Oct 23rd - Fri - Gold Canyon
We went for a bike ride this morning and ended up in a development next door to our RV park. It has manufactured homes but they are finished with stucco & tile roofs so look like regular houses. We stopped at the sales office and got a list of model homes that we could check out. Then the sales lady came by so we nabbed her and had her take us through 4 homes for sale. We are trying to decide if we want to continue only in our 5th wheel or want to have a “home” for part of the year.
Next on to the Mesa Marketplace (swap meet) with a stop for lunch first. We only had time to wander down half the rows before vendors started closing for the day.
Oct 24th - Sat - Gold Canyon
We went earlier to the Mesa Marketplace today and had breakfast there. Eggs, really good potatoes, toast & coffee for $3.00. We finished walking all the rows and bought a few things.
Then more driving to find interesting RV parks but nothing struck our fancy. Back to the park and into the pool - hot again today. I put my toaster oven outside and burned brownies and banana bread before moving inside for the evening.
Oct 25th - Sun - to Mesa
Only had a 25 minute drive this morning to Good Life RV Park in Mesa. The security staff got us a spot and we were set up by 11:00. Our neighbors, Judy & Darrell immediately introduced themselves and when they heard that we were only staying a week suggested we might want to change out minds and stay all winter as this is a very friendly & fun park. And they were right.
After lunch, we went for a bicycle ride around the large park (1100+ sites) and chatted with a couple when we paused to check out their bicycle cover. A quick trip to a grocery store and then it was time for a swim where we talked to some more residents, all of whom thought we might want to stay longer.
Oct 26th - Mon - Mesa
I started the day by joining Judy for water exercises as 8:00. She introduced me as we walked into the pool area and I had someone to talk with during the whole class hour - exercising is just an excuse to visit! But the 92 year old lady leading the class kept us moving the whole time. While I was in the pool, Terry went to the office to register & pay for our stay.
We had banana bread for breakfast and went for another bike ride around the park. Then off to look for a pair of tennis shoes for Terry as half the sole came off his OLD pair yesterday. He hates to shop for shoes! We went to a Famous Footwear (FF) store and immediately found a pair of sandals similar to a pair that bit the dust in Florida and which he loved. But they did not have the right size so after trying on many tennies, we continued on to another FF store which had the sandals. The FF stores have a “buy one, get one ½ off” sale right now. Terry asked it they had a pair of socks so he could try on tennis shoes. The clerk said they only had nylon footies and tried to sell him socks for $10. Anyone who know Terry will understand when he walked out without buying anything.
Next a walk around a large shopping center where nothing was right - except he food court for lunch. So, on to the third FF store (thanks, Wanda) where they did not have the sandals but had a wonderful saleslady. She found the correct size of sandals at another store and then gave Terry a sock so he could try on tennis shoes as well. At the 4th store we got the sandals and a pair of tennis shoes. Only took most of the day!!
Back at the park, our neighbor Judy was talking to another couple who had just arrived so she introduced us and we chatted for a while before settling in for a drink & TV before dinner.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Oct 20th to 22nd - Gold Canyon
Oct 20th - Tues - Gold Canyon
We made a trip to the nearby grocery store for doughnuts this morning. Haven’t done that for a while!
After some computer time & TV, we went for a drive. Checked out a couple of RV parks and ended up at a casino. Luckily we decreased our “allowance” as it didn’t last too long.
For dinner, we went to the good Chinese buffet that we discovered during our last stay in Mesa. It was as good as the first time and we ate too much just as we did before.
Oct 21st - Wed - Gold Canyon
Laundry day. This park uses a card that you load with money rather than quarters for the washers & dryers. We already had a card but you can only use them at the park where you get them (makes sense as the originating park has the money). The card costs $3 - non refundable - which is a pain when you will only be using it one time. So a very nice lady who works in the office ran home to get her card and let us use it. We put more money on it than we needed so gave her the extra instead of throwing the card & any balance in a drawer to possibly never be used again.
After lunch we went looking for a new printer. We have been carrying a large one from our previous life and figured it was time for a more streamlined model with a copy/scan feature as well. Found what we wanted at good ol’ WalMart and got it all set up and tested.
I had put a pork roast & sweet potatoes in the crock pot so just had to add a salad for an easy dinner. We went for a fast bike ride around the park to settle dinner.
Oct 22nd - Thurs - Gold Canyon
Wish the grocery store wasn’t so close as Terry figured we needed doughnuts again for breakfast. We followed them up with another, longer bike ride around the park. Then we drove to check out another housing area. We stopped at the grocery store on the way back to pick up some booze on a rain check. Can’t pass up half gallons of Scoresby for $14.99.
After lunch we got the truck washed and vacuumed it. After letting lunch digest a bit, we went to the pool where we ended up chatting with a lady from Kamloops B.C. Her daughter teaches school in Horse Lake which is really close to 100 Mile House where my sister Marg lives - small world again.
When we stopped at the grocery store we checked the meat department and found a decent price on Porterhouse steaks which Terry cooked on the BBQ. They were excellent so we might have to return to get a couple for the freezer.
We are parked in the short-term area which is almost empty now. Another fifth-wheel pulled in today but parked at the other end from us. Then a HUGE rig parked closer to us. It looks like a class C but with a full size diesel cab. Haven’t met the owners yet.
We made a trip to the nearby grocery store for doughnuts this morning. Haven’t done that for a while!
After some computer time & TV, we went for a drive. Checked out a couple of RV parks and ended up at a casino. Luckily we decreased our “allowance” as it didn’t last too long.
For dinner, we went to the good Chinese buffet that we discovered during our last stay in Mesa. It was as good as the first time and we ate too much just as we did before.
Oct 21st - Wed - Gold Canyon
Laundry day. This park uses a card that you load with money rather than quarters for the washers & dryers. We already had a card but you can only use them at the park where you get them (makes sense as the originating park has the money). The card costs $3 - non refundable - which is a pain when you will only be using it one time. So a very nice lady who works in the office ran home to get her card and let us use it. We put more money on it than we needed so gave her the extra instead of throwing the card & any balance in a drawer to possibly never be used again.
After lunch we went looking for a new printer. We have been carrying a large one from our previous life and figured it was time for a more streamlined model with a copy/scan feature as well. Found what we wanted at good ol’ WalMart and got it all set up and tested.
I had put a pork roast & sweet potatoes in the crock pot so just had to add a salad for an easy dinner. We went for a fast bike ride around the park to settle dinner.
Oct 22nd - Thurs - Gold Canyon
Wish the grocery store wasn’t so close as Terry figured we needed doughnuts again for breakfast. We followed them up with another, longer bike ride around the park. Then we drove to check out another housing area. We stopped at the grocery store on the way back to pick up some booze on a rain check. Can’t pass up half gallons of Scoresby for $14.99.
After lunch we got the truck washed and vacuumed it. After letting lunch digest a bit, we went to the pool where we ended up chatting with a lady from Kamloops B.C. Her daughter teaches school in Horse Lake which is really close to 100 Mile House where my sister Marg lives - small world again.
When we stopped at the grocery store we checked the meat department and found a decent price on Porterhouse steaks which Terry cooked on the BBQ. They were excellent so we might have to return to get a couple for the freezer.
We are parked in the short-term area which is almost empty now. Another fifth-wheel pulled in today but parked at the other end from us. Then a HUGE rig parked closer to us. It looks like a class C but with a full size diesel cab. Haven’t met the owners yet.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Oct 17th to 19th - Tucson to Gold Canyon
Oct 17th - Sat - Tucson
We went to the Tanque Verde flea market this morning. I thought it would be open early but even when we were done at 10:30 there were still vendors setting up. It was VERY hot wandering around and we tended to linger longer in covered sites.
So again we chose to go to a casino to cool off. I think Tucson casinos have seen the last of us for a while! Next to a large mall to look for a comforter for our bed. I am tired of Terry saying that he hates the look of our current bedding. We found exactly what we wanted at Anna‘s - but they did not have it in our size and neither did their other two stores in Tucson. We have driven past the end of the mall several times since we have been here and didn’t even realize it was there.
Back to the RV park to fall in the pool. I also visited the park library to exchange a couple of books. The library is wonderful - totally lined with books, puzzles & magazines. It also has groupings of comfy chairs and a couple of tables for jigsaw puzzles.
Oct 18th - Sun - to Gold Canyon AZ
Arrived at the Canyon Vistas RV Resort (PA) just after 11 and a 2 hour drive. We will be staying here for a week. The office was not open today so the security staff checked us in. We had the truck unhooked and were hooking up electric & water when a security guy came over and said we were supposed to be parked back further and suggested that our sewer hose might not reach since the connection was all the way to the back of the site. So - hook up again and back up a few feet which puts our steps right at the back end of the concrete pad which is towards the front of the large site. I am sure that RV parks are designed by people who have never parked an RV. We still need all 30 feet of our sewer hose to reach the dump.
After lunch, we rode our bikes to check out the park. Very hot weather so next was a visit to the pool where we chatted with some friendly folks. The PA sites here have our door facing west so we pulled the truck up close to the patio so we could get some shade to sit out for a drink and TV.
Oct 19th - Mon - Gold Canyon
Unseasonably warm so had to have the AC on all night and left it on when we got up. I was able to sit outside for coffee since the chairs were in the shade. Went for a drive to find a grocery store and ended up cruising some housing developments first. There are a lot of nice houses here which is only a few miles from the east edge of Mesa. I bought ingredients for a nice breakfast which we enjoyed before riding our bikes to the office to finish registration.
Terry relaxed while I worked on the computer - catching up expenses took most of the time. Then had to head to the pool to cool off again. There was a little breeze so you actually felt cold for a few minutes when you got out of the pool. We did not even sit outside when we got back - just too hot. Terry went out to BBQ steaks and then in for the evening.
We went to the Tanque Verde flea market this morning. I thought it would be open early but even when we were done at 10:30 there were still vendors setting up. It was VERY hot wandering around and we tended to linger longer in covered sites.
So again we chose to go to a casino to cool off. I think Tucson casinos have seen the last of us for a while! Next to a large mall to look for a comforter for our bed. I am tired of Terry saying that he hates the look of our current bedding. We found exactly what we wanted at Anna‘s - but they did not have it in our size and neither did their other two stores in Tucson. We have driven past the end of the mall several times since we have been here and didn’t even realize it was there.
