It was so cold (20 somethig) last night our water hose froze, then our furnace stopped working.
Wish y'all were here..we may head for the lower range of elevations...like Phoenix
Glad we brought cold weather clothes.
Oh, what a night...When does winter go away?
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Day 13 Sunday January 25, 2009
Well, we actually got an early start today! We never unhooked the trailer from the Suburban, so we eliminated 60% of the time eating operations needed to get going. Besides, I told Cathey when she started getting ready, that if we got on the road soon, we could be in New Mexico tonight. What normally takes 45 minutes only took 15 today! We thought we would get breakfast in Alpine but apparently all the breakfast places were on the east end of town because we saw none going west. The next town was about 25 miles and it also had nothing that was open. The next town was Marfa where we found a supermarket (loosely speaking) and bought a few groceries including some breakfast items; but, by this time the Subway down the street had opened and we were able to have sub sandwiches for breakfast. We kept trucking and by noon we were in Van Horn, TX where we hooked up with I-10 again and before long we were going through El Paso and then into New Mexico. We checked in at the first RV Resort we came to, set-up and then went to a late lunch at a wonderful Mexican restaurant in Mesilla. Before we got back we got a call from the RV Resort saying that we had water coming out of our trailer. Fortunately, someone turned off the water but there was still a big puddle under the trailer and water still dripping from numerous places. I went and borrowed a shop-vac from the office but first I had to locate the leak and that took awhile. It happened to be right behind the kitchen stove and the access to that area was through a 4 inch opening covered b a wood board behind the stove. Looking there, I could see water flowing but could not definitively see the leak. So we vacumed up the water and sponged up what we could with towels and then went to do laundry. The facilities here are beautiful so it was a pleasure doing the laundry and we also took advantage of the shower facilities since we were without running water.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Day 12 Saturday January 24, 2009
Overnight the weather took a turn for the worse. We awoke to a temp of 41 with the wind blowing at 20 mph and gusting to 30 mph. Cathey was freezing once we got out of bed and I finally deduced that the LP tank had finally run empty. I am surprised that the 30 pound LP tank lasted this long. We have been using it every night since we got to Louisiana as well as running the furnace at least twice before we left home. I wasn't in any hurry to leave with the wind blowing like it was, so we went out for breakfast and later did a little shopping.
We were west-bound by noon and the wind was still blowing but had diminished from what it had been early in the morning. There is a dam and reservoir (on the Rio Grande) near Del Rio and we crossed one arm of the reservoir on our way out of town. There are a lot of developments started but still a lot of shore area undeveloped. Our first stop was in Langtry, TX which was the home of Judge Roy Bean 'The Law West of the Pecos." There is a Texas Tourist Information station there and right behind it is Judge Roy Bean's Saloon. Cathey was more impressed with the cactus garden that was adjacent to the visitor center and it gave us an opportunity to stretch our legs and learn a little about the desert plants of this region.
Next stop was the Roundhouse Restaurant in Sanderson. US-90 in this area parallels the Southern Pacific RR (which is now part of Union Pacific) so the Roundhouse name actually is a reference to a railroad roundhouse that was located in Sanderson during the days of steam locomotives. Our waitress was Barb, who after asking where we were from and where we were going, told us her story of how she ended up in Sanderson, TX. She had been an ICU nurse in the cardiology department at a hospital in Boise, ID. She said she had enjoyed her work for many years even though it was stressful. She changed her attitude about her work after having one of her co-workers committed to a mental hospital as a result of too much stress. After working successive shifts short handed, she just turned in her resignation and has not looked back. She said what she was giving was more than she was getting out of the job, and she feels a lot healthier now.
Well the Roundhouse had great "Cowboy Chili" and I enjoyed a bowlful, while Cathey tried a big hamburger. It was nearly 5pm before we got out of there so Cathey called a RV place in Alpine and got a reservation there for the night. That was about 75 miles ahead so we got to witness a beautiful desert sunset before we arrived in Alpine. We did an abreviated set-up here - didn't disconnect the hitch from the trailer so we should get a fast start tomorrow.
