This weather is getting a little old, but there are a few highlights. I wandered into the pool room here, and the lone guy in there asked if I wanted to play…beat him three straight! (Full disclosure: He should have beat me the third game, but he scratched on the eight ball.) That night I played cards for more than 3 hours with other campers – lots of fun! The next night I played Bingo; I find that game really boring, and it's not just because I never won.
Yesterday in the constant downpour, I toured with a widow (Colette) I met at the card game who offered to take me around the area. We went to the LaBorde house in Rio Grande City, a restored 1880s mansion, which is now an inn, completely renovated with period furnishings. Next stop was the Los Ebanos Ferry, the last remaining hand-drawn ferry in the country. It crosses the Rio Grande River to Mexico, but is now grounded because of damage. The next very unique experience was visiting a “Ropa” (Spanish for clothing) and it defies description but I’ll give it a shot. It’s in a one-room building about the size of a football field with mounds of clothing as far as the eye can see. These mounds are 6 feet high and higher, and people climb on them searching for what they consider treasures. They’re tossing clothes over their shoulders as they frantically try to find those treasures. Against the walls of the building are huge bales of clothes that haven’t been opened yet. This is where most of the clothes you donate to the Veteran’s Administration, the Lupus Society, etc. end up. I have no interest in ever going back to one, but several people from this RV park go weekly.
The couple parked next to me (Mike and Shirley), who are from Blaine, have been great about inviting me along for shopping trips, and we’ve gone out to lunch a couple days together. We’ve decided to camp together the next couple weeks, in Brownsville for a few days, then back here in Mission for another week. If the weather hasn’t cleared up by then, I might have to start heading west towards Arizona. It’s cool there, but looks dry. It has been raining here nonstop since Tuesday night. Living in a closed-up Class B with 3 wet dogs makes my townhouse seem like a mansion!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
Tying up some loose ends...
I've been reminded that I forgot some information. First, my frig: Turns out, evidently it was all my ignorance. I packed things in there so tightly when I left home that the air couldn't circulate. The freezer was fine, and when I moved food around, so was the frig part. Whew...saved some money there! A few days later, the microwave conked out. That one was the outlet that it plugs into. The GFI button won't stay down and the outlet is mounted high in the back of a cabinet, so it won't be getting fixed during this trip. I bought a heavy-duty extension cord and I'm just it running it across the aisle when I need to use the microwave. Could have been worse...pretty much everything I eat gets nuked!
While I was staying in Brownsville, I took a day trip to Port Isabel to go up in the lighthouse, then made a spur-of-the-moment decision to go across the causeway to So. Padre Island. There's a Mexican Restaurant there that I really like and besides, it gave me a chance to walk the dogs on the beach again. Good food and a long walk to wear it off afterwards!
I also went to the Palm Sabel Bird Sanctuary, but it was a disappointment. Muddy paths, pesky bugs, and very few birds. I walked the path to the Rio Grande River and was amazed how easily illegal immigrants can get into TX. My neighbors here in the RV park went to a different wildlife area yesterday and saw a bunch of Mexicans run out of the woods, jump into two cars, and speed off down the road. There was a Border Patrol car just around the bend that missed the whole thing.
My new next-door neighbors here in Mission are from Blaine, MN and are really nice. They have taken me along a couple times when they've gone shopping, and we went out for lunch yesterday to a small, very "quaint" Mexican restaurant. (Define quaint as something that would never pass Health Department inspections in MN.)
I've made the decision to stay here at the Mission Gardens RV Park for the rest of the month. We had a beautiful, sunny, 70-degree day yesterday, but now we're back to 50s and drizzly weather for the next 5-6 days. I just don't feel like moving when the weather is bad. Only bad thing about this park is no cable and only two channels. When it's rainy, thing s like TV channels get more important!
While I was staying in Brownsville, I took a day trip to Port Isabel to go up in the lighthouse, then made a spur-of-the-moment decision to go across the causeway to So. Padre Island. There's a Mexican Restaurant there that I really like and besides, it gave me a chance to walk the dogs on the beach again. Good food and a long walk to wear it off afterwards!
