The Best of the Best...!

I have finally gotten over Trump's victory and the loss of my blog posts.  No more whining about either -although I am watching very closely at him and his "tweets".

Now I want to tell you more about my trip in May-June, and the foods I found that I thought were the best I have tasted.  As many of you know, I said that I was going on a search for the best pie, the best ice cream, and the best tenderloin sandwich.



THE BEST HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

I found three that I would put in the Very Best category.  The first ice cream I had was from Chesapeake Bay Dairy.  It was peach, lots of peach, and very smooth and creamy.  They were at the Chincoteague Flea Market.  The owner was also selling her cheeses and her milk.  Wonderful, all of them.

The second place -When I was at Kat's house at Wellfleet, MA, on Cape Cod, I went to the The Sweet Escape on Route 6, near her home.  They had incredible flavors, and I thought two of them were super-Pomegranate Chocolate and Lemon Supreme - all made on premises. Because I loved them both so much, I had to come back for more.

The third place - The New City Microcreamery in Hudson, MA.
Siobhan and Pat took me there, and the coffee ice cream was REAL coffee ice cream.  Great flavor - all made on premises and nitro-infused.

Related to Ice Cream - The Best Waffle Cone - my vote goes to an Ice Cream Shop in Chincoteague.  It boasts the best ice cream - to which I did not agree - however, they made their Waffle Cones in-house, the best I have ever tasted.

THE BEST HOMEMADE PIE 

I sampled many pies on my journey, but I found nothing was as good as Magdalena Cafe's pies.  Their Rhubarb-Cherry pie is incredible.  Magdalena Cafe by the way, is in Magdalena, NM about 20 miles west of me and I go there often!!

THE BEST FISH TACOS

The Catch of Day in South Wellfleet, Cape Cod, MA, has THE best fish tacos I have eaten.  Kat took me there while I was at her house.  I think the secret is that the fish is fried, and then sliced, and put in the taco, so when you take a bite, you don't get the entire fish stuffed into your mouth!

THE BEST BREAKFAST SAUSAGE

I had breakfast in Gutenburg, Iowa before continuing on to the Effigy Mounds.  It definitely was a hometown favorite.  I ordered eggs and sausage.  The sausage was homemade and the best I have ever eaten!  Rauch's Cafe!

BEST PORK TENDERLOIN SANDWICH

I have always loved Port Tenderloin Sandwichs.  And Iowa is famous for them.  Louise and Joe told me they were taking me to a place they knew I would love - Fat Randy's in Van Meter, Iowa. OMG - the tenderloin sandwich was amazing, in a tiny town, in a pub.  Definitely THE best tenderloin sandwich I have ever had.    Notice the tenderloin extending on both sides of the bun!!!!

 BEST HOMEMADE HAMBURGER

When I passed through Hill City, SD, I passed a diner and getting hungry, turned around and parked and went in.  I could feel good vibes with the staff and the diners.  The Hubcap Diner's homemade hamburger was the best I have had for a very long time.  Home made meaning made into a thick patty right before it is cooked.
I have had all kinds of hamburgers in my life but I can't remember having one this good.

THE BEST IN-ROOM COFFEE

At the Black Hills Best Western Lodge, SD,  like I do most times when I travel, I immediately made a cup of coffee.  Usually those packs of coffee you get are really terrible.  I am not sure what kind coffee it  was, but it was REAL COFFEE with a REAL COFFEE FLAVOR.  I do wish that I had written down the name of the coffee.  Maybe I will just call them and find out!

These are my Best of the Best foods as I traveled the highways.  I haven't blogged for a long time, but I wanted to get this one done before I do any more.

Enjoy, and look up these places when you are traveling, or discover some more Best of the Best!

Tappahannock and Chincoteague - May 17,2016

Happy Mother's Day everyone(even if you aren't a mother!)

