Time flies!

One year ago yesterday we boarded Kong and readied her for life on the road. Has it been a year already? Time really does fly when you're having fun!

Winds of 35+ mph kicked us along Route 66 this past Sunday. At times like these,
having a substantial tow vehicle and a sturdy 5th wheel really pays off!

We spent the waning days of Year 1 by kicking around that most famous of all U.S. highways, Route 66. It was great fun, albeit a bit breezy, with winds gusting to 50 mph and dust reducing visibility to less than a mile in some spots. More on that later. First, I want to share some thoughts about lessons learned over the past 12 months.

Thinking about the past always brings to mind a quote from Elizabeth Taylor who, upon turning 50, was asked by a reporter if she would like to be 18 again. “Not without my 50-year-old brain,” she replied. (No kidding!)

So what would I do differently if I could repeat the last year? I can honestly say – at least with respect to our choice of 5^th wheel and truck - nothing. This is due in large part to Leonard's thorough job of advance research. The plethora of wisdom he gained from others willing to share their insights made it hard to screw up badly.

For any of you considering taking up the full-time RV lifestyle, here are those pearls we found most useful as we set off on our adventure:

1. When it comes to size of your RV, less is more. I'm talking interior and exterior length. Figure out the smallest amount of RV needed to accommodate you and your travel plans. Getting something too short can spell misery for everyone involved, especially on days when weather prohibits escaping the confines of your rolling home. Choosing something too long will limit your travel and parking options. Many RV campgrounds, public and private, as well as the roads leading to them were constructed before the days of the “big rig.” We set our exterior limit at 40 feet (measuring end cap to ladder) and, thus far, have had no problems visiting the places we want to see.
2. Buy your third RV first. It will be your house. Any manufacturer can make an RV look nice, but only a few build them tough enough to endure the punishment of the open road. Purchasing the highest-quality RV you can afford at the start will save you unnecessary hassle, expense and disappointment.
3. When it comes to your tow vehicle, more is better. In other words, know the weight ratings for your axles and know how that weight will be distributed among them. Then, find a truck meant to do the job safely. After all, it's not just about getting up that 10% grade, it's about controlling your vehicle on the way down it. Skimping on your tow vehicle places you and everyone around you in danger. As far as I'm concerned when it comes to purchasing your truck, go big (enough) or go home!

Of course, there are some minor things we would do differently given the chance. For one thing, we should have bought our own mattress in lieu of paying for the crappy one that came with Kong. (Lost about a month's sleep figuring that one out.) For another, we could have passed on the manufacturer's linen package in favor of buying our own. (It's nice that the bedspread and throw rugs match our décor but monogrammed towels and sheets? Really?)

Okay, for that bit I promised about our travels along Route 66, you can check out the photos and captions below. Enjoy!

Established in 1926, Route 66 originated in Chicago, Illinois and ended in Santa 

Monica, California. It was removed from the U.S. highway system in 1985.

Outside the Route 66 museum operated by the State of Oklahoma in Clinton.

The Oklahoma museum houses several classic cars representative of those driven by travelers as they rolled down Route 66 during its heyday. Check out this sweet little '62 Chevy Impala!

A reminder of the days before unleaded gasoline and self-service stations.

The development of a paved roadway system in the U.S. gave rise to some new kinds of businesses, like freight companies. Gone were the days when horse-drawn wagons hauled goods from railroad spurs to nearby towns. A whole new day was dawning. 

Remember 78's and 45's? Bet this juke box entertained a lot of music lovers 

before being retired.

No Route 66 collection would be complete without a Volkswagen bus. Ironically, it was President Dwight D. Eisenhower's experience with another German invention, the Autobahn, that led to development of a more streamlined interstate system to replace the old system of which Route 66 was a part.

 

The Valentine Manufacturing Company of Wichita, Kansas operated between 1938 and 1974. Valentine built most of the diners located west of the Mississippi. Each sold for $5,000. Owners placing 10% of each day's proceeds in a lock box situated by the front door. A company representative came around each month to collect until the debt was paid.

Once the dust from our drive into New Mexico cleared, we discovered this sculpture in downtown Tucumcari. This is just one example of how some small towns along Route 66 are trying to stay alive by capitalizing on their association with the historic road.

 

Just one of hundreds of great images that have been preserved from Route 66's glory days. The shop's
new owners plan on modernizing by creating a web site. Times, they are a changin'.

