Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota
As you drive past the entrance to Mt. Rushmore and head south, you’ll soon see a striking view of George Washington in profile. There is a decent sized strip lot for parking and viewing. Some stats: George’s face is 60 feet tall, his nose is 20 feet long and his mouth is 18 feet across. Oh, and don’t forget his eyes. They are 11 feet wide each.
This thing was LOUD when in operation!
A couple of years ago Sher and I were visiting our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter in the Austin area. We found an RV park reasonably close to the family’s home. This campground was at the time in a major expansion project.
The pictured trench digging machine was in use during working hours. The dolomitic rock was not exceptionally hard, so no jack hammering was required, but this trenching machine really was loud and shook the ground if you were within about 40 feet or so. I did enjoy watching this machine operate.
We’ve been to San Antonio a couple of times. Once was over New Years and was it cold! However, San Antonio is a wonderful spot to visit. The River Walk gives you a chance to stroll along the river and have a great meal. You can also take a fun boat tour of the river. There’s lots to enjoy along the River Walk.
View of the River Walk from a pedestrian bridge
It was a nice warm day to explore downtown
The Alamo, a special place
The Alamo is just one of the many historic sites to explore and enjoy. Be advised the Alamo is one of the most important and revered places in Texas. No pictures are allowed in the edifice. And men, be sure to remove your hat upon entering.
This old wagon has a very appropriate and humorous sign attached. This is at the La Hacienda RV Resort near Lake Travis in the Hill Country out side of Austin. We wintered there prior to the pandemic.
Casey , Illinois has the world’s largest golf tee, windchimes, mailbox and other things. It is worth the side trip off of I-70 at Exit 129, about 35 miles west of the Indiana/Illinois line. These “large” items are a hoot to see.
World’s largest wind chime
March 2015
September 2018
Yes, we’ve been there twice now. Had to see if that rocking chair had shown up yet.
King Neptune on the Virginia Beach, VA Boardwalk
Compare Neptune’s size to the bike rider!
Neptune and his turtle
The octopus
The bronze statue of King Neptune is the spectacular creation of artist Paul DiPasquale. It was dedicated in 2005 and to this day reigns over the sea (and the boardwalk). Neptune holds his trademark trident with a hand on a sea turtle. He is also surrounded by many other sea creatures on the statue base.
We lived in Virginia Beach in the 90’s and loved the beach and boardwalk, spending hours and hours enjoying the ocean waves. Imagine our surprise when we returned in 2016 and saw Neptune as we strolled north along the boardwalk. Photos do not do him justice. Virginia Beach is a marvelous vacation destination with year round activities. Hopefully the city will be getting back to post pandemic conditions sooner than later.
We spent the winter of 2019 in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Our RV Resort was located in Harlingen. One of the many day trips we took was to the quaint town of Port Isabel. This was two years ago. All of the election brew haha was yet to come, and of course nobody was imagining the tragedy of the pandemic that was still over the horizon.
Sher with a Port Isabel pirate
I had to get into the act as well
Down on the Port Isabel waterfront we came upon some, ah, mean looking pirates. Not ones to miss out, we could not pass up the photo ops. With a hearty “Arrr, matey” and a “shiver me timbers” the images above became part of our photo record of the day.
This duck has a unique coloration. This picture was taken either in the San Antonio Canal or in Lake Travis in the Hill Country, can’t really remember which. That is all.
OK, for some of you, maybe it would not be a big deal. But for Sher and I our trip to the Buck Creek Winery was the first time in a year that we actually went out and went into a store. Yes a place where people go, talk, buy things and act kind of normal.
Our son drove us out and about today. Yesterday we noticed that our wine supply was running, well, low. So off to the Buck Creek Winery, about a half hour from our place. We had our masks on and there was only one other customer in the winery when we went in. We felt comfortable, Joseph set us up to have a sampling of 6 different wines.
Our assortment purchase today
We ended up buying a case of assorted wines after a fun sampling experience. We belong to the Buck Creek Winery case club, which enables you to enjoy a 20% discount on case buys. Refer to the Buck Creek website for details.
Even though we have had our first dose of the Moderna vaccine, we were still somewhat leery of getting out. But we felt ok at the Winery today. Joseph maintained social distance, was most polite and informative and he poured our samples. Oh, it was different wearing jeans with a belt instead of sweat pants.
After sunset the Canadian Falls, sometime called Horseshoe Falls due to its curved shape, become a display in color. Bright lights from the Canadian side of the river provide the spectacular effects.
We had a great time on a trip to Niagara Falls with one of our granddaughters in October 2019. If you ever go to see The Falls, we strongly suggest that you take a Grey Line Tour. They’ll pick you up at your hotel, or in our case our RV park. No problem with waiting lines for the Maid of the Mist or any of the other attractions on the tour. You don’t need to be on a honeymoon to enjoy Niagara Falls.
Roadtirement 