Moving On

Saturday and Sunday were time out days for us, which worked out well because San Antonio had no weather to offer us but rain, cold rain, and colder rain.  After playing catch-up with laundry and blogging and other non-sightseeing tasks on Saturday, we ventured out Sunday just before noon.  The rain had stopped briefly and we were deceived into thinking it was a trend.  It was not.

KEN DONS HIS RAIN GEAR FOR THE RIVERWALK.

Having checked out the Alamo on Friday afternoon, we had only the San Antonio Riverwalk left on our places to visit there.  With all we had heard and read about it, we were somehow expecting a larger river, much like the Chicago Riverwalk.  With its narrow channel lined by sidewalks, shops and restaurants, and intermittently spanned by bridges, it was actually more reminiscent of the side canals of Venice.  No boats were running in the river while we were walking though we saw several signs indicating stops for a river taxi.

RAIN DID NOT KEEP SAN ANTONIANS INDOORS.

Despite the cold and rainy conditions, thousands of locals and out of towners braved the weather Sunday to run in the city's Rock 'N' Roll Marathon and half marathon.  Most had finished the course by the time we ventured out late morning, leaving us completely in awe of their dedication and fortitude.

Our search for a spot for lunch ended when we checked out the menu at Yard House.  A pioneer in the craft beer revolution, this Darden Group chain suits those passionate about fresh, locally sourced food and an extensive list of craft brews.  What's more, they offer sports on TV.  Generally, this wouldn't matter much to us, but Ken enjoys following the Atlanta Falcons.  It's rare for him to be able to watch a Falcons game on TV when we're traveling since the local teams are generally the ones televised at the hotel.  So—even though the Falcons didn't reward him with a win—he stayed and watched the rest of the game.

WHERE ELSE BUT INGRAM, TEXAS CAN YOU SEE AN EASTER ISLAND MOAI NEXT TO STONEHENGE?

On Monday, we departed from San Antonio headed across the vast expanse of west Texas.  Having previously traversed this part of the state on US-90, we opted for I-10 since there are very few towns, spaced considerable distances apart.  And it was a path we had not traveled before.  As we drove through the towns closer to San Antonio, we searched for a few letterboxes, including one at the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, where imitations of some famous landmarks and statuary decorate the grounds.

SEA TO SHINING SEA PROGRESS IN THE FIRST 24 DAYS

Tuesday we continued across I-10 to Van Horn, TX, about 100 miles east of El Paso.  In our first 24 days, we've covered about 64% of what is technically a 2,440-mile trip between Tybee Island, GA, and San Diego, CA.  And yet we've traveled a total of 3,430 miles proving that the best way to get from point A to point B is not always a straight line.  Tomorrow we'll turn north to visit two national parks near the Texas-New Mexico border.
Oddly we were in the town of Comfort on Monday when I received word that a dear friend had passed away that morning.  Kathy was one of the first people I met when I started college as a naive 17-year-old freshman.  She was an intelligent listener, a sympathetic supporter, and a faithful friend.  Always ready to go along with any crazy scheme our group of friends came up with, she could generally be counted on to inject a dose of caution just before we went too far.  She had a huge Pontiac sedan from the late 1950s that we called Fat Albert.  Like Kathy, Fat Albert was always ready for an adventure, and seven or eight of us could pile in for the ride since we didn't need to worry about seat belts (he entered the world before their time).

Kathy devoted most of her professional career—more than 40 years—to serving the research needs of the students and faculty of our alma mater, the University of South Alabama.  She began as a reference librarian and worked her way up the library ladder to the position of Head of Collection Development.  Only her failing health convinced her to retire from the job she loved, and she had become increasingly ill in the past year.  As tempting as despair must have been, she always seemed willing to imagine that someday she might get better.  Learning that she had reached the end of her journey was a difficult blow for our group of friends who adopted each other as family almost fifty years ago.  We will miss her kind and gentle spirit, her sense of humor, and her unconditional acceptance of each of us despite our flaws.  On Friday, we will gather in Mobile, AL, to honor her life and say our final goodbyes.

SATURDAY, 3 DECEMBER — TUESDAY, 6 DECEMBER 2016
    •  Started in:  San Antonio, TX
    •  Ended in:  Van Horn, TX
    •  Miles driven:  602   [trip:  3,430]
    •  Weather:  3 days of rain, 1 day partly sunny, temps 45° to 62°
    •  Letterboxes:  Found 5, Planted 1   [trip:  F59, P11]
    •  Walked:  7.8   [trip:  56.7]
    •  States:  TX   [trip:  5]
    •  Counties:  10   [trip:  94]
    •  Towns:  16   [trip:  189]