ROAD TRIP PICS: WINTER ESCAPE - TX, AR, museums, beaches.

A General Discussion forum for cars and other topics, and a great place to introduce yourself if you are new to NICO!
User avatar
Jesda
Posts: 39644
Joined: Mon May 05, 2003 1:50 pm
Location: STL, DTW
Contact:

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Because I took over 700 photos, I had to decide what to include, so some pictures have IMG tags and some don't. You can click on the untagged ones manually or install Unlinker for Firefox to display them automatically. There's a couple minor videos that I'll upload and add later.

The museums disallowed flash photography so despite my fancy new camera (well, fancy for being a point-and-shoot), a few came out blurry.

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My brother and I drove separately in the Ram with just enough room for our luggage. I wanted to take the Saab since the weather was pretty nice down south, but I wanted to leave the Ram with Ian in San Antonio so he could sell it and get me my five grand.

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Stopped at mom's to help load stuff.

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Stepdad's 2004 LX470 as of today has 295k!

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Little sister insisted on taking my camera.

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The climate controls are broken so there was no defrost (didnt need it, thankfully) and the blower is stuck on full speed. The temp controls work at least. The Ram was unusually nice to drive with grippy brakes and quick steering (for a large pickup).

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020484.jpg
Somewhere in the middle of nowhere the fuel light came on. I hadn't been paying attention so I pulled up my GPS and looked for the nearest gas station.
I ended up in some mountain/tourist town and the only station was closed.
Great.
I went the opposite direction across the highway and thankfully found a small town.
Average MPG @ 70-80mph: 16mpg

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Checked in to a Mariott in Denton TX

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Caught up with my folks and didn't have to pay for the room. Yay!

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This being Texas, I mozied on over to Whataburger.

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This basically summarizes Dallas. Stacks and stacks of highways crossing the sky. Tall buildings. Wide lanes. Texas has more space than it knows what to do with.

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020499.jpg[/img]
Dallas

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My brother drove while I read the paper. Printed media is so retro.

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A SIGN THAT SAYS TO OBEY SIGNS. REALLY? COME ON.

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A familiar rear end. Damn Crossfires.

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IKEA! Round Rock TX.

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Kottbullar (meatballs) and mashed potatoes. Delicious. Four bucks!

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My brother got an open-faced sandwich, something he enjoyed frequently during his year in Denmark.

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The store was enormous with a furniture showroom, Costco-like warehouse area, cafe, snack bar, and home goods store all under one roof. My feet were a bit tired from the walk.
Note the sign that strongly recommends clearing your own table. Ikea's corporate officers are so cost-conscious that they routinely eat at the retail stores because its so cheap. When they ordered company cars Volvo upgraded them to leather seats for free. They rejected the cars and told Volvo they didn't want to look spendy in front of shareholders.

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Bought two woks and two chocolate bars.

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Austin TX

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We met up with Ian in San Antonio at Jim's Restaurant.
We were heading to Corpus Christi next and decided that despite the Seville's slowly failing head gasket, it was going to be a MUCH more comfortable way to travel around Texas than cramming three dudes into the front of a pickup, so we swapped cars.

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020517.jpg[/img]
Pink grapefruit Perrier. I need to find this locally.

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The three of us stayed in a nice little room. I called dibs on the bed. Ian got the foldout. My brother got the rollaway.

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We caught up with my folks at the hotel. My mom handed me fried rice as soon as we arrived. That's what asians do. They hand out rice.

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020522.jpg[/img]
MOAR WUTABURGAR

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Heading to Padre Island to find food.

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Looks just like the causeways in Tampa.

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Anyone know what this is?
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I dont know my classic cars very well.

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IM A SHAAAARK

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Tourist traps.

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Tourists must really love t-shirts.

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We lined up for the ferry at the north tip of the island.

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lol

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020539.jpg

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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020546.jpg
And away we go.

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020550.jpg
BIRDS

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020551.jpg
TRAINS

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020558.jpg
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Looped around and ended up in downtown Corpus Christi. Parked where I should not have parked. [oh well]

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Selena memorial. Lots of affection by the locals even though she only had a couple hits.

