[Laminar]

It has two electric actuators inside that power the thing up and down. As the upper shell collapses, the triangle you see at the back folds in. The assembly is held in place by the two actuators alone, no clamps or anything else holding it up or down. The roof goes up or down at the touch of a button and just takes a minute or so. It can be stored inside of a normal single-stall garage and has a kitchen, bathroom, shower, and (tight) sleeping accommodations for four. We saw three more while on our trip, but lots of people at the campground stopped us to say how cool it was.

https://www.safaricondo.com/en/trave...series/serie-r

We were in a stretched Jeep, the bison seem used to them. Apparently if we exited the Jeep the mothers with new calves would have some very strong opinions about our presence.

[subego]

Okay, I feel better. I thought that was on foot.

The camper is pretty sweet too. I had originally imagined tents.

I figured SD was a good contender. To me, the most interesting part of Oklahoma were the signs saying “don’t drive into the smoke” from all the prairie fires. Never hear anything good about ND.

I’ve never been to Texas, but isn’t it so big it’s kinda like multiple states? I figure one of them has to be cool.

[andi*pandi]

Glad no one tried petting the fluffy cows.

TX: Galveston is cool. I mean, hot as hell but interesting.
Driving across texas is like driving in a straight line for 3 days with never changing scenery. We knew we were close to the end when a hill appeared. Staying awake was a challenge.

Interestingly enough, Norway has little flat roads, but lots of tunnels to deal with its mountains. One tunnel is long enough to be in for 30 minutes and people kept falling asleep so they added fancy lights to keep everyone alert.

We didn't drive there though so can't vouch for it. We did bike in Oslo and that was cool.

[reader50]

Regular unleaded in CA. Allowing for inflation, they're slightly below the pre-Ukraine invasion prices.

$4.69⁹ at The Stickup
$4.49⁹ at ARCO.
$4.19⁹ at the off-brand station.

One oddity - the Chevron price. It's still the highest, but it used to be notably higher still. Maybe there's been a change in their board. Perhaps several thieves retired to live the good life with our former money.

[ghporter]

I’ve decided to sort of (but not entirely) ignore the nearby oil company gas station’s prices. First, they don’t track with any other chain’s price changes, and second they have this “Easy Pay” thing, kind of like a loyalty program (I think), so their sign shifts the price for regular from their “preferred customer” price to the price for us peons (a 10¢ difference), which is both distracting and annoying.

My local grocery store gas station’s price has been pretty stable between $2.90+ and $3.00+, with a recent apparent downward trend; I filled up the other day at $2.65+, which was nice.

Laminar, those pictures are beautiful. Big skies and open vistas are definitely the kind of things we seek out. In a couple of months we’re headed back to Big Bend for that and more: absolutely dark skies. It’s pretty humbling to be able to look up and see what seems to be more stars than spaces between them…

[subego]

So, um, Glenn… tell us about the coolest parts of Texas, and if you had to divide it up into smaller states, which would be the coolest one to visit?

While you’re at it, what’s your favorite state of the stack starting from Oklahoma up?

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

In a couple of months we’re headed back to Big Bend for that and more: absolutely dark skies. It’s pretty humbling to be able to look up and see what seems to be more stars than spaces between them…

I think one of my only misses from this trip was not dragging the kids outside at like 11pm to see what the sky really looks like absent urban light pollution.

[ghporter]

“Coolest” from a stylistic sense depends on what you like. For example, Austin is about as eclectic and cool as you can get - except for the Legislature, and the fact that over the past 50+ years they still don’t have effective north-south or east-west thoroughfares (effective meaning “not full of cars most of the time”). Austin has art, like theater and museums, it is “the Live Music Capital of the World” (which includes essentially every genre there is), and even after years of change, it has some amazing night life.

East of Houston is Pasadena and NASA’s Johnson Space Center. During Apollo, my wife and her friends would visit there during a mission and actually see a lot of what was going on to support the mission. Today they’ve adjusted to being a tourist magnet, and you can’t simply wander into where people are working on real spacecraft, but you can learn about a lot of the science behind the “gee-whiz” stuff. And they have a Saturn V on site so you can get a visceral sense of just how honking HUGE the thing is.

