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January 2017 - New Year, New Adventures |
| She's a pickin', I'm a grinnin. That's us back in Sulphur, Louisiana. We had the opportunity to stay in our friend Ann's driveway for several days while we caught up on blogging and picture uploads. We also stayed in Kathy's Sister Deb's driveway back in Dallas for Christmas. And every time we do the "driveway" thing, I can't help but think of cousin Eddie from the movie Christmas Vacation.
We're not your typical guests. I think we were in Ann's house all of 3 times in 4 days, and not for very long. We tend not to over-visit and pretty much just live in the travel trailer. I hope that isn't rude, but our host had work and things to do anyway, and we enjoyed the reliable internet.
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| Headed south of Sulphur to Holly Beach for a second time in 4 years. I could just hear Miss Kaydee and Mr. Riley Dog "No leashes?? No Restraints?? Beach!!? We're Free, We're FREE". Had a few big thunderstorms come through early during our visit with Ann, but overall had the best run of weather of the trip to that point. Before, back in Beaumont, we had been drenched with over a couple inches of rain New Year's weekend, and before that we had dealt with winds along the Gulf Coast that felt like they would blow us over.
Only had a couple of "OH Sh&$" moments on our journey so far. A near head on collision in front of us, and another yahoo trying to pass, not paying attention to what was ahead, running some poor soul off the road on the other side before getting around us. Oh, and there was the moment sometime back in Texas that I came around a corner to something in the road big enough to jolt the trailer so fierce that every cabinet inside opened up, spit everything out, and closed again. Other than that, it's been smooth driving...knock on my head of wood.
The RV Parks we've been staying at have been pretty good so far. Did have an interesting experience back in Foley, Alabama. Apparently the manager there wasn't long for the job. In fact, I believe he told me he was moving on today, and I would say it's a good thing for the RV Park. He was a bit of an odd duck to begin with, but then it just got downright creepy when Kathy caught him roaming around outside our trailer when he thought we weren't there, and then me catching him at our pickup the day we left, letting his dog whiz on the wheel with a silly grin on his face. Good RV Park otherwise :).
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| We finally hit the weather we were expecting for the south this time of year in Florida. Below you'll find our Photo Blogs for our journey so far, along with links to the related articles. In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers are going out to our friends, family and readers back in the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. We see that some of you have been without power since the "Icemageddon". Thankful we had the chance to miss out on that one.
Sincerely,
Dave "Really, you just let your dog do that?" Alexander
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| Our Journey So Far - Getting There
Despite Mother Nature's best attempts at shenanigans, we've experienced some fun and interesting history as we took the long route to Florida, via Texas and the Gulf Coast. Here's the latest from our journey via the Photo Blog.
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| | | Exploring Deep Texas History in Goliad - Escaping the Missouri Winter, we begin another history adventure in the warmer south, starting our exploration in Texas and learning of the rich history in Goliad County.
Includes links to new stories & updates: |
| | Black Gold of Beaumont - Our primary destination on this part of our journey was to the beginnings of the Texas Oil Boom, but along the way we found a ghost town 'Gone with the Wind', and some scenic views of the Gulf Coast, despite Mother Nature's gushers of her own.
Includes links to new stories & updates:
We want to send a big thanks to the Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau for the Texas sized welcome. We didn't even scratch the surface of the things to do in Beaumont. See more things to do and experience here! |
| From Mardi Gras to Seaside Defense - Our Journey along the Gulf Coast - In this edition of our travel blog, we spent some time at the Mardi Gras Museum in Lake Charles (bonus video included) before exploring historic seaside forts along the Gulf Coast.
Includes links to new stories & updates:
A note for RV'ers, at the end of each of our Photo Blogs we write about where we stayed, including links to their websites and to our review on RV Park Reviews.
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| We've reached our primary destination for the next month in Crescent City, Florida. To tell the truth, it won't be all work and no play, especially when many consider our "work" play to begin with. But we're excited to explore the history of the oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine, so be sure to watch for new additions to Legends' Photo Blog. Of course, we'll also catch you up here in the next newsletter as well.
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| | Did You Know?
The history of the Dutch Oven goes back hundreds of years in various forms. In 1704, an Englishman by the name of Andrew Darby, taking what he learned by observing the Dutch system of making these cooking vessels, patented a process similar to them, and produced cast-metal cooking vessels for Britain and the new American colonies. The term "Dutch Oven" has been used since about 1710.
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| | Presidential Trivia, Fun Facts & Firsts
- William McKinley was the first president to campaign by telephone.
- Only five United States presidents had facial hair when they took office, the latest one being Benjamin Harrison in 1889.
- Chester A. Arthur destroyed all of his personal papers before his death.
- A man of few words, a dinner guest made a bet that she could get Calvin Coolidge to say more than two words. When she told the president of her wager, he replied, "You lose." |
| | Comet, Montana - Silent on the Eastern Slope |
| Sitting on the eastern slope of the Continental Divide between the towns of Basin and Boulder, Comet, Montana, is one of the state’s most intact ghost towns. Not restored nor preserved, the site is located on private land, but, at this time, remains open to the public.
Mining began in what would become known as the High Ore Mining District as early as 1869 when a man named John W. Russell began to prospect in the area. However, after working his claim for five years, Russell sold it to the Alta-Montana Company in 1874. The new company began to invest in mining operations and soon built a 40-ton-per-day concentrator, a mill process which separates the ore from the dirt and rocks.
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| | | Thank You For Your Support!
Our love of American History and travel destinations, and the ability to share it with great readers like you, is supported primarily through our online General Store and Photo Print Shop. While it doesn't make us a lot of money, we pay the bills and enjoy our job, and that makes us rich right? A few of you have asked over the years if we take donations in lieu of buying something. So if you like what you see, and want to support us beyond our merchandise, here's our version of a tip jar. Any amount is truly appreciated (and will help get us back home...if I can convince Kathy to go back). |
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