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BIRDS

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Went to Joe's to scarf down some bread pudding, drink a gin and tonic, and hang out by the water.

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The wonderful view out of our room at the Mariott.

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BEACH TIME

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Stepdad, mom, and siblings deboarding the Lexus

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SEE YOU B*TCHES LATER.

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Yeah, its time for tires.

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There was a big "thing" on the beach that the parks department was moving. Not a clue what it was.

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Went for a drive up to Bob Hall Pier

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Texans being Texy

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Found a seafood place next to a boat dock.

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Crab cakes!

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Gulf skrimps!

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Riding the ferry back to Corpus Christi

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Headed to Taco Cabana later that night. The guys in front of us gave the drive through worker a few finger gestures.

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Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi

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Dolphins!

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020625.jpg

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Oh hi

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Awesome eagle being awesome

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WHAZUUUUUUUUUP

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I LOVE OTTERS

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Erwin Assassins

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Dolphins doing tricks

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This picture was intended to capture the cute thing on the far left of the photo.

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USS Lexington

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u jelly?

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020727.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020700.jpg

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Caught up with my parents afterwards for lunch.
I learned that my stepdad's friend's son is one of the writers for "Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia". They met him the night before but we missed out because we were doing our own thing.

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Looks like a daily driver.

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Oh hi there

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Between the three of us, we each had one phone representing each major smartphone platform.
Evo (brother's), iPhone 4 (Ian's), Blackberry Tour (mine)
My brother's Evo had no battery life. Ian's iPhone had no signal. My Blackberry had s*** software.

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Went to Doc's halfway between the mainland and Padre Island for beer and cake.

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Someone pulled up in a boat for dinner.

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The Mariott Residence Inn in Corpus Christi had two small roaches. Gross. :o

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New style of penny looks STUPID.

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Heading back to San Antonio, it started to rain pretty hard.

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The water on my foot was leaking in from outside. Nice job, GM! When they were supposed to be carefully assembling my car (which originally cost $50-$60k), they were drinking and smoking:
http://www.q45.org/gallery/gallery3/var ... tramck.jpg
I still love it though. Good thing I only paid a few grand. :) And to be fair, I'm sure its just a clogged drain hole somewhere.

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Arrived in San Antonio at a new Mariott. MUCH nicer than the one in Corpus.

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020781.jpg
The manager even posted his cell phone number in the elevator.

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The room was huge. Two beds, a foldout, a bathroom, and a kitchen/living area.

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The view was a significant upgrade over the two shopping carts and busted fence we saw before.

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Another one of my stepdad's friends treated us to dinner at Paesano's. It was AWESOME.

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Bought a new Polo sweater the night before on Christmas eve. I love it.

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Went to San Antonio's Riverwalk looking for food on Christmas.

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Ended up at Tex's bar and grill.

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Sangria margarita. Holy hell that was a strong drink. Handed my keys to Ian.

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Little did I realize, sitting behind me was Kristen Bell.

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She posted this to her Twitter account after we left.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM GENERAL MOTORS

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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020819.jpg
Went to the Hyatt downtown for Christmas dinner with my folks and Ian's mom.

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There was prime rib there. I ate it.

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Surprise Christmas gift? For me?
[No.]

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Next day, headed up to the LBJ library in Austin.


Assorted pics of the LBJ museum:
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020824.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020826.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020827.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020828.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020830.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020833.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020845.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020867.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020868.jpg

Presidential Lincoln limo:
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The archives

The Walter Cronkite exhibit:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020870.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020882.jpg
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LBJ's oval office:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020920.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020923.jpg
^Check out the slide-out phone thingy.
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020921.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020922.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020924.jpg
^Old TV remote
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020926.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020927.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020928.jpg

First Lady's office:
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020929.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020930.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020932.jpg
^Classic Trinitron
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020933.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020934.jpg

I spent $50 at the gift shop on actual campaign buttons and stickers from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020935.jpg
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I also bought a 3D white house puzzle and pieced it together. Took a couple hours. The interior has a complete frame holding up the walls and the roof. The stairs in front were quite tricky.

