A Wink & A Song & A Dune

Another fun day for us exploring the area surrounding Midland/Odessa area.... We loaded up the family and headed out early in the morning.  We drove by many Jack Pumps and Oil sites... this area is polluted with them and that contaminates the water so you shouldn't drink it... we really have bought more bottled water since we've been here then ever before.  Ok... back on track!!!

Kermit. Texas

Next was a drive through the small town of Kermit.  Kermit is a city in and the county seat of Winkler County, Texas, United States.  The population was 5,708 at the 2010 census.  The city was named for Kermit Roosevelt after a visit by his father Theodore Roosevelt to the county.

Our next stop was in the small town called Wink.  If you are old enough, you've heard Wink   mentioned for being Roy Orbison's boyhood home. If you're like most people, while you were on the way to get an atlas you probably got distracted, so you're still unaware of exactly where Wink  is. If you're young enough, you'll probably ask Roy who?  Despite its remote location approximately 50 miles west of Odessa-Texas, Wink draws visitors from as far as Egypt and Australia.  They make the trek to Wink to honor Roy Orbison, the black-clad crooner responsible for hits including "Pretty Woman" and "Only the Lonely". 

Roy Orbison Museum in Wink, Texas

Alyssah & Roy - Donna & Ralph - The Grandtreasures Hannah & Alyssah - Street Sign

Roy Orbison Museum is at 205 E. Hendricks in Wink.

Open by appointment, Tue-Sat. Call 432/527-3743. Free.

The Monahans Sandhills State Park - Dunes is exactly what this park is and located close to the interstate for easy access.  Imagine scenes from the Sahara Desert with miles of rolling sand dunes, great for sliding down on sands disks (available for rent at the Ranger station).  The visitor's center has great info on the history of the dunes and how they are formed.  For RVers there are great flat paved sites with water and electric and dump stations in park.  Great place to spend the day and take a picnic lunch.  Keep in mind, this is the desert, keep plenty of water with you and do not hike out into the dunes without letting someone know where and when you are going.  It is easy to get lost out there.  We had a great time visiting this park and the grandtreasues had so much fun!

Entrance to Monahans State Park - Alyssah - Camping area - Dunes

Info Board - The Girls - Dunes Oats - Picnic Area

My daughter Jennifer, Grands Hannah & Alyssah & me - The Grandtreasures - Footprints - More dunes

Go here to visit Monahan's Sandhills State Park website

We had a great day together riding around and discovering the unnoticed things that people find when they take the backroads.  Get out and explore!

Until next time...

Have FUN & Travel Safe

A Rabbit in the Bush????

We tried to see as much as we could find in Midland while visiting our daughter & her family.... we were surprised at some of our finds.  The first was George W. Bush childhood home... we stopped and visited this home but didn't get a chance to see The Presidential Museum in the Midland/Odessa area -  We found it amusing that the house was also occupied George H. Bush, Jeb Bush & Barbara and thought that it should be just called Bush Presidential Home.

Bush's Boyhood Home

George W. Bush Childhood Home is a historic house that was home to former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush from 1951 to 1955. It is located at 1412 W. Ohio Ave. in Midland, Texas. The home was built in 1940 and was purchased by the Bush family in 1951 for $9,000. They lived in the 1,400-square-foot home until late 1955. It was also the earliest childhood home of Governor Jeb Bush. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Information Signs & Childhood photos

We also went out to find the "World's Largest Jackrabbit" which is mentioned in Roadside America.

Built in 1962, the eight-foot-tall rabbit was the idea of Odessa Chamber of Commerce president John Ben Shepperd, hence the rabbit's official name of "Jack Ben Rabbit." It was Shepperd's way to pay tribute to the city's unique jackrabbit roping competition, held every year during the Odessa Rodeo. The competition ended in 1978, when The Humane Society shut it down for good.

The jackrabbit was displayed for years at the old Prairie Pete Park, then moved into storage in a maintenance yard -- until the public raised a fuss and forced it to be returned to a new location, in front of the downtown Ector County Independent School District Administration Building. Someone tried to steal the jackrabbit in 1997, so it's been bolted to the sidewalk ever since.

Several official Texas historical markers flank the rabbit, including one with a recipe for Jackrabbit and Dumplings. Click on pictures to enlarge.  Still way behind on my post but will try to catch up soon.  Thanks for following ♥

Come on back and follow our adventures...

Have Fun & Travel Safe

A Day Visiting Fort Stockton, Texas

Fort Stockton was going to be a stop off place on our way to Carlsbad, NM. We weren't sure of even staying there because so many of the RV Parks on the RV park reviews were bad. We picked the Fort Stockton RV Park because it seemed like the best one there... We were right!!! It was very nice and the people running it were great. We had 50 Amp, water & sewer plus both At&T & Verizon worked good there. As an added bonus they had a restaurant right on the grounds for people who stayed there... The food was very good (home cooking)! The other RV Parks are pretty dumpy especially Parkview. So if you stop here beware... We had to go into town which was pretty run down BUT we found out they had a Historic District with the FORT so we made a decision to stay another night and take in the area. Glad we did! They are trying very hard to make there town a better place for visitors to come to but they have a long way to go. This is Paisano Pete (Worlds Largest Roadrunner standing 11' tall & 22' long) welcoming you to the city.

