Category: Food

Texas Bound

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 11, 2025

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Last week’s post ended with me waiting at my gate at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (#SRQ) and listening to the music that they play (rather loudly) from The Blend (SiriusXM) all throughout the terminal.

My Thanksgiving Eve flight to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (#DFW) boarded a little bit late, and it took off into the air a few minutes late as well. It also arrived at #DFW a few minutes late. It flew a nearly straight-line flight across the northeastern Gulf and over Louisiana and Texas. The Airbus 321EOW was not quire full – with a few middle seats unoccupied (including the one next to mine). There was also plenty of room in the overhead bins. I had an aisle seat 5 rows from the back of the aircraft. The flight was mostly peaceful and quiet with a few mild bumps along the way at cruising altitude (as high as 38,000 feet).

Fun Fact: An Airbus 321EOW is one that can fly up to 400 miles from shore, as it meets specific FAA requirements to do so (such as sufficient life rafts). “EOW” = “Extended Over Water”.

I met my brother at the Baggage Carousel. We picked-up my baggage, and we left for Wylie Texas (about 40 miles away) – with a stop at Kroger close to his home.

On Thanksgiving Day we stayed in all day long, and we watched football from mid-morning – through the afternoon – and into the evening. Oh – and we ate a lot of food too – from early-morning – through the afternoon – and into the evening.

A Thanksgiving Morning tradition actually ended this year. We did not open all of the presents underneath the Christmas tree as we’ve done every year in the past since my nieces have been alive (going back to 2010). There were no presents underneath the Christmas tree. But there would be soon, and we’d open them in a couple of days.

Another Thanksgiving tradition also ended. I didn’t spend much of the day packing and preparing for my return flight or drive back to Florida, as I had just arrived. No packing necessary until the following Friday.

And yet another tradition ended on #BlackFriday. I did not fly back (or begin my drive back) home to Florida. Me and my brother began our week-long quest to eat at different restaurants, shop at many stores, see several movies, and visit various coffeehouses.

On #BlackFriday we saw the movie “Rental Family” (starring Brendan Fraser). And then we ate lunch at “Flying Fish” – a regional fast-casual seafood restaurant chain. And then we went to a busy Barnes & Noble. And then we went to Target including a pitstop at the Starbucks inside Target. So that covers the restaurant, store(s), movie, and coffeehouse for the day after Thanksgiving.

On #SmallBusinessSaturday we supported a small business early in the morning – a family-run breakfast and lunch place in Sachse Texas – Woodbridge Cafe. They opened in January 2018. It was our first visit. It won’t be our last. I enjoyed cinnamon swirl French Toast, two eggs over hard, two sausage patties, and coffee.

Next #TravelThursday – I attend a non-denominational church service with my brother, sister-in-law, and two nieces for the first time ever. Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags Dallas, DFW, Florida, Sarasota, SRQ, Texas, Thanksgiving

Blogging Food Holidays Home

Happy Thanksgiving Day

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date November 27, 2025

#TravelThursday returns next week.

Tags Thanksgiving

Blogging Driving Food Geography Home Travel Weather

Homeward Bound

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date October 23, 2025

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. This week it’s Part 4 of my 4-part series on my recent trip to visit family in the Wichita Falls Texas area.

On my final morning I actually watched my home church service LIVE on YouTube, and then I enjoyed my leftovers from dinner the previous night at Firefly. My dinner consisted of two MASSIVE panko herb parmesan fried pork chops served with brown gravy with two sides. (I chose a loaded baked potato and fried okra.) I don’t know why they gave me two pork chops, as the one was big enough, and I was expecting one – as pictured on the menu. I ended up eating one of those pork chops as my leftovers – warmed-up in the microwave. They were tasty the second time around !

After my cousin dropped me off at Wichita Falls Regional Airport (#SPS) I walked around their small museum area in the terminal (outside security).

My flight from #SPS to #DFW was packed and uneventful. I had an aisle seat again on the Bombardier CRJ-700 jet. We went up, and then we came back down again. It’s a short flight. Taxiing at both airports combined is actually longer than the inflight time. And taxiing (and waiting) at both airports was unusually longer than normal due to “traffic”. We got in to #DFW about 25 minutes late, and by the time I made it to my connecting gate (as far away as possible from my arriving gate) – we were minutes away from the start of the boarding process !

