Meandering back to Georgia, Part 1
Sunday, 10 November
With the winter weather approaching and being somewhat near Dallas, TX (as near as we expect to be for several years), we planned a full day of driving and tackling a bucket list goal. Before we left the campground, we started the winterization process (to finish tonight) by using up some of the fresh water and then dumping the remainder. We also drained the hot water heater.
Departing about 8am, Sprinty headed north on I-35 to Dallas TX. While Google Maps said it was a four hour trip, Google forgot that Kris still had to pay up for golf yesterday, which involved a brief stop in Temple, TX.
Our bucket list item was the George W. Bush Presidential Center located adjacent to the SMU campus in Dallas, TX. Sprinty encountered heavy traffic passing through Austin and in the metro Dallas area - on a Sunday. Sprinty was sure glad we decided to do this on a weekend instead of a workday. One benefit was a southerly wind, so Sprinty got over 19.5mpg running at 70mph.
Darrell had researched parking options ahead of time. Normally, he just wings it, but when trying to park Sprinty in large cities, advance research is helpful. We got Sprinty settled in the Bush Presidential Center parking lot across the street, which was designed for regular cars. Fortunately, there were a handful of parking places with enough clearance behind for Sprinty to back in and take up no more room than most Texas cars (large, full-size pickups with double cabs).
The George W. Bush Presidential Center was an inspirational stop.
The exhibits were almost understated, focusing on but a few major initiatives of his time as President. As you entered, there were exhibits that touched on his growing up, then running for President. George and Laura Bush's efforts to improve education was one of the key themes, as was 9/11 and the Global War on Terror. The intro film and a section talked about his guiding principles. One particular quote was:
There was an exact replica of the Oval Office as it was when he was in office - with replicas of paintings, photographs, and other items in his office. And visitors were encouraged to sit on the sofas and behind the big desk.
We spent just over two hours and took in all the exhibits and videos except the interactive Decision Points Theater which we only sampled. In the Decision Points Theater, they present a major issue, offer competing viewpoints (which seemed somewhat emotionally charged just as issues tend to be debated) and you selected where you stood on the debate, and eventually what you decided. Then President Bush told you what he decided and why. Very powerfully done.
With several hours of daylight left, we headed east for Tyler Lake State Park near Tyler, TX. Arriving about 4:30pm, we elected a full hookup site in the premium loop with full hookups. Kris remembered we had a Texas State Park Pass from last year which saved us from the park entrance fee. Originally assigned a waterfront lot, we found it was not as nice as the adjacent site due to slope and not being able to reach the sewer connection. The sewer connection was important as the task of the afternoon was to finish winterizing Sprinty, taking advantage of the nice weather. Having already drained the fresh water tank and hot water heater, the winterizing process took about 45 minutes and 2.25 gallons of RV antifreeze. Darrell particularly enjoyed doing the task during daylight hours at 70 degrees. Long time readers may recall the emergency winterization Darrell had to do at 2:30am one night in Arizona when the low temperature dropped lower than forecast.
Well after dark, at 9:30pm, Darrell tried out the Low Light camera feature om his new iPhone. The nearly full moon with wispy clouds provided some diffused light for the photo.
Monday, 11 November- Veterans Day
A most peaceful night at Tyler Lake State Park. For reference, here is a picture from about the same location at 7:45am, about an hour after sunrise.
With rain expected to start this morning, we decided not to try and squeeze in golf, even if it will be one of the nicest days temperature-wise for the next week. We Lao decided not to linger and take in the Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary nearby as they did not open until 10am. For another trip one day.
Sprinty decided to enjoy the blue highways today, starting on US80. That worked pretty well until we got into Louisiana. From the Texas border to Shreveport, the road was very bumpy, so Sprinty decided to jump on I-20 for a bit. Later, we found more things in Sprinty out of place than usual due to the rougher than usual roads.
After a pit stop in Shreveport, Sprinty continued east on US80. The roads were much smoother than near the Texas border. US80 made a three block jog in the town of Gibsland, LA. As Sprinty turned onto the main street of Gibsland, he saw the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum and decided to pull over and stop. Kris and Darrell were due for a break anyway.
The Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum occupies the exact historical location in Gibsland, Louisiana of Rosa's Cafe, aka Ma Canfield's Cafe, where Bonnie and Clyde dined for the last time. The many exhibits portrayed the two from the late 1920s until their death in May 1934. We started with watching three videos that conveyed the story, albeit with some apparent deviations. That said, there seems to be lingering ambiguity on the facts, just like other high profile news events of the time.
The museum was established in 2005 by "Boots" Hinton, the son of Ted Hinton, a Dallas County Deputy Sheriff who was one of the six-man posse that ambushed and killed Bonnie and Clyde near Gibsland, LA.
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10864
We spent about an hour at the museum, then Sprinty continued east, mostly on US80 until Monroe, LA, when we made the final decision on where to spend the night. Concerned for the state park office closing, we traveled the last 30 miles or so on I-20.
From our departure from Tyler Lake State Park at 8am this morning, Sprinty traveled just in front of the rain accompanying the cold front. Every time we stopped, the rain would just start to drizzle, then we would get in front of it. That worked until 4:30 when we checked into Poverty Point Reservoir State Park near Delhi, LA. Within 15 minutes of getting Sprinty settled, the rain started.
Kris “nesting” for the evening in Sprinty:
Temperatures dropped throughout the evening, and was down to about 40 degrees when we turned in. The forecast also called for gusty winds all night.
