Saturday, June 30, 2012--Las Cruces and Silver City, New Mexico
I left El Paso worrying about the heat because of a reservation I had made for a tent campground for tonight. I decided to take the day as it came and to hope they would release me from my reservation if it was just too miserable to set up a tent and sleep in it.
I took the back road, New Mexico Highway 28, from El Paso to Las Cruces. As promised, it was a nice scenic route following the Mesilla Valley which, thanks to the miracle of irrigation, is full of wineries, pecan orchards, truck farms, horse farms, etc. It's a two-lane road which also has lots of bicycle traffic, so I had to be careful in that respect. Thankfully, most of the cyclists seemed to be going the opposite direction.
Besides the scenic route, another reason for taking NM 28 was that it goes through the old pueblo village of Mesilla which is on the edge of Las Cruces. It used to be the bigger of the two towns in the 1700s and 1800s. It has a downtown that consists of a Spanish-style plaza which is surrounded by old adobe buildings housing wineries, restaurants, tourist shops, etc. I parked and walked the plaza and the area within two blocks of it. It's probably much like Santa Fe was when it was still only a small village.
From there, I headed downtown to Las Cruces. They have a Saturday market which I wanted to see. I was surprised to find it to be much more than I expected. Actually, much of it was an arts show. It had 2-4 rows of booths running two blocks along Main Street. Some were stalls selling vegetables, pecans, bakery products, etc. But 80% of it consisted of arts and crafts products.
While in the area, I took a quick tour of the Las Cruces Museum of Art. It is small, but it had a couple of interesting exhibits. Most of their work is contemporary which I appreciate.
I got in the worst traffic jam of my life trying to go to Sam's Club to buy gasoline! They must be MUCH cheaper than elsewhere. There were at least 40-50 cars waiting in line to buy gas. I barely got out of the parking lot. I retreated to a place I had passed on the way that had gas for $3.09 per gallon (cash only) and bought there.
Before leaving town, I stopped at the New Mexico State University campus. I visited their small museum and walked around the main part of the campus. It is not an impressive one. The UTEP campus was much nicer in terms of quality and design of buildings and layout and landscaping of the campus.
It was a long drive to Silver City. About 28 miles earlier, I passed my campground where I have a reservation. At the time, the thermometer was showing 102 degrees F. I could see showers in the distance and decided to explore Silver City before backtracking to the campground. On the way, it rained quite hard a couple of times and the temperature dropped to the low 70s!! I drove through the Western New Mexico University campus, a small, but nice looking school and then parked downtown. Silver City was a boom town in the 1800s, and in recent years shopping centers and a Walmart have been built. That means that its downtown is too big for what is needed today. Many buildings are vacant and those that aren't often are filled with thrift stores or junk stores advertised as antique stores. There are a few bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and tourist shops which make it a weekend destination, but I can't imagine anyone staying there more than one night.
I'm writing this at the Silver City McDonald's. I'll buy dinner here, since the campground has no restaurant. Then I will head to the campground to see if the temperature is better there now. It should be about 17:00 when I get there. It's a hot springs campground called Faywood. If I'm lucky, it will be cool enough to enjoy the hot springs AND to sleep okay in the tent.
Walking Steps: 9914 steps
Distance (3 days--2 local and 1 on the road): 302 miles
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
Exploring Downtown El Paso and UTEP
Friday, June 29, 2012--El Paso, TX
I got an early start today knowing that I would be spending a lot of time walking and exploring outdoors. My goal was to see everything worth seeing in the downtown area if possible.
I headed first to the University of Texas at El Paso campus. It is set in the foothills of the Franklin Mountains on the northern edge of downtown. What makes it especially unique is that the major buildings are all built in Bhutanese style. The original architect must have thought that the rust-colored mountain setting would be much like being in exotic Bhutan. It works. The buildings actually look quite nice. And it definitely makes the campus unique in comparison to others. While there, I visited the campus museum which houses a combination of scientific and historical exhibits.
I parked on the first street away from downtown that did not have a 2-hour limit. I walked to the civic center area first where I picked up tourist information. I visited the El Paso Museum of History and the nearby El Paso Museum of Art--both free and quite interesting. Then I began exploring downtown by foot using a walking trail map I had gotten.
