Monday, December 7, 2015

Quick Trip: Southern Texas

We scheduled a five day (long weekend) trip of Texas in February 2012 because, well, we'd never been there before. This was before Judy re-fashioned her blog to more of a tourist blog and so her posts are not as comprehensive as they become later. 

On Thursday morning we flew out of LAX at 8:26 a.m. on a direct flight to San Antonio, arriving at 1:14 p.m. We picked up a rental car and immediately visited the Mission San Jose and Mission Concepcion. Then off to Adkins where we ate our first of much barbecue, at Texas Pride Barbecue: pork ribs, loin, sausage and beef brisket. We checked into the Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Downtown and walked the River Walk that evening, including an outside view of the San Fernando Cathedral. 

On Friday we visited San Fernando Cathedral first thing, then Mission San Juan Capistrano, then the Alamo. We took a Flavors of San Antonio Food Tour by Historic Texas Tours at 2:00 p.m. and visited Augies Barbed Wire Smoke House, Frosted Delights by Joyce, Blue Star Brewing Co., Luther's Cafe, and Joseph's Storehouse Restaurant and Bakery. 
     Texas: San Antonio  (Judy)

Saturday morning we visited Mission Espada, had breakfast at a wonderful Mexican food restaurant, Taqueria Los Portillos, then drove north to visit the grounds of the San Antonio LDS Temple. On the way, we stopped back at Joseph's Storehouse for some food for the road and at Augies Barbed Wire Smoke House where we had a sit-down lunch. We drove to Taylor, Texas, to eat at the famous Louie Mueller Barbecue and found they'd closed early because they ran out of food. So we stopped at another restaurant nearby and had a mediocre meal. We stayed at the Best Western Executive Inn in Round Rock. I realize that we switched the order of the missions we visited from that set forth in our itinerary I am looking at. But this lists the places we visited, if not in the exact order. 
     Texas Temples  (Judy)

Sunday morning we visited the University of Texas at Austin campus, and particularly the famous football stadium of the UT Longhorns. Then the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum which is part of the UT campus. I came away with a much greater appreciation for President Johnson, and particularly the civil rights legislation he passed. Then it was on to the Texas A&M campus in College Station. During our drive we stopped at Southside Market and Barbeque in Elgin, one of my favorite barbecue joints anywhere. Best lamb ribs ever and great, great sausage (I've ordered it since and had it delivered back home). It was a whim stop. We visited the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the Texas A&M campus, one of the best of the presidential museums, and visited the A&M campus, and particularly the massive football stadium. Then on to Houston. We drove by the Houston Temple in Klein and got a night-time view of the outside, then spent the night at Days Inn and Suites Hobby Airport in Houston. 
     Mutton Ribs  (Bob)

Monday morning we visited Space Center Houston, had lunch at T-Bone Tom's in Kemah, then returned our rental car to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and had a flight out at 7:00 p.m., arriving in Los Angeles at 8:46 p.m. 
     Texas: The Religion  (Bob)


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