Day 3

2004_0404Image0006.JPG Rangers used to be issued Tommy guns, impressive 2004_0404Image0009.JPG 2004_0404Image0010.JPG 2004_0404Image0011.JPG 2004_0404Image0015.JPG 2004_0404Image0016.JPG 2004_0404Image0018.JPG A bottle cleaner from the days of reusable bottles 2004_0404Image0020.JPG The Dr. Pepper 10-speed 2004_0404Image0022.JPG Cooking with Dr. Pepper, yummy 2004_0404Image0023.JPG Waco's famous bridges 2004_0404Image0024.JPG Hill country means goat country 2004_0404Image0025.JPG 2004_0404Image0026.JPG

Waco to Meridian
50 miles

Took in some of the sites of Waco today.  Went to the Texas Ranger Museum, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and the Dr. Pepper Museum.  Learned many interesting factoids.  For instance, the Rangers were only a military outfit, and not law enforcement, until the late 1800's.  Didn't realize how few Rangers there actually are, only a little over 100 in the entire state.  Dr. Pepper museum was pretty fun.  I didn't know that Dr. Pepper was actually created at a drug store in Waco.  Also didn't know that the 10, 2, and 4 slogan actually came from a time when Dr. Pepper was being marketed as "liquid food", so 10, 2, and 4 were designated snack times.  In the spirit of Dr. Pepper as liquid food, had a Dr. Pepper float before I hit the road.

Traffic dropped off dramatically once I got outside of Waco.  The transformation to the Hill Country was pretty dramatic on the way to Meridian (advertised as the "top of the Hill Country").  Over just a couple of miles, the air got drier, the ground got rocky, and cactus started showing up amidst the trees.  Oh, and it did get a little hilly.

Arrived in Meridian just before dark, staying at the lovely Circle Motel (although the locals call it the Circle-O because the sign has a picture of the circle after the word).  Anyway, can't get an internet connection so this will get posted a day late or so.