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The Caverns of Sonora

by Brian on May 14, 2012 in Texas, Travel, United States

A worthwhile stop in its own right, the Caverns of Sonora is also perfectly situated to break up the long drive through West Texas. A small campground with water and electric right at the cave makes it especially convenient for those of us with RVs or tents.

We had originally planned to go on the “Discovery Challenge Adventure” tour that requires a 50 foot repel into the cavern. The high price ($120 each) repelled us alright, but that probably turned out for the best. As we understand it, the Discovery tour doesn’t go into the areas of the cave with significant formations. And Sonora’s formations are some of the most unique and spectacular we’ve seen anywhere, including the path through the “Belly of the Whale” shown above. Check out more photos of Sonora on our Facebook Page.

We owe a special shoutout to CountrySkipper.com (another Travel blog) for giving us the 411 on Sonora. We drove straight past it in the fall and probably would have missed it again on our way back west had Sabrina not given us the heads up. Thanks for the awesome tip!

As a reminder, reader suggestions are always welcomed. Let us know about the great stuff hidden in your backyard that doesn’t make it into guidebooks. If we can get there, we’ll write about it here.

Everything is Big

by Brian on May 8, 2012 in Texas, Travel, United States

In keeping with Texas’ well known slogan its State Capitol building in Austin is indeed the largest in the country. Despite its size, the interior isn’t as elaborate as many other state buildings we’ve visited, although the several stories of space under its giant dome is quite impressive.

We also found all of that real estate, 360,000 square feet of floor space and nearly 400 rooms, mostly empty – except for us visitors of course. That’s not really surprising considering the Texas Legislature only meets every other year and then for only 140 days in regular session.

Is regional cuisine still relevant?

by Brian on May 7, 2012 in Food & Drink, Texas, Travel, United States

Ever since the dawn of the spice trade, the work of traveling merchants has helped homogenize world cuisine. Migrants, too, bring along traditional recipes and infuse their new homes with tastes from the old country. The effect is a wonderful variety of constantly improving food, but at the expense of regional and national distinctiveness. In America, where people move freely and trade aggressively, the forces of homogenization are stronger then we often realize.

When we set out on our Great American Road Trip, we expected to be wowed by “authentic” regional cuisine. We thought, for example, we’d find the best chicken and dumplings in the Deep South, and the best Mexican cuisine along the Mexican border and throughout the South West. When we rolled into Texas, we felt like we entered the home turf of America’s all-star barbeque team, and had expectations to match.

The Magic of Marketing

by Brian on May 4, 2012 in Texas, Travel, United States

On some level, we all understand the power of advertising. We know that corporations spend billions each year selling us stuff. Presumably, they wouldn’t do that if they didn’t get some kind of return on their investment. If you’re like me, you tend to think of advertising as mostly informational. For example, I know that Axe body wash exists only because I’ve seen its T.V. commercials. Presumably that brand recognition makes me more willing to throw the product in to my cart.

On a deeper level, I understand that Axe isn’t really selling body wash at all. They’re selling mythical love potions that claim to make hot women lose their minds and their pants. We might know those claims aren’t true (they’re not true, right?) but they’re supposed to create favorable impressions of the product in the minds of the targeted audience. Even if we don’t think the product attracts lusty women, we’re reminded of lusty women when we think of the product.

But are we really all that gullible? I mean we know what the marketers are up to. We understand we’re being sold. So how effective can all of these marketing dollars really be? Judging from a recent trip to Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts, pretty darned effective.

USS Lexington: Fun Facts

by Brian on February 6, 2012 in Texas, Travel, United States

The jet engine of a vintage aircraft on USS Lexington's flight deck

Dubbed the “Blue Ghost” by Japanese servicemen who believed they had sunk the aircraft carrier no fewer than four times during World War II, the USS Lexington now rests – entirely intact – as a museum in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Other interesting tidbits:

The USS Lexington is as tall as a 19 story building and as long as three New York City blocks.
You could park more than 1,000 automobiles on its flight deck.
It has more telephones than a city of 5,000.
It has crossed the equator 13 times.
It was the first carrier to deploy air-to-surface missiles.
It has sailed enough miles to circle the globe eight times.
It has more sleeping spaces than Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
It was the first carrier to establish a seagoing high school.
It can produce enough electricity to power a city of 150,000.
I was the first ship in U.S. Navy history to have women aboard as crewmembers.
The behemoth actually floats.