We were west-bound by noon and the wind was still blowing but had diminished from what it had been early in the morning. There is a dam and reservoir (on the Rio Grande) near Del Rio and we crossed one arm of the reservoir on our way out of town. There are a lot of developments started but still a lot of shore area undeveloped. Our first stop was in Langtry, TX which was the home of Judge Roy Bean 'The Law West of the Pecos." There is a Texas Tourist Information station there and right behind it is Judge Roy Bean's Saloon. Cathey was more impressed with the cactus garden that was adjacent to the visitor center and it gave us an opportunity to stretch our legs and learn a little about the desert plants of this region.
Next stop was the Roundhouse Restaurant in Sanderson. US-90 in this area parallels the Southern Pacific RR (which is now part of Union Pacific) so the Roundhouse name actually is a reference to a railroad roundhouse that was located in Sanderson during the days of steam locomotives. Our waitress was Barb, who after asking where we were from and where we were going, told us her story of how she ended up in Sanderson, TX. She had been an ICU nurse in the cardiology department at a hospital in Boise, ID. She said she had enjoyed her work for many years even though it was stressful. She changed her attitude about her work after having one of her co-workers committed to a mental hospital as a result of too much stress. After working successive shifts short handed, she just turned in her resignation and has not looked back. She said what she was giving was more than she was getting out of the job, and she feels a lot healthier now.
Well the Roundhouse had great "Cowboy Chili" and I enjoyed a bowlful, while Cathey tried a big hamburger. It was nearly 5pm before we got out of there so Cathey called a RV place in Alpine and got a reservation there for the night. That was about 75 miles ahead so we got to witness a beautiful desert sunset before we arrived in Alpine. We did an abreviated set-up here - didn't disconnect the hitch from the trailer so we should get a fast start tomorrow.
Day 11 Friday January 23, 2009
There was a RV parts store about a half mile from the KOA in San Antonio, so I made a quick run over there and picked up a few things. Then we packed up; I think that there must be an RVer's rule about the time it takes to pack up is proportional to the time that you spend in one place. The longer you stay, the more things get pulled out and then have to be stowed again when you are prepping to leave. We hit the road about 11 or slightly after. Getting out of San Antonio was pretty easy, I-10 comes in from the SE and then junctions with I-35 and goes north, but US-90 continues straight and that is the road we were taking to go through the Big Bend country SE of El Paso. Our only stop on the way to Del Rio (today's destination) was in Castroville, TX, where we found a bakery right next to a gas station. Cathey said their products looked like those of a good old fashioned German Bakery in WI. We have noticed that there are some German place names which date back to German immigration in the mid nineteenth century.
Arrived in Del Rio about 4 and had an early supper at a chicken place. With the trailer attached to the Suburban, we can't just stop at any old cafe because we need a big place to park. But stopping at off times helps, and usually stopping in small towns is better than in big towns because there is less traffic to contend with.
No KOA in Del Rio, so we chose the 'Lonesome Dove RV Ranch' for our home tonight. They sure were a friendly bunch, we were invited multiple times to the Friday night Pot-Luck, although we declined since we had already eaten and we were set for some lounging. The temp was over 80 and we had the doors and windows open to the screens until well after dark.
Arrived in Del Rio about 4 and had an early supper at a chicken place. With the trailer attached to the Suburban, we can't just stop at any old cafe because we need a big place to park. But stopping at off times helps, and usually stopping in small towns is better than in big towns because there is less traffic to contend with.
No KOA in Del Rio, so we chose the 'Lonesome Dove RV Ranch' for our home tonight. They sure were a friendly bunch, we were invited multiple times to the Friday night Pot-Luck, although we declined since we had already eaten and we were set for some lounging. The temp was over 80 and we had the doors and windows open to the screens until well after dark.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thursday, Jan 22
Cathey 's Observations
I love reading tony's orderly descriptions, and I appreciate his writing. I have had more trouble with using this little computer, waiting for the slow processing, feeling the weather extremes: icy cold at night and pleasantly warm by day.
