Day 9: Cleveland, Texas

Another note to self: next time, bring maps. Old-fashioned paper maps from AAA. Last night's ordeal would have been greatly aided by having a complete mental image of Lubbock, Houston and Cleveland on a map of Texas.

Cleveland is a small town near the new little home in the woods that good friends have built for themselves. I somehow had a mistaken impression that Cleveland was further north of Houston than it it is.

I also somehow was thinking of Houston as south of Austin when it is really more east than south.

These mistaken images in my mind caused me to get on route 99 going in the wrong direction, without bothering to check.

 Then, a note to all who travel to Texas: beware toll roads for which you can only pay with passes--no cash option. Google directions provides three ways to get from Lubbock to Cleveland, all involving one of these roads, on which I have run up fines. By that time of night, with only Google as a guide, I just kept driving. I am told that a bill will arrive in the mail.

With a big paper road map, I would have found another route to Cleveland and got on it going in the right direction.

The La Quinta in Cleveland at nearly one in the morning was a welcome sight, with the desk clerk I'd been on the phone with standing outside to flag me down.

Day 8: Austin, Texas

By the time you get to Austin, the landscape has changed from desert to lush green. For the same reason, arthritis pain kicks back in.

Supper, breakfast and a drive around Austin with more cousins. We agreed that another time, it should be at least two nights so that we can make a proper day trip.

Day 7: Lubbock, Texas

Note to self for future journeys: Do not try to spend the night in Lubbock. There are four or five or six Laquintas in Lubbock, lodged like insects in a spider's web of intersecting highways.

Late, after dark, and tired, I roamed from one to the next in growing confusion until I gave up and checked into one, not the one I had already paid for.

There is a nice Best Western right on the highway just south of town. Just stay there. In general, I am learning, choose motels for easy freeway access if all you plan to do in a place is sleep.

Day 6: Coralles, New Mexico

Miss Eloise had a fine old time playing with my cousins' gentle giant of a pit bull mix:

This visit was cut short by waiting until Monday morning to buy a new tire.

A wonderful time was had by all, nonetheless. Big Bobby commandeered one of his cousin's comfy beds and just took it easy. His arthritis, like mine, is greatly helped by the dry weather.