Tuesday, August 30, 2011

"Remember the Alamo" - August 24th - August 28th

Yesterday was a LONG day - about 640 miles.  On Wednesday morning (24th) we left El Paso for greener pastures, San Antonio. Today, we have 555 miles to drive.  Mommy started off driving for the day while Daddy took photos. 


And of COURSE - going 80 mph would get us to San Antonio quicker,
but it was still a very long day.

Mommy's a really good driver, so I sacked out in the back.  I discovered that if I sleep on top of my condo, it bounces me to sleep like a Bouncie Castle.

A lot of Texas is flat and open land - kinda like Arizona and New Mexico. Every once in a while, I'd see something in the distance like this - not really a hill, nor a mountain.
Now heading East of the Pecos . . .


We stopped in Ozona, TX to take a photo of me with Davy Crockett at the Chamber of Commerce. There was one little snag to our plan - THEY WOULDN'T LET ME IN THE BUILDING!!!!   Daddy even told them the photo was for my blog - they didn't care.  So - here it is for the whole world to see - they were not hospitable to me - they are canine-prejudiced - they discriminated against me because I have fur, four legs and ruff (occasionally).

More napping on my Bouncie Castle.

Mommy, Daddy & I took our evening stroll along the Riverwalk.









On the other side of the Trolley Tours is "Ripley's Believe It or Not"
They're right, I don't believe it.

This is the "Torch of Friendship" statue by the Riverwalk.
a.k.a. La Antorcha de la Amistad.
The Torch is a gift from the Mexican Government to the city of San Antonio.
Maybe Mexico was trying to apologize because of the Alamo.

This is the Menger Hotel - it's located beside the Alamo. It opened in 1859 and is also rumored to be HAUNTED!!!!

Welcome to the Alamo.  The Alamo was built in 1724 as a Spanish Mission. The name "Alamo" means Cottonwood (like the trees).  The actual "Battle of the Alamo" was short-lived - from February 26 to March 6, 1836.
Remember that?

This is the walkway through the mission.

We're staying at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on the Riverwalk on the 23rd floor. I can see above the trees. We're here because Mommy is one of the speakers at a conference.


On the 25th - Daddy drove to Austin, TX to visit his friend, Mike Velaney, whom he worked with 31 years ago at an Atlanta investment firm.  Dad says that he is still a great buddy, and Mike now manages a very successful bond firm.

While our hotel room was being cleaned. Mommy took me to the Club Room - The folks there are really nice. I watched TV in a beautiful lounge that had wonderful treats for the two-legged types.


On her lunch break, Mommy also took me for a walk to the Tower of the Americas - just let me say this - if you have a drought and want it solved - invite us.  It rained on us - twice!

The Tower of the Americas was built in 1968 for the World's Fair. The 15-acre park is surrounded by beautiful waterfalls.


The Tower is 750-feet tall. It houses an observation deck, restaurants, gift shops, activities for children, and a 4-D theater. 

The restaurant in the tower is The Chart House -  one of Mommy's favorites.

Daddy had a delicious meal. YUM - tasty.

On Friday, Daddy & I left for Corpus Christi, TX to see Uncle Ralph Tapscott & fur-puppy, Tres.  Those photos (and that story) need a section all to itself.

In the meantime, Auntie Koena Tapscott came to San Antonio to stay with Mommy.  The girls used the time to shop & dine.  One of the first things they did was to take the Water Taxi around the Riverwalk.

Here is one of two WONDERFUL chocolate sculptures that are displayed in the lobby by the elevators.  They were created by Pastry Chef, Daniel Keadle. The two sculptures include 125# of chocolate and took 50 hours to make. I wonder how many hours it would take Mommy & Auntie Koena to eat if they could sneak it up to the hotel room?  Giggle . . . Giggle.


As Auntie Koena & Mommy were driving around, they passed the 13th Floor Haunted House. Spooky!

Before Auntie Koena moved to Corpus Christi, she lived in San Antonio for a short while in a wonderful area called the "Quarry".  All sorts of cool shopping, fitness center, cinemas and dining.  If you look at the back left, you'll see the tall smoke stacks that still exist.

