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Day 39
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Although I’m not working now, my friends still have to, so when Kelly headed off to work on Wednesday morning I made my way to a nearby Starbucks to take advantage of the free wi-fi (just offered as of July 1, used to be pretty expensive for Internet access). Used that for a couple hours, then it was time to make my way to Dallas to meet up with a friend for lunch.
Darren is a buddy of mine going way back to Kindergarten. We were in school together from K-12, and have periodically talked and gotten together over the years. I last saw him late Fall near D.C. when he was on a business trip, but his home is in Dallas so a perfect chance to meet. Darren, an experienced outdoorsman, was a big help with my last roadtrip as I geared up for my first camping opportunities. Great to see you, buddy.
Darren and me eating at a "Jason's Deli" restaurant in Dallas
After lunch, I went to find a camera store as I had lost some accessories on some hikes I’ve done. Found a shop nearby and replaced everything I needed. From there, it was back to Fort Worth to relax for a bit and catch some exercise. I don’t have any photos/video of it, but I was in a park nearby the Lockheed Martin plant, and I saw an F-16 making loops through the sky above. Pretty cool. The pilot seemed close enough to wave to, at times.
Then I was off to the restaurant Steel, in Dallas, to grab dinner with my ex-girlfriend, Thais.
Dallas
Thais and I get along well. The major reason the relationship ended back in 2009 was that she had to move for her job. So no strife, no messiness, and it was great to pick up and laugh again with a person I always had fun with. She also treated me to an amazing meal.
Our sushi platter
So this was my last night in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. On Thursday afternoon, Kelly and I pack up and head southwest on a 10-hour drive towards Big Bend National Park. Big Bend is one of the least-visited national parks, but only because it is so remote. Once you see pictures, you’ll understand why the drive is worth it.
joe
Day 38
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Miles Driven: 301
Total Miles: 8,312
I woke up in time to catch Cata and Jon getting ready for work, and they offered me their house as long as I needed it. We all said our goodbyes (even Nico did a little wave to me), and I headed out to run some errands. Got a haircut, cleaned up the car a bit, and then returned to the house to do some laundry and get my things together.
By 11:30 I had hit the road, and I headed east toward downtown Houston to go check out the “Beer Can House”, another recommendation of my buddy John in Georgia. Apparently it’s a house made of beer cans. Go figure. There was a major accident on the route, though, so I took a detour and began the journey north to Ft. Worth. (If you want to see what the beer can house looks like, click here). Hmmm. That’s all I have to say about that.
I made it to Ft. Worth in time to see my friend Kelly’s new house in the suburbs of Ft. Worth. What a nice home. I busted her chops before when I knew she was looking for a house (as I am a proud “renter for life”), but she really found a nice place and made it her own. Pretty amazing. Congrats Kelly!
So in a matter of a few days I saw two members of that family, as I saw Christie in Milwaukee and now her sister Kelly in Ft. Worth. After a quick tour of the new house, we headed to a local bar to meet up with some friends in the area. Thanks to all the Lockheed friends for coming out, it was great to meet up with some guys I haven’t seen in a long time.
Frank welcoming me to Texas, as Kelly looks on
Matt and me. Matt used to work up in Owego, like me, but I didn't meet him until after I left
My good friend Kenneth and me. Kenneth made the drive from Dallas to meet up. Thanks buddy
Group shot before leaving the bar
I need to add a few details about that group shot there. From left to right – Samir (aka the “Color Me Green” commenter on this site, big supporter of the trip); Dan – friend from back home in Endwell, haven’t seen him probably since high school; Rich – friend from Bethesda who, in a weird coincidence, has a friend who shares a house with my buddy Sam in NJ; me; Kenneth – always sharply dressed; and Kelly – new homeowner and my host in Ft. Worth.
Ended up staying at the bar til after 9PM. Great time.
Plan for Wednesday: meet up with some more friends in the area (I’ll have lunch, actually, with a buddy from grade school). Also, I’ll run some errands and prep for the trip to Big Bend, which is a nine-hour drive from here.
Texas is great, but it’s truly the people that make a place memorable.
joe
Day 37
Location: Richmond, TX
Miles Driven: 610
Total Miles: 8,011
I made it to Houston! Milwaukee to Houston and just about two days. It was certainly a haul, but worth it to see family. My brother Jon and his wife Catalina live here with their 1-year old son, Nico.