The old center of El Paso is undergoing a restoration. The Plaza Theater redo was the impetus for it all, I think. Several old office buildings have been restored near it. The Plaza Hotel (which was the first high-rise Hilton Hotel is currently undergoing restoration. The old Hotel Paso del Norte was restored AND had a huge addition built onto it to become the Camino Real Hotel. Fortunately, the old lobby with its stained glass dome was retained as a bar.
Downtown is no longer a traditional shopping district. All the old department stores have closed. But the shopping district is alive as a place for Mexicans and poorer El Paso citizens to shop. There are blocks and blocks of individually-owned shops serving clientele who walk across the bridge from Juarez every day. The merchandise is typically cheap in price and quality and would not appeal to anyone except those living on a very limited budget. And the shops are not attractive to see, since their profit margins are so narrow that they cannot maintain the buildings well.
Together, the downtown that is undergoing restoration as a tourist and convention area and the shopping district make for a lively center when compared to other cities. But the feel in general is that of any border town in Texas (except bigger, since El Paso and Juarez combined have about 2.2 million people--the same as the San Antonio metropolitan area).
I returned to the car after 5 hours of exploring. I was hot and thirsty and tired. The outside temperature was 109 degrees F (43 degrees C)! I headed to the cinema thinking I would see a film. However, it was two hours before the next feature. I went next door to Sam's Club and bought a large soda which I refilled twice!!! Now I am back at the room and will go out to the movie later. I need to read to determine whether I will see the German film Lola Versus (37% approval rating) or the American film Moonrise Kingdom (94% approval rating). Oops. I guess that looking up the Rotten Tomatoes approval ratings has told me which I should see.
Steps Taken: 19,427
I got an early start today knowing that I would be spending a lot of time walking and exploring outdoors. My goal was to see everything worth seeing in the downtown area if possible.
I headed first to the University of Texas at El Paso campus. It is set in the foothills of the Franklin Mountains on the northern edge of downtown. What makes it especially unique is that the major buildings are all built in Bhutanese style. The original architect must have thought that the rust-colored mountain setting would be much like being in exotic Bhutan. It works. The buildings actually look quite nice. And it definitely makes the campus unique in comparison to others. While there, I visited the campus museum which houses a combination of scientific and historical exhibits.
I parked on the first street away from downtown that did not have a 2-hour limit. I walked to the civic center area first where I picked up tourist information. I visited the El Paso Museum of History and the nearby El Paso Museum of Art--both free and quite interesting. Then I began exploring downtown by foot using a walking trail map I had gotten.
The old center of El Paso is undergoing a restoration. The Plaza Theater redo was the impetus for it all, I think. Several old office buildings have been restored near it. The Plaza Hotel (which was the first high-rise Hilton Hotel is currently undergoing restoration. The old Hotel Paso del Norte was restored AND had a huge addition built onto it to become the Camino Real Hotel. Fortunately, the old lobby with its stained glass dome was retained as a bar.
Downtown is no longer a traditional shopping district. All the old department stores have closed. But the shopping district is alive as a place for Mexicans and poorer El Paso citizens to shop. There are blocks and blocks of individually-owned shops serving clientele who walk across the bridge from Juarez every day. The merchandise is typically cheap in price and quality and would not appeal to anyone except those living on a very limited budget. And the shops are not attractive to see, since their profit margins are so narrow that they cannot maintain the buildings well.
Together, the downtown that is undergoing restoration as a tourist and convention area and the shopping district make for a lively center when compared to other cities. But the feel in general is that of any border town in Texas (except bigger, since El Paso and Juarez combined have about 2.2 million people--the same as the San Antonio metropolitan area).
I returned to the car after 5 hours of exploring. I was hot and thirsty and tired. The outside temperature was 109 degrees F (43 degrees C)! I headed to the cinema thinking I would see a film. However, it was two hours before the next feature. I went next door to Sam's Club and bought a large soda which I refilled twice!!! Now I am back at the room and will go out to the movie later. I need to read to determine whether I will see the German film Lola Versus (37% approval rating) or the American film Moonrise Kingdom (94% approval rating). Oops. I guess that looking up the Rotten Tomatoes approval ratings has told me which I should see.
