Shiner, TX (USA)

Checked out of my hotel (NAS Corpus Christi Navy Gateway Inn) before class began at 0800. The training was supposed to run from 0800 to 1600, but the instructor told us we would be finished by 1300! That was a nice surprise... We ended up getting everything (including coursework, all certificates and additional items) completed before lunch. Before I drove out of town, I spent a little extra time with Tito - I wanted to get some additional guidance since I probably won't be back in the area again for a long time... After filling up my gas tank (1205) and picking up some food for the road, I left Corpus Christi (via TX-358 and I-37). Later, got off on US-77 and drove north. Things were going well until I got to Sinton - there was a major railroad back-up (last cars parked across the road...). I managed to get around it after a while and then changed to US-183 at Refugio (home of Nolan Ryan). Drive was pleasant - and folks were very nice to drive in the breakdown lane so cars could pass (I haven't seen that since JUL/AUG 1990, in Canada). My first goal was to get to Goliad, a historical town in the area. It is less famous than the Alamo (outside of Texas, anyway), but it is related to the same revolution - and the defenders of the town were massacred after the battle too. I found a monument with all their names on it ("Fannin Memorial") and, nearby, a statue to the "Angel of Goliad" (she was a Mexican lady who helped spare the lives of soldiers scheduled for execution after the battle). Her descendants, along with some descendants of the men she saved, had also left some stones in her memory. I looked around the grounds of the Presidio La Bahia (fort defending the nearby mission) and stumbled across another statue - this one to General Zaragosa. He was born in Goliad but later moved with his family to Mexico, where he fought against Santa Anna and the French invaders. His victory over the latter (in 1862) is the one celebrated on Cinco de Mayo. Afterwards, I got back in the car and drove a short distance to Goliad State Historical Park. The prominent feature was a restored Spanish mission - prettier than the ones I had seen in San Antonio. It turns out that most of the missions along the San Antonio River were relocated (priests only - not the buildings) from other places. Hence the name "La Bahia" (from it's original oceanfront location)... I struck up an interesting conversation with the volunteers in the park - they were Navy retirees from the Brunswick (Maine) area who spent their time driving around the country, volunteering at parks like Goliad. After walking around the grounds for about an hour, I headed out of town (1530L). Took I-183 and Alt-US-77 all the way to Yoakum, then TX-95 into Shiner. It took awhile - lots of backtracking - to find the Spoetzel Brewery, but I eventually did. Unfortunately, the tours were over already - but they had a hospitality room. I spent over an hour sampling the different beers they make (most, I've already tried). The best one was called "101" (for their 101st year) - it was a Czech-style pilsner. The most interesting thing about the visit was that all the folks in the room with me were actually employees of the brewery! They were very proud of their product and they talked especially fondly of Kosmos Spoetzel, who put the town (and beer) on the map. I was sad to have to leave - for more reasons than one - but ended up driving out of town around 1645 (westbound). My original plan was to use Alt-US-90 back to Gonzales - which I hoped to learn more about (history). It didn't turn out to have that much (although there was a living history museum on the north side of town). I turned towards Luling on US-183 and planned to use it all the way to Austin. Instead, I somehow got off the track and ended up on US-90 (the sun was a dead giveaway). No worries, though, and I took it until switching to TX-123 in Seguin. Made it to I-35 (San Marcos) with nearly no trouble. Drive to Austin worked out OK, actually - mostly because I was running so late by this point... Got through the Capital but ended up slowing down on the north side of town. Decided to stop at Fuddruckers (first time - a burger joint) for dinner. Afterwards (2030), had lots of trouble getting back on the highway (#$#^! frontage roads!!!). Rest of the drive to Fort Hood was pretty easy - but I was surprised at how far Killeen was from I-35 (on US-190)... Without a local map, I had some trouble finding my accommodations (IHG Army Hotels on Post) but eventually stumbled across it (2200). A little tired after such a long day - so I just watched TV before going to bed (2330).