How did I get here? About 10 combined hours of driving, starting very early on Monday morning. Surprisingly, I found myself with a lot of energy and could go for a while at times without breaks.
It took a while to get out of the state of OK, but it was a scenic drive.
Looking back North towards OKC
And then once inside Texas, it took quite a bit just to get to the Dallas/Ft.Worth area. And although I will be visiting friends here this week, there is a method to my madness and I continued south to Houston (5 hour trip).
Highway system in Ft. Worth
On the way to Houston, I drove on state Hwy 6 and was treated to some nice views of the Texas plains and farmland.
Route 6 passes right near College Station, home of the Aggies
Texas is flat. You can see the clouds (and land) for miles
Finally made it to my brother’s home in Richmond (west of Houston) right around 4PM. It was a long day of driving, but I was energized to see everybody. Nico warmed right up to me, fortunately.
Cute kid
Nico is able to get around on his own pretty well now, and is very affectionate.
After relaxing and getting a tour of their beautiful home, the four of us headed to the Spring Creek BBQ for some dinner. We got a whole smorgasboard of bbq items to share, and it hit the spot.
Father and son check out the menu
Texan BBQ
I think he liked the BBQ
Came home for a relaxing evening. I was pretty beat from all the driving, so it was especially nice to sit and unwind in an air-conditioned home. Before Nico was put to bed managed to get a pretty good family shot:
Great time in Houston
As Jon and Cata have to go to work in the AM, I’ll be taking care of some laundry and running some errands before hitting the road late in the morning. Plan is to go back North towards Dallas/Ft. Worth. I’ll spend Tuesday and Wednesday there, then Thursday the trip turns southwest towards one of the best National Parks – Big Bend.
Thanks to the Houston Curtins for everything!
joe
Day 36: Getting chills on a warm Fourth of July
Location: Somewhere east of Tulsa, OK
Miles Driven: Oh man, lost count here
Total Miles: A lot. 7,000+
It wasn’t a far drive from the rest stop to Springfield, and once in town I followed the signs towards Lincoln’s home. Parked the car and walked the short distance past the closed visitor center (too early) and soon recognized the house I saw in several pictures before.
Lincoln's home as it looked in 1860
Definitely was an interesting feeling walking around the house in which lived, arguably, the greatest President in the history of the country. They kept the feeling of the immediate neighborhood like it was the 19th Century, complete with cobblestone streets, picket fences, and more old-fashioned homes.
Springfield was conveniently located right on my route, so it was simple to get back on the interstate and continue heading southwest. Just a little over an hour more and I found myself in St. Louis. Ironically, I filled up the tank on the Illinois-side of the border, and then found gas about 20 cents cheaper on the Missouri side.
Holy cheapness
My sole reason for going to St. Louis was to see the Gateway Arch, part of the larger Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. For so many years I wanted to see the arch, and I failed to check it out on my last cross-country trip. The wait was definitely worthwhile.
One of my first glimpses of the Arch
I made my way towards the Arch/Riverfront area, found cheap parking, and walked towards the Memorial grounds. I was initially worried things might be a little crazy since it was the Fourth of July, but it actually proved to be a boon. There was a lot of excitement in the air as people already staked claims to plots of grass to catch the fireworks in the evening, there were a lot of good smells in the air from all the tent areas, and there was an airshow (made up of civilian pilots and civilian-owned planes), to boot. Once again, I found myself the beneficiary of lucky timing. There was no charge to go visit the Arch, or check out the airshow.
I don’t think any monument I saw in the past gave me chills before, but the Gateway Arch certainly did, even in the humid 90+ degree air. Not only is the Gateway Arch an amazing piece of engineering, but what it represents is pretty powerful – “The Gateway to the West”, the whole concept of Manifest Destiny, the fact that so many people used St. Louis as their jumping-off point to find a new life in the West, etc. And add to that it was Independence Day…I think even the most hardened individual couldn’t ignore the pride swelling up in their heart. Last year, I was fortunate to enjoy the Fourth on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and how fortunate I am to visit another historic place on this year’s holiday.
