Texas-Grit-Road-Trip-Bob Davis Podcast 1166

Texas Grit Road Trip

Firstly, I’ve always wanted to take the Texas Grit Road Trip. A more than thousand mile romp through Texas from the Gulf to the West Texas Oil Fields. It’s all in Texas-Grit-Road-Trip-Bob Davis Podcast 1166.

New Rig

Secondly I’ve got a great new rig that needs a shakedown cruise.

Tennessee

Weirdly enough the Texas Grit Road Trip starts as a matter of fact our trip starts in Tennessee, of all places.

Natchez Trace Trail

That is to say I got a great suggestion from a friend to hit the Natchez Trail.

Analogous to great scenic routes like Skyline Drive along the Blue Ridge the Natchez Trace trail runs from Tennessee all the way to Natchez, Mississippi.

Louisiana and The Gulf Coast

Henceforth I headed into Louisiana and then on down to Corpus Christie Texas. And now we’re getting into the core of the Texas-Grit-Road-Trip-Bob Davis Podcast 1166

Beach Camping

Accordingly this podcast highlights some of the beach camping options as well as a few truck stops along the way.

Texas-Mexico Border

Thereafter all along the Texas-Mexico Border on up to Del Rio.

Pecos

Afterward to the best part of the trip, the road North to Pecos, Texas.

Oil Fields and West Texas

And out to the oil fields in West Texas.

Guadalupe Mountains

Finally following the route through the Guadalupe Mountains back down to the border across New Mexico to Arizona.

Lots To Talk About

Above all there’s a lot to this podcast.

Traffic

To emphasize the working nature of this part of the United States the traffic out in the oil fields is as intense as any major city.

Heavy Trucks and Heavy Work

Notwithstanding the fact that all the vehicles were heavy trucks carrying all kinds of cargo to and from the fields.

At length the so called ‘man-camps’, truck stops and pull off points with everyone seeming to be on a mission.

Covering Ground

Certainly it’s true I love to cover ground in my travels.

Seeing and Learning

Most importantly it’s a chance to see people doing what they do.

Work Work Work

And this part of the world seems to be focused on work.

History

In light of the nature of the places I got to see there’s also a ton of history here.

Texas Weather

At the present time you might see a place like Sanderson, Texas that looks a little worn down…

But not know that a tornado a few years ago nearly destroyed the place.

Harsh Conditions

But stories like that are common in a part of the world where harsh conditions prevail.

All things considered these places live up to the reputation.

True Grit

That is to say this part of the country was forged by true grit.

Finally I use the term ‘Grit’ in as positive a manner as I can express.

All things considered Texas itself has never been an ‘easy’ place to live.

It’s Not Big City Life

On the whole these days life in the big cities can be pretty cushy.

Ranching Farming Oil and Small Towns

In truth though, whether it’s ranching, farming or oil West Texas is a place that values and embodies hard work.

Texas-Grit-Road-Trip-Bob Davis Podcast 1166

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Six-Thousand-Miles-Backroads-Part1-Bob Davis Podcast-1135

Six Thousand Miles Backroads Part 1 Of A Series

I’ve traveled six thousand miles on the Backroads since I left Arizona in February. More than eleven states and many experiences. Details in Six-Thousand-Miles-Backroads-Part1-Bob Davis Podcast-1135.

Arizona to Wisconsin

Firstly I talk about the routes I’ve taken from Arizona to Wisconsin by way of several states.

From the Southwest

Secondly it all started in Quartzsite Arizona.

To clarify I spend my winters in the Southwest.

To The South East

So a spring wedding scheduled for March 15th in Sarasota Florida was a great motivator and trip goal.

Therefore on about February 26th, 2024 I left Quartzsite to begin what would turn out to be a six thousand mile trip.

Experiences

Above all in Six-Thousand-Miles-Backroads-Part1-Bob Davis Podcast-1135 I detail the routes and experiences along the way.

Backroads

In the same fashion I explain my motivation in staying to America’s BackRoads.

However every now and then I have to take an interstate.

But I try to keep that to a minimum.

Accordingly I headed out East along Interstate 8 in Southwestern Arizona.

Routes and Takeaways

Additionally I detail some takeaways from each state I traversed on my way to Florida.

One For The Books

All in all this trip through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and eventually Florida is one for the books.

Desert Border

For one thing the whole trip was either along the US-Mexico border…

Gulf Coast

Or the Gulf Coast.

Including at length beach towns and shores along the Gulf Coast.

Series

In contrast this journey is a series because of my experiences in Florida and on up the East Coast.

Truck Stops To Parking Lots

From potential campgrounds to truck stops and parking lots it’s been quite an experience.

Overall deserts, mountains, beaches and swamps.

Small Towns

And some undeniably wonderful small towns along the way.

Low And Slow Travel

One of the points overlooked by many thinking about the nomad lifestyle is the fact that we travel low and slow.

That is to say that travel does not have to be compressed into a short period of time.

The Vast Nation

Even more the opportunity to observe and catalog vast swaths of the country seen from its back roads is key.

Media Disconnect

Most important is the country one sees from the back roads is not the country the media shows us.

Positive

In the positive side I saw a lot of development and activity this trip.

Negative

Conclusion

In conclusion aside from in season traffic and too much development in Florida…

There’s nothing like a long trip on the back roads.

Six-Thousand-Miles-Backroads-Part1-Bob Davis Podcast-1135

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Podcast 554-Latest Election State By State Polls

Podcast 554-Latest Election State By State Polls. For you political junkies, which includes me, it’s been a month since the last analysis of political polls state by state, and I promised another one at the end of September, 2016. If you want to compare the two state by state poll podcasts to really get a sense of movement check out Podcast 541. I do not intend to analyze the debate. I will not tell you who won the debate. I will not tell you whether people pay attention to the debates. None of the current state by state polls were taken after the debates so they do not reflect the effects on either candidate of the debates. With this in mind, over 80 million people watched the September 26th debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The next state-by-state poll roundup podcast at the end of October will show what effect – if any – the debates may or may not have had. The biggest change between this podcast and the podcast in late August is that there are now more ‘toss up’ states — that is states with poll averages for president within the margin of error. In Podcast 554-State By State Polls, I am drawing on data from Real Clear Politics. Follow the link directly to an interactive electoral map of the United States and follow along, or may your own map. The tightening could be knock on effects from Clinton’s bad week of September 11th, or it could just be due to more polls closer to the election, when respondents start paying attention and are more likely to give responses. You’ll have to listen for my conclusions about whether more toss up states mean anything, but for the most part, both candidates are within the margins in 2012 and 2008 in the states they lead, or are trading leads. The big questions remain Florida, Ohio, Pennsyvania, Virginia, and to a lesser extent North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, and western states like Colorado, Arizona and Nevada. This is a state by state electoral election, so the national polls don’t matter, and the snap polls on who won the debate don’t matter. All that matters is the candidate’s performance, and get out the vote efforts for them in key electoral states. Listen and learn the state by state strongholds, battlegrounds, advantages and disadvantages, roughly a month out. We’ll come back at the end of October and again just before the election in early November, and see how the campaigning, media, and news events have changed the political landscape. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing of Saint Paul.

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