Author: Jeff

A few months back I made a trip to Gothenburg for work. I drove and it took about 15 hours. Let me tell you something. The cliché’s you hear about that area it true. For hundreds of miles all I saw was flat ground, corn fields and grain silos.

Gothenburg is located on highway 80 and it looks to be a route for people traveling between Denver and Omaha.

A brief history. I had to look it up. It was established in 1881 and named after Gothenburg Sweden. As you can imagine, there is a strong Swedish heritage in the area. The city was a Pony Express stop and had a railroad station back in the day..

I spent the time staying at the Comfort Suites. It was a nice place compared to others I have been in. I can tell you the place was packed every night. For a free breakfast it was better than OK. The funny thing about the place. It has a Tesla docking station across the street. Each night I saw at least one plugged in. Just thought it was funny because it is the middle of nowhere and the locals pretty much drive trucks. The only complaint I had was the front desk staff. They seemed to be not happy. They never greeted anyone or acknowledged you as you walked in or leaving. They just sat there stone faced. The rest of the staff were very friendly.

Points of interest: I arrived Sunday so I could prepare for the week of work. Decided to look around to see if there was anything interesting to see. My partner and I headed east on 80 towards Kearney. We did find the Classic Car Collection located on the side of the Cabela’s building. I really enjoyed this place. Spent hours drooling over the cars and trucks. 

I wish I had more few time because I did find many places to see. Gothenburg Pony Express, Sod House, and Gothenburg Historical  Museums.

Since this was a work trip, I had the free breakfast, ate out of my cooler for lunch and most times had dinner out.

While working people kept telling us we needed to try the Runza. Had not clue what they were talking about. Apparently this is a Swedish sandwich. It is a shredded beef sandwich with onions and all the fixins. It was pretty good. I had the regular Runza and to me it tasted similar to White Castle.

One day we were hungry and too tired to have a sit-down dinner so we gave Godfather’s pizza a try. Well it’s not like the original from years ago. It is located in a gas station. We watched them make it. It was hot and filled the void but that was about it. Why is it so hard to find a great pizzas anymore?

We tried Lisa’s Kitchen in Gothenburg. Asian food, very small place. When we arrived, we were the only ones there. At first we were worried, but they have a strong take out clientele. Lisa who owns the restaurant was very friendly and the only one there. My partner mentioned his favorite Asian dish to her and she made it for him. The food was very good. It was good enough to go back again.

Not a fan of McDonalds, we decided to head east 20 miles and found Dairy Queen in Cozad. The $5 meal did the trick. While there we needed more supplies and found Walmart in Lexington. Not a fan of them, but that was the only thing available. Did I mention corn fields earlier?

Our last night there we decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner. We found Kyoto in Kearney We were impressed. The chef did a pretty good job preparing our dinner.

Make sure you save a little space for dessert. They make tempera ice cream. From what I understand they pour cream mix on a cold plate charged with liquid nitrogen. Man was it good! 

If I am back in the area again, I will make time to see the area. It seems to have some interesting places to visit. But don’t go during the winter. The have railroad crossing gates on the entrances. Seems the highway closes when it snows.

Sorry we have been absent. We have been extremely busy. Will be posting more soon

My Father’s Day started early with a text message from my daughter. She lives in a different time zone, and the text message included a smiling picture of our grandson. It was then followed by a video chat. The chat was cute. He is not quite two years old. He does say a few words. But when he sees me he starts a whole volume of words describing what I think is how his life is.

All I can do is smile and giggle when he giggles because I have no clue what he is saying. Obviously it is important to him because he is quite animated when he is talking. Man he is so cute!!

Next was a great breakfast made by Tracy. A little sitting in the hot tub, then the shower and get ready for the rest of the day.

Off we go to Georgetown Texas to visit Genesis Flight Training Academy. Tracy bought a gift certificate almost two years ago. We have set up appointments many times, but weather conditions did not permit and had to cancel each time. Being in a small plane in bad weather is not my idea of a good time.

Saturday the weather prediction was a 50/50 chance we were going to cancel again. Tracy was on the phone twice before we left. There were storm fronts surrounding the airport. Oddly enough the skies opened up when we arrived.

We met with Chris(instructor) and went into his office to discuss the flight. We talked about the plane, the topography, and our possible flight plan. We told him we wanted to fly over our house as well.

We then went outside to inspect the aircraft. I must say, it was tiny. I had to bend over to walk under the wing. It has four seats, but I do not know how four people could fit. Tracy said the storage section for luggage might have enough room for a day bag. https://genesis-aero.com/aircraft-n1232g

Chris walked me around the plane explaining the inspection procedure. We played with the flaps, looked at the skin of the plane, tested the fuel for water. We also checked the instruments, amount of fuel and battery power. I did find a dent on the tail and asked about it. He said most likely the dent was caused by a bird hit.

