July 2007

Just passing through...

 
This is an actual truck stop in Van Horn, Texas.
The photo as you can see was taken some time ago. Would love to see these prices again...
It is said that the town is so healthy, that they had to shoot a man to start a cemetary..
Uh, I'll pass on the chicken special.

Stay at RV Ranch Resort near Fort Worth

This past weekend we took our RV to stay for several days at the RV Ranch of South Fort Worth, a new resort near Fort Worth that is listed within our RV Resort/Campground guides. The resort had plenty of pullthroughs, two nice pools and hot tubs (with separate ones for adults), wireless Internet, and large shaded area for dog walks. There was an interesting old house on the property and several iron statues of deer that added to the character of the resort. As I noted to staff, if the resort could put up reflective signs at both places on the Frontage Road for RVers to clearly see where to turn to reach the resort when coming in at night, it would be helpful. The wireless Internet was also slow at times during the day (due to the number of people using), and needs to be reconfigured to allow for more users. For vacationers, there are 12 new cabins and suites, which include continental breakfast as part of your stay. There is a stocked store and several community buildings where RVers can get together for card playing, games, or special activities. We recommend a stay at the resort on your next trip to the Fort Worth area.

Coming soon, we update our feature on Billy Bob's Texas, the largest honky tonk in the world, where we watched some bull riding and enjoyed listening to the rowdy Kevin Fowler please the crowds.

Fort Worth honors the cowboy this weekend

Fort Worth has a fun celebration this weekend to honor their heritage with the NATIONAL DAY OF THE AMERICAN COWBOY.
We will be making a special trip there to join in the celebrations, and be updating our feature on the famous Billy Bob's of Texas, while watching some of the best bull riders, and hear the rascally Texas twang of Kevin Fowler.

Fun events will take place around the Fort Worth Stockyards this Saturday, July 28th, from 11 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Some of the activities will include:
* Fort Worth Herd Branding Activity
* Fort Worth Herd CowKid Roundup
* Cowboy Celebration Parade following the Fort Worth Herd
* Best Mustache Contest
* Legends of Texas Gunfight Shows
* Watermelon Eating and Seed Spitting Contest
* Most Worn-out Boot Contest

A cattle drive is held daily at 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (look for Snort and Walter, I've heard they're the ornery ones..).

RVing Market Expected to Reach $15.9 Billion by 2011

A new report issued by market research publisher SBI notes that the RV market (motorized recreational vehicle and non-motorized, or "towable," RVs) is expected to pick up speed over the next five years, growing five percent and reaching $15.9 billion.

The recent Hurricane Katrina debacle with purchases of bare bones travel trailers by FEMA, along with higher prices at the pump, and higher interest rates were the main factors for the slowdown. "The real health of the industry is directly affected by consumer confidence, interest rates, and the cost of fuel," notes Tatjana Meerman, Publisher of SBI. "A strong economy is the industry's best friend. When interest rates rise, RV purchases decline." This is only partially true. There is a thriving market for used RVs. We have owned several.

With all the baby boomers retiring, I think the estimate given for the RVing market is conservative, as baby boomers will want to travel and see the country firsthand.

New Atlanta feature reviews now posted

 Just a note that we just posted several new Altanta features, including the Omni at CNN Center, the Georgia Aquarium, the New World of Coca-Cola, and Medieval Times. There was only a limited time that Tommy, our writer had in Hotlanta. He pinpoints some key places to go that are great for all the family to enjoy.
Be sure to also read our archived features on other Georgia destinations we have been to.

Sneak peak of the Adolphus Hotel

Recently, we visited the opulent Adolphus Hotel. An historic gem, the hotel has numerous rare artifacts and paintings on display for guests to admire which date to the 16th century. Think about that for a second. How many hotels do you know that have that??
The staff was most friendly, making sure that our stay was memorable. Here are a few initial photos.

View from the famous French Restauraunt inside to the enormous hotel lobby area.

Tapesteries dating to the 17th century line the walls. The guest rooms are spacious, with an open style which leads from the living area to the bedroom.
Read our Feature on the Adolphus now posted.

What is the most dangerous road in the world?

I used to think it was certain roads we have driven on while RVing up in remote areas of Canada or Alaska. But no, those were superhighways compared to this one. I'm talking about a road referred to by the locals in Bolivia as the Road of Death, and for good reason.