Back to the RV park to fall in the pool. I also visited the park library to exchange a couple of books. The library is wonderful - totally lined with books, puzzles & magazines. It also has groupings of comfy chairs and a couple of tables for jigsaw puzzles.
Oct 18th - Sun - to Gold Canyon AZ
Arrived at the Canyon Vistas RV Resort (PA) just after 11 and a 2 hour drive. We will be staying here for a week. The office was not open today so the security staff checked us in. We had the truck unhooked and were hooking up electric & water when a security guy came over and said we were supposed to be parked back further and suggested that our sewer hose might not reach since the connection was all the way to the back of the site. So - hook up again and back up a few feet which puts our steps right at the back end of the concrete pad which is towards the front of the large site. I am sure that RV parks are designed by people who have never parked an RV. We still need all 30 feet of our sewer hose to reach the dump.
After lunch, we rode our bikes to check out the park. Very hot weather so next was a visit to the pool where we chatted with some friendly folks. The PA sites here have our door facing west so we pulled the truck up close to the patio so we could get some shade to sit out for a drink and TV.
Oct 19th - Mon - Gold Canyon
Unseasonably warm so had to have the AC on all night and left it on when we got up. I was able to sit outside for coffee since the chairs were in the shade. Went for a drive to find a grocery store and ended up cruising some housing developments first. There are a lot of nice houses here which is only a few miles from the east edge of Mesa. I bought ingredients for a nice breakfast which we enjoyed before riding our bikes to the office to finish registration.
Terry relaxed while I worked on the computer - catching up expenses took most of the time. Then had to head to the pool to cool off again. There was a little breeze so you actually felt cold for a few minutes when you got out of the pool. We did not even sit outside when we got back - just too hot. Terry went out to BBQ steaks and then in for the evening.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Oct 14th to 16th - Tucson
Oct 14th - Wed - Tucson
When we checked into the RV park, we received a coupon for one admission to the Desert Museum. We have been there before but had planned to go again so took advantage of the coupon to go this morning. The forecast was for very warm weather so we made sure we had hats, water & sunglasses. We took our time wandering the whole grounds and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a such a wonderful mixture of zoo, gardens, history and minerals.
We made a stop at Camping World for a couple of items and then on to a grocery store where I finally found Yoshida sauce that I have been trying to find for 3 months. Put groceries away, had dinner and finished riding our bikes around all the streets of the park.
Oct 15th - Thurs - Tucson
After breakfast, Terry cleaned the bugs off the front of the 5th wheel while I cooked eggs & potatoes for salad and used up some stale bread for croutons. Then I helped Terry with the cleaning for a while until it was just too hot. We rode our bikes to a hair salon in the park and made an appointment for tomorrow for a haircut for me.
A casino was calling (they are nicely air conditioned!) so that was our next activity. I won a few dollars right away and thought it would be a good day but………not so much! Terry was down to his last shekels when he rallied for a while but eventually gave it all back. Stopped for some necessities (booze!), then home for dinner.
Oct 16th - Fri - Tucson
We spent time this morning picking out some PA parks for the next 5 weeks. We want to check out some different parks & areas before we go to Yuma for a couple of months. Breakfast and then rode our bikes to the office to pick up our forwarded mail.
We continued cleaning the outside of the 5th wheel as the temperature got hotter & hotter. Of course we were working only in the shade but each walk with the bucket to the water tap let me know how hot it was.
I rode my bike to my hair appointment - Terry escorted me and then settled in with a beer in front of the outside TV. Shortly after I got back, we went for a swim - but first rode back to the hair salon to pick up my forgotten sunglasses. The pool was almost too warm to be refreshing.
Back to relax with a drink before dinner.
When we checked into the RV park, we received a coupon for one admission to the Desert Museum. We have been there before but had planned to go again so took advantage of the coupon to go this morning. The forecast was for very warm weather so we made sure we had hats, water & sunglasses. We took our time wandering the whole grounds and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a such a wonderful mixture of zoo, gardens, history and minerals.
We made a stop at Camping World for a couple of items and then on to a grocery store where I finally found Yoshida sauce that I have been trying to find for 3 months. Put groceries away, had dinner and finished riding our bikes around all the streets of the park.
Oct 15th - Thurs - Tucson
After breakfast, Terry cleaned the bugs off the front of the 5th wheel while I cooked eggs & potatoes for salad and used up some stale bread for croutons. Then I helped Terry with the cleaning for a while until it was just too hot. We rode our bikes to a hair salon in the park and made an appointment for tomorrow for a haircut for me.
A casino was calling (they are nicely air conditioned!) so that was our next activity. I won a few dollars right away and thought it would be a good day but………not so much! Terry was down to his last shekels when he rallied for a while but eventually gave it all back. Stopped for some necessities (booze!), then home for dinner.
Oct 16th - Fri - Tucson
We spent time this morning picking out some PA parks for the next 5 weeks. We want to check out some different parks & areas before we go to Yuma for a couple of months. Breakfast and then rode our bikes to the office to pick up our forwarded mail.
We continued cleaning the outside of the 5th wheel as the temperature got hotter & hotter. Of course we were working only in the shade but each walk with the bucket to the water tap let me know how hot it was.
I rode my bike to my hair appointment - Terry escorted me and then settled in with a beer in front of the outside TV. Shortly after I got back, we went for a swim - but first rode back to the hair salon to pick up my forgotten sunglasses. The pool was almost too warm to be refreshing.
Back to relax with a drink before dinner.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Oct 10th to 13th - Albuquerque to Tucson AZ
Oct 10th - Sat - Albuquerque
We, Gary & Karen, Wayne and Mel caught the bus about 6:15 again this morning. There was a huge crowd of people at the balloon park as there was a mass ascension today - some of the special shapes balloons and hundreds of the regular balloons. We set our chairs again where balloon rides were launching. These balloons are huge in order to support up to a dozen riders and the whole row starts inflating and launching to get out of the way before the masses. Incredible!
The “Albuquerque Box” was working this morning. The winds at a lower level were north-to-south. Then the balloons would climb a bit and hit the wind going south-to-north. It was amazing to look up and see balloons traveling in both directions. The sky was filled with balloons as they drifted off to the north.
There were no games after the launch and the lines at the food vendors were huge so we all went back to our sites. We took Gary & Karen and Wayne and headed for a big flea market at the fairgrounds. We stopped at Denney’s for a late breakfast - we had to wait and we were all starving. Wandered around the flea market. We each bought a couple small items but then found the vendors repetitive and headed back.
I worked on my pictures so I could use Karen’s program to put names on the special shape balloons. The guys were all sitting out so Karen, Darlene & Kathleen joined me inside for a little “girl talk” for a change.
Back on the bus for the evening glow program. We were a little late and by the time we got to the balloon grounds, the balloons were deflating due to too much wind. They try to salvage what they can so the pilots did a “candlestick” glow where they fire their burners - minus balloons - in unison. Not too exciting. At least we did not have to wait around too long as the fireworks show started early. Again, it was a first class show. More buses than riders tonight. We chatted with neighbors before calling it a night.
Oct 11th - Sun - to Deming NM
Up at 5:30 again but when Terry stuck his head out the door it was obvious that it was too windy for the final mass ascension this morning. And it was cold! We and Gary & Karen had decided yesterday that we would stay tonight since we would be going to the mass ascension and the price was right - $0. I had got up & dressed and then crawled back into bed to read since Wayne was leaving with his generator. Suddenly Terry came in and said that because it was so cold, everyone was leaving. So we packed up, said our goodbyes to our great new friends and hit the road.
We found a PA park (Little Vineyard) to stay for 2 days. Nice to have electricity, as much water as we want to use and cable TV. I used up some leftovers for lunch before we went to WalMart for groceries.
When we returned we saw a truck & 5th wheel belonging to Lloyd & Pat who were at the balloon fiesta with us but it did not appear that they were home. We put away groceries, relaxed with a drink and then went to the clubhouse to have a hamburger for dinner. The park has started their winter activities and tonight was $3 for a hamburger with all the fixings, chips & dessert.
On the way back to our rig, we knocked on Lloyd & Pat’s door and sat & chatted with them until it was too cold for our shorts & T-shirts.
Oct 12th - Mon - Deming
A “down” day today. After a nice breakfast we went to do laundry as I had to take advantage of 75 cent washers & dryers - and I needed to do laundry. 4 loads and 3 washers but it was a nice day so Terry wandered around while I found some books to read. Terry went back to get a couple of hangers that we left in the laundry room and discovered another laundry room closer to our site that had 7 washers & 7 dryers!
We made a trip into town for milk and found a car wash to get the worst of the crud off the truck. Then Terry boiled baby backs while I worked on email & pictures. We chatted with a couple from Seattle who have been full timing for 10 years and have wintered in this park for 4 years. It does get cold with a freeze sometimes but it is inexpensive - $225 a month plus electricity.
I finally finished putting captions on some pictures and posted 2 more albums to the link on our blog.
Oct 13th - Tues - to Tucson AZ
Headed west to Arizona this morning - about 3 ½ hours to Rincon Country West RV (CCUSA) in Tucson. We stayed here last spring with Claude & Val and wanted a few more days to get the feel of the place to see if we want to stay here longer on another trip.
As Terry was backing into our spot, I heard air hissing by the 5th wheel tires and discovered a nail in our brand new tire. So Terry took it off and went to a tire shop to have it repaired - for $21! He replaced the tire and we hooked up. I had mentioned when Terry returned that we should have requested a north facing site so our rig would provide shade for sitting out. Terry said we were OK but changed his mind, drove to the office and got a new spot. So - unhook, put the slides back in (luckily I had not set up inside) and move across the street. Much better!
Since AZ does not go on daylight savings time, we gained an hour. Due to our tire problem, we did not eat lunch and the banana for breakfast had long disappeared so we ate dinner at 4. Then went for a bike ride around the park. Put in 3.5 miles when my stomach started feeling queasy. Maybe should have waited a bit after dinner as I felt OK after sitting for a while.
We, Gary & Karen, Wayne and Mel caught the bus about 6:15 again this morning. There was a huge crowd of people at the balloon park as there was a mass ascension today - some of the special shapes balloons and hundreds of the regular balloons. We set our chairs again where balloon rides were launching. These balloons are huge in order to support up to a dozen riders and the whole row starts inflating and launching to get out of the way before the masses. Incredible!