With the winter weather approaching and being somewhat near Dallas, TX (as near as we expect to be for several years), we planned a full day of driving and tackling a bucket list goal. Before we left the campground, we started the winterization process (to finish tonight) by using up some of the fresh water and then dumping the remainder. We also drained the hot water heater.
Departing about 8am, Sprinty headed north on I-35 to Dallas TX. While Google Maps said it was a four hour trip, Google forgot that Kris still had to pay up for golf yesterday, which involved a brief stop in Temple, TX.
Our bucket list item was the George W. Bush Presidential Center located adjacent to the SMU campus in Dallas, TX. Sprinty encountered heavy traffic passing through Austin and in the metro Dallas area - on a Sunday. Sprinty was sure glad we decided to do this on a weekend instead of a workday. One benefit was a southerly wind, so Sprinty got over 19.5mpg running at 70mph.
Darrell had researched parking options ahead of time. Normally, he just wings it, but when trying to park Sprinty in large cities, advance research is helpful. We got Sprinty settled in the Bush Presidential Center parking lot across the street, which was designed for regular cars. Fortunately, there were a handful of parking places with enough clearance behind for Sprinty to back in and take up no more room than most Texas cars (large, full-size pickups with double cabs).
The George W. Bush Presidential Center was an inspirational stop.
The exhibits were almost understated, focusing on but a few major initiatives of his time as President. As you entered, there were exhibits that touched on his growing up, then running for President. George and Laura Bush's efforts to improve education was one of the key themes, as was 9/11 and the Global War on Terror. The intro film and a section talked about his guiding principles. One particular quote was:
There was an exact replica of the Oval Office as it was when he was in office - with replicas of paintings, photographs, and other items in his office. And visitors were encouraged to sit on the sofas and behind the big desk.
We spent just over two hours and took in all the exhibits and videos except the interactive Decision Points Theater which we only sampled. In the Decision Points Theater, they present a major issue, offer competing viewpoints (which seemed somewhat emotionally charged just as issues tend to be debated) and you selected where you stood on the debate, and eventually what you decided. Then President Bush told you what he decided and why. Very powerfully done.
With several hours of daylight left, we headed east for Tyler Lake State Park near Tyler, TX. Arriving about 4:30pm, we elected a full hookup site in the premium loop with full hookups. Kris remembered we had a Texas State Park Pass from last year which saved us from the park entrance fee. Originally assigned a waterfront lot, we found it was not as nice as the adjacent site due to slope and not being able to reach the sewer connection. The sewer connection was important as the task of the afternoon was to finish winterizing Sprinty, taking advantage of the nice weather. Having already drained the fresh water tank and hot water heater, the winterizing process took about 45 minutes and 2.25 gallons of RV antifreeze. Darrell particularly enjoyed doing the task during daylight hours at 70 degrees. Long time readers may recall the emergency winterization Darrell had to do at 2:30am one night in Arizona when the low temperature dropped lower than forecast.
Well after dark, at 9:30pm, Darrell tried out the Low Light camera feature om his new iPhone. The nearly full moon with wispy clouds provided some diffused light for the photo.
Monday, 11 November- Veterans Day
A most peaceful night at Tyler Lake State Park. For reference, here is a picture from about the same location at 7:45am, about an hour after sunrise.
With rain expected to start this morning, we decided not to try and squeeze in golf, even if it will be one of the nicest days temperature-wise for the next week. We Lao decided not to linger and take in the Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary nearby as they did not open until 10am. For another trip one day.
Sprinty decided to enjoy the blue highways today, starting on US80. That worked pretty well until we got into Louisiana. From the Texas border to Shreveport, the road was very bumpy, so Sprinty decided to jump on I-20 for a bit. Later, we found more things in Sprinty out of place than usual due to the rougher than usual roads.
After a pit stop in Shreveport, Sprinty continued east on US80. The roads were much smoother than near the Texas border. US80 made a three block jog in the town of Gibsland, LA. As Sprinty turned onto the main street of Gibsland, he saw the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum and decided to pull over and stop. Kris and Darrell were due for a break anyway.
The Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum occupies the exact historical location in Gibsland, Louisiana of Rosa's Cafe, aka Ma Canfield's Cafe, where Bonnie and Clyde dined for the last time. The many exhibits portrayed the two from the late 1920s until their death in May 1934. We started with watching three videos that conveyed the story, albeit with some apparent deviations. That said, there seems to be lingering ambiguity on the facts, just like other high profile news events of the time.
The museum was established in 2005 by "Boots" Hinton, the son of Ted Hinton, a Dallas County Deputy Sheriff who was one of the six-man posse that ambushed and killed Bonnie and Clyde near Gibsland, LA.
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10864
We spent about an hour at the museum, then Sprinty continued east, mostly on US80 until Monroe, LA, when we made the final decision on where to spend the night. Concerned for the state park office closing, we traveled the last 30 miles or so on I-20.
From our departure from Tyler Lake State Park at 8am this morning, Sprinty traveled just in front of the rain accompanying the cold front. Every time we stopped, the rain would just start to drizzle, then we would get in front of it. That worked until 4:30 when we checked into Poverty Point Reservoir State Park near Delhi, LA. Within 15 minutes of getting Sprinty settled, the rain started.
Kris “nesting” for the evening in Sprinty:
Temperatures dropped throughout the evening, and was down to about 40 degrees when we turned in. The forecast also called for gusty winds all night.
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