The Blue Swallow Motel is open for business. I'm guessing the original black-and-white TV's have been replaced with flat screens. (One can only hope!) 

Check in at the Blue Swallow, and you, too, can spend a quiet evening by
this lighted fountain. Of course, that assumes nothing's playing at the local
drive-in.

Another stop in the land of “Ahs”

We arrived in Kansas at the beginning of April to spend a few weeks in Topeka visiting family and catching up with friends. Although I no longer consider the “Land of Oz” home, it's hard to ignore the pull I feel from the six generations of ancestral ties that bind me to the place.

 

I'll be the first to admit that Kansas doesn't rate a spot on Lonely Planet's list of “must see before you die” places. Still, if you look closely at the state in general and its capital city in particular, you will find some sites worth stopping for in what a 1990's tourism campaign referred to as the “Land of Ahs.”
 

I took the opportunity during this stay to hang out at a couple of my favorite old haunts and become acquainted with an unfamiliar venue. (See photo journal below for details).
 

Tomorrow, we begin the last leg of our journey to Aztec, New Mexico where we will spend May and June volunteering for the National Park Service.

Is April nearly done already? Time really does fly when you're having fun!



In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered one of its most famous decisions in the case of Oliver Brown et al v. the Board of Education of Topeka declaring that when it comes to education separate is inherently unequal. 

The former Monroe Elementary School in Topeka was chosen to serve as the Brown v. Board National Historic Site because Linda Brown, daughter of lead plaintiff Oliver Brown, attended school there.



The site educates visitors, not just about the history of school segregation but about racial injustice throughout U.S. history.

Students from area schools contribute informational displays, like this interpretive stand

made by a high school history class.

The Kansas State Capitol, constructed between 1866 and 1903, was recently restored and rededicated in January of this year.

Inside the dome, these eight flags denote the eight different entities that have held jurisdiction over part or all of the state: England, France (aristocracy), France (republic), Spain, Mexico, Texas, the United States and, of course, Kansas.

Kansas native John Steuart Curry painted this iconic mural of anti-slavery activist John Brown. Curry had a falling out with the mural committee and was never paid for his work.

This hand-operated cage elevator, installed in 1923, remains in operation.

 


The restoration transformed the old secretary of state's office to its original state, a reminder of days gone by.

The state library functions as a depository of legal and historic documents. Thanks to digitalization of resources, the library's usefulness now extends far beyond the statehouse walls.



Kansas' bicameral legislature convenes annually for 90-plus days starting in January. The state's 40 senators meet in this chamber, its 125 representatives in one on the other side of the building.

Born in Texas, Dwight D. Eisenhower grew up in Abilene, Kansas and always claimed that as his home. The statehouse's new visitors' center features images of many of the state's better-known sons and daughters.

Springtime is tulip time in Kansas. The Ted Ensley garden at Lake Shawnee is full of tulips and other blossoms, all of which managed to survive a late-spring frost.

I used to walk over this bridge when I was a kid. It's fair to say that I've endured the years better than it has!

"I'm so happy!" was dedicated to Topekan Jerold Binkley, who annually for 22 years opened his home garden display of thousands of tulips to anyone and everyone wanting to enjoy their beauty. Today, Tulip Time continues at three Topeka-area locations, including Lake Shawnee.

  

 



 

What's love got to do with it?

This time last April, Leonard and I were busy preparing for life in an RV. Thinking back on it all – our stay in blizzard-stricken South Dakota to get our drivers' licenses, going to Texas to pick up a tow vehicle, driving to Arkansas to take possession of the 5^th wheel – everything seems a blur. Settling in for another visit with family and friends in Topeka affords me an opportunity to reflect on our first year as full-timers. As I do, one aspect of the lifestyle that strikes me most is that retiring together was one thing; retiring together in less than 400 square feet of space has been quite another matter entirely. In fact, it can give the phrase “getting on my nerves” a whole new meaning!

There are times when bad weather or other factors force us into what seems more like a state of imprisonment than one of blissful togetherness. The 15^th do-si-do around the kitchen island because one of you is using the stove while the other needs to get from living room to laundry or another turn waiting for your roommate to finish tying his shoes so you can get to the bathroom can make one a tad testy. Oh good! You're still here quickly becomes Oh, god! You're still here! It amazes me that the news isn't flooded with reports about campground violence. (“Violence strikes RV campground. Wife bludgeons husband with hitch ball. News at 10.”)
 