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On The Road Again...
Happy Mother's Day everyone (even if you aren't a mother)! Posted: 08 May 2016 04:50 PM PDT When I left Nashville, IN I drove to Seymour where I had booked a room at a Day's Inn.  Definitely don't book a room there, at least not this year.  It was one of the older hotels I had been in.  However the bed was good, and I had a good night's sleep.  However the door was very hard to open and it felt like the handle was going to fall off.  The bathroom sink was open so don't take off your rings there!!!  The tub had the closure mechanism pulled out and in the middle of the tub.  And the continental breakfast was juice, coffee, your choice of bran flakes or fruit loops, and a small tray bread, donuts, and breakfast sweets.  One couple came in and left immediately.  You are warned...! I planned to take the route that was in a magazine of the barns and covered bridges around Seymour before I headed out.  I think the round barns knew I was looking for them and hid!  I didn't see one of them.  The covered bridge I most wanted to see, I was able to as well as take some photos...this bridge is the Medora Covered Bridge, 1875, and is the longest intact bridge in the US.  It is not used for traffic but you can certainly walk through it... I couldn't find any other of the covered bridges that were on the map I was using of the Medora area.  So I headed for U.S. Route 50 and headed for my next stop.  Wherever I looked, it was multi-colored hues of green.  I saw two male cardinals which brought a very large smile to my face.  I haven't seen a bright red cardinal or his mate for several years.  We don't have these type of cardinals in New Mexico.  Not that bright beautiful fire engine red!!! I passed a couple of Trump signs and was tempted to rip them up.  This whole election drama is really getting to me.  Today Google's headlines said "Two most hated people in the country, Trump and Clinton, will be going head to head."   I was just about to pass an old rickety garage, when I also saw across the street from it, two abandoned brick school - one was the Butlersville High School and the other was the Butlersville School.  Both reminded me of two elementary schools I attended in Fort Dodge, Iowa - Duncombe School and Hawley School... I drove by hundreds of the old type telephone/electric poles with the glass insulators on them.  Do you remember those?  And they are still on working poles.  Indiana has signed on US Route 50 stating "Indiana's Historic Pathways."  The other thing that brought back memories was the bump, bump, bump as I went over each slab of concrete.     Ohio calls US Route 50 "Ohio's Byways." I looked at my mileage and saw the wrench showing, which meant that I needed to have my oil changed.  Why is a whole other story. I stopped at the first small garage I saw, and asked if they could change my oil right away.  The guy that he couldn't because he already had two other people coming with their cars.  He suggested garage just a block or so from him...it was J.K. Kar Kare, and J.K. was the owner and only employee.  He said he could do it, but that he was just finishing up replacing a radiator for someone.  Then I heard him start up Matilda, and put her in the second bay.  His sign also had his full name, followed by MD - a motor doctor.  I loved it.   Within a half hour Matilda was good to go, and JK and I had a nice talk.  He told me it looked like I had a new part put in under the front...to which I nodded...he said, well it was put in properly.  I wanted to tell him about all the hoops I jumped to have Matilda ready by May 1st.  He also had check all the fluids, topped them up, checked the tire pressure.  Then his phone went off, and he said that was his bride calling.  Then he said that a very close friend of his had passed away in Florida.  And last year he -JK- married his wife, who he had known already.   So he went on about that ... this is what I mean when I say it is great to have a fifteen minute friend to talk with. I had not realized until I was almost out of Ohio and into West Virginia that I had been almost right next to the Ohio River from Indiana through Ohio.  How neat is that! I headed off on U.S. Route 50, headed for Fairmont, West Virginia.  I stopped at a Go Mart to gas up, and decided to have some dinner there.  I got a fish sandwich which was incredible.  I couldn't finish it all.  I also had the gal waiting on me to pack up a piece of HOMEMADE Coconut Cream Pie.  