A little farther east is the Gulf Coast. Galveston, Port Aransas, Port Lavaca, and many other towns feature beaches and boating. Almost all of our cruises are out of the Port of Galveston. While a lot of the Gulf Coast has relatively cloudy water because of the outflow of the Mississippi River, Texas’ portion is more “open water” and the water is much nicer.

Central Texas and the Hill Country, basically From Austin through San Antonio and west nearly to San Angelo, features wonderful geography, historic towns, and natural beauty in many forms. Look up Fredericksburg, Wimberley, and Enchanted Rock State Park, for some great examples.

Between the Hill Country and the Big Bend (an actual “S” bend in the Rio Grande) there’s a lot of beautiful views, but not a lot of population. But when you get close to Big Bend National Park, everything changes from kinda flat with mesas to actual mountains: the Davis Mountains, the Guadalupe Mountains, and the Chisos Mountains. WOW. Plus the whole area is a different kind of desert than movies suggest.

Note that I didn’t include Dallas or Ft. Worth in the above; I’ve only visited the area for professional conferences, so I can’t say I’ve actually “visited Dallas”, etc. And I haven’t visited the Panhandle at all, but there’s a park on our list: Palo Duro Canyon State Park. The canyon is almost on the scale of the Grand Canyon, and unique because of its geology.

Ok, favorite other states. I’ve visited Enid OK. Wow. I learned a new definition of “flat” there. Yeah. I’ve never been to Kansas, but I saw it (ALL of it) from the top of Pike’s Peak in Colorado. No real draw for me there. Central Colorado is beautiful; Colorado Springs features the Air Force Academy, whose chapel is just visually amazing. And there’s Pike’s Peak, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs, and much more.

I’ve only been through O’Hare, so I can’t say I’ve visited Illinois. I haven’t even visited Indiana, but I have spent quite a bit of time in Ohio, as well as growing up in Michigan.

Laminar, when I was a young teen, we vacationed in the northwestern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, and one night my parents had us all take a short walk from our cabin out away from the lights. I was awestruck. It’s worth the grumbling to get your kids out so they can see just how many stars there really are. It changes a person in ways they won’t appreciate until later. And you can tell them I said you should do it, too.

[subego]

Thank you for the write up! I’m surprised Austin’s boho nature doesn’t rub off on the legislature more.

I’ve been lucky enough to spend enough time in Wisconsin I’ve gotten pretty decent night sky action.

Haven’t actually spent much time exploring the more interesting parts of my own state. Chicago takes most of the cake.

[ghporter]

The Lege is not really a part of Austin proper. The Capitol Building (a gorgeous local pink granite structure) is indeed Austin, but almost all of the suits that pollute it are Gerrymandered to hell and back to “represent” rich white idiots rather than the actual “people of Texas”. Yeah, it burns my asterisk.

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by subego 

Haven’t actually spent much time exploring the more interesting parts of my own state. Chicago takes most of the cake.

Kewanee Hog Days is pretty fun. It’s this weekend, I believe.

[andi*pandi]

Very nice write up Glenn. I only spent a little time in Dallas (shakespeare in the park looong ago) and Houston airport. Austin has a great rep but never been.

Who's been to Indianapolis? There's a kid music school trip going this winter and usually parents tag along to "be supportive" (get out of the house).

[subego]

Always wanted to go to Gen Con in Indy.

[subego]

Originally Posted by Thorzdad 

Kewanee Hog Days is pretty fun. It’s this weekend, I believe.

For some random reason it hit me a day or two ago I really should go to the State Fair at least once.

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by subego 

Always wanted to go to Gen Con in Indy.

You should! It’s a real hidden gem when it comes to cons. I think it’s because it’s focused on games and not pop culture the way, say, ComiCon is. It’s nerd city, in the best sort of way.

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

Who's been to Indianapolis? There's a kid music school trip going this winter and usually parents tag along to "be supportive" (get out of the house).

Well, I’ve been here most of my life. Winter’s an odd time to travel to Indy.

[andi*pandi]

In previous years they've gone to a contest in March that happened to be held in Orlando (resulting in visiting Disney). Now TPTB are telling the kids they are instead going to a contest during February break in Indianapolis. No insult to Indianapolis, but as nice as the children's museum might be, these are high school kids and it's not a theme park.

