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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 8, 2017 21:50:32 GMT
On August the 27th I flew into San Antonio, Texas to rendezvous with my sister. She was driving from deepest south Texas to pick me up, whereupon we'd drive up to just across the border in Oklahoma, to the town where my mother lives. All of this was part of a grand plan for my mother's five children to surprise her on her 90th birthday. We spent the night in Brady, near where US Hwy 283 starts, & drove over six hours the next day to get to the party on time. Here is 283 from where we began to up to near my mother's town ~ sourceThat's a lot of Texas and the route took us through many typical and some very cute towns. We were on a mission, though, so pressed onward until encountering the devastatingly wonderful and photo-worthy town of Throckmorton.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 8, 2017 22:53:06 GMT
In the afternoon we started discussing having something to eat before arriving at our destination. The party was to be at a restaurant, but we knew we wouldn't be served there before 7:30 at least. We figured we'd stop if we saw something appealing on the way. Stop the presses!
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Post by lagatta on Sept 9, 2017 0:17:15 GMT
there was nowhere you could have a picnic from the Thai place?
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 9, 2017 3:55:53 GMT
We just wanted to get on down the road at that point. And now it's the evening of the big surprise. My mother knew that my brother & his girlfriend -- they live in her town -- were taking her out to dinner, but that was all. She was kind of griping that he was dragging her all the way to the back of the restaurant and was completely flummoxed when she saw us. She said it took a couple of seconds for it to sink in that we were all there. So gratifying -- she was totally surprised and thrilled. There are no really good pictures because of the lighting & because some are from cell phones, but ~ Surrounded by siblings ~ The cake ~ Being a good sport and wearing the hat ~ Okay, this can come off now! She nixed any suggestion of getting on the horsey ~ I just love this picture. She is telling all of us how very happy she is ~ Children ~ Grandchildren (except the one on the left is boyfriend of a granddaughter) ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 9, 2017 5:31:07 GMT
We all had a wonderful three days together, but on the 31st my two sisters and I drove our California brother to the airport in Lawton, Oklahoma and set off from there for a girls' weekend in San Antonio ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 9, 2017 5:45:54 GMT
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Post by mossie on Sept 9, 2017 6:57:15 GMT
Quite a trip, and I bet it brought back many memories. Family gatherings can bring out some long forgotten incidents from the past
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Sept 9, 2017 8:47:47 GMT
I love big family gatherings. The little pic of your happy Mummy is enchanting! Cracking photos Bixa (that's a compliment btw in case you're wondering )
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Post by amboseli on Sept 9, 2017 11:08:28 GMT
What a lovely surprise for your mom. Love the picture of your happy faces. Road trips are the best. You get to see something along the way.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 9, 2017 16:04:41 GMT
Thanks so much, all of you!
Mossie, so true about memories. One night we all congregated at my mother's house. As we were looking through old pictures, the brother close in age to me insisted that there were films of bullfighting somewhere. I had no memory of this, but he was right. The disparity in our memories triggered some great reminiscences from everyone.
You're the sweetest, Cheery. That's my favorite picture, even if I didn't take it. But it also makes me sad that now people are so willing to rely on phones instead of cameras, with the result of inferior photos.
Amboseli, my sister in Texas was a champ to do all that driving, and it certainly made it way more convenient and pleasant for us.