The “Albuquerque Box” was working this morning. The winds at a lower level were north-to-south. Then the balloons would climb a bit and hit the wind going south-to-north. It was amazing to look up and see balloons traveling in both directions. The sky was filled with balloons as they drifted off to the north.
There were no games after the launch and the lines at the food vendors were huge so we all went back to our sites. We took Gary & Karen and Wayne and headed for a big flea market at the fairgrounds. We stopped at Denney’s for a late breakfast - we had to wait and we were all starving. Wandered around the flea market. We each bought a couple small items but then found the vendors repetitive and headed back.
I worked on my pictures so I could use Karen’s program to put names on the special shape balloons. The guys were all sitting out so Karen, Darlene & Kathleen joined me inside for a little “girl talk” for a change.
Back on the bus for the evening glow program. We were a little late and by the time we got to the balloon grounds, the balloons were deflating due to too much wind. They try to salvage what they can so the pilots did a “candlestick” glow where they fire their burners - minus balloons - in unison. Not too exciting. At least we did not have to wait around too long as the fireworks show started early. Again, it was a first class show. More buses than riders tonight. We chatted with neighbors before calling it a night.
Oct 11th - Sun - to Deming NM
Up at 5:30 again but when Terry stuck his head out the door it was obvious that it was too windy for the final mass ascension this morning. And it was cold! We and Gary & Karen had decided yesterday that we would stay tonight since we would be going to the mass ascension and the price was right - $0. I had got up & dressed and then crawled back into bed to read since Wayne was leaving with his generator. Suddenly Terry came in and said that because it was so cold, everyone was leaving. So we packed up, said our goodbyes to our great new friends and hit the road.
We found a PA park (Little Vineyard) to stay for 2 days. Nice to have electricity, as much water as we want to use and cable TV. I used up some leftovers for lunch before we went to WalMart for groceries.
When we returned we saw a truck & 5th wheel belonging to Lloyd & Pat who were at the balloon fiesta with us but it did not appear that they were home. We put away groceries, relaxed with a drink and then went to the clubhouse to have a hamburger for dinner. The park has started their winter activities and tonight was $3 for a hamburger with all the fixings, chips & dessert.
On the way back to our rig, we knocked on Lloyd & Pat’s door and sat & chatted with them until it was too cold for our shorts & T-shirts.
Oct 12th - Mon - Deming
A “down” day today. After a nice breakfast we went to do laundry as I had to take advantage of 75 cent washers & dryers - and I needed to do laundry. 4 loads and 3 washers but it was a nice day so Terry wandered around while I found some books to read. Terry went back to get a couple of hangers that we left in the laundry room and discovered another laundry room closer to our site that had 7 washers & 7 dryers!
We made a trip into town for milk and found a car wash to get the worst of the crud off the truck. Then Terry boiled baby backs while I worked on email & pictures. We chatted with a couple from Seattle who have been full timing for 10 years and have wintered in this park for 4 years. It does get cold with a freeze sometimes but it is inexpensive - $225 a month plus electricity.
I finally finished putting captions on some pictures and posted 2 more albums to the link on our blog.
Oct 13th - Tues - to Tucson AZ
Headed west to Arizona this morning - about 3 ½ hours to Rincon Country West RV (CCUSA) in Tucson. We stayed here last spring with Claude & Val and wanted a few more days to get the feel of the place to see if we want to stay here longer on another trip.
As Terry was backing into our spot, I heard air hissing by the 5th wheel tires and discovered a nail in our brand new tire. So Terry took it off and went to a tire shop to have it repaired - for $21! He replaced the tire and we hooked up. I had mentioned when Terry returned that we should have requested a north facing site so our rig would provide shade for sitting out. Terry said we were OK but changed his mind, drove to the office and got a new spot. So - unhook, put the slides back in (luckily I had not set up inside) and move across the street. Much better!
Since AZ does not go on daylight savings time, we gained an hour. Due to our tire problem, we did not eat lunch and the banana for breakfast had long disappeared so we ate dinner at 4. Then went for a bike ride around the park. Put in 3.5 miles when my stomach started feeling queasy. Maybe should have waited a bit after dinner as I felt OK after sitting for a while.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Oct 8th & 9th - Albuquerque
Oct 8th - Thurs - Albuquerque
The winds are generally quieter and more reliable early in the morning so balloons start ascending as soon as it is light - about 6:45. We will be getting up early for a few days!
There are morning events starting as early as 5:45 (we will skip that one!) and evening events starting at 5:45 with not too much going on in between. This results in massive traffic jams 4 times a day as crowds come & go from the fiesta. School buses are provided to shuttle RV residents to the balloon grounds - close to a mile across a major street. This morning we and 3 of our neighbors caught a bus right outside our doors at 6. When we got to the balloon park, Terry & I went to get coffee and we didn’t see them again until we were walking to catch the bus back. But we did bump into 2 other neighbors and spent time with them.
The first event was the special shapes rodeo. 89 “special shape” balloons assembled on the field, inflated their envelopes and ascended in waves. Spectators can walk among the balloons on the field and balloon operators are always looking for crew members for the day. Flight directors called zebras (for their black & white striped clothing) control the launch. Several balloons take off at once and you hardly know where to look. It was very calm so the balloons drifted very slowly across the field and we had lots of time to see them all and take pictures.
Then there were “games” for regular balloons. Pilots take off away from the balloon park, fly to the park and drop markers on a target on the field or try to grab an envelope from the top of a pole. Not too many balloons took part as the winds were not very good to get to the park. Terry and I went to get breakfast and wandered the long row of vendors before we headed back.
Terry worked on the generator and we went to get a spark plug which still didn’t fix the problem. He finally decided to take Wayne up on his offer to use his generator for the rest of our stay. While Terry was busy, I put a casserole together for dinner and baked some brownies. After a very early dinner, we made a quick trip to WalMart for a couple of smaller, inexpensive folding chairs to carry to the fiesta events.
Caught a bus again for the Special Shapes Glowdeo. At 5:45, special shape balloons started inflating but this time they stayed on the ground. We walked around taking pictures. The sun sets about 6:30 and the pilots fire their burners to make the balloons “glow”. It was wonderful. Again, lots of pictures.
But we are not done yet. All the balloons were deflated and packed away and at 8 there was a beautiful fireworks show which we could enjoy in comfort on our new chairs. The first part of the fireworks were typical, but amazing, high flyers. Then there was an incredible “wall” of lower fireworks on another side of the field before the finale at end of the field where they started.
We headed for the bus after the fireworks and discovered a very long line. Terry & I waited for the bus but our neighbors, who would have been way behind us in the line, decided to walk and actually beat us back but not by much. We all sat out for a drink and to rehash the day’s events before calling it a day.
Oct 9th - Fri - Albuquerque
Similar schedule to yesterday. We decided that we didn’t have to go so early so didn’t catch the bus until 6:15! We stuck together this time, set up our chairs and watched the special shapes take off again. We were quite a ways down the field and the wind blew all the balloons right over us. It was just as wonderful the second time. By the time the special shapes were disappearing, the field was cleared and set up for the regular balloons coming in for the “games”. Today the winds were more favorable and there were lots of pilots taking part. We got breakfast & coffee and sat watching the show.
Then we all walked to check out the chain saw carving competition, picked up our chairs and came back to the park. Terry & I went for a bike ride around the park and on a bike path along the road outside the RV parking area. We were going to go to a grocery store, asked our neighbors for directions and ended up having a beer and never going to the store. 2 other neighbors joined us for another drink before we left for the evening glowdeo and fireworks. It was slightly warmer tonight, the fireworks were possibly even more spectacular than last night and extra buses were brought in so we didn’t have to wait long to get back.
Another absolutely wonderful day! It is so cool to be on the bus that gets to use special lanes and watch the traffic gridlock from people driving to the park. Park & ride areas have been set up and continuous lines of buses head in & out to those spots also.
Wayne went to bed and turned off the generator so I better get this posted before the battery runs down on the computer.
The winds are generally quieter and more reliable early in the morning so balloons start ascending as soon as it is light - about 6:45. We will be getting up early for a few days!
There are morning events starting as early as 5:45 (we will skip that one!) and evening events starting at 5:45 with not too much going on in between. This results in massive traffic jams 4 times a day as crowds come & go from the fiesta. School buses are provided to shuttle RV residents to the balloon grounds - close to a mile across a major street. This morning we and 3 of our neighbors caught a bus right outside our doors at 6. When we got to the balloon park, Terry & I went to get coffee and we didn’t see them again until we were walking to catch the bus back. But we did bump into 2 other neighbors and spent time with them.
The first event was the special shapes rodeo. 89 “special shape” balloons assembled on the field, inflated their envelopes and ascended in waves. Spectators can walk among the balloons on the field and balloon operators are always looking for crew members for the day. Flight directors called zebras (for their black & white striped clothing) control the launch. Several balloons take off at once and you hardly know where to look. It was very calm so the balloons drifted very slowly across the field and we had lots of time to see them all and take pictures.
Then there were “games” for regular balloons. Pilots take off away from the balloon park, fly to the park and drop markers on a target on the field or try to grab an envelope from the top of a pole. Not too many balloons took part as the winds were not very good to get to the park. Terry and I went to get breakfast and wandered the long row of vendors before we headed back.
Terry worked on the generator and we went to get a spark plug which still didn’t fix the problem. He finally decided to take Wayne up on his offer to use his generator for the rest of our stay. While Terry was busy, I put a casserole together for dinner and baked some brownies. After a very early dinner, we made a quick trip to WalMart for a couple of smaller, inexpensive folding chairs to carry to the fiesta events.
Caught a bus again for the Special Shapes Glowdeo. At 5:45, special shape balloons started inflating but this time they stayed on the ground. We walked around taking pictures. The sun sets about 6:30 and the pilots fire their burners to make the balloons “glow”. It was wonderful. Again, lots of pictures.
But we are not done yet. All the balloons were deflated and packed away and at 8 there was a beautiful fireworks show which we could enjoy in comfort on our new chairs. The first part of the fireworks were typical, but amazing, high flyers. Then there was an incredible “wall” of lower fireworks on another side of the field before the finale at end of the field where they started.
We headed for the bus after the fireworks and discovered a very long line. Terry & I waited for the bus but our neighbors, who would have been way behind us in the line, decided to walk and actually beat us back but not by much. We all sat out for a drink and to rehash the day’s events before calling it a day.
