Colorado Chronicles : Estes Park

I have posted about Estes Park before on my Facebook page, but I couldn't really do it justice due to space limitations. So, I'll give it a go here. If you've got a few minutes, spend them watching this video about Estes Park. EP is located at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park in one of the most beautiful parts of Colorado. I have been there several times, and each time I am simply astounded at the natural splendor of the place. Downtown Estes Park is a hodgepodge of shops and restaurants with something sure to please everyone in your family. Just east of downtown is Estes Lake where trout fishin' is pretty darn good. 
For over a century, the historic Stanley Hotel has been a landmark in Estes Park. Besides the luxurious digs, The Stanley offers Ghost Tours. Yes, ghost tours where you can, for a fee, learn about ghost sightings and hear spooky stories about paranormal activity at the hotel. Surely, you have at least heard of The Shining by Stephen King. Room 217 at The Stanley Hotel is where that story was born.
As I mentioned above, Rocky Mountain National Park is just a hop, skip and a jump away from Estes Park. All in all, EP is on My Top 10 Best Places I Have Been List.

Hint for the Guys: Estes Park would be a GREAT place for a second honeymoon. Just sayin'.

UPDATE: FREE Colorado Travel Guide 

Maine Minutiae : Jackman

Jackman, Maine is in Somerset County in northwest Maine only 111 miles from Quebec City, Quebec Province, Canada. Its location alone is reason enough to visit Jackman. It's very rural, remote and pristine. The area offers year-round outdoors activities ranging from fishin', hiking, kayaking and camping in the spring and summer to snowshoeing, snowmobiling (very popular) and ice fishin'. Another very popular activity, especially for tourists is moose watching. While my home state of Texas has many "Cattle Crossing" road signs, here in Maine, particularly areas like Jackman, the road sign of necessity is a "Watch For Moose" sign. I guess moose are just the Maine version of Texas cattle. The list of outstanding places in Maine to visit just grew by one- add Jackman to it.

FREE :  Maine Travel Guide

Texas Tidbits : Toledo Bend

If I were to tell you the following facts about a body of water, what would you think it was? Facts: 181,600 surface acres of water; over 1200 miles of shoreline; 65 miles long; holds over 1 trillion gallons of water. One of the Great Lakes. Nope? The Great Salt Lake? Negatory. How about Toledo Bend Reservoir in East Texas? That's the place.

 Toledo Bend is so large that is unofficially categorized as three lakes - Upper Lake, Mid Lake and the Lower Lake. Now that's BIG. My Dad was from Troup, Texas (near Tyler), so we always got the latest news in East Texas  from family. That's how we learned of Toledo Bend being built in '60s. From the family grapevine in East Texas. I remember it very well. TB is one of the best fishin'lakes in the country, regularly yielding huge Largemouth bass, stripers and catfish, as well as crappie and panfish.

Toledo Bend is a landlocked ocean, it seems. It's a beautiful place to spend time with friends and family. While you're there, be sure to round up about 20 lbs of mudbags, some small red taters and corn on the cob and have a Cajun Style Crawdad Boil. Oh.....and don't forget the cold beer.

Get your FREE Texas Travel Guide

Maine Minutiae : Bar Harbor

100 miles from where I sit is Bar Harbor, Maine. Located on Mount Desert Island, Bah Hahbuh (a little Maine accent there) was originally occupied by the Wabanaki Indians. In the early 1600's, French explorer Samuel De Champlain ran aground on a rock ledge and promptly named the place Isles des Monts Deserts, meaning island of barren mountains. The island is the largest in Maine at a bit over 70 square miles. Add this to the Shoemaker Family Tour '10 as a summer destination.

Stuff I Read Additions !

In the right Sidebar, under "Stuff I Read", you'll see two new additions - Nuke Gingrich and Urban Grounds. If you enjoy reading about current events and some pithy commentary, check these guys out. And while you're there, click on one of the ads. It helps my buddy, a fellow Texan, No2Liberals pay the bills. Thanks  !

Texas Tidbits : Audie Murphy - Hero

Hero:remarkably brave person: somebody who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as  great courage or strength of character . See: Audie Murphy.

Audie Leon Murphy was born in Kingston, Texas, June 20, 1925. Many of you will recognize him as an actor. Murphy starred in over 30 movies, including "To Hell and Back". Murphy was, however, was much more than an actor. He was the most decorated soldier of World War II. In short, a true American hero. Click on this link and if you read nothing else, look on the right side of the page to see the honors that this man received in service to his country. Simply amazing. As a Texan, I am honored to call this man my Brother.

Fathers' Day 2010 : A Tribute to Dad

My Dad died June 5, 2004, just before Fathers' Day that year. At age 47, I became a man. Suddenly realizing that I was the Patriarch of the Family. Talk about being hit with a clue by four! Needless to say, it was a tough Fathers' Day that first year without Dad there. Subsequent Fathers' Days have been a mixture of celebrating my role as a Dad and missing the man who was my "Dad Role Model". Cecil Earl Shoemaker, Sr. was a truck driver for over 40 years and he fit the bill perfectly - 5'10", 200+ pounds (due mainly to a watermelon-sized belly), short hair and a Country Boy from Troup, Texas. Like most, if not all, truckers of the day, Dad was not an educated man, but he damn sure wasn't stupid. He may have sucked at algebra, but the man could build a small block Chevy engine blindfolded, in his sleep with one hand tied behind his back. I've seen him do it and it was amazing - well..not the blindfolded, one hand stuff, but the man could put some serious hurt on a car motor. The Old Man loved hot rods and customized older cars, especially '57 Chevys. To this day I can not see an old car that's all gussied up without cracking a big smile and thinking of Dad. It's warm feeling. Come to think of it, the world would be a much better place if it was populated by guys like my Dad who loved old cars. I believe we'd have more warm memories and much less conflict - except on the quarter mile drag strip.
As I have mentioned in other forums, my Dad started a new family as he entered his 50's. First came Adam in 1989. Sara, the new apple of Dad's eye, followed  five years later. Think about it. Here's a man who, after literally millions of miles in an 18 wheeler, should've been thinking about buying a lake lot somewhere and fishin' til the Good Lord called him Home. Not surprisingly, Dad cherished a second family and the chance to become a better Man and Dad. And he did. The lake lot would have to wait. Sadly, it never came.
I'll never forget the morning I found out that he'd died. I was getting ready for work when I saw my sister Cheryl pull up in my driveway. At first glance that doesn't seem so odd. But. It. Was. She was coming in from Arlington. Unannounced. The alarms in my head went off like a World War II air raid siren and I instinctively knew that he was gone. Dad had been in the hospital for a few days for some routine tests. But when Cheryl pulled up and I saw the look on her face, my worst fears were confirmed...before we ever spoke a word to each other. Dad was gone. Not like we had planned just the day before he went in for the tests. The Fishin' Trip That Never Was. If the dude didn't want to go fishin', he could've just called ! (See what I did there, Dad?)
Six Fathers' Days without my Dad and I still feel like the little boy he took fishin' or showed how to precisely put head gaskets on a 300 horse 327 on this day. That, in short, is how I remember my father. I thank God every day that I carry his name, passed it on to his first Grand son and only hope to be half the man Cecil Earl Shoemaker, Sr. was. I'm tryin', Dad. I think you'd be proud. I love you.