The courthouse was built in 1912 and the original jail was in 1883

The Annie Riggs Memorial Museum was originally the Riggs Hotel built in 1899. It is an excellent example of Territorial Architecture built of adobe with Victorian wood trim, and houses exhibits on area history.

The Oldest House is believed to have been the sutler's store at Camp Stockton. As you can see it is in horrible condition and has been vandalized. A shelter was built above it to protect it from the elements... Sadly I don't see how they will restore it.

Grey Mule Saloon built in the early 1890's and St. Joseph Catholic Church first church in Fort Stockton built 1883

Picture on left is the Rollins-Sibley House which was built in 1906 on the foundation of the Old Fort Hospital and the picture on the right is the St. Stephens Episcopal Church built in 1896. It was one of the first Protestant

Churches built west of the Pecos River.

Historic Fort Stockton

Historic Fort Stockton (1867-1886) is the main focus of this tour... On the grounds is the Guard House, parade field, 3 remaining Officers Quarters that are left (homes) and the enlisted men's barracks (which has a museum in it)...

This wagon was used in the movies "The Comancheros" & Undefeated" starring John Wayne... Ralph just had to touch and rub the wagon that The Duke sat upon....

On the left Soldier Barracks and

on the right 2 of the houses that the Officers lived in...

On the left is the Old Fort Cemetery where only a few markers show anyone over the age of 40. A testimony to the hard frontier life. It was used from 1875 - 1912: The picture on the right is of a Montgomery Wards house which we found amazing... we knew about Sears homes but never knew about Montgomery Wards... House was from the late 1920's.

It was a fun day visiting Historic Fort Stockton and that is all there is to do in this town... So if you ever visit Fort Stockton plan on only a 2 night stay and stay at Fort Stockton RV Park... Like I said before there are several other campgrounds BUT trust me you wouldn't want to stay at any other.

Until Later... Have FUN, Travel Safe & Enjoy Everyday!

LBJ's Texas White House

We took a day to travel to Johnson City looking for the Texas White House. It is Lyndon B. Johnson's Ranch which is now a National Park & State Park that not only is his home on, it but also his boyhood home, the school he attended, a family cemetery, his working cattle ranch and a hanger with an airstrip for planes. However the Air force One never landed here because it was too heavy.



The adventure begins at the Visitor Center where you can see exhibits and films depicting the lives of President & Mrs. Johnson. From there is is just a short walk to his boyhood home where he lived from age 5 til his marriage at age 26.

There is a 14 mile drive to get to the Lyndon B.Johnson Ranch District... There you'll go into the Visitor center where you will receive a driving permit, map & CD containing narrative audio for the route. Rightn outside the visitor center is the The Sauer-Beckmann Farm - Rural Life, 1900-1918. The setting for the present-day living history activities is an authentic Hill Country farm. Johann and Christine Sauer, along with their four children, settled this land in 1869. Their family prospered and grew and, by 1885, several stone buildings were built near the original rock and log cabins. Eventually, the Sauers had 10 children. One of those, Augusta Sauer Lindig, served as midwife at the birth of President Johnson. Life on the farmstead is presented as it was in 1918. Park interpreters wear period clothing, do the farm and household chores as they were done at that time.

The first thing we saw when we pulled out of the visitor center was the old road going into the ranch... LBJ use to get a big kick taking people in & out of the ranch driving trough a road that went right into the river. Looks scary to me!

as we continued we came to the old school house he attended at the young age of 4 and he was the youngest student to attend the school. Since he could already read & write his mother had no problem getting him into the school. LBJ graduated at the age of 15 from school.

Our next stop was the reconstructed house where he was born August 27th, 1908. The house was rebuilt by the President and used as a guest house.

Just past that and across the street is the Johnson Family Cemetery where generations of Johnson's are buried. The President was laid to rest here on January 25th, 1973 and Lady Bird some 30 years later.

Also on the property was the Presidents Grandparents house. They lived here after moving from Johnson City where they lived out their lives.

Now we have arrived at the Ranch House, the focal piece of the LBJ Ranch, the home of President Johnson and a center of political activity for more than 20 years. Leaders from around the world visited the Johnsons here, and during the Johnson Administration the original century old rock farmhouse became known as the Texas White House. President Johnson was the first President to create a functioning White House away from Washington. In 1972 the Johnsons donated the Texas White House to the National Park Service and the American people. Johnson stipulated that the LBJ Ranch remain a working ranch, and not a sterile relic of the past. After the President's death in 1973, Mrs. Johnson continued to live at the Ranch part time until her death in 2007. Mrs. Johnson kept on display many of the gifts the Johnsons received while in public service. The Texas White House is "a house full of gifts that's a gift to our nation

Last was a nice ride towards the Show Barn - Built for the care and training of cattle. It continues to serve as the center for present day ranching operations.

And here is my first live & close up LONG HORN!



Did You Know?
Lyndon Johnson's first career was as a teacher and principal of a Mexican-American school in Cotulla, Texas. He later taught debate in Houston.
Until Later... Have FUN, Travel Safe & Enjoy Everyday!