This was our trip to help our daughter Corrianne move to north Texas. Once we helped her get settled, we did some sightseeing there. On the way home, we stopped for a few days in Galveston, Texas for some more sightseeing.
Day Minus1
Before this trip even started, there was some preparation. On Saturday, or day negative one, we flew Dan B in so he could help with some of the driving. Since I had knee surgery a month ago, and we had no idea how the recovery would go, we asked Dan to help drive my truck that would tow the moving trailer, while Cindy and Corrianne drove Corrianne’s car.
This is also the day Corrianne and I had to pick up the moving trailer from the local U-Haul. Corrianne had made a reservation and all we had to do was pick it up a short drive from our house. As we drove to the U-Haul, we received a call from the U-Haul store in Quartz Hill, a 45 minute drive from our house. They informed us our reservation had been transferred to their store and they had our trailer. What?!?!? Since we were near the store that was supposed to have our trailer, we stopped there to find out what was going on. Guess what, they did not have any trailers and if we wanted one, we were driving 1 1/2 hours round trip to get it. And no apologies, discounts, nothing. U-Haul is the only game in town and you have to take it or leave it. Someday, I will have my revenge!!! Booo-ha-ha-ha-ha.
We drove the 1 1/2 hours and returned home. Next was the big mystery of finding out if all of Corrianne’s stuff would fit in a 5 x 8 trailer. I had made a 5 x 8 tape square out of tape in our living room and Corrianne has been filling up the square. It looked like we would make it, but it would be close. Turns out everything fit and the trailer loading was uneventful overall other than the 100 degree temperatures we had to deal with. But at least the 100 degrees was without humidity.
Day 0
This was the day before we left and was also Father’s Day. The only “travel” business we had to deal with was taking our dog Thea to her boarding facility. This was also where we adapted her from so it was a bit of a homecoming for her. After the drop off, we returned home and had a delicious BBQ dinner.
Days 1 and 2
Day one was a travel day on steroids. And it was only day one of two straight travel days. After driving all day, we got into Albuquerque New Mexico around 11 pm. We made it to our rooms and passed out. Day two was more of the same, lots of driving. We did enjoy our very short break at Bowlin’s Flying C Ranch and Dairy Queen in Encino, New Mexico. This is always a must stop for the jewelry, ice cream, and most importantly, the fireworks. The one on the left, the “Godfather,” is $800 and six feet tall and full of fireworks.
The next stop was of historical importance. It was Corrianne’s welcome to Texas. We also learned the “Burn Ban” was still in effect. Good to know.
We arrived in North Texas around 10:30 pm, dropped Dan off in McKinney (where he lives, not on a random street corner), and spent the night at a hotel in Garland to rest up for the big unloading.
Day 3
After a decent night’s rest, we headed off to Corrianne’s new abode and unloaded the trailer. Luckily for us it was only in the low 90’s. Unluckily for us, it was around 265% humidity. I heard it was so humid someone actually drowned, but that could have been just a rumor. We were able to unload the trailer in about 2 hours, then had to rest and cool down. We helped unload a few boxes and were off to find an inexpensive dresser. After striking out at several places, Corrianne used an app on her phone and found a dresser and nightstand for $40. We used the truck to get them and they were quite a deal. While picking up the dresser and nightstand, Cindy felt guilty for just sitting in the truck even though there was a man there helping me load the dresser and no extra help was needed. So as I moved the truck up to make it an easier to load, Cindy jumped out of the truck and when she saw the truck moving, though it was rolling away. She tried to run around to the driver’s door and promptly kissed the pavement with her right shoulder and knee. How did this happen you ask? No one knows for sure, not even the shadow. Unfortunately, this incident left Cindy with a nasty knee and shoulder road rash that required bandages everyday, and a nasty shoulder bruise.
On the way back to Corrianne’s new place, we stopped at Walmart so Corrianne could stock up on food and necessities. After dropping off the dresser, nightstand, and groceries, Cindy and I returned to our hotel, tended wounds, and rested up after the full morning and afternoon. We went to dinner at a local Mexican food place named Primo’s Tex Mex Bar and Grill. Primo it was not and we cannot recommend this restaurant unless you are in search of subpar Mexican food.
Day 4
With our first full day in North Texas, we drove to Corrianne’s new place and she drove us to run errands and do some sightseeing. Corrianne wanted to go to the Texas version of the DMV, called DPS, that was located in the nearby town of Rockwall. Now this is a hoot. She wanted to walk in without an appointment and exchange her license plates for Texas plates and convert her registration to Texas as well. In California, you need an appointment that is usually more than six months out, and even with the appointment, the process at the DMV will take a few hours. So as Corrianne went into the DPS office, Cindy and I did some sightseeing in the town square, knowing we were going to be there awhile. Here are a few shots from the downtown area.
