I really don't care for this new term they are trying to push down our throats to make us feel better about staying home for our well deserved time off. If you don't already know, the commercials and news media are trying to promote " stay-cations ", where you stay home for your vacation and go back to work feeling like you got nothing more than an extended weekend at home.

A quick getaway is just what the doctor ordered to getaway from all the headaches of work, family, and the rest of the world's problems. We took a nice long, relaxing, 11 hour drive down to Corpus Christi to sit on the beach, tan, swim and eat seafood mostly, but ended up seeing a few sites too while...

We walked down the sandy beach to a few souvenier shops and ended up taking a tour of the retired Navy ship USS Lexington. It says in the brochure that the self guided tour should only last about 2 hours, but if you factor in the Imax movie about the fighter pilots, the flight simulator and taking a rest from the long walk, it ends up being about 4 hours. Not a bad experience, but they need more fans and air conditioning for the older folks. I took the above picture of our hotel from the deck of the Lexington.

Just down the beach from the lexington, we also went to the Texas State Aquarium, which although very nice, clean and informative, has nothing on the Oklahoma Aquarium we saw in Tulsa. It wasn't my first choice of things to do, but I have to keep the wife happy or no one is happy.

On the way back, we stopped in Abilene to see my cousins and visited the 12th armored division military museum which one of my cousins just happens to run. It was another interesting experience with real tanks and other military vehicles. Lunch at a new place we discovered call Zoo-kini's was good too. Unfortunately, the restaurant is only in Abiline, Lubbock, and San Angelo.

We just returned this morning tired and have to go to work tommorow. The digital pics should be up soon and the rest will be processed for posting at a later time.

Our next vacation in spring will be longer and probably to either Florida or the Carolinas.

Take care and have a good week!

Dave

Only here can you have a beautiful day on the lake saturday that is so nice, warm and sunny, it leaves you almost sunburnt, but full of BBQ. On sunday, you hear the wind howling, going 60 mph, have severe thunderstorms for 3 hours and hear the tornado sirens go off in the next city for 2 hours. Then, on monday morning, wake up to freezing temperatures and SNOW?

I am starting to think our weather has multiple personality disorder...

Just wanted to say a quick hi to everyone and let you know that I haven't forgotten anyone, just going through a rough time right now after being without power for a week from a tough winter storm that started with ice and is still going on right now with snow. Sitting in a dark house of 35 degrees with a little portable propane heater and eating at mcdonalds for a week is no fun, but I think we will survive. Our power came on about an hour ago and we are so thankful.

Hope everyone is doing well,

Dave