Thanksgiving in Florida

We're on the final stop on our trip home from Florida.  Had a rather short trip from Flagstaff to Las Vegas this morning.  It was made even shorter by the fact that we are now back in our home time zone - now we don't have to add any hours to our Fitbits for the correct time. Trip from Flagstaff was uneventful.  The countryside outside Flagstaff reminded us of the Reno-Tahoe area.  A little higher elevation, but the same mountains and pine trees.  I-40 out of Flagstaff is coincident with the old Route 66 going over to Kingman.  As I think I've mentioned before, the only casualty were the small towns on the old 66 - they got by passed by the interstate and so the local motels and cafes died off.  They're now replaced by some gas stations and motels at the interstate exits. We had breakfast in Kingman and decided to try a different way to US 93.  I think we missed a turn somewhere because we ended up in the desert north of Kingman.  Looking...

We had an easy navigational trip today.  Leave hotel, get on I-40, get off I-40, have breakfast, get back on I-40, get off I-40, get gas, get back on I-40, get off I-40, check into Best Western.  Didn't have much troubles with directions! The trip across the top of Texas, New Mexico and part of Arizona was interesting.  Mostly flat country with I-40 stretching out in the distance ahead of us.  Got our wildlife fix with a herd of antelope north of the highway.  Didn't see quite as many as we did crossing Wyoming, but it was fun watching them. The area was full of oil rigs, cattle and windmills (again).  Not a very populous area as compared to I-10 which we took going to Pensacola.  Didn't miss the traffic in El Paso, San Antonio, and Houston!  However, I don't think we saw any locations worthy of consideration for future retirement. Arrived in Flagstaff in the late afternoon.  Checked in, talked to Char for a while, and then went to the ...

We didn't make it all the way through Texas, although we gave it a valiant try.  Around 600 miles and still couldn't get through.  When we left Shreveport (on the Louisiana border), we took I-20 toward Dallas, but then cut north on US 69 and headed northwest, then cut across US 380 to US 281 up to I-40 and into Amarillo. Flat land around this part of Texas - I mean North Dakota flat.  Lots of cattle, windmills, oil wells and construction to keep everyone productively employed. The wind came up late in the afternoon and it's supposed to be really windy tomorrow.  Hopefully, the wind will be behind us and we'll have a tail wind.  I like these gas prices - we filled up this evening for $1.97 a gallon.  We were going to go to the Big Texan for dinner this evening, but there was over an hour wait, so we opted for another steak house.  Vi said I had enough chicken, pasta, and turkey - I was due for a steak.  Good idea!  Big Texan is famous for...

All good things must come to an end, so we are now on our way back to Reno after spending a great Thanksgiving in Pensacola, FL.  Char did an excellent job of organizing the Thanksgiving event with plenty of help from the family.  Everyone did their share and it was a great time.  Danny took a panoramic photo of the family sitting around the table (see below). Doing it as a panoramic shot, it looked like we were all up against the wall when in reality, we were seated around the table.  Modern photo techniques are terrific. On Wednesday, most of the group went to Pensacola Beach, but it was too cold for much swimming, However, the water was beautiful and the beaches were bright white.  Vi and I opted for a tour of Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Beach and made a round robin trip along the Gulf.  Thursday was spent preparing the turkey and all the trimmings, mixed in with some walks and various activities.  The evening was spent watching several footba...

Another cool day in Pensacola.  Started out very cloudy with a hint of moisture in the air, but it later turned sunny with a little wind.  Didn't stop JT and I from playing nine holes at "his" golf course - Cypress Lakes.  He mostly parred the course while I admired his playing ability.  He has great form and excellent club head speed.  Fun playing while Char and Vi did a little shopping. Puttered around the house waiting for Tom III et al to arrive later in the afternoon. They stopped at Biloxi enroute to Pensacola, but arrive safe and sound around four in the afternoon.  Great seeing them all.  All are well and were in great spirits after spending several days in New Orleans. Dinner was excellent and fun having everyone (well, almost everyone) around the dining room table.  Missing were Tim & Kathy, George Jr, and Trevor.  Maybe one day everyone will be able to make a get-together, but it's difficult with all the varying circumstanc...

Another beautiful day in Pensacola.  Cool weather is starting to turn a little warmer.  We sat outside in the morning and enjoyed the sunshine while watching Cousteau (Char's Blue Merle Australian Sheepdog puppy) tear around the yard.  He must be teething because he chews everything in sight! Quiet day at home in the morning while Char and JT went to their church and George III volunteered at another local church to help with the sound system.  In the afternoon, JT, Vi and I went over to NAS Pensacola to play nine holes on their executive golf course.  Man, can JT hit the ball - he has great form and does well.  He's on a local golf team and recently won recognition from his local Congressman because of his sports ability.  Kind of neat. In the evening, we drove from the golf course to the waterfront and met Char and George III for dinner at Jacko's.  Great restaurant on a pier surrounded by yachts of the type you dream about.  I'd hate t...