Category Archives: Travel

Texas Trip, Day 2……

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The second day of driving went as smoothly as these trips can. We were able to time looping around New Orleans and through Baton Rouge to avoid peak traffic. We didn’t encounter any rain and inevitable construction zones weren’t too bad. For anyone who has never been to Houston, it is like every major city. While we weren’t at peak time, there was lots of traffic and a few spots of slow with a little stop-and-go.

My sister actually lives in Bellaire which is an old established small town basically engulfed as Houston expanded. They have their own police force and I don’t know what all else is independent, but lots of mature trees – especially oaks are seen throughout the neighborhoods. My sister and her husband did like many and purchased a modest ranch house for the express purpose of tearing it down and building large to where there is limited yard compared to house. The original type houses are still around although the others are far more common.

Today will be spent with Hubby and brother-in-law going off on a couple of errands and my sister taking me to one of the last shoe shops in town that carries a variety of size 4.5’s. As I have posted before, I can generally wear a 5 in sandals (in the limited of those I can find), but it’s different for close-toe shoes. I am literally down to one pair of flats. The intent today is pick up a couple of pair and once I have a brand that fits, I can then order on-line as needed. We’ll do lunch somewhere, too and tonight we’re going to a nearby enjoyable steakhouse. It is Texas after all.

Texas Trip, Day 1……

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This is the road trip we have to take to Houston to handle one part of my father’s estate. It’s a tight time of year to go, but there aren’t any better “windows” so I spent all last week trying to either complete extra tasks or arrange for them to hold until next week. Anyway, the itinerary is we departed yesterday and will arrive in Houston mid-afternoon or so. We take care of that piece of business Tuesday and head to Louisiana Wednesday to see my brother and his wife, then start back Thursday or Friday depending on a couple of factors.

The advantage to traveling on Sunday was skipping the big city traffic of not having to leave at 6:00 a.m. to miss Miami traffic and avoiding Orlando and Tallahassee traffic. There were some slow-downs on I-75 after leaving the turnpike, but nothing too bad. There were also stretches of rain in the same way. Not too prolonged and not too much of an impediment. With it being daylight savings time and crossing into Central time zone, Hubby felt like pushing on to Mobile. While we prefer to stay somewhere with a restaurant, when the industry moved away from that with Hampton Inns, Expresses, etc., that’s more difficult to find. The cluster of choices at this particular I-10 exit only has one motel next to a restaurant and it wasn’t one of our preferred brands. There was a Ruby Tuesdays a little over a mile away and since they closed the one we had in Homestead, that seemed a reasonable choice. Their salad bar is still good and I enjoyed one of the chicken dishes while Hubby had their bourbon glazed salmon. As I think I’ve mentioned in other posts, when we are on long road trip it’s strictly a fast food close to a gas station choice for lunches. Anyway, it was an 11-hour day and that used to be easier in our younger years. That puts us about seven hours for today.

Intriguing Presentation……

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As I have mentioned before, writing for the local paper means I meet people I would probably not otherwise. Sometimes things come into me although more often to the editor first. In this case, it was both as I am now on several email notification lists.

College of the Florida Key (CFK) is in adjoining Monroe County, headquartered not surprisingly in Key West. The Upper Keys campus was previously smallish and in August last year they opened a new facility in Key Largo with greatly increased capabilities. Hubby did the photos and I wrote the story although I didn’t have the chance to actually go to the Center. The recent press release and note from the editor to look into the story was about a VIP Lecture series in it’s 8th year and for the first time, a presentation was to be held at the Key Largo Facility. The topic was “The Discovery, Early Mapping, and Charting of the Florida Keys and the Gulf Stream.” I contacted the initial individual because I wanted to engage with the gentleman who was doing the presentation for more background than was provided in the press release. We connected and his is a fascinating story, only part of which I had room for in the article. (http://www.southdadenewsleader.com/eedition/page-a03/page_d371bbf1-3af1-5861-99b7-4068df76a1af.html)

Hubby and I decided to attend if our schedules worked and they did, so we went down Tuesday night. In swapping emails and a phone conversation with the gentleman, we were able to spend about five minutes with him prior to the presentation. There were obvious connections among most of the almost full crowd, and he said for the first time, some of his family members, to include his 97-year-old mother were in the audience. Things did start a bit late and the Q&A was running over which meant there was a lot of enthusiasm in the room. We slipped out at 8:20 as we wanted a nice dinner, plus the drive up would put us home about 10:00. Buzzard’s Roost was the closest and a standard place for us.

Repeat Louisiana Trip, Day 4……

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Am continuing with various tasks. Estate issues come with complications no matter what. I won’t get into specifics as they aren’t pertinent to the blog. (I will renew my annual promise to update our wills; perhaps I’ll even do so this time). My good friend is available for dinner in Bossier tonight and I’ll relocate this afternoon. One more trip to the post office and the lawyer’s office, then I’ll go to Cotton’s for lunch. I’ve done many take-outs from there. That was Daddy’s favorite when it became too awkward for him to go out in his wheelchair. He preferred the catfish and fried shrimp combo. He would eat the hush puppies too, ignore the french fries and give me the coleslaw.

