The Texas Panhandle - I-40 corridor
August 31, 2005
Northwestern Texas a.k.a. The Texas Panhandle
Entering Texas in a minute little stem that protrudes from its southern mass inbetween Oklahoma and New Mexico is but a short jolt of a journey (compared to the rest of the state) but has its scenic prairie charm nonetheless. The I-40 corridor is nice - with great rest areas with good amenities. As you enter Texas, the first rest area is also a very high tech Tornado shelter to protect those from the whirlwinds that devestate this area often.
 Oklahoma prairies off I-40 to Texas border  “Welcome to Texas”, I-40 tornado shelter/rest area ©2005 Technogypsie.com, click photo for larger view |
Wind Ranchers of White Deer
Travelling west towards Amarillo, you can take a slight detour to White Deer where you can see Wind ranching in abundance. Within a nine square mile site, is a parcel of land where the crop is clean, renewable electricity. The Llano Estacado Wind Ranch is located in one of the windiest locations in Texas - 80 huge wind turbines produce 80 megawatts of electricity, enough to fill the electrical power requirements of about 26,600 homes. Rows of 226 foot towers with 180 foot rotors dominate the 5760 acre site, spaced properly so crops can be grown or livestock grazed in the spaces inbetween the towers. The turbine towers take up less than 300 square feet and animals are not bothered by the whirling whispering rotors. The rotors turn 21 times a minute, and produce no pollution.
(roadside memorial marker at I40 rest area)
Palo Duro Canyon, Texas
“Although the Texas Panhandle seems flat as a plate, right next to the Texas/Oklahoma border in the Panhandle, lies the second largest canyon in the United States. It is 1,000 feet deep, 20 miles wide, and more than 100 miles long, there is no hint of its presence, until suddenly, there it is … Only the Grand Canyon is larger - the Canyon was carved out of solid rock over millions of years by the Prairie Dog Town fork of the Red River. It seems unlikely that a small and insignificant stream could carve such a colossal hole in the Earth, but there it is and still in progress. Palo Duro is Spanish for a hard wood referring to the canyon’s strong supply of cedar brush from which Indians made shafts for their arrows. The deep canyon has been occupied for 12,000 years first Clovis and Folsom peoples, then the Apaches, Comanches, and Kiowa, to Conquistador Coronado to the Comancheros to Colonel Goodnight who brought the first Texas longhorns here in 1876. (roadside memorial marker at I40 rest area)
Miss Laura’s, Ft. Smith, Arkansas
August 30, 2005
| Miss Laura’s Social Club 2 North “B” Street Ft. Smith, Arkansas 479.783.8888 or 1800.637.1477 Mon-Sat: 9 am - 4 pm, Sun 1 - 4:30 pm. Once called the “Riverfront Hotel” to be proper, the city’s Visitor Center is the only former bordello listed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
Built just before 1900, it was once the most popular place on the city’s bawdy Front Street along the Arkansas River. The “house” later renamed “Miss Laura’s” has been maginificently restored in Victorian Splendor after sustaining heavy damage from a 1996 tornado. Volunteers who greet Fort Smith visitors seeking tourist information make “Miss Laura’s” a stop in itself, but don’t expect any “orginal” hospitality. Has a gift shop.”
Fort Smith Museum of History, Ft Smith, Arkansas
August 30, 2005
Fort Smith, Arkansas
“The Frontier Spirit”
Fort Smith is a step back in history covering much of American history ranging from settlers travelling west, The Indian Relocation, and the Civil War. While I didn’t have time to visit thoroughly, I will certainly schedule in a more lengthy travel stop next time I’m through the area. Here are some highlights of what I did stop and see. However, I could not enter any of the buildings because they were closed on Sunday.
Hwy 71 northbound, Arkansas
Ft. Smith Museum of History
©2005 Technogypsie.com, click photo for larger view
Fort Smith Museum of History
320 Rogers Avenue
Ft. Smith, Arkansas
479.783.7841.
Tues-Sat: 10 am - 5 pm (winter), Tues-Sat - 9 am - 5 pm, Sun 1 pm - 5 pm. (rest of year)
“From the founding of the first fort in 1817, through the westward expansion, the Civil War, and the Gay Nineties, the remarkable stories of this roaring frontier city are told in fascinating exhibits and programs. Fort Smith was the point of departure for pioneers, peacekeepers, and outlaws via horse, steamboat, and rail. Old-fashioned ice cream treats are available in the Museum’s 1920’s soda fountain and pharmacy.
