Chris and Jeff took a road trip through Texas and Louisiana.
Jeff traveled to Chris's home in Dallas April 20th 2000 from Indianapolis.
"Don't even ask! I am off the clock!"
If you like these photo's, be sure to write or email your congressman.
They are looking for more feedback from individuals who have been to many of the tourist areas of Texas.
Most of the photo's with Jeff in them were taken by Chris, most of the rest by Jeff, a few by friends. Chris kept
mumbling somthing about his foil hat, the messages he was receiveing and that he like to watch or he is an excellent
driver. What?
Click on any of the below links to see the photos from that stage of the "road trip."
"What a long strange trip its been" - The Grateful Dead
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| Chris, cruising along. The sun is shining, the bird singing, the wind blowing, and the beer cold. Of course we were not drinking beer while driving. | |
| Hey that is Jeff. THE DUDE ABIDES!! | |
| The Hill Country of west central Texas. | |
| The view between historic Fredericksburg and Lukenbach, made famous by Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker and other country music greats. | |
| Rolling down a good size hill. The wide open Texas Hill Country. It's great! | |
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| Lukenbach Texas, population 3. A wide spot in the side road. Nice setting. A creek flows just south of this (only) road. The building in front of us is the post office and general store. |  |
| Another view of the main street. There are only three buildings in town. Possibly a new building built in celebration of a new resident? |  |
| A nice view of the back of the 'post office / general store.' The second building was an old barn converted to selling beer and other nessecities. Third building was devote to "nessecities." |  |
| The main building. Folks (tourist) would sit in front and in back, drink beer, play the Geetar and sing. |  |
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| Hall of Horns was in San Antonio, On Houston Street. One cool place. Stop in for a cold beer or eight. |  |
| The man who started this bar, would give the cowboys a shot of whiskey for every set of horns they would bring in. Now this place is full of horns of every kind. Some should be in Ripley's Believe it or Not they are so bizzare. |  |
| MOOOVE Over Bacon! There were many old west items to check out. Like 100 year old guns, chaps and spurs. The spurs had every imaginable design. |  |
| This guy is amazing. He was the BEST card magician I have ever seen, and I have seen a few. And he could shouffle with one hand better than most could with two. |  |
| Buckhorn Hall of Horns on houston street. A very nice old wooden bar, serving very nice cold brew, it's not just for breakfast anymore. |  |
| The River Walk. There was a parade this evening with an expected 150,000 people. It was a great party! We met some interesting police folk this evening. |  |
| The Alamo. Needs no introduction. This is a sacred place to Texans. Located close to the center of town, there are many interesting things to see in this mission with an amazing history. |  |
| The Mission Concepcion, just a short way south from the Alamo. |  |
| The Alamo, Concepcion and San Jose, as well as two others are spread out along The San Antonio river and were established in the 18th century. they were the greatest concentration of Catholic missions in North America. |  |
| Another view of The Mission Concepcion. This was a very warm day. I can imagine the heat the people who where here in the 1700's endured.. |  |
| The Mission San Jose further south of the mission Concepcion. Jeff standing along the main enterance to the mission chuch. An interesting item here is that for the last three hundred years, visitors have been carving thier name and date around the door. |
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| A wider view of the church with the unrestored monastary in the background. The dorms of the monastary were being restored in the 1860's, and never completed. |  |
| See San Antonio's Mission Trail web site for more information on these missions. |  |
| The Menger Bar were Teddy Roosevelt recruited the Rough Riders for the Spanish American War. Legend has it that he was commisioned to built a cavalry unit. He wanted men who could ride and take the heat of Cuba - South Texans. |  |
| Another view of the Menger from the upper deck. This bar is suppossedly haunted, but we saw nothing but liquid spirits while we visited. |  |
| Whoops here is one that is not a liquid spirit. She bar tender - Sarah, who informs us she used to tend bar - at a Noodie Bar! AAEEEEEE! |  |
| Casual, Yup. Tried her damndest to get us drunk. Attempted to impress us with dirty jokes and cheap booze! We were merely pawns in her insidious game, and she liked it! |  |
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| Johnson Space Center. We took a 75-minute JSC Facilities Tour and visited the testing and astronaut training facilities, including the Space Environment Simulation Laboratory, and the Mock-Up and Integration Laboratory. The 45-minute Control Tour takes guests to the historic Mission Control Centers and, when a shuttle is flying, the brand-new Space Station Operations Control Room. |  |
| Outside of the main technical area, there was a park like center with different space missles and the like. |  |
| The Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) opened in 1963. Grazing cattle in the pastures 25 miles south of Houston were
replaced with laboratories and training facilities. Full view of large rocket ship |
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| The eyes of the world were on Houston and the MSC on July 20, 1969, as Neil Armstrong reported from thr lunar surface,
"Houston, the Eagle has landed." Hours later, Armstrong took his historic first step onto the Moon's
surface. Partial view of large Rocket Ship |
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| Gemini IV was the first flight to be controlled from Houston. The MSC became a hub of activity as Gemini ended and Apollo gained steam. Engineers and scientists were preparing to do the impossible -- to put a human on the Moon. |  |
