Hit the Road Jack

View from Davis Mountains State Park

Hey Jack - It’s about time we hit the road again.  It has been a long stretch and I had the hitch itch bad.  We finally got back on the road on beautiful sunny morning in January.  First stop Moriarty. What? Wait – that is only twenty miles away.   We stopped at RV Sales for a fast repair and we were quickly on our way again.  Whew, we got out of there without a new Excel this time.  Next stop Roswell. Oh, well that first day on the road is good one to take it slow and get re-adjusted to life in the BiFF (our name for our Big Fricking Fifth wheel).   Is everything packed away properly and button down securely? Did we bring everything we might possible need for the next 6 months?  Did we bring the dog???  You get the picture. We did an overnight in Roswell and were quickly on our way again the next day a little more relaxed but still adjusting.    Fort Davis, Texas here we come!

Driving through southeast New Mexico and western Texas it was very much evident that the oil industry  was alive and booming.  Oil tankers abound on the roads and oil rigs everywhere on the landscape.  The communities of Carlsbad and Roswell looked quite robust since the last time I drove this way due this new oil boom.  But I have to say the drive from Carlsbad to Pecos, TX is some of the more barren land anywhere!  So if you have to see an oil rig this is the place to do it, cause there ain’t much of anything else to see on the Permian Basin.  Glad to say once you get south of I10 on Highway 17 the landscape does improve greatly.  It is still quiet dry but the addition of mountains and wide open ranges adds character.   Who knew Texas had mountains? 

We stayed in the small town of Fort Davis for the next three days.  The weather was clear and made for some spectacular star gazing.  There is a very nice state park just outside of town with full hook-ups if you come this way.  We did not stay at the park because their site said it was closed for the season but that was not the case as we found out when exploring the area.   They decided to open early.  Oh, well we were already settled in nearby MacMillen RV park. This is off season according to the locals but apparently in the summer this place gets quite bit of tourists due to its’ cooler altitude and the nearby McDonald Observatory.   One night we did a star party at the observatory.  We froze our tushies off but definitely something that should be done.  We were a party of about 50 brave souls but we were told in the summer it would swell to 400.  There is something to be said for visiting places off season.  The stars were magnificent!  It is amazing what the night sky looks like when the air is clear and no city lights.  The star guide speaker had this high powered laser light that easily pointed out the constellations.  Hmm that’s a Pegasus? Sure it is, if you say so. 

We took a few drives to the nearby towns of Alpine and Marfa. No, we did not see the mysterious Marfa orbs.  This is a land that cowboy songs made famous.   I think I see some deer and antelope playing over that way.  We enjoyed the area very much but it was time to head to the even more remote Big Bend National Park.  Oh - don't forget to check out the Fort Davis fort! 

Historic Fort Davis

Spring is in the Air

Old  Cave Entrance

Ahhh!! Kentucky in the spring!  Gentle rolling hills filled with bright greens and flowering trees.  We stayed at a small RV park on the outskirts of Cave City near Mammoth Caves National Park.  This time of year the area was quiet but based on the number of attractions geared towards kids, I suspect the area is busy in the summer.  Jack and I both were here with our parents when we were young so it was fun remembering the area.  We did one of the cave tours one day and just enjoyed the area the next few days taking a few drives just to see what was around.   The weather took a turn for the nasty and we decided to stay put for a few extra days.  It was a quiet and relaxing week.  It has been long time since I saw a proper spring and I enjoyed it very much.   But alas it was time for us to get moving, home was waiting.

Green River crossing 

We did two nights hitched up at Tom Sawyer RV park near Memphis. Only park I have ever seen that offers free washers and dryers.  So I spent a few hours washing clothes and not doing much of anything else except watching the mighty Mississippi.  She was a high and swift this time around,  flood warnings were being issued for later in the week.  (See my earlier post for more about the Memphis area).
   