I stood in awe looking at the Arch for a long time, getting different views. I used to live near Washington, D.C., and I toured the National Mall several times. Although the monuments there are outstanding, in my opinion this tops all of them.
The airshow was pretty spectacular, too. Lots of old-fashioned planes flying, including biplanes.
Note the person walking on the wings
I took some video of the various flight routines. Here’s one of the biplane (in the pics above) that featured a “wing-walker”:
Knowing this was a civilian airshow, I was surprised to find out the last act of the airshow was a former Marine flying a Harriet jet. Very cool.
Several times the announcer mentioned the vertical hovering capabilities of the Harrier, but I never though we’d actually get to see it. I was wrong. On the pilot’s last pass through, he stopped above the river near the Arch and showed off one of the coolest capabilities you’ll find in modern fighter jets. It’s incredibly loud. My ears were still pounding a bit 10 minutes after the jet left. Here’s a video (sorry for the poor focusing, but you get the idea):
Great finish to an amazing air show. Pretty damn cool.
The Gateway Arch was all I really wanted to see in St. Louis, but before I left the city I headed towards Ted Drewes ice cream shop which my friend John recommended. He suggested I order a “concrete” (like a DQ Blizzard), and it was well worth the detour.
After the ice cream, I began my route out of the city and headed southwest. My goal was to arrive near Oklahoma City, OK, but it was an agressive goal – 500 miles (on top of the driving I did in the morning). I didn’t make it that far before needing to call it quits for the night, but I did cross into the Oklahoma border. Here I noticed Oklahoma has it’s own unique name for the devices that help you quickly pass through toll booths (a la EZ Pass). I should’ve noted this before, but here are some of the different names I’ve seen:
- Oklahoma – PikePass
- Chicago – IZoom
- NYC/NJ – EZ Pass
- Florida – SunPass
There are probably some other ones I’ve missed, but I’m glad I didn’t invest in an EZ Pass before this trip, as it seems many areas have their own location-specific systems.
I didn’t get to see any big fireworks show that night; however, at a Flying J truckstop, a lot of truckers were setting off their own fireworks. I guess that’s what you do when you’re on the road all the time. Still fun.
Monday will be another big day of driving as I plan to get to Houston by mid to late afternoon. I am excited to meet my oldest of two nephews, Nico, and see my brother and sister-in-law as it’s been a couple years.
Happy Fourth!
joe
Day 35
Location: Near Springfield, IL
Miles Driven: ~320
Total Miles: 6,966
In the morning, Julie, Christie, and I walked to a diner near the downtown area and enjoyed a great breakfast from a place hailed “Best Milwaukee Diner 2008” and “Best Brunch 2009”. The Comet Cafe was certainly deserving of those titles.
My "Buttofucco" sandwich and fries
We walked downtown for a while, and by the scenic riverwalk. I am jealous of Christie getting to live in this area (and understand why Julie has visited several times). Thanks again to Julie for snapping some of these pictures.
We took a number of shots of each other throughout the afternoon, so I combined the best ones into a little collage here. Good times.
Got back to Christie’s in the early afternoon, and then I packed up the car and said my goodbyes. Thanks again to Julie and Christie for a great time in Wisconsin.
Headed in a southwest direction towards St. Louis. I hadn’t realized all the farmland that existed in Illinois, and there’s a lot of it in the central and southern parts of the states. Illinois has a good number of wind farms, as well.
The strangest thing happened while driving on that Saturday night. I began to hear what sounded like raindrops hitting my car, in typical raindrop patterns. But I knew the skies were 100% clear, so I had my suspicions it was not rain. Yep, sure enough I drove through some giant swarm of bugs, and I hit so many so fast it sounded like rain hitting the windshield. Gross.
Where bugs go to die
I stopped at a rest stop just north of Springfield, IL (home of Abe Lincoln). The plan for Sunday the Fourth is to check out the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, then plug my way forward to OK City. I’m somewhat pushing myself here, as I hope to get to Houston on Monday. But for those concerned of my safety, rest assured I always nap/sleep whenever the slighest bit of tiredness hits me on the road. As Mom always said, “no point rushing just to arrive there dead.” That’s stuck with me for years.
Adios for now.
joe
Trip route – Summer 2010
Joe's Roadtrip 
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