I-10 or I-20 Tucson to Lakeland, FL??

[BrianE]

Brian and I will be traveling from Tucson to the Sun-n-Fun fly-in in Lakeland, FL prior to heading to POG V. We are looking for ideas on interesting/historic places to stop along the way. Parks, battlegrounds, museums, nice camping spots, fishing, food, etc. Thanks, but malls and antique shops are not on the list. We would also welcome anyone who wants to tag along. We plan to leave the Tucson area around the 20th of March, will be in Lakeland from the 8th to 11th of April and then head for Sevierville. See ya'll there!

Beverly Esler

[Ray Davis]

Wow, sounds like a wonderful trip! Wish we were able to tag along!

[Jerry Winchester]

Bev,

We had a good time at Tombstone a couple of weeks ago. I would also suggest Mi Nidito in Tucson and Si Senor in Las Cruces for Mexican food.

There is a nice campground in Marble Falls that would be a stop after a day in Fredricksburg which has the Nimitz Museum and lots of attractions. Breakfast at the Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls is good. They also have good pie.

BBQ heaven has to occur between Lockhart and Luling, Texas. The City Market in Luling is very good, but Krutz, Blacks or Smitty's in Lockhart are special.

Bypass Austin. If you must, the Sunday brunch at Stubb's BBQ is complete with gospel music quartet. You can park on the street with coach and toad. Or at least I did.

The Alamo. But go over to the Riverwalk IMAX and watch the Alamo IMAX film first. Ride the river boats. Then either Mi Tierra or Pico de Gullo for Tex Mex. Not to be confused with the good food in Tucson or Las Cruces.

Goliad - Great battlegound and the fort is still there. If you stray way far south, Joe Cotton's BBQ in Robstown. They don't take credit cards.

Houston - Luling City Market BBQ. Better than the one in Luling because you don't have to share a knife with your neighbor. Best sausage in existance. Goode Company Seafood. Order the shrimp campachana for an appetizer. Yo Mamma's on Antoine. Soul food. Get the meatloaf. Pizzatola's BBQ on Shepard. Ribs & Beef or deboned chicken.

Do the Johnson Space Center. The train museum in Galveston is okay but the Lone Star Flight Museum is better. Eat at Guido's on the Seawall. Loc says there is a good campgound at Kemah, but I haven't been there. Cool boardwalk at Kemah, but bypass all the Landry's food outlets and eat at Pappadeaux next to the channel. A chain, but better than Landry's.

When you start east you loose me. I like eating at Mike Anderson's in Baton Rouge and there is a place just over the tall bridge in Lake Charles that serves good crawfish and associated seafood. It's on the north side, Steamboat Bill's or some such name.

If you go I-20 the battleground at Vicksburg is not to be missed. Call ahead and reserve a private guide. Best deal going. Food in Vicksburg sucks.

[win42]

OK JDUB, You need to start a special travel log location similar to what Mango has done for us on tools and repairs. You do a good job with describing your travel experiances. How else are we gonna find this valuable experiance before heading out.
Geterdone Boy.

[tdelorme]

OK JDUB, You need to start a special travel log location similar to what Mango has done for us on tools and repairs. You do a good job with describing your travel experiances. How else are we gonna find this valuable experiance before heading out.
Geterdone Boy.


My gosh, Harry, I gained ten pounds just reading that deal. I think there are like twenty different places to eat that JDUB rates from just "good" all the way up to "Heavenly." I do like the travel ratio, however. Breaks down like this:

20 places to eat
5 sights to see
2 places to stay overnight

JDUB has his travel priorities right in line with mine. :)

[truk4u]

Hey Bev,

Aren't you glad you asked about food!:eek:

If you take I-10, Battlefield Park in Mobile has the USS Alabama, a Submarine and lots of military aircraft for Brian to get his fix before Sun-N-Fun.

[BrianE]

My gosh, Harry, I gained ten pounds just reading that deal. I think there are like twenty different places to eat that JDUB rates from just "good" all the way up to "Heavenly." I do like the travel ratio, however. Breaks down like this:

20 places to eat
5 sights to see
2 places to stay overnight

JDUB has his travel priorities right in line with mine. :)

Ted, Thanks for keeping score.

JDUB, Beverly asked for a little help in composing an appropriate thanks for your Galloping Gourmet review of the southwest. While we will make every attempt to visit your recommended eateries, we fear a visit from the great anaconda if we take full advantage of the tour. You have obviously great experience in locating fine restaurants attested by a photo we located of you taken sometime in the seventies.


Tom, When returning from purchasing our rig from Parliament in '04, we spent 2 days at Battle Field Park. Along with the Pensacola Museum and the Pima Museum it makes the I-10 route a great ride.

[jello_jeep]

Brian, that picture is seriously funny. I don't care who you are!

I would put my flame snuffer proof suit on if I were you! :p

[Loc]

Brian,

I was sure that JDUB had located and burned every copy of that picture of him with his cousin Opie at McDonalds in Ardmore, OK in 1971. Enjoyed meeting you and Beverly today in Houston. I hope you have a good trip to Tennessee and other points. I will take you up on the camping spot in Washington when we make it back up that way.

Loc

[merle&louise]

I've got a question, which one is JDUB?:confused:

I'm glad I'm not Brian. As a matter of fact, I'm glad that I don't live in the northwest. I would hate to be on the receiving end of that post:eek: Somebody's got brass ba$$s.