In Arizona, I shall be in tune with this little box and this strange keyboard. My recuperation is continuing; I am a slowpoke when it comes to moving, climbing walking, and putting on my shoes and socks!
This trip is inspiring me to continue with my physical therapy exercises.
I love reading tony's orderly descriptions, and I appreciate his writing. I have had more trouble with using this little computer, waiting for the slow processing, feeling the weather extremes: icy cold at night and pleasantly warm by day.
In Arizona, I shall be in tune with this little box and this strange keyboard. My recuperation is continuing; I am a slowpoke when it comes to moving, climbing walking, and putting on my shoes and socks!
This trip is inspiring me to continue with my physical therapy exercises.
Day 10
The night was chilly despite the great daytime temps, although not as cold as it was at night at Lake Conroe. By the time I crawled out of the sack the sun was warming things up and it was scheduled to be an extraordinarily warm day with temps in the low 80s. We decided to take a city bus downtown to see the famous Riverwalk and the Alamo. There was a bus-stop right outside the front gate so getting to the bus was no problem, and we met another couple that were headed downtown and they told us where to get off (the bus). We walked a couple of blocks along the river and found the guided tour boats, so we took the tour. It was a beautiful day to take a leisurly cruise on the San Antonio River. The guide mentioned the 1968 World's Fair that was held in San Antonio, apparently there were many new buildings put up for that event.
The attached picture is Cathey with the St. Anthony statue that was given by Portugal to the city of San Antonio for the 1968 World's Fair. (Looks like I need more practice with the phone camera!)
Day 9
I thought we would get an early start today but by the time we finally rolled out of the KOA it was about 10:30. I had made an online reservation at the KOA in San Antonio so that is our destination for today. Then I got Google to plot the route I wanted (as opposed to the route that the GPS would give us) and plotted it on the TX map. The GPS unit and I are not getting along very well; I find the verbal directions too repetitive and annoying and without the verbal directions the on screen map needs to be adjusted to just the right scope to see the turns coming up. On the other hand it sure is handy when street signs are scarce as they were in LA.
It was a nice drive through the gentle hills from Montgomery to Navisota and then down to I-10. We stopped for lunch at a DQ in Glidden, TX where the cashier commented on Cathey's shirt, that had an imprint on it from Forks, WA. She said "Is there really a place named Forks in Washington?" She was familiar with the town from the Twilight Book Series.
While we were setting up the trailer, our neighbor came home from work. She is just out of college and is working for a federal environmental agency that deals with water distribution. She is happy with her job and location since home is only about two hours south and west at Crystal City, TX. Her specialty is range land management so in a couple of years she hopes to move into a position in another part of the state that deals with range management.
Once we were set-up the welcome duck came to welcome us. I was able to get rid of a few stale crackers and made a feathered friend. Cathey said I shouldn't be feeding junk food to the animals!
It was a nice drive through the gentle hills from Montgomery to Navisota and then down to I-10. We stopped for lunch at a DQ in Glidden, TX where the cashier commented on Cathey's shirt, that had an imprint on it from Forks, WA. She said "Is there really a place named Forks in Washington?" She was familiar with the town from the Twilight Book Series.
While we were setting up the trailer, our neighbor came home from work. She is just out of college and is working for a federal environmental agency that deals with water distribution. She is happy with her job and location since home is only about two hours south and west at Crystal City, TX. Her specialty is range land management so in a couple of years she hopes to move into a position in another part of the state that deals with range management.
Once we were set-up the welcome duck came to welcome us. I was able to get rid of a few stale crackers and made a feathered friend. Cathey said I shouldn't be feeding junk food to the animals!