I also went to the Palm Sabel Bird Sanctuary, but it was a disappointment. Muddy paths, pesky bugs, and very few birds. I walked the path to the Rio Grande River and was amazed how easily illegal immigrants can get into TX. My neighbors here in the RV park went to a different wildlife area yesterday and saw a bunch of Mexicans run out of the woods, jump into two cars, and speed off down the road. There was a Border Patrol car just around the bend that missed the whole thing.
My new next-door neighbors here in Mission are from Blaine, MN and are really nice. They have taken me along a couple times when they've gone shopping, and we went out for lunch yesterday to a small, very "quaint" Mexican restaurant. (Define quaint as something that would never pass Health Department inspections in MN.)
I've made the decision to stay here at the Mission Gardens RV Park for the rest of the month. We had a beautiful, sunny, 70-degree day yesterday, but now we're back to 50s and drizzly weather for the next 5-6 days. I just don't feel like moving when the weather is bad. Only bad thing about this park is no cable and only two channels. When it's rainy, thing s like TV channels get more important!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
The only thing hot about Mexico today was the food...
I arrived at the Mission, TX RV Park on Monday, and haven't hardly got out of the rig since. It rained all the way here from Brownsville, then turned bitterly cold (for Texas) that night. I got up several times during the night those first couple days to run the water through the pump so neither it nor the pipes would freeze. I draped my sleeping bag over Rave and Pacer's kennels so they wouldn't freeze, and cuddled up with Wink under the comforter. Taking the dogs out in the morning was a real treat! I got a kick out of the Mission newspaper yesterday: the weather forecast said, "High 38, Low 38." The really cold weather has passed, but now the rain's moving in again. I'm getting to read a lot and watch lots of TV on the only two channels available. (As though I couldn't do that if I were home!)
I went to the Park's pancake breakfast yesterday and met a very nice lady from Indiana who invited me to join her and her husband on their drive to Mexico today. He had a dentist appointment down there and she welcomed some walking-around company while he was in the chair. We walked around saying "No, thanks" about a thousand times to the vendors, had some coffee and a pastry at the panaceria, then visited one of the many pharmacies. Did you know you can get almost all your drugs without prescription in Mexico? That worked out well for me, since my doctor won't renew one of mine until I visit her again. I bought enough to last me until I get back in MN.
Don't know what's next on my itinerary, but keep checking in !
I went to the Park's pancake breakfast yesterday and met a very nice lady from Indiana who invited me to join her and her husband on their drive to Mexico today. He had a dentist appointment down there and she welcomed some walking-around company while he was in the chair. We walked around saying "No, thanks" about a thousand times to the vendors, had some coffee and a pastry at the panaceria, then visited one of the many pharmacies. Did you know you can get almost all your drugs without prescription in Mexico? That worked out well for me, since my doctor won't renew one of mine until I visit her again. I bought enough to last me until I get back in MN.
Don't know what's next on my itinerary, but keep checking in !
Saturday, January 13, 2007
The Hot and Not-so-Cold of it
January 11-12
It’s been getting warmer outside every day, but unfortunately, so is the temperature inside my refrigerator. It quit working yesterday morning, and I’m not sure what I’m going to do about it. I stopped at an RV Service place, but they said I’ll probably need to replace either the cooling unit or the whole frig. I checked with Leisure Travel about warranty info, and they said I need to go directly to the frig manufacturer. I’m working on that now.
The couple working at the Brownsville RV Park I’m staying at are very nice and let me put all my frozen food in their freezer. I put a couple pans of ice in the frig and that seems to be holding the temp pretty well. The couple works in this park 5 months of the year, then works at another park in MN, north of Rochester another 5 months in the summer. They were so happy to meet another Minnesotan that when I asked for a recommendation for an authentic Mexican restaurant in town, they invited me to join them for dinner. We went to a small but very good place not too far from here and were served by a waitress that spoke VERY little English. She had to go get someone else a couple of times to translate. Tonight there’s a Chili Feed at the park recreation center, and a pancake breakfast tomorrow morning. Just $3 for each! At this rate, who needs a frig?