Conclusion: LBJ's museum was a bit boring compared to others but the Cronkite exhibit was thoroughly detailed and well presented. The introductory film was narrated by Ladybird who came across has a classy lady with a sharp sense of humor. Its important to note that LBJ's library is FREE. He wanted it to be that way, so I got way more than my money's worth. Since its right off 35, its worth a visit.
LBJ presided over one hell of a crazy decade. He was foisted into the oval office after Kennedy's assassination and faced a cultural upheaval and a costly war (in terms of US casualties). Kennedy was far more conservative, while LBJ's agenda aggressively expanded the federal government.

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020944.jpg
My brother was heading to Vegas so we went back down to Corpus Christi and dropped him off at the airport.

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Stopped at a Ford dealer in Corpus selling an LS400 that Ian wanted to look at. It was rather tired and I didnt even bother taking pictures of it. It was an ugly baby s*** light brown color.

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I set the GPS for College Station TX, where George HW Bush's library is located. Most of the route was well-paved but sparsely populated state roads. Two-way traffic moved at 75mph. It was a bit unnerving at times.

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How about that! An old-fashioned Wal-Mart that hasn't been converted into a monstrosity. It had the double-door entrance with a lobby seen often in the 70s and 80s. From the entrance you could see all four walls. Buying wipers was easy and fast. The store only had eight checkout lines. I wish there were more small department stores near me.

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Booked Hawthorn Suites in College Station on Priceline. The stupid fire detector kept beeping so we switched rooms.

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Not bad for $38. Not awesome. The shower head was strong but there was hard water.


George HW Bush's presidential library:
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The interior features fluorescent lighting and tie-down hooks welded to the frame for air transport.

Various GHWB museum exhibits:
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^At his wedding reception, George said to Barbara "Enjoy it. This is the last time I'll ever dance in public."
I despise dancing. Good for him.
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 020985.jpg

A restored replica of the Studebaker that George received as a gift from his father Prescott:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030003.jpg

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FUN FACT: The guy who designed this car for Studebaker also designed the graphics for Air Force One.

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The original invoice! There's a $5 fee for a Polaroid. That's a LOT of money for a picture! Nearly $50!

And this is how I do business as well:
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I've never signed a contract with a partner, supplier, or vendor in my life. I prefer to make deals in person. Of course, it depends on the nature of one's business.


User avatar
Jesda
Posts: 39644
Joined: Mon May 05, 2003 1:50 pm
Location: STL, DTW
Contact:

Post

More exhibits:
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030004.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030006.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030007.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030010.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030011.jpg

Replica of the UN assembly:
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030012.jpg

More exhibits:
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030014.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030019.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030020.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030022.jpg

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Barbara had to explain to the Chinese that her cocker spaniel was a dog, not a cat. She also rode around China on her bicycle when George was a US Chief Liason Officer.

More exhibits:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030028.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030029.jpg
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^I bought a bunch of these authentic buttons and pins at the LBJ library. They now sit on my mantle.
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030031.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030041.jpg

Camp david:
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^Check out that computer! I wonder if he was a Prodigy subscriber?
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^Dorothy had her wedding at Camp David. George, her father, forgot to pack clothes so he ended up wearing white pants and a pinstripe jacket as he walked her down.

Section of the Berlin wall:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030051.jpg

Barbara on magazine covers:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030056.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030059.jpg

More exhibits:
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The situation room:
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030063.jpg
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Gulf War exhibit:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030067.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030069.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030070.jpg

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The projector was dead but in here I sat through an exhibit (with speakers in the floor to simulate gunfire and bombs) that tried to illustrate what soldiers went through in the Gulf war, detailing everything from the stress and heat to the grit of sand that got into everything from clothes to water.

His failed reelection:
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030072.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030073.jpg
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^Election results.

His letter to Bill Clinton:
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More exhibits:
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USS George HW Bush:
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030094.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030095.jpg

Retirement, legacy, 1000 points of light:
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Father and son:
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I ended up spending $80 in the gift shop including a bust statue, magnets, and other goodies.
Conclusion: Politics aside, I like the Bush family a lot. Barbara is a strong personality who reminds me of my own mother -- she was direct with George W and has an "I'm going to do this myself, get the hell out of my way" personality. George is a witty and easygoing guy, sometimes engaging in self-deprecating humor. He seems to go about life with quiet humility and class. He was also fortunate in being able to preside over a peaceful and hopeful period in world history, where things were finally waking up and moving forward. He'll probably be remembered in history as a good man who did a decent job, but won't be ranked as one of the greats.

