Adventures with Shamu

The last leg of our trip had us passing through the bayous of Louisiana ...

...to the beaches of Biloxi.

The view from Shaggy's ... one of the finest seafood shacks we've ever visited.

All along the Mississippi coast, the ravages of hurricane Katrina are still very much evident...

Abandoned bank vault

...as are the efforts to rebuild.

For mile after mile after mile along the coastal road, remnants of huge municipal piers peek through the water not far from their grand new replacements. Obviously new and glorious houses sit beside dozens of lots that boast nothing but old foundations, remnants of stone chimneys, weeds, and the ever present For Sale signs.

One of the biggest boosts to the Biloxi economy are the dozens of casinos built or being built in the area to replace the gambling barges that were washed on shore by Katrina. We left behind only enough losings to cover the free drinks we consumed while in the casino.

As a testament to the spirit of the people of Biloxi is the Katrina Sculpture Garden. All along the median in the coastal road are sculptures carved from palm trees that suffered damage from the storm.

Art seems to be big in Biloxi, home to the Ohr-O'Keepfe Museum of Art, designed by the world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, for a world-renowned local sculptor, George Orr, the "Mad Potter of Biloxi".

Outrageous architecture is not limited to art museums. The Shed, a BBQ and blues joint, is an example of an eatery with a personality of its own.

As we end our trip, I leave you with a saying by a Shed Head that is one of the reasons we are documenting our trip with a blog:

Now that we are home safe and sound, we want to thank Shamu for her stellar performance, and our neighbors, the Mudges and Magrytas, for holding down the fort while we were away. Oh, the stories they could tell!

THE END

The drive from Albuquerque to the Texas Hill County consisted of 1 1/2 days of easy driving through beautiful scenery.

After two days of driving south from Albuquerque to Las Cruces, and then east along I-10, we landed in Kerrville, Texas, Thursday, October 6, 2011. Thanks to a suggestion from fellow coachers who live in Texas, we landed in another beautiful coach site - Buckhorn RV Resort - to start our stay in Texas Hill County out right.

How much did we love the Texas Hill County? Let me count the ways (in no particular order): cowboy boots, small towns, friendly locals, beautiful scenery, boutique vodkas, polite drivers, clean rivers, stone architecture, the gates leading to large spreads, (did I mention boots?), music everywhere, the wine trail, open skies, and, of course, great food (although I will take a steak grilled by Benson over a Texas steak any day!)

One of our favorite local institutions that seems to have survived modernity are the dance halls. What pleasant surprises lurked behind inauspicious facades. In Bandera, what looked like a small run down saloon in the daytime ...

...turned out to be the oldest dance hall in this cowboy town, 11th Street Saloon, and a hopping place at night! We were lucky enough to participate in the weekly "meat night." Any time from 6 - 10 PM any Wednesday night, bring your own meat (or chicken, whatever) to grill on the communal kettle drums. Pay a few bucks to get a plate of sides and salad, then sit down at one of the high tops to enjoy your food, chat with your neighbor, and take a few turns around the dance floor, two-stepping to the music of a live band.

Another surprise was the famous Gruene (pronounced Green) Hall. As we walked past the hall, we heard music ...

...so we walked through the door, got a drink at the bar ...

...and then sat down to listen to some great rockabilly music.

Just missed Los Lonely Boys, who played at Gruene a few days before, and too soon for Lyell Lovett, who was scheduled to play the next week. It's not uncommon for Willie (Nelson) to drop by to play on Gruene's stage. The Guene Hall is a special place in country music.

The small towns of the Texas Hill Country, such as Bandera, Fredericksburg, Dripping Springs, Sisterdale, New Braunfels and Gruene offered a host of other interesting sights and sounds, shopping and sipping, and beautiful scenery all along the way.

Beautiful, clean rivers

Missing a boot?

Decorative metal forms adorn a ranch gate

Apple strudel, anyone?

New Braunfels, typical of the charming towns in the Texas Hill Country

Could this hardware store be more organized?

One of the many wineries in the Texas Hill Country

The two major cities that border the Texas Hill Country are San Antonio and Austin. We did not spend too much time in San Antonio; took a carriage ride, took the usual walk and eat along the River Walk ... with Morty. As a nice touch, the restaurant gave Morty his own water bowl to enjoy while we ate. One of the biggest surprises for us was how huge and spread out San Antonio is!