Steps Taken: 19,427
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Lazy Hot Day in El Pas
Thursday, June 28, 2012--El Paso, TX
When I went to breakfast, there was a young black soldier there who had just heard that the Supreme Court had just upheld the Affordable Care Act. He commented that he had essentially the same medical care as Congress, but that he realized how important it is that everyone be covered by health care. He made the comment that all the other first world nations have universal health care, and I added that many poorer nations do, too, and gave Thailand as an example.
I spent the morning exploring the old Spanish missions on this side of the Rio Grande. There are 3 of them, and there are others on the Mexican side. Although they are covered with smooth stucco that is painted white that makes them look different from the missions in San Antonio, inside they look just like the missions there. The big surprise was that the last mission on the local Mission Trail, San Elizario, is part of an old pueblo that has turned into an art colony. There is a small plaza with trees and benches, and there are several old adobe buildings that house galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, gift shops, etc. It is a very nice place.
When I returned to the hotel, I explored the airport. My hotel is right at the entrance to it. I couldn't have chosen a better location for a hotel. Within two miles there is the best mall in town, Cielo Vista, the only cinema that shows foreign and independent films, a Sam's Club, a Costco, and many other conveniences.
Because of the heat, I went to the cinema this afternoon. I saw the film Hysteria. I had seen a play with a similar theme less than a month ago in San Antonio. Although not a great film, it was entertaining.
I went over to Costco after seeing the film to take advantage of the air conditioning and the fact that they would be giving out samples. Those filled me until the evening when I ate a light meal.
It was nice to have a slow day. Tomorrow, I will head downtown to explore it and to see the UT El Paso campus and the interesting shopping neighborhood near it that has "finer" shops.
I'm worried about the heat. I've read that it is hot everywhere with temperatures over 100 degrees in Denver, Montana, and other places I plan to visit. It won't be fun to see these places if it remains that hot. I don't think that the condo I have rented in Denver even has air conditioning. Most homes there do not. I was hoping that things would be cool in the mountains. If it isn't, I'll have to alter the plans for my trip.
Walking Steps: 11,989
When I went to breakfast, there was a young black soldier there who had just heard that the Supreme Court had just upheld the Affordable Care Act. He commented that he had essentially the same medical care as Congress, but that he realized how important it is that everyone be covered by health care. He made the comment that all the other first world nations have universal health care, and I added that many poorer nations do, too, and gave Thailand as an example.
I spent the morning exploring the old Spanish missions on this side of the Rio Grande. There are 3 of them, and there are others on the Mexican side. Although they are covered with smooth stucco that is painted white that makes them look different from the missions in San Antonio, inside they look just like the missions there. The big surprise was that the last mission on the local Mission Trail, San Elizario, is part of an old pueblo that has turned into an art colony. There is a small plaza with trees and benches, and there are several old adobe buildings that house galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, gift shops, etc. It is a very nice place.
When I returned to the hotel, I explored the airport. My hotel is right at the entrance to it. I couldn't have chosen a better location for a hotel. Within two miles there is the best mall in town, Cielo Vista, the only cinema that shows foreign and independent films, a Sam's Club, a Costco, and many other conveniences.
Because of the heat, I went to the cinema this afternoon. I saw the film Hysteria. I had seen a play with a similar theme less than a month ago in San Antonio. Although not a great film, it was entertaining.
I went over to Costco after seeing the film to take advantage of the air conditioning and the fact that they would be giving out samples. Those filled me until the evening when I ate a light meal.
It was nice to have a slow day. Tomorrow, I will head downtown to explore it and to see the UT El Paso campus and the interesting shopping neighborhood near it that has "finer" shops.
I'm worried about the heat. I've read that it is hot everywhere with temperatures over 100 degrees in Denver, Montana, and other places I plan to visit. It won't be fun to see these places if it remains that hot. I don't think that the condo I have rented in Denver even has air conditioning. Most homes there do not. I was hoping that things would be cool in the mountains. If it isn't, I'll have to alter the plans for my trip.
