Lou & Teina's travels

Just coffee and juice at the motel so we can get going. Figure breakfast for somewhere 50 or so miles down the road. Taking I20 west till it merges with I10 which takes us to Las Cruces NM and a turn north on I25.
Stopped at a restaurant in a old brick factory. Interesting place, had been thriving town back in it's day of producing building bricks but only a few people left now. Great breakfast at a great price.
Back on the road through West Texas - pretty flat but not as flat as the panhandle. Get off for lunch in Abilene. Tried a Denny's - waited 10 min to give our orders and another 30 with no food and we along with 3-4 other couples left. Nothing else in town so will continue down the road. Remember this is Sunday in Texas - most things closed. At the next town that has a open restaurant we have lunch, get some gas and head for Monahans - the halfway point on our return trip.
Pass thru the Permian Basin - site of some of the best oil in Texas - Midland and Odessa is the center of this producing area. Lots of new drilling for natural gas.
Get to Monahans and decide a few more miles will be OK so on to Pecos. They have a nice museum that we've visited before but it's closed by the time we get there so it's tour the town and find Motel 6 for the night. It had about 50 TV channels compared to the dozen or so at the ones in Calif. and free WiFi!

Monday and we're on the way again - it's quite a way to the next town so we find some breakfast here before we leave.
Through El Paso and on to Las Cruces where we get on I25. Lunch at Arbey's then shopping at - would you guess WalMart - and a health food store and we're good to go heading north. Home to our place in T or C about 5p.

Another great road trip.

Our last day in Granbury - leisurely breakfast at the motel then head over to Roy and Madge's. Teina, Teresa and Jerry head out and I stay around and do computer stuff. All get together around noon and wait for Bubba and Nancy's arrival. Call from Bubba that he has to work so can't make it. Too bad as it's been many years since Teina and Teresa have seen Bubba. Nancy and her husband Bob arrive (bringing a watermelon - no not a Black Diamond) and we spend the afternoon sharing stories and reminiscences. Have a sandwich and watermelon, introduce Roy and Madge to Greed (dice game) and we call it a early night as Teina and I plan to get on the road fairly early on Sun. Teresa and Jerry are heading to Ft Worth to the Farmer's Market area searching for the elusive Black Diamond watermelons.

Head out about 10? for Ft Worth to have lunch and visit with Mexitron (Steve Mudge) and his wife. We met him a few years ago in Parral Canyon in Baja and wanted to share some Baja stories. We're a little early, so spend a half hour at Border's Books - just browsing - except Teina found a bargain on a book to teach her how to beat the casino's.

Short drive to the street and no problem finding the number and it's for sure his place when Teina spots a "Got Baja" sticker on the pickup in the driveway.

He's out back so call him on the phone and here he is. Shows us around his house and yard and says his wife is registering her son in high school and should be back soon. We share Baja stories of places and people and adventures. Head over to a Mex restaurant for lunch. Delia's held up with the registration, so Steve takes a tostada home for her.

A couple of enjoyable hours spent with them and it's time to go back. We find a barbecue place in Granbury and we tuck in for the night.

Up reasonably early and on the road to Vernon Tx. Stop in Mineral Wells and meet Elaine, Teina and Teresa's cousin who lives in Ft. Worth. Now we are filling the 7 passenger van. It's about a 3 hour trip, so when we get to Wichita Falls, it's lunch time. They had the nerve to close the restaurant Roy wanted so we found a Ihop and filled up.

First stop the Cemetery where parents, and other relatives are buried. A little trouble finding some of the graves, but finally accomplish that task.

On the main drag, we looked at Teina's grandfather's old shoe shop. A vacant storefront now but lots of memories for Roy and Madge. Past the church they attended growing up and on to the old home. Nothing like when they lived there, but the owner let us look around the yard and Roy pointed out what used to be.

Down by the Rodeo Grounds and the place where a aunt got thrown around but a tornado which stripped her, destroyed the house and a new tractor. A little drive around town and it's time to head back to Mineral Wells and Elaine's car

Talked to Teresa and they are heading down from DFW so will probably get to motel at about the same time. We meet up and get settled mid afternoon, then head for Roy and Madge's place. Yahoo, Street Atlas and? don't know the streets here so Teresa calls for directions. Have a great reunion scene with hugging etc. then catch up on some of the happenings in the Barrett world. Dinner at a Catfish place and we call it a early night.

Wed. now so another day of visiting, listening to Roy's stories etc. Teresa's second goal for this trip is a Black Diamond watermelon. Never heard of it but it's high on her mind. So in the afternoon we head to out to visit a old Dr. Pepper plant that still has all the old equipment. Still making it with "Pure Cane Sugar" like the old days. It's equipment can't handle the "Non-returnable" bottles, so the make a run when they collect enough of the deposit ones. Nice tour, then we're on down the road in search of watermelon. A Peach and Watermelon Festival is happing a few miles away so we check it out. Arrive at 5p and nothing going on, tour the area in the car as there are no pedestrians yet - and no watermelons. Drive to town and ask a local cop where to find them and he said "a gold pickup parked after the "S" curve. Well guess we're early for the parade - lawn chairs along the street and people waiting. Found the pickup but no Black Diamonds. Got rained out but might have another crop in Sept. Decided we couldn't wait for that, so bought some other kind and headed back to Granbury for dinner at Roy's 2nd favorite Mex restaurant.

Have a full day tomorrow so. time to get rested.