I ate that in my hotel room later.  Very good, although crust was not baked long enough. Got to the Clarion Inn in Fairmont, WVA.  Nice place, nice staff.  And the breakfast served was first class and the best I have ever seen in a hotel.  And NO biscuits and gravy.  Scrambled eggs that were very good, hash browns, crisp bacon, juice and coffee.  Fresh fruit, and sweet breads.   Left the Clarion, on my last leg of this portion of my drive-about... got back on US 50, and drove through some  very beautiful areas of West Virginia...up and down hills and mountains, and no place to stop.  Lots of truck traffic which I thought was odd until Frank told me today that many semis take this route because there is no other road in WVA that runs east/west in that area.  It was slow driving, but the distance from where I was in Fairmont to Frank and Janice's home was 183 miles.  And I loved the beauty all around me, and all the little villages I drove through.  I got into Virginia, and stayed on U.S. 50 until I came to Route 17, which would lead me directly to Warrenton, where one of my bucket list places was - The Red Truck Bakery...  And of course their signature sugar cookie... So, I got three of two different scones, two chocolate cupcakes, with a ganache topping, a brownie, their Signature Meyer Lemon Cake...I took a picture of the Red Truck Cookie and then promptly ate it...the rest was for all of us.   Arrived at Frank's yesterday, very happy to be able to have a good rest and lots of catching up with everyone.  And of course we had a very nice dinner with lettuce and radishes out of Jan's garden.  Yummy! Today after a good sleep, Frank took Jan and I out to brunch in Orange, VA.  Very good food - I had Eggs Benedict, and a bowl of fresh fruit, and a big spoonful of grits...I haven't had grits for so long, and these were outstanding...here is Jan and I... Then we went over to a vineyard that Frank and Janice like.  Very nice place, and a nice staff.  I tried a red wine which was good.  It is in a beautiful location near Old Rag Mountain.  DuCard Winery - it is fairly new...we had stopped on the bridge over a creek that burbling along, bringing back memories of the creek I used to play in and around, when Jan spotted two snakes - both copperheads - she said they both looked like they were getting ready to shed their skins... And with that, this blog is finished...have a great evening -  Life is good! I love you all!Love and abrazos, Sally
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Edna Shyrley	> > Family, friends, any furry animals and birds... > > Posted: 11 May 2016 0...	Jul 26 (2 days ago)
Edna Shyrley	> > Nashville - A Neat Little Village in Indiana... > > Posted: 05 May 2016 0...	Jul 26 (2 days ago)
Edna Shyrley	> > Day Three: Yippee Coyote!!!!! > > Posted: 30 Apr 2016 08:09 PM PDT > > Ye...	Jul 26 (2 days ago)
Edna Shyrley	> > Posted: 01 May 2016 06:09 PM PDT > > Pampa, Texas - I have driven the fir...	Jul 26 (2 days ago)
Edna Shyrley	> > Greetings from Clarksville, Indiana... > > Posted: 04 May 2016 08:27 PM P...	Jul 26 (2 days ago)
Edna Shyrley <ednashirley@peoplepc.com>	Jul 26 (2 days ago)
to me -----Forwarded Message----- From: "On The Road Again..." Sent: May 4, 2016 2:03 PM To: ednashirley@peoplepc.com Subject: On The Road Again... On The Road Again... Posted: 03 May 2016 05:52 PM PDT I am going to back up a little and tell you about my drive to McAlester, OK.  But first I want to show you the photos of the clouds going up to Mountainair, and then the photos I took of the snow on the ground... If you take the first picture and place the second picture on its right, it encompasses the mouintains on either side of the road.  The first picture reminds me so much of an artist's paint brush, with sweeping strokes.  The other picture reminds me of bread dough being braided and.or rolled.  The winds were exremely high, and when I tried to open my door to get out, I wasn't able to do so. Past Mountainair I pulled over and put down my window and took these  photos...Mountainair is 6000 elevation, Lemitar is only 4000... Many of the houses in New Mexico are made from what is available for building.  I have an adobe, made from clay, for example.  Going east in New Mexico, there were many houses, some standing and being lived in, and others tumbling down and abandoned.  The ones I passed on US 60, after Mountainair, were beautifully built structures using flat pieces of sandstone, of which there is an abundance.... I could not believe all the frieght trains that I passed.  