The next day we stopped just over the eastern Oklahoma border near Checotah.   There is nice KOA even if it is right off I40 exit ramp.  It has a nice nature trail and borders Lake Eufaula.  We have stayed in this area before it makes a good stopping point for us.  We usually just do an overnighter here but decided to stay for two.  I have always been curious about the area so the one day we checked out the town and nearby state park which is on Lake Eufaula.  Lake Eufaula is larger than you might think from only seeing it from I40.  The weather was lousy but the state park is nice and quite large. There are two campgrounds one with full hookups (side by side) and the other with water and electric.  The one with just water and electric is the better of the two with sites being more spaced out and no side by side hookups.  We just might stay at the park next time if we have extra time.

One of the mornings we got a very earlier wake call from our ADT house alarm service!  We told them we were out of town and to send the police to check it out.  Our neighbor met the officers with our house key, they checked over the house and all was well.  Whew! Guess it was false alarm but not sure why it was triggered.

The Big Texan

We left on Tuesday morning with our goal being to make it to Amarillo for the night.  Again, it makes for good stopping point for us.  The Amarillo area is very flat and each time we come here I swear it is even drier and windier than the last time.   We usually stay on the east side at the KOA.  The park is okay but not the prettiest part of town.   We did not unhitch so we called up the BigTexan  (anyone who has ever driven this stretch of I40 knows what I'm talking about).  They offer a free Cadillac limo service, we rode in pure tackiness.  I did not attempt the 72 ounce steak this time but there was one brave soul attempting it while we were dining   The steaks are good and the atmosphere is totally a cliché but a hootin and hollerin good time.

We left Amarillo Wednesday excited and sad at the same time to be on our last leg of the adventure this time around.  The landscape turned familiar. It was good to see it again after being gone for so long.  Wait Wait Wait for it - AhhhaaaChoo! Yup, the allergies are back too!   We stopped in Santa Rosa for lunch at Joseph’s (our tradition when we are on this stretch of I40).  Oh man it was so yummy to eat real New Mexican chile again!    Why is it that last 100 miles is always the longest?  We pulled up our driveway and yup the homestead was still safe and sound and with all our belongings intact!  Adios amigos till next time!

Drive Away Home

Bye Bye Beaches

The winter season is at an end and time for all good snowbirds to drive home.   There is a definite feel that the party is over at TGO (The Great Outdoors RV Resort).  So one fine mid April morning we hitched up and said our goodbyes for the season.  First stop St. Augustine.  So it was only a short ride about 100 miles away, nobody said we had to rush home.  We spent the next 5 days near the beach and soaked up the summer weather knowing the further we headed north the cooler it would get.  I thoroughly enjoyed the RV park where we stayed on the north shore area.  Walking distance from both a river for sunsets and the Atlantic Ocean for sunrise walks.  We were on the less touristy side of St. Augustine but it was close enough to partake of the tourist traps  and history which can be fun if the mood is right.  This was good time of year to visit, all the spring breaks were done and school was not out for summer, so the crowds were light.  Relaxing and beautiful but with enough things to do around the area if so inclined.  

St. Augustine's old city gates 

We headed out on a Friday morning working our way to Kentucky to visit Mammoth Caves.   We did an overnighter on the road.  We actually had chance to visit with my sister Carol and hubby Joe who were also leaving for home from Florida. We happened to stay close enough to their hotel. Nice coincidence!  Ok so we called them told where we stopped for the night and they stopped there too.

The drive the next day was stressful with almost constant traffic.  This stretch on I 75 is always busy due to its proximity to Atlanta.    We decided to stop early and visit the Chattanooga area for a few days.  After seeing billion or so signs for Ruby Falls we just had to stop.  Unfortunately, the weather turned bad and talk about tourist traps!  I think Ruby Falls and Rock City have to be the original tourist traps which defined the meaning of the word hence forth for all time.   And they are expensive!  We opted out and took few nice drives enjoying the spring colors in the area.   Wish the weather was nicer I would have liked to walk along the riverfront area,  the city of Chattanooga did a good job revitalizing the area.  Sorry no pictures of this area.    Next stop Mammoth Caves.

Dinner with a view at Caps!

Winter Hibernation

View out back.

Our gator.