For me, enduring these relationship trials has more to do with liking the other person than with loving them. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a few meaningful distractions handy for those times when even liking someone isn't enough.

The ukulele fits perfectly with our small space lifestyle.

Volunteering provides considerable relief in this regard. Even when Leonard and I share the same work schedule, which is to say whenever we volunteer, we find ways to spend quality time apart. For example, while he assists a visitor with planning their hike, I talk with someone else who wants to know about the local wildlife. Or, we take separate lunch breaks. Or, one checks the grounds while the other staffs the building. (You get the picture.)
 



Need time for yourself? Just grab your wheels and head for

the nearest bike trail.

Hobbies help, too, though I periodically must remind myself that sitting in a corner glaring at my spouse and making a mental list of his character defects does not constitute a “hobby.” Here, as with anything RV-related, size matters. When we decided to learn to play a musical instrument, spatial limitations of the rig ruled out the cello and tuba as options. (Also, we didn't want to risk being chased out of a campground by our non-tuba loving neighbors.) We elected instead to take up the ukulele, which, in addition to being compact for easy storage produces a sound pleasant enough to appease even the most finicky music aficionado. Leonard uses the living room for practice; I move to the bedroom. Easy.
 

Exercise serves as a great release. Those of you who know me know that athletics has never been my strong suit. (It took me two weeks of rolling about the sofa cushions on the living room floor to teach myself how to do a cartwheel so I could pass the gymnastics unit in junior high gym class.) That said, sticking with a regular fitness routine - in our case cardio plus strength training – ranks high on my list of priorities. It keeps my stress level in check and gives me another option for finding time apart. (One walks while the other uses the weight set and vice versa.)
 



I recently rediscovered knitting, something my grandmother

taught me. It requires little storage space and produces useful

items. This dish rag I made (above) was so popular I got a

request for another!

Then, there's always the old, “I'm going out for awhile” trick. No need for making excuses about the dog needing a walk. Just put one foot in front of the other and go! By the time we reach this stage, we are both usually ready to part company for a bit so there are no hurt feelings.
 

When the above coping mechanisms fail, I still have one last arrow in my RV togetherness survival quiver: gratitude. I remind myself how fortunate I am to be retired years before I planned to do so, how wonderful it is that I get to live in so many terrific places, and how special it is to be able to share my experiences with someone I both love and like. I guess I'll try to stand it all for another year...if you insist.

Reading always makes for a good escape. E-readers provide

the perfect opportunity to store an ample library in your hand.

This modest collection of games comes in handy on a rainy day. Some can be

played solo. All fit in the small storage space of this dining room chair.

 

Becoming real Texans, Part II

The clerk at the Livingston County, Texas DMV office instructed me on the use of their exam system. “It works better if you use the pencil eraser than your finger [to answer test questions],” she said, pointing to a small screen and chair in the corner of the office.



I sat down at the testing station and entered my DMV number. Up popped question 1: How many inches off the ground can mud flaps be on a commercial truck? How the frack should I know!!! I made my best guess. Eight inches. “Correct. 1 of 20,” read the screen. Next question: Which of the following vehicle types is not required to have mud flaps in Texas? Crap! I don't know this one, either!

And so it went. Turns out I had studied the wrong section of the Texas commercial drivers license manual. It was my university general chemistry first semester final all over again.

 

Our carefully thought out plan to become licensed Texas drivers was now at risk. Even before Leonard and I had entered the DMV office to take our written exams – a pre-requisite for taking the road skills test – completing the licensing process was proving to be more difficult than either of us expected. We had a narrow window between the time we arrived in Livingston until the time we needed to depart for Topeka, Kansas to accomplish the deed. (For reasons I won't go into here, a late arrival in Topeka was simply not an option.) By the time we completed everything needed to schedule our written tests (see previous post for details), we had enough time left for just one of us to book an appointment, thereby becoming a fully-licensed Class A non-CDL driver.

Leonard was the obvious choice since he had logged so many more miles towing Kong than I had. What's more, unlike Leonard, I had never backed up the KongZilla combo. So, I would get a learner's permit, giving me until my birthday of 2020 to take the road exam. Meanwhile, I could drive KongZilla when accompanied by a Class A licensee (and drive Truckzilla without restriction). Failing my written test would force Leonard to bear the entire towing burden solo until such time as we could return to Texas when I would retake the exam. While I have absolutely no problem riding along the nation's highways being carried like Cleopatra sitting in her barge down the Nile, it would be neither fair nor safe to place all that responsibility on one member of our two-person team.