This really speaks for itself:
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The back seat of the Seville is still to this day filled with beach sand.

Rather than leaving the Ram in Texas to sell it, Ian offered me $2600 to pay for the $850 in repairs I did to the Ram plus the Seville plus extra money to repair the head gaskets that recently went bad, so I took it. Flaws aside, the car is a real pleasure to drive, up there with the LS400 and Navigator as all-time long distance favorites.

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Left Ian in San Antonio and headed home. Booked a Westin in Dallas for $45.

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They charged $13 to self-park, which was kind of lame.

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030129.jpg
I didn't know the area well and the closest place with food was McSlop.

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Headed up to my room on the 17th floor.

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This hotel's age is showing. The carpet in the corridors was lumpy and dirty.

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I LOVED the pillows and sheets, but Doubletree's bedding is still a little bit nicer.

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They charged $14 a day for internet. No way in hell I was paying that.

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On the plus side, I finally got a hotel with an HDTV that showed HD content.

Bathroom was showing its age:
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Two shower heads, one broken.
A pipe fixture that was misinstalled.
WHATS WITH THE PHONE NEXT TO THE TOILET?

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Decent view of North Dallas.

http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030148.jpg
Down the elevator

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Met up with an old friend and her son. He showed me his knuckle dimple.

Headed downtown to see the museum where President Kennedy was shot:
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Anyone know what the tall tube shaped building is?:
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The museum disallowed all photography, but it was exceptionally detailed and kept the corner where the shooter positioned himself fully in tact behind a glass cage. The boxes of books were positioned precisely. I got my $13 worth. It even went into detail covering the various conspiracy theories.

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I bought Kennedy's limo and a bust statue at the museum.

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The motorcade made a left at this corner and went down the ramp.

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This window on the sixth floor is where Osward killed our president.

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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030166.jpg
White Xs marked on the street. Not sure if they're symbolic of the event.

I headed east to Bentonville Arkansas to see the first store Sam Walton opened.

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Pulled into a gas station so William Shatner could find me a hotel room.

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Almost the entire route from Dallas to Bentonville consisted of state roads going through Indian territory. I pulled into the Choctaw Casino and considered playing some blackjack, but I was tired and eager to get to my hotel.

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The fog was REALLY BAD. I set the Seville to run the weather band and listened intently for closures. Every car needs this feature.

Couldn't see sh*t. The camera is not exaggerating how bad my visibility was. I turned on my hazards and slowed to 20mph through the mountains and hills.
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Even the tunnel was foggy. Normally this section of Arkansas is beautiful.

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As soon as I got to Bentonville the elevation dropped and the fog disappeared. This room was about $40. Most of AR is kind of desolate, rednecky, swampy, and unappealing, but the moment you get to Bentonville the clouds part and you discover civilization. There's more money here than anyone knows what to do with.

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This hotel is pretty new. The walls were quite thin. I could hear my neighbors flushing their toilets. Fortunately no one was having sex.

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HEY, that toilet lid logo looks mysteriously like the stylized Oldsmobile logo.

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The CMHMSL on this Hyundai is kind of cool.

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I thought Mike was back in St Louis until he sent me a text and suggested getting together for lunch. He treated me to chicken fried steak at a local place where Wal-Mart billionaires sometimes ate.
I'm terrible about details and reading. He came to pick me up at my hotel while I drove straight to the restaurant. I called and said "Uhh, I'm here." He says, "Huh? I'm at your hotel!" My bad. Derp.

His beautiful Eldorado:
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Fred's Hickory Inn:
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Headed into town to see the original Walton's. The building was being rennovated and the museum was moved next door.
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Confederate statue.

Sam's 1979 Ford pickup which he drove until he died:
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Quick history: He and his brother opened a Ben Franklin general store and made it tremendously successful. As a result, the building owner wanted the space back. Sam left and opened his own shop.