Walking Steps: 11,989
Change of Plans
Wednesday, June 27, 2012--Abilene to El Paso via Midland-Odessa
Originally, I had planned to spend the night in Midland or Odessa, but when I tried to make a reservation, many places were unavailable, and most of those that were available were priced at $120 or more per night. Even the Motel 6 was $90 plus tax! I guess the oil boom is the cause. I also tried Pecos, and nothing was available there. I now know that the cause of that is the West of the Pecos Rodeo started today. Therefore, I decided, since I was bringing my tent, to go to Balmorhea State Park and camp out. I could swim in the refreshingly large spring-fed pool. But the day was another scorcher. As I approached the turn-off for Balmorhea, the temperature outside was 104 degrees F (40 degrees C). I knew it would be miserable trying to put the tent up and trying to sleep with temperatures like that. With nowhere else along the route other than dusty small towns, I decided to make the LONG trip all the way to El Paso.
After having seen everything I wanted to in Midland-Odessa over only 2 a two-hour period and after having traveled only 3 hours on the road to get there, I was actually glad I had been unable to find an acceptable place at a reasonable price for the staying there. I cannot imagine any reason why anyone would want to be there overnight.
I've read several gleaming articles about Midland with its tall office buildings downtown and its people with oil wealth. Downtown does have lots of office buildings. They cover an area about 4 blocks wide and about 6 blocks long. Some are sleek and modern. Many are from the 50s and 60s. None have much character. And I counted at least 6 that were completely abandoned. On the Internet, I read about two that had been imploded recently. There was really nothing else downtown. It seemed strange with only office building after office building. I didn't even get out to walk; I just drove up and down the streets several times. The only older building I saw was the Yucca Theater, and even it looks strange--a low, wide theater that looked squatty. It was locked tight with no chance of seeing inside. With nothing else I could find on the Internet to try to see in Midland, I headed for Odessa.
Odessa is strange in its own way. The two major sites to see in town are copies--one of the Stonehenge on the university campus and one of the Globe Theater on the community college campus. It's like no one there has any imagination. I wondered if maybe the people of Midland-Odessa have lived in such a god-forsaken place so long that they are out of touch with most of the world. I know that most Americans make their first international trip beyond North America to Great Britain and love it. It's like that might have been the only trip people from there had made, which became their only inspiration (in a copycat way). Remember, when George W. Bush who grew up in Midland became President, he had not traveled outside the USA.
The University of Texas at Permian Basin campus in northwestern Odessa is mostly nice. The original buildings there are heavy concrete structures that are very unattractive. But there are also about 4 newer buildings with limestone or cream-colored brick facades that are rather light and attractive. I did walk to the edge of the campus to see "Stonehenge." Someone in town must have insisted to put it there; I can't understand why the art department would consider it a positive aspect of their site. I had to be careful trying to take photos, because the ground was covered with plants with burrs. I immediately got one on my big tow, a couple on the inside edges of my sandals, and several on the outsides of my sandals and had to limp to a stone seat to try to remove them.
Driving into town from there, I passed the Permian High School campus. It is famous because of the success of its football program which became the basis for the book and TV series entitled Friday Night Lights.
"The Globe" is not a true model, because it has a roof over the center to enclose it for air conditioning. It's setting is at the back side of the community college campus. Across the street are old buildings, and the parking lot surrounding it is in bad condition. I noticed that their program no longer shows a Shakespeare festival. It consists of "community theater" type fare. In other words, it is a bust.
Downtown Odessa is a big contrast from downtown Midland. It has only 2 office buildings. Neither is sleek. It does, however, still have the old downtown shopping district which is mostly abandoned.
Leaving town, I pulled off at the Odessa Meteor Crater. It's the second largest meteor crater in the US and the 6th largest in the world. It's obviously a crater, although it has filled over the years with silt and the edges have worn away from weather and other factors. It was HOT there, so I looked inside the small museum and quickly walked around and through the middle of the crater. I noticed on the sign-in sheet that it is mostly men who stop there. I guess that craters do not appeal that much to women.
From there, it was a LONG drive through the boring Permian Basin, the dessert, and the mountains to El Paso. Because of the heat, there were many whirlwinds (small tornado-like air movements that are strong enough to stir up the dust but not strong enough to create any damage). There were lots of ugly, dusty small towns. Mostly, there was boredom for me and the other drivers.
