TX
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
STE2 Hop 9: Rockport TX to Brownsville TX
247 miles via TX 35, US 181, I-37, US 77, I-2, US 83, FM 511 and local roads at each end and to find a gas station in San Jose TX. Cumulative tow miles: 1912. Truck miles: 460. Cumulative truck miles: 2390. This was the worst hop of the trip. Why? Let me count the … Continue reading
Rockport TX after Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey roared ashore at Rockport TX the evening of Aug 25, then raked the area for over a week with torrential rains and strong winds. Recovery is underway but even now, more than 2 months later, parts of Rockport look like the hurricane roared through last night. The most stunning example of total devastation … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 8: Austin TX to Rockport TX
212 miles via TX 620, TX 71, TX 210, US 183, TX 188 and some local roads, with a refueling stop. Cumulative tow miles: 1665. Truck miles: 367. Cumulative truck miles: 1930. The refueling stop was unplanned and was due to remembering, too late – I was already hitched up – that I hadn’t taken … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 7: Corsicana TX to Austin TX
156 miles via TX 31, I-35 and TX 620. Cumulative tow miles: 1453. Truck miles: 165. Cumulative truck miles: 1563. Texas is boring. There is no notable scenery. It really is a matter of putting in the time to get where you are going. Fortunately, this hop required only 3 hours of driving and they … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 6: Durant OK to Corsicana TX
157 miles via US 75, I-635, I-45 and TX 31 with a brief stop to figure out how we screwed up. Cumulative tow miles: 1297. Truck miles: 173. Cumulative truck miles: 1398. This was another hop that didn’t exactly go as planned. I intended to take a route that used US 69 instead of US … Continue reading
GTW Hop 20: Pecos, TX, to Las Cruces, NM
253 miles via I-20 and I-10. Cumlative distance: 3,346 miles. We stayed one night at the TRAPark in Pecos. This is an Escapees Rainbow Park, but it is a mere shadow of Rainbow’s End. We missed the social hour, which is a shame, but we had a good night’s sleep in the midst of the … Continue reading
Cafe Malta
I am not above unabashedly plugging a restaurant run by Jett’s nephew. But I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t truly impressed. Cafe Malta on West William Cannon Drive in Austin doesn’t look like much from the outside – a smallish storefront tucked between a beauty salon and a roll-your-own cigarette place in a small … Continue reading
GTW Hop 19: San Angelo, TX, to Pecos, TX
218 miles via US 67 and US 285. Cumulative distance: 3,093 miles. I don’t have much to say about San Angelo because we were there for just 20 hours. Because we had difficulty getting the front landing jacks to work, I didn’t unhitch. But I resolved that problem and decided this morning that it would … Continue reading