Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Can you say, "Spa-a-a-a-h"? - August 31st - September 3rd

Time for some SERIOUS R&R.  We stayed at the Hilton El Conquistador Resort in Oro Valley, AZ (a suburb of Tucson).



Mommy & Daddy met Cousin Leah Kalin at Picazzos for dinner.
Leah is so beautiful - just like her Mom (Auntie Diane).  Leah is also really smart - attending medical school at the University of Arizona.

These are the beautiful Catalina Mountains.

Tucson is at a higher elevation with more Saguaro cacti. Being at a higher elevation, it's cooler than Lake Havasu City.  Hard to believe when the temps here are 114 degrees and humid (yes, we've solved another drought problem and helped to usher in some thunderstorms).
It's "Football Season", so Daddy got me a football.

Good catch!

Out of bounds.
Touch Down!!!!

And now for a little victory dance!




VICTORY IS MINE!!!!
Team Photo.

Time to hydrate.

Replenish the carbs.

And take a little nap before bedtime.

We left for home on Saturday morning (Sept. 3rd). Nothing much happened along the way home except for meeting Mr. Buffalo at Picacho Peak, AZ.

Boy!  It's good to be home.

Mileage for the Texas trip - about 3,200 miles.

Reflecting on my hectic travel schedule . . . since April 14th, we've traveled approximately 10,500 miles.  I've stayed in 21 hotels, 2 homes & 1 condo.

I sure hope Mommy & Daddy are planning on staying home at least a little while.






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From Corpus Christi, TX to Tucson, AZ - August 30th - August 31st

Driving from Corpus Christi, TX to Tucson, AZ was a two-day process.  Daddy drove 576 miles the first day - staying in Van Horn, TX.  Day two was from Van Horn, TX to Tucson, AZ - 438 miles.


Driving through El Paso, TX, we found ourselves driving past Lucy's.
 Uncle Ralph & Auntie Koena used to live in El Paso - this was one of their favorite restaurants - known for its Mexican food.
Too bad it was too early for lunch.

Back into the "Land of Enchantment"

Wish we had THIS roadrunner in our back yard. He's probably 10'-12' tall.

The South is alive and well in the West.

Getting closer to home!

Major, major traffic jam!!!!  We're gonna be sitting here for a while. People are getting out of their vehicles. That's not a good sign.

Might as well settle down for a quick nap -  rest up for dinner in Tucson.



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Friday, September 2, 2011

"By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea" - August 26th - August 30th

Daddy & I left San Antonio on Friday, August 26th for a "Guys' Weekend" in Corpus Christi, TX.  It was a fairly short drive - 175 miles (with a short detour to Selma, TX for business).
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It was there that I met Uncle Ralph Tapscott and my new cousin, Tres.  Tres is a 5 month old Chocolate Lab that weighs 57lbs.   He has a good heart, a lot of energy, and is ALL puppy.  I must say, a little too much puppy for me, but I don't think Tres realizes it.  He's a little puppy in a very big puppy's body.



Oh boy, a beach!  I can run forever here!


Captain Ralph took us fishing.

It was a hot day, but a few small fish were caught by everyone except Capt Ralph.  He couldn't catch a cold!

...But he was able to catch a buzz after a long day.




Mommy & Auntie Koena made it to Corpus Christi on Sunday, August 28th.  I held down the fort while everyone else went out on the boat.

"Readers on Vacation"




Babes on a boat. 
As you can see, we had plenty of "wild life".




Padre Island living.







This is where the Corpus Christi Rotary Town Club meets. Nice View!

Auntie Koena loves her boy.

Since Corpus was mainly a "Guys' Weekend",  I'm having Daddy help me with the blog.
Corpus Christi is a wonderful coastal city that has something for everyone - big city living, yachts, shopping, tasty food, beautiful homes on canals, kite boarding, horseback riding on the beach, sand castles, fishing, birds, water skiing . . . sand . . . lots of sand.

We plan on going back and staying with Uncle Ralph and Auntie Koena. This is Five-Star resort living.






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