| The MSC became the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1973. Through Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz and Shuttle
programs, it has been the heart of the manned space flight program. Here's an example of the exhaust port from a missle. Pretty darn large. |
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| The beginning of Jeff and Theresa's incredible day began on the NASA Tour Tram. She came up and sat next to Jeff, whispering vulgar euphemisms in Jeffs ear, stuff about a "BIG ROCKET" and "COCKPIT" and the like. This is where Chris started mumbling things like "I like to watch." |  |
| Jeff, attempting to get clarification of an uncommonly heard dirty phrase. Folks just don't say this type of things in Indiana. |  |
| Jeff finds it amusing that Theresa, while whipering to Jeff, stuck her tongue in his ear while he least expected it. Jeff, soon after fell out of the Tram and started doing the Alligator on the Side of the road! Theresa had found her MAN!! What a Wet Willie! |  |
| Theresa continuing to flirt with Jeff! Jeff's sweet and inocent routine is paying off! |
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| Theresa insisted that we take a picture a group picture. Of course the kids loved Jeff almost as much as Theresa did. Little Billy mentioned that he wanted to be like Jeff when he grew up. It was a special moment! |  |
| This was just the beginning of Jeff and Theresa's incredible day! She would later show Jeff a few tricks she learned in Gymnastics. She not only had the equipment, but knew how to use it, wink wink!!! Chris got to babysit for a few hours. |  |
| Jeff and Theresa strolling through the NASA Rocket Park, discussing plans for wild night on the town which would include 3 ping pong balls, a corn fed harvest church mouse, a flemish peasant woman, whips, chains, whistles, yoyo's, a circus midget, and a duck.. |  |
| Chris as a big ugly bug, so what else is new! Space Center Houston, the Official Visitor center of NASA's Johnson Space Center. The Center is owned and operated by the Manned Space Flight Education Foundation, Inc., and is not federally funded |
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Galveston, the fomer pirate strong hold became the Republic's base of navel operations against Mexico and the temporary Texas capital in 1836. By the Civil War, Galveston was Texas' principal seaport and leading commercail center, and by 1890 it was Texas' largest wealthiest city.
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| U.S.S. Flagship located on Galveston Island's historic Pleasure Pier. Berthed over the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the pier based hotel stretches 1000 feet out to sea; |  |
| The Bishop's Palace is located on the corner of 14th and Broadway across from the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Architect Nicholas Clayton designed the mansion for Colonel Walter Gresham and construction began in 1886. In 1923, the then Galveston Diocese obtained the home for Bishop Christopher Byrne until his death in 1950. It has been open to the public since. |  |
| The Bishop's Palace - SIDE VIEW - Located on the American Institute of Architects list of the 100 outstanding buildings in the United States. Designed by Nicholas Clayton, the structure took 7 years to build and was finished in 1893. The exterior is red sandstone, white limestone andrough granite. The interior, furnished in period, features a hand-carved grand staircase, jeweled glass windows and a mantel that won first prize at the 1876 Philadelphia World Fair. |  |
| Sacred Heart Catholic Church Founded in 1884, and was designed by a Jesuit priest after a fire destroyed the original structure in a 1900 storm. Opposite Bishop's Palace. |  |
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| Standing behind St. Louis Cathedral in the Old Graveyard. Human bones would collect against the inside northeast corner of the old Cast Iron fence surrounding the yard during floods. Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez! You only live once. (Just ask the vampires.) |  |
| On our way to Mother's. A "unrated" dining experience. Try the Ferdie, a unrivaled sandwich. Mother's Restaurant specializes in authentic New Orleans home style cookery. For over half a century, Mother's has maintained its position for serving the most highly rated po' boy sandwich in the Crescent City (the name PO boy refers to the bread; the connotation is of a generous serving for a low cost - suitable for a 'poor boy') No trip to The Big Easy is complete without visiting!! |  |
| A monument for Jean Baptiste Bienville The Father of New Orleans, the greatest city in the world, Visit often and enjoy! The statue is located on Decatur street across from The Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory |  |
| Explore the storied streets of the Vieux Carre where legend and documented history converge. From the dynamic Mississippi
River to the serene courtyards, experience the Vieux Carre with the city's best guides. Discover everything from
the outrageous colonial history to Creole culture, from piracy to ghost stories, enjoying New Orleans' gumbo of
legend and truth. Decatur street. This is a view of the "front" of the French Quarter. Across the street from the Mississippi River. |
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| This sweet girl would not stop following Jeff. She had a peculiar odor and a unique wit. What a gal! Offered to show Jeff some sights that ya just don't find on a tourist map, wink wink! Took this picture just before she handled up on her buisness! Watch out for this gal, she's going places!YIKES!! |  |
| Mardi Gras, the world's most famous party, attracts two million each year who catch New Orleans fever (or at least some plastic beads and gold coins tossed from the colorful floats). The pre-Lent celebration stretches back to medieval times. |  |