Oct 9th - Fri - Albuquerque
Similar schedule to yesterday. We decided that we didn’t have to go so early so didn’t catch the bus until 6:15! We stuck together this time, set up our chairs and watched the special shapes take off again. We were quite a ways down the field and the wind blew all the balloons right over us. It was just as wonderful the second time. By the time the special shapes were disappearing, the field was cleared and set up for the regular balloons coming in for the “games”. Today the winds were more favorable and there were lots of pilots taking part. We got breakfast & coffee and sat watching the show.
Then we all walked to check out the chain saw carving competition, picked up our chairs and came back to the park. Terry & I went for a bike ride around the park and on a bike path along the road outside the RV parking area. We were going to go to a grocery store, asked our neighbors for directions and ended up having a beer and never going to the store. 2 other neighbors joined us for another drink before we left for the evening glowdeo and fireworks. It was slightly warmer tonight, the fireworks were possibly even more spectacular than last night and extra buses were brought in so we didn’t have to wait long to get back.
Another absolutely wonderful day! It is so cool to be on the bus that gets to use special lanes and watch the traffic gridlock from people driving to the park. Park & ride areas have been set up and continuous lines of buses head in & out to those spots also.
Wayne went to bed and turned off the generator so I better get this posted before the battery runs down on the computer.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Oct 5th to 7th - to Albuquerque
Oct 5th - Mon - Las Cruces
We pulled up a list on the computer of tire shops in Las Cruces and Terry made many phone calls looking for the right tire for our 5th wheel but had no luck. One store which normally carries the right size said they could not even order one right now as the distributors were out of stock. After breakfast we went sightseeing and kept an eye out for tire shops. When we were nearly back at the RV park, we spotted a small tire shop on the other side of the divided road, made a few turns to get back to it and they actually had 6 of the tires that we needed. We made a quick trip to the park to get the spare and had the new one on in no time. Have to get lucky sometime!!
I did not want to worry about doing laundry next week so did a couple loads. Quite painless as the laundry room was very close to our site and we were able to sit out & watch TV between trips to the laundry room.
Oct 6th - Tues - to Isleta NM
We planned to stop at a PA park in Truth or Consequences (yes, that is the name of a town!) but it appeared to be in the middle of nowhere so kept on driving. Anyone familiar with New Mexico or following our progress on a map will see that we are headed north again and are very close to Albuquerque. That is because we are going to spend 4 days at the Balloon Fiesta starting tomorrow. So we ended up in the Isleta Lakes RV park which is near the Isleta Casino and a very short drive for us tomorrow to the Balloon Fiesta park.
I made a very late lunch (we didn’t want to stop as this park does not accept reservations and they had 4 sites left when we were 1 ½ hours away. Then there were at least 7 sites open when we got here!) and then we made a short trip to fill a propane bottle. Of course we had to visit the casino. Terry blew through his allowance but I got lucky on a bonus so I could give him some more money and bring part of it home. We had a sandwich before heading back to catch DWTS results.
Oct 7th - Wed - to Albuquerque
Wednesday is Seniors’ Day at the casino so we had to make a trip to take advantage of the $2.99 breakfast and $5 in free play on each card. Did not turn the free play into take home money but did use the small amount of points on our cards so breakfast only cost 33 cents! Then we dumped tanks, filled up the fresh water and headed for the Balloon Fiesta park which was about 20 minutes away. We will be dry camping here for 4 days.
Breezed through registration and were escorted to a spot with neighbors already set up on both sides. Set up and then went for a walk. It rained here last night - the evening show was canceled - and some areas are really muddy. Luckily we are on packed gravel. RVs are parked in a huge area so we took a shortcut and then got the bikes and rode around the whole thing. Next a trip to get gas for the generator and had a late lunch. Terry had started the generator before we went to get gas but after we got back and he topped up the gas, it would not start again. He had quite a bit of help but couldn’t get it running. So our neighbor Wayne said “no problem” and plugged our cord into his big generator.
We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening meeting & visiting with really nice neighbors. Wayne is from Minnesota, Gary & Karen are from Cascade Idaho, Mel & Darlene are from Vancouver B.C. and Scott is from Phoenix.
We pulled up a list on the computer of tire shops in Las Cruces and Terry made many phone calls looking for the right tire for our 5th wheel but had no luck. One store which normally carries the right size said they could not even order one right now as the distributors were out of stock. After breakfast we went sightseeing and kept an eye out for tire shops. When we were nearly back at the RV park, we spotted a small tire shop on the other side of the divided road, made a few turns to get back to it and they actually had 6 of the tires that we needed. We made a quick trip to the park to get the spare and had the new one on in no time. Have to get lucky sometime!!
I did not want to worry about doing laundry next week so did a couple loads. Quite painless as the laundry room was very close to our site and we were able to sit out & watch TV between trips to the laundry room.
Oct 6th - Tues - to Isleta NM
We planned to stop at a PA park in Truth or Consequences (yes, that is the name of a town!) but it appeared to be in the middle of nowhere so kept on driving. Anyone familiar with New Mexico or following our progress on a map will see that we are headed north again and are very close to Albuquerque. That is because we are going to spend 4 days at the Balloon Fiesta starting tomorrow. So we ended up in the Isleta Lakes RV park which is near the Isleta Casino and a very short drive for us tomorrow to the Balloon Fiesta park.
I made a very late lunch (we didn’t want to stop as this park does not accept reservations and they had 4 sites left when we were 1 ½ hours away. Then there were at least 7 sites open when we got here!) and then we made a short trip to fill a propane bottle. Of course we had to visit the casino. Terry blew through his allowance but I got lucky on a bonus so I could give him some more money and bring part of it home. We had a sandwich before heading back to catch DWTS results.
Oct 7th - Wed - to Albuquerque
Wednesday is Seniors’ Day at the casino so we had to make a trip to take advantage of the $2.99 breakfast and $5 in free play on each card. Did not turn the free play into take home money but did use the small amount of points on our cards so breakfast only cost 33 cents! Then we dumped tanks, filled up the fresh water and headed for the Balloon Fiesta park which was about 20 minutes away. We will be dry camping here for 4 days.
Breezed through registration and were escorted to a spot with neighbors already set up on both sides. Set up and then went for a walk. It rained here last night - the evening show was canceled - and some areas are really muddy. Luckily we are on packed gravel. RVs are parked in a huge area so we took a shortcut and then got the bikes and rode around the whole thing. Next a trip to get gas for the generator and had a late lunch. Terry had started the generator before we went to get gas but after we got back and he topped up the gas, it would not start again. He had quite a bit of help but couldn’t get it running. So our neighbor Wayne said “no problem” and plugged our cord into his big generator.
We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening meeting & visiting with really nice neighbors. Wayne is from Minnesota, Gary & Karen are from Cascade Idaho, Mel & Darlene are from Vancouver B.C. and Scott is from Phoenix.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Sept 30th to Oct 4th - Carlsbad, Alamogordo,Las Cruces
Sept 30th - Wed - Carlsbad
We decided to stay here another day and take advantage of a low green fee ($12.50) at the municipal course. We need the exercise so set out to walk the course about 9:30. It was already quite warm but there was a breeze so it was perfect. The course was hilly and we enjoyed the first 8 holes. On 9, the green was flooded by sprinkler overuse so we could not finish the hole. We caught up to 3 nice young men on the 10th tee box as they had to wait for the group in front of them. They said we might as well join them as they had been waiting on most holes. When one young man threw his club after a couple of bad shots, we picked up our balls and went on to hole 11 which we played. We teed off on 12 but the approach to the green and the green were being watered by 4 big sprinklers. By this time our enjoyment of the game was totally gone so we decided to bag it. As we walked past the tee box on 13 we saw the fivesome that was causing the slow play as there were no players on the holes ahead of them.
By the time we walked along 13, 14 & 1 to get back to the clubhouse, I was very hot & cranky so didn’t go in to complain - thought I would send an email when I cooled down, physically & mentally. Wrong - no email address on the golf course web site.
Oh well, we did enjoy 8 ½ holes of golf. We found a shady spot at a large park along the Pecos River to enjoy a picnic lunch before heading back to the park to do laundry.
Oct 1st - Thurs - to Alamogordo NM
Just over 3 hours to drive to Alamogordo via Cloudcroft. This is the most direct route from Carlsbad but also the most hilly. Carlsbad is at 3110, Cloudcroft is 8650 feet and Alamogordo is 4600. There are 16 miles of 6 percent grade coming down into Alamogordo. The drive was really nice with trees already changing color at the highest elevations. We are at the Boot Hill RV park (PA) which is new & clean with large sites and very friendly owners.
After setting up & lunch, we headed out to explore. Our first stop was just down the road at a pistachio & wine shop. We walked into the gift store and someone greeted Terry by name. It was Mike who we met briefly when we were walking down the Natural Entrance at Carlsbad. He & his wife Mary (yes, another Mike & Mary couple in our lives!) were waiting for a farm tour so we joined them and learned about pistachio growing & harvesting. The one tidbit that I will pass on is that pistachios naturally split before they are harvested. Also, for Larry Barker, the whole shells are not bio-degradable due to the high oil content. They must be crushed to decompose.
We continued on to White Sands Ntl Monument as did Mike & Mary. Terry & I took a mile loop walk through the dunes and a short loop on a boardwalk where we saw Mike & Mary again. They had a couple of sleds so we said we would join them to watch Mary crash & burn. Mary & I climbed a dune first and rode the round saucers down the sand. They did not go as fast as we thought they would. Then the guys got into the act and we all took a couple more rides and took pictures.
Mike & Mary are staying in Ruidoso and had to drive past our campground so we invited them to stop for a drink. They live in North Carolina and are going from here to Phoenix for a week and then home. We hope to stay in touch and see them sometime in the future.
Oct 2nd - Fri - Alamogordo
After coffee & fresh baked muffins, we headed to Ruidoso for some sightseeing. We followed the “Billy the Kid” scenic byway which is a triangular loop near Ruidoso. It wasn’t as interesting as the brochures sounded. We stopped and wandered through a couple of huge buildings with “antiques & collectibles”. Less junk than usual but I still have to wonder - who buys it all?
Then we went to the Inn of the Mountain Gods casino and hotel which is a beautiful establishment. We were there a couple of years ago but I don’t think we wandered into the hotel lobby which is amazing. There is a 3 story wall of windows, topped with an arched roof, that looks over a lake and a golf course to the mountains beyond. A double set of stairs curve to the lower level and between them is a fountain in a shallow basin made to look like a woven basket. Very impressive.