It seemed as if they were waiting patiently in line to be allowed to move.  And they were stacked up not only towards the west, but also towards the east.  It seemed like every five miles there was a freight train waiting. Leaving on May 2nd, headed for McAlester, Oklahome, I got on US 60 and headed east.  There was a big sign just as I was leaving, announcing that I was driving on THE WOODY GUTHRIE MEMORIAL HIGHWAY.  How exciting is that??   Because I was sure that I was taking the right road - US 60 - ignoring a sign pointing to Oklahoma City.  Although I had added many miles to my drive, I did stop at a small wayside where I spotted four of five wild turkeys.  I assured them that I did not have a gun.  I was able to catch two on my camera, the others having just disappeared!.... There was also a historical sign which I took a picture of, but it is really too small to read.  What it says is that around 1936 Texas built a large number of these waysides for drivers to use.  Most of them are still in use.  The stone for the table and benches, which was in moderate shape, came from the stone around the area... It was at this point that I knew I was on the wrong road - US 60 yes, but going further north and east, and I wanted to go east.  So I got out my handy dandy road map, and saw where I was, and I found a road I could take south, get on I 40 for a while, then drop further south, to Wioka and McAlester, OK. I love barns and was fascinated by one that I could see as I was driving.  It looked silver...and it was, as it was covered front to back, side to side, and its rounded roof, with tin - you know the kind that people like me, have to cover their roofs?  I had to take a picture... The Texas Panhandle is flat and prairieland.  It reminded me of the midwest.  I could see for miles.  Along with that, were the little structures for pumping natural gas, as well as tyrannosaurus rex type structures that are pumping oil.  There were hundreds of the natural gas structures in every farmers fields.    There were wind farms everywhere which I was happy about.  And, I finally saw my first armadillo, unfortunately dead at the side of the highway.  I saw three more also. Then the landscape suddenly changed, and I guessed I was in the Texas Hill Country.  Beautiful, lot of wild flowers, cattle munching grass, horses, tails flying, running across their field.  My opinion of some parts of Texas changed. Drove into Oklahoma, found the highway I was to take, and drove south, then east, and then south again.  I wanted to see the roller coaster road.  When I got close to Wioka, which is where it was supposed to be, I stopped and a very nice elderly man made me a map.  Never found the road - however, as I drove to McAlester, about 30 miles east of Wioka, I could have been going on the roller coaster road - it was up and down, up and down all the way.  The trees were lush and green, with pink, yellow, red, and lilac wild flowers lining the road.  There was basically nowhere to stop to take pictures.  Not much berm, no rest stops, and the roadside ditches were filled with water. I made it to McAlester, and to my hotel.  Checked in, asked where a good steak house was.  Texas Rose was the name.  I drove on the frontage road down to it, got out, and walked in.  There were some men waiting for a table, and one of them started talking to me, asking me where I was from, where I was going, just chit chat.  I had a good steak, baked potato, and a house salad.  When I asked for my bill my waitress said, " Sugar, it has been paid for.  And I was asked not to tell by who.  You know, Sugar, this happens all the time around here."  What a nice end to a long day.  But I certainly can do without all the Sugars, Sweeties, etc.  And by the way, on my way in to McAlester, there were huge cast iron buffalos on corners, next to stores and banks, and when I drove into Best Western,  this greeted me... The McAlester High School teams are the Buffalos! More later, perhaps tonight or tomorrow morning - my drive from McAlester to Festus, Mo., was a long one, but there were many lakes and rivers, which I will discuss them.  Tomorrow the Cave House. Life is Good! I love you all, Sally . You are subscribed to email updates from On The Road Again.... To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States Click here to Reply or Forward 2.35 GB (15%) of 15 GB used Manage Terms - Privacy Last account activity: 37 minutes ago Details

