Red Hot Red Stick Road Trip Entry # 2

This was a common sight during the six days we were actually on the road in Genna's loaded car.

I was often the one to sit in the back seat sharing it with Genna's bicycle, bags, boxes and Phil who stayed at my feet. I really didn't mind so much unless we stopped suddenly ;-) 

Entry Two, family and friends: Lakewood & Boulder, CO, Dallas and Amarillo, TX.

From Rock Springs we drove to Lakewood, CO, where Marty, Carl and Ben were kind enough to host us for the night.

Gen, Ben and Phil.

The next day we made the short drive to Boulder to see the senior Mounts. Due to the constant rain we stayed indoors and amused the family with the t-shirt I had made for this trip.

All too soon it was time to bid family, farewell and continue our journey.

Bob, Ginny and Genna.

We left Boulder quite early to avoid the commute traffic and were hungry as we headed south on highway 25. Once again Yelp came to the rescue and helped us find this spot in Pueblo, CO.

The Daily Grind Cafe was an unexpected gem, very hippy/occult decor, an amazing selection of teas in bulk and killer breakfast burritos. 

We met a young war vet from Alabama as we were leaving. He had fun telling Genna about all the things she would encounter in her move to Cajun country. He admonished us for calling Louisiana "the South". He also mentioned that Genna should be dyeing her hair purple so as not to be confused with LSU rivals the Crimson Tide ;-)

The cloudy weather followed into the corner of New Mexico where we took a side tour to see or try to see this crater. It's hiding under the cloud layer.

Too long in the car or lifetime issue ?

We stopped in the tiny town of Folsom, NM to see their museum about "Folsom Man". This is just the kind of museum that Gina and Frank would enjoy. 

It was full of stuff, more like a yard sale/ second hand store. 

The admission price of $1.25 per person was just about right.

Amarillo was the stopping place for this day's journey, we stayed a Holiday Inn Express. Genna and Phil took a quick nap before we went on a quest for dinner, hoping for some Texas barbecue.

By now you are probably either tired of me mentioning Yelp or convinced I am being paid to do so. Oh well...either way, once again Yelp steered us to a fabulous BBQ place a short ways from our motel.

Rudy's Barbecue, it turns out is a chain all over Texas and a few other states. You walk up to the counter and if you are new they give you samples, which is a very smart marketing technique. We ordered pork ribs, the moist brisket and two sides: cole slaw and Texas BBQ beans. The order came with a pile of "brown" soft bread slices.

This photo doesn't do it justice, it was such good food !!

The meat was tender and juicy and while there were plenty of sauces to choose from I found the meat so flavorful I didn't bother with the sauces. The beans were so smoky and good, not sweet at all. In fact I just made my version which I will post about soon.

As a souvenir we bought Bob this t-shirt. 

The next day our drive was from Amarillo to Dallas.

We found that taking lots of breaks at rest stops was good for our bodies as well as our souls. 

It was a great place to do a little stealth herping.

Look at the cute little lizard Genna found.

It turns out that these buildings at Texas rest stops are used for tornado shelters !!

Gas stations were another chance to stretch our legs, absorb the local culture, let off steam and photograph the local insect population.

Most have "mini market/ fast food" components.

 I am not sure if this really qualifies as food.

Lucky for us our next stop included a home cooked meal. There is story that comes with this stop. Over ten years ago Bob started chatting with a guy online at some financial site they both used. They soon discovered they shared similar ideas and world views. They began a daily correspondence that grew into a friendship beyond the world of stocks and charts. Christmas cards were exchanged, they knew each other's family members by their first names, but had never that the chance to meet in person. When Jin heard that we would be driving through Dallas on our way to Baton Rouge, he kindly invited us to stay with him and his lovely wife, Grace in their home in Richardson, TX. 

What a delightful and affirming experience. Grace cooked us a fabulous meal of pulled pork.

With this amazing whipped cream, fresh fruit and angel food cake trifle to top it off.

Jim took us for a lovely walk around their neighborhood after dinner which was a great way to work off the car sitting and the meal !

Due to our schedule we had to bid these wonderful friend farewell the next morning after Jim cooked us breakfast.

Getting us together for one last  photo, was a bit like herding cats !

Eastern Texas has lots of mesquite and lots of pecans. We stopped at this place to sample the local treats and came away with bags of salty and sweet pecans !!

Looking at the map on the drive toward Louisiana, I noticed the very familiar name of a town just off the highway, Winona, TX. My friend Karen is from Texas and her email name for many years was Winona 2000. I knew that she had owned property in this small town. It seemed like a good place to stop and stretch our legs. I was so surprised that I could recognize her building at first sight. It was so much fun to surprise her with photos sent from my phone !!

Next stop: The Red Stick, Baton Rouge !!

PS: Sorry the layout got messed up a bit. I know what happened but am too lazy to go back and redo the second have.