Before we got to the business of donating some money to pay for all this opulence, we had a late lunch at the buffet which was excellent. They seem to have a slightly smaller selection of items but do each of them very well. The dessert selection was a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Good thing that this meal was also dinner.
Oct 3rd - Sat - Alamogordo
Woke up to rain this morning and then discovered that an Albuquerque TV station broadcasts live for 2 hours in the morning from the Balloon Fiesta which started today. So we stayed in bed, listened to the rain and enjoyed the show!
We wandered over to the office to pay for another day and ended up talking with the owners over a cup of coffee. Then we drove into town and ended up at 3 stores before we found a memory chip for our camera. The one we had was so small that I would run out of space for pictures and I knew I would want to take a lot of pictures at the Balloon Fiesta which we will be going to on the 7th.
Terry had noticed that the spare (used) tire that he had put on the 5th wheel in CA was wearing badly on the inside so he decided to swap it for the new spare. Of course the tire was under the large slide so we had to move stuff and pull the slides in so he could work. Everything went well until his attention wandered and he stripped a nut as he was putting the tire back on. We finished up, put the slides back out and went shopping. We got a couple of nuts but the post was too messed up. This time, Terry went shopping and got a file and a new post. He couldn’t file the stripped post enough so decided to drive tomorrow with one missing nut and work on it again in Las Cruces.
We had an early dinner so we could go listen to a band here at the park at 7. It was a bluegrass group from Roswell. The park has a large pavilion with a stage and seating for events. The band was named Vintage which describes the type of music they prefer. They played for 2 hours with a 5 minute break - very enjoyable.
Oct 4th - Sun - to Las Cruces NM
We took our time leaving this morning (watched balloons on TV again) as the RV park that we selected in Las Cruces has a noon check in time and it was less than 1 ½ hours to drive. Clear & cool this morning with clouds appearing as we got closer to Las Cruces.
We are at Shady Acres RV Park. Huge spaces, and very wide interior roads give a spacious and private feel. Most sites have mature trees for shade.
Before we put out the slides, Terry took off the 5th wheel tire again to find a solution to the stripped lug post. He started to cut off the end with our tiny hacksaw but the blade ended up with no teeth after cutting about 1/8th inch. So he pulled out the bearings so he could remove the stud and see if the one he bought yesterday was OK. Of course it was the wrong size so he took off to find the right one. After several referrals to parts stores he returned with “close but no cigar” on another post. He also bought a decent hacksaw, was able to cut the stripped end and got the nut to start - hooray! By the time everything was back together and Terry was showered and I finished setting up, it was 3 o’clock and time to relax.
We went for a walk around the park before dinner and chatted with the owner who was dragging a contraption on the roads to level the already nearly level gravel. He identified an odor that we noticed when we first arrived and several times after. It smelled like something cooking and sometimes burning. Turns out it was chilies being roasted about ½ mile away. It is not an offensive odor, just different.
I thought I posted my blog yesterday morning but it appears as if I did the entry and then forgot to post. Sorry!
We decided to stay here another day and take advantage of a low green fee ($12.50) at the municipal course. We need the exercise so set out to walk the course about 9:30. It was already quite warm but there was a breeze so it was perfect. The course was hilly and we enjoyed the first 8 holes. On 9, the green was flooded by sprinkler overuse so we could not finish the hole. We caught up to 3 nice young men on the 10th tee box as they had to wait for the group in front of them. They said we might as well join them as they had been waiting on most holes. When one young man threw his club after a couple of bad shots, we picked up our balls and went on to hole 11 which we played. We teed off on 12 but the approach to the green and the green were being watered by 4 big sprinklers. By this time our enjoyment of the game was totally gone so we decided to bag it. As we walked past the tee box on 13 we saw the fivesome that was causing the slow play as there were no players on the holes ahead of them.
By the time we walked along 13, 14 & 1 to get back to the clubhouse, I was very hot & cranky so didn’t go in to complain - thought I would send an email when I cooled down, physically & mentally. Wrong - no email address on the golf course web site.
Oh well, we did enjoy 8 ½ holes of golf. We found a shady spot at a large park along the Pecos River to enjoy a picnic lunch before heading back to the park to do laundry.
Oct 1st - Thurs - to Alamogordo NM
Just over 3 hours to drive to Alamogordo via Cloudcroft. This is the most direct route from Carlsbad but also the most hilly. Carlsbad is at 3110, Cloudcroft is 8650 feet and Alamogordo is 4600. There are 16 miles of 6 percent grade coming down into Alamogordo. The drive was really nice with trees already changing color at the highest elevations. We are at the Boot Hill RV park (PA) which is new & clean with large sites and very friendly owners.
After setting up & lunch, we headed out to explore. Our first stop was just down the road at a pistachio & wine shop. We walked into the gift store and someone greeted Terry by name. It was Mike who we met briefly when we were walking down the Natural Entrance at Carlsbad. He & his wife Mary (yes, another Mike & Mary couple in our lives!) were waiting for a farm tour so we joined them and learned about pistachio growing & harvesting. The one tidbit that I will pass on is that pistachios naturally split before they are harvested. Also, for Larry Barker, the whole shells are not bio-degradable due to the high oil content. They must be crushed to decompose.
We continued on to White Sands Ntl Monument as did Mike & Mary. Terry & I took a mile loop walk through the dunes and a short loop on a boardwalk where we saw Mike & Mary again. They had a couple of sleds so we said we would join them to watch Mary crash & burn. Mary & I climbed a dune first and rode the round saucers down the sand. They did not go as fast as we thought they would. Then the guys got into the act and we all took a couple more rides and took pictures.
Mike & Mary are staying in Ruidoso and had to drive past our campground so we invited them to stop for a drink. They live in North Carolina and are going from here to Phoenix for a week and then home. We hope to stay in touch and see them sometime in the future.
Oct 2nd - Fri - Alamogordo
After coffee & fresh baked muffins, we headed to Ruidoso for some sightseeing. We followed the “Billy the Kid” scenic byway which is a triangular loop near Ruidoso. It wasn’t as interesting as the brochures sounded. We stopped and wandered through a couple of huge buildings with “antiques & collectibles”. Less junk than usual but I still have to wonder - who buys it all?
Then we went to the Inn of the Mountain Gods casino and hotel which is a beautiful establishment. We were there a couple of years ago but I don’t think we wandered into the hotel lobby which is amazing. There is a 3 story wall of windows, topped with an arched roof, that looks over a lake and a golf course to the mountains beyond. A double set of stairs curve to the lower level and between them is a fountain in a shallow basin made to look like a woven basket. Very impressive.
Before we got to the business of donating some money to pay for all this opulence, we had a late lunch at the buffet which was excellent. They seem to have a slightly smaller selection of items but do each of them very well. The dessert selection was a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Good thing that this meal was also dinner.
Oct 3rd - Sat - Alamogordo
Woke up to rain this morning and then discovered that an Albuquerque TV station broadcasts live for 2 hours in the morning from the Balloon Fiesta which started today. So we stayed in bed, listened to the rain and enjoyed the show!
We wandered over to the office to pay for another day and ended up talking with the owners over a cup of coffee. Then we drove into town and ended up at 3 stores before we found a memory chip for our camera. The one we had was so small that I would run out of space for pictures and I knew I would want to take a lot of pictures at the Balloon Fiesta which we will be going to on the 7th.
Terry had noticed that the spare (used) tire that he had put on the 5th wheel in CA was wearing badly on the inside so he decided to swap it for the new spare. Of course the tire was under the large slide so we had to move stuff and pull the slides in so he could work. Everything went well until his attention wandered and he stripped a nut as he was putting the tire back on. We finished up, put the slides back out and went shopping. We got a couple of nuts but the post was too messed up. This time, Terry went shopping and got a file and a new post. He couldn’t file the stripped post enough so decided to drive tomorrow with one missing nut and work on it again in Las Cruces.
We had an early dinner so we could go listen to a band here at the park at 7. It was a bluegrass group from Roswell. The park has a large pavilion with a stage and seating for events. The band was named Vintage which describes the type of music they prefer. They played for 2 hours with a 5 minute break - very enjoyable.
Oct 4th - Sun - to Las Cruces NM
We took our time leaving this morning (watched balloons on TV again) as the RV park that we selected in Las Cruces has a noon check in time and it was less than 1 ½ hours to drive. Clear & cool this morning with clouds appearing as we got closer to Las Cruces.
We are at Shady Acres RV Park. Huge spaces, and very wide interior roads give a spacious and private feel. Most sites have mature trees for shade.
Before we put out the slides, Terry took off the 5th wheel tire again to find a solution to the stripped lug post. He started to cut off the end with our tiny hacksaw but the blade ended up with no teeth after cutting about 1/8th inch. So he pulled out the bearings so he could remove the stud and see if the one he bought yesterday was OK. Of course it was the wrong size so he took off to find the right one. After several referrals to parts stores he returned with “close but no cigar” on another post. He also bought a decent hacksaw, was able to cut the stripped end and got the nut to start - hooray! By the time everything was back together and Terry was showered and I finished setting up, it was 3 o’clock and time to relax.
We went for a walk around the park before dinner and chatted with the owner who was dragging a contraption on the roads to level the already nearly level gravel. He identified an odor that we noticed when we first arrived and several times after. It smelled like something cooking and sometimes burning. Turns out it was chilies being roasted about ½ mile away. It is not an offensive odor, just different.
I thought I posted my blog yesterday morning but it appears as if I did the entry and then forgot to post. Sorry!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sept 27th to 29th - Hobbs to Carlsbad NM
Sept 27th - Sun - Hobbs
Our neighbor was cooking chili this morning so I went over to see how she did it. Texas Bull Red chili has no beans - “If you know beans about chili, you know it has no beans” - and this is what everyone was making. A bit later we talked to another couple who both cooked for the competition. She got first yesterday and he got second - and they use the same recipe. When they cook chili, they do not taste it - she said she would not know which spice to adjust - and they rarely eat chili. They freeze the amount not needed for judging and give it away. Very interesting group of people.
They all pulled out of the RV parking so there was only the caretaker, us and one other rig left. We had taken a drive into town and found nearly the entire town shut down as it is Sunday. We checked out the golf course but decided that since it was 92 degrees at 11 am that it might be pretty warm for golf. So we ended up back at the casino again and did not do very well.