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Edna Shyrley <ednashirley@peoplepc.com>	5:16 AM (9 hours ago)
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On The Road Again...
On The High Seas with Captain Dan...Monday, May 16th, 3PM Posted: 17 May 2016 01:07 PM PDT Monday afternoon, the 16th of May, we had a three o'clock PM cruise with Captain Dan.  He was highly recommended by my dentist, Duane Beers.   Winds were high, and I had received a phone call in the morning that the ride may be scuttled.  Fortunately for us, and a couple, it wasn't. This is Captain Dan... He has been operating his trips for eight years, starting at five a day, then down to four...he has a pontoon boat, and only takes six people out at a time.  He encircles Chincoteague when the winds are okay, but he also goes very close to Assateague,  so we can see some of the ponies.  His family has lived on Chincoteague for a very long time and were oyster fishermen.  His father now works for NASA on Wallops Island which is just before crossing the bridge to Chincoteague.  Dan was in the service for four years, and worked in all kinds of jobs, and then came back to the island with his wife and family.  He has four children.  He is just perfect for this type of work as he likes people, likes to share both islands with them, telling stories from way back up to now.  Unbelievably, he knows every name of every pony/horse on Assateague, as well as the new born foals!!!  He told us all about the pony crossing every August/September which was fascinating. As we headed between the two islands, we could see the Assateague Lighthouse from the boat... Dan pointed out two immature Bald Eagles and a mature Bald Eagle flying over head.  I had never seen immature Bald Eagles.  He told us that there were three or four pairs nesting on Assateague.  They stay year round. Sitting on two pilings out in the water were two cormorants - one had a different color on his chest, and Dan thought it might be an immature one... This area is very shallow and Dan was very careful as he steered the boat through - sometimes we were only in two feet of water! He pulled out his net and picked up something from the water ... It was sort of like a blow fish, and I can't remember what he called it.  But it was a funny looking guy, who was on his last fins.   All along this area were oyster beds... The lines you see in the water, are actually clam beds.  The oystermen take used oyster shells and broken pieces to build up the bed.  Then they put live oysters on the top, and they multiply.  I believe he said that it takes about two years to start harvesting them.  They are all over this area... This is an old oyster house, where someone would be paid to watch for oyster poachers.  This particular house has been restored, and is privately owned. All along our cruise were various duck blinds which are used in the fall.  Further up there were larger blinds which had a place to park the boat, hidden from the ducks.   Dan knew where the ponies were.  This particular herd he called the southern herd.  There was a stallion which we say, but he walked away and we didn't get to see him up close and personal... There are only 150 ponies/horses on Assateague, and only a couple of stallions among each of the herds.  Further up, we really had a treat.  Dan took us to the northern herd, and pulled right up to them.  They paid no attention to us.  Now let me tell you about what you are seeing... The horse to the far left is the stallion for this herd.  There is a foal with its mom slightly to the left.  In the middle there looks to be a small dirt pile, and then to the right are three or four more mares... Well, what appears to be a dirt pile is a brand new foal, who had been sleeping and then put its head up. As we went further along, we came to a lone stallion grazing near the water...Dan felt that he was by himself because he is old, and he no longer tries to fight the other stallions for his own harem...sort of like the male buffalo I saw in Yellowstone which was walking alone... In order to keep the herds from inbreeding, other types of horses are brought in - stallions - to bring in new blood.  The horses eat the grasses on the island which have a high salt content, but there are some natural areas with mostly fresh water. We headed back going around the rest of Chincoteague and coming into the bay and Dan's slip.  It was a wonderful trip... Thanks, Captain Dan!!!!  Our vacation was really enhanced with this trip. A high flying Laughing Gull down at the docks.  And as we were walking to the car, these two were waddling along.  I don't know the name of the second one, but leading the parade is a male Mallard... Today I spent most of the day writing these two blogs.  But I did go down to Island Ice Cream and had their home made ice cream.  The waffle cones are made on site and are superb - an A+ for them.  The ice cream was very good, and very creamy (I had chocolate peanut butter) - Pete had vanilla.  Both of us agreed it is not the best ice cream in the USA, as one food critic said, BUT it is very good, so I give it an A+.  Chesapeake Bay still gets my vote so far. I also bought two Life Is Good shirts for myself. Life is good! I love you all very much. Abrazos, Sally
