I had a great week down in Mission, both with weather and the wonderful people there. The temperatures were in the 80s with lots of sunshine. I partook in most of the park events (pancake breakfast, pizza lunch, style show, coffee and donut morning,) and also got back together with Mike and Shirley for a trip around the area. We visited the Bentsen State Park where we walked our dogs and fortunately, didn’t meet any wild Javelinas. We went to the very small La Lomita Chapel built in the mid-1800s, then spent a fun couple of hours at “PePe’s on the River”, an outside bar/restaurant right on the Rio Grande. A couple Border Patrol officers pulled up to the dock in their boat and had lunch while we were there. I could write a whole entry just on the illegal immigrant problem down here, and maybe will sometime in the future. There are a lot of strong feelings among the residents down in the valley.
I left Mission Gardens on Feb. 21 and headed north. The weather that day in San Antonio (which I went through) got to 89 degrees! I arrived at the Top of the Hill RV Park and met up again with Sally and Ron. We were joined shortly by the other Rally RVers. The first night there, we were rocked throughout the night by incredible winds with gusts of 50 mph! Since we were perched on top of the hill, I was hoping everyone had their parking brakes firmly set! The weather for the most part, though, was very good...sunshine most of the days, and starry nights. There were four Class B vans during most of the rally time, a fifth joined us for one evening, and another for one night, leaving the next morning. We ate, went on a short road trip to Comfort, ate, visited, went to the store and bought more food, ate, and played a hard-fought game of dominoes. It was fun comparing notes on our various rigs and getting some great ideas for updates.
I have really enjoyed meeting a lot of wonderful people on this trip and seeing old friends again. RVing has to be the best way to meet people while traveling. Can you imagine making friends with people you meet in the parking lot of your motel, or walking down of the halls of a hotel? Almost without exception, RVers are friendly, helpful, and generous. Also, walking dogs around a campground initiates a lot of conversations, and is a great ice-breaker.
Ok, I’m off to bed and will be leaving in the morning for more adventures. Catch you later!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
Mission TX keeps callin' me back
I’m back at the Mission campground for the third time, but since it’s been so long since I updated the blog, I’ll try to catch up in chronological order since this will be pretty long. I'll be adding some pictures soon, but wanted to get this posted now.
Feb. 7 Leaving the Valley
After spending a few nice quiet days at Mission Gardens, I said goodbye to all my new friends with promises to renew those friendships next year, then headed north on Hwy 281. The highway changes personality completely between the Rio Grande Valley and the ranch country to the north. Down in the valley there are palm trees in the median, then about 20 miles later mesquite trees start appearing along with the palms. The ratio of palms to mesquite gradually changes in favor of the mesquite for the next 20 miles, then becomes all mesquite. The other interesting thing was the road kill. In Minnesota, we’re used to seeing deer by the side of the road, but down here I’ve seen more dead coyotes than I ever saw deer in the same distance.
Along the way, I saw a caravan of riders on horseback and covered wagons pulled by mules. They were escorted along the highway by state troopers, and were playing and singing cowboy songs. If you travel north from the Valley, you have two possible routes: Hwy 281 or Hwy. 77. If you’re in a hurry, 77 is the best as there are fewer towns and some of those are bypassed. If you have more time, I highly recommend 281. It’s more interesting and has more history and personality. That’s just my opinion, of course.
I wanted to tour the King Ranch, but got there after the last tour of the day had departed. The ranch is 825,000 acres, an area bigger than the state of Rhode Island. Oh well, something to look forward to next year.
I arrived back in Port Aransas and got to take the dogs on one more beach walk. Pacer seems to revert back to her youth when her feet hit the sand, and the rest of us love it, too. After settling in at the County Park by the beach, I was picked up by Sam and Alice and we had a great visit at a local restaurant. That night I slept about 50 yards from the water’s edge and the sound of the surf was constant and LOUD! I woke up several times during the night and thought the noise was coming from a motor somewhere in the RV.
