Lubbock and Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Howdy,

We are hunkered down and trying to stay warm! We spent 5 nights in Lubbock,Texas ( 2 nights more that we had planned but weather dictated that we stay.) The first few days were beautiful, but then the temperature dropped to the 30-40's with rain and wind. In addition, it was snowing at our next  destination , so we stayed until the weather got better.

Lubbock actually surprised us, guess we thought we were going to another small western town, to see where Buddy Holly came from. Instead, we are in a large college town. Texas Tech is a beautiful old university with over 35,000 students.

We visited the Buddy Holly Center.

It was a small, but well done museum. No pictures allowed inside. Mom and dad certainly knew who he was, but had no idea the tremendous influence in his short 18 month career and 25 hit records that he had on so many  bands including the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Elton John. 

In fact, The Rolling  Stones first hit was "Not Fade Away", a Buddy Holly song and Elton John wore unnecessary glasses to be more like Buddy.


He was only 22 when he died in an airplane crash that also took the lives of Richie Valens and "The Big Bopper". It was February 3, 1959, a date forever known as the Day the Music Died, thanks to singer Don McLean’s 1971 song “American Pie.” 

After the museum mom and dad went to a Tapas Bar for a great lunch 

and were introduced to a wonderful crisp, dry Rose wine from McPherson winery across the street. 

We also visited the  America Wind Power Center, a very interesting museum  celebrating the history wind powered machines and the relationship between the windmill

and the railroad

 

The first windmill  built in North America was in 1621 in Virginia. This commemorative mill was built in 1978 on the same property and moved to Lubbock in 2010. It is one of the few working post-mills in the western hemisphere.

 
Inside there were rows and rows of windmills

Even one you could buy through the Sears catalog.

We also learned about grist mill stones and how the power of the wind was used to grind various grains, even chocolate.

Later that week, mom and dad returned here for a wine event, Lubbock Uncorked and got to taste many Texas wines, and were pleasantly surprised with many of them.

It was a fun local event

Another day we visited the Silent Wings Museum, the only museum in the world dedicated to telling the story of the military glider program.

In front of the museum was a Douglas C-47, known as the Skytrain, the primary tow plane for the gliders. However, it had a special meaning to Dad. He showed me the back door, where he used to parachute out of. Scares me to even think about it, my dad must have been really scared!.

Most interesting was the huge CG-4A glider used during WWII.

 Upon landing the front would open up and a tank with infantry would roll right out ready for battle.

After the weather got better we moved on to Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the second largest canyon in the US. 

We had a great day taking in the sights.

 
We loved going for a hike.

Along the way, old eagle eyes, Brody spotted a rattlesnake, can you see it??

Brody and I love being off leash, but this was a time I am glad we had them on. Dad even heard it rattle.

My favorite part was, of course,our picnic. Brody is finally learning to sit at the table.

 We were going to spend another night here, but decided to leave that afternoon so we wouldn't have to drive so far the next day to Colorado Springs. We really did enjoy our time in Texas, but now looking forward to Colorado.During the drive I spent some time looking out the window and when we got to our campground, Brody got to see 

and smell his first snow.

Next stop, Colorado Springs!
Adios,
Yuki and Brody

Waco and Fort Worth

Howdy!

We are still in Texas. Our camping site is right on Lake Waco and we are loving the views. 

However, we are not loving all the burrs in the grass that get stuck in our paws. Ouch!!

 Mom and dad came to Waco to buy a "fixer-upper". Just kidding, but they did come because our Nana is a fan of the TV show "Fixer Upper"  and she wanted to make sure we came to Waco to visit Magnolia at the Silos, so we did.

and while the setting was nice, 

the Magnolia store was full of merchandise, 

most if not all "made in China". Mom couldn't believe how crowded the store was at 10:00 on Monday morning, 

and was amazed at all the people buying goods they could get anywhere, and even standing in line to have them shipped home! Of course, mom had to buy Nana  a souvenir.

 and no, she didn't buy any seeds.

Quite a money making venture for Joanna and Chip Gaines, and a boon to Waco tourism, certainly more positive than the Waco siege of the Branch Davidian compound in 1993.

We  visited the Waco Mammoth National Monument.

It was quite a find that two teenagers made in 1978. This site represents our nation's only recorded discovery of a nursery herd on Columbian Mammoths that were trapped and drowned in a flood here about 75,000 years ago.

Last stop in Waco, Bare Arms Brewing, the only brewery in town

From Waco we took off for Fort Worth. We had been to Dallas before, but had not visited Forth Worth. Brody and I were looking forward to going to the Fort Worth Stockyard

to see the herd of longhorn cattle

and watch the cattle drive. Boy, were they big! I sure stayed out of their way!

After that we went to see Billy Bob's Texas,

the world's largest Honky Tonk, and it was huge!!

Lots of famous singer and bands have performed here

and left their hand prints. Walls of them, spanning from Loretta Lynn

 to the Grand Funk Railroad.

  There was even a ring for bull riding every Friday night.

Hey look, dad's  back in the saddle again...

On our only cold day of this trip so far, mom and dad went to the small, charming town of Granbury



















and  went to the Revolver Brewery for a weekly Saturday event.

They enjoyed some good beer and sat and listened to a great country rock band.

On Sunday, they left us home again while they went to a large Arts Festival in downtown Fort Worth.

President Kennedy spent his last night at the Hotel Texas in downtown Fort Worth.  Early in the morning on November  23, 1963, before leaving for Dallas he came out of the hotel to give what would be his last speech. There was a lovely memorial in his honor.

On our last day we visited the Japanese Garden, appreciating it's beauty and serenity.

Feeding the koi

and watching the turtles taking a sunbath.

We really enjoyed our time in the Fort Worth. area. There are many small towns in the area, with beautiful homes on acres of land, and so very affordable, pretty tempting....

Adios,

Yuki and Brody