What a glorious day.....sunny and 65 deg. Have not had many of these over the past months. Maybe our weather encounters are changing for the good. Current location is KOA campground in San Antonio Texas.
High Life......
Spent Jan 19 thru 22 in Tomball Texas (NW of Houston appr 15 miles). Reason for Tomball you ask (other than being able to say that I stayed in Tomball), there is a website that I utilize http://www.freecampgrounds.com/index.aspx that gives free (or at least inexpensive, usually around $10) RV campgrounds for all states. It allows you to search within a radius of towns/cities for affordable campgrounds....deleting the walmarts and truckstops. Tomball county park "Harris Spring Creek Park" came up as a result of my Houston trip planning. This throws the old, "there are no free lunches" saying out the window. This place was great, 8 sites....clean, beautiful, quiet, safe, full RV hookups, cement pads for no charge. Unbelievable......we felt like we had stepped up our place on the social ladder while we were there. We actually had a lawn boy (grass had just been cut at our site and then they came around and blew the clippings off the pad) plus it was a gated community (the park gates closed at 10pm and re-opened at 7am. The toilets and showers were fairly new...and just across the street from our spot.
Harris Spring Creek Park (Tomball) Set Up
Restroom/shower facilities (right across the street)
The Tomball location allowed us to trip through Houston to the "Johnson Space Center". Expensive ticket ($23.95 each) but after the day I would say that it was worth every penny, I found myself regressing back to the old work days in a few areas. I guess that is not a bad thing, does not hurt to revisit and recall the glorious and proud days of the past. Was able to share a few details of the early work days with Sue and how they related to what we were looking at. Will I ever be able to share some of the later really cool stuff.......I hope so......some day.
Space lab training facility
Space lab module mock ups (for training)
Had 1 perfect weather day in Tomball (found that we could BBQ and picnic outside that evening). The day we arrived it was mid 60's with lots of sun, but that went to hell really quick. The next day was cloudy, rainy, breezy and cool. Luckily we were inside at the Space Center most of the day so no harm done. Then Thursday was a down pour with wind and cold all day long. Took the day to watch a couple of movies (RV redbox) and get the oil changed in the Vue. Want to share a personal encounter while having oil changed..........
I was reading when this gentleman approached me....asked what I was reading which lead into one of those religious encounters (the hat that read COP (Christian Officer of Prayer) I guess should have tipped me off....well maybe not) that I actually listened to. The reason being that this particular person had an explanation for the stock market crashes of the past and the one soon to come. It seems, according to this average dressed typical cowboy garb, person....gods word not only says that on the 7th day we are to rest, but every 7 years we are to take a year of reflection. Since no one seems to follow this guidance we have found that God has been making it rough on us....2001 (twin towers) and then 2008 stock market crash. Looking at 2015 as the next 7th year and stock market down turn to come. Although events do not cycle at the beginning of the year, usually towards the end. We chatted a little as I mentioned that was the first time I had ever heard anyone tie religion and stock market together. We were conversing on this when my time came up to pay my bill and checkout.
When we left Houston Friday morning it was still very cold, wet and windy. Eventually coming towards San Antonio we got out of the rain. Still cloudy and cool though. But.......when we woke up yesterday, we found an orange orb poking us in the eye for the first time in like forever. Great day to check off our San Antonio bucket list items......The Alamo and The Riverwalk.
Found the Alamo interesting.........
construction began in 1724, originally named "Mission San Antonio de Valero", home to missionaries and their Indian converts for 70 years. In the early 1800s the Spanish military stationed a Calvary unit there and renamed it the "Alamo" in honor of their home town (Alamo de Parras). Alamo is Spanish for "cottonwood". In 1835 the Texas Revolution found a band of Texas and Mexican volunteers forcing the Spanish from the mission. On Feb 23, 1836, Santa Anna was determined to take back the structure. The defenders held out for 13 days, but reinforcements never arrived....the rest is history.
............but rather hard to really suck up the history. I think it is simply because the city has been built up around the fort to the point that it will not allow the imagination to get past the many buildings, traffic noise and the touristy aspect. The battle fields of the Little Bighorn allowed a person to get lost in the many stories of the different characters and imagine the ghosts of the soldiers and warriors. Even as I was viewing the old Houston control center at the Space Center, I could go back in time and allow my imagination to take me back to the the point in time that the airwaves carried the "Houston we have a problem" radio signal from Apollo 13.
Guess who.......in front of the Alamo
The Riverwalk was very pleasant. Consists of many eateries and shops. Cannot believe that I am going to say this but, was a little disappointed in that it was not quite the touristy type of area that I was expecting. Thought that maybe there would be sidewalk vendors and have a little more of a circus atmosphere. Will say that it is very clean and well kept. You can tell that the city spends a lot of time keeping it up. Could imagine it being a kick ass place to hangout on those hot summer Texas nights. Lots of lights, atmosphere and coolness (being near the water). Walking/exercise felt great.
Riverwalk
Will leave here tomorrow morn heading for Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona.
Road Rash.........
Nothing to mention, lifes good
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