Day 8
Well, Cathey declared that we had to be somewhere hooked up to cable TV for the Inauguration so I said we would stay here another night before we move again. We had a quiet morning watching TV and doing some computer stuff - I had to create a set-up and move-out procedure checklist per my nuclear training so I don't head off down the highway dragging my sewer hose!
After the Inauguration Party had their lunch we headed to a nearby Mexican restaurant and had a very pleasant lunch ourselves. Later a trip to the local Walmart for a few items and a stop at a do-it-yourself carwash to finally wash off the residue of the land of ice, snow and salt.
Later a walk around the mostly empty trailer court; the place is huge and probably very busy in the warmer season since it is only about a mile away from Lake Conroe. I worked near Conroe in the spring of 1981 but so much has changed that I didn't rcognize anything - of course it was dark when we went through and that didn't help any.
After the Inauguration Party had their lunch we headed to a nearby Mexican restaurant and had a very pleasant lunch ourselves. Later a trip to the local Walmart for a few items and a stop at a do-it-yourself carwash to finally wash off the residue of the land of ice, snow and salt.
Later a walk around the mostly empty trailer court; the place is huge and probably very busy in the warmer season since it is only about a mile away from Lake Conroe. I worked near Conroe in the spring of 1981 but so much has changed that I didn't rcognize anything - of course it was dark when we went through and that didn't help any.
Day 7
The days are going by so fast I can't keep up with the log! Monday we pulled out of the Denham Springs KOA and headed for the Lake Conroe KOA near Montgomery, TX. We had called and make a reservation before we left but, as with all distances it's a lot farther than it was 30 years ago. We stopped at the TX welcome center and enjoyed a walk to keep our legs working, it was a beautiful sunshiney day with the temp hovering around 70. The lady at the welcome center drew a route on the map to avoid Houston, which made sense to me. We headed north from Beaumont then west on TX-105. We stopped in Cleveland, TX and got a take out supper but didn't eat until we got to the KOA and got set-up. I think it was 8:30 before we were all set-up and ready for supper and it was getting kind of chilly too.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Day 6 Sunday January 18, 2009
Todays mission was to get some beignets but alas we are still beignet-less. I searched for beignets near Baton Rouge and came up with a place that was not too far from our campground. The trip there was all back roads although most of the time we were in metro Baton Rouge. When we arrived (per the GPS gadget) there was no coffee place, no bakery, just a Jack-in-the-Box! And we drove through the area three times!
So we drove to Baker and I showed Cathey the area where I used to live, then I had the bright idea to drive to St. Francisville. Now as I remember it, St. Francisville was just a few miles north and west of Baker but today it was more like 30 miles. We looked around the town briefly; it's a very old town, one of the first settlements in LA and has lots of stately old houses. Then we took the ferry across the Mississippi River and back to our campground in Denham Springs. Cathey was unimpressed with the one of the world's largest refineries in Baton Rouge, she said it stunk.
So we drove to Baker and I showed Cathey the area where I used to live, then I had the bright idea to drive to St. Francisville. Now as I remember it, St. Francisville was just a few miles north and west of Baker but today it was more like 30 miles. We looked around the town briefly; it's a very old town, one of the first settlements in LA and has lots of stately old houses. Then we took the ferry across the Mississippi River and back to our campground in Denham Springs. Cathey was unimpressed with the one of the world's largest refineries in Baton Rouge, she said it stunk.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Day 5
We got an earlier start today, mainly because the motel was so nasty that neither of us wanted to stay any longer than necessary. It was a motel with outside access to the rooms, which always makes Cathey nervous; but this one had some special features like a bent door frame that let in the night cold, a heating system that alternated between too cold and too hot, and also a non-latching bathroom door. Cathey was starting to get a bad impression of the South, but things got better today.