Tappahannock and Chincotegue... Posted: 17 May 2016 11:57 AM PDT I found Rae's house with her good directions.  She and Bryan have a neat little home in a nice neighborhood.  I didn't get to see Bryan as he was away.  But I did get to see the dogs and the foster dog that they are keeping until it finds its forever home.  Caboose... is a very friendly large bulldog.  He was their first dog.  Then along came Mort...  who is a mix. The foster dog, Fury, is a cute female pitbull/Jack Russell mix, who has a very hard time controlling her excitement, and can't stop moving and jumping... All three dogs like to kiss, and I am not a lover of dog kisses...too slobbery!!! They also have two very elusive cats, a striped female called Summer, and a coal black male called Cena.  I caught glimpses of them, but they never came near me. My granddaughter, Rae, like many young women these days, including my other granddaughter Brie, keeps changing her hair style, etc.... She is a beautiful woman and I am very proud of her.  It is quite obvious that she and Bryan are very much in love. That evening I took Rae to The Fat Finch in Tappahannock, a very good restaurant and rather unique.  Good music, interesting decor and very good food.  I had a piece of homemade Key Lime Pie - dense and tart  - very very good.  I give it an A. Next day I left for Chincoteague, and would have been there about 1PM had I followed my own written directions!  As it was, I turned off I64 too soon, and found myself at the opposite end of Virginia Beach from where the bridge is.  So I took a tour of VB right along the beach area, until I came to the bridge.  The Chesapeake Bay/Tunnel Bridge is fun to drive across - very long (glad I didn't participate in the building of it!!) with two separate tunnels that you drive through.  The tunnels allow the big ships and boat to get in and out of the bay.   Once on the other side, I drove straight to Chincoteague which is about 40 or so miles north.  We actually all arrived within minutes of each other, around 3PM. The Refuge Inn is a family owned place and I found it to be wonderful - very friendly staff, decent continental breakfasts, and close to everything... This is one of four Assateague ponies that the owners of the Refuge Inn own - they are females and like to be feed, so you can purchase food for them at the Inn.  The kids love it... A Mama Robin was going crazy and then I saw why - one of her babies was under the bench where I often sit waiting for the other guys - it hopped to the windows at the doors and started trying to get at the bird it saw reflected in the mirror.  Afraid that it might hurt itself, I tried to pick it up, but it made a wobbly flight to the bench... he heard his Mama call, and jumped down and went under the lattice fence. Pete has a great hat that his brother Bob gave to him.  When I saw it, I thought of my brother, Dick.  I loved it and took a picture of it...but I didn't see what was written on the back... And the back, you ask???  "A LIVING LEGEND IN MY OWN MIND" The next day, Saturday, May 14, after breakfast, we all went down to the "2nd Saturday Artful Flea - THE curated regional open air event"... all kinds of people had their booths up - fresh vegetables, canned foods, jellies, jams, etc; art of all type and kinds; bluegrass music; a food truck, AND CHESAPEAKE BAY DAIRY, with homemade cheeses - yummy - fresh milk with cream on the top - fresh butter, and...you ready for this???...the best homemade ice cream I have had in a very very long time.  It came in pints, so I took it back to my room and put it in the freezer.  I am rating it A+++... Mike and Edna and Pete looking for shade at the flea market.  Mike and Edna got Hershey's Ice Cream because they couldn't get a cone at Chesapeake Bay Dairy... After the Flea Market we drove down to Main Street and did some walking around, looking at stores, restaurants...we walked near the slips where boats go in and out, fishing boats, tour boats, etc...we were going out on Monday with Captain Dan...while down there I got a pretty good pic of a Laughing Gull... They are all around here at the Refuge Inn but wouldn't stand still.  And they do sound like they are laughing...a very raucous laugh... In the park area there were four huge Adirondack chairs - this is Edna still on one... On Main Street, Misty of Chincoteague is honored with a bronze statue of her...I read the book years ago and loved it... That evening we had dinner at The Village Restaurant.  