Feb.8 – Feb. 12 Traveling with Sally and Ron
After waking up in the morning to the sound of the surf, I took the ferry across to the mainland and headed north. I stopped again in Rockport and walked the same path along the wharfs that I did on my way south. I took the secondary road along the gulf before finally joining the traffic heading to Houston, where I met up with Sally and Ron at their friends’ house. We spent the night “camping” in the driveway, then headed to the big RV show at the Astrodome. I looked at some of the new RVs, dreaming of what could be and realizing that what already is, is not so bad. We spent that night at a campground in Katy, TX, where I managed to get attacked by chiggers, who decorated my legs with scores of VERY irritating bites. The intense itching lasted for three days, and only Benadryl lotion allowed me to get some sleep. There’s the silver lining for you Minnesotans suffering through the cold and snow: No bugs in the winter!
We traveled the next three days, stopping at several very interesting places, including Cabela’s, Bass Pro, a salsa factory, and a glass-blowing plant. We camped one night in the McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, where we were welcomed at the gate by a herd of deer, who just stood and watched us as we passed by.
During this stage of our journey I received very bad news from home: My daughter Shar’s mother-in-law passed away after a 15-month battle with lung cancer. I wish I could have been home to help the family through this difficult time, but you can never plan for something like this. My thoughts are with all of them, though, and I can’t wait to hug my grandchildren. One doesn’t realize how much those hugs mean until you don’t get them.
Feb. 13 – Feb. 14 In Cowboy Country
I had been told that the Hill Country was different than the Rio Grande Valley in that the Valley is very influenced by its proximity to Mexico and the very large number of Mexicans living and working there. The Hill Country on the other hand is what most Americans think of when they think of Texas. Lots of mesquite, tumbleweeds, and ranches. However, there’s also a large German influence there. We spent an afternoon in Fredericksburg, visiting the Veriens Kirche Museum, a reconstructed hexagon-shaped one-room church built in the mid-1800s, and having lunch at an authentic German restaurant. The food was pretty much what I remember having in Germany. I won’t comment beyond that.
Even though it’s one of those places that you have to experience yourself, I have to try and describe one of our stops – Luckenbach, TX. It’s not really a town…the sign says Population 3, but the locals say there is really only one person still in residence. We didn’t see any houses, though, so I’m not sure where the resident lives. The “town” consists of two buildings (plus a couple outbuildings). One is the dance hall, which was not in use when we were there. It’s one large room with a stage, large dance floor, and lots of wooden tables and benches. The other building really defies description, but I’ve never let that stop me. It’s labeled the Post Office, but hasn’t been one for years. The whole building isn’t more than about 20 feet by 50 feet, divided into two rooms. The front is a haphazard collection of souvenirs…thousands of them from bottle openers to guitars. It’s looked after by a real authentic-looking old cowboy, who told us stories about the town and its history. The back of the building is the bar, but not like any bar you’ve seen elsewhere. The atmosphere is so casual that the bartender walks around with the customers and checks occasionally to see if anyone wants another beer. There is one table, at which the guys with guitars sit while jamming with old CW tunes. Everyone else either stands around or sits on the long benches along the walls. Hanging from the ceiling are hundreds of hats contributed by visitors. We were given permission to spend the night in the parking lot and I awoke the next day to a flock of chickens walking around the van, cats chasing something I thankfully couldn’t see, and absolutely no other people except Sally and Ron. Luckenbach was quite a unique experience and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!
The next day we made the visit to Fredericksburg that I mentioned earlier, then went on to a campground near Bourne (pronounced Bernie). The temperature had been falling all day and the next morning was bitterly cold. (No comments, northerners.) The forecast for the next night was for a low of 28 degrees and the following night 22 degrees. I decided I really needed to go back down to the Valley, since the alternative was to drain my water tanks and blow out the pipes. Also, it was too cold to let the dogs sit outside, and we’d all have cabin fever before long. So I bailed and made the 270-mile trip back to Mission. I’ve renewed those friendships a few months earlier than I thought I would, and it’s nice to be back in the relative warmth. (Even though they’re talking about a possible dip below freezing tonight.)
