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Family and Friends is my everyday journal. Captain's Log is where I pontificate on religion and politics.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Wednesday Challenge 022620


My favorite memory.
At my age there are many. I'm a writer I tell stories even when they're true..

We bought our first mini-van. A bonus was a free vacation. We had a number of cities and dates to choose from. We chose San Antonio over Spring Break. On a teacher and secretary combined salaries we didn't get too many outings. 
We thought it would be nice to take the kids, aged 14 and 9 someplace outside of New Mexico.
I told my parents where we were going and they decided they would go with us. They had an RV at the time.
My brother at that time lived in Houston with his wife and two kids. Mom called them, told 'em when we'd be there, and they said they'd come join us.
My sister lived in Rio Rancho with her husband and step-son. They decided to join us. Brother-in-law's brother also lived in Houston with wife and two kids and would come.
A nice family getaway turned into a gathering.
We left with our mini-van and the RV. Sure enough we woke up to six inches of snow and more coming.
We ate at a diner on Coors south of I-40. I told Dad to go down Coors Blvd on the West side of town and we'd join up with I-25 just before Los Lunas. That way we didn't have to cross the Rio Grande during rush hour on icy roads. Because of the RV we followed and Dad promptly went to I-40 and across the river. He decided to go I-40 to Santa Rosa and head down to Ft. Sumner going into Texas at Lubbock and then down. 
At the Big I (I-40 & I-25) he heard on the news that Tijeras Canyon was closed so we went down I-25 and re-crossed the river at Bosque Farms. 
We stopped at Socorro for gas. The plan was to turn at San Antonio, NM and head over to Roswell, but the weather wasn't good half way there. We went south on another road and drove through Cloud Croft and made it down to Carlsbad for another stop. We spent the night in a KOA log cabin at Ft. Stockton on I-10. It was snowing, windy and cold the whole way.
The next day the sun was shining and we made good time stopping to spend another night in Fredericksburg. It was the home of Chester Nimitz a WWII admiral, and there was a museum in his family home. In the museum was a Japanese mini-sub, which was captured during the war. It was in two pieces so you could walk through it see the interior behind glass.
Dad went wild. He remembered that sub on a train going through Pueblo, Co when he was in high school. His family had a truck farm by the railroad tracks and he watched as it went by.
We went on into San Antonio. The RV stayed at the KOA and we went on to the Marriot on the River Walk. To our dismay our free stay didn't include underground parking or Texas lodgers tax. KOA was cheaper.
We stayed on the 11th floor and spent a nice afternoon and evening listening to Mexican flute players outside the Hotel doors. We took the boat ride with guide and had a nice meal. On the way back to the room we enjoyed a ride on the elevator with two members of the Sacramento Kings in town for a game the next day.
The next morning we met at a Denny's behind the Hotel and went to Sea World. With my two kids, brother's two, Sister's one and her two nephews. We had a brood. I packed eleven in the mini-van and brother drove the rest.
The kids loved being splashed by Shamu and all the rides. Then we descended on the Hard Rock Café. They managed to get all of us together.
Wife and I had another nice evening on the Riverwalk while the kids crashed.
The next day I went to see the Alamo, while the women and most the kids went to the mall. Wife and I went up the Space Needle and planetarium. As a group we walked around the Riverwalk and called it a day.
We ate as a group again at the Denny's and went our separate ways. It was a long drive to Lubbock and another stay at a KOA. Lubbock doesn't have log cabins. Spent the night in a tent. Talk about a comedown after three nights in a top flight Hotel.
Came back to Albuquerque and had one day to recover before facing students again. I had lots of maps and other items to tell my students about the Alamo.
  

10 comments:

Lydia said...

That sounds like a marvellous trip. Thanks for telling us about it.

My <a href="http://lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-my-favourite-memory-and-why/>post</a>.

P M Prescott said...

You're welcome, Lydia. Much younger back then. I've got grandkids older than they were.

Wendi Zwaduk and Megan Slayer said...

Sounds like you had a good time. Ah, mini vans. I miss those. I learned to drive in one. :-) Glad you had fun.

Marianne Arkins said...

The driving through the snow gave me a bit of anxiety... I'm not a fan (and I've lived in snow country most of my life). Sounds like a lot of fun!!

Cathryn Hein said...

Being Australian, I don't recognise many of those place names, Patrick, but it sure sounds a good trip. I'm very partial to a good road-trip. You get these strange, serendipitous finds, like the sub for your dad. Great fun.

P M Prescott said...

Still have one, but the son drives it for his kids, Megan.

P M Prescott said...

Marianne, that trip was just cold and the snow was slushy. We had another trip that was really tricky due to heavy snow. For another day. Don't get much around here, but when we do it can be difficult. Drivers around her don't know what to do.

P M Prescott said...

Cathryn, it was a surprise for Dad and something he never forgot. It was one of the highlights of the trip.

Dixie Jackson said...

What a great vacay, even with the weather issues. I love adventures and it sounds like y'all embraced this one with gusto!

P M Prescott said...

Thanks, Dixie we sure did.