Travel Tuesday

I'd like to start a new feature on my blog.  

Travel Tuesdays

Travel is one of Adrian's and my passions.  I love to talk about traveling, think about traveling, dream about traveling, read travel books, etc., etc., etc.  

Sidenote:  One of the characteristics that was important to me in a future spouse when I was single was someone who would be a good travel partner.  You can be great friends with someone but not travel well together.  It takes a special combination.  I didn't know how I was going to find that out about a potential mate since for me it would require separate hotel rooms bringing added expense, etc.  God is amazing in the ways that He works in our lives.  The first seven months of Adrian's and my relationship were long distance.  We ended up traveling all over meeting each other's families and friends and staying in their guest rooms, couches, any place they could fit two guests.  Not only did God give us the opportunity to learn that we travel really well together but along with that we also got to meet the people important to each of us and relationship is also of huge importance to both of us.  

okay, back to travel Tuesdays.  

so, I thought it would be fun to highlight different places we've traveled and particularly to get dialog going with various travel tips, etc.  

First up:  

Dublin, TX 

This was part of Adrian's and my trip over Thanksgiving.  

(look how the girl swings out on the billboard!)

Dublin, TX is home to the oldest Dr. Pepper bottling plant.  

Itinerary:  We left Dallas on Friday afternoon and drove to Stephenville, TX.

The drive from Dallas to Houston and vice versa along 45 is BORING.  You've done it once, you've done it a million times.  In the last ten years I have made that drive QUITE a few times.  Adrian and I have decided to mix it up a bit a couple of times.  The first time was this momentous trip!  

This time we decided to drive down to Stephenville on Friday night, stay in a B&B and then take a leisurely drive down on Saturday, stopping at Dublin and anywhere else that caught our fancy.  

Friday night we were quite hungry by the time we got to Glenrose, TX.  After inquiring at a local pie shop that was closing for the day we were recommended to Anderson's

(which appears to be for sale interestingly enough)

It was a wonderful spot for dinner.  We shared a steak and baked potato plate with corn on the cob, a fresh, very good roll and a piece of cornbread with broccoli in it (I'd never heard of such but it was pretty good.)  We also had two salads.  The food was really good and the prices were reasonable.  They even brought a little dish to our table toward the end of our meal with 2 little brownie bite type things garnished with chocolate syrup, whipped cream and a cherry.  Very nice touch.  

We drove into Stephenville after dinner to the September Song bed and breakfast.  

My favorite things about this bed and breakfast were the gracious hospitality and welcoming spirit of our hosts,  the very yummy breakfast of Southwestern casserole with green chilies, a bread basket with several unique types of bread in it including some apricot dumplings, a good fruit salad and milk, juice, & coffee, the scripture from Isaiah that had been written into the wet concrete of their driveway, the interesting furniture pieces, the wide staircase and the little hand-crafted magnet they gave us as a souvenir of our stay, made from pecan trees on their property and hand-painted.  It was also a very reasonably priced B&B.  

I will say that the bathroom was really small.  

As we made our way from Stephenville to Houston, we stopped in Dublin and inquired about the tours.  They only run the plant on Wednesdays so we could have taken a tour but we would not have seen the plant "in action".  We opted to just enjoy a Dr. Pepper float instead, both of us agreeing that it was one of the best we've ever had and to pick up some "Dublin Dr. Pepper" in glass bottles (made with real Imperial sugar instead of corn syrup) for stocking stuffers.  I wandered into an antique store on the square that was pretty good and on we drove.  

We saw far more fall "color" than we expected in Texas and beautiful countryside with interesting land formations.  We stopped at a roadside barbecue stand and a couple of flea markets.  When I was getting desperate for a bathroom break at one point we pulled into a little town and went to a little antique store (I much prefer stopping at them to gas stations.  :) ) and it was so funny.  The proprietor directed me to a door in the back and in I walked to find a room full of merchandise (which turned out to be half-price!) and a set of stairs leading up to a little platform on which sat the toilet surrounded by plenty of antique baubles for your perusal.  Hilarious!  

So, here's the really fun part of travel Tuesdays:  

Have you been to Stephenville, Glenrose or Dublin?  What are your thoughts/recommendations?

What is the best ice cream float you've ever devoured?

Do you have an idea of an interesting route for us to take next time we make the drive from Dallas to Houston?  

p.s. I should give credit to my friends from church who suggested this route for us through Dublin!  Thanks girls.  Kelly

p.s.s. if you have a post on your blog about anything related to this travel post, please let us know.  I'd love to learn about other's travels as well.  

Also, if you have a question, feel free to ask it.