Because I didn't have a reservation in El Paso for the night, I stopped on the edge of town at a McDonalds to use the free wifi to reserve a room at the Microhotel Airport where I already had a reservation for the next two nights. Then I drove on into town.
Steps: Uncertain. At one time, it said 4000+, but then I must have bumped it to clear it. Probably about 6000, since I was on the road most of the day.
Driving Distance: 407 Miles (655 km)
Originally, I had planned to spend the night in Midland or Odessa, but when I tried to make a reservation, many places were unavailable, and most of those that were available were priced at $120 or more per night. Even the Motel 6 was $90 plus tax! I guess the oil boom is the cause. I also tried Pecos, and nothing was available there. I now know that the cause of that is the West of the Pecos Rodeo started today. Therefore, I decided, since I was bringing my tent, to go to Balmorhea State Park and camp out. I could swim in the refreshingly large spring-fed pool. But the day was another scorcher. As I approached the turn-off for Balmorhea, the temperature outside was 104 degrees F (40 degrees C). I knew it would be miserable trying to put the tent up and trying to sleep with temperatures like that. With nowhere else along the route other than dusty small towns, I decided to make the LONG trip all the way to El Paso.
After having seen everything I wanted to in Midland-Odessa over only 2 a two-hour period and after having traveled only 3 hours on the road to get there, I was actually glad I had been unable to find an acceptable place at a reasonable price for the staying there. I cannot imagine any reason why anyone would want to be there overnight.
I've read several gleaming articles about Midland with its tall office buildings downtown and its people with oil wealth. Downtown does have lots of office buildings. They cover an area about 4 blocks wide and about 6 blocks long. Some are sleek and modern. Many are from the 50s and 60s. None have much character. And I counted at least 6 that were completely abandoned. On the Internet, I read about two that had been imploded recently. There was really nothing else downtown. It seemed strange with only office building after office building. I didn't even get out to walk; I just drove up and down the streets several times. The only older building I saw was the Yucca Theater, and even it looks strange--a low, wide theater that looked squatty. It was locked tight with no chance of seeing inside. With nothing else I could find on the Internet to try to see in Midland, I headed for Odessa.
Odessa is strange in its own way. The two major sites to see in town are copies--one of the Stonehenge on the university campus and one of the Globe Theater on the community college campus. It's like no one there has any imagination. I wondered if maybe the people of Midland-Odessa have lived in such a god-forsaken place so long that they are out of touch with most of the world. I know that most Americans make their first international trip beyond North America to Great Britain and love it. It's like that might have been the only trip people from there had made, which became their only inspiration (in a copycat way). Remember, when George W. Bush who grew up in Midland became President, he had not traveled outside the USA.
The University of Texas at Permian Basin campus in northwestern Odessa is mostly nice. The original buildings there are heavy concrete structures that are very unattractive. But there are also about 4 newer buildings with limestone or cream-colored brick facades that are rather light and attractive. I did walk to the edge of the campus to see "Stonehenge." Someone in town must have insisted to put it there; I can't understand why the art department would consider it a positive aspect of their site. I had to be careful trying to take photos, because the ground was covered with plants with burrs. I immediately got one on my big tow, a couple on the inside edges of my sandals, and several on the outsides of my sandals and had to limp to a stone seat to try to remove them.
Driving into town from there, I passed the Permian High School campus. It is famous because of the success of its football program which became the basis for the book and TV series entitled Friday Night Lights.
"The Globe" is not a true model, because it has a roof over the center to enclose it for air conditioning. It's setting is at the back side of the community college campus. Across the street are old buildings, and the parking lot surrounding it is in bad condition. I noticed that their program no longer shows a Shakespeare festival. It consists of "community theater" type fare. In other words, it is a bust.
Downtown Odessa is a big contrast from downtown Midland. It has only 2 office buildings. Neither is sleek. It does, however, still have the old downtown shopping district which is mostly abandoned.
Leaving town, I pulled off at the Odessa Meteor Crater. It's the second largest meteor crater in the US and the 6th largest in the world. It's obviously a crater, although it has filled over the years with silt and the edges have worn away from weather and other factors. It was HOT there, so I looked inside the small museum and quickly walked around and through the middle of the crater. I noticed on the sign-in sheet that it is mostly men who stop there. I guess that craters do not appeal that much to women.
