Retracing the Steps - Day 4, Fairview To Waco (and a little beyond)

My body clock still is running on EST, so I'm waking up around 430am. After breakfast I finished packing and loading the car. It's cold this morning, and a little snow on the car. I rode with Julie to take the kids to school. They so afraid I'll jump out of the car and start taking pictures in front of their friends, the minute the car stops, they bolt for the school door.

Leaving Fairview this time of the day puts me in the morning traffic, but overall it wasn't too bad. I-75S to I-35E, and the traffic kept moving most of the time. Before long I was south of Dallas, a hundred miles or so to Waco.
Getting out of the city I can start to see more of the "bigness" of this area. Nothing obstructs the view for who knows how many miles.....seems forever.

One of the people I met on the walk, Linda Mahanay, lives in Waco, having moved there from Houston. You might remember she "picked me up" at a mall in Bossier City, LA, much to the dismay of her friend, Wesley Adams. I've maintained contact with them, and wanted to have lunch if they were available. Linda was called for jury duty, but didn't think she would be there long, so maybe it would work out.

I reached Waco by 11 or so, still hadn't heard anything from Linda, so decided to do some exploring. I found the downtown area, and started looking around. The first thing I noticed was all the parking was free, both on the road and in lots.....nothing wrong with that. I found the Chamber of Commerce, and picked up some brouchers and talked to the attendant about local attractions. There's a nice park near the river, Baylor University, and several nice museums.

I walked to the park and took a few pictures of the suspension bridge and other attractions, and decided to visit the Dr. Pepper musuem nearby. It's really nice, with lots of history. Still no word from Linda, so I decided to visit the Texas Ranger (not the baseball team) museum. If you like this kind of stuff (and I do), it's a great place. They have a long history, and were responsible for the capture of Bonnie and Clyde. Their motto: "One riot, one ranger".

Still nothing from Linda, so I decided to get ready to leave Waco and head west. I stopped by a fast food for a late lunch, and before I could order, Linda called. She had a few things to finish at work, but we arranged to have a late lunch at a place nearby. It was nice seeing her and catching up on what's happening. Wes was on the road with his job, so not able to be there, but maybe I can catch up with him when I come through Arlington. By the time we ate and talked a while, it was getting dark and I needed to get on the road. I gave her a jar of Ann's Apple Butter from VA, had her sign my blog book, and went on my way.

I found highway 84 west, and after a short drive arrived in McGregor, TX. Only one place to stay in town, Atria Hotel and RV Park, so I chose that one. Another long day, but not too many miles. Tomorrow I'm heading west toward San Angelo. It's about 200 miles on highways 84 and 67, so I should get there by early afternoon. Will look around and decide if I want to go farther of hang around there and explore.

Pictures:
I've got the "bull by the horns";
The 100+ year old suspension bridge over the Brazos River in downtown Waco;
Dr. Pepper musuem;
Texas Ranger museum;
Linda Mahanay, kind to old walkingmen and animals