First off, my feature photo isn’t mine. It’s from the blogger I’m shouting out today.
For some time, I’ve been following a recipe blog named “The Wholesome Spoon”
Lex, the author is a young, midwest USA Mom who creates recipes that are easy to follow and have ingredients most of us have on hand or can easily access at our local supermarkets.
I’ve tried many of Lex’s recipes and every one has been a hit with both hubs and me, as well as with our friends and family.
I’d highly recommend that you check her blog outhere . You won’t be sorry.
I said to hubs the other day, that although I love the winter weather in South Texas, pretty much everything else is better here at home.
We got a little skiff of snow yesterday (feature photo), but temps are going to be above freezing from now until the end of the month, so it’ll all be melted in a couple of days.
Things are easier here.
I can walk across the street and through a parking lot to get to a familiar, large and newly renovated supermarket. It’s a Co-op store that I’ve shopped at since I was old enough to drive here from our home town (18 miles/28 km away).
It’s a 2-block walk from our condo building to the downtown area, and I can be guaranteed that on any walk to the grocery store or the downtown area, I’ll run into someone I’ve known all of my life.
Family is here. My mom lives less than two blocks away. I have two sisters who also live here, and another sister and my brother live in our home town (20 minute drive away). My dad’s youngest sister is more like a big sister than an aunt to me. She and her husband liveacross the street from us.
Our walking trails are beckoning already. In Texas, my walking route is around our RV park … over and over again for 6 months.
Here, I can walk on a different path every day for weeks on end and always see something new. In addition, many of the groomed trails are on the city outskirts (which I also walk to) and are beautiful nature trails among wildlife habitats.
I like our Canadian bread, beef, eggs, flour, and poultry better. It’s all in what you get used to.
We have many restaurants in walking distance and there’s a new movie theatre nearing completion two blocks from here.
The ice hockey rink is nearby and the junior team hubs played with many years ago is in playoffs now. We’ll definitely be attending some games and he’ll no doubt touch base with friends from “back in the day”.
There’s so much more, but I think by now, that you get the picture.
As Dorothy Gale’s famous final line says, “There’s no place like home”.
For quite some time, I’ve been craving a good old pot roast meal.
Hubs isn’t a fan of roast beef, so I seldom make it. In fact, I believe it’s over a year since I’ve made a roast beef dinner.
Yesterday, I purchased a nicely marbled chuck roast (bottom blade in Canada) and cooked it in my Instant Pot. Tougher well-marbled cuts are the best for Instant Potcooking.
The preparation is a breeze, and except for the peas and the salad, it was a one-pot meal and most welcome on a cold Saskatchewan day.
The meat was fork tender and hubs even commented that he liked it.
Our hotel in Bismarck, ND was near the state Capitol. Once again, we’ve been to and through Bismarck many times and have never stopped by the Capitol building.
It was a cold and windy day, but the stop was worthwhile.
I was quite surprised to see that the building is modern.
The main building To the left of the tall office building Statue of John Burke, 10th Governor of ND 1907-1913Plaque at base of statue I have a new bucket list idea Liberty Memorial Building and State Library Fire escape at back of Liberty Memorial building caught my eyeThe name plaques are underneath
As we drove farther north, the snow dissipated until it was completely gone! This was a new, unexpected, and most welcome experience for us.
Falkirk Coal Mine, Underwood, NDNear Gardiner Dam NDLewis and Clark Interprative Center Washburn ND. We didn’t stop this time. This is an old photo of a previous stopApproaching the land border at Portal NDNorth Portal, Canada BorderOur home province Southeast Sask is a part of the Bakken Play. Our area is home to the second largest oil field in CanadaWe made a quick stop to pick up my traditional Easter treat Estevan, Sk coal mining museumLignite Louie is Estevan’s coal mining mascotThe first drag line in the Estevan area – now retired and tiny compared to the massive lines that work nowThe old power plant, now a museum, welcomes us home to Weyburn, SK
It was a good road trip home. I hope you enjoyed traveling with us via these posts.
At 10 hours, yesterday was our longest day on the road.
We had a couple of short stops for fuel and walkabouts, but aside from that, hubs was determined to make miles.
As a result, we’ll complete the trip with a 4.5 hour drive today.
This was a good plan because arrival at home involves unpacking the truck, sorting and putting everything away, and doing laundry. Both hubs and I have ocd-ish personalities that wouldn’t allow us to leave those tasks for the next day.
The roads have been excellent so far, despite now seeing “that white stuff” in the fields that has been foreign to us all winter. Thank goodness the final melt isn’t far away and our summer is around the corner.
My feature photo is near Thedford, Nebraska.
North Platte, Nebraska is home to a revitalized downtown project called “The Canteen District”. We only drove by but after seeing this sign which resulted in researching, we’ll definitely stop for a walkabout here next time we’re through.
I wasn’t quick enough with my camera, so this is from Google Images
Our first stop was here.
Although luck wasn’t with us, it was a fun 30 minute stretch, and a Google search told us that Bob Barker, the long time host of the TV game show, “The Price is Right” was a citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Nation here. His mother was apparently a school teacher on the reservation.
Our next stop was at Pierre, South Dakota. Pierre is the state capital. Although we’ve driven past the city many times, we’d never stopped to see the capitol building, so we decided to fix that.
