  Lake Charles, Louisiana  Lake Charles, Louisiana  To Put In The Craw Fish Lake Charles, Louisiana |
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Lake Charles, Louisiana 4/28/15 - 5/3/15
Lake Charles, Louisiana was home to us for over five years. We detoured through the area to see our son Ryan who still lives and works there. We spent the time visiting and crabbing with him, seeing old friends and touring the area. We were quite impressed with the direction that the city has taken. There is now a beautiful dock down at the boardwalk and the downtown area has many new shops and restaurants. There are a couple of new casinos and we enjoyed being treated to dinner at the L'auberge casino by the family Ryan is working with. The L'auberge is a beautiful casino and we felt that it fit into the local flavor much better than the Golden Nugget which is next door. L'auberge has even built a beach area and lazy river for those warm 'Lazyana' days.We had alligator sausages downtown one day while there and our good friend Trudy treated us to a good o'le fashioned craw fish boil too. Lake Charles holds good memories for us and we enjoyed our short time there.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
San Antonio, Texas 4/26-28/2015
We stayed in a place just outside of San Antonio known as Lake Medena Texas. While the wildlife was very abundant here, the lake, that at one time was was over 150 feet deep, is now, due to the drought, only 3 percent full. This lake was once the site of record breaking fish catches but that is when the lake covered 5,500 acres. Today the lake is around 600 acres and most of that remaining area is not deep enough to sustain fish survival. The drought is very real here and the numerous people that had lake side beautiful homes are now looking at a huge hole in the ground.
While here we did a day trip into San Antonio, Texas. The San Antonio Missions National Historic Park has preserved four of the five Spanish Frontier Missions. We set off to San Antonio to visit two of these missions, Mission San Jose and Mission Concepcion.
Founded in 1720, Mission San Jose was built to serve the Coahuiltecan Indians. A heavy outer wall was built around the perimeter of the mission grounds and guardhouses armed with cannons and guns were situated in the four corners of the perimeter walls. Jacales, or rooms, a quanity that would house 350 Indians were built into these perimeter walls. The missionaries found the Coahuiltecan Indians difficult to conform to their ways. These Indians had lived by hunting and gathering. The ideas of planting and waiting to harvest and breeding animals and waiting to later slaughter was a difficult concept for them to grasp. And while they would attend the mandatory Christian Mass, they would also sneak off to perform their ceremonial rituals to their prior Gods. These Indians did desire to stay in the Missions, however, as it provided them safety from the Apache Indians. Members of the mission community each had their own jobs and they would be given weekly allotments of provisions for their family units. When looking at the pictures below, take note of some unusual things-Joseph holding baby Jesus (seldom seen, at least in the US) and also St. Francis of Assisi holding the skull. On further research we discovered that the skull is a common thing seen with St. Francis, even if we all envision him with the sweet little birds on his hand. The skull he carried it is said was his way of stressing that our time on this earth is very temporary.
Mission Concepcion was established in 1716 in East Texas and later moved to San Antonio in 1731. The Battle of Concepcion was fought here in 1835 between Mexican troops and Texas Insurgents. It was a 30 minute engagement in which the Mexican troops retreated. At one time colorful geometric designs covered the Mission's surfaces. But these frescos have long since faded away. Remnants of these frescos, however, can be seen on some of the interior walls of the mission. This Mission stands today as the oldest unrestored stone church in America.
We finished off our interesting day with a relaxing late lunch along on the San Antonio River Walk.
While here we did a day trip into San Antonio, Texas. The San Antonio Missions National Historic Park has preserved four of the five Spanish Frontier Missions. We set off to San Antonio to visit two of these missions, Mission San Jose and Mission Concepcion.
Founded in 1720, Mission San Jose was built to serve the Coahuiltecan Indians. A heavy outer wall was built around the perimeter of the mission grounds and guardhouses armed with cannons and guns were situated in the four corners of the perimeter walls. Jacales, or rooms, a quanity that would house 350 Indians were built into these perimeter walls. The missionaries found the Coahuiltecan Indians difficult to conform to their ways. These Indians had lived by hunting and gathering. The ideas of planting and waiting to harvest and breeding animals and waiting to later slaughter was a difficult concept for them to grasp. And while they would attend the mandatory Christian Mass, they would also sneak off to perform their ceremonial rituals to their prior Gods. These Indians did desire to stay in the Missions, however, as it provided them safety from the Apache Indians. Members of the mission community each had their own jobs and they would be given weekly allotments of provisions for their family units. When looking at the pictures below, take note of some unusual things-Joseph holding baby Jesus (seldom seen, at least in the US) and also St. Francis of Assisi holding the skull. On further research we discovered that the skull is a common thing seen with St. Francis, even if we all envision him with the sweet little birds on his hand. The skull he carried it is said was his way of stressing that our time on this earth is very temporary.