[Thorzdad]

Yeah, as cool as it is, the children’s museum isn’t really for high schoolers. It’s also expensive as hell.

There honestly isn’t much in the way of touristy stuff in Indy, especially in February. The only other go-to I can think of is Newfields (a.k.a. the Indianapolis Museum of Art.) It’s a really good museum, but I don’t know how high schoolers take to art museums. If they’re into it, though, it’s a great day.

There’s the zoo downtown, but I can’t imagine it’s much fun in the dead of winter.

Do you know where in the city you will be based?

[subego]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

The Lege is not really a part of Austin proper. The Capitol Building (a gorgeous local pink granite structure) is indeed Austin, but almost all of the suits that pollute it are Gerrymandered to hell and back to “represent” rich white idiots rather than the actual “people of Texas”. Yeah, it burns my asterisk.

I guess I was imagining because they end up stuck there all the time, it has to rub off on them a little.

I could be wrong, but get the feeling this happens a bit in Wisconsin. Madison being a progressive “college town” type place tempers the legislature a touch. I’m sure Rob can confirm or deny.

[andi*pandi]

tale as old as time... townies vs students... progressives at the ... least!

Originally Posted by Thorzdad 

The only other go-to I can think of is Newfields (a.k.a. the Indianapolis Museum of Art.) It’s a really good museum, but I don’t know how high schoolers take to art museums. If they’re into it, though, it’s a great day.

Do you know where in the city you will be based?

These are band kids. They might be fine with a museum!
Not sure where we are staying yet.

TPTB *might* be reconsidering the children's museum.

[Thorzdad]

I know a staffer at the Children’s Museum, and I know high-schoolers sometimes make the staff a little nervous, as they’re more apt to be dicks, or run wild. Them and the suburban Karen moms. Those are, apparently, the absolute worst.

There’s a roller rink on the far west side, but I can’t offer any opinion about the place. I always see it from the highway, and am always surprised there’s still a roller rink around.

Other than the art museum, there’s the Indiana State Museum. Also the Eiteljorg Museum. The Eiteljorg is a native american/western art museum. They both are downtown.

Is this a music competition?

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by subego 

I guess I was imagining because they end up stuck there all the time, it has to rub off on them a little.

Yeah, nope. The seriously red ones are so invested in being red that they don’t seem to even notice the coolness about Austin - except when they act to ban something.

I used to be more ticked off about how the Silicon Valley folks came in and made it too expensive to live there. But (while I’m not “over” that) the idiots who somehow don’t get how Texas got to be Texas are a far bigger problem.

[subego]

That’s too bad.




Hurry! These prices are fading fast!

Cheapest I’ve seen it here since I’ve been keeping track.


Car wash station:




Suburban control:

[andi*pandi]

the maine subreddit posted $2.99.

[Thorzdad]

Saw $2.77 yesterday.

[ghporter]

It’s been about $2.39+ here at my grocery gas station, with the refiner brand bouncing around from $2.39 to $2.89 because Uranus is in Gatorade or something.

[subego]

Of course, the moment I can’t drive the bottom falls out. Saw $3.79⁹ in the city at multiple spots.

[ghporter]

Well around here the baseline price jumped 60 cents to ~$3.00 over the last two days, so the prices must have just decided to head south for a bit…

[ghporter]

I meant to post this Thursday, but life happened and I didn’t get around to it.

Anyway, I posted Tuesday about another act of random price changing, where the price of regular in the whole area (Northwest San Antonio) jumped to roughly $3.00. It’s started settling since Thursday, gently floating down a few cents at a time. Today it’s between $2.85 and $2.89 most places.

I really wonder if they make enough money on these price jumps to make up for these two things: the convenience store worker updating the prices (which almost certainly means ignoring the store customers to play with a keyboard for a few minutes), and customers avoiding places that are the first places to bounce up their prices (and driving around burning more gas looking for cheaper places). I’m sure there’s some MBA doing presentations on the timing of price changes and how fast to change them. Yeah buddy, go “use that education”.

[andi*pandi]

To a certain point, I've learned which stations are likely to be cheapest. Hint: not the national brands. So I'd have to be late, out of gas, or randomly notice a cheaper price at Shell or Mobil.