The Ryan RV Express: 11-16MAR10

Thursday, March 18, 2010

11-16MAR10 - Kerrville, TX

After leaving Austin on Thursday morning, 11MAR, we arrived at Dan’s sister Sharon & husband Tim’s in Kerrville, TX, for another our many short family visits before heading onward. Thankfully during this visit we had really good weather. The days were spent playing cards, watching DVDs of a BBC series called Dr Martin, playing cards, eating many good home cooked meals, and in general doing not much of anything.

http://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2010/01/25-31jan10-kerrville-tx-brookshire-tx.html

Sunday morning we all headed into Fredericksburg for breakfast at Old German Bakery. Breakfast was okay, but the real reason to eat there is the fresh baked pastries (ie strudels & streusels). After breakfast the girls went to check out the stores, while the boys headed to the National War of the Pacific Museum to view a special living history demonstration. Dan thinks the museum is one of the best museums in the USA, and he has toured it twice in the last five years. The museum consists of the renovated Nimitz family “steamboat” hotel which contains the life history of Admiral Nimitz; an entire building devoted to the war in the Pacific & Asia (including the Aleutians); and an outdoor recreation of a Pacific Island beach head. As well as a Memorial Courtyard, Japanese peace garden, & monuments to the ten Presidents who served in WWII.

The outdoor area was the stage for re-enactors demonstrating the weapons & discussing the tactics that won the war in the Pacific. Tim & Dan found it fascinating to listen to the presentations of the re-enactors dressed in authentic WWII Marine & Japanese army uniforms. The presentations also included discussions of how the USA changed its tactics to begin winning the battles & eventually turn the tide of war. And than at the end was the piece de resistance; a fifteen minute simulation of a Pacific beach landing including M1s, BARs, sub-machine guns, 50 calibers, Stewart tank, flame thrower, and many, many, flash pot explosions.

http://www.nimitz-museum.org/

For lunch everyone came back together at the Fredericksburg Brewery. Naturally Tim & Dan had to check out the sampler of the current brews being offered.