2017 CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - FRIDAY, APRIL 16TH, 2017

Zilker Botanical Garden 

Austin Area Garden Center

Texas

Sunday, April 16th, 2017

We left our hotel in Austin, Texas at 9.33 a.m. and the odometer reading is 50401.  We are heading in the direction of Lubbock, Texas, birth place of Buddy Holly. He was born on Sepember 7th, 1936, and would have been 80 years' old.  I believe there is a museum dedicated to him (but no, we didn't go to it as it turned out.)

At 11.40 a.m. we left the Zilker Botanical Garden in Austin.  It is $3 to get in for out-of-towners, $1 for locals.  We were told by the lady in the gift shop later that it is a non-profit organization.  The following are of photos we took there.

What lurks?

A dinosaur!

Two more of the dinosaur.

And a little closer still.

This was the waterfall we shared in our video the other day.

An insect hotel.....

with instructions.

Growing flowers and vegetables in straw bales.

And instructions how to make one.

I always love coming across these butterfly chairs.

I took the selfie stick along with me but should have remembered the tripod.  My arms aren't long enough!

We learned that Swedish Immigrants settled in this area.

If you click on the sign below you should be able to read all about them.  

How they made these log homes fascinated me.

They were very brave souls, to leave everything behind for a new land.

And what it may have looked like inside.

We had a very interesting time.

For the following Gregg took over as I drove for a couple of hours.  He likes me keeping up with our daily journal too and filled in for me. 

2:15 p.m. This is Gregg. Denise took over driving. Going through pretty hill country. Seeing lots of goats and a few sheep. Also seeing quite a few donkeys. Light rain showers. First rain of the trip. 

3:26 p.m. saw first wheat  fields (very large) about 5 miles from Winters, Texas. 

3:56 p.m. Driving through a humongous windmill farm of several hundred windmills in lines on the ridge line. We are on route 153 heading north west about 25 miles southwest of Sweetwater, Texas. Amongst these hundreds of windmills, there are several oil rigs. 

And I'm back.

5:57 a.m. It is me, Denise. We have just pulled into our hotel for the night.  I have enjoyed driving but I am glad our journey is over for the day. 

Popped out for a bite to eat as there was no restaurant in the hotel and we couldn't find a place to buy anything for an in-the-room picnic.  We did find a Long John Silvers open (drive-thru only).  We actually had a pretty decent fish and chips tonight.

 9:47 p.m. back in the hotel room and ready for a good night's sleep.