Mexican Influence

Much of the West Coast and  the Southern Central USA  has a very Mexican footprint. Almost every menu will have some sort of Mexican food on it. San Antonio particularly. Our bus driver found this cool Mexican restaurant to visit.

San Antonio and The Alamo

The Alamo was the last military outpost for the American's. They had taken some of mexico as Texas  and this is where it was protected. The Mexicans wanted it back . They marched on the Alamo which was protected with only 200 men, but determined men. The last words of the Americans including David Crocket  and James Bowie were " Come and Take it" . The Alamo was taken and all the men except one slave were killed. They said they left him to tell the story. All the women and children were released. 

Later in Houston the Americans attacked the Mexicans again and re took the Alamo which has now grown to become San- Antonio. The now famous words were the battle cry for the Americans "Remember the Alamo " The Mexican general and the soldiers were killed and the Lone Star state, Texas, is now a state of the United States.

The Chappel 

The Barracks

 

Waco and Magnolia Silos

Have you ever seen the "Fixer Upper " its a home reno show hosted by Chip and Joanna Gains.  This is their shop and community area in Waco, Texas. They took an industrial wasteland in Waco and made it a place for them and their community.

It is surrounded by gardens 

By night 

I'm sure Kerry loved this place more than anyone.

Sharon, Kerry and I

The home shop.. so much Christmas

This fake turf area is a place to relax and for kids to play 

 The girls on the tour Left Sue,Faye,Anne,Christine,Janine,Sue,Kylie,DI, Jenny

   

The Waco bridge and tadium by night 

Needle and Thread Tour - First stop Las Vegas.

I feel like I have been away for so long. I have just had the best 3 weeks in the USA. 2 weeks with Kerry Swain from Cottage on the Hill on her Needle and Tread tour and one week visiting my blog friend Denice from Denice's Day. 

Its been the most amazing time so I am going to do a few posts about my experience.  Sorry I couldn't post along the way but nothing worked for me.

The first leg of the trip was to say bon voyage  to my boys and  fly from Sydney to  San Francisco and catch a flight to Las Vegas. We always had good transfers and hotel accommodation.

The landscape around Vegas  is harsh and dessert like and its very close to the Grand Canyon.

Vegas is full of hotels that are made to copy somewhere else in the world. Paris is just one.

Potato chips with burgers?? , hot dogs and the best fish and chips I have ever had at Gordon's.

Halloween in Vegas and just a few of the critters we met.

Day two Kerry , Sue and I took a trip to Good Springs . Now a ghost town but in its day a bustling town with large hotels and mining. How the people survive and still survive in the harsh environment is hard to fathom. 

Miners homes made of whatever they could find.

A shrine to  Carol Lombard who was a  regular visitor with Clark Gable until her plane crashed and she was killed in the mountains behind the town.

The old Saloon Bar- check out the pressed tin ceiling.

We asked the bartender to line up a scotch on the old bar.

Potato Chips and burgers, the norm here.

Whisky drinkers can rent a cask to age their spirits, the only thing is you have to drive 45 mins to pick it up when you need to refill your bottle.

Yes there was a gunslinger or two and a man who was shot because he cheated at cards. The holes are still in the wall.

The outside 

 We visited the cemetery of good springs. If it looks like you couldn't dig a grave you are right. The bodies are covered with the stones and rubble. 

This was an unusual custom at good Springs and I think other cemeteries. Any returned soldiers visiting leave a coin on this stone and they are collected and sent to an organisation which  helps pay for burial services  of returned soldiers who cannot afford it. 

This bear has a story- years ago a baby died at birth.
 Years later( about 30 years ago )this babies brother visited the grave and placed a bear. It is still there. It's a fabric bear, so preserved because the average rainfall is  only
4 inches a year and the air is so dry.  AMAZING!

Good Springs is now a popular 4WD  and off road playground. 

 

This was a view from the air on the way to Vegas. Irrigation is necessary to grow anything.