One of my recommended travel apps let us down this trip: iExit. It found a Stuckey’s for gas and snacks, but missed Buc-ees. Buc-ees is like a truck stop that does not allow trucks. Inexpensive gas and a convenient store that’s more of a supermarket for stuff. Stuff like lunch, sugared nuts, all kinds of candy, crawfish cleaners, trail cameras, and more.
Finally, The Thing
It is remotely possible that I post too much about The Thing. So this is the last post about The Thing. But, the next time you take Interstate 10 east from Tucson you must stop there. As I said last post, the new museum is worth the stop even if there were no Dairy Queen there.
South Florida Museum
When in South Florida, visit the South Florida Museum (and manatee rescue). It’s in downtown Bradenton and features a planetarium, an aquarium, and an eclectic collection of artifacts.
In the Army Now, Part 2
Fort Bragg is near Fayetteville, North Carolina which is home to the U. S. Army Airborne & Special Forces Museum. This tells a broader picture of airborne troops including paratroopers and glider men.
In the Army Now
Jacob is stationed where my father was stationed in 1942. We took him his stuff and visited some museums. First museum was on base, 82d Airborne Division War Memorial Museum.
The Thing is THE Thing
I have a certain fascination for The Thing, a roadside attraction since the 60’s. I’ve blogged about it frequently: The Thing. It used to be just a novelty that was worth a stop on your trip down Interstate 10 in southeastern Arizona. But now… now, it’s a destination! The new museum adds a tremendous backstory for The Thing. The museum used to a 50-cent tour through unheated pole buildings featuring old stuff – cars, and farm equipment. Now it’s a beautifully done $5-tour ($4 with senior discount).
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Baby, It’s Cold Outside. No, really. very cold. And this made for an unpleasant return trip with sights closed or too cold to stop at. The GPS said the fastest return home was east on I90 in Washington over Snoqualmie Pass. I thought that might be a problem even though it’s only at 3,015 feet. So instead we took a slightly slower route (by 20 minutes) through Oregon and Nevada. And wound up going through 7600 feet outside Austin, NV. In a blizzard. With icy roads.
Mount Shasta
En route to Weed, California, we had lots of views of Mount Shasta. The best views were in Weed, behind the grocery store.
Tule as in Yule
Tule Elk State Natural Reserve just off the 5 in California hosts a herd of (you guessed it) Tule Elk. They are a subspecies of elk found only in California where they forage exclusively on fruits and nuts. (Actually I just made that last part up.)
Joshua Tree
There is Joshua Tree, the tree; Joshua Tree, the town; and Joshua Tree, the National Park. As we began our trip to Washington, we hit all three. Going through the Joshua Tree National Park and then north let us skip all of the LA traffic. So what if it took a couple hours longer.