Vacation 2017 b - August -

McAllen TX - to - Buffalo NY
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We first drove from McAllen to Austin, TX.
On the way we stopped for lunch at the Side Door Cafe in Falfurrias, TX.

Located half a block west of US Expy 281 (would be Interstate 69) on W Rice St (Tx Hwy 285). It is South across from the Whataburger.
It looks rather humble but serves the most amazingly good Mexican food imaginable.
It should be noted that food preparation takes time as it is all prepared upon order.

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The highway runs through the middle of the little town of Premont TX
Remember to slow down. They are serious about the speed through this town.

US 281 / Interstate 69 in South Texas just goes on and on.
It is more green than usual is this part of the year. There must have been some rain.

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Buc-ees is a fairly new chain of very large traveler stops in our area
They have a huge number of gasoline pumps and a large travelers supply store
also have very clean and large restrooms. - This one is some 40 miles South of Austin.

entering Austin from the South - over the big hill on Interstate 35

We Spent the night in Austin and dropped Joseph off at his girlfriend's. She was just arrived flying in from a NYC vacation.

Then before driving to Houston and Hobby Airport we toured around the neighborhood
where Gerard lived during his undergrad and grad school years at Univ. of Texas, Austin.
With all the change and growth it was amazing that most of these places still exist.

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old Austin on S. Main Street - Austin has a lot of local pride.

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The house on Rio Grande St where I lived most of my last undergrad year.
It was divided up into apartments. Small box room with 12 ft high ceiling.
It ad a swamp cooler type air conditioning unit in a window.

It seems to be undergoing serious revovation.

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West side of University of Texas, Austin - Guadalupe Street (the Drag) looking South
big grey building on the left looking down the street is Doby (tower private dorm)

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We left Austin and drove to Houston, the latter part of that drive was through some very heavy rain.

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Crossing Houston on the freeway . traffic backed up and going slowly in the rain.
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After a long and tiring drive across Houston we arrived at the Best Western motel at Hobby Airport, which is at the southern edge of Houston.
We took the motel shuttle to the airport at 3 AM to fly first to Orlando, Florida and continue on to the Buffalo/Niagra Falls, NY airport.