Last Day in Texas

Last Day in Texas

We started out with breakfast at Schobel's in Columbus, TX.  I had The Maison which is like the classic Eggs Benedict and was very good.  Wasn't many people there this morning but the food was way better than what we could have had at the Holiday Inn Express.  After breakfast we traveled back to Alleyton, TX to our customer.  They were running with no issues so we said our goodbye's and header to Converse, TX.  They weren't running the system today but had run it yesterday.  They were very happy with the system.  It was nice to end the week with a friendly swing-by to a happy customer.  Our sales rep pulled in just as we were getting ready to leave.  We decided to have lunch at the 54th Street Restaurant & Drafthouse in San Antonio, TX.  I had the All-American Pretzel Burger which was very tasty.  The service was great and so was the atmosphere.  It is a chain but don't let that discourage you from trying it out.  From there we did another swing-by to a plant in Shertz, TX.  They have 2 machines, one is very old and probably due to be replaced and the other hasn't run since 2012.  We recommended some service to the old system and maybe possibly taking the newer, hardly used system to replace it.  From there we headed to the Fairfield Inn & Suites San Antonio/Shertz.  It was a little early but with Platinum status with Marriott I received early check-in.  For dinner we walked across the road to Schlotzsky's.  This is only my 3rd time eating at one but the sandwiches are excellent.

With the extra time I had from our visits, I went into our scheduling to arrange my Minnesota trip.  This will be similar to my Kansas trip but with 2 customers instead of just one.  I will have to leave my house about 2 am to drive up to North Branch, MN for the first service.  I'm usually done and heading to a hotel by noon.  The closest hotel is near the next customer in St. Cloud, MN.  On the following day I'll service my next customer in St. Joseph, MN and upon finishing that will drive directly home.  It does make for 2 long days and a lot of miles on my truck but it's better than having to fly to Seattle where the rest of the team will be.

Tomorrow we get sleep in, just a little.  Our flights aren't until 11:05 am and won't have to head over to the airport until about 9 am.  We're about 15 minutes from the rental car facility.  I'm hoping the trip home goes smoothly which it should.  I'll be getting back just in time for dinner.

Until next time, travel safe!!!

Arrived in San Marcos, TX

     The trip to the airport went smooth.  I didn't get my upgrade to Atlanta but it is times like this that keep us humble plus I was just going to sleep anyway.  I had some time between flights so I stopped into the Sky Club for a bagel, cappuccino and some email.  From Atlanta to San Antonio was first class but it was a fairly old 757.  Watched a movie on my iPhone through the Delta Studio app.  The luggage arrived in a timely manner which doesn't happen too often.  After riding the rental car shuttle over to Avis I needed to check-in at the Preferred counter.  It seems they didn't have the style vehicle I had reserved and offered me a Caravan or a Mustang.  Another perk of status and being an Avis First member allowed me to get a Mustang upgrade at the same price as the reserved vehicle.  So yes, I picked the Mustang.  Although I'm not a fan of them, it is a nice change from the usual cars I end up with.  The problem with the Mustang is that it is difficult to see out the sides and you're looking over the hood to see what's in front of you.  The trunk is actually quite large but the opening can be a challenge.  I've had several upgrades over the years, Mustang, Challenger and the Camaro.  Honestly I must say that I'd pick the Challenger if I had a choice of the three.  It's a sports car but is still practical for the traveling person regarding luggage and in my case tools.

     I checked into the Hampton Inn and Suites in San Marcos.  Conveniently located right off of I-35 with several restaurants and downtown close by.  The room is spacious and the breakfast area is the typical layout that they have changed to over the last year.  The staff at check-in was very friendly and I picked out my two goodies for my status.  The location is great because it is within 3 miles of where we are working.  They have an exercise area and an outdoor pool, although it may seem warm to me coming from 2 deg F to 51 deg F, I'd say the pool is off limits for me anyway.  It is open and looks very clean and may even be heated.

     When looking for restaurants we found that many were closed on Mondays.  This was the case with The Root Cellar Cafe and the Tap Room.  We settled for a little sports bar that seemed to be out of most everything.  They served wing, which they were out of, pizza and sandwiches.  The sandwiches were good but not enough for me to remember the name of the place.  It is located in downtown San Marcos near the Texas University.  If I find the name before the end of the trip, I'll list it.  It was interesting and may be worth at least a stop in once.  The bartender was very personable and friendly.

Well that concludes day one, until tomorrow then....