So as Mommy & Auntie Koena begin their drive to Corpus Christi to see "us guys" - they hope you will "Remember the Alamo . . ."



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Thursday, August 25, 2011

"Out in the West Texas Town of El Paso . . ." August 23rd

We're off on another adventure. We'll only be gone until Labor Day weekend this time.  We left Havasu bright & early on the 23rd. Stopped in Phoenix so KYOTEE (my minivan) could get a checkup.  Then we were back on the road.

We drove through Tucson, AZ and then through New Mexico.



 Here we are entering the Lonestar State of Texas.

There's a fork in the road. Now which way do we go?

 
Decisions . . . Decisions . . . If I can talk Daddy into getting onto I-25, I can go to Albuquerque again.  Maybe I'll wait until October when Albuquerque has its big Balloon Fiesta. Yes - that's a much better idea. So we're going to El Paso, but just for the night.

Now that we know which way we're going, I can take a quick nap.


"Out in the West Texas town of El Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl . . . "

Well . . . would you believe a cute, little Chihuahua?
Let me know if you see one, okay?

El Paso is just a stopping point along the way for us.
But it is a city that is rich in history.

The city of El Paso lies along the northern border of the Rio Grande.
Would someone PLEASE tell the JUSTICE Department that taking Firearms to Mexico is prohibited?

The Mexican border town that lies on the other side is Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico.

I think this is the third time I've seen the Rio Grande this summer. Water flow has tapered down greatly here. It looks more like the "Rio Puddle."

From 1598 until 1882, El Paso served as an important stop along the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (“The Royal [King's] Road of the Interior Land). This was a "ruff" 1,600 mile  road from Mexico City to Sante Fe, NM.  (If you want to see photos of Sante Fe - check the blog archive "Views from the Highest State Capital in the U.S. - July 11th".)


Texas became a part of the United States in 1845, but saw the error of its way and proudly joined the Confederate States of America in March, 1861. With a few changes in the lyrics, the "Yellow Rose of Texas" became their marching song.

Once the Civil War was over and Texas once again became a part of the Union, El Paso’s population grew. It became known as the "Six Shooter Capital" of Texas.  Just across the border, Ciudad Juárez has a high violent crime rate. Yet, El Paso (with a liberal gun law) has a low violent crime rate (Honolulu is about the only U.S. town where you could be safer.)  Go figure!  

Well, that's it for El Paso . . .  Next stop is San Antonio, Tx.




Monday, August 22, 2011

Gigi Comes to Visit - August 16th-21st

Uncle Gene Kalin brought Gigi over to stay with us while he and Auntie Diane
(I whuv Auntie Diane!!!!) went on a cruise to Alaksa.

It didn't take long for Gigi and me to fall into a routine.

Mommy liked having Puppy Bookends!

I shared Daddy & my toys with Gigi. She liked Hedgie the best.
Each morning, Daddy would take Gigi & me for a walk.  Mommy fixed us breakfast. And then in the evenings, we would all take a "Family Walk."

We went swimming one evening and forgot to take the camera. Gigi had fun floating around in the pool. By the time we were all showered, Gigi was ready to go to bed early.

Daddy & I are trying to get Gigi into watching sports and catching up on the financial news.  So far, she's not buying it and wants us to change the channel to "Two and a Half Men."

On the 19th, Carolann Mitchell with Vitality Pet Salon came to the house to give us each a new hairdo.  Carolann is just the sweetest person and makes us look so spiffy.

On Sunday morning, Gigi practiced her Yoga. here she is in the Downward Puppy position.

Oops!  Mommy caught us!
Now we know why I'm becoming such a "Round Boy."
Also - I once again practiced my covert operational moves, jumped onto the kitchen counter and made off with about a 1/2 stick of butter.  The only telltale sign left behind was lobster-shaped butter marks on the living room rug.
Mommy's put me on a diet now.  Big bummer!

Unfortunately, we needed to take Gigi home on Sunday.  It sure was fun having someone to keep me company during the day.




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