| Outside Jean Lafites' blacksmith shop, now a restaurant, waiting for Chris. Jean Lafite (1782-1829) was a famous pirate and War of 1812 Hero! |  |
| The Courtyard at Pat O'Briens. A world-famous establishment, famous for it's unique drinks including The Hurricane. Feel free to get ripped, everyone else is! |  |
| Jackson Square, in front of St. Louis Cathedral. An interesting place to be after dark, The vampires seem to like this area! Jeff and Chris spent many interesting moments here. Behind and to the West of St. Louis Cathedral is Pirates Alley, where many a duel took place, back in the day. |  |
| Jackson Square and its splendid architecture, which includes St. Louis Cathedral, focal point of the Crescent City and one of the country's oldest places of worship; the Cabildo and the Presbytere, the magnificent Spanish buildings which flank the cathedral; the Pontalba Buildings, the oldest apartments in the United States and legacy of the Baroness Pontalba whose biography is as much soap opera as it is historic; and the prominent statue of Andrew Jackson. |  |
| A beautiful statue of a beloved French hero, Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc, Maid of Orleans" was recently relocated to the Place de France, a pocket park on the median where Decatur, North Peters and St. Philip streets meet. Originally erected in 1972 between the International TradeMart Building and the Rivergate, it was a gift from the people of France to the citizens of New Orleans. |  |
| "Although Joan of Arc burned at the stake long before the founding of New Orleans, the city should feel an affinity with this French hero. In 1429, Orleans, France, was about to fall to troops under the English Crown. Joan of Arc led the French to victory and, in doing so, saved Orleans. Joan of Arc became the Maid of Orleans and Pope Benedict XV declared her a saint in 1920. This Joan of Arc statue, set upon a thick concrete base, is gilded with gold leaf |  |
| New Orleans is the "most haunted city in America" and the French Quarter possesses an astounding number of haunted sites, Here is the entrance of a famous Haunted Mansion. Jeff felt "The Vibe" as he laid hands on this spooky spot! |  |
| Street people and Fortune Tellers mingle in Jackson Square. Get some coffee and begnets (donuts without the holes) at Cafe Dumond across from Jackson Square, and sit and watch the wierdness of it all. We fit right in! |  |
| One little-known fact is New Orleans' sogginess. It's wet. Real wet. The city is below sea level (hence the above-ground
cemetaries), with the mighty Mississippi on one side and Lake Pontchartrain on the other. To keep from drowning,
the city is crisscrossed with levees, canals, spillways and pumping stations. Jeff is attempting to leave Lafayette Cemetery #1 (established 1789), we'd gotten locked in! |
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| The entrance to Loyola University, located in the beautiful Garden District. Loyola University New Orleans is a Catholic institution that emphasizes the Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person. It open to students of all faiths. Loyola is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. Its rich history and Jesuit influence date back to the early eighteenth century when the Jesuits first arrived among the earliest settlers in New Orleans. |  |
| A huge old home in the Garden District, the "American" section of town that was built to rival the architectural splendor of the Creoles' French Quarter! Enjoy its marvelous examples of Greek Revival and Italianate architecture. Homes of former Kings and Queens of Mardi Gras are located in this area ... once part of the plantation owned by Bienville, the founder of New Orleans. |  |
| Another old home in the Garden District. Enjoy the architectural splendor of the live oak-tree lined "American" sector of town and examine the antebellum era "Creole vs. American" conflict. |  |
| This house was used in the Anne Rice movie "Interview with a Vampire." This exterior view was shown during the scene where they were loading the coffins into wagons to take to Paris |  |
| Destrehan Plantation. Built in 1787 in French Colonial style, remodeled to Greek Revival around 1830-40. The oldest plantation in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Built by Freemen of color. |  |
| While travelling the River Road north west out of New Orleans, we passed an old church with an old cemetery. |  |
| Check out this crypt! Very old. Note the skull in on the bottom columns. The right skull is still evident. These tombs are models of efficiency: Since local law allows corpses to be removed after one year and one day (plenty of time for bodies to decompose in the 300-degree heat inside), bones were often shoved aside after this period to make room for a new body |  |
| Oak Alley Plantation. Photo taken from the top of the Mississippi levy. In the early 1700's, an unknown French settler built a small house on the site of the present mansion. It was he who planted the 28 live oak trees in two well spaced rows. |  |
| Built in 1839 by a wealthy French Creole sugar planter from New Orleans, Oak Alley Plantation today offers daily tours, bed & breakfast accommodations in turn-of-the-century Creole cottages, a delicious restaurant and quaint gift shop, and a spectacular setting for weddings, parties and other private functions. |  |
| Located on the Mississippi River between the historic cities of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Oak Alley Plantation has been called the "Grande Dame" of the Great River Road. Nowhere else in the South will you find such a spectacular setting! The 1/4 mile canopy of giant live oak trees, believed to be nearly 300 years old, forms an impressive avenue leading to the classic Greek-revival style antebellum home. |  |
| Oak Alley Plantation. Check out their web site now, and while visiting, have lunch, they've got geat food! |
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| Chris and I stayed in Shrevesport on our return trip from New Orleans. We choose a hotel close to the casino. No picture of the hotel, but here is one of the casino. |  |
Last Modified June 12 2000