Kind of like a horse knows when its going back to the barn, we start to gallop as we head for home. The Gage Hotel in Marathon, TX was a perfect spot to recharge our batteries. And now, we zoom.
Texas scenery does not have a lot going for it. And it goes on and on and on. Some low mountains in the distance looked almost like paper cutouts with stark desert foreground and a big blue sky. Trains are visible from the road and they are really l-l-l-o-o-o-n-n-n-g-g-g. There are historical markers at frequent intervals and we wondered what sort of history happened. We stopped at one….and were underwhelmed.
From Marathon, TX to Chapin, SC is 1,500 miles. Three days for sure. I had to extend our “6 hours of driving a day” rule a bit and made sure we stayed in comfy surroundings with great dinner options. It worked except in San Antonio where the restaurant I picked only served snacks. We stayed on the River Walk but our timing prevented us from taking a boat ride (next time!). The room was terrific!
Next stop Shreveport….well, actually Bossier City where the hotels were slightly less expensive and the Hilton had recently opened a casino. Even the ceiling of the valet parking area was fancy! And a heart art installation in the lobby cried out “photo op.” Dinner in its fancy restaurant was quiet and relaxing….and delicious!
And then…on to Birmingham, AL. Our favorite restaurant stop for many, many years. Frank Stitt started a restaurant revolution in the city when he opened Highland Bar and Grill in 1982. Since then he’s opened a half dozen more restaurants and the alumni of his restaurants have opened dozens more. Our favorite is the Bottega Cafe, which stays open from lunch time through dinner — perfect for travelers who arrive in Birmingham at odd times. We arrived at 3:30pm — perfect for late lunch!
And our hotel room was roomy too!
Next stop…..
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