January 13
I’m still in Brownsville, leaving tomorrow for points west, but not too far west. I have reservations in Mission TX for next Monday through Friday morning. There’s a big Camping World in Mission, so maybe I can get my frig repairs done there. If not, I might buy a small cooler that plugs into the DC power outlet (previously called a cigarette lighter). I won’t be able to carry much food and will have to eat out more. That’s not all bad!
The high today is supposed to be 81 degrees, but it’s raining so it doesn’t feel that warm, just muggy. Right after the rain, the cold weather moves in…high of 40 and low of 33 forecast for Wednesday! An almost 50-degree spread in three days…sounds more like MN.
It’s been getting warmer outside every day, but unfortunately, so is the temperature inside my refrigerator. It quit working yesterday morning, and I’m not sure what I’m going to do about it. I stopped at an RV Service place, but they said I’ll probably need to replace either the cooling unit or the whole frig. I checked with Leisure Travel about warranty info, and they said I need to go directly to the frig manufacturer. I’m working on that now.
The couple working at the Brownsville RV Park I’m staying at are very nice and let me put all my frozen food in their freezer. I put a couple pans of ice in the frig and that seems to be holding the temp pretty well. The couple works in this park 5 months of the year, then works at another park in MN, north of Rochester another 5 months in the summer. They were so happy to meet another Minnesotan that when I asked for a recommendation for an authentic Mexican restaurant in town, they invited me to join them for dinner. We went to a small but very good place not too far from here and were served by a waitress that spoke VERY little English. She had to go get someone else a couple of times to translate. Tonight there’s a Chili Feed at the park recreation center, and a pancake breakfast tomorrow morning. Just $3 for each! At this rate, who needs a frig?
January 13
I’m still in Brownsville, leaving tomorrow for points west, but not too far west. I have reservations in Mission TX for next Monday through Friday morning. There’s a big Camping World in Mission, so maybe I can get my frig repairs done there. If not, I might buy a small cooler that plugs into the DC power outlet (previously called a cigarette lighter). I won’t be able to carry much food and will have to eat out more. That’s not all bad!
The high today is supposed to be 81 degrees, but it’s raining so it doesn’t feel that warm, just muggy. Right after the rain, the cold weather moves in…high of 40 and low of 33 forecast for Wednesday! An almost 50-degree spread in three days…sounds more like MN.
Down the Gulf Coast
January 9-10
After a nice night at the Victoria, TX Wal-Mart, I spent a nice leisurely day driving down to Port Aransas. I spent a couple hours in Rockport, walking the dogs along the fishing wharfs and smelling the wonderful smells coming from the seafood restaurants. (And I don’t even care for seafood!) I went across to Port Aransas on the ferry and found an RV Park just a few blocks from the house of my friends, Sam and Alice. I joined them and Alice’s mother that afternoon for a good homemade dinner before returning to the park and watching my favorite TV shows before going to bed. (I’m really roughing it, aren’t I?)
The next day was the long and unscenic drive down to the Mexican border towns. Check out the map sometime and look at the stretch between Corpus Christi and Harlingen. Except for Kingsville, it’s miles and miles of nothing. There’s a sign south of Kingsville that lets people know there are no fuel stops for 60 miles. I’m staying in Harlingen tonight and going even farther south tomorrow.
After a nice night at the Victoria, TX Wal-Mart, I spent a nice leisurely day driving down to Port Aransas. I spent a couple hours in Rockport, walking the dogs along the fishing wharfs and smelling the wonderful smells coming from the seafood restaurants. (And I don’t even care for seafood!) I went across to Port Aransas on the ferry and found an RV Park just a few blocks from the house of my friends, Sam and Alice. I joined them and Alice’s mother that afternoon for a good homemade dinner before returning to the park and watching my favorite TV shows before going to bed. (I’m really roughing it, aren’t I?)