Well, I’m finally up to date and hope to keep this more current from now on! Either that or not have anything worth reporting for a few days…
Feb. 7 Leaving the Valley
After spending a few nice quiet days at Mission Gardens, I said goodbye to all my new friends with promises to renew those friendships next year, then headed north on Hwy 281. The highway changes personality completely between the Rio Grande Valley and the ranch country to the north. Down in the valley there are palm trees in the median, then about 20 miles later mesquite trees start appearing along with the palms. The ratio of palms to mesquite gradually changes in favor of the mesquite for the next 20 miles, then becomes all mesquite. The other interesting thing was the road kill. In Minnesota, we’re used to seeing deer by the side of the road, but down here I’ve seen more dead coyotes than I ever saw deer in the same distance.
Along the way, I saw a caravan of riders on horseback and covered wagons pulled by mules. They were escorted along the highway by state troopers, and were playing and singing cowboy songs. If you travel north from the Valley, you have two possible routes: Hwy 281 or Hwy. 77. If you’re in a hurry, 77 is the best as there are fewer towns and some of those are bypassed. If you have more time, I highly recommend 281. It’s more interesting and has more history and personality. That’s just my opinion, of course.
I wanted to tour the King Ranch, but got there after the last tour of the day had departed. The ranch is 825,000 acres, an area bigger than the state of Rhode Island. Oh well, something to look forward to next year.
I arrived back in Port Aransas and got to take the dogs on one more beach walk. Pacer seems to revert back to her youth when her feet hit the sand, and the rest of us love it, too. After settling in at the County Park by the beach, I was picked up by Sam and Alice and we had a great visit at a local restaurant. That night I slept about 50 yards from the water’s edge and the sound of the surf was constant and LOUD! I woke up several times during the night and thought the noise was coming from a motor somewhere in the RV.
Feb.8 – Feb. 12 Traveling with Sally and Ron
After waking up in the morning to the sound of the surf, I took the ferry across to the mainland and headed north. I stopped again in Rockport and walked the same path along the wharfs that I did on my way south. I took the secondary road along the gulf before finally joining the traffic heading to Houston, where I met up with Sally and Ron at their friends’ house. We spent the night “camping” in the driveway, then headed to the big RV show at the Astrodome. I looked at some of the new RVs, dreaming of what could be and realizing that what already is, is not so bad. We spent that night at a campground in Katy, TX, where I managed to get attacked by chiggers, who decorated my legs with scores of VERY irritating bites. The intense itching lasted for three days, and only Benadryl lotion allowed me to get some sleep. There’s the silver lining for you Minnesotans suffering through the cold and snow: No bugs in the winter!
We traveled the next three days, stopping at several very interesting places, including Cabela’s, Bass Pro, a salsa factory, and a glass-blowing plant. We camped one night in the McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, where we were welcomed at the gate by a herd of deer, who just stood and watched us as we passed by.
During this stage of our journey I received very bad news from home: My daughter Shar’s mother-in-law passed away after a 15-month battle with lung cancer. I wish I could have been home to help the family through this difficult time, but you can never plan for something like this. My thoughts are with all of them, though, and I can’t wait to hug my grandchildren. One doesn’t realize how much those hugs mean until you don’t get them.
Feb. 13 – Feb. 14 In Cowboy Country
I had been told that the Hill Country was different than the Rio Grande Valley in that the Valley is very influenced by its proximity to Mexico and the very large number of Mexicans living and working there. The Hill Country on the other hand is what most Americans think of when they think of Texas. Lots of mesquite, tumbleweeds, and ranches. However, there’s also a large German influence there. We spent an afternoon in Fredericksburg, visiting the Veriens Kirche Museum, a reconstructed hexagon-shaped one-room church built in the mid-1800s, and having lunch at an authentic German restaurant. The food was pretty much what I remember having in Germany. I won’t comment beyond that.