About 15 minutes into this adventure, Corrianne texted me to ask where we were. Oh no. Had she been arrested? Texans aren’t always happy with Californians moving in. Maybe she forgot some paperwork we needed to go find. Perhaps they told her the wait was several days and she gave up. Nope. She was done, had her Texas plates and registration and was looking for us so we could all go and have lunch. Efficiency we have never seen in California and am sure never will. Here is the proof.
We ate a delicious lunch in Rockwall and Corrianne used her phone app again to find a vanity table with a mirror that she also needed. Again, the cost was $40. After getting the truck and picking the vanity up, this was clearly another good deal. We returned Corrianne and her vanity to her place and returned to our hotel to rest. That evening, we all went out to dinner at Razoo’s Cajun Cafe. We had eaten at the one in Fort Worth, and this one was just as good. We highly recommend it.
Day 5
Since Corrianne already had afternoon plans, Cindy and I decided to spend the day with Dan and his wife, Chris. We started by meeting them at their house and getting the full 25 cent tour. The last time I saw their house was when we helped them move in last year, so all I really remembered were a lot of boxes. The boxes are gone and they have made their place up really nice. Since they have so many bedrooms in a house for just the two of them, Chris has two rooms she uses for quilting projects. That may sound excessive, but they are also making a go at a quilting business, so two rooms makes sense. Check out their wares here at Cotton Ridge Quilting Company. Plus, Dan now has an office and a music room, something he has dreamed of his whole life.
After the tour, we were off to see Historic Downtown McKinney. Like most downtown areas in the Midwest, it was a town square with a courthouse in the middle surrounded by two blocks of shopping and restaurants.
Because of the heat and oppressive humidity, and the fact this sightseeing required a lot of outside time, we only saw a few shops before we were off to our next stop. A furniture store named, “Nebraska Furniture Mart.” Why on earth would anyone want to visit a furniture “mart” when not seeking furniture? Because this place was very interesting. It was about the size of two Costco stores, had two levels, and had way more stuff than just furniture. They had electric bikes, riding lawn mowers, video games, kitchen equipment, and more. As crazy as it sounds, this is a fun place to check out even when not in the market for home goods. Stop three was a five minute drive to a sporting goods store named, “Scheels.” So, how can a mere sporting goods store be a destination when one is not in need of sporting goods? When it is not your average sporting goods store. This place was off of the hook. It was two stories, had equipment for every sport imaginable, and even some sports I had never heard of. When you walk in, there is a giant double arched clear fish tank like nothing I have ever seen before.
Then, in the center of the store, is a two story tall Ferris Wheel. Are you kidding me? Nope!
I guess everything really is bigger in Texas.
Corrianne joined the four of us for some BBQ at a place named, “Hard Eight BBQ.” It was very good BBQ and got five thumbs up from our group (since there were five of us, that’s a pretty high score).
Day 6
On our last full day in Rowlett, we met a friend of Corrianne’s named Bridgette at a Mexican restaurant in Addison, Texas. The food was very good and we had a very good time. If you’re looking for authentic Mexican food, check out Taqueria La Ventana. After lunch, we went to look at a few new housing developments. Apparently, they are selling so well, the two we stopped at were not open, even though the signs said they should be open. Very interesting. We finally found some townhomes that were open, but they were three stories, not so good for my knees, and they were over $400,000. We found a nice layout, but not here at that price. We had dinner at TLC By the Lake, a restaurant by our hotel. The food was very good and the service was outstanding. We highly recommend it.
Day 7
This was our travel day to Galveston. Even though it was only supposed to take about 4 1/2 hours, it was quite the adventure. First off, it rained, sometimes very hard, for about half the of the drive. That slowed us down a bit. About 2/3 of the way to Galveston, we saw a Schlotzsky’s Deli and we both wanted to try their sandwiches. We passed the deli and the roads in Texas are not forgiving. We had to drive several more miles down the road, turn around and drive back. This added about 20 minutes to our drive, but we were fine with it because we were going to try a new place to eat. We drove up to the deli and the neon “open” sign was flashing “open,” the lights were and and……………………no one was home. The doors were locked and it was closed in spite of the sign and the door sign that said they were open on Sunday. Boy does that chap my hide. So we went to a nearby Popeyes that smelled bad and had no indoor dining. Now I was about to lose my mind. So we drove off to an area that had all of the business hidden behind a forest like setting. No kidding. How do you have business that are HIDDEN. What brain surgeon came up with this. We were looking for a Jersey Mikes, but ended up at a cool looking restaurant named “The Ice House.” Finally, lunch for these weary travelers. But that was not to be. The line was like a Disneyland ride that went through several turnstiles and it was NOT moving. My head was literally about to explode. We left there and actually found the Jersey Mikes by using a map program, since the damn restaurant was hidden in the woods. Let me be clear. If I ever meet the person who came up with hiding the businesses in the woods, I will seriously hurt him or her. I’m just saying. After finally getting some lunch, we finished our drive to Galveston.
