Mark Longs to be a Texan

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Today was tour day.  We walked 6th street district, toured the capitol building, LBJ's Presidential Library and Texas State History Museum.  Very interesting.  Our feet hurt.  Went to a small shopping district at the southern end of Congress Avenue.  It was kind of a hippie district in Austin.  Very cool.  We had a slice of pizza on the street.  Life is good.

The star above is outside the Texas State Museum.  Texas is a state that truly has state pride.  Everywhere you go you see state flags and stars on everything!  Mark has decided that he wants to move to Texas.  He would like to say that he is a "TEXAN".  Such a manly state.  Maybe we shall be "Winter Texans!"

Diners, Drive-ins & Dives

Monday, Dec. 12, 2011

Today we left Alice.    For the last two days we have been in the rain, veging most of the day in Alice.  They have had a long term drought so we were glad to have brought the rain.  Wendy and I had an Almond Roca making lesson so now she will be turning out the Roca in Texas.  Thanks, Wendy and Craig for the great hospitality! We will be back for the New Years party!

We stopped at Van's Barbeque No. 2 at a highway intersection, halfway to Austin.  Had brisquet, sausage, ribs, potatoe salad and beans.  All served on a piece of butcher paper.  The place was filled with workers stopping for lunch.  It was great.  In Austin we found a restaurant featured on Diners Drive-ins and Dives.  The Green Mesquite Barbeque.  We had basically the same meal except we added fried okra, smoked turkey and pulled pork.  Yum, Yum.

So, now we have had two barbeques almost identical.  Brisquet, ribs, sausage, shredded pork, potatoe salad, fried okra, beans.  I am surprised it took us so long to feast on the barbeque you hear so much about in Texas.  Up until now it has been Tex-Mex, seafood (I am not complaining here!) and chicken fried steak.  Loving Texas food.

Last Day on Shrimp Island.....I Mean South Padre!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Today we must say goodbye to South Padre and head back up the coast.  We both love this island and it is high on our list of places to return to.  Good kiting, good location to park, good golf course and shrimp out the kazoo!

We took one last long walk along the beach.

On the bay side, this shrimp boat was going out to sea.  I would never go out on a salmon fishing boat because I am not in love with salmon but I would go out on a shrimp boat.

This, again is the fishing dike as the boats go out to sea.

And one last shot of the fishing dike.  You can see how far out into the ocean it goes.

This is the beach we walked down for our last walk.  You can see the large hotels that line the ocean side.   The beaches were basically deserted this time of year and I liked it that way.  The temperature was perfect for a long walk along the beach, searching for shells and enjoying the birds.  We walked about 3 miles today before cutting up through the hotels and catching the "WAVE" which is a small yellow bus that drives the main street.  Free rides that will take you the length of the island and over the causeway back to Port Isabelle if you like.

My last shrimp dinner at Daddys Restaurant.  Sorry to say that it is half gone.  Jason wanted pictures of my good food but I would always forget until it was half gone.  I guess I go into a feeding frenzy when my food (shrimp) comes and don't remember to take a picture until it is mostly gone!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

December 7, 2011

Today I headed over to aerobics early while Mark supervised the Sierra Mobile RV Wash crew as they washed and waxed the clubhouse so we would be rid of most of the salt before we leave on Friday.  Then it was off to do laundry in Port Isabelle.  We had lunch afterwards at Joe's Oyster House.  We had Nathan's special which was grilled shrimp, flounder and a crab cake, with fries, cole slaw and a roll, all for $9.99.  It was great.  Recommended by Charlie, a guy who is staying at the same park and we have run into Charlie several times at the kiting beach as he is a long time kiter.

After lunch we did a quick run around the park and took a few pictures that I had neglected to take but wanted to get before we left.

These beautiful yellow roses? are around the edges of the beach and beach paths.  I call them the yellow rose of Texas.

The day we arrived I walked around the corner and saw this huge statue and all I could say was Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!  You can see the RV's in the background and this statue is right on the edge of the ocean/bay, next to Isla Blanca County Park where we are staying.  The granite blocks it sits on are each about 5 feet tall so you can tell how big this is.  Initially I thought somehow I had ended up in Brazil or on top of Big Mountain, Montana but no, I'm on South Padre Island.  This is a memorial that was donated by a family that lost two sons back in the 70's.  Wow.

As I turn around from taking a picture of the Jesus statue, there is Mark walking along the granite blocks that start the fishing dike that continues behind him and goes out into the bay/ocean about a 200 yards.

This is our street, 276 Irish Sea.

One side of the fishing dike is the bay formed from the Santa Fe River, the other side is Ocean.  You will see surfers and occasionally kiteboarders out.

Toll Bridge to Mexico

December 6, 2011

Today was our trip to Nuevo Progresso.  It is a small Mexican town that is across a walking toll bridge (toll is 25 cents) from Progresso, Texas.  This town is where a huge amount of retirees go for their dental work and prescriptions.  We knew this when we left but I must admit that I had never seen so many dental offices in a three block space in my life!  None of which I would walk into for dental work as the place is typical Mexican border town, dirty with a thousand people trying to get you to buy all of the typical things.

Mark walking across the walking toll bridge.  You can see the people driving across to his left.

This is the Rio Grande River to our right as we walk into Mexico.  I had my eyes peeled for drug runners floating bundles of drugs across but couldn't spot any.  We haver watched the local news nightly and seen clips of drug smugglers driving their trucks full of bundles of drugs into the river with the Border Patrol in hot pursuit.  Apparently if they get into the Rio Grande they are in the free zone.

Half way across.  I should have taken a picture of myself with one leg in Mexico the other in the US.