 

RVers are exempt from getting the full commercial

license. My advice? Study sections 2 and 14, 14, 14!

Don't panic, Sally. You can do this!

 

As with that college final, my guessing skills and some deep breathing carried the day. I passed. The clerk printed out my temporary Texas learner's license. Now, it was Leonard's turn.

He sat down at the terminal. A very short time later, he stood up, looked at me and shook his head from side to side. Oh, no!

 

Undaunted, Leonard returned home and spent the rest of the day studying. He passed the exam the following day and even managed to talk the examiner into scheduling his road test for our last day in Livingston. And, yes, he passed that with flying colors. Phew!

 

Today, we trek northward in our rolling condo. Just two real Texans and a beagle. Git along, little doggie! 

Becoming real Texans, Part I

The last time I took a driving test, I was 16. To say I had a case of performance anxiety would be putting it mildly. I drove the family car, a 1961 Plymouth Valiant station wagon, to the Department of Motor Vehicles office in Topeka, Kansas, parked and waiting for the examiner to join me. I started the engine and proceeded to pull out of the lot, at which time the examiner pointed out that the parking brake was still set. I was mortified, so much so that I released the brake but forgot to stop the car first! We lurched forward. I regained enough composure to proceed through the rest of the test. When it was over, the examiner said, “I've seen better, but I've seen worse.” (He passed me, but I gather it was a close call.)

It seems life has handed me yet another opportunity to humiliate myself. That's because I have to do it all again, this time driving KongZilla. This has to do with our decision to switch domicile from South Dakota to Texas. (If you want to know why we initially selected South Dakota, see “Domiciling in the State of Emergency.”) Why? Health insurance, that's why.

When Leonard, Sprocket and I returned to the U.S. after three years in Costa Rica, my only affordable health insurance option was a high-deductible plan that covers catastrophic illness. It might have kept us from filing bankruptcy should I become really sick, but that's about all. Once the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces opened, I went shopping and discovered that none of the South Dakota providers in the network reaches beyond the state's borders. Worse yet, none of the companies writing plans for South Dakotans cover full-timers. In the words of that great philosopher Scooby Doo, ruh roh!

I searched the Information Highway and ended up in Texas where a major insurer in Texas' ACA marketplace was offering just what I was looking for: coverage for anyone (including full-time RVers) at lower costs than my existing plan and access to a provider network that reaches 30 states (and counting). Save money by paying lower premiums and in-network rates nearly anywhere we might travel? Count me in! Now, all we had to do was become real, legal Texans. Sure, except that this sh*t gets complicated! Here's why.

 

Before we could get Texas drivers' licenses, we would have to register the truck and 5^th wheel in Texas. Before we could register the truck and 5^th wheel in Texas, we would have to get them inspected in Texas and get Texas liability insurance. Before we could get Texas liability insurance, we would have to get a Texas address without buying or renting property. Like I said. Complicated.

The entrance to Escapees Rainbow's End RV Park. So many RVers

use the club's mail service that the mailroom it has its own zip code.)

The address part was the easiest. We simply joined Escapees RV Club and signed up for the club's mail service (similar to a service we used in South Dakota). This got us a street address with personal mail box number. Voila! A Texas residential address.

During our San Antonio stay, Leonard took Truckzilla to a local inspection station. Driving a truck onto a lot where a certified inspector can take care of business is one thing. Getting Kong inspected was a whole other deal. Our choices – assuming we could find a station in San Antonio authorized to inspect trailers - would be to a) pack up all our stuff, disconnect utilities, hitch, tow the 5^th wheel in for inspection, drive back to our parking spot, unpack our stuff and reconnect utilities; or b) pack up, hitch, tow Kong in for inspection then drive on to Rockport (our next destination). We chose “b.” Thankfully, there was a station right along our route. An hour stop there, and it was mission accomplished!

In 2013, the Texas legislature changed the state's RV inspection

requirements. Unless lobbying efforts succeed, every RVer

registered in Texas but not visiting there will have to return

for annual inspection.

