Vacation 2010 - Day 3

About 2 am local time it started to thunderstorm, a few drops came down, enough to wake me, and I was able to pack up and break camp before it really started to rain. I then moved on down the road and came into Ballinger, TX and stopped at a convenience store for some coffee. I saw a cross off into the distance that was lighted and I asked the clerk about it and he acted like there wasn't really anything special there, no church or cemetery. And he acted like it shouldn't deserve my special attention. Wrong. I drove back and forth on the highway until I figured out which south bound highway it was on and then moved south until I found the access road and arrived there. Erected in 1993 The Cross faces northwest towards the town of Ballinger, Texas. The Cross stands 100 ft. tall and from tip to tip on the arm it measures 70 ft. The Cross, above ground, weighs 50 tons with another 100 tons of material buried for support. At the bottom is a roof and walkway with a guest book for visitors to sign. The grounds also include walkways, a small Chapel, St. Frances Shrine and the Our Lady "of Guadalupe". The Cross can be seen for miles during the day and especially at night when it is illuminated with lights. I took pictures of it without using a flash at night and it came out great. I then return to town and at the courthouse there was a little park that was lighted and I took time out to do some more night photography. By that time it was started to daybreak so I headed on my way.

I stopped at Robert Lee, TX and ate some breakfast and received an IM from Melody that the cats were ok and that she had fed and watered the cats. I headed toward Garden City, TX and there encountered windmills. These windmills were a little closer then what you'll see on an interstate and they're impressive. Passed Garden City, I started picking up county roads until I made my way over to US 385 which took me straight into Odessa. I found my cousin's house and called and he came right over from what errand he was running.

Then the fun begin; He has a plot of land with a shop every bit as big as any that you would see light industry run out of, the floor must have been about 2500 sq feet and it was two stories high. He had a shed roof extending out from one side that covered about another 2500 sq ft. And they were full of items. I got the tour of the house and grounds and then we went over to the CAF hanger and he showed me around there too.

Then we went and had lunch with his sister Sheri and son Robbie and then we prepared to traveled to Balmorhea, TX, about an hour and a half away.

Balmorhea, (pronounce Bal-mor-ray) is a small town off of I-10 in west Texas and is set up for tourist. It's population is about 100 more then Moreland but they do have about 3 hotels, restaurants, next to a state park, Balmorhea State Park, and it have a few natural springs that feed it's canals that run through town and is used to irrigate the crops, lawns, and even keep a large lake where recreation for the local and visitors can be enjoyed.

After a tour of the town we went to dinner at a small diner the next town over and met up with Charles Leon's friend Ike who is part of the Local EMS. Ike is a character worth knowing.

After dinner we went back to the house that Charles has in Balmorhea and talked for a few hours then retired for the night.