From there, it was a LONG drive through the boring Permian Basin, the dessert, and the mountains to El Paso. Because of the heat, there were many whirlwinds (small tornado-like air movements that are strong enough to stir up the dust but not strong enough to create any damage). There were lots of ugly, dusty small towns. Mostly, there was boredom for me and the other drivers.
Because I didn't have a reservation in El Paso for the night, I stopped on the edge of town at a McDonalds to use the free wifi to reserve a room at the Microhotel Airport where I already had a reservation for the next two nights. Then I drove on into town.
Steps: Uncertain. At one time, it said 4000+, but then I must have bumped it to clear it. Probably about 6000, since I was on the road most of the day.
Driving Distance: 407 Miles (655 km)
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Exploring HOT Abilene!
Tuesday, May 26, 2010--Abilene, TX
My hotel has a self-serve breakfast. I made myself a Texas-shaped waffle and ate it with butter and syrup. Then I had some oatmeal, a yogurt, and a banana. After that, I was in a hurry to start my sightseeing so I could get as much as possible done before the heat became unbearable. That didn't work. It was already over 100 by mid-morning and got up to 106 (41 Celsius) in the afternoon. What made it worse is that there is hardly anywhere to park in the shade, so the car was constantly overheated when I would return to it, and the lack of shade extended to most places I visited.
Abilene is a college town. There are three universities that are all church-related, plus Texas Tech operates a School of Pharmacy and a School of Nursing here. On my list of things to do was to explore each campus. Because they were spread around the city, however, I didn't do them one-after-the-other. I interspersed my campus tours with other activities.
The campus of Abilene Christian University (affiliated with Churches of Christ) is near my hotel on the northeast side of town. I started there. The campus was hosting a camp for potential students, so all the buildings were open. I was given a campus map and a cold bottle of water and sent out to explore. It is a big campus with impressive buildings. Everything fits together nicely to give a manicured, clean, and planned appearance. I spent 1 1/2 hours wandering and enjoying the campus.
From there, I headed to the zoo just a bit further down the road. I knew it would be difficult to see any animals the hotter the day became. Of course, with temperatures like we are having in Texas now, it was already too hot when I arrived there at 9:30. It's a small zoo, but a nice one. It was well organized and attractive. Most of the animals were ones native to Texas, but there were exhibits of lions, giraffes, a rhinoceros, zebras, etc., from Africa and some birds and animals from other continents, too. I spent 1 1/2 hours there, but I went into a couple of air conditioned exhibits (night critters and creepy crawlers) twice just to get into the air conditioning and out of the heat.
From there, I went to McMurray University (affiliated with the United Methodist Church). They were hosting a conference of Methodist women, so many of their buildings were open, too. It was the smallest of the three campuses I visited today, and it was the least attractive, too. Although located along Sayles Street which is lined with beautiful homes, the street and the neighborhood changed around the campus was rather poor looking. The buildings were no where near the quality of those at ACU. And there was a horribly designed student center built somewhat in a hole in the middle of the campus that did not match the style of the rest of the campus.
From there, I headed downtown. Like San Angelo, the downtown is spread out with lots of gaps where buildings no longer exist and with lots of empty buildings. It's strange in another way, though. The railroad goes through town and the "old" downtown is on the north side of the tracks. However, the county government buildings and a Bank of America tower that is the tallest building in the city are built south of the tracks. It looks funny to see a tall building so far from the rest of downtown.
While downtown, I explored the lobby and the interior of the Paramount Theater, a grand cinema that is no where nearly as large and grand as the Majestic in San Antonio but is quite a bit bigger and grander than the Ritz in Corpus Christi. I explored the lobby of the Wooten Hotel which was not nearly as nice as the Cactus Hotel I saw yesterday in San Angelo. I toured an exhibit at the Center for Contemporary Art of the art created by Ted Geisel, the author and illustrator for the Dr. Suess books. I saw a further Dr. Seuss exhibit at the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature. Before leaving downtown, I found a bakery that must have been there for 40-50 years. I bought a cinnamon-sugar muffin and a lemon bar. Each was 75 cents, so the prices are from a few years ago, too, when compared with elsewhere.
