linking to the official city website with things to do. and a QR code linking to the app store to download a Wimberly Shopping app having most of the stores listed and the ability to create a plan to visit each using a map on your phone.
One recommendation if you plan to visit Wimberly, Texas and you want to see all the shops, you need to go on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. There are a handful of shops that are closed for the rest of the week. I also suggest getting breakfast at one of the restaurants, because the shops that are open, don’t open until 10:00 or 10:30.
Speaking of breakfast, I decided to have a regular breakfast, 2 eggs, hashbrowns, sausage and an English muffin at Wimberly Cafe. I’m glad I decided to get something to eat, because the place was filling up quick. It was here that I first noted that pie as on the dessert menu. If I failed at finding pie anyplace else, I knew I could return here for a slice with lunch.
After breakfast, it was time for some Pokemon Go, (yes, I’ve been trying to catch’em all during my trip) and shopping. I’ve been looking for a bracelet and ring for my index finger. I’m size 15 so it’s been very hard, and by the end of the day, I was only able to find a bracelet, which is actually and ankle bracelet. If I was smaller framed, I could have easily found dozens of rings, bracelets or necklaces. The shops just don’t cater to my style, if I was inclined to wear dresses, I could have spent so much more money than I did. Enough talk about my shopping spree, I have some new socks, T-shirts, candles, and gourmet popcorn.
This town has some interesting objects and murals to look at while walking around. For example, this train car is next to the public bathrooms and public parking.
I believe this mural is on the side of the Chill’s on the Creek. Oh, and that rock leaning up against the wall, has a warning about the door being active and in use so pay attention. How did I notice? I saw one of the servers exit from that door as I crossed the street.
Cypress Creek runs through the city. A section has a small dam along the park side (right picture) and its a normal flowing creek on the side leading away from town. (right picture)
This tree provides shade to the Creekhouse Kitchen & Bar outdoor dining area. The plaque on this tree shows the date of 1400 AD.
This vine, with yellow and orange flowers is growing on the trellis outside of the Creekhouse.
I know, you’ve been wondering what about the pie for π day. Listen, I couldn’t have just finished breakfast and went straight to lunch. I spent some time exploring and I’ve been sharing what I found and skipping over all the shopping. So here you go, it’s now lunch time…
Chill’s on the Creek, drink special was $2 off their signature cocktails, so I had to try the Texas Tornado. It was a rum based pineapple, orange juice drink. I do recommend it, especially if you like pineapple. For my main course, I had the Mahi Tacos and green beans. Concluding the meal was the frozen lemon pie. And that was very delicious. Reminded me of a lemonade cream frozen popsicle.
Oh, the suit of armor is just there because I found it interesting. It guards the exit of the restaurant, so maybe it comes to life if you try to skip out on your check.
Thus ended my day in Wimberly. Tomorrow I must return home and face reality and the return to work on Monday.
Sunday’s time change hit be hard on Tuesday, so I got to a very slow start. I’m on vacation. I don’t have to do it all in one day.
After lunch time I went to a hiking trail near my hotel. But the trail was less than I expected. The Madrone Trail’s only high point was the butterfly garden. It is in the actual shape of a butterfly. The rest of the trail was confusing. There are too many connected trails. If you stopped paying attention, you could easily just walk in circles. I took the time to find one Geocache and then left.
Wednesday morning, I woke up early and ready to get going. So different than Tuesday morning; however, the weather and sunrise were not on my side. The Canyon Lake Dam overlook park didn’t open until 8 AM, luckily the donut shop was open at 6 AM. I enjoyed a kolache and a chocolate iced donut with sprinkles along with my coffee.
When the sun made an attempt to show up, the clouds and the fog had something else to say. The hike at the Dam was not pleasant with 92% humidity.
So back to the hotel and time for 2nd breakfast and some reading while I waited for the weather to improve.
At 11 AM the weather had improved. The fog had cleared, and the sun started to make appearances through the clouds. I head out for a little shopping Natural Rocks Crystals before going to the final trail of the day.
