Per my last post, we had been traveling from Grand Canyon to home base in Livingston. Picking up where I left off in my travel tale:
The parking lot of the Albuquerque Wal-mart provided less
than ideal sleeping conditions. The
locals must consider Unser Boulevard the local Indy track, based on the cars
squealing and tires screeching all night long!
A fitful sleep was had by none, so we hit the road before dawn.
Since we were in Albuquerque, I wanted to scout out the house
used to film the HBO series “Breaking Bad”.
Many folks say my Dad could pass for Walter White (A.K.A. Heisenberg),
the main character from the series. Although
he looks very much like him, I know he’s no Walter White. The only cooking done in our RV is Mom’s
Italian dishes. And regrettably, I
haven’t found piles of $100, $50, or $20 bills stuffed in any of our air vents! Lord knows if I did, I’d send them to my Aunt
Maureen to assist in her animal rescue efforts at Misty Lee Farm in New Jersey. Here's some of her rescued residents and my animal friends:
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Magnum |
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Boo the One-Eyed Cat |
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Hershey and Boomer, Rescued Brothers |
We continued driving until Texas welcomed us with its wind
turbines, cotton fields, and cattle ranches.
We stopped for a photo op at Cadillac Ranch. Created in 1974, this work of art uses junk
Cadoos dating from 1949 to 1963. Entrepreneurs will sell you a can of spray
paint for $5 for you to “leave your mark” at the roadside attraction. Visiting here reminded me of my Uncle Ted
from New Jersey. A loyal fan of the
brand, he has driven Cadillacs for 30+ years.
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Cotton fields and wind turbines--Welcome to Texas! |
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Yours truly "leaving my mark"--a self portrait--at Cadillac Ranch! |
Our latest plan was to visit Palo Duro Canyon, dubbed “the
Grand Canyon of Texas”. Unfortunately,
the campground within this State Park was booked solid. Furthermore, it was a hot, sweltering day
(nearly 90 degrees), so as responsible pet owners, we couldn’t leave Tabby alone in the truck while we
toured the Canyon. And we were having a
hard time dealing with the Texas humidity ourselves, having been spoiled for 6 months
with the arid desert climate of Arizona.
So our itinerary changed yet again.
We decided to stay the night at the Amarillo Ranch RV Park, particularly
since we were so sleep deprived the night before. It is a full service Park offering spacious
sites, 50 amp electric, pool, hot tub, sauna, laundry, free Wi-Fi, and, most
importantly, a peaceful, restful atmosphere, despite its location of easy
access right off I-40. It was $35 for
the night, but money well spent, especially when we learned of the added bonus
of complimentary limo service to the legendary Big Texan Restaurant!
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Huge RV sites at Amarillo Ranch RV Park |
We were picked up right outside our rig by a friendly,
down home Texan in an El Dorado that sported bullhorns on its hood. The Big Texan Restaurant is home of the “free”
72-ounce steak. You must eat it in its
entirety, along with the accompanying salad, bread, and baked
potato, within 60 minutes, sitting all by yourself, while the other patrons ogle, take your picture, and
make you a circus act. If you accomplish
this mission, your dinner is free. If
you fail, it costs you $72. A brave soul
attempted the feat, but failed miserably, running to the bathroom immediately
after time ran out. Interestingly, the top three record holders all completed the dinner in under 10 minutes! That is sick and gross, offering no real enjoyment. We prefer to savor our meals, taking delight in each and every last morsel!
Out of curiosity, we asked the cost to purchase the 72 ounce steak outright without taking the challenge, and were told it would cost $250! What! That’s more expensive than Porterhouse for Two dining at Benjamin’s in Manhattan, New York City, one of the nation’s 100 top steakhouses! The server said they price it that way as a deterrent. They don't really want you to buy it, they prefer the free entertainment of you embarrassing yourself with the challenge.
Out of curiosity, we asked the cost to purchase the 72 ounce steak outright without taking the challenge, and were told it would cost $250! What! That’s more expensive than Porterhouse for Two dining at Benjamin’s in Manhattan, New York City, one of the nation’s 100 top steakhouses! The server said they price it that way as a deterrent. They don't really want you to buy it, they prefer the free entertainment of you embarrassing yourself with the challenge.
We partook of more modest portions: Dad an 18 ounce ribeye and Mom and I shared a 16 ounce Strip. Yummy. We toured the various rooms within the Restaurant, which offered fun and weird exhibits. We returned to the campground via livery service and turned in for a fitful night’s sleep.
The next day, we traveled through Lubbock, home of Texas Tech, and through many small, sparsely populated rural towns. We finally reached our next destination of Fredericksburg, Texas. Horse and cattle pastures, hay bales, farm stands, peach orchards, and the unadulterated beauty of the Hill Country. Americana at its best! Settled in 1846 by German immigrants, their culture and heritage prevails. Many restaurants serve authentic German brats and schnitzels, breweries and pubs craft beers in German tradition, the aroma of German delicacies arise from its bakeries, and its Marktplatz town square hosts German festivals like Bestfest.
Strolling along Main Street, we visited various shops and
just enjoyed the town’s ambiance.
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My New Friend Stewart and I doing some cruisin'! |
We opted to eat at Hondo’s on Main, a self-serve BBQ/Burger joint that was featured on a “Best of Texas” episode we watched in Fall 2016. We tried to eat here January 2017 enroute to Quartzsite, but Hondo’s was closed (Mondays and Tuesdays are dark at Hondo’s). We arrived at 7:45 p.m. and learned their kitchen closed at 9 p.m., although the bar would remain open and live musical entertainment would continue until about 11. We grabbed menus immediately and made our choices quickly. No way were we going to miss eating at this place a second time! Dad got on the long, snaking line to place our food and drink orders. Mom and I scouted out a table, which was no easy feat because the place was packed! About 45 minutes later, our food order was ready for pick-up from the kitchen window and we partook of the fixin’ bar.
We were not disappointed. Our ½ pound Certified Angus Beef “donut” burgers were cooked to perfection, and came on a sourdough bun. Hondo’s puts eggs in their burgers as a binder, something we had never heard of, but it made the meat so soft and tender, it melted in your mouth like butter! D-LISH-OUS! At least we got to burn off some calories by walking back to Wal-mart where we were staying for the night.
We awoke the next morning to the drumming of rain drops on the roof, bringing us some cooler, more comfortable temperatures in the low 70s. We did our obligatory shopping spree in Wal-mart, then left for the last leg of our trip home to Livingston. Tabby is anxious to get back into her routine, and I’m anxious to get Tabby off my lap!
Our GPS guru, who we call Gerda, is finally getting fired by my parents. She took us along every obscure, back road through the woods of Sam Houston National Forest. Though beautiful surroundings, it was a little stressful driving a set-up of our size.
But we are home, safe, and much to Tabby’s delight, will
remain stationary for the next month!
Talk to you soon!
We would like to thank some amazing organizations for all they do for the RVing community:
Always good eat'in in Texas, would love to try that 72 ounce steak but you are right, the price is a great deterent!
ReplyDeleteLooks like some fun spots! 72 oz steak you could feed a whole family. Safe travels!
ReplyDeleteWe’ve been to a lot of those places - back with our Class C in 2010. We did get to Palo Duro and it was very cool! We are at the Big Texan and someone completed the challenge while we were there! And you are right - Les is no Heisenberg/Walter White!
ReplyDelete