You can see in this shot on the left hand side of the street a Pharmacy, a dentist then another pharmacy, then another dentist.  It goes on like this all the way down the street.  Every few steps a street vendor would try to get you into his pharmacy to buy some prescription drugs or some hawker would try to get you into the dentists office to get some dental work.  I don't think so.  Now, we did meet two very nice ladies in the booze store who have been coming down to get their dental work done from Dr. Alore, about 3 blocks into town.  They've been getting their work done for almost 12 years and are very happy. So there is your recommendation.  Go see Dr. Alore!

More pharmacies and on the right side a girly bar!

We were planning to have lunch but I couldn't even find a place we would eat in so we headed back to the US of A and found a great little diner in LaFaria with a bakery next door.  I was a happy camper.

On the way home we stopped by the Port of Brownsville to visit the Shrimp Outlet operated by the local shrimp fisherman.  I was in heaven.

Just throw something into a bag

November 5, 2011

Up bright and early and off to Zumba!  The most fun you can have for a $2.00 donation at the activity center here at the park.  Gotta make sure I get to all these early morning classes so I can work off all the deep fried shrimp I seem to be eating down here.

Next we run to get some groceries at the local HEB.  We have discovered that here in Texas the dominant grocery store is the HEB.  The other choices are the Walmart and Costcos in other large cities. Somehow they have kept all of the other large chains pretty much out of Texas.  We have seen one small IGA in Texas and no others.  The HEB is close to a Winco.  Family owned, great prices. Good store.

The other dominant player is the Whataburger.  They are all over.  More prevalent than McDonalds and that is saying a lot.  Their menu is a lot like the In-And-Out burger in California.  Mostly burgers, fries and soft drinks.

Now the funny story.  We stayed at Craig and Wendy's home in Alice, Texas.  They are big Whataburger fans but apparently Wendy has a big problem with them "always" getting her order wrong, which really irritates her.  Well, one very nice day, Wendy is in a really good mood and on her way to work.  She stops at the local Whataburger and decides that if they get her order wrong it will really throw a monkey wrench into her day so when she orders, she says, "Just throw something in a bag and I will pay for it."  Well the girl taking her order didn't like the order so Wendy repeated it, saying that she would be happy to pay for whatever they threw in a bag but she didn't want to order and risk them getting it wrong because that would ruin the good day she had been having so far.  Well the girl called her manager, who thought Wendy was being rude.  Wendy explained again her problem with getting wrong orders and explained that she would be happy to pay for whatever they threw in her bag.  Now, I don't remember if they finally managed to get an order out of Wendy but I just think this is the funniest story I have heard in a long time.  I want to try it sometime.

Tonight Mark and I made another run at Bingo.  It was a bust.

Making this thing look easy

November 4, 2011

Just a shot of the hind end of the motorhome as we drive up to it.  Doesn't she have a cute hiney?

This is Mark opening the gate to the private South Padre Island (SPI) Windsurfing beach.  We bought a 15 dollar permit for the month for access.

The Dude abides.

The beach, littered with kites as the kiters wait for the right wind or just take a breather.

Mark on the yellow and white kite.  Making the starts look downright easy.

Away he goes!  Today made three transitions (turns) without a fall.  Looking good.

Hog Parking

Dec. 3, 2011

Today we are back at the kite beach.  Overcast but nice wind of about 20 mph.  Never thought we would be glad to see a 20 mph wind.  Had a couple of nice runs.  Good day.

Tonight is the Christmas Boat Parade.  My favorite was the first one.  A shrimper!  Not as many boats as we expected.  Only 7.  The nice thing is that everyone was out on these long fishing piers which were out in front of outside bars/restaurants.  You could get a drink and wander out onto the piers where people were night fishing and others waiting for the parade.  The best part was that there is a warm breeze blowing.  Perfect.

Afterwards we stop at Dirty Al's restaurant.  Charlie (a kiter we met on the beach) recommended this place and said they have great New Orleans style "peel and eat" shrimp.  We did.  It was.

The parking outside had a special spot for my brother-in-law, Jack.  His team on our fantasy football league is the "Hogs".  Jack, they are waiting for you at Dirty Al's.

They Kicked My Butt

December 2, 2011

Really getting into the swing of things with the activity schedule.  I got up early and headed down to Zumba class at 9:30.  Turns out they rotate so it was Aerobics.  Okay, I can do that.  Well, 20 minutes into the class I am asking the gal next to me, "How long does this Last?"  Hopefully it is a 30 minute class.  Nope, 1 hour.  I am looking around at these "older ladies" and thinking, they are going to kick my ass before this thing is over.  I can't give up and walk off.  Well, I do make it through but I am fudging at the end of this thing.  Not picking my feet off the ground when I am supposed to be lifting my knees pretty high.  I thought that since I walk regularly at least a couple of miles that Zumba would be easy but Aerobics has nearly put me under.  Monday it will be Zumba.  I can hardly wait.

This is what I came home to.  Move over, I'm tired.

Kiting today was great.  Mark is getting better every day.  He did two double run sessions and is getting up pretty easily.  In the video below, watch the white and yellow kite.  That is Mark.  He tried to turn around while coming back toward the beach but fell.  The great thing was that he could get back up again and relaunch.  My little bird is flying!!

Bingo!

December 1, 2011

The last couple of days we went golfing again on Tuesday and Wednesday was kiting as the wind came up again.  Wednesday night we went out to a local restaurant, the Sea Ranch.  Best meal so far on the Island.  it was great.  Yes, I had shrimp again, with a little flounder on the side.....:)

Mark and I walked down to the Bingo Hall tonight.  He is being a good sport and coming down with me to check out the action.  Free popcorn, cookies and coffee.  We love good deals.  $2.50 for 10 games.

No, we didn't get to yell Bingo.  The night was a bust.  If you will notice the bingo board on the left, the first game was Texas Longhorn!