Various museum exhibits including logos, business cards, signage, and flyers:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030208.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030210.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030211.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030212.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030215.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030216.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030217.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030219.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030220.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030221.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030222.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030225.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030226.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030228.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030230.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030231.jpg
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030233.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030234.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030235.jpg
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^Sam's business card.
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030238.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030239.jpg

Famous/amusing returned items:
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A guy returned a thermometer because it "never had the correct time"

Sam loved his dogs:
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Famous quote: "Why do I drive a pick-up truck? What am I supposed to haul my dogs around in, a Rolls-Royce?"

His life and family:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030272.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030277.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030278.jpg

His house:
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030276.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030275.jpg


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Sam Walton died in 1992. His brother Bud died in 1995:
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Moon Pies, a top-seller in the store's early years.

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Interesting article on Wal-Mart's growth, back when Troy, Michigan's K-Mart was on top.

Sams Club and neighborhood market concepts:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030263.jpg

A few weeks before Sam died, George HW Bush awarded him the presidential medal of freedom:
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Wal-Mart timeline:
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030260.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030261.jpg
http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030262.jpg

Remember back when Wal-Mart was pushing American-made products?:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030266.jpg
Shrek

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2004 "most admired companies"

I grabbed one of these on the way out:
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The text:
Rule 1: Commit to your business. Believe in it more than anybody else. I think I overcame every single one of my personal shortcomings by the sheer passion I brought to my work. I don't know if you're born with this kind of passion, or if you can learn it. But I do know you need it. If you love your work, you'll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you — like a fever.

Rule 2: Share your profits with all your associates, and treat them as partners. In turn, they will treat you as a partner, and together you will all perform beyond your wildest expectations. Remain a corporation and retain control if you like, but behave as a servant leader in your partnership. Encourage your associates to hold a stake in the company. Offer discounted stock, and grant them stock for their retirement. It's the single best thing we ever did.

Rule 3: Motivate your partners. Money and ownership alone aren't enough. Constantly, day by day, think of new and more interesting ways to motivate and challenge your partners. Set high goals, encourage competition, and then keep score. Make bets with outrageous payoffs. If things get stale, cross-pollinate; have managers switch jobs with one another to stay challenged. Keep everybody guessing as to what your next trick is going to be. Don't become too predictable.

Rule 4: Communicate everything you possibly can to your partners. The more they know, the more they'll understand. The more they understand, the more they'll care. Once they care, there's no stopping them. If you don't trust your associates to know what's going on, they'll know you really don't consider them partners. Information is power, and the gain you get from empowering your associates more than offsets the risk of informing your competitors.

Rule 5: Appreciate everything your associates do for the business. A paycheck and a stock option will buy one kind of loyalty. But all of us like to be told how much somebody appreciates what we do for them. We like to hear it often, and especially when we have done something we're really proud of. Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They're absolutely free — and worth a fortune.

Rule 6: Celebrate your success. Find some humor in your failures. Don't take yourself so seriously. Loosen up, and everybody around you will loosen up. Have fun. Show enthusiasm — always. When all else fails, put on a costume and sing a silly song. Then make everybody else sing with you. Don't do a hula on Wall Street. It's been done. Think up your own stunt. All of this is more important, and more fun, than you think, and it really fools competition. "Why should we take those cornballs at Wal-Mart seriously?"

Rule 7: Listen to everyone in your company and figure out ways to get them talking. The folks on the front lines — the ones who actually talk to the customer — are the only ones who really know what's going on out there. You'd better find out what they know. This really is what total quality is all about. To push responsibility down in your organization, and to force good ideas to bubble up within it, you must listen to what your associates are trying to tell you.

Rule 8: Exceed your customer's expectations. If you do, they'll come back over and over. Give them what they want — and a little more. Let them know you appreciate them. Make good on all your mistakes, and don't make excuses — apologize. Stand behind everything you do. The two most important words I ever wrote were on that first Wal-Mart sign: "Satisfaction Guaranteed." They're still up there, and they have made all the difference.

Rule 9: Control your expenses better than your competition. This is where you can always find the competitive advantage. For twenty-five years running — long before Wal-Mart was known as the nation's largest retailer — we've ranked No. 1 in our industry for the lowest ratio of expenses to sales. You can make a lot of different mistakes and still recover if you run an efficient operation. Or you can be brilliant and still go out of business if you're too inefficient.

