Asheville is a beautiful city. We spent the afternoon at the Biltmore estate. Wow - those people had way too much money! The estate had 255 rooms (43 of them are bathrooms). The basement has a huge pool and a 2 lane bowling alley. They wore 5 or 6 outfits a day. You had to wear a different outfit for each activity. And yes, there was a big laundry in the basement. The trip is winding down. We travel the Blue Ridge Parkway today through North Carolina and Virginia. We arrive at Chad's on Sunday and will be there for a week. Missy arrives there on the 7th. We have to get home in time to get our income taxes done!

Comments from Eldon: Touring the castle was not my cup of tea. It's just not right for one family to have so much but the dairy did have the best milk shake I've ever had. Rich cows are cool.

Comments from Larry: Once again, I didn't get to see anything - no pets are allowed. But the campground has a river and a lot of birds. I'd rather have that than a mansion anyway (although I'll let the mansion has a lot of mice).

Memphis was fun - cold but fun. We also went down to Beale Street on Sunday for the music. The couple we met in Clarksdale came to our Memphis campground and we all went again. Before leaving Memphis on Monday we went to Civil Rights Museum. It is at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed. It is a very well done museum. Without realizing it as you go through the museum, you end up in the hotel room where King stayed. Very thought provoking. Also, across the street you go into the room where James Earl Ray shot King from. Not a proud moment to be a white American - that is also the way we felt when touring the Wounded Knee Museum in South Dakota. On Monday night we camped about an hour outside Mephis our Route 64. We followed 64 all week through southern Tennessee. A relaxing way to travel. Today we crossed into North Carolina after a lovely drive through the Smoky Mountains. Too bad the weather didn't cooperate as it is still cold and rainy. But it is spring time in Tennessee and the Smokies - the redbud and dogwood trees are beautiful.

Comments from Eldon: Beale Street was fun again. The museum was very well done - I came away moved.

Comments from Larry: Stayed at some great campgrounds after leaving Memphis. Last night in Cleveland Tennessee was perfect - tall grass, lots of trees and no dogs. I had a good night.

We spent Thursday & Friday night in Clarksdale, Mississippi - the home of the Delta blues. We had stopped there last year too and liked it. Since it was on our way, we decided to stop again. We shared a limo/taxi ride with our Vancouver, British Columbia campground neighbors to the Ground Zero Blues Club and spent the evening with them. Enjoyed the music and the company very much. We are in Memphis now. Cold and rainy but plan to go to Beale Street tonight to hear more music. The campground owner is giving us a ride in her car (how nice is that) and we'll take a taxi home.

Comments from Eldon: None - taking a short nap so I can go out again tonight.

Comments from Larry: None - I'm napping too because I can..........

We stayed in Austin on Sunday & Monday night. We took the public bus again - the stop was about 6 blocks from the campground. Austin has a lot of live music downtown with shops & restaurants. I am now the proud owner of a cowboy hat (it has black roses on it and I'll wear it to the Kentucky Derby too). Yesterday we traveled through northeast Texas. Lots of ranches and cattle. A relaxing, non-Interstate drive. We stayed in Jacksonville, TX last night. Today we did more of the same driving. We were also in northwest Louisiana (Shreveport) and are now in El Dorado, Arkansas. The plan is to go to Clarksdale, Mississippi tomorrow - Eldon wants to hear some Delta blues. Then on to Memphis.
Comments from Eldon: Cindy's new cowboy hat looks really good - I wish she would have bought a short, suede, fringed skirt to go with it - yippee ki aye ki o! Happy trails, cowboys............
Comments from Larry: Campground tonight is quiet - only a couple lazy cats. NO dogs for a change. So pleasant................

Still hanging around San Antonio. We've become pros on the bus and trolley. It's a nice city to walk around in with lots to see. We went to the Spanish Governor's Mansion today. It was built in the 1700's when Spain owned Texas. We have become fans of Tejano music - its Mexican Texan music; sort of similar to zydeco. Heading for Austin tomorrow & Monday.

Comments from Eldon: I never knew that Cindy was an accordion-head; she likes her zydeco

and now Tejano.

Comments from Larry: I like our campground in San Antonio. Lots of birds and laid back - my kind of place.

We stayed at Galveston on Galveston Island on Sunday and Monday. Very small camp sites and it rained but we were surrounded by water and nice people to chat with. We arrived in San Antonio on Tuesday after a drive through Texas ranch land and small Texan towns. The campground here is very handy. The bus stop is right across the street (also a tasty Mexican restaurant). We have learned to take the bus and the trolley around the River Walk area which is where all the tourists go. Yesterday we did the barge ride on the river and toured the Alamo. Today we walked around Market Square. It is the largest mercado (Spanish market) this side of the Rio Grande. We ate at the outdoor stalls, listened to the entertainment and bought a few souvenirs. We were going to head to Austin tomorrow, but there is not a camp site to found within 30 miles of Austin this weekend due to a rodeo and a music festival. Luckily, we can stay at our site here in San Antonio, so we are here until Sunday. A very fine place to be.

Comments from Eldon: After staying in Galveston, I really have the fishing itch since so many people were catching fish there. I just need to do some more research on what I need to fish off bridges and shores. It's bigger equipment than I've needed before. Once again, I have stepped into my food nirvana - I get to have at least one taco a day. The Alamo wasn't quite what I expected, but I enjoyed seeing Davy Crockett's own rifle and Jim Bowie's own knife. The rest of you can go to hell, I'm going to Texas (this is what Crockett said in Tennessee before he left for Texas - at least all the T-shirts here say he said it).

Comments from Larry: Galveston camp ground had nice people and little dogs. How come little dogs are always have names like Spike and Rocky and think they have to act tough. Now that we are here in San Antonio, believe it or not, Eldon and Cindy bought me a cat sombrero. They expect me to wear it - I am NOT a cat that wears human attire. Next thing you know, they'll be trying to get me to wear a serape too.

Friday and Saturday night we stayed in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana - in the "Cajun Heartland". We wanted to hear zydeco music before we left Louisiana and we found the right place. The resort campgound we stayed at had live music Sat. afternoon in their tiki bar. Near the campground, a charity benefit was going on Sat. night. At the benefit, you paid $10 each for a gumbo cook-off and zydeco music by the Kickin' Cajuns. So we got our fill our yummy gumbo and lots of music. Sunday we finally made it into Texas. We are staying on Galveston Island. Water all around us, but we were not lucky enough to get a water front camp sight. Unfortunately it is raining today. A good day to do some laundry and looks to be about all it will be good for! Tomorrow the plan is to head to San Antonio.
Comments from Eldon: The Cajuns accent was difficult to understand except when they were singing. The gumbo was good, the music was happy and the dancers looked like they were having fun. I do like little community festivals.
Comments from Larry: Cajuns drink too much and party too late. It was hard to get a decent nights sleep in their campground. And too many dogs - again. The Cajuns like big dogs.