Next, Leonard (Chief Operations Officer of our little enterprise) checked out insurance options and found we could use Escapees' endorsed insurance broker to get the policies we needed. The broker's office is located at Escapees' headquarters, just a short walk from where we'd be parked at their Rainbow's End park in Livingston. Here again, we ended up with better coverage for less money. So far, so good.

With proof of insurance in hand, we gathered up the rest of the necessary paperwork (titles, SD registrations, inspection certificates and proof of residency) and walked into the Polk County Assessor's Office and walked out with brand spanking new Texas license plates.

If all of this sounds like fun, just wait to you ready my next post where I will attempt to explain the ABCs of Texas RV drivers' licensure, a subject so complicated it warrants its own section.

 

To be continued....

 

Escapees RV Club National Headquarters. The club trolley gives guest tours of the property twice a week.



Rainbow's End is enormous! It includes this community center - watch for announcements about free movie nights, dancing and other fun activities - a swimming pool and activity room where residents gather for daily socials.

Sweet tooth? Satisfy your cravings here with the week's selection of soft serve ice cream flavors.

RV safety includes knowing how much your rigs weighs as well as how that weight is distributed. Escapees offers several weighing locations, including this site at Rainbow's End.

 

The Escapees CARE (Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees) Center helps full-time RVers who need help when they cannot take care of themselves. Residents continue to live in their RVs while accessing the center's services during the day.

 

Escapees shares the Rainbow's End property with other business that cater to the RV market. Want to RV in England? Adventure Caravans can arrange that. They'll even help arrange for your trip insurance.

Testing our limits on the Texas gulf coast

Want to know what I love most about full-time RV living? It's being able to live on some of the most beautiful spots around without making a long-term commitment or paying a king's ransom for the privilege.

Itching to climb mountains? Go to mountains. Yearning to hike the desert? Find one. Wanting to hear water gently lapping on a lakeshore? Get out your map and drive! I find this way of life to be emotionally truly freeing.

Another great backyard at an affordable price!

Our latest experience along these lines was found at Goose Island State Park near the community of Rockport, Texas. Leonard, Sprocket and I parked at the very edge of the Gulf of Mexico for just $22 per night, plus a $5 per person daily entrance fee.

To some, $32 probably seems like a lot to spend for camping at a public park. Consider that not only did this cover water, electricity, grill and a lovely ramada complete with picnic table, it also featured entertainment courtesy of Laughing gulls - their call sounds more like Burgess Meredith in his role as The Penguin in the old Batman TV program than it does a laugh - pelicans diving for dinner, red-headed ducks bobbing in the water, cormorants and other birds that call the Texas seashore home during the winter months. Then there were the Bottlenose dolphins enjoying their sushi breakfasts while swimming the waters off the back of our parking spot. Paying a heftier price to stay in a similarly-situated private park ($50 per night in most cases) would not have enriched our experience. Not one bit.

Stinky beach? Only in summer when sea vegetation rots under the hot Texas sun.

Too good to be true? Not quite, but there were a couple of catches.

The first relates to a Texas state parks rule limiting camping to 14 consecutive days. Those of you sneaky enough to figure out that being “tardy” to class only matters if you get there after the teacher does probably already have reckoned that the way to skirt this rule is to move out of the park for some period of time only to return for another 14 days. (But why do that when so many other cool spots await discovery?)

Goose Island State Park is home to “The Big Tree,” a live oak whose trunk measure 11 feet in diameter and 35 feet in circumference. It stands 44 feet tall and has seen more than 1,000 summers. Truly awesome!

The Texas gulf coast attracts many species of birds...and birders during the 

winter months. Volunteers lead free birding walks at Goose Island.

The second concerns RV tanks, specifically black and gray tank capacities. Note that when mentioning Goose Island's amenities I said nothing about a sewer connection, a feature that allows RVers to clear a rig's waste without having to move to a dump site. Our stay at Goose Island would offer us a chance to test our fitness for “dry camping” (i.e. park with no hookups at all) as prelude to many such experiences in store for us during July and August when we plan to spend a significant amount of time exploring the national parks of the West.

Successful dry camping requires significantly changing many daily living habits we normally don't give a second thought to. Think about it. Every time you brush your teeth, wash a cup or go to the bathroom brings you that much closer to needing to pack up your possessions, in preparation for the rolling earthquake to come, disconnect any hookups you have and go to the dump station only to return to your space and repeat the entire setup and unpacking process. Who needs that?