We crossed the Mississippi bridge again and went back to Denham Springs on the east side of Baton Rouge and set up our trailer in a nice KOA park. Since this was our first ever setup of this trailer, I don't think we did too bad. We had a nice concrete pad to setup on, so it didn't take long. The big disappointments were the water heater and the coax cable that I forgot to bring - easily resolved with a trip to Target. The water heater is a mystery; it fired up this morning when I first turned it on, but the water never got hot. When we came back in the afternoon, I asked for some assistance from the handyman and he showed me that the reset buttons on the face of the heater needed to be pushed in, and then it fired up again but apparently it turns off again before it has a chance to heatup the water. I keep thinking there is something that I forgot to do but there aren't many controls, only the reset buttons on the outside and the on/off switch on the inside.
So after we got setup we ventured back to Baton Rouge for a fabulous seafood dinner at Ralph and Kacoo's. They are a famous (around here) seafood restaurant chain that has about a half dozen outlets in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and several places in Texas. Ralph and Kacoo's was a favorite dining place for me and the guys I hung out with when I lived here in 1980-81. The food was as great as I remembered and the hushpuppies were even better!
After our dining experience we did some aimless touring of the LSU area and then were going to go up to Baker, where I lived when I was in the area, but missed the road and ultimately ended up back on I-12, conveniently near a Super Target, so we picked up a few things that we needed and headed back to our humble abode.
We crossed the Mississippi bridge again and went back to Denham Springs on the east side of Baton Rouge and set up our trailer in a nice KOA park. Since this was our first ever setup of this trailer, I don't think we did too bad. We had a nice concrete pad to setup on, so it didn't take long. The big disappointments were the water heater and the coax cable that I forgot to bring - easily resolved with a trip to Target. The water heater is a mystery; it fired up this morning when I first turned it on, but the water never got hot. When we came back in the afternoon, I asked for some assistance from the handyman and he showed me that the reset buttons on the face of the heater needed to be pushed in, and then it fired up again but apparently it turns off again before it has a chance to heatup the water. I keep thinking there is something that I forgot to do but there aren't many controls, only the reset buttons on the outside and the on/off switch on the inside.
So after we got setup we ventured back to Baton Rouge for a fabulous seafood dinner at Ralph and Kacoo's. They are a famous (around here) seafood restaurant chain that has about a half dozen outlets in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and several places in Texas. Ralph and Kacoo's was a favorite dining place for me and the guys I hung out with when I lived here in 1980-81. The food was as great as I remembered and the hushpuppies were even better!
After our dining experience we did some aimless touring of the LSU area and then were going to go up to Baker, where I lived when I was in the area, but missed the road and ultimately ended up back on I-12, conveniently near a Super Target, so we picked up a few things that we needed and headed back to our humble abode.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Day 4
Again it was nearly noon when we pulled out; but we have to check on all the political news and make sure the ladies on "The View" are all still there, etc., etc.. At least there are no road conditions to worry about here and only two small sections of construction thus far. It's very pleasant to roll along and notice that there is more and more green although I know that in a month it will be exponetially greener! The length of MS was gently rolling hills and lots of woods. somewhere near the state line with Louisiana it gets flat but we may already have been in LA by then. We spent too much time at the LA welcome station, walking around and enjoying the 45 degree temp. We decided to set up camp at a campground in Port Allen, LA, that's on the west side of the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge. I didn't call ahead and was rewarded with no-room-at-the-inn! The lady there said there is a lot of jobs in the area and they are full of folks that are RVing rather than rent in the area. Well, it's good there are a lot of jobs somewhere!
So we ended up in a motel again, and not a very nice one at that. tomorrow we have to decide if we backtrack to Denham Springs on the east side of Baton Rouge or continue west and do more driving for our day trips to Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Today's lesson: The handiest button on the GPS device is the MUTE button. I am not finding the GPS as useful as I had hoped. I have already found three places that are not programmed into the database. The biggest surprise was that it didn't recognize Hammond, LA - Maybe I have to buy additional software for the little irritant.....
