Friday, June 23, 2006
WHY "TURNS IN THE ROAD"?Since I already regularly post to another blog, why start a second one? Why Turns in the Road? The answer lies partly, but not wholly, in this email excerpt from my friend Donna:
This called to mind a long-time dream of traveling and writing travel articles. Lately I've been thinking a lot about dreams and how we need to pay attention to the longings of our heart. (See article on my other blog called Dreaming the Unthinkable.)Well, may I be so nosy as to ask where you're traveling to? I can travel vicariously with you. I am so glad for you that you can retire and travel like you have.
Then there's all the times my husband and I intend to remember some special place and return but as time passes, the details become fuzzy. So why not write about our travels? A natural thing to do since writing is my thing. I started my other blog because it was impressed on me that writers should write. It's sort of an itch that needs to be scratched.
EL-LOG?
If you call a web log a blog, what do you call a travel log - Llog? No, that won't do. What about El-log? Don't think so. Maybe I should broaden the concept to include more life experiences than just traveling. Hmmm. After a time of brainstorming and coming up with names too stupid to share, I was stumped. So, being the digital person I am, I surfed through various quote websites. Somewhere around the 4th page view, the phrase "turns in the road" from a quote by Ronald Reagan jumped out at me. Wow! That's it. Covers traveling and life.
BLOG-ADDICT?
I am not a blog-addict. I WILL NOT start another blog after this one. Two is plenty. This 2nd one is going to have to cover everything! (Although I won't make a solemn vow because I hear my husband's niece Ann has a T-shirt that reads, "I'm blogging this," and I want one just like it! No! I want SEVERAL like it so I'll always have a clean one.)
NOW FOR THE TRAVEL NEWS
I was about to sign off and then I remembered Donna and my original intent with this blog. So, here it is - for what may only be an audience of one: our recent travels and "turns in the road."
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!
We were in Houston a couple of days last week (6/15-17/06) for a wedding and just barely escaped the floods. It had begun raining and the skies were ominous when we left mid-day Saturday. I-10 at Highway 6 was closed due to an accident between two 18-wheelers and some other vehicles. One report said eight vehicles were involved. Later many roads in Houston were closed because of flooding. The terrain is flat and the elevation low so that the torrential rains didn't have anywhere to go.
Houston, as always, was both impressive and oppressive. Huge and sprawling, it's congestion is constant and unwavering, night or day, 24/7. And it goes on forever. I remembered the outlying small town of Conroe to the north. But there's no small town there now. Driving out that way, Houston never ended and Conroe never began. Houston swallowed up Conroe.
I was impressed with the Pine Forest Country Club on Clay Road where the reception was held. It is heavily wooded (although I saw no pines!) and lushly and attractively landscaped. The clubhouse was also beautiful. But no match for the radiant bride.
RIO GRANDE VALLEY
Our trip to the Rio Grande Valley was necessitated by my father's health crisis. He moved down to the tip of Texas for the warm weather, golf and dancing. For the most part, I didn't like
We walked over the international bridge into Mexico to shop, primarily to get some cheap prescription meds. They were easily available and very affordable. We had no trouble bringing them back over the bridge. We went across at Progreso, which was only a hop, skip and jump from where we were staying. I bought a beautiful leather purse the color of my hair for $50 that has PRADA written on it. But how could it be? - those sell for hundreds.
My favorite place to eat in the Valley is a little Mexican restaurant in downtown La Feria. Outstanding! I'll have to get back to you on the name but it is the only one in tiny downtown La Feria. Be sure and get some of the pralines when you pay your bill. Never had better!
I found a really good chiropractor in Weslaco, and this time I do have a name: Dr. Robert Bishop. He told me one of his favorite places to eat is the Blue Onion.
One neat thing about the Valley was how easy it was to get oriented and get around. There's only one expressway (U.S. 83) and it runs east and west. Highway 281 runs north and south. Except right at the Rio Grande River. Then it takes a turn and goes east along the river. You can't see the river but you do see dikes along its edge. This part of 281 is very rural. There's lots of grain crops. Those that weren't being irrigated with water from the river were totally brown. I read later that this area is experiencing the worst drought ever. Locals told me they couldn't remember the last rainfall.