Yesterday we set out from Oklahoma City with the goal of getting within a couple hours of the Brownsville on the U.S. - Mexican border before we stopped. But somewhere around Dallas we discovered that we had both always wanted to go to Corpus Christi. So, we re-routed Tom-Tom and turned Left when we hit San Antonio. We drove almost exactly 10 hours yesterday and arrived in Corpus Christi at 7:30...just in time for a wonderful meal of Fried Gulf Oysters. Our hotel room faces the Gulf...it's hazy this morning so the sun was making crazy colors as it tried to break free from the horizon.
The weather wasn't that bad yesterday but we did drive in rain for most of the afternoon and evening. We had plans of stopping in Austin with hopes of meeting a good friend of mine but it was raining hard and we just followed the flow of traffic and kept going. We thought we night stop in San Antonio...but it was still raining and we were within 3 hours of the Gulf Coast so we just point the Caravan east and didn't stop until we saw the hundreds of refining towers that signaled we had arrived at the Gulf Coast.
Another coincidentaly note...in 1992 a replica of Colombus's ship The Nina was built in Spain...sailed to the U.S. ... and my family actually saw that ship on Lake Pepin, Wis as it sailed up the Mississippi. Last night while walking the docks in Corpus we came across a very old looking wooden ship...it was the same Nina!!
We have seen hundreds of signs for local businesses and eateries...shacks seem to play a great importance in the local Texas cuisine...chicken shacks, B-B-Q shacks...Buzzard Billy's Swamp Shack. Texas is known for cattle and great beef restaurants...but from the look of the interstate signage they really put a hurt on chickens and pigs too. I would say it would be hard to throw a pig off the interstate without hitting a chicken joint...and vice-versa!
Stats: Gas price is higher in Texas $2.29 - $2.35. The Caravan has been getting great fuel mileage: 23-24mpg. Also...according to Tom-Tom we passed the halfway point on our trip yesterday afternoon! We have traveled just over 1500 miles so far...Tom-Tom says the total trip will be 2800 miles.
Thanks to everyone who has read this and commented.
Today it's on to the Mexican border. We will be crossing at Brownsville in to Matamoros, Mx.
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3 comments:
I totally remember seeing the Nina in Pepin. Weird.
Were those Oysters at "The Oyster Bar" by any chance? An old hang out of mine! You are over halfway there! Don't wish the trip away, take your time and, as a very wise guy once told me, "enjoy the ride!"
haha Im from OKLAHOMA.....
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