Sept 28th - Mon - to Carlsbad NM
Woke up at 6 to a howling wind that got us out of bed to close vents & windows. Needed 3 or 4 hands to open a storage door and get something inside.
Another short drive - just over an hour - to Carlsbad and the Carlsbad RV Park which is a PA park. Lots of room but it started filling up shortly after we set up. We went for a drive to get lunch and some groceries. Relaxed for a while and then went to Carlsbad Caverns to watch the evening bat flight program at 6. It was amazing. A ranger was giving a talk when a buzzing noise signaled the start of the bat flight. He stopped immediately as the bats started pouring out of the cave. They made one loop - gain altitude? get into formation? - and headed out in great clouds. It took about 20 minutes for the flow to slow to a trickle.
A few tidbits about the bats. Each evening, they fly to as high as 10,000 feet (starting at 4,000 at the cave) to eat cotton ball worm moths, fly to the Pecos River for a drink and return to the cave. Nursing mothers do this up to 3 times a night! The estimate is between 200,000 and 400,000 bats making the trip. Mind boggling!
Got back in time for a late dinner and DWTS.
Sept 29th - Tues - Carlsbad
Headed back to the caverns this morning. From where we are staying, it is 20 miles on the highway and then 6 ½ miles on a windy road in the park. We got tickets for the King’s Palace guided tour which gave us ½ hour to hang around before meeting at 9:45 for the 10 o’clock tour. There are 4 stops on this 1 mile tour and the guide used each one to tell us information about the caves - geology, biology, formations, discovery, etc. A fairly long blackout period was included - not just turn the lights off for a minute.
The tour finished at 11:45 so we took the elevator back up and had some lunch. Then we walked down the Natural Entrance which we had not done a couple of years ago when we were here. If anyone is going to visit the caverns for the first time, be sure to walk down instead of taking the elevator as I could pull out all the superlatives - amazing, wonderful, awesome, incredible - for this part of the experience. The start of the entrance is the cave where the bats emerge and the trail starts winding from there. The trail is 1.25 miles and is almost all steep, switchback trails as you drop 800 feet in 1 mile. In some places you can look down and see many loops of the trail but it is too dark to get a picture. Only if the elevators quit working would I walk back up that trail!
We decided to check out “The Big Room” again so added another 1.25 miles to our walks for the day. On our prior trip, flash photography was not allowed but was this time so I took quite a few pictures, probably duplicating some dark ones I already have.
Had plenty of time to sit out and watch TV when we got back. As we were barbequing dinner, we started talking to a couple who were walking by. They have been full timing for just over a year so we had lots to talk about. After dinner we went for a walk in the park and saw water shooting up about 4 feet above a big motor home that had just pulled in. They had somehow broken a water pipe so Terry found someone who knew where the owner lived and went to get help. The owner was pretty laid back, announced the eruption of “Old Faithful” and said his brother would be right there to find the shutoff.
Our neighbor was cooking chili this morning so I went over to see how she did it. Texas Bull Red chili has no beans - “If you know beans about chili, you know it has no beans” - and this is what everyone was making. A bit later we talked to another couple who both cooked for the competition. She got first yesterday and he got second - and they use the same recipe. When they cook chili, they do not taste it - she said she would not know which spice to adjust - and they rarely eat chili. They freeze the amount not needed for judging and give it away. Very interesting group of people.
They all pulled out of the RV parking so there was only the caretaker, us and one other rig left. We had taken a drive into town and found nearly the entire town shut down as it is Sunday. We checked out the golf course but decided that since it was 92 degrees at 11 am that it might be pretty warm for golf. So we ended up back at the casino again and did not do very well.
Sept 28th - Mon - to Carlsbad NM
Woke up at 6 to a howling wind that got us out of bed to close vents & windows. Needed 3 or 4 hands to open a storage door and get something inside.
Another short drive - just over an hour - to Carlsbad and the Carlsbad RV Park which is a PA park. Lots of room but it started filling up shortly after we set up. We went for a drive to get lunch and some groceries. Relaxed for a while and then went to Carlsbad Caverns to watch the evening bat flight program at 6. It was amazing. A ranger was giving a talk when a buzzing noise signaled the start of the bat flight. He stopped immediately as the bats started pouring out of the cave. They made one loop - gain altitude? get into formation? - and headed out in great clouds. It took about 20 minutes for the flow to slow to a trickle.
A few tidbits about the bats. Each evening, they fly to as high as 10,000 feet (starting at 4,000 at the cave) to eat cotton ball worm moths, fly to the Pecos River for a drink and return to the cave. Nursing mothers do this up to 3 times a night! The estimate is between 200,000 and 400,000 bats making the trip. Mind boggling!
Got back in time for a late dinner and DWTS.
Sept 29th - Tues - Carlsbad
Headed back to the caverns this morning. From where we are staying, it is 20 miles on the highway and then 6 ½ miles on a windy road in the park. We got tickets for the King’s Palace guided tour which gave us ½ hour to hang around before meeting at 9:45 for the 10 o’clock tour. There are 4 stops on this 1 mile tour and the guide used each one to tell us information about the caves - geology, biology, formations, discovery, etc. A fairly long blackout period was included - not just turn the lights off for a minute.
The tour finished at 11:45 so we took the elevator back up and had some lunch. Then we walked down the Natural Entrance which we had not done a couple of years ago when we were here. If anyone is going to visit the caverns for the first time, be sure to walk down instead of taking the elevator as I could pull out all the superlatives - amazing, wonderful, awesome, incredible - for this part of the experience. The start of the entrance is the cave where the bats emerge and the trail starts winding from there. The trail is 1.25 miles and is almost all steep, switchback trails as you drop 800 feet in 1 mile. In some places you can look down and see many loops of the trail but it is too dark to get a picture. Only if the elevators quit working would I walk back up that trail!
We decided to check out “The Big Room” again so added another 1.25 miles to our walks for the day. On our prior trip, flash photography was not allowed but was this time so I took quite a few pictures, probably duplicating some dark ones I already have.
Had plenty of time to sit out and watch TV when we got back. As we were barbequing dinner, we started talking to a couple who were walking by. They have been full timing for just over a year so we had lots to talk about. After dinner we went for a walk in the park and saw water shooting up about 4 feet above a big motor home that had just pulled in. They had somehow broken a water pipe so Terry found someone who knew where the owner lived and went to get help. The owner was pretty laid back, announced the eruption of “Old Faithful” and said his brother would be right there to find the shutoff.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sept 24th to 26th - Roswell & Hobbs NM
Sept 24th - Thurs - Roswell
A rare day when we did not leave the campground. Did a load of laundry before having a nice breakfast. Finally made one decision for the winter and got a reservation at the Cocopah RV & Golf Resort in Yuma for December and January. Then I got to work on a project that I have been putting off. The kitchen sink has a metal trim on the rim of the sink and the paint has been chipping. We bought the supplies some time ago so I masked it all off, sanded and painted. Turned out pretty good so hope the paint sticks for a while.
Spent the rest of the day watching TV and on the computer.
Sept 25th - Fri - Roswell
Had a nice chat with cousin Pat this morning. She is on PDT and we are on MDT so she had to get up quite early to make us jump out of bed to answer the phone - ok, it wasn’t THAT early!
After a late breakfast we drove into town for some errands including washing the truck. Don’t know what is going on with the price of diesel here. When we arrived a week ago, the price at one end of town was $2.52 and at the other $2.79. A few days later, all pumps were $2.79. Next day, one was back down to $2.52 and today that same station had diesel at $2.33, another was $2.46 and another still $2.79.
I found some vinyl that I thought I might use to make a cover for our bicycles. By the time we returned, measured and drew diagrams we talked me out of that idea.
Roswell is the “dairy capital of southeast NM” and we have no problem confirming that claim when the wind is blowing in the wrong direction. This, and quite a few flies, are the only downsides to this campground.
Sept 26th - Sat - to Hobbs NM
We had a full 2 hour drive southeast to Hobbs which is just a few miles from the Texas border. All the way from Artesia to Hobbs (77 miles) are thousands of oil wells with new ones being drilled.
One of the reasons we came to Hobbs was that the park owner in Roswell told Terry there was a casino here. Also, we have some time to spare and have not been here.
We drove past the sign for the casino, saw some RVs camped in a parking lot and a lot full of cars nearby so decided to check it out. Turns out there was a chili cookoff - among other things - going on so we decided to stay a couple nights here. We set up, put on our walking shoes and headed over to all the tents on the far side of the events center. There was a motorcycle rodeo, lots of chili for sale and an arts & crafts sale in the events center. We are not brave enough to try unknown chili so, after chatting with some neighbors, we decided to go down the road about ½ mile to the casino as we were told they had a decent buffet for $5. The $5 price is for summer so it was now $10.95 and not too good.
Oh well, Terry figured winning at the slots would overshadow the buffet. Wrong again! I did hit a fluke $94 payout on a 20 cent spin so we ended up losing only part of our allowance. Back at the campsite, everyone had disappeared for the evening so we kicked back and watched TV.
A rare day when we did not leave the campground. Did a load of laundry before having a nice breakfast. Finally made one decision for the winter and got a reservation at the Cocopah RV & Golf Resort in Yuma for December and January. Then I got to work on a project that I have been putting off. The kitchen sink has a metal trim on the rim of the sink and the paint has been chipping. We bought the supplies some time ago so I masked it all off, sanded and painted. Turned out pretty good so hope the paint sticks for a while.
Spent the rest of the day watching TV and on the computer.
Sept 25th - Fri - Roswell
Had a nice chat with cousin Pat this morning. She is on PDT and we are on MDT so she had to get up quite early to make us jump out of bed to answer the phone - ok, it wasn’t THAT early!
After a late breakfast we drove into town for some errands including washing the truck. Don’t know what is going on with the price of diesel here. When we arrived a week ago, the price at one end of town was $2.52 and at the other $2.79. A few days later, all pumps were $2.79. Next day, one was back down to $2.52 and today that same station had diesel at $2.33, another was $2.46 and another still $2.79.
I found some vinyl that I thought I might use to make a cover for our bicycles. By the time we returned, measured and drew diagrams we talked me out of that idea.
Roswell is the “dairy capital of southeast NM” and we have no problem confirming that claim when the wind is blowing in the wrong direction. This, and quite a few flies, are the only downsides to this campground.