Even though it’s one of those places that you have to experience yourself, I have to try and describe one of our stops – Luckenbach, TX. It’s not really a town…the sign says Population 3, but the locals say there is really only one person still in residence. We didn’t see any houses, though, so I’m not sure where the resident lives. The “town” consists of two buildings (plus a couple outbuildings). One is the dance hall, which was not in use when we were there. It’s one large room with a stage, large dance floor, and lots of wooden tables and benches. The other building really defies description, but I’ve never let that stop me. It’s labeled the Post Office, but hasn’t been one for years. The whole building isn’t more than about 20 feet by 50 feet, divided into two rooms. The front is a haphazard collection of souvenirs…thousands of them from bottle openers to guitars. It’s looked after by a real authentic-looking old cowboy, who told us stories about the town and its history. The back of the building is the bar, but not like any bar you’ve seen elsewhere. The atmosphere is so casual that the bartender walks around with the customers and checks occasionally to see if anyone wants another beer. There is one table, at which the guys with guitars sit while jamming with old CW tunes. Everyone else either stands around or sits on the long benches along the walls. Hanging from the ceiling are hundreds of hats contributed by visitors. We were given permission to spend the night in the parking lot and I awoke the next day to a flock of chickens walking around the van, cats chasing something I thankfully couldn’t see, and absolutely no other people except Sally and Ron. Luckenbach was quite a unique experience and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!
The next day we made the visit to Fredericksburg that I mentioned earlier, then went on to a campground near Bourne (pronounced Bernie). The temperature had been falling all day and the next morning was bitterly cold. (No comments, northerners.) The forecast for the next night was for a low of 28 degrees and the following night 22 degrees. I decided I really needed to go back down to the Valley, since the alternative was to drain my water tanks and blow out the pipes. Also, it was too cold to let the dogs sit outside, and we’d all have cabin fever before long. So I bailed and made the 270-mile trip back to Mission. I’ve renewed those friendships a few months earlier than I thought I would, and it’s nice to be back in the relative warmth. (Even though they’re talking about a possible dip below freezing tonight.)
Well, I’m finally up to date and hope to keep this more current from now on! Either that or not have anything worth reporting for a few days…
Friday, February 2, 2007
Staying in Spittin' Distance of Mexico
The really cold weather seems to be over (wait until I find some wood to knock on) but the clouds are hanging around. Much better than at home, though! As soon as you get away from the border, it cools down significantly. San Antonio is still having lows in the 30's, so I'm delaying that move north as long as possible. That seems to be next week, when I head to Houston to meet my friends, Sally and Ron. Until then I'll be staying in Mission.
I left here and headed to Brownsville, traveling on the farthest south road in Texas, Highway 281. It's called a highway, but is two narrow lanes all the way. It was much better than taking the expressway, because instead of seeing miles of Wal-Marts, chain restaurants, and strip malls, I got to see some of the real, predominately Mexican Texas. All of their cemetaries are decorated beautifully, with very colorful flowers on every grave, and huge ribbons all along the fence. I'll try to get a picture and post it here. There were a lot of cabbage fields, and sugar cane, which is being harvested right now.
I spent another week in Brownsville at a fantastic RV Park, Winter Haven. Three swimming pools, a big hot tub, and beautiful fountains in the Resacas. Of course, it was too cold to use the pools or hot tubs, but they really did look great! I traveled there with Mike and Shirley who hadn't been down this way before, so we did some touristy sight-seeing in the area. We went to Port Isabel three times, twice on our way to South Padre Island, and once to have dinner at a very good seafood restaurant. We also went to the Gladys Porter Zoo, which is rated as one of the top 10 zoos in the country. It was very nice, except for the exhibit of tarantulas, scorpions, and poisonous snakes. There's a saying that there are 2000 species of poisonous snakes and all of them are found in Texas.
A funny zoo story: Shirley and I were standing looking across a moat at some monkeys, and one of them had a lump on it's chest and some slashes across its back. I said,"Looks like it has a tumor on it," and she said, "I wonder if it had incisions for something." I looked closer and said, "You know, I think its carrying a baby!" Turns out the "tumor" was the baby's head, and the "slashes" were the arms and legs. We were practicaly rolling on the ground laughing!
