Highway run into the midnight sun

Wheels go round and round

You’re on my mind

Circus life under the big top world

We all need the clowns to make us laugh

Journey Faithfully

The Ringling Brothers may have closed in 2007 after 146 years in business, but a three-ring circus started by the Vazquez family from Mexico is celebrating 50 years of making people smile.

According to Jose Alberto Vazquez, a fourth generation performer and the Ringmaster, their circus didn’t leave Mexico. Vazquez just brought the circus to the US.

The performance is comprised of dancing dogs, aerialists and acrobatics. Mexico has banned wild animals in circus, while most of the U.S. has yet to follow suit.

Circo Vazquez performs acrobatics and juggling with Latin flair.

Circo Vazquez performed for over two weeks at the Bronx Terminal Market. This is their last stop for the 10 month, 20+ city tour.

Circo Vazquez entertains people of all ages. The parking lot was packed and I had to move my truck from the street to make room for the onslaught of honking vehicles and uber drivers.

The entourage will be returning to their homebase in Donna, Texas for a much-deserved winter break.

There are three different routes to Southwest Texas. I chose 95 through DC, Charlotte and Atlanta. The drive was smooth and uneventful. Except on the NJ Turnpike, I had two flat tires on the front axle of the trailer.

A state trooper came to my assistance and informed me that only state-approved roadside service were allowed to work on the turnpike. He called for assistance, but when the mechanic informed me that it would be two hours before he could arrive, I decided to look for options.

Despite the trooper telling me to stay put, I decided to limp two miles on the shoulder to the nearest exit. Once off the Turnpike, I could park someplace safer and call around for different shops to get a better price and service. Apparently, the state-approved mechanic was also more expensive, since New Jersey got a big cut.

Thankfully the rest of the journey was more relaxing and uneventful. The only main obstacle was that my tail lights were inoperable (the brake and turn signals worked) which meant I could only drive during the day. And there was some rainfall during the trip, which required me to be extra cautious or pull over.

After five days on the road, I was glad to be in Donna. It was a huge entourage that returned – me been the tail end. Now I could explore Southwest Texas.