We had a wonderful trip to Texas with great weather (no storms) and no major issues. We got to see a LOT in 10 days.
We enjoyed The Haygood’s show in Branson which is a family of siblings consisting of incredible talent, live music, high energy & stunning special effects. After an uneventful night in Shreveport, we arrived at The NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. There was plenty to see there including some good videos on all of the space missions. From there we departed to Galveston, with a quick stop at Bucee’s, along the way. It’s huge and overwhelming but I managed to snag a few t-shirts and some candy before we were on our way to Galveston. It was extremely windy and humid during our stay in Galveston, but we explored along Seawall Blvd, sipped on frozen Pina Colada’s and a Miami Vice or two at Murdoch’s on their Adirondack lined, ocean front veranda, and also where Jeff Owen and myself each bought a nice hat. That night we enjoyed a fantastic seafood dinner at Gaido’s on Seawall Blvd.
Our next stop was the Alamo which was a bit of interesting history (and very hot outside!) Then to San Antonio, where we enjoyed the River Walk. A couple of us had the best meatloaf, mashed potatoes & green beans ever, at the Lone Star Café. That night we enjoyed a meal at The Republic of Texas. Best Chicken Tortilla soup and chips/salsa I’ve ever had! That night included a brief stop at Coyote Ugly, where a few unnamed EISC gals got up on the bar & danced. What happens in Texas stays in Texas!
In Austin we toured the Capital Building. This is where I really noticed the “Grackles”, even though they were everywhere we went in Texas. They are a very bold, boisterous, highly energetic type of Blackbird. They like to hang out in parks and areas where people gather, and make a variety of distinct whistles, creaks, clatters and squeaks, which creates a racket when they gather in numbers. We also enjoyed Italian food for lunch, and Jeff Owen enjoyed Ribs & Brisket at Lamberts for his birthday.
We stopped at Magnolia Market/Silo’s in Waco and walked around the grounds & shops. Then it was on to Dallas & Ft. Worth. Dealey Plaza and The Texas School Book Depository area (and museum) where John F. Kennedy was assassinated—this was very interesting. Seeing it on TV so many times and then actually being there in person was kind of sobering. The Stockyards area in Ft. Worth was really cool, where we got to watch a Longhorn Cattle drive, as well as check out the shops and do some two-step dancing that night at ‘Lil Reds Saloon. We also enjoyed some good barbeque at Coopers.
Next up was Oklahoma City where we toured the Oklahoma City National Memorial, which is a memorial site in Oklahoma City that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building on April 19, 1995. This is a must see if ever visiting the area.
In Kansas City we stopped at the WWI museum which again, was another great museum to tour. After that we stopped at Crown Center which included shops & restaurants and that evening we went to the New Theatre & Restaurant where we had a delicious buffet meal served inside the theatre and then watched Cactus Flower, starring Marilu Henner. It was a fun comedy production.
Dale got us home safe & sound around 1:00 pm on Saturday, the 23rd. Back to reality and loads of laundry! We really are fortunate to have such a great bus driver who goes above & beyond for us. It was a great trip and a lot of fun was had by all!
Article & photos by Cathy Dick