[Jerry Winchester]

Well I'm glad we were able to meet up with Brian and Bev today for lunch at Pizzatola's. I wish I was leaving town with them headed to FL and points beyond.

However after all the dinning advise, Loc and I chow down on the BBQ whilst our bus colleagues dine on chicken. What's up with that?

So now their travel itinerary reads;

Popeye's
KFC
Churches
Hartz
and that really cool chicken place in Memphis that I can't recall the name of.

No Ribs For You..........

[Loc]

Passing on the BBQ for chicken - that's foul.

[MangoMike]

Cheep.......!

[BrianE]

Starting with Mi Nidito Mexican joint in Tuscon and ending with Ribs at Smitty's in Lockhart, TX, Beverly and I have adhered religiously to the JDUB eat yer way across the USA travel plan. :eek: Ribs three times in one week was just bit much. Besides Loc promised to buy us lunch if we ordered cheep. We had a great time you guys and Loc thanks again for lunch.

We're headed up towards Nacodoches now on the way to Vicksburg via the Louisiana backroads where we'll soak up some Civil War history. From there we'll work our way to Lakeland, FL for Sun n Fun. Other than lots of piney woods we don't know much about the sights. Any ideas?

[rfoster]

Brian:

When you head back to Tn from Florida Plan on stopping at Civil War Site at Lookout Mtn near Chattanooga. It is amazing to imagine the troops attempting and eventually getting to the top of that mountain while under fire. (big Hill to you and Peter & yes I have been to Mt Hood, and St Helens-those are mtns!)

Also see the following as you will be less than 300 miles to many decisive Civil War Battlefields.
http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/tennessee.html

I am sure there are other links for other states but I have visited the Tennessee Battlefields in years past. Interesting, educational, and truly a sad time in the history of our country. Gettysburg gave me the coldest chill. Truly an erie place.

Safe travels to you and Bev.

[garyde]

Brian. I wish I was traveling along, it looks like you have a full itenarary with the 5 star travel agents on this site. What fun!

[BrianE]

Roger, Many thanks for the heads up. Beverly and I have visited many of our Battle Fields and always whisper our thanks to the boys who died for us. We haven't done Gettysburg yet and are a little daunted by the prospect. Andersonville, Corrigedor, Omaha Beach, Belleau Wood, and others have had a profound effect on us. Our flag is sacred Mr Obama.

[bonhall41]

Don't miss the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. If you go Tuesday or Wednesday morning from March until November, you can see the Blue Angels practice behind the museum. They start about 8:30 a.m. There are several good seafood restaurants on the causeway where the USS Alabama is located outside Mobile. There are a couple good places in town but Mobile streets would be difficult at best in a big rig--narrow and lots of overhanging oak trees. Also, you might want to try your luck at the casinos in Biloxi, MS just south of I-10. I know the Grand has a lot next door for RVs and not sure about the Isle of Capri since they have been redoing the parking. Still a lot of damage in that area from Hurricane Katrina. Sounds like a great trip. Have fun and be safe.

[BrianE]

Thanks Donald. Didn't know about the Blue Angels practice. The Air Museum was on the list anyway, the last time we were there the storage areas were closed. We visited the USS Texas in Houston and won't want to miss the Alabama either.

[bonhall41]

There's also an Air Force Armament Museum outside Eglin AFB on FL 85 between Fort Walton Beach and Niceville. Not as big a deal as the Navy one though. I think the Navy museum has two IMAX theaters. One always runs a Blue Angels movie and the other one right now is one about the "deep sea". Sounds good. In Pensacola, you might want to try Joe Patti's for some of the best seafood anywhere. They have a huge seafood market and around the corner, a restaurant. You can Google them for the address but they're down close to the water.

[rfoster]

Brian:
Jon, Di, Micki, Bob05, Debi, and Me absolutely wore this joint out when we were in Mobile last year while hanging out waiting on the Houston JDUB Airport event and enroute to Kerrville, Tx.

http://www.wintzellsoysterhouse.com/

I think we ate about 350 plus raw oysters and enjoyed the ambiance ( thousands of one liner signs). Bob, Deb, and Di enjoyed some local fish dishes, Me, Jon, Micki pigged out on raw oysters. This was over several visits, not just one sitting.

I don't remember the name of the campground, but I remember plenty about the oysters at Wentzells-they were great!

If you call ask for Ms Piggy, and tell them John Wayne sent you.

[hhoppe]

[QUOTE=rfoster;26609]Brian:
Jon, Di, Micki, Bob05, Debi, and Me absolutely wore this joint out when we were in Mobile last year while hanging out waiting on the Houston JDUB Airport event and enroute to Kerrville, Tx.

http://www.wintzellsoysterhouse.com/

I think we ate about 350 plus raw oysters and enjoyed the ambiance ( thousands of one liner signs). Bob, Deb, and Di enjoyed some local fish dishes, Me, Jon, Micki pigged out on raw oysters. This was over several visits, not just one sitting.

Roger was that the ambiance you enjoyed or was it the ambulance ride after the oysters

[bonhall41]

Wintzell's has been in Mobile forever and is definitely worth a visit. You can keep busy reading the walls while waiting for your food. Of course, the locals say you should eat oysters only in months with an "r" in them.

[BrianE]

Donald, Roger, Harry,

Many thanks for the Erster suggestions. Unfortunately I can't get Beverly to even eat at the same table with them (she gives Di a double thumbs up). I also, am a little wary of the critters after having to suffer watching a co-pilot spend a coast to coast flight in the head because of an Oyster gorge on a Boston layover. :eek: