Gems in Aggieland

You know how it is; you live in a town but don’t see its gems. Let a new person arrive and you discover some surprises. That has been the case as ABN explores College Station on foot.

More than one local mentioned they didn't  realize it is a very walk-able and bicycle friendly city. With the large number of students who choose cycling over driving, bike parking lots like this one can be found throughout the A&M campus.

Of course, not everyone uses a bike parking lot.

Some locals don't know about the multi-use path around the perimeter of the campus.

A&M golf course with Kyle Field in the background from the multi-use trail

Did you (the locals) know you can walk to the campus from almost anywhere in the city entirely on a sidewalk? This delights ABN as she doesn't like to drive (bet you didn't know that, did you.) She took advantage of the sidewalks to stroll over to the MSC (Memorial Student Center) to visit the art galleries. A Rodin exhibit is featured in the J Wayne Stark Gallery.

Unlike the Rodin Museum in Paris where one sees famous sculptures like The Thinker, The Kiss and Gates of Hell, this exhibit is mostly busts of historical folks 

in which multiple originals were made from the sculptor’s first conception in plaster or clay.

Upstairs in the Forsythe Gallery, is a nice exhibit of works by founding members of the influential Taos Society of Artists.

If you do wander over to the MSC, remember to take your hat off before entering.

(No worries if you forget, no doubt an Aggie will tap you on the shoulder and remind you.)

The true gems of College Station are the A&M students who are very much a part of the community.

And this is how the green-ways are kept immaculate.

So what did Captain do while ABN was out exploring?

Repaired a gate,

washed windows,

grilled

and met up with friends for donuts or beer. Main topic of conversation? The Aggies' chances against the powerful Crimson Tide.

Leaving Faculty Club on Thursday evening, we happened upon Aggie Yell Practice.

So, what about the game? (Alabama 33, Texas A&M)14) Can we just move on? 

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Aggies kept the Gamecocks in their coop

with nothing to crow about.

 We found the 12th Man, thousands of them.

While in Columbia for the game, we parked at Sesquicentennial State Park.

This is what ABN saw on her walk through the park (and, no,  she didn't get lost, but Captain tracked her with his phone just in case.)

The Wanderer is now rolling along I 20 toward Texas!

How's the cycling?

Not bad; indeed not bad at all.

Since College Station is a university town it is bicycle friendly with lots of bike lanes and bike paths.

.

The terrain is flat.

It appears to be a large cycling community. We joined a couple hundred other cyclists for the Rotary Charity Bike Ride last week.

Even though there are about 60,000 students on campus, cycling around the campus was not crowded.

One of the many bicycle parking stations around campus.

 The massive 100 year plus Live Oak on campus is a favorite spot for photos.

Seeing the Corps around campus is a site of which we never tire.

We would like to say it is a beautiful place to ride, well..., in addition to the campus, there are a few pretty views.

The Tide is rolling in for tomorrow’s big game. Gig’em Aggies!

Greetings from College Station

Where we will be donning the maroon and white for the next few weeks.

The renovated Kyle Field. So sweet to be there for the win over Mississippi State last weekend. 

Tipsy Tuesday joins The Book Club at Carney's Pub and Grill. And what might the book be?  Wuthering Hops by Emily Brewske.

That's a wrap, Texas style.

On to Aggieland

Since our last post we have wandered across the Mojave Desert of southern California, through the mountains and desert of northern Arizona with a stop at the Petrified National Forest and Painted Dessert. 

(Had to practice restraint to not share the hundreds of photos taken here as it is a spectacular natural wonder.)

As we made our way across the Navajo Nation, over the mountains and through the caverns of New Mexico, we payed heed to the rattlesnake warnings at the rest stops.

Crossing the Rio Grande, driving through the White Sands Missile Range, and over the Sacramento Mountains we found our way to Andrews, Texas where we shared Tipsy Tuesday with good friends.

We meandered through the oil fields and windmill farms of west Texas and through Texas Hill Country on into Aggieland where we will stay put during a stretch of home football games. 

Gig'em Aggies!