Sept 26th - Sat - to Hobbs NM
We had a full 2 hour drive southeast to Hobbs which is just a few miles from the Texas border. All the way from Artesia to Hobbs (77 miles) are thousands of oil wells with new ones being drilled.
One of the reasons we came to Hobbs was that the park owner in Roswell told Terry there was a casino here. Also, we have some time to spare and have not been here.
We drove past the sign for the casino, saw some RVs camped in a parking lot and a lot full of cars nearby so decided to check it out. Turns out there was a chili cookoff - among other things - going on so we decided to stay a couple nights here. We set up, put on our walking shoes and headed over to all the tents on the far side of the events center. There was a motorcycle rodeo, lots of chili for sale and an arts & crafts sale in the events center. We are not brave enough to try unknown chili so, after chatting with some neighbors, we decided to go down the road about ½ mile to the casino as we were told they had a decent buffet for $5. The $5 price is for summer so it was now $10.95 and not too good.
Oh well, Terry figured winning at the slots would overshadow the buffet. Wrong again! I did hit a fluke $94 payout on a 20 cent spin so we ended up losing only part of our allowance. Back at the campsite, everyone had disappeared for the evening so we kicked back and watched TV.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sept 21st to 23rd - Roswell NM
Sept 21st - Mon - Roswell
Was going to do one load of laundry this morning and ended up doing 3. The park has 1 washer & dryer that are not coin-operated. You put a note with your site #, what you purchased and the money into a metal box on the office counter. Nice to see trusting and trusted people are still around. The washer was large and spotlessly clean (like the rest of the park) and very close so the trips back and forth were no problem.
We drove a few miles to Bottomless Lakes State park - where we were heading before we stopped here. There is a very nice campground at the state park with large sites, covered “patios” with a picnic table and a pavilion and swimming beach right next to it. You can make reservations so this would be a great spot to go with a group of friends.
We had heard, at the visitor center, about a farm where raspberries were being picked so we headed west towards Ruidoso to try to find it. After about 15 miles we figured we missed it and turned around. On the way back we stopped at another museum (Historical Center for SE NM) and the lady there said the farm was probably 25 miles away. The museum was a very large house built in 1912 (14 rooms, 3 baths). Some of the rooms were furnished as they would have been nearly 100 years ago and others were used to display various historical collections. We learned that the extra wide front door was called a “casket door” for the obvious reason of allowing a casket to be easily carried in & out according to the customs of the day.
We stopped at the municipal golf course to see if we needed a tee time for tomorrow. Terry suggested 10 but I thought it would get too hot as it was over 90 when we were there. The guy there said it was going to cool down a lot with a front coming in so we decided to wait and see.
And cool down it did! There was a nice breeze when we sat out before dinner and then the wind picked up and clouds moved in about 6. Lightning, thunder, very gusty winds - and the temperature dropped to 52 by about 9. Luckily, the storm moved through as fast as it approached and only the cooler temperature remained.
Sept 22nd - Tues - Roswell
Cooler temperature makes for great sleeping conditions so we were late getting going this morning. Also decided it was too cool & breezy for golf. After a late breakfast we went to the Bitter Lake Wildlife Refuge which is on the migration route for sandhill cranes and Canada geese. We took the 8 ½ mile auto tour around lakes & marshes but this is the wrong time of the year for birds.
We hit WalMart and Home Depot on the way back and then went to yet another museum - Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art. Not sure how I ever convinced Terry to visit this one! I continue to be fascinated by what can be displayed as art in a gallery. I sometimes wonder if the artists are making jokes or laughing at people who pretend to “understand” their creations. But of course there are also incredible works of art that even I can appreciate. When Don Anderson (of the museum name) had his 90th birthday, friends and artists were given diamond shaped blocks of wood to decorate and then they were fit together like a quilt on 2 long tables. Very interesting to see the imagination and diversity of the results.
The cook got a break tonight and we went to CiCi’s pizza for dinner.
Sept 23rd - Wed - Roswell
Another lovely, lazy morning catching some favorite shows on HGTV. Spent quite a bit of time on the computer trying to decide where we want to stay this winter but didn’t make any reservations yet.
We had some lunch before we left to play golf and take advantage of the warming weather. We played at the municipal course and had a lot of fun. The course is in good shape but they had just applied some dried sludge fertilizer (fluffy “dirt”) in front of the greens so you couldn’t count on any roll up to the green.
Then a repeat of other evenings - sit out with a drink, have dinner and watch Dancing with the Stars.
Was going to do one load of laundry this morning and ended up doing 3. The park has 1 washer & dryer that are not coin-operated. You put a note with your site #, what you purchased and the money into a metal box on the office counter. Nice to see trusting and trusted people are still around. The washer was large and spotlessly clean (like the rest of the park) and very close so the trips back and forth were no problem.
We drove a few miles to Bottomless Lakes State park - where we were heading before we stopped here. There is a very nice campground at the state park with large sites, covered “patios” with a picnic table and a pavilion and swimming beach right next to it. You can make reservations so this would be a great spot to go with a group of friends.
We had heard, at the visitor center, about a farm where raspberries were being picked so we headed west towards Ruidoso to try to find it. After about 15 miles we figured we missed it and turned around. On the way back we stopped at another museum (Historical Center for SE NM) and the lady there said the farm was probably 25 miles away. The museum was a very large house built in 1912 (14 rooms, 3 baths). Some of the rooms were furnished as they would have been nearly 100 years ago and others were used to display various historical collections. We learned that the extra wide front door was called a “casket door” for the obvious reason of allowing a casket to be easily carried in & out according to the customs of the day.
We stopped at the municipal golf course to see if we needed a tee time for tomorrow. Terry suggested 10 but I thought it would get too hot as it was over 90 when we were there. The guy there said it was going to cool down a lot with a front coming in so we decided to wait and see.
And cool down it did! There was a nice breeze when we sat out before dinner and then the wind picked up and clouds moved in about 6. Lightning, thunder, very gusty winds - and the temperature dropped to 52 by about 9. Luckily, the storm moved through as fast as it approached and only the cooler temperature remained.
Sept 22nd - Tues - Roswell
Cooler temperature makes for great sleeping conditions so we were late getting going this morning. Also decided it was too cool & breezy for golf. After a late breakfast we went to the Bitter Lake Wildlife Refuge which is on the migration route for sandhill cranes and Canada geese. We took the 8 ½ mile auto tour around lakes & marshes but this is the wrong time of the year for birds.
We hit WalMart and Home Depot on the way back and then went to yet another museum - Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art. Not sure how I ever convinced Terry to visit this one! I continue to be fascinated by what can be displayed as art in a gallery. I sometimes wonder if the artists are making jokes or laughing at people who pretend to “understand” their creations. But of course there are also incredible works of art that even I can appreciate. When Don Anderson (of the museum name) had his 90th birthday, friends and artists were given diamond shaped blocks of wood to decorate and then they were fit together like a quilt on 2 long tables. Very interesting to see the imagination and diversity of the results.
The cook got a break tonight and we went to CiCi’s pizza for dinner.
Sept 23rd - Wed - Roswell
Another lovely, lazy morning catching some favorite shows on HGTV. Spent quite a bit of time on the computer trying to decide where we want to stay this winter but didn’t make any reservations yet.
We had some lunch before we left to play golf and take advantage of the warming weather. We played at the municipal course and had a lot of fun. The course is in good shape but they had just applied some dried sludge fertilizer (fluffy “dirt”) in front of the greens so you couldn’t count on any roll up to the green.
Then a repeat of other evenings - sit out with a drink, have dinner and watch Dancing with the Stars.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sept 17th to 20th - to Roswell NM
Sept 17th - Thurs - Bernalillo
It rained most of last night and was still raining this morning so we watched TV in bed for a while before getting up. Then we went to the nearby Santa Ana Casino to take advantage of a inexpensive breakfast - $2.99 for eggs, bacon, potatoes & toast. They also have very good coffee which I found out was Douwe Egberts. The waitress said she found it at one Smith’s grocery store. I did some digging on the internet and it can be ordered but is more expensive than I thought a restaurant would use as “everyday” coffee.
We got $5 free play on our cards and I got an additional $5 for rolling dice in a promotion so that started us off. Terry won somewhat at first while I was headed down fast. But, as usual, things can turn around quickly and I ended up giving Terry more money and we still broke even for the day.
It was still gloomy & sprinkling when we finished in the casino so we returned to the rig to hibernate & have dinner.
Sept 18th - Fri - Bernalillo
Some work on the computer this morning before we took advantage of the cheap breakfast again at the casino - at 11:30. Rolled the dice again for another $5 which didn’t make me rich! So we went to the Sandia Casino just down the road (please don’t send any Gambler’s Anonymous info!). I was not so lucky today so we finally spent our allowance several hours later.
We drove through downtown “historic” Bernalillo on the way back but didn’t see anything that we wanted to check out. It was nice enough to sit outside for a while and chat with neighbors before coming inside for dinner.
Sept 19th - Sat - to Roswell NM
We were heading to Santa Rosa today but didn’t like the look of the big empty RV park there so continued on to Roswell. Not exactly the shortest way to get here but ………..
We drove into an RV park here and went into the office to get a site. There were instructions about choosing a site, filling out a form and putting money in a drop box (this is about 2:00 pm). The sign concluded with the admonition that “if you can’t do this, then don’t stay here”. So we didn’t!
We continued on the road heading for a state park but saw a camping sign, pulled in and got a spot at the Red Barn RV park. There was no one in the office here but the sign was a little more friendly and said they would come see you when they returned. It is a small, very clean park with mostly long term campers. Our “back yard” is a huge hay field.
The weather was lovely so we just relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the day at the park.
Sept 20th - Sun - Roswell
Just about the time that we decided to get up, motorcycles started roaring past the RV park. There was a big motorcycle rally in Ruidoso, everyone was headed home and many of them were going east past here.
After I made breakfast, we saw someone in the office so went to register. We spent quite some time getting the scoop on the area and sharing places that we have been with the owner.
Then we went to town - only a couple of miles- to do some sightseeing. There are 5 museums here so we checked out 2 today including the “official” Roswell UFO museum. For anyone who isn’t familiar with the UFO incident that finally put Roswell on the map - in 1947 there was a report of a UFO that crashed in a field. According to most residents (then & later), the incident was covered up by the government who claimed it was a weather balloon that crashed. The silence continued for 30 years until someone started digging and wrote a book.