Next we were inside doing the preflight check list. Headphones on, test for sound. Chris then explained what I would be doing from taking off, flying and landing the plane. He then fired the little girl up and down the runway we went.

Now I know Chris was in full control. But from here forward it felt like I was in control. Chris instructed me during the takeoff, and I did just that TAKEOFF!!. I had the throttle and steering wheel in hand. Up we went and he instructed me how to turn the plane.

We flew over Lake Georgetown and he started showing me points to look for to figure out our location. Let me tell you, it took me a while to figure out the landmarks. We flew around Leander, Liberty Hill towards Lake Buchanan. Tracy found our house and I circled around it. We then flew around Lake Buchanan and Inks Lake. It was now time to head back.

During the flight I was instructed to fly at the level of 3500. He allowed me to go above and below that level. As I said before we had small storms surrounding our area, so it was very cloudy outside. As I flew closer to the clouds we would get turbulence. I quickly figured out the best level for a smooth flight.

As we got closer to the airport the skies started to open. You could feel the heat from the sun. And because of that heat, more turbulence. Chris said he was going to land the plane. At first I was disappointed. But as we were over the runway, I was happy he did. We did bounce a lot before we were on the ground.

As we were leaving the airport, I was given a Pilot Log Book. My hour fight counted as flying time if I decided to learn to fly.

This was a thrill of a lifetime. Thank you Tracy for the wonderful Father’s Day present.

Next we were off to see our son Chris. He is an accupuncturist and has been treating me for a couple of years. What a difference he has made on my body.

Blanco is a little over an hour drive from where we live. We decided to go to the annual Blanco Lavender Festival.

Blanco was incorporated in 1853. Blanco means white and was named after the white cliffs on the nearby river. It originally was the county seat. But that changed after a few years  when it was moved to Johnson City about 18 miles north. The Courthouse is huge. It has been a bank and other businesses throughout the years. The city is located in Highway 281 and is almost smack dab in the middle between Austin and San Antonio.

The area is beautiful. This is Texas Hill Country with surrounding small mountains. In the 1800’s to the early 1900’s livestock was the major commerce. They would have annual cattle drives, hog drives, and believe it or not turkey drives. You read it right, they had turkey drives. Can you imagine watching a turkey drive down the road? The hog drives consisted of a wagon full of corn. They would call the hogs and drop corn to get them to move. Cotton became a crop of choice. The city eventually had their own cotton gin.

By the way. The area did not start receiving electricity until 1939.

So back to our trip. We started late. It was my fault, I was just being lazy. By the time we left, it was over 90 outside.

Our drive was sunny and pleasant. We did not put the top down, it was to bright and hot. Our drive was winding around the hills going through Burnet, Marble Falls, Round Mountain, Johnson City, finally to Blanco. When we arrived, the place was packed. We ended up parking about four blocks away.

The first thing I noticed walking to the Courthouse Square was the width of the roads. The area was built before the automobile. The wide roads were designed to allow a horse and wagon to be able to turn around in the road. We parked in the residential area. That area all the way to the business area had wide roads.

Before we made it to the Square, Tracy just had to find out what a quilt hanging over a doorway meant. There was no sign, just a quilt flopping in the wind. We walked into a quilt supply store called the Textile Studio.  This place is packed with everything you need to make a quilt. And it was very busy. I found it interesting, no signage. Obviously, it is working for them because they were very busy.

As we walked across Highway 281 all you could see was a sea of tent canopies around the Courthouse. I apologize for not providing pictures. I left my camera and cell phone at home. I felt naked all day.

As with most festivals, there was the usual knickknacks, lotions, and potions. We found original oil paintings and other handmade crafts.

About half was through we decided we were hungry. There is plenty of places to eat on the Square. We were told about the 4^th Street Bistro.  We didn’t see it. But we didn’t look too hard. It was hot outside. We decided on Blanco Bowling Club Café. 

This place was packed. This place is also old, established in 1948. By the look of things, not much has changed since 1948. The place is clean and larger than you think. The Daily Special was pot roast, mashed potatoes, vegetable and salad. Tracy said it was quite tasty with real mashed potatoes. I had a cheeseburger with onion rings. Huge burger and hand made rings. It was a nice relaxing meal with lots of iced tea.

This place is also a bowling alley. In the back they play 9 pin bowling. Apparently, this is a German influenced type of bowling. There is a heavy German influence throughout Texas. Because there isn’t any equipment to set up the pins, they use the local kids to set the pins and return the balls. Can you imagine being the little kid?

We went back outside and walked through the rest of the booths in the Courthouse Square. Very interesting items we saw, and talked to many friendly people. Tracy did purchase a handful of Lavender from a local farm. She found out that you hang the bunch upside down to let dry. The oils remain for the fragrance. She said the Lavender will last up to five years hanging around the house.