From downtown, I headed to Hardin-Simmons University (affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention) to tour the last of the three main campuses. Like ACU, it was clean and attractive. Some of the buildings were impressive, and everything seemed to fit together nicely.
After having seen all three, I wanted to rank them some way in terms of quality of facilities, attractiveness, etc. I finally decided that a traditional grading system would be best. I would give Abilene Christian University a 95-96, Hardin-Simmons University an 86-87, and McMurray University a 72-73.
By the time I left there, it was 2:00 p.m. I headed for the swimming pool at Stevenson Park. I stayed there almost an hour (until they blew the whistle to force everyone out of the pool for 15 minutes so they could adjust the chlorine level. The pool itself had no shade, so my face had been burning. Rather than stay in the shade for 15 minutes and then head back into the pool, I decided to head to a concert downtown.
I had seen the brochure at one of the museums. It was a children's concert by a local brass ensemble and was starting at 3 p.m. at the library. I got there just as it was beginning. The group did a good job of trying to educate the children about the instruments, to promote the idea of the students studying music, to teach them about different lengths of notes, etc. They played a nice variety of music from films and TV shows that the students would recognize to classical pieces by Bach and others.
When the concert was over, I had no interest in being outdoors further. I headed to the Mall of Abilene to walk inside and just to watch people. Not many people were there, though, and I found the mall to be rather boring. I got a hot dog at Sam's Club and headed back to the hotel for the evening.
22,915 Steps Today
Didn't figure car mileage, since I was in town all day
My hotel has a self-serve breakfast. I made myself a Texas-shaped waffle and ate it with butter and syrup. Then I had some oatmeal, a yogurt, and a banana. After that, I was in a hurry to start my sightseeing so I could get as much as possible done before the heat became unbearable. That didn't work. It was already over 100 by mid-morning and got up to 106 (41 Celsius) in the afternoon. What made it worse is that there is hardly anywhere to park in the shade, so the car was constantly overheated when I would return to it, and the lack of shade extended to most places I visited.
Abilene is a college town. There are three universities that are all church-related, plus Texas Tech operates a School of Pharmacy and a School of Nursing here. On my list of things to do was to explore each campus. Because they were spread around the city, however, I didn't do them one-after-the-other. I interspersed my campus tours with other activities.
The campus of Abilene Christian University (affiliated with Churches of Christ) is near my hotel on the northeast side of town. I started there. The campus was hosting a camp for potential students, so all the buildings were open. I was given a campus map and a cold bottle of water and sent out to explore. It is a big campus with impressive buildings. Everything fits together nicely to give a manicured, clean, and planned appearance. I spent 1 1/2 hours wandering and enjoying the campus.
From there, I headed to the zoo just a bit further down the road. I knew it would be difficult to see any animals the hotter the day became. Of course, with temperatures like we are having in Texas now, it was already too hot when I arrived there at 9:30. It's a small zoo, but a nice one. It was well organized and attractive. Most of the animals were ones native to Texas, but there were exhibits of lions, giraffes, a rhinoceros, zebras, etc., from Africa and some birds and animals from other continents, too. I spent 1 1/2 hours there, but I went into a couple of air conditioned exhibits (night critters and creepy crawlers) twice just to get into the air conditioning and out of the heat.
From there, I went to McMurray University (affiliated with the United Methodist Church). They were hosting a conference of Methodist women, so many of their buildings were open, too. It was the smallest of the three campuses I visited today, and it was the least attractive, too. Although located along Sayles Street which is lined with beautiful homes, the street and the neighborhood changed around the campus was rather poor looking. The buildings were no where near the quality of those at ACU. And there was a horribly designed student center built somewhat in a hole in the middle of the campus that did not match the style of the rest of the campus.
From there, I headed downtown. Like San Angelo, the downtown is spread out with lots of gaps where buildings no longer exist and with lots of empty buildings. It's strange in another way, though. The railroad goes through town and the "old" downtown is on the north side of the tracks. However, the county government buildings and a Bank of America tower that is the tallest building in the city are built south of the tracks. It looks funny to see a tall building so far from the rest of downtown.