My flight from #DFW to #TPA was packed and uneventful, and finally – I had a window seat with a view towards the northeast. I got to study the weather and the landscape below. In fact – my window shade was one of only a few that was open. Most of the 200+ were taking a nap in the darkened cabin. I allowed daylight into my row.

There was a little bit of confusion on my part outside #TPA as far as picking up the shuttle back to the hotel where my car was parked, but I eventually figured it out. I’ll get it right the next time.

I got back to my car, and I drove 83.7 miles home. Navigating Tampa after dark can be tricky, as roads are closed due to construction. (Even Google Maps was in the dark about those road closures.) Once I got out to Florida State Road 60 east of downtown – it was smooth-sailing back home along the various dark, narrow, and winding two-lane backroads (with U.S. 17 and US. 27 as the exceptions.). I navigated those mostly secluded roads into the hills like a native.

I got home at 11:09 PM on that Sunday (September 28TH). Another fun-filled family vacation had come to an end. I enjoyed my time in Wichita Falls. I actually like the area more than the Dallas area (where I also have family). Wichita Falls has an amazing freeway system that I am not terrified of. They have a network of connecting freeways for a city and metro area that’s much bigger than they actually are. Much of it was designed and built in the 1950s into the 1960s when the city was growing rapidly (due to the oil industry), and they were anticipating that same growth to continue into the future. Growth actually stopped in the early-1960s when oil refining ended, and in fact the population today is roughly the same as it was in 1960.

I’ve been visiting my family in the Wichita Falls area almost every year since 2013, and I’ll continue to do so. I always enjoy my time together with family.

Next #TravelThursday I’ll review my neighborhood power-walking for this season thus far. I’m off to a great start. Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags DFW, Florida, SPS, Tampa, Texas, TPA, Wichita Falls

Animals Bible Blogging Christian Commerce Driving Food Geography God Nature Radio Scripture Travel

It Starts With A Donkey And A Buffalo

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date October 16, 2025

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. This week it’s Part 3 of my 4-part series on my recent trip to visit family in the Wichita Falls Texas area. That would make this the penultimate edition of this series. (I’ve always liked that word – penultimate.)

It’s the final Saturday morning of September, and we need to check on Reno – our approximate 25-year-old family donkey. He lives in a farm in Clay County about 500 feet away from the Wichita County line. He gets checked on every day. He’s fed (a pile of hay and a carrot), given fresh water, and sometimes even cleaned up a bit. (I actually Goggled “do donkeys like carrots”, and Google’s AI confirmed that “donkeys generally love carrots as a healthy treat”. I can confirm that Reno does indeed love carrots.

After our visit with the donkey we checked-in with the buffalo – as in White Buffalo Coffee Bar. It’s a Veteran-owned franchise with 18 locations in Oklahoma and Texas. We went to the one near Sheppard AFB. I got a hot Pumpkin Spice Latte and a breakfast croissant sandwich. Both were pretty good. My cousin liked her drink and food too. I have a feeling that we’ll be back there on my next visit – especially considering its proximity to the airport (6 minutes away).

Next stop – a wonderful roadside memorial off I-44 northbound – north of Wichita Falls and about 7 miles south of the Oklahoma State Line. It features a 77-foot Cross, 3 smaller crosses, and numerous plaques along a circular sidewalk with Scripture detailing the final days of the life of Christ Jesus. It was constructed from 2023 to 2025. KMOC 89.5 – a local Christian radio station – was behind the memorial.

Next stop – a classic car show at a church. We actually stumbled across this one, and this is a recurring theme on my visits to Wichita Falls. We go on a road-trip (either locally or regionally), and we stumble across a place or an event that we weren’t expecting on our way to another place or event. This was a fun event. I love classic car shows and museums. I love guessing the year each car is from before I check out its display card. I love looking inside the cars – especially at their dashboards.

We also checked out a small portion of the Wichita Bluff Nature Area (off Loop 11).

Later that same day (and the start of my final night) – 5 of us went out to dinner at a place called Firefly. The fellowship with family was wonderful, and the food portions were MASSIVE. I would’ve taken a picture of my dinner plate upon receiving it, but I didn’t want to waste any time. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to eat everything on my plate within an hour. (And I actually couldn’t finish it all.)

Next #TravelThursday starts with dinner leftovers for an early lunch the next day, and it’s my trek through the airports and inflight back home to Florida. Let’s keep traveling together.