Tracy did find a recipe for Lavender Steak. Guess what we are going to have tonight?

The east and south roads of the Square were closed for more booths. The east road had the food and beverage vendors. The most popular booth was the fresh lemonade stand. There must have been 30 people standing in line. The south road had a huge tent with the local wineries, breweries, and local merchants. When you enter, you will be surprised on how many local wineries and breweries there are. We did find some awesome beef jerky. We ended up buying four bags.

Like I aid before, it was sunny and hot outside. Six hours under the sun standing on blacktop was enough, so we decided to head towards home.

On the way out of town we saw the Buggy Barn Museum.. Unfortunately, it was closed for the day. That was disappointing! The place has a large assortment of old fashion wagons and buggies. Many were used as props in movies such as True Grit. Also, they have an Old West Studio that is rented out for movie sets, weddings and other gatherings.

While driving home we stopped at Lighthouse Hill Ranch. When we pulled into the parking lot, we were awestruck on the view. The place is located on top of a mountain and you can see for miles. We decided to not go in. We were still sweating with the A/C on.

We will be doing this run again soon. Our day did not go as planned.

We highly recommend this area. There is an over abundance of Bed & Breakfasts. There are two rivers nearby. Within 30 minutes there is plenty of place to visit. Johnson City has President LBJ’s Visitor Center. A little farther West is the Texas Whitehouse(LBJ’s Home). Wineries, Breweries, a ranch to drive through with exotic wildlife, a lake, rivers for tubing. There is a ton of stuff to do.

The net trip I promise to bring my camera.

I have driven through Hico Texas many times throughout the years. it is nothing flashy city, but you can tell there is something hidden that is interesting. I did a little checking and found out that Billy the Kid lived there and died there. Or so it seems because history has told us he died in New Mexico shot by Pat Garrett.

Tracy and I woke up early and hit the road with coffee in hand. We took the convertible because it was so sunny outside. Instead of having breakfast at home or on the road, we decided to have brunch in Hico. By the way, it is pronounced Hi Co, not like hiccup.

Heading north on Highway 281, it took us about an hour and a half to get there. It was a nice drive, hardly anyone on the road. The top was down, beautiful Texas sky, hardly a breeze. At the corner of Highway 281 and State Road 6(2nd Street) we saw the Koffee Kup Family Restaurant to the right. The place looked busy, so we decided to give it a shot. The main parking lot was full, we parked in the outside lot. This is a family owned restaurant and had a constant flow of people. Many were welcomed by name as they walked inside.

Tracy and I both had omelets with home fried potatoes. Both had a nice flavor and were fluffy. They also served homemade biscuits. The coffee cups never went below the halfway mark. We spent the time getting our bearings and decide the rest of the day. By the way, they are known for their pies and country fried steaks. We will have to come back to try their specialties.

In less than 45 minutes our bellies were full and we headed downtown. We could have walked. Downtown is on 1st street and a block east of Koffee Kup.

One thing I find interesting about these old historical areas, the streets are wide! The buildings were built before the auto industry got started. The street had to be wide enough for a horse and wagon to be able to make a 360. The city took that extra road space and made plenty of parking throughout downtown.

You can tell the city has been making great efforts to restore downtown.

Our first stop was the Billy the Kid Museum. This is not a fancy Museum with Federal or State funding. It runs off of private donations and is a self-guided tour. It is full of period furnishings including a jail cell. We spent over an hour inside. The staff were very friendly and informative when you asked questions. There is a video about Brushy Bill who died in 1950. He spent the last few years of his life proving to the public he was Billy the Kid. From what we read there is compelling evidence he was actually Billy the Kid. When we were leaving Tracy did purchase a book written by Daniel Edwards called Billy the Kid an Autobiography. It is about his interviews with the writer about his life and effort to be pardoned by the Governor of New Mexico. I am about a third of the way through with the book.

We decided to just walk around downtown and admire the historical buildings.

What I enjoyed most about downtown? It is reading about the history of the buildings. Hico originally was located about two or so miles from where it is now. When the railroad came in, the residents pulled up stakes and move to where it is today. At one time Hico was a major hub for commerce. Huge general stores, cotton gins, banks and a railroad station to transport livestock. There were many plaques describing some of the buildings. it was very informative. At the west end of Downtown there is a drinking fountain that also serves as a water trough for the horses.

The weather was changing outside so we decided to head to our next stop. This place you should not miss. When you head north on Highway 281 into Hico, you cannot miss the Wiseman House Chocolates.   It is a historical house that sells handmade quality chocolates. The actual chocolate production is being done at another property. I am not a huge fan of chocolate. Tracy is a huge fan of good chocolate, especially dark chocolate. I spent the next 40 minutes following her around. It was nice watching her enjoy the different smells. She found all types of chocolate including chocolate flavored coffee. Yes she was in chocolate heaven. We bought truffles, clusters, and other items. I can tell you she will be a happy camper for a few months. She does not eat much chocolate. She is the type of person that when she wants some chocolate, she takes one or two bites and she I satisfied for some time.

