Page 19 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2025 - Online Magazine

TRA VEL

What an Awesome Country

WE LIVE IN!

by Barbara Jensen

Editor’s Note: Barbara and her partner Robert traveled the highways of every state in the lower 48, looking for an ideal
place to settle down. After their extensive journey, they chose Lubbock, Texas. This is the first installment in a delightful
series documenting their travels.

Over the years I lived farther west turn to blazing displays of reds,
along the Gulf coast—in Pensacola, oranges, and yellows with deep
Florida, which over the centuries green evergreens scattered among
has been under the governance of them. North Carolina is the “Land
five different countries; and then of Waterfalls” as well, with every
in Mobile, Alabama, which has the little creek racing down the hills, ice
oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the cold sparkling water bouncing over
country. The Monday and Tuesday the rocks, merging into awesome
Robert Barbi and Barbara Jensen of Mardi Gras week are holidays waterfalls with mist rising from
where literally everything is closed, them and a thundering noise that
’m not from around here, but as with parades constantly ambling drowns out even the sounds of the
the saying goes, “I got here as down the streets, people on floats birds. North Carolina has the tallest
Isoon as I could.” tossing Moon Pies and candies to all waterfall east of the Rockies, as well
the celebrants, and street sweepers as the highest mountain east of the
I was born and raised in north bringing up the rear of each parade. Mississippi River.
Florida back in the days before
Disney, when it was the “Old From there I moved to the North
Florida,” with lots of spreading Carolina mountains. These
live oaks draping over the streets, mountains aren’t like the sharp,
dripping with strands of Spanish harsh mountains of the West. The
moss fluttering in the breezes. We Blue Ridge Mountains, part of
were near the Gulf, but we called it the Appalachian Mountain range,
the “coast” (the “beach” was along are warmer and softer. They are
the Atlantic Ocean). Our coast had coated with an array of deciduous
sugar-white sands and blue-green and evergreen trees and shrubs,
water with the best oysters and blue with blooms abundant from
crabs in the country. spring until fall, when the forests

Florida Gulf Coast Whitewater Falls, NC - highest east of Rockies
Suwanee River State Park, Lake City, FL

Lubbock Senior Link 19