We checked into our room and found we had a small balcony with a pretty amazing view of the Gulf of Mexico.
After a brief rest, we decided to walk to dinner since there were several restaurants near us, and it was only in the high 80’s with humidity in the 1,000 percentile. Rowlett had high humidity, but this was a whole new level of muggy. So why would we want to walk in weather like this? The truth of the matter is embarrassing, but must be told. We decided to walk to dinner and get all sweaty because I had a great parking spot in the crowded parking garage and we did not want to give it up. Through out my life, I have heard “older people” say crazy things like they prefer to inconvenience themselves in order to keep a good parking spot. Until today, that made no sense to me. Now, I understand. Back to our uncomfortable walk.
Our original plan was to go to the Brick House right next to our hotel, but they had an hour and 45 minute wait. So we walked next door to Joe’s Crab Shack to find an hour and 45 minute wait. We continued walking and ended up at Nick’s Kitchen and Beach Bar, which only had a 45 minute wait. And when we sat at the bar, we discovered a zero minute wait. Yea for us. We both had delicious shrimp meals and can highly recommend this place. We walked back to our hotel and went to bed, with our truck still parked in a great parking spot.
Day 8
This was our first full day in Galveston. We woke up to dark clouds and our weather apps warning of lots of rain. We decided to do something inside to avoid the pending rain. And we were ready. I had a rain jacket in the truck and we had a small umbrella to carry around. We had our delicious free breakfast in the hotel (free plug for Holiday Inn Express), and drove a short distance to the Moody Mansion for a tour. The weather looked ominous, but not a drop of rain.
Here is a description of the Moody Mansion from their website. “Restored to its turn of the century splendor, this 28,000 square-foot, four-story Galveston historic home was completed in 1895. The home has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior since 1994 and a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark since 1967. Today, our guests visit 20 rooms on a tour that depicts the home life of a powerful Texas family. The Moodys’ established one of the great American financial empires. Based on cotton, it grew to include banking, ranching, insurance, newspaper publishing, railroading and hotels. W.L Moody Jr. bought the Galveston Broadway mansion from the heirs of the original owners soon after the Great Galveston Storm of September 8, 1900. It was designed by British architect William H. Tyndall and decorated by the world-famous interior design firm of Pottier & Stymus of New York.
Mr. and Mrs. Moody and their four children celebrated their first Christmas in the house in December of that year, just three months after the 1900 hurricane. The house remained home for Moody family members until 1986. Today, its rooms are filled with the furnishings and personal effects of the family. The philanthropic legacy of the Moody family of Galveston is carried on today by the Moody Foundation and the Mary Moody Northen Endowment.”
So in a nut shell, we were going to tour the mansion of some really rich people from the turn of the century and beyond. That being said, what was really neat about this house was how many of the original items remained. Mrs. Mary Moody Northen, the last Moody to live in the house, always knew she wanted to turn the house into a museum for people to tour, so she made sure to keep everything. Here are some pictures from the tour.
There were still the push button switches to turn the lights off and on and a really ornate stained glass window on the landing going up the stairs.
They had a very good sense of humor with some of their “signs.”
And we were fascinated by the combination electric and gas lamps in the house. What could possible go wrong with a lamp that emits gas right next to an electric light bulb? Note the white candle on the top was the gas outlet where you would have a flame.
After the tour we stepped out on the porch and of course now it was pouring rain. And with the strong wind, it was sideways rain. And our little umbrella was of little use in keeping us dry. At least my rain jacket was keeping the back seat of our truck dry. We made our way to the truck and got our soaked bodies inside. Great planning. Now that I was wet, I had my rain jacket. Do you know what happens when you’re wet and put on a rain jacket? You do not get any wetter, but you also do not dry out at all.
We ate lunch at a nearby eclectic place named. “Eatcetra.” There was a neat turtle art piece in front of it.
The food was very good and we highly recommend this as a place for lunch.
With full bellies, we went a few blocks down to the “Historic Harbor” area. I’ve learned that more often than not, historic means lots of stores for tourists. And in this case, a docked cruise ship too.
Uh oh, selfie time!
We returned to our hotel, rested, then had dinner at the restaurant next door to our hotel named “The Spot.” If you want decent fried anything, this place has it. Best of all, it had an ice cream stand that had to be the best.
To be honest, the ice cream was only average, but still a great name for a place.
We took a short walk down the coast and came across a place you could not pay me to eat at.