I went to the crystal shop hoping they’d have some rings my size, but they didn’t. I was able to purchase some pocket gem necklaces which allow you to drop polished rocks into a net. I will be able to use them with some malachite rocks I bought in Utah last summer and create my own “handcrafted” necklaces.
My final hiking adventure for the day was at Canyon Lake Gorge. This gorge was created in 2002 after a record amount of rain created the conditions were the dam overflowed the spill way and cut out the gorge. Be sure to check in at the office and pay the $5 access fee then trail is an easy out and back of 1.3 miles with signs along the way pointing out key features found in the gorge. You can book a guided tour, and I’m just going to copying and pasting the site blurb, “Join a certified guide on a trip down to the bottom of the 64-acre Gorge to explore limestone layers from an ancient sea, perfectly preserved fossils, waterfalls and springs where the Trinity Aquifer is exposed, and much more.”
Sorry for the heavy breathing. This is the view returning to the trail head.
I’m now back in my room and trying to decide if I should just have a bowl of cereal or something else light. Seriously, that burger earlier was very filling.
I’m thinking tomorrow I will visit the Hill Country History Museum, and then find a place to have a piece of pie. The forecast is for rain off and on, so outside activities could be very limited.
For this year’s bring break I decided to visit Canyon Lake, Texas and stay at the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Hill Country Resort. I’m planning on the final post in this series to be a full review of the resort and my current thoughts on the Holiday Inn Club Vacation. Now on to what I got up to yesterday, March 11th.
I cooked myself breakfast, a bacon, egg, and tomato taco. I forgot to buy cheese and I’m just realizing that I forgot to buy cheese again yesterday before I returned to my room for the evening. Going to have to make that a priority for today.
The plan for the day was to visit The Alamo, and its museum, then visit Natural Bridge Caverns and finally end with dinner in Gruene, Texas.
Canyon Lake is about an hour from The Alamo. I had plans to get to The Alamo at 9 AM when it opened, but I wanted a 2nd cup of coffee and was enjoying the latest podcast from Going Medieval. If you like history I recommend this podcast. While listening to the podcast, I was also trying to determine the best plan for parking in downtown San Antonio. I ended up parking at the parking garage that houses the Whataburger in downtown San Antonio. This was the first time I brought my dslr camera with me and I didn’t rely on my cell phone for all the pictures.
San Antonio and The Alamo
I arrived around 10:30 AM and exited the parking lot walking toward Commerce Street. This art deco structure has already amazed me.
It is called La Antorcha de la Amistad, “The Torch of Friendship”. It was created by Mexican artist, Sebastián. He is known for creating massive steel structures. “More than 200 of his monumental creations can be found all over the globe, including Mexico City, Paris and Jerusalem.” You can learn a bit more about him here in this MYSA news post (2019) that I quoted. News post about Sebastian.
As you walk toward The Alamo at the time of this post (March 2024), there is a major construction project in the works to transform Alamo Plaza. In the space available, they are trying to reconstruct the buildings that have long been lost to history and provide visitors with a view of The Alamo during that 1836 battle. The building across from the plaza has been taken over for the new Alamo Museum, so the places I would buy T-shirts and ice cream have been forced to close. Don’t worry the buildings across from the Menger Hotel are still open for business so you will still be able to buy T-Shirts and tourist trinkets.
The line to purchase tickets to visit The Alamo church was large in size; however, I joined Friends of the Alamo and with your membership you get free tickets to visit The Alamo and the museum exhibit on site. So I ordered my tickets using my membership and was able to head over to the line to get into The Alamo. OMG, if I thought the line to buy tickets was long, the line to get into The Alamo was 3 times it’s size. At least it moved quickly and if I understood the podcast from Alamo Podcast, “The Battle of the Alamo,” we were in line where the Mexican army made its final assault along the long barracks toward The Alamo church were the Texans made their last stand. The church was also where the women and children were hiding during the fight. Every person fighting inside The Alamo was killed. At the start of the battle, Santa Ana had raised the red flag, signaling to all the defenders of The Alamo, that the Mexican army was not taking prisoners and they would be killed even if they surrendered. The battle last about 90 minutes and the only survivors were the women and children.
