WHEW ... here we are

travel time is slippery as is memory. 

Today is Tuesday and where have we been since Sunday? 

As we leave on Sunday, The New Orleans trees with the same gesture, wave goodbye and beckon us to stay.


Traveling for two days (10+ hrs.), I find the long Texan highway to Padre Island tedious while Joan points to the positive possibilities wherever we are.

 Lots of dead corn, dead palm trees, and dead gas stations on flat lands going 75mph dropping to 55 for no known reasons and back to 75.

I am entertained by the stories Joan and I tell about the people we see along the way and our guesses about the geography and making up our own names for the brown topped dying folliage.  Our word games and road- giddy- tearful- bellyful -laughter keep me awake. Then there was the adrenalyn lift when we were literally running on empty in some strange part of south Houston searching for gas and accommodations for  Sunday night.

After turning down 4 motels south of Houston on endless US 77S, we chose Super 8 where we need to change rooms because the toilets don't flush. Tired and hungry, we order chinese take out which I fed, the next morning, to the stray cat at our door.  (If you are coming with us on this journey then you must know about the tedium, also.)

I just want to know who is licensed when I meet them

Arriving in Padre Island on Monday in midday squelching heat we rest. Then running down the center of the road we, two 'old' ladies, wave down the WAVE, the local free bus, to take us to dinner. After ordering a chocolate martini, taking one sip and, then, returning the Herseys chocolate syrup in water and vodka, my cynical skepticism from our ride through the endless barren Texan road is fueled and I held low hopes for the dinner.

 I was surprised and put in my place. Our dinners of Mahi Mahi and crab cake and salads were quite good.

An evening walk along the gulf in the salt air before bed and,then, rising to a long early morning walk  and a dip in the Gulf before breakfast clears away the road weariness.

Only a few hours later to be startled alert in our quest to firm up our preparations for what's to come at the border.

The woman at the Visitors Center and her friend, a border officer, clearly warned us against crossing the border.  Joan asks "what is the best entrance to Mexico?" Raolle answers "Fly"
We revisited and discussed and belabored about 14x's and 3 hours how to and where to make the crossing.

Thus, we will rest and enjoy this lovely island tonight and head to Laredo tomorrow for an early arrival at our hotel. Where we will put together our car, ourselves, food, water, and our direct non stop route to San Miguel for early Thursday morning.

our view tonight as we ate fish taco's a short walk on the beach from our hotel.