Notes on Texas

[nibot]

* Highway rest stops feature free wireless internet

* Cheapest gas on the trip so far, seen outside of Houston: $1.99/gal

* Texas gas stations all seem to have a big cooler full of cheap domestic 40 oz beers on ice. You know, right across from the coffee machines. Apparently drinking and driving is encouraged in texas.

Comments

[kaolinfire.livejournal.com]

Apparently drinking and driving is encouraged in texas.

So long as you don't toss the beer out the back of your truck--because, you know, "Don't mess with Texas!"

[erinmack.livejournal.com]

Did you know Fort Stockton has a hostel?!?

[nibot.livejournal.com]

I didn't. Do you mean this one (http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/16963-Comanche-Motel-%26-Hostel)? Is it any good?

[rudybang.livejournal.com]

Ooh, if it isn't too late, you can go to Marfa, TX, south of Ft. Stockton. There is a component of the VLBI there too, near McDonald Observatory. Cheers,

[nibot.livejournal.com]

How come everyone knows about Marfa? Is it because of the lights?

We just took I-10 for the most part, except US-290 in and out of Austin.

[rudybang.livejournal.com]

Marfa, TX is a oasis of culture in the desert that is West Texas. Home to the Chinati Foundation (http://www.chinati.org/) for art and artists in residence along with and other cool spots, like the Marfa Book Co. (http://www.marfabookco.com/), yet it maintains a huge small town charm, where everything is on Main St., and a lot of the buildings are abandoned.

Yes, there are also the Marfa Lights, but me and a couple of astronomers debunked the phenomenon's super natural basis when we were able to resolve two distinct sources with a 12" dobsonian telescope honed on what seemed to be a single source, this is consistent with the theory that we are looking at headlights from cars on a distant highway. The highway is paved such that as a car approaches its headlight beams reflect upward and away. This is what you see.

[paisleychick.livejournal.com]

* Highway rest stops feature free wireless internet

They do as well in Iowa and some other states. It was cool this summer, but they usually have some sort of captive portal and you have to sign in, but still, not bad at all. We also got accounts at Flying J (http://www.flyingj.com/) and would connect there.

[auressiel.livejournal.com]

You mean to say that you have never seen beer sold like that in gas stations before? They even do it in California. Have you been living under a rock?!