THE BATTLE FOR TEXAS INDEPENDENCE

(MARCH 10, 2018) Today was a pretty short day by design. After yesterdays almost 500 mile day, I decided to sort of take it easy today as I travel to the Houston area from Beaumont. Plus getting to the hotel a little early will give me the opportunity go get some videos and photos edited.

I have been in Texas for less than 24-hours and the one thing that I have found out is the Speed Limit is only a suggestion.  If the speed limit is 70 then people go 90.  Traveling on Interstate 10 is an adventure to say the least.

I go my day started by visiting two cemeteries in the Beaumont area.  My first stop was at Forest Lawn Memorial Park where I visited the graves of J. P. Richardson and Babe Zaharias.

My first stop was at the grave of J. P. Richardson, better known to music fans at "The Big Bopper." Richardson started his music career as a disc jockey in Beaumont, Texas. In May of 1957 he broke the record for continuous on air broadcasting by staying on the air for a total of 5 day, two hours and eight minutes and playing a total of 1821 records.

In 1958, Richardson record his biggest hit, "Chantilly Lace" as "The Big Bopper." The song reached #6 on the charts and stayed in the top 40 for twenty-two weeks.

With the success of "Chantilly Lace" Richardson joined Buddy Holly, and Richie Valen on a dance party tour.  On February 2, 1959, the group played the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. Rather than driving to their next date in Moorhead, Minnesota the group chartered a plane. After finishing their show at the Surf Ballroom, the group boarded the single engine Beechcraft Bonanza on a very cold and snowy night. Five minutes after takeoff, the plane crashed into a cornfield killing all on board.  That day has been called The Day Music Died.

Another famous person is also resting at Forest Lawn. Babe Didrikson Zaharias was probably the first nationally known female athlete. She was a complete athlete, excelling in Basketball, Baseball, Track and Field and Golf. She competed in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, winning two Gold and one Silver Medals in Track and Field.

Zaharias also became a championship golfer winning 10-women's championship. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1957.

Babe Didrikson Zaharias died on September 27, 1956 from complications of cancer.

From Forest Lawn it was a short 30-minute drive across town to Oak Bluff Memorial Park. Resting here is one of the most famous of the singing cowboys. Woodward Maurice Ritter, better known to country music fans as Tex Ritter.  In the 1930's through the 1960's Tex Ritter starred in what was call B-Westerns, where he was often called up to sing.  As a singing cowboy, Tex Ritter starred "Headin' For The Rio Grand," "Trouble in Texas" and the "Utah Trail"

In 1942 he was the first artist signed by the newly formed Capitol Records. While with Capitol, he recorded such hits at "There's a New Moon over My Shoulder," "The Deck of Cards," and his biggest hit "High Noon."

Tex became a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry and was inducted into the Country Music Hall
of Fame in 1964. He is the father of the late actor John Ritter who starred in the TV Series. Three's Company.

Tex Ritter suffered a heart attack in Nashville and died on January 2, 1974.

From Beaumont it was about an hour and a half drive down to La Porte, Texas and the San Jacinto Monument. It was here on April 21, 1836 that Sam Houston led a group of Texan against the Mexican Army led by General Santa Ana. With the battle cry of "Remember The Alamo" and "Remember Goliad", Houston attacked Santa Ana. The entire battle lasted only 18-minutes. As a result the Republic of Texas was born.

Today, the San Jacinto Monument stands on the site of the battle. The monument was constructed between 1936 and 1939. It stands 570-feet tall and is topped with a 220 ton star.  The base of the monument houses a museum where visitors can buy a $6.00 ticket to ride the elevator to the observation deck which is 489-feet above the ground.

Of course I paid the $6 and went to the top where I was treated to a commanding view. Of course the landscape today is quiet a bit difference than when the battle was fought here.  Today, oil refineries and chemical plant surround the monument and the Battleship Texas is anchored in the narrow inlet near by.

I spent a couple of hours here at San Jacinto and made a quick visit to the Battleship.  I didn't pay for the tour of the Battleship as I had toured the Battleship North Carolina a couple of years ago and didn't think the Texas would be much different.

It was early afternoon when I finished up at San Jacinto and with the temperature close to 80 and my GPS Traffic map showing traffic in Houston to be pretty much stop and go, I decided to call it a day and head to the hotel.

Evidently there is a big rodeo and a number of sports tournaments in town this weekend and rooms are in a high demand. But I did find one at the Candlewood Suites just a few miles from San Jacinto and only 2-miles from the Johnson Space Center, where I will visit tomorrow before heading north toward Huntsville.

TODAY'S MILES: 139
TOTAL MILES:     1706