Dinner tonight will of course be the exact opposite at Two Johns Steakhouse as I have written about before. I hope it hasn’t changed since the last time. That was actually two years ago as my friend wasn’t in town when I was here in October nor did I try to get in touch on the trip a few weeks ago; that was simply too hectic.

This will be a short post in order for me to pop down for one more coffee and complete two or three things on my to-do list. Hubby is finishing up a class today and he’s currently scheduled to be off to be able to pick me up tomorrow. I will try to remember the place closest to security is probably the one open rather than the one by the gate. I had to back-track last time to grab a coffee before boarding.

 

Not My First Rodeo…..

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This is an expression, but in this case, also an event. I thought I’d posted one more time last week and obviously didn’t – then again, it’s been extra hectic.

At any rate, I haven’t attended a lot of rodeos although I appreciate them. Notwithstanding the usual protests, rodeo animals are well taken care of as they are valuable and the rodeo lifestyle is another of those cultures with language and traditions; some of which are only shared by insiders. Homestead holds the distinction of being the Southernmost rodeo in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). It was founded in 1949 and last year was only the third time in its history to be cancelled. In the way that Mother Nature sometimes does though, we had our “two days of winter” over the weekend with temperatures in the high 50s. With the wind it was chillier and anyone not from here was of course laughing at us wearing jackets. It was sunny, however, which certainly helped.

The rodeo runs Fri, Sat, and Sun and the events are steer roping, barrel racing, bronco riding, bull riding, and I’m probably forgetting one or two. There is also the Everglades Posse Drill team and other local activities. The arena is large for a smaller rodeo and many of the non-profits have food booths as fund raisers. Only one is allowed to have the beer concession which always makes for long lines. In the past, I didn’t get to actually watch the rodeo because I worked the beer concession with the Chamber of Commerce. (I also didn’t get to drink much beer as I was usually handling the money for sales.) The Chamber let the concession go to another organization, and a friend had tickets for this year to share with us. Hubby was shooting for the paper so I went with a girlfriend.  I did see him when we first arrived and that was it. He moves up and down the fence line to be close to the action no matter which part of the arena it’s in.

Fruit and Spice Park…..

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Our two national parks, Everglades and Biscayne, get the most attention from a tourism perspective, especially the Everglades. On the County side though we – as in Homestead – also have Biscayne Bay which is next to the national park and another large one which is unique. The Fruit and Spice Park is in Redland; “37 acres of more than 500 varieties of exotic fruits, herbs, spices and nuts from around the world; 180 varieties of mangos; 70 varieties of bamboo; 40 varieties of bananas; 15 varieties of jackfruit trees and numerous other exotic edibles.” (https://redlandfruitandspice.com/) Although we have been to many botanical gardens, this one is allegedly the only one in the world set up like it is. One of the unique aspects is visitors are allowed to take fallen fruit. (https://www.miamidade.gov/parks/fruit-spice.asp)

There are 3 daily tram tours which is good considering the size of the park, but meandering around is great as well. They have such a variety that you can spend hours if you’re so inclined. Although things were disrupted with COVID closures, they are getting back on track. The new superintendent, who has been in place for six months, has a background in biology and education and is very much into research. Among her other goals is to create additional STEM sessions for children. Right now they have Nutrition and Bees and Trees for younger children and various monthly workshops for older teens and adults. They also have periodic “Stargazing Nights” as a family activity. They hold several annual big events like the Asian Festival, the International Orchid Show, Heritage Festival, Blues, Brews, and BBQ. We haven’t done that one for a while and will probably try for this year. There is a $10 park fee, but it does go to a good cause.

Hubby and I were out earlier this afternoon to interview the superintendent and he shot lots of photos plus used the drone. This is another of those situations where we have more than enough material so I’ll have to decide what to trim.

Almost Funny…….

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The travel irritations continued for the kids with their return trip although not as bad as getting them down here. The 6:20 flight was delayed until nearly 9:00 which meant a long stretch at an airport which doesn’t have a lot to do while waiting. It was at least a direct flight, then getting luggage, retrieving the car and driving home to arrive after midnight. I do hope everyone slept in the next day. So, the whole thing with sending them home New Year’s Day was to allow a one-day “recovery” period before school/work started. (The dance studio schedule is aligned with the school schedule as a matter of practicality.) The big winter storm that hit the Northeast included their area so what should have been the first day back was instead a snow day. Not sure what happened yesterday. Ah well, an extra day for daughter-in-law to nurse the cold she picked up from granddaughter was probably helpful.

This will be another busy week with multiple meetings and a somewhat unexpected performance at the Seminole Theatre. I’ve posted before about the fact they have built a reputation as a preferred small venue. That’s led to bookings of bigger names for off-nights. In 2019 Martin Barre was doing a Jethro Tull 50-year Anniversary Tour and was to be in Key West for a weekend in April. His promoter said he would come to the Seminole on the Wed prior if they wanted him. The place was packed and talk about an energetic show! Barre had 2 or 3 of the other early Jethro Tull performers with him on tour as well as the newer members of his regular band. It was definitely a loud show, yet something special for rock fans. Anyway, several days ago, a notice popped up he will be here Saturday as part  of his current tour. I’m supposed to find out why the sudden booking; hoping to get the green light for article in the paper.