Art and History of Shreveport, Louisiana … passing through …
August 30, 2005
| SPRING STREET MUSEUM Hwy 71 - downtown Shreveport, Louisiana “National Register of Historic Places built 1865 as Tally and Co., bankers for Martin Tally, Mayor 1867-1868, and Brother Dew Lafayette Tally. Pike’s Bank 1867-1876, (George Pike), Asher’s Bank 1876. E&B Jacobs Bank 1877-1883, that became Shreveport’s first national bank in 1886. Restored 1975. One of the oldest remaining downtown buildings with the original bank vault and door.” “Harrison Building: |
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Pictures from the Vicksburg City Cemetery, Vicksburg, Mississippi
August 30, 2005
Saturday, 27 August 2005 - Part III Photos
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Soldier’s Rest C.S.A. Cemetery
Begun May 15, 1866 by Ladie’s Confederate Cemetery Association of Vicksburg. Remains of over 1600 soldiers who died in Vicksburg campaign and siege were re-interred here. (Memorial Plaque in front of cemetery)
Okalee Museum (Hollywood, Florida)
August 22, 2005
Okalee Seminole Museum
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Address: 4150 North State Road 7
Hollywood, Florida 33024
Phone: 866-2-Casino
Directions: Take I-95 to Stirling Road. Go West to State Road 7 (441). On the South West Corner of the intersection.
Didn’t get a chance to see the Indian Village as it closed before I could enter. The Museum was small, and mostly modern Seminole creations - but artsy and was very informative about the history of the Seminole Peoples. Its worth a gander if you are in the resort. Rating 2 1/2 stars out of 5. http://www.seminoletribe.com/enterprises/hollywood/okalee.shtml
Okalee Museum, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida
©2005 Technogypsie.com, click photo for larger view
Renegade Barbeque (Hollywood, Florida)
August 22, 2005
Renegade Barbeque, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, FL
©2005 Technogypsie.com, click photo for larger view
RENEGADE BARBEQUE
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Address: 4150 North State Road 7
Hollywood, Florida 33024
Phone: 866-2-Casino
Directions: Take I-95 to Stirling Road. Go West to State Road 7 (441). On the South West Corner of the intersection.
Renegade Barbeque is Seminole run, family based, deluxe barbeque restaurant in the Seminole Plaza of the Hard Rock Hotel and Resort. With a Sampler menu offering great lunch specials for under $7 - I was in my glory. I ate the barbeque ribs which were delicious. Service was good and the restaurant had its own charm amidst the Hard Rock commercialism of the Plaza. Good food and good times were had. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Southfork (Plano, Texas)
August 22, 2005
I don’t know why we went to Southfork. Some girlfriends and I recently spent a long weekend in the Dallas area, and one of my girls really wanted to go see Southfork, the ranch made famous by the television show “Dallas” (you can see it online here).
It costs $8.95 to tour the ranch. Visitors first go through a “museum” of about three rooms featuring press clippings about the show, televisions playing interviews, and memorabillia such as the gun that shot J.R., Lucy’s wedding dress and several saddles.
The tour then loads onto a tractor-toted tram, where you get to see what’s left of a working oil well, some quarterhorses, longhorns and minature horses and the house, which looked much bigger on television than it does in reality.
You learn on going inside the house that the interior of the house was never used in the filiming of the show (all interior shots were done in California) and the exterior shots were mostly done using wide-angle lenses and looped tape. The driveway, which in the show goes on forever, is really not much longer than a standard driveway. When they filmed someone driving up to the house, we learn from our “storyteller,” they filmed the approach, then the car backed up and drove up again. This process was repeated several times and then the film was spliced to make it look like one long driveway.
A similar trick was used when the Ewings were shown swimming. The pool at Southfork is not even lap-pool sized, so when someone was filmed swimming they would wear a harness so they could swim the length of the pool, be pulled back and swim it again.
The house is decorated so that each room represents a character. There’s not much to see, but the upstairs bathroom is pretty impressive.
Die-hard “Dallas’ fans will probably enjoy this tour, but for me it wasn’t all that interesting. Except for the bathroom.
South Beach, Florida
August 14, 2005
If you’re in Miami don’t miss going to Miami Beach a.k.a. “South Beach” which is the exit right before the first downtown exits for Miami as you are coming down I-95. An assortment of shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, clothing stores, hotels, and entertainment hotspots will greet you. So will a crowd. It’s one of the hippest places to go along the beaches in South Florida. The beaches are nice too, and lots of room to spread out. Aquamarine waters and nice yellow-white sand. Beautiful people. A must visit especially if you are young and single.
South Beach
©2005 Technogypsie.com, click photo for larger view
Bangkok Bangkok (Coral Gables, Florida)
August 9, 2005
Bangkok Bangkok
Coral Gables, Florida
157 Giralda Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Telephone: 305-444-2397
Rated 5 stars out of 5
14-15 of us gathered at Bangkok Bangkok in the eloquent dining area with traditional Thai design and decor. Off went our shoes and we sat crosslegged around the long banquet table to celebrate Monica’s birthday. I had Plum wine, a Thai Ice Tea, and the Special Earth, Wind, and Fire - it was delicious! Even though I ordered the 5 star hot, and got what I’d consider a 3 - it was a good meal. Strongly recommend visiting this Thai charm in Miami to give you a new type of heat to experience.
