All posts by Tom Dills

Along The Way: Shiner Texas

March 29, 2024 Tom Dills 4 Comments

K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas

On our journey across Texas we made a quick stop in Shiner, Texas to visit the K. Spoetzl Brewery, home of Shiner Beer. We had some gen-u-ine Texas brisket, toured the brewery and had some Shiner Beer before heading off into wine country.

Texas BBQ at the K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas

The Spoetzl Brewery started in 1909. It was originally named The Shiner Brewing Association (SBA) and was founded by German and Czech immigrants who had settled around the central Texas town of Shiner. Unable to find the type of beer they had known in their home countries, they decided to brew their own. It is the oldest independent brewery in Texas and one of the oldest independent breweries in the U.S.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the brewery’s Shiner Premium Beer and Shiner Bock accounted for less than 1% of the Texas beer market. In 1983, Spoetzl produced 60,000 US beer barrels of beer; in 1990, only 36,000 US beer barrels. Sales improved after Carlos Alvarez of San Antonio acquired the brewery in 1989. Production grew to 100,000 US beer barrels in 1994, and over the next 10 years production nearly tripled. The company now has 120 employees and as of 2012 it was the fourth-largest craft brewery in the United States.

Tap Room at the K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas

1959 Ford F-100 pickup at K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas

It was a good visit, and some of the Amber Bock even made it home for us to share with our friends, neighbors and family! 😉

Photography

Morning Fun: Norwegian Prima

March 23, 2024 Tom Dills 6 Comments

I enjoy early mornings aboard a cruise, well before most of the people stumble out of bed and start looking for the first feeding opportunity. I only got up early one morning while we were aboard Norwegian Prima, and it happened to be the morning of our arrival in Roatan, Honduras. While I was able to watch as we approached the port, for the most part my favorite photos are the ones of different ship details, especially those lit up by all the LED lighting.

Morning arrival at Roatan, Honduras aboard Norwegian Prima

Enchantment of the Seas arriving in Roatan, Honduras

Travel

Along The Way: Space Center Houston

March 17, 2024 Tom Dills 3 Comments

We spent two nights in Galveston before our cruise, and took advantage of the proximity to visit Space Center Houston. Known famously for “Houston We Have A Problem” it is the home of Mission Control, specifically the The Christopher C. Kraft Mission Control Center, from which NASA led Gemini and Apollo missions, including the momentous first lunar landing mission as well as early space shuttle missions.

The Mercury 9 spacecraft named ‘Faith 7’ flown by astronaut Gordon Cooper on May 15, 1963. On display at Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

Gemini V capsule which carried astronauts Gordon Cooper and Charles “Pete” Conrad Aug. 21, 1965 to Aug. 29, 1965. At Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

Apollo 17 Command Module on display at Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

Apollo moon landing display at Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

As a space geek from childhood, having the opportunity to visit Mission Control was a bit of a thrill. NASA has completely restored the center to look like it did during the moon landings. They sourced manuals, binders, furniture and even ashtrays from former workers and have turned it into a bit of a museum. The tour took us into what had been the VIP viewing gallery, where we could look through the windows while re-enactments of various scenes from Apollo 11 played out on the screen, including the tense moments of landing at Tranquility Base.

The Christopher C. Kraft Mission Control Center, from which NASA led Gemini and Apollo missions, including the momentous first lunar landing mission as well as early space shuttle missions. Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

Another highlight of the center is Space Shuttle Independence, which is on display on the back of one of the converted Boeing 747 aircraft which were used to transport the shuttles from California back to Florida between missions. Both craft were open to walk through, with plenty of information displays. The size of the combined vehicles is quite impressive!

Space Shuttle ‘Independence’ and Boeing 747 transport aircraft on display at Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

The overall museum is very well done, with actual Mercury, Gemini and Apollo capsules, a space rock you can actually touch, information on the upcoming Artemis missions and lots of other space memorabilia. It was a great visit. Having been to space centers at Cape Canaveral, Huntsville and now Houston, NASA have done a commendable job preserving these bits of history.