Mission Concepcion was established in 1716 in East Texas and later moved to San Antonio in 1731. The Battle of Concepcion was fought here in 1835 between Mexican troops and Texas Insurgents. It was a 30 minute engagement in which the Mexican troops retreated. At one time colorful geometric designs covered the Mission's surfaces. But these frescos have long since faded away. Remnants of these frescos, however, can be seen on some of the interior walls of the mission. This Mission stands today as the oldest unrestored stone church in America.
We finished off our interesting day with a relaxing late lunch along on the San Antonio River Walk.
    San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  Mission San Jose San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  Mission San Jose San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  Mission San Jose San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  San Antonio Missions National Historic Park   San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  Mission San Jose San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  Mission Concepcion San Antonio Missions National Historic Park  San Antonio, Texas |
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Fort Stockton, Texas 4/24-27/2015
Fort Stockton the weekend we were there was having the Big Bend Open Road Race.Big Bend Race The race is 59 miles each way, from Fort Stockton, TX to Sanderson, TX and back. It takeses place along US HWY 285. There are various classes including unlimited speeds and various touring speeds. Those in the various touring speed classes attempt to complete the course at an average speed, It seemed amazing to us that the completions for these were within hundreths of a second even in the 150 MPH class.
While in Fort Stockton we also visited the Historic Fort Stockton, the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum and various other sites along their driving tour.
Historic Fort Stockton was established as a fort in 1858. The post protected travelers heading west from San Antonio, Texas. The US Army withdrew from Fort Stockton during the Civil War and in 1861 the fort was abandoned. In 1867 the fort would be re-established with 4 companies of the 9th Cavalry. The post war fort would be occupied for 19 more years, with it being abandoned once more in 1886. Company punishment could be severe, as shown in the pictures below.
The Annie Riggs Memorial museum we visited is housed in what was originally a hotel and boarding house, run by a woman of the same name. The museum with its 13 rooms included a recreated parlor, kitchen and other artifacts from the area.
We finished our visit with the Fort Stockton Driving Tour. Included along the tour are 17 local sites and buildings. We show you the Episcopal Church and the Courthouse.
While in Fort Stockton we also visited the Historic Fort Stockton, the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum and various other sites along their driving tour.
Historic Fort Stockton was established as a fort in 1858. The post protected travelers heading west from San Antonio, Texas. The US Army withdrew from Fort Stockton during the Civil War and in 1861 the fort was abandoned. In 1867 the fort would be re-established with 4 companies of the 9th Cavalry. The post war fort would be occupied for 19 more years, with it being abandoned once more in 1886. Company punishment could be severe, as shown in the pictures below.
The Annie Riggs Memorial museum we visited is housed in what was originally a hotel and boarding house, run by a woman of the same name. The museum with its 13 rooms included a recreated parlor, kitchen and other artifacts from the area.
We finished our visit with the Fort Stockton Driving Tour. Included along the tour are 17 local sites and buildings. We show you the Episcopal Church and the Courthouse.
     Historic Fort Stockton  Annie Riggs Memorial Museum   to expose the real key hole Annie Riggs Memorial Museum  Annie Riggs Memorial Museum  Fort Stockton Driving Tour  |
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Deming, New Mexico 4/23-24/2015
After several months in Mesa, AZ we are on the road again, headed to a June wedding in Vermont. Our first stop on the way was Deming, New Mexico. We were here a short time but there was still much to see. The courthouse was a beautiful structure and the Deming Luna Mimbres Museum was quite impressive. We were at the museum a couple of hours and due to them closing, we did a real rush visit through the second floor. The Mimbre pottery from 950-1200 A.D. housed in this museum was impressive in regards to beauty, quantity and condition. The museum housed many other unusual collections. There was entire room devoted to liquor bottles, another room with old vehicles including a 1909 Model T Ford, various artifacts from years gone by throughout and an entire room devoted to dolls from around the world. Included in the doll room was a doll Suzy from Hiroshima. Museum website
In the Deming area we also visited City of Rocks State Park City of Rocks SP The park is located at an elevation of 5259 feet and is home to some very beautiful volcanic rock formations. Some are as tall as 40 feet and the formations are almost 35 million years old.
Before leaving Deming, we drove down to Columbus, NM and walked across the boarder to Puerto Palomas, Mexico where we had a nice lunch and did some very minor local shopping.
In the Deming area we also visited City of Rocks State Park City of Rocks SP The park is located at an elevation of 5259 feet and is home to some very beautiful volcanic rock formations. Some are as tall as 40 feet and the formations are almost 35 million years old.
Before leaving Deming, we drove down to Columbus, NM and walked across the boarder to Puerto Palomas, Mexico where we had a nice lunch and did some very minor local shopping.
  Deming Luna Mimbres Museum  Deming Luna Mimbres Museum  Deming Luna Mimbres Museum  Deming Luna Mimbres Museum  Deming Luna Mimbres Museum  Deming Luna Mimbres Museum  Deming Luna Mimbres Museum  Deming Luna Mimbres Museum  Deming Luna Mimbres Museum    Deming Luna Mimbres Museum  Deming Luna Mimbres Museum      Puerto Palomas, Mexico  Puerto Palomas, Mexico |
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