March 31, 2018

Today we stayed at the campground and did keep up with some work. The picture is from our trip to Vicksburg of yesterday. It shows another southern style building.

March 30, 2018

Today we were successful in ordering the brake parts in Europe and Singapore. Then we drove to the city of Vicksburg and walked through the small city center. It was very quiet. Maybe because of Good Friday. The picture shows an old train station just at the waterfront of the Mississippi. Vicksburg was earlier an important port at the Mississippi. Today I couldn't see any port anymore.

March 29, 2018

Today we stayed at the campground and searched for brake pads. But we were not successful. Then we walked to the Casino which is near here. We didn't do any gambling, just watching others doing it. The picture is from our yesterdays trip to Poverty Point. There is a reservoir. It seems that it is quite new and some trees stand now in the water, what they don't like at all.

March 28, 2018

Today we traveled from Simsboro in Louisiana to Vicksburg in Mississippi (230 km). Today was a rainy day. Never-the-less on the way, we visited the Poverty Point World Heritage Site. Here people about 3000 years ago build earthen mounds. Nobody knows why and for what. Then we crossed the Mississippi River and reached our goal for the day. The picture shows the bridge we came across on the left side. The right bridge is the old bridge and today only used for the railroad.

March 27, 2018

Today we traveled from Longview in Texas to Simsboro in Louisiana (204 km). First, we had the appointment at the car repair shop in the morning. The result of the inspection of the noise in the left rear wheel was that the repair which was done in San Antonio broke apart. We have now no handbrake on the left rear wheel anymore. We have to find the parts in order to do the repair. We will do this as soon as possible. After this, we hit the road. In Shreveport, we did some sightseeing. There is an Elvis Presley Boulevard. The picture shows the statues of Elvis and James Burton. James Burton is originally from Shreveport and was the guitar player in Elvis's band.

March 26, 2018

Today we traveled from Gladewater to Longview (36 km). Yesterday on the road we heard a noise somewhere in our motorhome. We found out it is in one of the wheels. Therefore we searched for a repair shop today which can check it. We got an appointment for tomorrow morning. Therefore we stayed here and had a day to keep up with different things. The picture is from our visit at the Stockyard in Fort Worth two days ago. For $5 you can sit on this longhorn bull.

March 25, 2018

Today we traveled eastward from Weatherford to Gladewater (285 km). It was another grey day. We didn't visit anything. We passed Dallas again. Here is a picture I made yesterday of the skyscrapers at the downtown Dallas.

March 24, 2018

Today we drove to Dallas to buy Nespresso capsules (108 km). On the way back we visited two places in Fort Worth. These are the Water Gardens and the Stockyards. Both places are worth the visit. I like the Water Gardens very much. I have never seen anything similar in the world. My picture shows one of the pools in this garden. You can walk into this one.

March 23, 2018

Today we traveled from Austin to Weatherford (354 km). It was a gray day. We didn't visit any places. When we were at the campground in Weatherford a nice sunset developed. I took a series of pictures. One is attached here.

March 22, 2018

Today we traveled from La Grange to Austin (95 km). We put the motorhome to the campground and went to downtown with the bus. Here we visited the Capitol of Texas and went for dinner and blues and rock music to the 6th street. The picture shows the Capitol.

March 21, 2018

Today we traveled from San Leon to La Grange (225 km). La Grange is a small but beautiful city. We made a self-guided walking tour through the center of the town. 34 buildings were described. They were built between 1860 and 1910. Many buildings were built by German immigrants. Thier names are Kreise, Von Rosenberg, Lange, Tiemann, Heintze, Rhode, Speckels, Hermes, Warnken, Reichert, Stör, Homuth, Streithoff, Haase, Kruschel, Fink, Meyenberg, Weil, Kaulbach, and others. It seems that many German Immigrants settled here in La Grange and in Texas. The picture shows the Kaulbach Home. It was built in 1885.

March 20, 2018

Today we visited the Battleship Texas and the Jacinto Battleground in Houston (40 km). Since this places are not far from San Leon we stayed another night at the campground here. This gave up the possibility to spend another evening with Smileys. Tonight we visited the Railean Rum Distillery in San Leon. We did a tasting of their rums and other spirits before we went to see the sunset. Thank you, Steve and Laura, for another wonderful evening. The picture shows the monument of the Jacinto Battlefield.

March 19, 2018

Today we visited the NASA Space Center in Houston (22 km). Since it was this near from San Leon we stayed at the campground another night. Like this, we were able to see Steve Smiley again in the evening and have another delicious seafood dinner together. The picture shows that our motorhome fits into the Space Shuttle Orbiter. Therefore we could maybe travel on the moon next!

March 18, 2018

Today we traveled from Jamaica Beach to San Leon (53 km). Here we visited my friend Steve Smiley and his wife Laura. They invited us to a delicious Texan Seafood Dinner. After this, we went to see the sunset at the beach. Unfortunately, there was not much to see. The picture shows the boardwalk where we went to see the sunset.