Rule 10: Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everybody else is doing it one way, there's a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction. But be prepared for a lot of folks to wave you down and tell you you're headed the wrong way. I guess in all my years, what I heard more often than anything was: a town of less than 50,000 population cannot support a discount store for very long.
Bentonville celebrations:
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http://www.q45.org/cpg/albums/texas%20c ... 030283.jpg


The Entrepreneur's Creed:
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I do not choose to be a common man.
It is my right to be uncommon – if I can.
I seek opportunity – not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled
and dulled by having the state look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole; I prefer the challenges of life to the
guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of Utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.
I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself,
to enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say:

“This, with God’s help, I have done.”

All this is what it means to be an entrepreneur.
Okay, I'll admit, I got a tiny bit teary-eyed reading that.
[Originally written by Dean Alfange, an American politician in the early 1900′s, as the “American Creed”, but it has since been edited.]


I got a couple souvenirs on my way out including a miniature shopping cart and a snow globe:
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And underneath:
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lol :)

Conclusion: Sam was motivated and driven, but intensely patriotic and loyal to his country and his community. Today's Wal-Mart is quite different from the one he and bud left behind in the 90s. As a customer, I love the operating hours and hate the size, but I like the businesses that spring up next to every new store. While its free to visit, Bentonville is over an hour away from the interstate. Its worth making a detour if you have any interest in Sam's story, how Wal-Mart got here, or how self-made men build something great out of nothing.[/b]

Fuel economy wrap-up:
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For a 300hp V8 dragging around 4250lbs (including me, plus my brother at 180lbs and Ian at 900lbs), that's not bad at all!




After visiting all four museums, I felt motivated and inspired. For anyone with some guts, the American dream is a long way from dead. Makes you want to punch a crybaby in the ear.
As for Texas, its beautiful. The people of south Texas are friendly (bear in mind that I skipped Houston) and for as proud and boisterous as they're known to be, they all come across as humble and easygoing. The women though... not so great. They aren't ugly at all. They're just completely nondescript.
The Seville was a fantastic road trip car, despite dribbling water on my foot and consuming some oil. The LS400 had more comfortable spring-supported seats and the Navigator had more space to spread out and relax, but the Seville's CVRSS flattens out road surfaces without sacrificing feel and firmness. It does seem slow to adjust firmness on harsh surfaces, but it tightens up quickly in curves. I have a love/hate relationship with the Bose 4.0 system as it seems to do well with pop and R&B but falls flat on its face reproducing rock music. I'm still trying to get used to the seating position as I have to sit high and up close to reach everything comfortably. But yeah, despite all its flaws, there's a reason why I've owned and loved three of these cars.

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Jesda wrote:Image
Anyone know what this is?
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I dont know my classic cars very well.

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Awesome trip and recap. :dblthumb: The convertible in question is a Jaguar XK120.

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You're looking svelt Jesda!

LBJ creeps me out! I saw a documentary on him once and he apparently used some pretty dirty politics to get himself elected to office in Texas. Plus, he kissed his dad on the lips. I know it was a different time back then, but man it was a pretty passionate kiss.. head tilted to the side and leaned back and all... yikes!

Google image search provides: Image

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Jesda, will you be my friend? I kind of want your life a little. Your threads are always amazing!

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Eikon wrote:Plus, he kissed his dad on the lips. I know it was a different time back then, but man it was a pretty passionate kiss.. head tilted to the side and leaned back and all... yikes!

Google image search provides: Image
awfully disturbing.

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Eikon wrote:You're looking svelt Jesda!

LBJ creeps me out! I saw a documentary on him once and he apparently used some pretty dirty politics to get himself elected to office in Texas. Plus, he kissed his dad on the lips. I know it was a different time back then, but man it was a pretty passionate kiss.. head tilted to the side and leaned back and all... yikes!
WEIRD... :blush:


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXXv65EdzB8[/youtube]

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I always enjoy reading your roadtrip threads.

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So awesome. One of these days, I want your life. The tower in question, I believe, is the World's Fair Tower. It was there in the late 30s. Those statues are built in every city and left as a remembrance.


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