Completed 116 Years AgoIt was a tad breezy but no snow yet! A little lake sits adjacent to the Capitol Statue of Joe Foss – WWII Marine Flying Ace and one-time governor of North Dakota stands at an arena across from the Capitol
A few miles down the road, we were greeted with this
At least the highway is dry … so far
We booked into a lovely big room at Bismarck ND La Quinta. Comfy beds, extremely clean room in new condition and a great price for a holiday weekend Saturday.
Much of Route 66 in Texas has been built over by interstate highway 40 (I-40). Hubs and I managed to find a few sections of the original Mother Road, and chose to drive on them as much as possible, just to be able to say we did. It had a wonderful stepping back in time feel to it. My feature photo is of one such segment.
Yesterday was full of fun and interesting stops to check out many well-known attractions along the Texas section of Historic Route 66.
Our first sighting on Good Friday was The Groom CrossA small town with a big spiritThe Leaning Tower of Britten has an interesting history No matter where you look along 66, you’re time travelingMcLean, TX Museum was an amazing findHubs checking farming implements from days gone byAnother iconic Rte 66 stopThe Devils Rope Museum is massive inside Cute mock up of a 40’s DinerThis guy had a long trip Juxtaposition in Shamrock, TXShamrock, TX is the first Texas town along Rte 66 when coming from the EastThe iconic Conoco Tower Station and U Drop In CafeA tribute garden to Bill Mack, who was born in Shamrock Outside the U Drop In CafeLook who I found inside the cafe! Memories One must keep a watchful eye because the roadside history is continuous
Hubs and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of our last day (for now) celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Route 66. The anniversary lasts all year (the actual 100th birthday is in November), so we have plans for exploration of other sections later this year.
Along the way from San Angelo, TX to Amarillo, TX we saw some varied and beautiful scenery and enjoyed a couple of breaks from driving to check out attractions.
The weather has been more than cooperative with sunshine, warmth, and clear blue skies.
Breakfast and road snacks from our hotelNear Sterling City, TXRed Soil at Ackerly, TX. The white specks are debris from the cotton harvest
Our first stop was Lubbock, TX – birthplace of Buddy Holly.
After touring Clear Lake, Iowa on our way south this past fall, which I posted about here , we were interested in visiting Buddy Holly’s hometown.
Lubbock Texas has streets named after their favourite son.
There’s also the Buddy Holly Center which is a museum tribute to his life, and includes an art gallery inside an old attached train station.
Across the street, is The Buddy and Maria Elena Holly Plazawhich includes the West Texas Walk of Fame – with inductees from the area named in plaques along a curved wall. Among the many inductees were Tanya Tucker, Merle Haggard, Roy Orbison, and Dan Blocker.
We also toured the house of JI Allison, the first drummer for Buddy Holly’s band, The Crickets. In his bedroom was a piano and a drum kit and this is where “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue” were written.
I was in Rock n Roll heaven here.
Entrance to the Buddy Holly CenterMe with the famous glassesThis courtyard can be rented outInside the entrance Lots of reading involvedDoorway to the Art GalleryThree large sections for exhibitsOriginal doors to the old train station Hubs was most interested in the history of the train stationJI Allison’s gomeJI’s room in the homeBuddy and Maria Elena Holly PlazaFront of the old train station Dedication Plaque
From Lubbock, we made the 121 mile (194 km) drive to Amarillo, TX where we checked out our first stop on historic Route 66.
2026 is the hundredth anniversary of “The Mother Road”, so over the course of this year we plan to see as much of it as we can.
First stop: Cadillac Ranch
There’s spray paint everywhere Even on the pavement alongside the entrance Spray painted locks on the fenceThis truck pulls the souvenir trailerEvery souvenir you could want is in hereThe famous interactive art installation, created in 1974I took my turn at spray painting Hubs did some tagging tooThe Second Amendment Cowboy with a neon sign (one of many on Rte 66)A diner and gift shop behind the cowboy
For those of you wondering about fuel prices:
This is per US Gallon (3.75 liters) We saw it as low as $2.99 and as high as $3.99
Yesterday was a ten hour day, worth every enjoyable second.
Yesterday was take off day and we logged nine hours on the road with only quick rest stops.
Texas is a big state and because we’re headed up to the panhandle, we’re taking the longest route from south to north.
It’s bluebonnet time in Texas and the state flower was abundant on the roadsides and in fields along the way. My feature photo was on the way by, so more blurred than I like but it gives you the idea.
Here are a few more “on the way by” photos.
I had to do a white balance correction on them, because of the tinted windows in our truck.
Check stop at Encino, TXOne of many overpasses at San Antonio, TXComing to Comfort, TXComfort TXFredericksburg, TXMany great old buildings in Fredericksburg
Mason, TX Courthouse
My Moment 58 mmTele Lens for iPhone does a pretty good job of bringing things closer and at the same time, reducing blur. It’s my favourite attachment for shooting from a moving vehicle.
When I see “Arnie” (our golf cart, named after the famous golfer, Arnold Palmer), all wrapped up and sitting on wooden planks to keep the tires from melting onto the concrete in the extreme summer heat, I know we’re leaving the next day.
As we always try to do, we have a new route home to Canada in the plans, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
It’s going to be a bucket list hit for me, so I’m pretty excited!
Radically Retired 