While downtown, I explored the lobby and the interior of the Paramount Theater, a grand cinema that is no where nearly as large and grand as the Majestic in San Antonio but is quite a bit bigger and grander than the Ritz in Corpus Christi. I explored the lobby of the Wooten Hotel which was not nearly as nice as the Cactus Hotel I saw yesterday in San Angelo. I toured an exhibit at the Center for Contemporary Art of the art created by Ted Geisel, the author and illustrator for the Dr. Suess books. I saw a further Dr. Seuss exhibit at the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature. Before leaving downtown, I found a bakery that must have been there for 40-50 years. I bought a cinnamon-sugar muffin and a lemon bar. Each was 75 cents, so the prices are from a few years ago, too, when compared with elsewhere.
From downtown, I headed to Hardin-Simmons University (affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention) to tour the last of the three main campuses. Like ACU, it was clean and attractive. Some of the buildings were impressive, and everything seemed to fit together nicely.
After having seen all three, I wanted to rank them some way in terms of quality of facilities, attractiveness, etc. I finally decided that a traditional grading system would be best. I would give Abilene Christian University a 95-96, Hardin-Simmons University an 86-87, and McMurray University a 72-73.
By the time I left there, it was 2:00 p.m. I headed for the swimming pool at Stevenson Park. I stayed there almost an hour (until they blew the whistle to force everyone out of the pool for 15 minutes so they could adjust the chlorine level. The pool itself had no shade, so my face had been burning. Rather than stay in the shade for 15 minutes and then head back into the pool, I decided to head to a concert downtown.
I had seen the brochure at one of the museums. It was a children's concert by a local brass ensemble and was starting at 3 p.m. at the library. I got there just as it was beginning. The group did a good job of trying to educate the children about the instruments, to promote the idea of the students studying music, to teach them about different lengths of notes, etc. They played a nice variety of music from films and TV shows that the students would recognize to classical pieces by Bach and others.
When the concert was over, I had no interest in being outdoors further. I headed to the Mall of Abilene to walk inside and just to watch people. Not many people were there, though, and I found the mall to be rather boring. I got a hot dog at Sam's Club and headed back to the hotel for the evening.
22,915 Steps Today
Didn't figure car mileage, since I was in town all day
Monday, June 25, 2012
Beginning the Great Driving Vacation
Monday, June 25, 2012--San
Antonio to Abilene via San Angelo
This is the beginning of a long driving
trip that will take me at least as far north as Montana
and North Dakota and possibly even into Canada (Manitoba
and Saskatchewan San
Antonio
It was a 3 1/2-hour long drive to San Angelo Corpus
Christi
The tourist office was my first stop where
the lady gave me a good map and suggested routes. I spent the next 5 hours exploring the
town. It was pleasant except for the
100+ degree heat. I actually saw more
today than I usually do in a day of sightseeing. I left the car there at the tourist office
and walked for the next 2 hours or so. I
only returned then because my camera battery was going dead and needed to be
replaced before going to the next sites.
Because of the heat, I then drove to each of the other sites before
ending my 5-hour tour.
Here are things I saw with brief comments:
1. I wandered downtown San Angelo. It is
spread out and has lots of empty space converted to parking lots. It also has some distinct districts—some more
interesting than others. The most
interesting building I saw was the Cactus Hotel which was one of the original
hotels built by Conrad Hilton. Today, it
is a special events center with shops on the bottom floor. None of the rooms are rented out. The most interesting district of downtown was
the Historic Concho Avenue
2. The Riverwalk which is being built along the Concho River
3. Fort Concho Ft. Davis is
a prettier fort in a nicer setting, but the exhibits here at Ft. Concho
are as good or better than those at Ft.
Davis.
4. The Telephone Museum is in one of the buildings at Fort Concho Bell
5. The Water Lily Gardens are a unique attraction here. They have collected species from all over the
world and put them in ponds in a park beside the river. Many were blooming. Some of the lily pads were a meter (a yard)
in diameter!
6. Angelo State University
7. The city has a brand new public swimming pool that looked so
inviting in the heat!! It has overheadwater sprays, tube slides, etc. There
was no shade, however, so it actually seemed too hot to even consider going
there for a while.
From San Angelo ,
I drove another 1 1/2 hours to Abilene Abilene as I did
San Angelo San
Antonio
Traveled 320 miles in the car today and
took 18,509 steps while exploring!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.JPG){kind=link}