Sweet Home Alabama with Georgia on My Mind

Aunt Mary/Niece Tracie

The Mississippi River as seen
from the  Baton Rouge Bridge

Saturday, July 2 had us driving from Shreveport, to Gonzales, LA (40-50 miles south of Baton Rouge) ...where we met my niece, Tracie, for lunch at Cracker Barrel.  After lunch we went across the street and checked into a "La Quinta" hotel where we spent several hours chatting and playing 'catch up' - wonderful time and so proud of what Tracie has done for herself under difficult situations. We left in the morning determined to make it to Monroe, GA (800+ miles) where we will spend the next 2 weeks with good friends from California

                               Entering Louisiana

After driving through Louisiana and driving through my middle sister's ex-hometown of Slidell, LA (remember when it was so flooded by the hurricane's a few years ago?) we headed into Mississippi. Mississippi was one of the 7 states I had never been to and was on our 'bucket list' to visit. Lots of southern hostility, green grass and wide open spaces welcomed us. We drove over bridges crossing the Mississippi River several times.

The Interstate 10 through Louisiana and Mississippi also led us into 'Sweet Home Alabama'.  Another pretty state with much greenery, long highways to drive and beautiful wide open spaces. We got off on the I-65 (I believe) which led us into mid-Georgia...keeping trekking along and figuring we were almost to our destination (Monroe, just southeast of Atlanta).  We were getting pretty tired by this time 8.5 hours on the road is a LONG time. We made it by 7:30pm!  Sondra had a wonder supper for us, we did a little visiting and then off to bed for a good night sleep!

More pictures will be added to this post tomorrow (they haven't been uploaded to the computer yet).

Howard and Mary

The Wandering Warrens

Moving On Through Texas

FANNIN COUNTY LINE

After leaving Ulvade we traveled north east through San Antonio (where we spent one night in a hotel but did not do any sight seeing (we had been there before).  In the morning we left for Waco where we spent another night.  Waco is the home of Chip and Joanna Gaines from HGTV's 'Fixer Upper'.  As we entered Waco we saw a cute billboard with the Gaines' picture on it and the wording - "We Love Waco".  We drove by their Magnolia House and the two silos but were unable to take a tour because we had our dog with us.  Our hotel was very close to Baylor University. We had a restful day and a half there. It was beautiful country and not too hot.

HONEY GROVE CITY HALL

Leaving Waco the next day we drove north east to "Honey Grove" -  located in Fannin County it was very small town.  Interestingly there were newer houses but no real shopping...no grocery stores not even a Walmart.   Honey Grove is where my dad's great-grandparents settled in 1879 before relocating to Ulvade (previous post).  While there we stopped in Bonham, the county seat for Honey Grove, where I did some research and discovered my great-great grandparent's Coulter (Hays) did not get married there.  But they did sell property there in 1881 (when they moved to Ulvade).  We got lost among the countryside trying  to get out of Fannin County and pulled in to a hotel in Mt. Pleasant, TX to get some shut-eye.  We found all of the upper north east part of Texas to be lovely....nice green trees, easy traveling on

Honey Grove Town Square

the roads and quaint, older homes with an occasional newer home mixed in.

Today we are in Georgia with our friends on their farm.  We will be staying 10 days before moving on...life is so uncomplicated and easy here.  The weather a little warm but easier on us that the 110+ degrees in Phoenix...more about this later.  Next blog will be about our travels through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.



Howard and Mary
The Wandering Warrens

Our Trip 2016 - The Beginning

Entering New Mexico

We started our 'yearly' trip this past Sunday, June 26 at 8am.  This year we are traveling southeast knowing we won't get away from the 'summer heat in Phoenix' but hoping to get a reprieve from it anyway with a different type of heat.  Our first stop was Tucson, AZ where we visited the gravesite of my brother Jim and his wife June (Jim passed away in December 1993 and June in 2003).  How I miss my big brother and his family!

After spending some time at the cemetery it was onward to Las Cruces, NM...beautiful area. We were going to make the trip to Carlsbad Caverns from there but decided not to as we had been there several years ago.  We stayed in a KOA (we stay in the KOA's when possible). We rent a one room cabin which has most of the comforts of home except the bathroom that we have to trek to when needed (TV, AC,  heater, Internet ceiling fan, small refrigerator, and most importantly a bed to sleep on!). You have to take your own bedding or a sleeping bag.  We've found through our travels that some of the KOA's are different...in California last year they offered nothing but a bed to sleep on (we stayed in several there).  Las Cruces we'd give a grade of 'C', it was ok but nothing special.  We did have a beautiful view of the city at night.

Tuesday found us traveling across Texas and miles and miles of nothing.   We drove to Ulvade in the Southwest part of Texas so I could do some research on my great-great grandparents who lived there in the 1880's...somewhat successful. While in Ulvade we discovered that not only was it famous for housing my great-great grandparents but it's other claim to fame was it was the retirement home of John Nance Gardner (vice president of the United States for FDR's first two terms in office).  We drove by his home but opted out of the tour that was available.

More blogging this weekend - I had intended to put in 3 pictures but the system will only take one for some reason.  I just wanted to get a start on this for you all.  I will be blogging about our trip through Texas from southwest to the northeast.  Hope you enjoy!

