The Big Trip-arooski

We did it!! More than 7,400 miles of guiding the big Freestar van between the beer cans were accumulated without suffering anything other than aching squared-off gluteus maximus muscles and having just enough energy left to complain about not having any energy. According to Shirley Gerber, we need an antidote for fun poisoning! Boy! What a great way to suffer!

Hopefully, I can relate to everyone what it’s like to eat one’s way through the several states (and not need an operation by the time the vacation has ended) while enjoying the wonderful sights and sounds of our fabulous country. We broke in at least one new Chinese buffet and hammered a couple of well-used ones. Not even “Home Town Buffet” was left untouched. That was the one where we ate breakfast for three days in advance. I wasn’t about to leave being hungry to chance, HEHEH. I’ll try to get to the hot dogs, tacos, steaks. BBQ’s, biscuits and gravy, and such as the newsletter continues.

The hope was to depart the “Land of Milk and Free Money” (ah, yes…a sprinkle of cynicism) shortly after church on Sunday Nov. 5th. However, just as the plans to leave early fell apart on our previous trip last year, the plans eroded for this trip as well. So, not to be disheartened by mere demands on our vacation time, we simply departed the next morning…later than we had planed but resolute and full of vim and caffeine (I can’t seem to do vigor that early in the day).

It’s a long long way to Texas. In fact, the old adage is that, no matter from where you depart, when you reach Texas, you’re half way there. Just to add to the “Encyclopedia of Interesting Information”, it is the same distance from El Paso, Texas to Phoenix, AZ as it is from El Paso to Abilene.

We drove and drove and drove and the scenery seemed to indicate that we were actually going …nowhere. But, I wasn’t to be fooled because I had successfully traversed this desolate desert on more than one occasion. I knew that my faithful Ford Freestar’s odometer was not failing me. Of course, neither was my bladder deceiving me. When you drink lots of Diet Pepsi on purpose, you know that you will have to stop and resolve all comfort issues at some place along the highway. That means that, when the truck stop where you find relief is different than the one at which you previously found joy, then you are making progress. It’s a simple standard when you stop to think about it but it works really well in Texas when the scenery hasn’t changed in a couple of days.

Kingsbury, Texas is a cool place at which to arrive. It was once a thriving town at the end of the railroad line. All roads led to Kingsbury so it was a town of hustle and bustle. Alas, the railroad pushed on into greener territory and much of Kingsbury remained neglected. Not everyone is unhappy about that. A lack of urbanization isn’t all that bad if you are retired or, like Roger Freeman, you have a beautiful grass strip that can be called a runway for your airplanes.

Connie and I look really look forward to this part of the trip because it involves family. Roger is Connie’s “baby brother”…a point which she seems to lord over him at times. Is that a “girl thing”? Anyway, Roger is tolerant of his elder “seester” as usual. And, we’re all agog because Roger is the curator, owner, chief pilot,and chief mechanic and oil can hoister for the “Pioneer Flight Museum” (http://www.pioneerflightmuseum.org/). We're talkin' "cool guy" here!

We really dig “Old Kingsbury Aerodrome”! There’s little to not get excited about at this place! You can throw a rock and hit an old airplane. I would actually caution against doing such a thing as it may get you fed to the local catfish by the museum volunteers who, with much blood, sweat, and tears, help to keep the planes and airport in tip-top shape.

These truly committed gents (or at least, some of them need to be…heheh…just joking. You guys are the best!) have the Herculean task of tending everything from the runway to the 1917 Curtiss JN-4 “Canuck”. There are ancient quirky Ford Model T’s with which to contend and which need to be babysat continually, wayward aircraft like the early 1930’s Pietenpol Skyscout powered by a Ford Model A engine that recently overcame a radiator issue, and the rebuilding of some of the important parts of the original WW-I Fokker Dr 1 Tri-plane. Another matter of focus and wonder is the general parts scrounging for which these guys are famous. They can find or make just about anything! Perhaps in another issue I’ll relate how they are building early motorcycle replicas from bicycle frames and two-cycle moped engines! I rode one and it is most certainly….COOL! Included in the update will be the two competing Model T racers that are currently being built! I can’t wait for that project to be finished. Check in with the website to stay apprised of these fun and historical projects. Al Sumrall and Tom Gaylord usually ship out the newsletters and workday updates. I’m sure that wouldn’t mind adding a few new e-mail address.