Reaching Port Aransas requires a ferry ride to Mustang Island. The ride is 

free and takes less than 10 minutes.

Kong can hold up to 50 gallons of black water (the stuff you flush down the toilet) and 75 gallons of gray (the stuff that goes down the shower, sink and laundry drains). We knew how long it would take to fill the black tank. That's because when we're parked, we let that tank fill then dump using the onsite hookup. (This helps to avoid the "black mound of death" I wrote about in an earlier post on dumping.) We did not know how long it would take to fill the gray tank. Our strategy was simple: do as much as possible to keep as little as possible from going into both tanks!

Browsing at Felder Gallery in Port Aransas. Leonard studied painting with Larry, a fellow expat we met during our Costa Rica days. The gallery is now owned by Larry's son Robby.

This would probably be an appropriate time to mention that Kong came with sensors that let us monitor tank levels. The black tank sensor has never functioned correctly, and we're not really sure about the gray tank. Only the fresh water tank level appears to read accurately. Since Kong's still under warranty, we plan to address the matter in an upcoming visit to our dealer in NW Arkansas.

Truckzilla enjoys a visit to the beach.

As for our quasi-dry camping at Goose Island, some changes of habit were easy, like not leaving the faucets running while we brushed our teeth or soaped up our hands. Others required more forethought, like remembering to pack up everything we needed to shower before schlepping off to the nearby (and spotlessly-clean) bathhouse instead of our in-house (also spotlessly-clean, thank you very much) shower. During our six day/five night stay, we got in two runs of the dishwasher and one load of laundry and still managed to come in under limit. Success!

So, you see, there are some tradeoffs to living like nomads. I suppose someday we might consider a more stable arrangement, like leasing or buying a spot at an RV resort. For now, I'm not ready to give up the freedom of the road. There will time enough for that soon enough.

Remembering the Alamo

The Gonzales flag, on display at capitol visitor center, was first flown at the Battle of

Gonzales in 1835. The flag came to symbolize Texas pride.

Yesterday marked the 178^th anniversary of the fall of the Alamo (also known as Mission San Antonio de Valero). The mission remained under siege for 13 days as Texians, fighting to restore constitutional rule in their sovereign nation of Mexico, and Mexican troops, commanded by Mexican President General Antonio López de Santa Anna, played out their historic drama. To Santa Anna, the battle amounted to little more than a skirmish with rebels resisting his dictatorship. To the Texians and others who would rally under the cry “Remember the Alamo!” it would open one of the more dramatic chapters in Texas' history.

Ultimately, the Republic of Texas would gain its independence from Mexico and become part of the United States of America.

Two lessons I've learned about Texans: 1) they are proud to be Texans; and 2) they know how to throw a great party!

Our month-long stay in San Antonio gave Leonard and me a chance to see and learn more about the Alamo, an experience made somewhat more meaningful to me by that fact that one of my ancestors fought in the Mexican-American War and was bivouacked for a time at the Alamo. Our studies of the events of 1836 included watching a film at a nearby IMAX theater. Sitting there, I couldn't help but wonder what great-great-great Grandpa Andrew Jackson Finney would think of my walking where his footsteps fell so many years ago.

 

In addition to learning about the Alamo, we also took advantage of our proximity to Austin to visit the state capitol. While touring the capitol grounds, the sound of canon fire alerted us to the fact that something unusual must be going on. (We're kind of sharp that way.) A few cannon blasts later, and we realized that we had stumbled into Austin's annual Texas Independence Day parade winding its way through downtown. It was great fun, and a terrific way to wrap up our time in south central Texas.

 

We look forward to more adventures in the Lone Star State, including our upcoming driving tests to acquire Texas licenses. Yes, we'll have to take both written and road tests. This ordeal is part of shifting domicile from South Dakota to Texas (more on that in an upcoming post).

 

For now, I'll leave you with some images from our day trip to Austin. Enjoy, y'all!

 

The State Capitol in Austin stands as one of the city's most beautiful architectural works.

Everyone gets into the act when it comes to celebrating Texas independence, even these antique car buffs!

  

No Texas parade would be complete without caballeros!

 

Lots of veterans marched in the parade, including one who apparently returned from the grave. (Douglas, is that you?)

The capitol grounds features several monuments, this one dedicated to the state's early white settlers.