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Post by lagatta on Sept 9, 2017 20:46:46 GMT
Lovely smile, and your mamma also has a beautiful head of hair for a 90-year-old.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 10, 2017 3:48:09 GMT
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Sept 10, 2017 9:00:17 GMT
Love the mosaic looks like a really nice place. The people being serenaded don't look too happy....mind you it can be quite embarrassing even if the musicians are good.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 11, 2017 3:54:29 GMT
It really is a nice city, Cheery -- I'd recommend it for a vacation to anyone. And yeah, the lady in profile is quite stone-faced. Of course the next day we were eager to get out and see the city in daylight. That's our hotel on the left, across the street from St. Mary's Catholic church, the second oldest in San Antonio. The building dates from January 1924, built to replace one from the 1850s lost to a devastating flood in 1921 ~ A plaque outside the church explained that the original was built to serve "the growing non-Hispanic community". That doesn't seem to be a consideration anymore ~ So lovely to continuously come across the San Antonio River while strolling around ~ It's a pedestrian-friendly downtown ~ San Fernando Cathedral, notable as one of the oldest cathedrals in the United States ~ Birdies don't care about silly signs ~ From the 1890s, this style is known as Romanesque Revival. It's built of red sandstone ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 11, 2017 22:06:23 GMT
Before continuing, I want to throw in some very abbreviated history, as much for my benefit as for that of any readers of this report ~ What is now Texas was once part of Mexico. Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821 and to encourage settlement of Texas, Mexican authorities allowed organized immigration from the United States. By 1834, over 30,000 Anglos lived in Texas, compared to 7,800 Mexicans. In 1833 General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna gained the presidency of Mexico by revolt and overturned the constitution of 1824, creating a more centralized government which was against Texas self-rule. Tensions built, culminating in revolution against Mexico in late 1835. Fighting continued as Texas declared independence in March of 1836. Ten years later Texas was annexed to the US under President James Polk. The following two years saw droves of settlers into Texas and Polk defining the border between Texas and Mexico as the Rio Grande. Mexico did not agree and Polk stationed troops on the north bank of the river, which Mexico took as an act of war. In, 1848, the U.S.-Mexican War was brought to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. The treaty established boundaries between the United States and Mexico, with Mexico officially recognizing Texas as a part of the United States. (The treaty included the acquisition of Mexico's northern territory -- California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado.) italicized portion from Wikipedia and most of the rest from here
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Post by kerouac2 on Sept 11, 2017 23:09:43 GMT
I purposely waited until I returned home to finally see this delightful thread, which I knew ahead of time would need to be seen on an adequate screen rather than my tiny travel laptop. And I have been rewarded with all of these fantastic photos, even if they underline the fact that even though the United States is one of the most interesting countries in the world, we really do not have all that many threads at Anyport to prove it. With more than 200,000 vistors from the U.S. on this site (more than 42% of the total visitors, according to the flag counter), you'd think that there would be more material here. So thank you, Bixa, for making this thread.
The naive (?) sculptures are wonderful and somewhat unexpected, even though Texas is famous for that row of half-buried Cadillacs that we have all seen over the years. The Thai place intrigues me enormously and all the more so because of the rooster theme in the decor. This is the year of the cock, so that would explain why the chickens are everywhere. I'm afraid that you will have to return next year (year of the dog) to see if they have appropriately updated the theme.
Naturally, the family reunion was wonderful, but what a shame that you did not go to Bovine first to get gifts for everybody, because the variety and quality of the things for sale would have certainly delighted everybody.
I enjoyed my brief visit to San Antonio a few years ago, but I do not recall seeing most of the things that you saw -- but I did visit the Alamo, which was so much tinier than I expected.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 12, 2017 3:32:21 GMT
Thank you, Kerouac -- for your generous words as well as for the important reminder that our own backyards can be extraordinary and interesting to many others. Good idea about giving the Thai place in Vernon, Texas another chance, especially since my sister & I were both so disappointed not to sample their fare. True about the gift selection at Bovine, although it wasn't the only stop that was full of temptations. One truck stop, along with the earphones, hands-free phones and hemorrhoid pillows, also had a complete selection of Viking and Roman helmets and breastplates. The world is a much more marvelous place than we imagine. This was my second visit to San Antonio and my second time not to see the Alamo. I'm too big a person to be bitter, though.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 12, 2017 3:47:32 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 12, 2017 17:09:24 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 12, 2017 23:04:11 GMT
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Post by bjd on Sept 13, 2017 6:01:31 GMT
Your pictures of San Antonio and commentary had given me a positive image of Texas but that jackass demolished it. I bet he's just dying to pull out both guns at once and pretend he's a cowboy affronting bad guys.
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Post by mickthecactus on Sept 13, 2017 13:55:15 GMT
This is the first chance I have had to check out this brilliant trip.
Must put Throckmorton on my list.........
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Post by mossie on Sept 13, 2017 14:10:11 GMT
Jackass is right, although I guess if he actually drew them the first thing he'd shoot a hole in would be his foot.
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Post by kerouac2 on Sept 13, 2017 14:18:59 GMT
Too much pizza and Big Macs, too much testosterone, too much Reagan, Bush, Trump, too much "2nd amendment rights."
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 13, 2017 14:50:04 GMT
Thanks, Mick! Coming across that kind of outsider art just out in a field was a highlight of this very fun and personal trip. There are probably more positive things about Texas (it has maybe the best highways in the country) than negative.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Sept 16, 2017 17:54:57 GMT
Excellent...but you just know that my favourite pic is the one of you and your sisters Bixa
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 20, 2017 4:07:59 GMT
Ahhh ~ you are the best and make me feel okay about showing all these pictures of me and of my family.
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Post by mickthecactus on Feb 8, 2018 9:14:22 GMT
Something prompted me to look through this wonderful thread again.
We need more U.S. reports like this! Citizens of America stand up and be counted! You have a wonderful and fascinating country at your fingertips. Let's see it!
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