Anyway…on the way out of town the first day we were able to hook up with Don and Shirley Gerber in Apple Valley. You may recall that they are the bandleaders for the “Cedar Grove Bluegrass Band” for which I was their bass player and harmony vocalist. They treated us to heaping helping of homebuilt chili and cornbread. I think she had cots prepared for a siesta knowing that I can’t get enough chili and cornbread and would be stoked afterwards. That was a wonderful idea and my eyeballs certainly did feel like a couple of lead fishing weights. But, the van needed to be BOI (back on the Interstate) so we could have a fighting chance to see as many people as possible. It was “hugs all around” and then we were warming the tires again.

The end of the first day found us at Kingman, AZ which I personally have found to be about the average stopping place when I depart from this area. By lunch time, we were at a big ol’ Petro Truck Stop which had an “Iron Skillet” restaurant parked in its midst. We commenced to waylay the buffet there for awhile. We showed no mercy to the steam tables. After annihilating any chance of being hungry for the next few hours, we headed out on I-40 and were listening to the Bible on CD (a great way to stay in the word). At about 9PM or so, we called it “quits” at Deming, NM. Not one mile of scenery had changed since the last time we had driven through there.

There wasn’t much to see or to do the entirety of the next day but drive. Drive we did. When you get to Texas, you can expect to see “mile and miles of Texas” (yes….”Bob Wills” and ”Asleep at the Wheel”). We were so far out into west Texas that, by evening time, even the radio signals couldn’t find us! The end of the line for day three was Junction, TX. Once settled, Connie spent awhile sewing on birthday aprons for the grand-kiddies while I cleaned up some e-mail and tried to catch some news on the big TV set that the motel had afforded. Some of motels are now boasting 27” flat screen TV’s. Works for me!

The next day we awoke to a beautiful sunshiny Thursday morning. We didn’t have an abundance of pep so we elected to be rather ho-hum about packing the van and tracking down more coffee and OJ. No sense wrecking a good day off by working, I always say. Traffic was light, the weather was clear, the highway was dry, and the traffic was light. Perfect. We’re BOI.

Not long after noon we finally made it to “Old Kingsbury Aerodrome”. We immediately were greeted by the “ditch crew”. That would be Roger, Chris, and Steve Freeman, who were installing Chris’ water lines to his home-away-from-home trailer there at the airport. They were hip deep in a freshly dug water line trench that was being guarded by a backhoe. I guess a little Texas dirt never hurt a good family greeting.

It was great to see “the guys” again. This was the first time almost three years that Connie, Steve, Chris, and Roger had been together in one place. It was "hugs all around" and time to get caught up on things.

All of the driving and all of that ditch work sho’ nuff welled up an appetite in all parties present. So, at the behest of Rog’, the lead chow instructor who knows the ins and outs of the restaurants there, we headed out to nearby Seguin for lunch.

Seguin is a lovely smallish town about 35 minutes east of San Antonio. It’s a thriving city that is prospering quite well that I could see. It is noted for a number of things but I personally think it’s notable for the large “doorknob to Hell” water tower that rises high above this lovely prairie town with its abundance of restaurants and places to shop. You see a lot of these towers all over the country.

Roger had already staked out a super neat Chinese buffet (it would not be the last one we would visit). Since they all greeted him warmly I could see that he was no stranger. In fact, I'm wanting to say that we can blame Roger's slight Chinese accent on having fequented this place quit often.

This wonderful buffet had many of the common Chinese dishes but Connie and I were surely pleased to see a few that we had yet to try. It only took a few plates to bring our palate experiences rating up to date. The huge meal lasted us until the next huge meal that evening!

Wait, folks! There’s more! Don’t touch that dial and stay tuned for the next addition to the adventures of the sub-dynamic duo, Connie and Randy. We’ll update the Roost as soon as we can.