Day 34 – Austin, TX, Day 1

Miles traveled: 400
Hours on Road: 7
States covered: 1 – Texas

I heard coyotes whooping it up all night. They sound just like a bunch of obnoxious teenagers whooping it up. Once I figured out it wasn’t kids that I should/could yell at, the sound became a little spooky. There were obviously several of them in a group, and I must have heard several different groups throughout the night, because I heard the sounds coming from several different directions. Often they sounded far off in the distance; but I swear that one time I heard them they were running right through the campground.

Our drive to Austin was estimated (by MapQuest) to take about six hours. My nephew, John, who had been with us in Wyoming, said he’d meet us in a town called Fredericksburg. He would bring his wife, Paige, and their two kids, Jack and Grier. My sister, Chris, would also come. Meeting them there would break up the drive, and Chris said she’d take over for me for the drive into Austin. My nerves were grateful.

We left the campground pretty early. We were on our way by 8:08 a.m. We were to meet them at the National Museum of the Pacific War at 2 p.m., and though it was supposed to be a five hour drive to Fredericksburg, we knew from experience that five hours on the road really meant seven. The ride was uneventful and even a little dull. The landscape of west Texas is pretty flat. We arrived in Fredericksburg around 1:30, so we had only a half hour wait. The museum is right on the main road that runs through town, so we had no trouble finding it.

Chris called to let us know they were getting close, and by 2:15 we were heading into the Admiral Nimitz Museum, which leads into the main museum of the Pacific War. There was so much history in the building, it was impossible to go through and read everything. We saw planes that were used in the Pacific theater of the war, and lots of weapons. We learned that the automobile industry was a large participant in the manufacturing of WWII weapons, planes, and boats. The George H.W. Bush Gallery, which houses most of the museum, is self-guided, but you can also walk down the street to the Pacific Combat Zone where you go on a guided, very informational tour and you see an original PT boat and a site constructed to imitate a landing area on the Pacific Islands so you can get a feel for what it would have been like to fight on some of the island beaches. There were also a couple of Japanese tanks, which showed the limited availability of metal for the Japanese. Our tanks were way more Ninja than theirs.

After the museum, Chris drove the van back into Austin. My nerves were still frayed, so I was a pain-in-the-butt passenger, telling her she was driving too fast but then yelling at her when she didn’t get by a tractor-trailer fast enough. She was patient and obliging, but I think she wanted to smack me.

The boys were in the mood for barbeque, so we went out to Rudy’s for dinner. I’d been there before and knew the kids would love it. Chrissy recommended that we all get the brisket, which is beef, but I insisted on getting a little pork, as well. There was no need for the pork. The brisket was to die for. Parker made himself three sandwiches using the bread everyone gets with the meal. It’s the kind of place where you stand in line to order your food, then you take it to the table yourself. While waiting in line, you can grab a soda or a beer since they’re conveniently located in the center of the line area. It’s a really great place.

We ended the evening with a couple of drinks in John’s back yard, then Chris and I headed to her house for the night. She drove like a bat out of hell since the roads were empty, but because it wasn’t my vehicle and John’s bourbon had relaxed me, I didn’t nag her at all.

For corresponding photos, go to:
http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1965972027/a=2740108027_2740108027/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/