One thing I want to note about the church. In 1836 it was more ruins than a functioning church. It didn’t have a roof and had been fortified by the Mexican Army before the Texans took it over and setup a defense inside. Also, the defenders were expecting to get help from the other Texans mustering in the East. History shows that help was on the way, but it wasn’t able to get there in time. This leads me to the big news of the year. The Travis Letter.
The Travis Letter is on display in the museum behind the Alamo. Along with many other artifacts and Phil Colins’ collect. Yes, that Phil Colins, the drummer of Genesis. He even does the voice over inside the museum that retells the battle. But back to the Travis Letter…
How do you know this is a big deal? Out of view of my picture is an armored Texas State Trooper who is facing the Travis Letter. Normally, security is standing by the door or in the corner surveying the room. Not this guard. I don’t have a clue what the letter is worth, but being as it is one of a kind and is one of the last letters that Travis wrote asking for more help before the fall of The Alamo I’m guessing it’s near to priceless.
I mentioned there were a variety of artifacts in the collection. These are the ones that interested me the most so I’m going to include them here with my own ramblings. 🧐
This is a statue of Joseph. According to the note at the base, it is missing the baby Jesus normally found with statues of Joseph. What I found the most interesting is the ability to bend the elbows and rotate the arms at the shoulders. It was designed so someone could move the arms and reposition them.
I didn’t get the exact date when this wallet of flints was in use, but I like how it connects us back to Stoneage humanity. Modern humanity isn’t really much different than ancient humanity.
I’m going to conclude my Alamo visit with some of the pictures on display of the Alamo. From 1850 to present date, tourists have been visiting The Alamo. You can even see a picture of the Pope, Queen Elizabeth and a ZZ Top.
Natural Bridge Caverns
Back to the truck and $30 to get my truck out of the parking garage and off to Natural Bridge Caverns. I’ve trying to remember the last time I was at Natural Bridge Caverns, and I can’t remember the exact date, but it had to be over 10 years ago and the complex has changed. It is no longer just a place to go see a cave. Above ground they’ve added picnic areas, areas where you can “pan for gold or artifacts”, and rope/climbing course and an area for concerts.
In the gallery below you will see pictures from Natural Bridge Caverns. The tour has changed dramatically since the last time I visited. Before you when down with a tour guided and they lead your through the cave and gave you speeches about the formations and the history. Now you follow the path from tour guided to tour guide and at each stopping point you hear about the formations and history and then you move on to the next location. I miss the old way, but I can see how this system is much more efficient and the improvements to the path along with all the handrails is much appreciated.
Gruene, Texas
Off to the final destination, the historic city of Gruene, Texas.
This little city, now part of New Braunfels, Texas has really learned how to trap tourists. Don’t get me wrong, if you want to shop at some unique stores, you will find them here. If you want to listen to local singers and musicians, you can find them here. What you will have a hard time finding is parking. There is one main parking area, and it is very large, but it was almost full when I arrived at 4 PM. Now most of the shops close by 5ish. Yes, I’m right 5ish I should have taken a picture of all the stores that operation hours. Basically, if people are in the shop still buying items, they won’t be closing. Smart move on their part. I would recommend a visit but bring a friend or two or at least a designated driver. Some places allowed you to purchase, “to go” beverages.
I finished the day with a meal at the Gristmill Restaurant. The main course, bronze catfish, was good but the M.L. Special, a desert was the winner of the night. It’s a fudge cake with pecans, ice cream, strawberries and whipped cream. I have to give a shout out to my server, Gigi, for recommending it.
Day one’s adventure ends here. We started our day visiting a historical site in the birth of the state of Texas, traveled to a natural wonder and enjoyed a bit of nature, and we concluded the day visiting a historic town in central Texas. Was a good day overall.