I asked if they had homemade pie, and yes they did.  So Edna and I ordered Bumbleberry Pie - which has a mix of fruits in it (I had to look it up on Google), usually apple, rhubarb, and berries.  It was okay - just okay.  Rhubarb and apples were not cooked enough, and I wasn't sure what the berries were, so I am rating it - C... While everyone else went out to the dunes on Assateague on Sunday,  the 15th,  they dropped me off at the Assateague Bateman Visitor Center.  There on the wall just as I entered was a photo of the Bosque!!!  Chincoteague, Assateague, and the other islands are all part of the barrier islands of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.  They are reached by bridges.  Where we are staying we are only less than a mile from Assateague, which is U.S. Refuge for the Assateague Ponies and is also a flyway for the birds who fly north and south every year.  It is run by the US Fish and Wildlife, and is part of all the refuges in the country, including the Bosque del Apache close to me.  I went over to the desk and told them that I was from New Mexico and lived very near to the Bosque del Apache.  One of the Rangers said, "Our education specialist is working out there now.  And we miss Amanda."  So I will look her up when I get home and give her their regards.   I watched a wonderful video about a 1/2 hour long about Assateague.  Walked around to look at the exhibits, and one was outstanding... There are three or four pair of bald eagles around the island. We drove back to Chincoteague to have lunch.  Monday morning  I told everyone that I was going back over to go look at the beaches and dunes...Pete came with me.  It was a beautiful sight to look out at the Atlantic Ocean and then look at the dunes all around.  There is a lot of erosion from storms and winds and of course just as on Cape Cod, the scenery changes all the time. Here I am... And here is Pete... As we were leaving the parking lot by the dunes, Pete noted a REAL old pay telephone.  So of course I had to take a picture of Pete talking on it.  It actually is a working phone!!!   We decided to take the trail up to the Assateague Lighthouse when we started back...there was a family of Canada Geese walking along the side of the road...   We made our way along the trail to the lighthouse, with poison ivy on either side of the trail.  Like so many other parks and refuges, the pine bark beetles have made themselves known, and between them and the nor'easters that blow in, many trees were down.  The lighthouse itself is beautiful, and has been rebuilt several times.   The Coast Guard is now in charge of it... We also saw a few wild horses out in a field.  Visitors are told not to touch the horses. They are protected, and because they are wild, they may bite or kick you!!!... This is the end of Part One - I will be back soon to tell you about our adventures on Captain Dan's Pontoon Boat Cruise... Life is good! I love you all! Abrazos, Sally
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Edna Shyrley	> > Happy Mother's Day everyone (even if you aren't a mother)! > > Posted: 08...	5:17 AM (9 hours ago)
Edna Shyrley	> > Family, friends, any furry animals and birds... > > Posted: 11 May 2016 0...	5:18 AM (9 hours ago)
Edna Shyrley	> > Nashville - A Neat Little Village in Indiana... > > Posted: 05 May 2016 0...	5:19 AM (9 hours ago)
Edna Shyrley	> > Day Three: Yippee Coyote!!!!! > > Posted: 30 Apr 2016 08:09 PM PDT > > Ye...	5:19 AM (9 hours ago)
Edna Shyrley	> > Posted: 01 May 2016 06:09 PM PDT > > Pampa, Texas - I have driven the fir...	5:20 AM (9 hours ago)
Edna Shyrley	> > Greetings from Clarksville, Indiana... > > Posted: 04 May 2016 08:27 PM P...	5:21 AM (9 hours ago)
Edna Shyrley <ednashirley@peoplepc.com>	5:21 AM (9 hours ago)
to me -----Forwarded Message----- From: "On The Road Again..." Sent: May 4, 2016 2:03 PM To: ednashirley@peoplepc.com Subject: On The Road Again... On The Road Again... Posted: 03 May 2016 05:52 PM PDT I am going to back up a little and tell you about my drive to McAlester, OK.  But first I want to show you the photos of the clouds going up to Mountainair, and then the photos I took of the snow on the ground... If you take the first picture and place the second picture on its right, it encompasses the mouintains on either side of the road.  The first picture reminds me so much of an artist's paint brush, with sweeping strokes.  The other picture reminds me of bread dough being braided and.or rolled.  The winds were exremely high, and when I tried to open my door to get out, I wasn't able to do so. Past Mountainair I pulled over and put down my window and took these  photos...Mountainair is 6000 elevation, Lemitar is only 4000... Many of the houses in New Mexico are made from what is available for building.  