Our final destination for the year was the sunshine state Florida.  We decided to try out one of the snowbird parks and ended purchasing our own little piece of paradise.  Yes, we are living the cliché! We are now official snowbirds! We purchased a lot at a RV resort near Titusville called The Great Outdoors (TGO).  It is geared toward the golfing crowd with its very own golf course plus all the expected amenities including our own little gator in the pond behind us.  We were a little leery at first of all the gators around but they seem to leave everyone alone, still I would not leave a dog unattended.

Canaveral Seashore 

TGO is bordered by the St. Johns Nature Preserve and near the  Canaveral National Seashore and Kennedy Space Center.  I had great time all winter walking and bike riding the trails, using the pools and many fitness classes.  I even caught a glimpse of a bobcat and river otter right on the grounds.   The surrounding area is slightly depressed due to some of the NASA layoffs but it just makes for the area being less crowded than the typical crazy touristy Florida.   We had a great time exploring the area and saw some really beautiful places.  We also get to see rocket launches from the nearby Kennedy Space Center – very cool.  Plus the touristy places are nearby if you are so inclined.  We kept talking about going to Disney World or one of the other parks but never made it to one.

Wetlands nearby TGO

We did take a trip up to South Carolina in the BiFF for the holidays and also a flight home. It is always good to be with family around the holidays even if not exactly on the right calendar day.  Sweet Jean Louise and hubby Matt were gracious dog sitters and even gave Wodi a bath while we were in New Mexico!  Glad we did get to check in on the New Mexico homestead.  We walked into a very very cold house.  Turns out the boiler was having “ issues”.   Jack and our neighbor Dave spent that first cold night jerry rigging the boiler until heater repair man could get there in the morning.  BRRRR!    We were lucky no pipes broke.   A big thank-you to our great neighbors!  It made the return to TGO all the more appreciated after the snowy and cold weather!

It;s Flipper off the side of boat!

Soon after returning to TGO we took another trip down to Naples to visit my brother Paul and wife Bonnie.  It was a mini family reunion with my sister Carol and hubby Joe also coming down from Chicago.  We had a great time taking a boat tour of the Everglades and visiting all the local happy hours.  Fun time but the RV parks down there were so expensive and it was high season and crowded everywhere.  Glad to get back to own spot in TGO. We hunkered down for the next month or so getting to know the Titusville area and meeting some of neighbors and making new friends.

That's Jack!

The family with me in the middle.

Back on the Blog Again

Ok, so after my last post I have been remiss and have some catch up to do.  This is going to be a quite abbreviated account of the last few months.   We left Memphis in early November 2012 and headed down the road to Tupelo hoping to catch up with the Natchez Trace .   Lot’s of Civil War and early Mississippi River history along this way.  The RV park itself was well kept and very close to the Natchez Trace Parkway but the noise was horrible! It was very close to the intersection of two major interstates.  So we looked at some of the Natchez Trace spots nearby and high tailed it out of there lickitty split. 

Next it was on to Vicksburg.  The weather turned cold, drizzly, and dismal plus I spent a day in a doctor’s office for an infection that got the better of me.   Again there is quite of bit of history in this town on the shores of the great Mississippi.  Plus a lot of casinos.  Never did get to see the famous Civil War Cemetery but we did check out the historic courthouse and the waterfront mural.     Wish I could say more but we spent a few days holed up due to the weather and my illness. 

Ahh! sunshine and the shores of the Gulf.  Sunshine makes everything better!  We spent a few days in a tight but well cared for RV park not too far from the Gulf shores in Biloxi.  There are some casinos here as well and signs of devastation from hurricane Katrina is still evident everywhere but I did like this area.  Or was it the sunny and warm weather?  Next stop Florida!

