Home 2
Jackson, MS
Sunday, September 22, 2019
First day on the road and we really made good time and distance — Home to Jackson, MS -- roughly 600 miles. Traffic was light and the car was very comfortable. Chris is driving, of course, and ahhh...I remember those days 30 years ago when I could have made this same drive. Yes, and I remember walking 3 miles to school in the snow with no shoes or coat?
Uhh, wrong climate. Third grade in Eldorado I thought I’d been left and tried to walk the eighteen miles back to the ranch. Fortunately they found me on the caliche road just out of town. Hmmm. Hadn’t thought of that in years.
Anyway, back to today. I have an app that has all of the Texas Historical markers on it and I love to read it as we pass through towns. My brother used to stop and and read every one of them he passed. I take the easy way out...but maybe some day I'll do that too. Fantasy - visiting all 16, 265 of them and writing a book about it.
The point of the story is that I found out today that Texas actually had coal mines! One of the thriving cities on the Camino Real de los Texas actually had several mines. Today it’s pretty close to a ghost town. But, believe it or not, in oil fixated Texas there are still active mines.
Also saw a humongous statue of a rhinoceros on this vast expanse of lawn. We passed it before it registered what we were seeing and to see what it was in front of. Another stop and picture I’d like to have made if we hadn’t been on a schedule.
We were taking the back roads...Hwy 79 if you want to look it up...passing through lots of small rural towns. Many interesting things to see. Loved seeing one town that appeared to be growing again. Many of the turn of the century buildings were now being restored and used again. One post office was actually art deco. That same town has a museum, Vanishing Texana.
Someday I’ll make a trip where I can stop at everything I want to see.
As I said earlier, tonight we’re in Jackson, MS, home to one of my alma maters (can you have one if you just attended and didn’t graduate for there??) Beginning of my final semester at Baylor I had the customary visit with my faculty advisor. He said, “You have to have three credits of language and you don’t have any.”
Me: “When you laid out my plan when I transferred in from Colorado A&M why didn’t you tell me this?”
Him: “I did.”
Me: “No you didn’t. Here’s the plan.”
Much later in the very heated conversation.
He: “You’re going to have to have them anyway.”
To make a very long story short, I would up at Millsaps College taking two Greek courses in one semester and graduated from Baylor on time. Fell madly in love with one of the co-eds, made a complete fool of myself, and lived to go on an marry Andrea. Talk about good deals all the way around!
Tomorrow we’ll probably stop in Chattanooga. Been there several time. Beautiful city. Lots to see and do, but not this trip.
See you down the road.
Thanks for yonderin’ with me.