Cockpit of Space Shuttle ‘Independence’ at Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

Cargo Bay of Space Shuttle ‘Independence’ at Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

Inside the shuttle transport Boeing 747 at Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

Space-X Falcon 9 Rocket booster on display at Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

Saturn IV building at Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

Travel

Along The Way: Vicksburg National Military Park

March 16, 2024 Tom Dills 2 Comments

Cannons with the Illinois Memorial in the background. Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

Actually a destination in itself, we spent only a few hours at Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi. It was an appropriately gloomy day for visiting a former battlefield, I thought. These are just a few representative photos from this memorial to what was one of the most important and decisive battles of the Civil War.

Entrance monument at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

The US Navy Memorial at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

The Texas Memorial at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

The Alabama Memorial at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

Monument for Confederate Brigadier General Lloyd Tilghman at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

The sheer number of casualties from Vicksburg alone is overwhelming, and was just a portion of the overall losses from the war. War didn’t make any more sense then than it does today, and unfortunately it doesn’t seem like we’ve taken the lessons to heart.

The Illinois Memorial at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

There are hundreds of monuments across the battlefield, and the largest and most impressive were those from individual states. For a history buff a lot of the battle lines were marked, with information on the troops stationed there at various points of the battle. A little too detailed for me, but interesting to try and understand the scope of the place.

USS Cairo, a restored Civil War–era gunship at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

I was especially interested in the USS Cairo on display. The ship was salvaged from the Mississippi River years after the war. It has been partially restored and rests on a cradle under this large canopy. The mechanical components of the ship are pretty much intact.

National Cemetery at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

Travel

Along The Way: Columbus, Georgia

March 14, 2024 Tom Dills 2 Comments

Eagle and Phenix Mill in Columbus, Georgia

We made an overnight stop in Columbus, GA, a former mill town on the Chattahoochee River along the border with Alabama. The Eagle & Phenix Mills Buildings have been converted into apartments and condominiums, and much of the downtown area has become a dining and entertainment area.

We spent only a brief amount of time in Columbus, but on the morning of our departure I managed to do a little photography on the way to and from breakfast.

Along the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia

Machinery in a former power plant along the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia

Travel

Along The Way: Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park

March 12, 2024 Tom Dills 4 Comments

On our recent trip to Texas, we made a stop at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park near Macon, Georgia. We had intended to visit several years ago, but this was one of the many parks whose visitor centers had been closed during the Covid hysteria. We got to visit this time.

The park is a prehistoric American Indian site, boasting more than 12,000 years of continuous human habitation by many different American Indian cultures. American Indians first came here during the Paleo-Indian Period hunting Ice Age mammals. Around 900 CE, the Mississippian Period began, and people constructed mounds for their elite, which remain here today.

The site was also the scene of several Civil War battles.

Entrance to ceremonial mound. Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park near Macon, Georgia

The largest dig ever conducted in this country occurred here at Ocmulgee and the surrounding area. Between 1933 and 1936, over 800 men in Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA), Civil Works Administration (CWA), Federal Emergency Relief Administration (ERA & FERA), and later by the Civilian Conservation Corps excavated under the direction of Dr. Arthur R. Kelly from the Smithsonian Institute.

Visitor Center. Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park near Macon, Georgia

The site was declared a National Monument in 1936. In 1937 the National Park Service, along with U.S. Congressman Carl Vinson, General Walter Harris, and Dr. Charles C. Harrold, completed a list of needed development projects including construction of a museum, restoration of archeological features, access roads and parking, tree planting, and fence construction – all to include the detached Lamar Site, where a levee was also needed.

One Lane Tunnel. Perhaps the worlds’ smallest? Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park near Macon, Georgia

Photography

Sunrise On The River

February 27, 2024 Tom Dills 2 Comments

Sunrise on the Mississippi River approaching New Orleans

Our approach to New Orleans was really interesting, because it involved an 8-hour transit up the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico starting around midnight. Sunrise occurred about an hour from our arrival, and I was up early to catch the morning light. This is an easy edit of one of my photos from that morning, although I have many more to go through once we get home. Needless to say, a quiet sail up the river in the early morning was quite special.

Postcards

Postcard From New Orleans

February 27, 2024 Tom Dills 4 Comments

The first stop on our current cruise was the exotic Caribbean (not!) port of New Orleans. It was our first time there, and we did a bus tour, saw a concert at Preservation Hall and did LOTS of walking. It was interesting to visit, although as the day went on and the crowds got drunker, we had had enough. New Orleans…Check!

Photography