This one lane road high up in the Bolivian mountains is treacherous, unwieldy, and remote, and that's just for starters. I watched a documentary on it today, which stated that on average 200 people a year have died on the road from car accidents (doesn't mention heart attacks..). If you go off the side, well let's just say that it's been nice knowing you. There is a local tour operation where you can go on a bike tour on the road, which connects La Paz to Coroico. Back in my younger days, I might have considered. After my wife broke her arm several years ago while we were mountain biking, we haven't been riding much. For the truly adventurous, here is the site- (be sure to see the slideshow). Another site noted that the most dangerous section is now just open for mountain bikers, which is a good thing I guess..

Upcoming visit to The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas

This week we will be visiting the Adolphus, a luxury hotel in Dallas. From looking through our large book collection, I located a vintage ad for The Adolphus in a 1947 Texas Almanac. It noted that many of the rooms were air conditioned year round, with circulating ice water, coffee shop and bar. When built in 1912, the Adolphus became the first hotel in the world to have central air conditioning. As noted, several Presidents and entertainers have stayed at the hotel over the years. Each of the 422 rooms have been updated recently in English country house and vintage Hollywood designs. The restaurant, The French Room, has a world following for it's fine dining and service. Look for our hotel feature in the coming weeks.

Today is your luckiest day of the decade

If you are prone to believe in luck (and my leanings tend to venture that way if I am near a casino slot machine), then sit up and take notice.
Today is your lucky day - 7/7/07. This is a once in a decade event. With a combination like that, who can lose? If you have especially good luck today, let me know about it. Disclaimer, if you stub your toe or other injury befalls you today, it's your own bad luck...

Touring around the Big Apple: Site Review

When in London, we enjoyed touring some on double decker buses that take you around the city. These types of tours give you a front row seat to getting an up-close view of a city without having to walk for miles.
I came across this site - NewYork City Sightseeing, which is offering a variety of double decker tours around New York City. We plan to use when we visit the Big Apple, as the traffic can be a nightmare if you drive yourself. A taxicab can add up quick just going a few blocks. The pricing is reasonable, and you can get $5 off per ticket by visiting their website in the above link. I want to see numerous sites around the city, including the Statue of Liberty at night, and to take in a David Letterman show. They also offer a harbor cruise, where you get a tour that explains about the growth of the city, as you view Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and large buildings that dominate the city. There are so many photo opportunities within NYC, and the tour stops at most of them. In the downtown area of the city, buses stop at 26 locations. The company also offers specials on lots of local attractions, with scheduled trips every day to nearby cities as well (including Washington DC, Philadelphia (includes the Amish country), and Boston).
This posting was sponsored by New York City Sightseeing.

A recipe for making pork barbecue sauce

I trust everyone's 4th went well. Due to rain, I had to make my barbecue plans for pork ribs indoors, cooking in an oven bag. Seeing as how we didn't have any sauce, I decided to make my own from a recipe found online at cooks.com which was for pork chops (but also tasted great on our pork ribs).
It's simple and quick to make:
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1/2 c. minced onion (I left this part out)
1/4 c. catsup
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. prepared mustard
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Mix all ingredients and add to meat before cooking.

Coming Up: New features for - Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Illinois

We have lots of plans for new features coming up this summer:
Our staff writer Tommy Ford just returned from a trek to Atlanta, Asheville, NC, and Virginia. Be sure to read his recent article on the Omni Hotel at CNN Center. Some interesting features will include visits to attractions around Atlanta (Aquarium, Coca-Cola Museum, the Medieval Times Restaurant), the Biltmore, the Blue Ridge Mountains, Colonial Williamsburg, and Jamestown.
Another writer is planning a short trip to the Windy City of Chicago.
A followup trip will be made to the Dallas area to highlight a unique accommodation. We are also planning an upcoming trip to Sea World in San Antonio to highlight the new Journey to Atlantis attraction.
What are your plans this summer? Let us know what interesting places you have planned to go see.

What does Independence Day mean to you?

A day of celebration, when our democracy was born. It could have been different, if not for the scruffy Minutemen made up of farmers, everyday workers, and the vision of our leaders who risked their lives as well to be free as a Republic. Our many thanks go to our servcemen and women in harm's way this holiday, and the veterans who served before them that have helped to preserve our cherished freedoms.
Without them, we (and other countries of the free world) would not be free today.

Enjoy this poem by John Mitchum (brother of the actor Robert) recited by the great John Wayne
"America, Why I Love Her"

Have a great 4th of July everyone.