March 17, 2018

Today was a nice sunny and warm day (27 ºC). We drove to the East End of the Galveston Island (31 km). It was nice to watch the people fishing and the huge cargo ships entering and leaving the port of Houston.

March 16, 2018

Today we traveled from Aransas Pass (Corpus Christi) to Jamaica Beach (Galveston)(352 km). The landscape was flat and there was not much to see except the statute of Stephan A. Austin the Father of Texas almost at the end of the journey. Jamaica Beach is on an island. Here it's nice sunny and warm. We went for a walk at the beach.

March 15, 2018

Today we did a trip to the Goose Island State Park (35 km). On the way, we passed the city of Rockport. Last years Hurricane Harvey hit this area severely. Many buildings are damaged. Everywhere people are cleaning up the damages. We searched for some nature and found a place to see the bay. The shore was made up of shells as my picture shows.

March 14, 2018

Today we traveled from Brownsville to Corpus Christi (Aransas Pass) (325 km). The drive was through flat land without any sightseeing possibilities. We drove through Padre Island and came back to the mainland with a ferry. In the evening was a nice sunset, which I watched from the neighboring yacht port.

Mach 13, 2018

Today we did a trip to the South Padre Island (51 km). Like this, we reached finally the Gulf of Mexico. We did a long walk at the beach. Here it's allowed to drive with cars. But we didn't want to do it with our motorhome. On the way back we had a delicious fish and shrimp dinner at Port Isabel.

March 12, 2018

Today we just moved from San Benito to Brownsville (39 km). The weather was completely different compared to yesterday. It was grey and the temperature was about 10 ºC lower. Käthi did laundry this afternoon and I worked on organizational things. The new campground lays at a small lake. I went there to do some bird watching. The picture is the result of it.

March 11, 2018

Today was a sunny and hot day (33 ºC) here in San Benito. We were not able to do anything but sweating. The picture is from the Market Square in San Antonio.

March 10, 2018

Today we stayed at the campground in San Benito and did almost nothing. The weather was very sunny and hot (31°C). The picture shows the River Walk at San Antonio again.

March 9, 2018

Today we traveled from San Antonio to San Benito (415 km). It was a cloudy and grey day. The land we drove through was flat. But here in southern Texas, the temperature is nicely warm. I didn't take pictures today. The picture shows the General Store of Gruene, where we have been yesterday.

 

 

 

 

March 8, 2018

Today we traveled to the small place Gruene (Green) which was founded by German settler Ernst Gruene around 1845 (55 km). The Gruene Hall was the first dance hall in Texas. Many well-known musicians played here over time. Even after the rest of the place closed around 1920 the Gruene Hall was always open. Still, today concerts are given here. The picture shows the bar of the Gruene Hall.

March 7, 2018

Today we brought the motorhome to the repair shop again. In the meantime, we went to downtown and visited the Market Square and the Riverwalk again. When we picked up the motorhome they had to admit that they couldn't find the right brake pads for the front wheels. But the handbrake is repaired. We can drive with the old brake pads another 10'000 miles. We have to import the brake pads for the front wheels from Switzerland ourselves. The picture shows a scene from the Riverwalk.

March 6, 2018

In the morning we brought our motorhome to the repair shop to fix the brakes. Then we went to downtown with the bus. Today we walked in the north part of the town. When we came back to downtown there were a lot of flowers wreaths in front of the Alamo. Today 182 years ago (March 6, 1836) the battle of the Alamo was lost and with this, the founding of Texas was started. When we went to pick up our motorhome in the evening we found out that the front brakes couldn't be repaired, because they got the wrong pads delivered. Therefore tomorrow the brake repair continues.

March 5, 2018

Today we took the bus to San Antonio's Downtown. Here we walked first to the Market Square then to the Southtown and the King William Historic District. In the end, we were back at the Riverwalk where we had dinner. The picture is from the Market Square.

March 4, 2018

Today was a gray day in San Antonio. We had a lazy day at the campground. In the evening the weather got better. We took the first time on this side of the pond the bicycle off the rack and biked some kilometers to the nearest shop to buy some stuff. The picture shows the fifth mission we visited some days ago. It's Mission Espada. We visited this one already in November when we were here the last time.

March 3, 2018

Today was a grey and rainy day here in San Antonio. We stayed in the motorhome and killed the time by doing things we never do when the weather is good. The picture shows the fourth mission of our visit on the Mission Trail some days ago. After the Alamo, Conception and San José is this Mission San Juan. Here is only this small church left.

March 2, 2018

Today we stayed at the campground. It was another sunny and warm day. I had to do the monthly administration things. The picture is from our visit of the missions three days ago. It shows the church of the Mission San José.

March 1, 2018

Today we brought our motorhome to the repair shop for repairing our brakes. It came as it had to come! They couldn't repair them because they couldn't get the right parts. But the repair shop is really good. They know how to get the parts together. Unfortunately, they will be here only next Monday. Like this, we have to stay some more days in San Antonio, which is not a problem since the weather is nice and the town is nice too. Today was another nice warm and sunny day. And it ended with a nice sunset.