FROM WINNIPEG MANITOBA TO MCALLEN TEXAS

Dec. 23, 2012

After being up late entertaining, we were still able to get up at 6:00 am.  We finished loading the truck with the last minute stuff, and were on the road by 7:00.  It was really dark and really cold , but we were on our way.   The sun was up, but it was still overcast, by the time we reached to boarder.  We breezed through, with just a few questions and on to Grand Forks and Fargo, and North Dakota, was in our rear view mirror.  The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, the only thing worth photographing, was the beautiful hoar frost on everything all through South Dakota.  We had a motel reservation for Sioux Falls SD, but we were making such good time, we cancelled it and continued on to Counsel Bluffs, Iowa.  We pulled in there around 4:30.  Had dinner in the Perkins next door and were in bed by 10:00. 

                                                                                     Dec. 24, 2012

We were up,  had breakfast and were on the road by 8:00 am.  After having made such good time yesterday, we were looking forward to another day of great progress.  From Counsel Bluffs, we clipped the corner of Nebraska and were on into Kansas in no time.  The trip across Kansas is a breeze on the Kansas Turnpike.  It's a toll road, well maintained and on Christmas Eve it was practically deserted.  Through Kansas we finally saw the last of the snow.  From Kansas it's on into Oklahoma and straight down through that state to Texas.    We made just across the Oklahoma/Texas boarder to Denton Texas.  We like to stop just before entering Dallas.  The traffic through Dallas is always hectic and we like to tackle it fresh in the morning.  But in this particular case, we kinda wish we had pushed on last night. 

Dec. 25, 2012.  MERRY CHRISTMAS

We arose to a severe thunderstorm.  Lightning, thunder and a torrential downpour.  We left Dallas around 7:30 in this extreme weather and drove cautiously on through it.  It finally started to let up as we approached Austin, and was totally gone as we approached San Antonio.  The rest of the day and the rest of the drive was clear sailing as we approached McAllen and everything became more and more familiar.  We arrived at Paradise Park at 2:30.  Basically Winnipeg to McAllen in just over 2 and 1/2 days driving.  That's a record for us.  I hate motels so just 2 nights in them is great with me.  So here we are Christmas Day and sitting sipping cocktails in 84 degrees.  It was worth the extra push.