Maybe they should rename it to “Mikey’s.”
We also took a short walk out on one of the jettys.
That concluded our walk and the evening and we returned to our hotel for some shut eye.
Day 9
This was our second and last day in Galveston. Our first stop was at Walmart to pick up a few items we needed to finish out our trip. Next was lunch at Schlotzsky’s Deli. It was a good enough sandwich and we were glad to have finally tried it. It was similar to a Quizno’s toasted sub, only round instead of oblong.
Our big stop was at the Moody (as in the mansion from yesterday’s tour) Rainforest Pyramid. It is a pyramid with an actual rainforest in it and most of the animals and birds are free to roam around. We arrived at the pyramid just in time for a torrential downpour that kept us in the truck for around 20 minutes.
Once the rain stopped, we waded through the rivers in the parking lot and made our way to the ticket booth that was a self service system. I promptly bought two tickets to the Moody Aquarium. For the record, the aquarium tickets do NOT work at the rainforest. So we exchanged our tickets for the correct ones and started our rainforest tour. I now know the answer to the question, “What is hotter and muggier than Texas in the summer?”
In spite of the challenging climate, there were cold vents throughout the display and I made sure to find every one of them. Plus, the birds and animals were amazing. Here are two Giant River Otters. They are about the size of a Labrador and very playful.
And there were birds everywhere.
There were bats, blue and yellow frogs, a porcupine, and a vampire bat drinking a red liquid (true story).
Lizards, a Komodo dragon, and turtles.
Some cool flowers, including these insect eating bulb like flowers.
We even saw two monkeys on a hand rail out in public preening each other.
And there was the one animal everyone was looking for and could not find. The Two Toed Sloth. After going through about 2/3 of the display, I got lucky and spotted the sloth. He was pretty well hidden in some foliage near an air vent tube. As we pointed him out to other people walking by, they would get really excited and take pictures as well.
The rain was done for the day and we returned to our hotel to freshen up for dinner reservation at Laundry’s Seafood House.
Our dinner was very good. There are no pictures because there is nothing unique about Mahi Mahi and a Filet Mignon. After dinner, we walked next door to the Rainforest Cafe. We thought they were all gone, but this one was going strong.
One more thing to add to the day was we learned there is a colored flag system used on the beach to warn potential swimmers. Most of the flags made sense, like indicating the surf conditions or warning of air or water quality issues. The one I took exception with was the purple flag.
Apparently there is the presence of venomous marine life often enough to merit a flag color for that. No thanks, I’ll swim in the hotel’s pool instead. And I’ll spell venomous correctly with an “O” after the “N.” Take a second look at the sign.
Back at our room, we watched the pelicans fly in from parts unknown. Every evening, they flew toward our hotel in either a “V” formation or in a single file. We had no idea where they came from or where they were going, but they were fun to watch.
Days 10, 11, and 12
Day 10 was just a long, brutal drive across Texas to El Paso. We drove through several rain storms and arrived safely in El Paso around 10 pm and went straight to bed. Day 11 was our drive to Goodyear, Arizona. Along the way, we stopped at the roadside attraction that houses “The Thing.” The Thing is advertised with roadside billboards for hundreds of miles and I have passed by it too many times. This time I had to see what “The Thing” was even though Cindy protested rather vigorously. Of course, as we stopped, it started to rain. But I was not to be deterred. We made it inside and were greeted by an alien.
It turns out the “Thing” is part of a museum you have to pay to see and takes some time to walk through. Since we did not have the time, I was thwarted again. But that’s okay, one day I will see the “Thing” in all of its glory and the other displays in this roadside diamond of a stop.
Our hotel in Goodyear was called TRU and is part of the Hilton brand. It is their hipster version of hotel and staying there clearly made Cindy and I hipper than we already are, if that is possible. Just take a look at the lobby.
Here is our room.
And here are the soap dispensers. They were crazy tubes you had to squeeze and the soap came out of the bottom. Did I mention how hip we are now?
And here is the sunset and an Arizona sign seen from our room’s window.
We spent the last day driving home without incident. We stopped in Pasadena and picked up Thea. We also realized we were driving on the Friday before a holiday week end, so we had to drive on some surface streets on the way home to avoid heavy freeway traffic. We got home safe and sound and ready to prepare for our next trip.
Here is what the future travel line up looks like. Nothing in July so far.
The beginning of August will see us flying to St. Joseph, Missouri and Rowlett, Texas with Sylvia for an 11 day trip.
We will visit the Big Island in Hawaii during the first week in September.
In October, we will spend the night in Hollywood and attend a Hall and Oats concert at the Hollywood bowl. We will also visit the New England area with Sylvia for a fall colors tour.
In November, we may visit the South Carolina coast for a week to 10 days.
December is still up for grabs.