Our Travels during 2020

We were in Houston for Christmas 2019 and stayed until January 5, 2020, before making our way back to Tres Rios. In the middle of January we left our rig at Tres Rios and drove to Houston to stay with Ellie & Jason while Josh and Karen went to Las Vegas to celebrate Josh’s 40^th birthday. They had a good time but said it was really expensive. Our week was a bit trying. Got there on Wednesday even though they weren’t leaving until Thursday afternoon. It’s a 5 hour drive down and I knew we would not make it before they had to leave on Thursday.  We had one free day on Friday when they were at school; on Saturday afternoon we went to the Flight Museum. Sunday we took a walk on the greenway and Ellie & Jason rode their bikes. It was a beautiful sunny day and I enjoyed our walk. Jim had a hard time with both Lola and Kayla, but he did OK. Monday was a holiday and a front had come through making it cold and windy outside, so we stayed inside. Josh & Karen came home about 8pm, and I had the kids shower and get their jammies on so they were ready for bed when they got home.

 

Texas Prison Museum, Huntsville, Texas

On our way to Houston for Thanksgiving, we stayed in Willis, Texas for a few days beforehand. There were many times when we drove down I-45 we passed the Prison Museum and Jim would say that he wanted to stop there. Well, we finally were able to take a trip there. The actual prison is on the west side of I-45, while the museum is on the east side of I-45, just north of the huge Sam Houston statute (which we also seem to miss stopping to see).

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas

I did not know any history of Cadillac Ranch, so I took the following information from Wikipedia.

Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation and sculpture created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were a part of the art group Ant Farm. The installation consists of ten Cadillacs (1949-1963) buried nose-first in the ground. The cars were either older running, used or junk cars ~ together spanning the successive generations of the car line ~ and the defining evolution of their tailfins. Ten Cadillacs all in a row out in his field, but close enough to the access road to allow people to stop and look at them.  

Cross of our Lord Jesus, Groom, Texas

When you drive along I-40, 31 miles east of Amarillo at Exit 112, you cannot miss the cross that sits along the side of the road at Cross Ministries. Cross Ministries was founded in 1995 by Steve Thomas, and his wife Bobby. Their first idea was a large spiritual billboard, but it expanded into a wonderful gift shop, statutes around the area, and a 19-story, 2-1/2 million pound steel cross. The stations that you see at the bottom of the cross are highlighted below.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Canyon, Texas

I have been wanting to visit Palo Duro Canyon State Park for a while now.  We had visited Caprock Canyon in October 2016, and I heard that Palo Duro was supposed to be something to see. Honestly, it was very nice, but not awe inspiring. The hills and mountains at Caprock Canyon are much nicer. The one thing I noticed here were the nice, smooth trails which means we did not need hiking shoes, but we were able to wear our sandals.

Texas Air & Space Museum, Amarillo, Texas

Located at Rick Husband International Airport in Amarillo, the Texas Air & Space Museum is maintained by volunteers, but I think they enjoy being there and telling visitors all about their exhibits and airplanes. We had a great guide ~ Ron Fernuik, who is the President of the museum.

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Fritch, Texas

The Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument was established in 1965 as the first national monument in Texas. The NPS arrowhead identifies a special place which is owned by all Americans.

May 4 Memorial, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Kent State University was placed into the international spotlight on May 4, 1970, after 13 students were shot by members of the Ohio National Guard at a student demonstration. Four students were killed and nine others were wounded, including one who was permanently paralyzed from his injury. The May 4 Collection, established by the Kent State University Libraries in 1970, includes over 300 cubic feet of primary sources related to the Kent State shootings and their aftermath. The collection is open to the public and is used by researchers from around the world.

May 4, 2020 commemorates 50 years since the deadly shooting at Kent State University. There was supposed to be a get together, but that was cancelled when the China corona virus swept through the United States. There were many people that were at the university at the time, some of whom wrote  commentaries about their experiences. The anniversary is also remembered in an NBC news article about the shootings.

Greater Southwest Historical Museum, Ardmore, Oklahoma

The Greater Southwest Historical Museum we visited in Ardmore highlights life in early Oklahoma with a special emphasis on farm equipment. When you look at this equipment, just imagine how hard it must have been to grow and harvest crops. The museum also tells the story of human settlement from early Native American history to the experiences of farmers, ranchers and townspeople. We met the current Curator, a young man with an archeology degree who has been there for six years.