The next day was the long and unscenic drive down to the Mexican border towns. Check out the map sometime and look at the stretch between Corpus Christi and Harlingen. Except for Kingsville, it’s miles and miles of nothing. There’s a sign south of Kingsville that lets people know there are no fuel stops for 60 miles. I’m staying in Harlingen tonight and going even farther south tomorrow.
Monday, January 8, 2007
The Journey Begins...
With my temporary filling in place, I left home Saturday night at 9:30, drove all night until 6:00 am, drove all day on Sunday, and am now in Waco Texas. It's darn cold in these southern states! I woke up to 25 degrees the last two days, but it's almost 60 here today.However, a cold front is on its way the end of the week, so I'm heading down to the Rio Grande Valley.
Pretty routine trip so far, except for witnessing a bad accident on the freeway in Kansas. About a half-mile ahead of me, a large extended cab pick-up pulling a very long trailer side-swiped a car on his left side, then over-corrected, going out of control and jack-knifing, flipping his trailer and smashing into some trees off to the right of the freeway. By the time I got there, there were cars stopped on both sides of the freeway and people were running all over. After creeping past the scene, I kept going, figuring there were enough witnesses a lot closer than I had been, and I'd be useless at first-aid. Sobering experience, though.
Today in Waco I took a long walk with the dogs along the river walk, then went to the Dr. Pepper Museum. Tonight, I'm planning on staying in Victoria, then going to the gulf tomorrow. The MUTT is still humming along like the quality machine it is. Keep those fingers crossed for me!
Pretty routine trip so far, except for witnessing a bad accident on the freeway in Kansas. About a half-mile ahead of me, a large extended cab pick-up pulling a very long trailer side-swiped a car on his left side, then over-corrected, going out of control and jack-knifing, flipping his trailer and smashing into some trees off to the right of the freeway. By the time I got there, there were cars stopped on both sides of the freeway and people were running all over. After creeping past the scene, I kept going, figuring there were enough witnesses a lot closer than I had been, and I'd be useless at first-aid. Sobering experience, though.
Today in Waco I took a long walk with the dogs along the river walk, then went to the Dr. Pepper Museum. Tonight, I'm planning on staying in Victoria, then going to the gulf tomorrow. The MUTT is still humming along like the quality machine it is. Keep those fingers crossed for me!
Monday, January 1, 2007
Fate takes a "bite" out of my travels!
The New Year is not starting out very well...
This morning while eating my breakfast toast, a chunk of my tooth broke off! This is the tooth I had complained about to the dentist a couple months ago, and he said he couldn't see anything wrong with it. Time for a new dentist? Anyway, in addition to having a very bad toothache and living on oatmeal and warm milk, I'm probably going to have to delay the start of my journey, which I was planning for this Friday (1/5). I don't know if I'll end up with an extraction, a cap, and/or a root canal. Probably a cap, in my very inexpert estimation.
I don't have dental insurance, so this also takes a big bite out of my travel finances. At least I'll be saving on my grocery bill...oatmeal and milk are cheaper than my normal frozen dinners. I had bought a nice big steak yesterday for my New Year's dinner; guess that will be going in the freezer now!
I'm sure everyone will anxiously await more dental news later this week. (;>) Stay tuned for "As the Molar Burns"...
This morning while eating my breakfast toast, a chunk of my tooth broke off! This is the tooth I had complained about to the dentist a couple months ago, and he said he couldn't see anything wrong with it. Time for a new dentist? Anyway, in addition to having a very bad toothache and living on oatmeal and warm milk, I'm probably going to have to delay the start of my journey, which I was planning for this Friday (1/5). I don't know if I'll end up with an extraction, a cap, and/or a root canal. Probably a cap, in my very inexpert estimation.
I don't have dental insurance, so this also takes a big bite out of my travel finances. At least I'll be saving on my grocery bill...oatmeal and milk are cheaper than my normal frozen dinners. I had bought a nice big steak yesterday for my New Year's dinner; guess that will be going in the freezer now!
I'm sure everyone will anxiously await more dental news later this week. (;>) Stay tuned for "As the Molar Burns"...
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