We went into Nueve Progresso, Mexico on the way back to Mission and all the streets were full of the awful, slippery mud that forms from wet clay. We did have a very good meal at a restaurant the seemed very clean and was really popular with the tourists. It was the best meal I've had since leaving home, and none of us got sick! (Yet...)
Hasta Luego!
I left here and headed to Brownsville, traveling on the farthest south road in Texas, Highway 281. It's called a highway, but is two narrow lanes all the way. It was much better than taking the expressway, because instead of seeing miles of Wal-Marts, chain restaurants, and strip malls, I got to see some of the real, predominately Mexican Texas. All of their cemetaries are decorated beautifully, with very colorful flowers on every grave, and huge ribbons all along the fence. I'll try to get a picture and post it here. There were a lot of cabbage fields, and sugar cane, which is being harvested right now.
I spent another week in Brownsville at a fantastic RV Park, Winter Haven. Three swimming pools, a big hot tub, and beautiful fountains in the Resacas. Of course, it was too cold to use the pools or hot tubs, but they really did look great! I traveled there with Mike and Shirley who hadn't been down this way before, so we did some touristy sight-seeing in the area. We went to Port Isabel three times, twice on our way to South Padre Island, and once to have dinner at a very good seafood restaurant. We also went to the Gladys Porter Zoo, which is rated as one of the top 10 zoos in the country. It was very nice, except for the exhibit of tarantulas, scorpions, and poisonous snakes. There's a saying that there are 2000 species of poisonous snakes and all of them are found in Texas.
A funny zoo story: Shirley and I were standing looking across a moat at some monkeys, and one of them had a lump on it's chest and some slashes across its back. I said,"Looks like it has a tumor on it," and she said, "I wonder if it had incisions for something." I looked closer and said, "You know, I think its carrying a baby!" Turns out the "tumor" was the baby's head, and the "slashes" were the arms and legs. We were practicaly rolling on the ground laughing!
We went into Nueve Progresso, Mexico on the way back to Mission and all the streets were full of the awful, slippery mud that forms from wet clay. We did have a very good meal at a restaurant the seemed very clean and was really popular with the tourists. It was the best meal I've had since leaving home, and none of us got sick! (Yet...)
Hasta Luego!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Rainy Days and Mondays…and Tuesdays…and Wednesdays…
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!
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!
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"...
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
My First Post!
By popular request, I'm setting up this blog to keep friends, relatives, and fellow travelers informed as to my whereabouts, health and monetary situation. (Please send money! ;>) )
I chose the name of my blog because on my first trip, I left home intending to go straight south to LA, then east, eventually arriving in Florida before heading north to Atlanta. My second day, while reading US Today, I saw that major storms had just left TX and moved into LA, and would be continuing across the same southeastern states I was planning on visiting. I changed plans and went to TX for 10 days, then headed east when the weather cleared. It was too late to go to FL by then, so I visited my friend Gayle in Atlanta, then headed home.
Throughout my travels, I've continued to follow the weather maps as well as my spur-of-the-moment whims. That's the beauty of retirement and the RV lifestyle. No schedules, no itineraries, and no stress! (Well, almost no stress...those diesel prices can be hard to take!)
I'm going to be leaving home in early January and will be gone for a couple months, so please join me in my travels!
I chose the name of my blog because on my first trip, I left home intending to go straight south to LA, then east, eventually arriving in Florida before heading north to Atlanta. My second day, while reading US Today, I saw that major storms had just left TX and moved into LA, and would be continuing across the same southeastern states I was planning on visiting. I changed plans and went to TX for 10 days, then headed east when the weather cleared. It was too late to go to FL by then, so I visited my friend Gayle in Atlanta, then headed home.
Throughout my travels, I've continued to follow the weather maps as well as my spur-of-the-moment whims. That's the beauty of retirement and the RV lifestyle. No schedules, no itineraries, and no stress! (Well, almost no stress...those diesel prices can be hard to take!)
I'm going to be leaving home in early January and will be gone for a couple months, so please join me in my travels!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
