H-88 Sulphur Springs L H 85 L 63 H H 85 L 70 M H 88 L 62
L-65 C H 94 L 76
Bear update: The Bear says I Have Put On My Devil Costume To Thwart Julius McCoy Party. TR says, “The Confederacy may extend almost from coast to coast, but I will carry his standard in triumph.” Moose say, “You look like a Confederate yourself, Bear!” Lou says we will have a Johnny Rebs Party. We will serve Rebel Foods.
We woke up to sun. Will it last? It lasted, and the temperature in Sulphur Springs climbed to 88. It didn’t rain today for the first time in many days, probably for the first day since we left Virginia.
Tucson 93/75 T-STORMS Brooklyn 80/68
We woke up at 7:30AM. At first I thought I heard thunder again, but it was merely Gary snoring. I peeked out the window. It was actually sunny, though our room was dark. It was under an overhang. We got dressed and ate CP in the lobby with the TV news on loud. We checked out of room 147 at 10:30AM. Our first pit stop was at exit 201 New Boston at the Shell Station. Gary and Kenny got gas. I bought postcards and went to the ATM. Our 2nd pit stop was at exit 162A Mt. Pleasant at McDonalds for lunch. Our 3rd pit stop was at the Dairy Queen at exit 146. We had ice cream. Our 4th pit stop was at the rest area that came right after that at exit 143. There was plenty of grass and cows beyond. The dog loved it. It was Texas-style with trucks and cars mixed up and parallel parking. We arrived at our destination for today at exit 125, Sulphur Springs. We checked into the La Quinta room 125 at 2:01PM. Kenny had to go swimming in the indoor pool. We briefly put on our suits for the first time since Pittsburgh. I snapped photos. But the indoor pool felt like a spa. I remember Kenny and Gary going to an indoor pool in Utah in the 90’s in I think Lehi. But the last time I was in an indoor pool I don’t remember. I hope I’ve been in one since my Bryn Mawr and Duke days. We went back to Chili’s to have dinner. We had a blow up and came back to the room. I refilled the dog treats. We did laundry.
Texas Spends Too Much Money On Stars And States, Not Enough On Rest Areas 8/19/12
You can’t miss entering Texas. Their welcome sign is bigger and gaudier than any I’ve ever seen. It’s more colorful, too. On bridges and over and underpasses, on signs along the roadway, you see prominently displayed the star that stands for the Lone Star State when Texas was an independent country. You also see displayed maps of the whole state of Texas as if Texans are bragging how big it all is. Nor can you miss all the flags of Texas waving in the breeze.
But how about devoting a little more state money to rest areas? The ones that exist are small. You have to parallel park instead of pulling into a space in a parking lot. And considering the enormous size of the state, almost 1000 miles from end to end if you go by I-10 which we’re not, why so few rest areas?
We watched today as the QM2 began its way down the Elbe River out of Hamburg, heading towards the North Sea and Southampton. It’s the last time this year. We remember taking photos of the many residents lining the river banks when our cruise left on July 25. There were small boats everywhere, including a Mississippi paddlewheeler. It was like a carnival on the river. We got a front row seat while we were dining at the King’s Court on deck 7. Why does just Hamburg behave this way?
Postcard:
We drove from Texarkana to Sulphur Springs in East Texas. We are poised ready to go around Dallas. The big sky is just starting to reappear.
Dog/Cat Report:
The dog got a kick out of the rest area stop at exit 143 on 30W on the way to Sulphur Springs. There was plenty of grass and cows beyond. There were even other dogs. He bounded through the grass and enjoyed the trees that are all about ready to disappear in the next couple of days.
The cat raced around the motel room this morning. That was after I woke up and found him under the blanket on my side of the bed. He whacked at me because I moved. He wants to make it known that he hates A/C. When we checked into the La Quinta in Sulphur Springs I turned off the A/C. He used the top of the air-conditioner as a place to sit and watch birds. He was also inserting his paws into the air-conditioner slats.
Still no contract . . .
What next?
Sunday, August 19, ’12 (Last time you were in Sulphur Springs was June 21)
1)Shell New Boston gas cash $30.00
2)Shell New Boston postcards Bear Cash $5.95
3)McDonalds Mt. Pleasant lunch Bear Cash $26.65
4)Dairy Queen Mt. Vernon ice cream Bear Cash $6.14
5)La Quinta Sulphur Springs room 125 cash $85.93
6)Chili’s dinner Bear Cash $68.12
7)laundry $9.00
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TOT: $231.79
Shell New Boston gas Kenny $26.39