Happy New Year…..

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We did the traditional New Year’s Eve party although with a smaller group. One couple both had to work – not sure what they’re doing now and will catch up with them later. Another neighbor decided to tuck in and the other set of friends who were only going to come for a little while weren’t able to make it either. I’ll be doing up some leftovers obviously. The real question is the extra cheese cake sampler as the dessert platter brought meant the sampler was never open. The dessert platter had this fabulous array of choices.

Fireworks were definitely abundant in the neighborhood and when we pick debris up from backyard and pool you know they were close. Granddaughter did have to put on her earphones a few times. On the other hand, having what was in essence a triple private fireworks display was nice for those who don’t have problems with it. Prior to that, a trip to the Everglades Outpost Rescue place was the activity plus a stop at Robert Is Here for milkshakes and dried exotic fruits to take home. There were alligators of all sizes to see at the refuge; the gray wolf was still in residence as well as the camel and a white tiger has been added. Apparently a situation where as often happens, someone wealthy obtained it, then discovered keeping a tiger is different from what he imagined. Fortunately, he did find a place to surrender the tiger to rather than abuse it. Pool time after was with Dad and Grandpa while I continued party prep and sent daughter-in-law to rest. The cold of granddaughter has now passed to Mom and Dad in the usual way.

Their flight for this evening has been delayed for about two hours with the standard phrase of “we’re trying to lessen the delay so please arrive at the time for the regular flight”. Since Fort Lauderdale airport isn’t the most extensive, they’re thinking about do they really want to spend four hours there if it is the full delay.

Day One Lost…..

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Okay, the kids’ trip did not start well as they were caught up in the “hundreds of flights cancelled” (or however many there were). We did get notified in time for them not to have left for the airport. That was annoying enough. The real kicker is they were re-booked to have to fly through Boston today instead of direct which means getting into Fort Lauderdale at 5:30 if no more delays. Instead of a leisurely evening last night and all day together today, the trip will be more tiring and I’m driving back in the dark. Neighbor was coming for dinner to have some special time with the kids as he has known them the longest. We slid that to 7:30 and Hubby is working all day. I will prep a bunch of stuff for him to start dinner if needed.

Fortunately I scheduled the dolphin encounter for tomorrow and that’s the most time critical aspect. On the other hand, this is the first time in bringing them down to encounter such delays and it was bound to happen sooner or later. During all my years of flying there were lots of relatively minor issues and a few incredibly inconvenient ones. When son was only about four, we were weathered in at Boston to the point they finally decided to bus us to Portland. This was in the age before cell phones and the grandparents lived an hour and a half from the airport. The bus was of course full and son had to sit on my lap the entire time. He was an experienced traveler by this stage. We had started out in Louisiana fairly early that morning, so you can imagine the situation. I explained everything to him though and during that drive of almost three hours, he didn’t fuss or whine and grandparents had whiled away their time by having dinner close to the airport. I doubt he remembers it although he might.

Merry Christmas……..

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What a lot of places we’ve been for Christmas over the years. Many with relatives and friends; one incredibly lonely time when I was sort of stranded in London rather then being where I was supposed to be, but that’s definitely for another post.

Growing up in Louisiana, my maternal grandparents and much of that side of the family lived 30 minutes west. The tradition was big Christmas Eve at their house with grown-ups having drawn names for presents and all the kids getting a bulging stocking from Mamaw and Papaw which included lots of fireworks. It wasn’t a meal as that took place the following day back at their house again. For some reason, one year my mother decided we should open all our presents when we returned Christmas Eve because having the traditional opening and prepping everything to take for the Christmas meal was admittedly a bit hectic. On the other hand, Christmas morning without opening presents just wasn’t the same and we didn’t repeat that. Of course, in a one-income, working middle class family, there weren’t that many presents to unwrap and stockings tended to be things like maybe some new socks, plus tangerines because those only came into the small town groceries part of the year. It seems we went up to Arkansas to be with paternal side of the family occasionally, although I don’t recall  how often.

Moving on to when I was single and mostly away in the Army, there was usually a family that drew in “the orphans” either as individuals or groups and Hubby and I did the while we were in Maryland and Virginia. I’ve posted before about Christmases in Maine which periodically meant the 26th or 27th as “late Christmas”; never longer than two days after. I’ve also explained the kids have Christmas in Virginia and we bring them down the 27th or 28th depending on their Jan start date back to work/school. They’re exhausted with lead-up to and performances of Nutcracker so a few days of relative quiet before tackling airports at holiday time is important. Fortunately, it is a non-stop, little over two hours flight time which does help. We’ll go over late afternoon today for the big meal with friends. And yes, I will be having candy at breakfast.