Hyannis, Nebraska

These photos were taken on the afternoon of June 23rd and the morning of the 24th in Hyannis, Nebraska. I usually don't include too many shots of similar scenery in the same post, but I'm making an exception in this case to give the reader a better idea of what the sandhills are like.

From a cemetery hilltop west of Hyannis.

From the same hill with the Hyannis airport in the background.

Looking west of the airport. What look like bluffs in the background are actually sandhills.

Now looking southwest at the sandhills.

I had to include a photo of the Ride.

Now on the morning of the 24th, we're in Hyannis awaiting the start of the Windmill Days celebration. I've included a link to a site that discusses Hyannis and Windmill Days in the Landmarks I've Visited section.

I just liked the building.

A stage has been set up for a performance.

Another view of the town

Arthur, Nebraska

The hotel we stayed at on this trip was in Arthur, Nebraska, which is about 34 miles south of Hyannis on Nebraska Highway 61. Both of these towns are in the middle of the Sandhills - great grass-covered sand dunes which cover thousands of square miles. Our hotel was simple, yet comfortable, and being far from any city, very quiet.

View from the porch in front of the hotel.

Also from the hotel porch. Those hills in the background are sandhills.


Highway 61 cutting through the middle of Arthur.

I had to include another shot from the hotel porch.

Windmill Days 2006

My dad graduated from a small rural high school in the town of Hyannis, Nebraska. In June of 2006, he asked my brother Al and I to go to Hyannis with him for his high school reunion. There was also a local celebration going on called Windmill Days. Dad and I drove in from Missouri (in the Ride, of course), and Al came in from Colorado. We had a great, albeit short time.

Texas Vacation Wrap-up

The Texas Vacation of 2006 has come to an end. A week in Corpus Christi, and my brother and I are both still alive. Now that is an accomplishment!

Having lived in Florida for eight years, I've always been biased toward that state. But, Corpus Christi is a great place, and I would definitely vacation there again.

Texas State Aquarium

While my brother was deep sea fishing, I was encountering aquatic life in a much different way at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi. I enjoyed the experience very much, and you can experience some of that by visiting the aquarium's web site. The link can be found in the Landmarks I've Visited section.

Entrance sign.

Interesting fish in the upper left.

Some type of eel or sea snake. I vote for eel.

I liked the lighting in this photo.

This aquarium features many animals in addition to the underwater inhabitants.

A seahorse. I've always like seahorses, probably because one was featured prominently in a cartoon when I was a kid.

Amphitheatre where dolphins perform.

Dolphin performances can also be viewed from under the surface.

More dolphins.

The lighting in this tank makes the jellyfish glow.

I think these are so cool, I had to include two.

Return to Port Aransas

These photos were taken Friday morning from the ferry taking us from the mainland to Port Aransas. I was dropping my brother off there for his deep sea fishing trip that day.

One of the other ferry boats.

Looking toward the shore.

Shoreline.

South Texas Botanical Gardens, Corpus Christi

Wednesday found us at the South Texas Botanical Gardens, also in Corpus Christi. The gardens are renowned for their orchid collection, which was fortunate for me because it was mostly overcast that day and the outdoor photos were not good. Unless otherwise noted, all the photos in this post are of orchids. As usual, more information about this attraction can be found by following the link in the Landmarks I've Visited section.

Not an orchid.

OK, I did get one outdoor shot in this post.

USS Lexington CV-16

On Monday, we went to the USS Lexington, a retired aircraft carrier that has been converted to a floating museum just north of downtown on Corpus Christi Bay. A visitor to the Lexington could literally spend hours on the ship. More information is available by following the link in the Landmarks I've Visited section.

Entrance sign.

Ship's propeller.

Approaching the ship.

Stern.

Inside the ship/museum.

On deck.

Base of the superstructure.

Superstructure in the background.

Looking up from below deck.

View from the bridge.

Crew quarters.

Another part of the museum.