~ ~ ~ Timeline ~ ~ ~
left McAllen, TX -- Wednesday 1 August 2017 - - returned McAllen, TX -- Wednesday -- 9 August 2017
drove to Austin TX - drove to Houston TX - flew to Orlando FL changed airplanes -
flew to Buffalo NY - rented car - drove to Elmira NY - drove to Ithaca NY -
- drove to Bufflao NY - flew to Orlando FL changed airplanes - flew to Houston TX - drove home to McAllen TX
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Wednesday 2 August - met Joseph's girlfriend and her brother at restaurant - then Mona and I drove around the Univ. of Texas West side then drove on through Luling and on to Houston through heavy rain then lighter rain and heavy traffic - arrived at motel by Hobby Airport
Thursday 3 August- Early van ride to Hobby Airport for early flight - changed airplanes in Orlando Florida and immediately boarded the flight to Buffalo NY. - Arrived, got quick brunch then visited the Buffalo Maritime Center and got the grand tour - to Motel registered then off for supper. We found an excellent pizza at a locally owned and operated and very small pizza place.
Friday 4 August - drove on local roads (not Interstate) by some beautiful countryside - had an excellent lunch at the BigSky Restaurant and Saloon on the northern edge of Danville NY. Unassumming looking place with good people and excellent food.
Continued on to Elmira NY where we got location help from the County Museum and found the enclosed Gazebo where Mark Twain wrote several of his books. It was moved from the farm where it was located to the Elmira College grounds. We really enjoyed experiencing it, seeing photocopies of a Samuel Clemens hand written story and chatting with the young lady interpreter. - We drove on into Ithaca and registered at the Embassy Inn Motel. - Later had supper at a diner in town while a loud thunderstorm runbled outside - later checked out a few of the larger box stores in town before settling in for the night in our motel, which was at the outside edge at the other corner of Ithaca.
Saturday 5 August - Found the flagpole bus stop on Cornell Univesity then did an outside visual survey of the apartment - found 2 young deer in the patch of woods at the back side of the apartment. Picked up Joseph at the bus stop. Into town visited UHaul for van will pick up when one comes in - meet roommate and family at apartment - over to pick up UHaul van - to 4 Seasons Storage, picked up all stuff - to apartment unloaded van - to store got necessary supplies mattress cover etc.
Sunday 6 August - To apartment did much cleaning - arranged living room for color printer - removed old metal beaten-up desk to storage - roommate and his dad removed old TV to storage above the apartment - coat of kilz paint over un-cleanable lower area of the back wall.- returned UHaul van - Burger King lunch - Harbor Freight - Dollar store - Wlmt - Lowes - installed machine screw in Joseph room sliding door latch - other re-arranging - supper at State Street Diner
Monday 7 August - did laundry - dropped ours off at motel - to apartment - they already have internet installed up and running - lunch at good sandwich place downtown Ithaca with roommate and his family, delicious - grocery shopping - to apartment more arranging - worked out bicycle storage inside on ladder
Tuesday 8 August - checked out of Embassy Inn Motel - to apartment put forward light on bicycle - Lowes got supplies to build mount for bicycle rear light - back to apartment made rear light mount and attached it - 2PM left Ithaca traveling on interestign secondary roads west of Cayuga Lake through Waterloo NY continuing on west on Hwy 96 to just east of Rochester NY then took Interstate 90 into Buffalo NY - 6PM checked int Motel - returned rental car - good supper at Maxs Classic Grill - quick sleep
Wednesday 9 August - 3:15 AM up - grab and go breakfast - to Airport 5AM on flight to Orlando FL arriving 8AM - 9:10 AM flight to Houston TX left about half way looking down saw the mouths of the Mississippi River - 10:15 AM arrived in Houston (15 minutes early) - picked up Suburban parked at long term parking at motel - breakfasted then drove on to El Campo TX got jerkey and cheese - 3:20 PM got gas at Refugio TX - 6:40 PM arrived home in McAllen TX very windy from SSE and hot.
update - 12 August 2017