NELSON'S NOTES #51
Fun N Sun, San Benito, Texas, Oct. 10, 2005
WE HAVE A NEW BOX NUMBER . . .
. . . not because we've moved but because the park has made all mail box
numbers the same as street numbers. Our street is Hibiscus and we live at
221, so our new number is HB 221. The rest of our address is the same:
1400 Zillock Rd. #HB 221
San Benito, TX 78586
LONG-DISTANCE TRAVELERS
On our way to Texas, monarch butterflies were drifting lazily from plant
to plant in the late summer sun. It was as if they didn't have a care in
the world and were oblivious of the long journey ahead to Mexico. We must
have beaten the butterflies--I haven't seen any in San Benito yet.
By the way, when we pulled into Fun N Sun on October 6, the odometer on our 9-year-old motorhome said 99,664 miles.
END OF SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS
MACKINAW BRIDGE WALK
On a beautiful Labor Day, over 30,000 people took part in the annual 5-mile Mackinaw Bridge walk. At 7 a.m. Michigan's jogging governor, Jennifer Grenholm, was helicoptered over from the governor's vacation mansion to start the event.
I'd been making plans for the walk since last February, but by the time Labor Day came I had sciatica so bad I couldn't walk. The best I could do was take photos, like the one above and this one of Bruce and our friends after they finished the walk. L-R: Dalton Anderson, Judy Pool, Ronnie Pool, Bruce, Roy Pool.
CAPITOL QUEST
We visited three more state capitols: in Columbus, Madison and Little Rock.
Now we've been to 18.
Ohio: The interior of the Ohio statehouse has a warm rosy glow but also lots and lots of stairs. Evidently the person who designed the statehouse believed that "stairs symbolize power, control, and authority" and that "climbing them takes you to higher levels, symbolizing an uplifting experience."
Wisconsin: Inside the House of Representatives. The Wisconsin state capitol is in Madison, a city of over 200,000. Walking to Nick's restaurant on State Street Mall, we shared the space with bicycle-riding University of Wisconsin students wearing helmets and backpacks as they darted around construction trucks and workers.
Arkansas: This dome and cupola design, which is found on many of our state capitols, symbolizes unity and power. When we went inside the Arkansas capitol, its beautiful marble interior was being used by a bride-to-be who was posing for her wedding portraits.
In 1978 at age 32, Bill Clinton became the youngest governor in the nation. He lost his second race for governor of Arkansas but two years later made a comeback and was re-elected for four more terms.
CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, LITTLE ROCK
The center is home to interesting exhibits for visitors and a library
of presidential records for researchers. I believe that the blue boxes
inside all the columns contain the records.
ESCAPADE IN DU QUOIN, ILLINOIS
The Illinois State Fairgrounds, home to the World Trotting Derby International Championship of Harness Racing, was also the site of the Escapees RV rally in September. Sharing the fairgrounds with 755 RV rigs didn't keep horses and drivers from training on the track.
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Photos by Bruce and Marianna Nelson; text by Marianna Nelson
Special Thanks to Ken Roberts who "hosts" Nelson's Notes at www.web.newsnotes.us
Check out our home page, On The Road With The Nelsons