Weir, Jonah, Trails, and Old Houses

Generally, before we go off on some adventure, I do some research about

Very old live oak tree

the area and decide what I want to see, alternatives in case we can’t find what we’re looking for, and of course places to eat, stay, shop, and so forth. Occasionally we’ll run across something to see that is not within my usual interests. I dearly love old movies in the genres of scifi, horror/monsters, crime, and comedy. The blood baths, touted as horror movies, that pass for entertainment find me less than curious. On this trip we were on a quest to find a 19^th to 20^th century pattern house (they were ordered from Sears, shipped out on the railroad, and put together on your own land) that had, incidentally, been used in one of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre movies. We didn’t find the house we were looking for, but we did find some tiny towns, and historical markers that piqued our interest, and just by chance, a movie set.

Flowing to Florence

Old homestead

Eons ago I had an 8^th grade student whose mother’s name was Florence. She was a lovely lady and each time I drive south on I-35 I think of her and her daughter when I see the exit to the town of that name. I hope they are doing quite well. Of course I am always curious about small towns, so we decided to stop and take a look.

Bruceville and Eddy – Together Forever

Creative nativity

Running down interstate highway 35, if you pay attention, you’ll see signs for the communities of Bruceville and Eddy. I’ve never thought much about them, but since we had some time and we were getting hungry, we decided to find a restaurant then take a look around these little towns. It was a nice respite from traveling down the ‘super slab’.

Georgetown Geography

Cynthia with a new friend

We’ve driven through Georgetown many times on our way to the southern part of the state. From the highway you can see parts of the city, including some of the domed buildings. This time we actually stopped and played in this lovely old town. If you’re planning a visit, check the sports schedules for Georgetown University and for the University of Texas; these activities have a rather negative impact on being able to find places to stay, eat, and visit.

Moseying through Manhattan

The Big Apple, The City of Dreams, The City That Never Sleeps, Empire

Dave and Cynthia on top of the
Empire State Building

City, Gotham: no matter what you call it, New York City, and in particular Manhattan, is a great place to visit. We’ve been here several times and I’m not tired of the city yet. On this occasion we took a couple of tours and ended up on top to the Empire State Building after dark. It’s still one of the best views of New York, but we were sad that we didn’t see a giant ape or Fay Wray.

Back in Boston

L to R: Rabbit sculpture, Working teapot

Dave and I were in Boston many years ago, basically wandering about on our own. This time we had two days of guided tours. The first was generic while the second focused on Harvard and the Freedom Trail. We learned some new things and took quite a lot of pictures. We didn’t actually get into the park to photograph the Make Way for Ducklings statues in Boston Public Garden, but we had seen them previously. The statues are a homage to the children’s book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey (published in 1941). The story focuses on a pair of mallards who raise their family on an island in the park’s lagoon.

Hanging out in Halifax

L to R: Large waves, Cynthia with guide and lobster

Halifax was our favorite stop on our tour. The weather was cold, misty, and windy, but the scenery was wonderful; our guide was knowledgeable as well as good natured. During our visit to Peggy’s Cove we saw some of the largest waves of the season, and I had my picture taken with a live lobster. We also visited the cemetery in which are interred victims of the Titanic disaster.  Since Dave and I find cemeteries interesting, we were delighted to wander among the graves, reading the remembrances. All in all, it was one of the better shore excursions we experienced on this trip.