We had planned to see the dinosaur footprints outside Hico and then head to Dublin Texas. But with the impending storm, we decided not to go. Dublin has  the oldest Dr Pepper bottling facility. From what I understand they were still using one of the original formulas before they stopped production. The bottling company nows make their own sodas . Wa looking forward to visiting the bottling plant.

Because the weather was taking a nasty turn, we headed back south on Highway 281 towards home. We reached Hamilton just in time to be hungry.

Did a quick search for places to eat and found Giovanni’s 2.

This is not a fancy place. It is what we call a hole in the wall. The restaurant is really plain inside and out.  When we walked in we were concerned we made a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, the place is spotless. I felt they needed to add some decor to make it my eye pleasing.  But we decided to give it a try. Tracy and I ordered a pizza. Momma likes her cheese and when you ask for extra cheese they did not skimp. The pizza was quite tasty. The dough had good flavor and texture with the right amount of sauce. You could taste each meat and vegetable in the pizza.  I would rate it as four stars for food quality and is worth going there again.

When we stepped back outside, the storm was almost upon us. Back in the car and head home to outrun the storm. We made in into our garage just in time for the storm to hit.

We were unable to see everything we wanted. But we had a great time learning about Hico and Billy the Kid. This trip is a do over.  Next time I will pay  closer attention to the weather reports before we leave.

Because I worked a half a day today, we decided to make a half day trip to Marble Falls. This allowed us to do a little grocery shopping, have some Lupper, and do a little driving around.

Our first stop was Margarita’s. We arrived at 2:30 and the parking lot was half full. I have not been there before, but my Tracy has. I can honestly say this was a good decision. I had their Margarita Special and Tracy had the Chimichanga plate. Both of us enjoyed our meal. We were happy to taste a Tex Mex meal that did not taste like it came out of a package. The majority Mexican places we have visited taste bland like it was pulled out of a package and heated. Her plate was crunchy and had a very good taste with the fajita beef. Mine was hot, tasty and plentiful.

Next was the dredded food place. We went to the new HEB on 1431. It has been about three weeks since the new building was opened. The old building is just a pile of rubble now. Parking is a little difficult with the construction still going on. When we walked in we were greeted by an employee asking is there was any assistance needed. Nope, we were going to risk it and take the plunge into the new place. Wow, it is huge compared to the old one! It is bright, cheerful. I have been told fresh produce department is the largest HEB has outside a HEB Plus store.  Yes there is much more products available on the shelves compared to the older store. We found everything except finding lentils. When we went around a corner an employee saw our confusion and asked if we needed help. He grabbed his handy dandy gizmo and punched in lentils and off we went to the isle. After about a minute he found it for us. The meat department is about twice the size of the old one and well as the bakery. I did try a sample of the sushi. Off to the checkout. We found nine of the 16 checkouts open. In less than five minutes we were off to the truck with a half a cart load of food.

I can honestly say it was a nice experience. Most Saturdays we have to wear shin pads and a crash helmet to keep from being injured from isle hogs.

We then decided to just drive around. There has been quite a few new projected happening in Marble Falls lately. Besides the Chick Fil A, there is a new Panda Express next door and a Burger King at the corner of 1421 and 281. There is also a new Little Caesars Pizza just north of 1431 on 281.

We drove around the square in Burnet. The Steam Train just left when we arrived. You could hear their whistle blow.

We then took the back roads to home. It was a nice, relaxing drive. We noticed a few Bluebonnets popping up. With all the rain we have last month we should experience a real nice crop of Bluebonnets and Indian Paint Brushes by Easter.

Welcome to New Adventures for 2.

We are a couple who has been married for over 40 years. All of our children are grown and we became grandparents in 2017!

Traveling has been something special for us. It allows us personal time together. We have been to Italy, many islands in the Caribbean, Mexico,  and at least 30 states in the US. including Hawaii. We have been extremely lucky to visit areas that most of the public does not view.

This photo we took standing at the exact spot in Tarpon Springs Florida when we were married 40 years ago. Well 40 years and 8 days to be exact.

Because of our busy schedule with our businesses and grandchildren, we have focused on weekend trips.

Our process of our trip. First we hear something interesting about a city. We then research the history of that city including the buildings, industries, cultures. We search for festivals in the area and anything else that could be of interest.

Everything done is on a tight budget.

Depending on the weather, we either pack up the convertible or the truck and head out. We will keep a journal of our visit including stores, historical markers, people, places of business and restaurants.

Future postings will be about our trips with photos and expenses.

Where would you like to see us go? First we are going to travel Texas and then expand.