Austin, TX

Hi, Chets Creek Kiddos! It's me again, Chet the Bear, World Traveler Extraordinaire, and can you guess where I went this weekend? I boarded this plane right behind me in Jacksonville, Florida and traveled about 1,000 miles from my home at The Creek to the Lone Star State!

Do you know that the Lone Star State is a giant of a state, and the state's motto is friendship? This state leads our nation as the biggest oil producer, produces more beef than any other state, and is the largest cotton producer, too! The Lone Star State also has the largest of all state capital buildings, and I was there to see it! In this picture, you can see me driving right toward the Capitol Building! Have you guessed yet, which state it is that we call the Lone Star State?

That's right, TEXAS! And, not only did I go to Texas, but I went to the state's capital, Austin!

I had a blast! I went to the University of Texas, nicknamed UT, the night their football team, The Texas LongHorns, beat the number one ranked Oklahoma Sooners. And, guess what, their whole tower was lit up orange to celebrate their victory! How cool!

Do you know what else is special about Texas? They have a greater variety of reptiles than any other state! Luckily, I didn't encounter any reptiles, but I sure did see a lot of Longhorns. In fact, I even tried to ride one during my visit to a ranch! Do you see me holding on for dear life? On the ranch, I also saw a road runner and these long horns who were getting ready to eat! I stayed away from them, because I didn't want them to think I was dinner! Yipes.

The 140 acre C-View ranch I visited is 40 miles outside of Austin and you'd never guess who lives next door. Does this Live Strong bracelet give you a clue?

If you guessed Lance Armstrong, 7 time winner of the Tour de France, then you are right! Of course, you know I, Chet, couldn't pass up getting a glance at Lance Armstrong's ranch. I snapped a picture across the rugged terrain of Texas full of rock and dust, and small Oak and Cyprus trees to capture a long distance shot of Lance's ranch. Can you see it in the picture? It sits off to the right on top of the hill. You can see it off in the distance.

Long, long ago, all this land used to be under water. You heard me right, it was part of the ocean floor! But, as the water receded, people began inhabiting the land. They built rock walls around their land many of which you can still see today. I even found a fossilized sea shell on the ground and brought it back to Chets Creek with me! Here is a picture of me holding my fossilized seashell! I can't wait to bring it to school to show you. I bet you can tell from my enthusiasm that the ranch visit was my favorite. So, I thought you might like to see more. Take a look at the slideshow and when you see me at school, let me know if you have ever visited Texas, the Lone Star State.