So we ended up in a motel again, and not a very nice one at that. tomorrow we have to decide if we backtrack to Denham Springs on the east side of Baton Rouge or continue west and do more driving for our day trips to Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Today's lesson: The handiest button on the GPS device is the MUTE button. I am not finding the GPS as useful as I had hoped. I have already found three places that are not programmed into the database. The biggest surprise was that it didn't recognize Hammond, LA - Maybe I have to buy additional software for the little irritant.....
Day 3
We are not getting an early start even when it isn't snowing; I think it was nearly 11am when we got on the road again. Before long we found ourselves in the Mississippi flood plain which extended all the way to West Memphis, AR, flat as a pancake with the only variances in elevation being the levies that you cross when crossing a river or stream. We noticed cotton fields for the first time and Cathey wondered what the vines were that cover the fences along the interstate. I suggested kudzu but I'm not sure we are far enough south for that.
South of Memphis, just into Mississippi, we stopped for lunch. Again the main topic of conversation was how cold it was. The temp was about 25, so not too shocking to us but still suprisingly cold for this area.
We made it as far as Jackson, MS where we stopped for the night. Later I decided that stopping near a big city was foolish for us since the congestion limits the area that I have to manuever my trailer and we ended up paying a big city tax on the motel room. Like Waylon and Johnny sang, "We're learning a lesson everyday."
South of Memphis, just into Mississippi, we stopped for lunch. Again the main topic of conversation was how cold it was. The temp was about 25, so not too shocking to us but still suprisingly cold for this area.
We made it as far as Jackson, MS where we stopped for the night. Later I decided that stopping near a big city was foolish for us since the congestion limits the area that I have to manuever my trailer and we ended up paying a big city tax on the motel room. Like Waylon and Johnny sang, "We're learning a lesson everyday."
Day 2
We awoke to find it still snowing and it continued to snow, until we had to vacate the motel at noon. It appeared to be still snowing but weather radar indicated that the precipitation had already passed. At any rate the ground blizzard continued for nearly a hundred miles and we progressed carefully at about 45mph for that entire distance. Near Springfield, IL we stopped for a late lunch and when we got back on the road the sun was out and in a few miles the road got dramatically better and a few miles farther we were suddenly beyond the snow line and the roads were clear and dry. What a joy - I didn't even mind the 20mph cross wind!
We made our way around St Louis around 6pm and I was afraid it was a bad time of day, but I think the I-255 bypass is far enough from the city that traffic was not too bad. We stopped for supper in Herculaneum, MO at a Cracker Barrel restaurant and then made it as far as Cape Girardeau, MO before we stopped for the night.
The cold spell is following us and we still haven't seen a temp greater than 18 degrees. But that is still an improvement over the -9 that it was when we left home.
We made our way around St Louis around 6pm and I was afraid it was a bad time of day, but I think the I-255 bypass is far enough from the city that traffic was not too bad. We stopped for supper in Herculaneum, MO at a Cracker Barrel restaurant and then made it as far as Cape Girardeau, MO before we stopped for the night.
The cold spell is following us and we still haven't seen a temp greater than 18 degrees. But that is still an improvement over the -9 that it was when we left home.
Day 1 - Tuesday January 13
The day dawned with a new layer of snow and additional work for the snow removal crew. With the new snow and wind forecast for the day we decided to make a late start today to let the roads get better or wait until tomorrow. So we continued packing and reviewing what we had already packed - a few things got rejected but not much. After my nap, I saw my favorite pillows wrapped and awaiting placement in the trailer - at that point I realized that today was the day! We finally made our get-away at about 5pm - in time to see a beautiful sunset. First stop was Jim & Kay Piper's in Waldo, WI where we dropped off Cathey's African violets and received a fine supper. We departed the Piper abode at about 7pm and headed south on Hwy 57. There were still slippery spots and only the right lane was mostly clear until we merged with I-43, then the road conditions improved and were very good from Milwaukee to Rochelle, IL. We stopped briefly in Rochelle and when we got back on the road I noticed it was beginning to snow. Before long it was snowing hard and we only continued on to Mendota, IL and found a motel.
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