TX
TX1 Hop 4: Austin TX to Lafayette LA
386 miles via TX 183, TX 71 and I-10 with two rest and refueling stops. Cumulative miles: 1635. About 10 miles were due to a wrong turn at the start of the TX 71 segment and a navigational error by yours truly that took us to the wrong hotel. Oops. This was an easy hop … Continue reading
TX1: 4 days in Austin TX
Attending the wedding of Ooma’s close friends Peter and Ashley was the raison d’etre for the trip to Texas. Ooma had the honor of accompanying Peter down the aisle and joining him for the mother/son dance – his mother was unable to attend as she was caring for her mother in PA. They were married … Continue reading
TX1 Hop 3: Port Allen LA to Austin TX
428 miles via I-10, US 69, TX 105 and US 290. Cumulative miles: 1249. This was a miserable trip that involved nearly 9 hours of travel time. Some of that time was due to the planned breaks, including lunch at McDonald’s, but 6 miles were due to missing the Texas Welcome Center which Ooma wanted … Continue reading
Austin TX for Christmas
I just returned from 3 days in Austin TX. I wanted to spend part of the Christmas holiday with two of Jett’s remaining 3 siblings (who just happen to be two of the people I feel closest to in this world). The plan was to fly to Austin for 3 days, including Christmas Eve, then … Continue reading
Flying to Austin during Omicron
We were all hopeful that we were on the downside of COVID-19. The Delta variant was waning, more people were getting vaccinated, normal life was resuming. I was even able to spend a week on a cruise ship. Then the Omicron variant of COVID-19 erupted. Just in time for Christmas. But I had already made … Continue reading
STE3 wrapup
By the numbers: 9 hops 16 nights 1608 tow miles 2103 truck miles $687.65 in campground fees ($42.98 per night) The actual route included two stops that differed from the plan and had some minor detours and changes in route, but otherwise went as planned. Highlights: The Johnson Space Center in Houston. A fascinating tour … Continue reading
STE3 Hop 3: League City TX to Duson LA
210 miles via TX 96, TX 146 and I-10, with one minor screwup and a refueling stop. Cumulative tow miles: 579. Truck miles: 214. Cumulative truck miles: 703. The minor screwup was due to following a sign for I-10 rather than listening to the GPS. We went about half a mile, turned back and returned … Continue reading
Johnson Space Center
I used our day in League City to travel about 5 miles to the Space Center museum, adjacent to the Johnson Space Center. The Space Center is both a welcome center for tours of the Johnson Space Center and a museum containing some very interesting artifacts of US space exploration. When I got to the … Continue reading
STE3 Hop 2: Aransas Pass TX to League City TX
186 miles, almost entirely on TX 35. Cumulative tow miles: 369. Truck miles: 191. Cumulative truck miles: 489. This hop was more interesting than the previous two as it brushed the coast and had some nice causeways over two broad and very scenic bays. While it was just a state road, it was in good … Continue reading
STE3 Hop 1: Brownsville TX to Aransas Pass TX
183 miles via TX 511, I-69E, US 77, TX 44, TX 358, I-37 and TX 35. Cumulative tow miles: 183. Truck miles: 298. Cumulative truck miles: 298. This was a truly boring ride. At least coming south, via US 281, there was some farm activity. Going north on US 77 there was nothing to see … Continue reading