Missions, family and genealogy research kept us busy in Texas and Oklahoma during April.  We hit the sights and mission trail in San Antonio, lounged on the shores of Lake Livingston and visited Sam Houston sites in Huntsville.  We then visited with a cousin of Ray’s in Palestine whom he had never met before and moved on to Dallas for a while to visit places we skipped in 2000.  Oklahoma meant research into my family history and a long overdue visit with cousins in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.  We had a great time and managed to get additional information on my family from the courthouses, libraries and cemeteries we visited.  Learned more about the Cherokee Strip Oklahoma Land Rush in which my grandparents participated.

Missouri

By mid May we thought the weather was improving enough to move north into Missouri.  We stopped for a week in the Ozark entertainment capital of Branson where we were entertained by Glen Campbell, Andy Williams, the Oak Ridge Boys, the Platters and the down-home folks of the town itself.  Sort of a Las Vegas in the rough.

Next it was time to do some serious Tennison genealogy research, and our efforts were greatly rewarded when we found scads of information on Ray’s ancestors in multiple counties.  We visited courthouses, libraries, genealogical libraries, historical societies, museums and cemeteries.  It was well worth the time spent for what we reaped.  The added benefit was spending a few weeks in rural (and I do mean “rural”) Missouri. 
 

Illinois and Michigan

Our goal when we left California in January was to arrive in Chicago in June for my grammar school reunion. We visited friends in Springfield then continued to the reunion (see photo below).  In our home town of Chicago we did some visiting, and some sightseeing.  Mass at Holy Name Cathedral, a visit to Dinosaur Sue in the Field Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright houses and a boat trip on Lake Michigan were some highlights of our trip.  We visited briefly with old friends who made time in their busy schedules for us.

Next stop a visit with Paul in Michigan and some sightseeing in the Detroit area seeing the motor moguls legacies.  A highlight was a visit with Paul to the research lab where he works and getting a glimpse of how things are developed.  Before continuing into Canada we flew back to California for a ten-day grandchildren, children and friends fix.