Howard and Mary 

The Wandering Warrens

Thank God It's Friday!

Slept in this morning and ate cold cereal in our room....then took off to check out the sights of 'beautiful downtown Laughlin'.....not really a lot to see as Laughlin is just a one street town - the main drag. We are located kind of in the middle of 'town'.  We have an Outlet Center just catty-corner from our hotel so we wandered around in it.  There was also a movie theatre in it with movies playing around the clock. Hubs found one he would like to see, while I walked more of the mall - picked up a couple things I didn't really need but what the heck + items are fairly inexpensive here, especially clothing and costume jewelry.

Hubs got out of the movie about 11:30 am....and we headed back to the Edgewater Casino Buffet (half the price of the dinner Buffet).  Now we are EXHAUSTED and hubby is taking a nap while I play around on my computer playing catchup on organizing photos, writing this blog, paying 1st of the month bills while thinking of quitting and taking a nap :)

Interesting tidbit: the reason why we are eating at the Edgewater is because the hotel we are in (Colorado Belle) is doing remodeling and their buffet and some of their restaurants are closed during the remodeling. Tonight we'll either being eating peanut butter/jelly sandwiches in our room or going across the street to an In and Out Burger (amazingly it's the only fast food place that we've seen that is not located in a hotel).

Moi and my sister Susie  @ Bass Pro Shop

Howard at Bass Pro Shop 

The two of us

Thursday's Travelings

We left Lake Isabella this morning, we were not impressed with the KOA where we stayed and it was sad not to see the water that should have been in the Lake.  We're highly disappointed in California's KOA's....none of the amenities that other states' KOA's offer.  This one did not even have many trees, there was one bathroom (with several stalls), which really wasn't very clean, for the entire facility. The only thing good about it was the yummy pizza place they had on site. We only ate half of it though....put the rest of it 'on ice' but don't have a way to reheat it so will probably have to toss it :(

We drove quite a ways today - from Lake Isabella (far West end of the Sequoia National Forrest) to Laughlin, NV.  It was miles and miles of nothing.....one small town (Barstow) and one VERY small town (Needles).  We loved visiting the Train Depot McDonalds in Barstow...the inside looked like a railroad train and not only housed McDonalds but several other stores/eateries.  It was located on the same property that the Amtrak train uses. Interesting concept.

We arrived in Laughlin NV about 4pm - staying at the Colorado Belle, which is built like a steamboat and backs up to the Colorado River. Exhausted we managed to get settled and had dinner in a Coco's restaurant inside the Edgewater Casino.  Friday we will do a buffet either for breakfast or lunch (depends on when we wake up!).  The Colorado Belle has no buffet so we will wander over to the Edgewater again.  We hope to take off through the one street 'strip' and do some shopping and sightseeing.  We're also talking about taking a boat down the Colorado River.

We are getting mighty close to home and it's too early - we've got at least 2 1/2 weeks left of the time we set aside for this trip.  We may do some camping in Flagstaff.....although according to the Phoenix weather it seems the temperatures have come down quite a bit....was only 93-95 there today.

Scenery Between Lake Isabella and Barstow, CA

McDonald's Train Station  Barstow
(Sorry about Iphone in mid picture)

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Lake Isabella

SELFIE taken by moi

Ye gads, haven't posted since last Friday when we arrived at my sister's in Manteca (California).  We left there this morning and were going to stay in Yosemite but entrance was limited because of fires yesterday....so we drove down to Lake Isabella, in the Sequoia National Forest, found a KOA and are 'holed up' here for a couple of days.  California has the worse KOA's!  All last summer we stayed in KOA's with A/C, small refrigerators and cable TV (we were spoiled!)....but this KOA has no cable/TV, no refrigerator and has limited AC....only so much per hour.  It's HOT here...thankfully we brought a small tabletop fan from home.  We do have internet access here too....thankfully!

We spent several days with Susie's (my youngest sister).  We didn't do much but hang - we had dinner out a couple times, BBQ'd on Labor Day, hit a couple of larger retail stores (Target, Costco, Walmart) and then went home and talked and talked, and did some more talking.  We also went to a Bass Pro Shop (hubby loved that one).  It was fun visiting, talking and seeing everyone...she lives with her 2 grown sons and her oldest son's daughter.   Time flew and I hope and pray it's not another 23 years before I see them again! (might not live that long)

We left about 9am Wednesday (today) morning and

enjoyed the (non) sights along Interstate 5 (sure not as picturesque as the coast).

Tomorrow we hope to drive around a bit and find some pretty  spots to snap a few shots, if we get some good ones I will share them with you soon.

Thursday and Friday Doings

Thursday we just "chilled it" while Kevin went to work and Felica  (my cousin) went to a meeting at church and then to a memorial service. I did laundry and catch up while Howard read.

Friday it was on the road again...we wanted to drive the coast highway but ended up taking the 101 Freeway, which was probably just as well since many people take off early on a holiday weekend (Labor Day). We arrived at my sister Susie's house about 3:30pm (had not seen her since 1993).....played a lot of catch up, talking and sharing pictures and memories.

Today we'll run some errands, check out the area and do some sightseeing, and then just catch  up on OLD times.

Lake along highway 152 between 101 Freeway
 and Interstate 5 in California  

Luna (taken by our favorite  dog sitter, Kim