I have an adobe, made from clay, for example.  Going east in New Mexico, there were many houses, some standing and being lived in, and others tumbling down and abandoned.  The ones I passed on US 60, after Mountainair, were beautifully built structures using flat pieces of sandstone, of which there is an abundance.... I could not believe all the frieght trains that I passed.  It seemed as if they were waiting patiently in line to be allowed to move.  And they were stacked up not only towards the west, but also towards the east.  It seemed like every five miles there was a freight train waiting. Leaving on May 2nd, headed for McAlester, Oklahome, I got on US 60 and headed east.  There was a big sign just as I was leaving, announcing that I was driving on THE WOODY GUTHRIE MEMORIAL HIGHWAY.  How exciting is that??   Because I was sure that I was taking the right road - US 60 - ignoring a sign pointing to Oklahoma City.  Although I had added many miles to my drive, I did stop at a small wayside where I spotted four of five wild turkeys.  I assured them that I did not have a gun.  I was able to catch two on my camera, the others having just disappeared!.... There was also a historical sign which I took a picture of, but it is really too small to read.  What it says is that around 1936 Texas built a large number of these waysides for drivers to use.  Most of them are still in use.  The stone for the table and benches, which was in moderate shape, came from the stone around the area... It was at this point that I knew I was on the wrong road - US 60 yes, but going further north and east, and I wanted to go east.  So I got out my handy dandy road map, and saw where I was, and I found a road I could take south, get on I 40 for a while, then drop further south, to Wioka and McAlester, OK. I love barns and was fascinated by one that I could see as I was driving.  It looked silver...and it was, as it was covered front to back, side to side, and its rounded roof, with tin - you know the kind that people like me, have to cover their roofs?  I had to take a picture... The Texas Panhandle is flat and prairieland.  It reminded me of the midwest.  I could see for miles.  Along with that, were the little structures for pumping natural gas, as well as tyrannosaurus rex type structures that are pumping oil.  There were hundreds of the natural gas structures in every farmers fields.    There were wind farms everywhere which I was happy about.  And, I finally saw my first armadillo, unfortunately dead at the side of the highway.  I saw three more also. Then the landscape suddenly changed, and I guessed I was in the Texas Hill Country.  Beautiful, lot of wild flowers, cattle munching grass, horses, tails flying, running across their field.  My opinion of some parts of Texas changed. Drove into Oklahoma, found the highway I was to take, and drove south, then east, and then south again.  I wanted to see the roller coaster road.  When I got close to Wioka, which is where it was supposed to be, I stopped and a very nice elderly man made me a map.  Never found the road - however, as I drove to McAlester, about 30 miles east of Wioka, I could have been going on the roller coaster road - it was up and down, up and down all the way.  The trees were lush and green, with pink, yellow, red, and lilac wild flowers lining the road.  There was basically nowhere to stop to take pictures.  Not much berm, no rest stops, and the roadside ditches were filled with water. I made it to McAlester, and to my hotel.  Checked in, asked where a good steak house was.  Texas Rose was the name.  I drove on the frontage road down to it, got out, and walked in.  There were some men waiting for a table, and one of them started talking to me, asking me where I was from, where I was going, just chit chat.  I had a good steak, baked potato, and a house salad.  When I asked for my bill my waitress said, " Sugar, it has been paid for.  And I was asked not to tell by who.  You know, Sugar, this happens all the time around here."  What a nice end to a long day.  But I certainly can do without all the Sugars, Sweeties, etc.  And by the way, on my way in to McAlester, there were huge cast iron buffalos on corners, next to stores and banks, and when I drove into Best Western,  this greeted me... The McAlester High School teams are the Buffalos! More later, perhaps tonight or tomorrow morning - my drive from McAlester to Festus, Mo., was a long one, but there were many lakes and rivers, which I will discuss them.  Tomorrow the Cave House. Life is Good! I love you all, Sally. You are subscribed to email updates from On The Road Again.... To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States Click here to Reply or Forward 2.34 GB (15%) of 15 GB used Manage Terms - Privacy Last account activity: 1 hour ago Details