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Travel

A Stop In Fredericksburg, Texas

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Former Buick dealership now a winery. Fredericksburg, Texas

After our stop in Shiner we arrived in Fredericksburg, where we stayed for a few days before heading east toward Florida. The draw for Fredericksburg is that it is in the heart of Texas wine country. We drove through Fredericksburg on a previous trip but only spent one night. Ironically, despite being in the middle of wine country we didn’t visit any wineries! We did manage to drink a bit of Texas wine, did a little shopping and some sightseeing.

Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg, Texas

I was really taken with the public library. Housed in the former Gillespie County Courthouse that was built in 1881-1882 and used until 1939, the building was subsequently converted to the current use as the library. The limestone exterior, high ceilings and wooden trim are a reminder of the days of fine craftsmanship. The library even has a card catalog, although the drawers are empty now.

Public Library in Fredericksburg, Texas
Public Library in Fredericksburg, Texas
Public Library in Fredericksburg, Texas
Who knows what this is? Public Library in Fredericksburg, Texas
Public Library in Fredericksburg, Texas
Public Library in Fredericksburg, Texas

The town of Fredericksburg is like a lot of small towns these days, just with a Texas twist. Instead of antiques and country crafts there is cowboy art and turquoise jewelry. Lots of interesting restaurants, though. We had several really nice meals during our stay.

The Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas
The Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas

We stayed in a really cool hotel located at the Gillespie County Airport. Named the Hangar Hotel, it is styled after a WWI aircraft hanger, complete with an Officer’s Club, the name of the lounge. It was fun watching all the planes coming and going, and made for some interesting photography.

Bachelorette party. Vaudeville Restaurant in Fredericksburg, Texas

Travel

Along The Way: Shiner Texas

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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.

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

K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas

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
Tap Room at the K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
1959 Ford F-100 pickup at K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
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! 😉

K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas
Travel

Along The Way: Space Center Houston

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Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

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

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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
Cannons with the Illinois Memorial in the background. 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
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
USS Cairo, a restored Civil War–era gunship at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi
USS Cairo, a restored Civil War–era gunship at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi
USS Cairo, a restored Civil War–era gunship at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi
USS Cairo, a restored Civil War–era gunship at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi
USS Cairo, a restored Civil War–era gunship at Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi
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

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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.

Eagle and Phenix Mill in Columbus, Georgia
Eagle and Phenix Mill in Columbus, Georgia
Eagle and Phenix Mill in Columbus, Georgia
Eagle and Phenix Mill in Columbus, Georgia
Eagle and Phenix Mill in Columbus, Georgia

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
Along the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia
Machinery in a former power plant along the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia
Machinery in a former power plant along the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia
Machinery in a former power plant along the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia
Eagle and Phenix Mill in Columbus, Georgia
Travel

Along The Way: Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park

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Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park near Macon, Georgia

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.

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park near Macon, Georgia
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park near Macon, Georgia

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

 

Travel

Rescue At Sea

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Rescue of stranded Cuban refugees aboard a raft in the Gulf of Mexico

On the first day of our cruise we were at sea, headed to Costa Maya, Mexico. At some point in the afternoon we started to notice that the ship had slowed and started a big turn. As passengers realized this we started to wonder what was happening, and soon word started to spread that someone had spotted a stranded sailboat.

Soon the captain came on the PA and explained that we had passed a disabled boat and that the passengers were waving for help. It is a maritime rule that the closest vessel is obligated to perform a rescue, and that was us.

Rescue of stranded Cuban refugees aboard a raft in the Gulf of Mexico

While the rescue was taking place, the cruise director kept asking for “no photos or videos,” which is a lost effort when everyone on board is carrying a camera! I took a few photos of the rescue, but they are heavily cropped. The one time on the cruise where I wish I had packed my long lens!

Turns out it wasn’t much of a sailboat. We learned the following day when the rescued people were turned over to Mexican authorities that they were refugees from Cuba, had been at sea for over a month, and had recently run out of food and water.

Rescue of stranded Cuban refugees aboard a raft in the Gulf of Mexico

I can only imagine the desperation that people have that would make them want to undertake such an effort. I am thankful that any ship I sail on has plenty of food and water!

Rescue of stranded Cuban refugees aboard a raft in the Gulf of Mexico
Travel

A Slice of Color From Belize

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Colorful foliage at Harvest Caye, Norwegian Cruise Line private island in Belize

Kathy & I are in Fredericksburg, TX after our cruise on Norwegian Prima, and I just took time to look at my photos so far. We didn’t get off the ship in Costa Maya, Mexico because we got in to port late and the weather was iffy, which turned out to be the right move because it rained most of the time we were in port!

Our stop in Harvest Caye, Belize was cloudy and overcast, so I didn’t get any “postcard worthy” photos, but I did manage to find some slices of color in this interesting foliage.

I’ve taken a bunch more photos and will get them posted in due time!

Colorful foliage at Harvest Caye, Norwegian Cruise Line private island in Belize
Colorful foliage at Harvest Caye, Norwegian Cruise Line private island in Belize
Colorful foliage at Harvest Caye, Norwegian Cruise Line private island in Belize