Full Moon Rising

We left Hot Springs on Oct 24^th and headed down I40 towards Memphis.  We detoured to US 70 for a bit due to some construction work per the GPS warning.   I always wonder how accurate these are and if they do really save you time and aggravation.  I also had some misgivings about staying near Memphis, driving through last year was not a pleasant experience.  I was not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling as we exited off for the RV park. I am happy to say I was wrong.  The truck traffic melted away to an empty road and surprisingly rural area where the Tom Sawyer RV Park was located on the banks of the mighty Mississippi.  We had a front row spot on the shores with a view of downtown Memphis in the distance.  We hunkered down for the next week watching the river and enjoying the company of our friends Jim and Liz.    Jack was in heaven sipping some Jack Daniels whiskey, smoking a cigar and watching the barges traverse the river all day and night.   Good friends, good wine and good steaks on the shores of a great river– doesn't get much better than this unless you count the full moon arising.

Graceland

Ok, I just had to see Graceland.  The boys stayed home while the girls visited the home of the King.   Yup, it is everything you would think, total tourist attraction but still fascinating all the same.   Thirty years later and they are still making a buck off this man.   Everything sure looks dated!

One cold and blustery day we headed to downtown Memphis and visited Mud Island.  Enjoyed the monorail ride and museum and the River Walk was pretty cool.  It is a scaled down version of the Mississippi River which you can walk from start to end.  In the summertime, you are allowed to walk in the water and I can just imagine seeing children playing and splashing. We walked around the downtown area and rode the trolley for a buck.  Nice job Memphis!

And of course, no visit to Memphis should be without a visit to Beale Street.   We headed out one night for dinner and blues.  We were a little disappointed with the ribs at Rendezvous, kinda of overcooked but had good time checking out some of clubs even if we were P.O.W.P ( pathetic old white people J).  All in all a good time but at last it was time to move on down the road and say our good byes.  Oh, and if you ever do stay at this park do take a walk around the grounds and look for the naked lady.

Amarillo to Arkansas - Sounds like a Country Song

Back on the word ( and rode) again after spending a week at home.  We spent the time getting the house shut down for winter and doing some vehicle maintenance.  We also got all duded up and did some dancing at the wedding of Howard and Nita.  It’s amazing what a little soap and water and good suit does for a man ;)   First stop the distant and exotic Moriarty, NM which is about 15 miles away from our house for bit of maintenance with the Excel RV dealer.   Okay, so now we are really on our way.  We spent the night in Amarillo, TX.  Just an over night-er, it is a good stopping place on I40.    We had a little incident there filling up the black beauty with diesel, somehow the charge for the person in front of us was also on the receipt. A half an hour later we were given the difference in cash.  Hmmm – so remember to always check your credit card receipts!

Traveling I40 or any interstate has its pros and cons.  They are usually flatter and faster and consequently more boring.   I popped on my head phones and left the driving to Jack.   One day of him talking to a brick wall and the decision was made to take some of the back roads of Oklahoma.   We stopped at Red Rock CanyonState Park the first night.  Jack and I have stayed here before and knew what to expect, it is nice stopping place not too far off I40.    The next day we headed down US 281 zigzagging our way to Robber’s Cave State Park.   I always like driving through the small towns and getting the feel of the places we drive through.    That does not happen travelling on the interstates that have the same chain restaurants and box stores.  No character.  I am not sure when in this country the decision was made that one size fits all.  So if we have the time taking the back roads is my preferred method.  You see interesting things like a giant beaver statue or replicas of the Statue of Liberty.  Dang - where is that camera?  You also have to wonder “who was this person that a road or town was named?”  And don’t forget the opportunity to taste the local cuisine.  Sure sometimes it is not what you expected but every once in awhile you stumble upon something really good.   Like the burgers we found in Stratford at McGees Café.

Hot Springs, AR

Robber’s Cave looks like it would be pretty spot to explore but we picked the wrong time.  They were gearing up for their Fall Festival.  Yikes! We just barely got a spot for the night.  We headed out early the next morning and continued  on  US 270 to Hot Springs, AR.  Very pretty drive!  The hills are rolling and the trees were just starting to turn crimson.   We had some time to kill and decided  to spend 5 days in in the Hot Springs area.  The Hot Springs National Park   located here is basically a row of historic  bath house in town and few scenic drives.  We enjoyed the down time and trees!  We plan on leaving  Oct 24th to meet up with  friends Jim and Liz Arnold fellow Excel RV owners to play Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn on the mighty Mississippi.