Today is the second leg of the drive to New Orleans. Since check in isn’t until 3 PM, I’m in no rush.
Had a nice breakfast at the Holiday Inn, but the person that set up the buffet paired the sausage and the hashbrowns in one section with the eggs and bacon in the other. I feel that the sausage and bacon should be together. I’m probably just being silly.
So I’ve crossed the state line from Texas to Louisiana and had to stop at the welcome center.
There was even a short board walk labeled a walking trail and after a few hours of driving who can’t resist a good leg stretch?
And now back to the road and my book. Just more driving, until I get to the bridge that crosses the Mississippi River…
Traffic Jam on a Bridge
I don’t take pictures while driving, but technically I was parked. Whatever the accident was, it wasn’t a quick clear and eventually all 3 lanes stopped moving. Google actually provided an alternate route and once getting over the bridge I took the first exit, drove through a residential area, and then reconnected with I 10 and was on my way again to New Orleans.
Learning my lesson from my stay yesterday on Christmas Day, I didn’t go straight to the hotel, but looked for a grocery store to get the basics for making a sandwhich. I checked out Rouses Market. Being from Texas and having access to HEB, I am very spoiled. My choices for lunch meat was just the named brands, ie higher costs so if I’ve got to pay more for deli meat, I’m off to the deli to get fresh cut smoked turkey and muenster cheese. Strangely, I found Rouses branded deli meats there, but not prepacked. Another difference, there was a liquor store in the grocery store. You had to buy liquor at the “special” register. Liquor laws fascinate me in their absurdity. Not going to say anything more here, other than the laws are stupid because they is no consistence with them. Ok, I’ll move on…
I found my hotel easy enough on the west edge of the French Quarter. No place special just a 2 star Holiday Inn. The breakfast here is free, but you have to pay for parking. That brings up another thing of stupidity that would be nice if the corporation could have consistence between locations. This is one of those “If I was King..” moments..
A disadvantage of traveling during the winter is how quickly the sunsets. It’s only 6 PM and getting dark, so most of my pictures this evening are not the best, however; the Christmas decorations standout.
I skipped lunch today. I say that to explain my next quest, dinner. I googled like most of us do and picked a restaurant. The food was good, but the prices were touristy. The only costs that were on par were the drink prices, but $35 for grilled red fish and sautéed green beans. You’ve got to be kidding me.
I was still hungry and wasn’t going to get dessert at the restaurant. I went in search of beignets.
My plan was to eat at Cafe Du Mont, because my sister had sent me their mix to make beignets at home and I wanted to try the real thing. I’m going to blame the bright lights and the jazz music, but I went to the Cafe Beignet: French Quarter.
This may have been the “wrong” place, but the beignets were great and later I learned from a local, they prefer Cafe Beignet over Cafe Du Mont. I will have to make a comparison.
Anyone ready for ghost stories? How about a vampire story? Well I suggest to leave now, because that is how I ended my Tuesday, the 2nd day of Christmas. Pictures first.. short summary after.
Ghost guide MiaThe divide between Government and Church LawVampiresVoodooGhosts and a Full Moon
My summary of the tour will be very short, because I don’t want to ruin it, very limited spoilers ahead.
The tour started at 8 PM, Witches Brew Tours has a variety of tours. All of the basic ones were already full so I was forced to take the 21+ tour. In the description the only difference, this included stories about murders and crimes. We also had a pitstop halfway through the tour at a “haunted” bar.
My ghost guide, Mia, is a professed witch and Catholic. Wrap your head around that. She is also full of “Dad jokes”, and bad puns. I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt for some of the stories she told, since she is from New Orleans, but some of the info about Voodoo didn’t line up with a recent podcast I listened to on a history podcast I follow. Check it out here at American History Hit. Overall I enjoyed my time and feel the tour was worth the money and with all the walking I didn’t have any trouble falling asleep. Staying asleep was another issue, but I blame the stupid “night light” by the sink in my hotel room that doesn’t have an off switch. Tonight I’m going to put a towel in front of it.
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