The together vacation, Part II -- Visits

We set off today, Thursday, March 29, 2018, to meet up with one of Biker Bill’s former bosses, Theresa.  The plan was to meet her in Schulenburg at a little coffee shop for lunch.  We all finally got there but it was not an easy little place to find.

As we were visiting, Theresa mentioned there were painted Catholic churches in the area, so we set off to find a couple before heading west again.  Biker Bill navigated, and we quickly found the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in High Hill, Texas. 

This has to be the most beautiful church I’ve ever seen.  Established in 1860, the church has gone through several constructions, with this one being the third.  Materials from the previous church were used as much as possible including the three bells that remain operational today. 

The stained glass is incredibly colorful.

The stained glass lets in light while showing the colors that are so rich.

The Gothic Revival interior has Victorian features coming from a German and Czech Moravian background from the local settlers.  It was completed in 1912.  The interior is truly magnificent, with the 18 stained glass windows coming from the second church, along with seven new ones.  The perfect paint inside and statues were truly elegant and marveled over everything about it.   We then decided we needed to find another.

Absolutely spectacular.

Back on the road, and we got on one called Piano Bridge Road, a little thread of a road, mostly single-lane.  We wondered if we really would find either the bridge or the other little church that should be at the end of it … St. Cyril & Methodious Church in Dubina. 

Built in 1885 the Piano Bridge was named for the twanging sound that was made when crossing it.

Dubina was the first Czech settlement in Texas, meaning the settlement was comprised of mostly Czech settlers.  The settlers needed a permanent building to worship and the first church was finished in 1877.  In 1909 a hurricane destroyed it and construction began on the present church.  It was completed in 1911. 


Just a pretty little church in the middle of nowhere.

The interior was stenciled but it was painted over in 1952.  In 1983 the original interior was recreated and is what you now see. 

Just beautiful, but you couldn't go inside this one.

These were something to see, but it was time to mosey on to our next stop.

The Texas bluebonnets remind me of the Alaskan lupine.

 

The together vacation, Part 1

Biker Bill and I left Anchorage Tuesday, March 27, 2018, heading for San Antonio for a short together vacation.  We arrived, with one of the wheels totally broken on my suitcase (got air miles for it), got to the hotel and called it a long day.

On Wednesday, we took the hotel shuttle to the airport to pick up our Budget rent-a-car.  Easy, peasy. It had to be quickest rental process ever.  And out we went to space C9 to get our white Toyota Corolla.  We figured out how to open the trunk, stowed our luggage, and drove to the exit.  The guy in the booth came out, scanned the number of the car and asked for the contract. 

Then the bombshell came.  We were in an Avis car, trying to escape through an Avis exit.  We were in a car that was not what we rented.  Should I have made a break for it?  We circled back around and put it back in C9, unloaded our luggage, and then walked over to C9, in the Budget area.  Whoops.  Same car, same space.  Anyone could have made the same mistake. 

Off we went, to meet up with Biker Bill’s sister and nephew and his wife for lunch.  The drive was interesting … driving rain, wind and hail that sounded like small firecrackers as the pellets bounced off the windshield and hood. The conditions were white out, and I was certainly glad to be in a vehicle rather than in the saddle of a motorcycle.  Been there, done it before.  Strangely enough, in Texas.  Wasn't fun either time.

We enjoyed a great lunch with the family, and then off we went again.  We needed a hotel for the night and went to Floresville.  There we parked to look at our phones, checking for hotels.  What did I see?  Right in front of the courthouse, a peanut.  Really.  I had to have a photograph. 

 

This peanut is in memory of Joe T. Sheehy, "The Peanut King."  Sheehy experimented with peanut farming and introduced it as a viable crop to the farmers of Wilson County. 

 And what a perfect place to leave a little snowman face rock before checking in to the hotel.