The other museum had a lot of art and a huge collection of native and cowboy memorabilia donated by one couple to the museum. I was amazed at what passes for art. One canvas was painted a solid light green and titled “Celadon”. Give me a break!
Roswell is much larger that I thought it would be and has a big military academy. We decided to stay here for a week as it seems like there is a lot to do & see.
It rained most of last night and was still raining this morning so we watched TV in bed for a while before getting up. Then we went to the nearby Santa Ana Casino to take advantage of a inexpensive breakfast - $2.99 for eggs, bacon, potatoes & toast. They also have very good coffee which I found out was Douwe Egberts. The waitress said she found it at one Smith’s grocery store. I did some digging on the internet and it can be ordered but is more expensive than I thought a restaurant would use as “everyday” coffee.
We got $5 free play on our cards and I got an additional $5 for rolling dice in a promotion so that started us off. Terry won somewhat at first while I was headed down fast. But, as usual, things can turn around quickly and I ended up giving Terry more money and we still broke even for the day.
It was still gloomy & sprinkling when we finished in the casino so we returned to the rig to hibernate & have dinner.
Sept 18th - Fri - Bernalillo
Some work on the computer this morning before we took advantage of the cheap breakfast again at the casino - at 11:30. Rolled the dice again for another $5 which didn’t make me rich! So we went to the Sandia Casino just down the road (please don’t send any Gambler’s Anonymous info!). I was not so lucky today so we finally spent our allowance several hours later.
We drove through downtown “historic” Bernalillo on the way back but didn’t see anything that we wanted to check out. It was nice enough to sit outside for a while and chat with neighbors before coming inside for dinner.
Sept 19th - Sat - to Roswell NM
We were heading to Santa Rosa today but didn’t like the look of the big empty RV park there so continued on to Roswell. Not exactly the shortest way to get here but ………..
We drove into an RV park here and went into the office to get a site. There were instructions about choosing a site, filling out a form and putting money in a drop box (this is about 2:00 pm). The sign concluded with the admonition that “if you can’t do this, then don’t stay here”. So we didn’t!
We continued on the road heading for a state park but saw a camping sign, pulled in and got a spot at the Red Barn RV park. There was no one in the office here but the sign was a little more friendly and said they would come see you when they returned. It is a small, very clean park with mostly long term campers. Our “back yard” is a huge hay field.
The weather was lovely so we just relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the day at the park.
Sept 20th - Sun - Roswell
Just about the time that we decided to get up, motorcycles started roaring past the RV park. There was a big motorcycle rally in Ruidoso, everyone was headed home and many of them were going east past here.
After I made breakfast, we saw someone in the office so went to register. We spent quite some time getting the scoop on the area and sharing places that we have been with the owner.
Then we went to town - only a couple of miles- to do some sightseeing. There are 5 museums here so we checked out 2 today including the “official” Roswell UFO museum. For anyone who isn’t familiar with the UFO incident that finally put Roswell on the map - in 1947 there was a report of a UFO that crashed in a field. According to most residents (then & later), the incident was covered up by the government who claimed it was a weather balloon that crashed. The silence continued for 30 years until someone started digging and wrote a book.
The other museum had a lot of art and a huge collection of native and cowboy memorabilia donated by one couple to the museum. I was amazed at what passes for art. One canvas was painted a solid light green and titled “Celadon”. Give me a break!
Roswell is much larger that I thought it would be and has a big military academy. We decided to stay here for a week as it seems like there is a lot to do & see.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Sept 12th to 16th - Santa Fe, Bernalillo NM
Sept 12th - Sat - Santa Fe
Good thing we did not get an early start to the Tesuque Pueblo Flea Market as vendors were still opening up at 10. The literature advertises 500 vendors at this flea market and call it a Moroccan type market including carpets, pottery and jewelry and with an expectation to haggle over prices. The season will be ending soon here so less than half of the vendor stalls were occupied but it was still interesting to wander through.
We stopped in at a casino in Espanola and had a good, late breakfast. We received a little gift package when we got a player’s card - don’t know what we will do with 2 nice desk clocks!
We stopped at a super WalMart for some groceries and then returned to the park to put them away. I talked Terry into checking out a store - Jackalope Mercado - that we had passed several times since we have been here. It turned out to be several shops with an assortment of goods and even Terry enjoyed exploring it.
A little windy but we barbequed for dinner.
Sept 13th - Sun - Santa Fe
Laundry today. We discovered a very unusual laundry here at the park. There are 2 washers and 2 dryers in the men’s and in the women’s restrooms. One washer was out of order in the women’s restroom and both washers in the men’s restroom were in use so we found a nearby laundromat and got it done. I made a nice breakfast for lunch when we returned.
I have been irritated with slow internet access on the computer lately and something trying to access the internet at random times. So I dug out a note about some anti-virus software from Microsoft and downloaded it. I ran a quick scan and no problems were found. So I decided to run a full scan. 2 hours and over a million files later, the software found one bad file which Norton had already quarantined. When I got on the internet later, I still had delays while a lot of files were downloading (who knows what they were) so don’t know what the next step is.
We made a trip to Trader Joe’s to buy some inexpensive wine, sat outside for a while, barbequed dinner and watched TV.
Sept 14th - Mon - to Bernalillo NM
Didn’t need to get an early start today as we only had about 45 miles to go. We were still plenty early and saw a casino so decided to stop. Terry got $5 free play and I got $3 - whoopee!! But I managed to turn my $3 into $20 and covered Terry’s losses. The bad thing is, they gave us another scratch ticket for more free play after 24 hours - but you can’t scratch it until you go there.
We are staying at the Coronado Campground where we stayed in April after the RV rally. Terry has had a toothache for a couple of days so I tried to find a dentist online- no luck. So we went for a drive and found one dental office nearby who could not fit him in. Terry is a real wimp when it comes to dentists so he said he would be OK. When we started driving, we went through a really heavy rain and hail storm. On the way back, we waded through puddles at WalMart and then came back to the RV park where residents were discussing the storm and skirting huge puddles. After dinner, we chatted with a neighbor who introduced us to another neighbor who could make a sign for us. We continued on our way and it took us over an hour to walk around the small park as we stopped and chatted with 2 more couples.
Sept 15th - Tues - Bernalillo
We visited Mike to work out details for the sign that he was going to paint for us and then left to go to the State Fair in Albuquerque. I remembered the correct freeway exit from our visit here in April so we had no problem finding the parking for the fair.
We walked and walked and walked. Started with a funnel cake for breakfast, checked out all the vendors giving their spiels and wandered through a few other buildings. Watched an aerial act including sway poles, motorcycle on a high wire and a rotating cage. We started in the grandstand but moved to some shade - it was hot! Stayed in shade again for a cute performing pig show. Tried Indian fry bread (taco & hamburger) for lunch (so-so), spent time in the arts building and called it a day at the fair.
But the day was not over so we continued south on I25 to the Isleta Casino. We each got a player’s card with $25 in free play but their computers were down so we could not use it right away. We played with our “allowance” but it was sometimes quite frustrating. Because of the computer problem, sometimes when you would try to cash out of a machine it would put up a message requiring manual payout. Then you would have to wait for an employee who would write down the info and then have to go get the money. Because this was happening all over the casino, you would have to wait a long time to get your money. Luckily it did not happen every time and, also luckily, I was winning a bit.
Finally the computers came up so we HAD to stay to play our $25 and wait for a cash drawing (didn’t win!). We did walk out winners this time. We stopped at McDonalds (at 10:15!) on the way back.
When we got back, our new sign was waiting on our doorstep. It is great! It will be attached to the ladder on the 5th wheel and says “Little House on the Chevy”.
Sept 16th - Wed - Bernalillo
Wonderful day today! I made jelly biscuits and shared with the couple who made our sign. Then we went to the casino that we visited on the trip here to see how much free play that we would get on the second of our scratch tickets. Didn’t take long for Terry to use his $10 and me to lose my $20.
From there we went slightly further north on I25 and turned east on Hwy 22 to reach Hwy 14 (Turquoise Trail). Hwy 22 included 11 miles of dirt road that was in good shape considering the rains lately. A few miles north on the Turquoise Trail took us to Madrid which is a fun little town with lots of shops lining the main street. I had picked out the store Weasel & Fitz from a brochure so we visited it first. It was the neatest shop featuring the works of several artists who recycle material for their incredibly imaginative artwork. Paintbrushes, chopsticks, silverware, coffee pots, army helmets, used tires and assorted kitchen utensils were all turned into wonderful art.
We wandered down the main street and stopped at several stores - one had the largest selection of silver and gem jewelry that I have seen in one small store and another had amazing huge light fixtures with blown glass shades. The recycled theme was seen in other stores.
Then we continued south on 14 and stopped for a good lunch in San Antonito. This is where the road forks to Sandia Peak which was our destination. A couple of miles from the junction, we stopped at an attraction called Tinkertown. It is a quirky “museum” that is the life work of a man who made a miniature town, mostly by carving and building everything from wood. It is housed in buildings that are made from bottles set in mortar - one side shows the flat bottoms and the other has the necks of all lengths. He also built a complete miniature circus with moving performers. Other miscellaneous collections are also housed in the museum as well as a gift shop with as many different items as the museum.
From there the road winds for 11 miles and climbs to a viewpoint at 10,748 feet. It was cold (50 degrees so luckily we had jackets in the truck) and windy. There was a storm moving in so pictures were not wonderful but the view was. You can see all of Albuquerque and a valley on the other side. We didn’t tarry long.
We had passed a sign for a different route back and decided to take it even though the map indicated another unpaved road. Even the warning sign for 8.5 miles of unimproved road did not stop us. We descended in fewer miles than we ascended so it was steep, very windy and very narrow - but fun and took us right into Bernalillo where we are staying.
The storm that we saw from the mountain top moved in so we retired for the evening.
Good thing we did not get an early start to the Tesuque Pueblo Flea Market as vendors were still opening up at 10. The literature advertises 500 vendors at this flea market and call it a Moroccan type market including carpets, pottery and jewelry and with an expectation to haggle over prices. The season will be ending soon here so less than half of the vendor stalls were occupied but it was still interesting to wander through.
We stopped in at a casino in Espanola and had a good, late breakfast. We received a little gift package when we got a player’s card - don’t know what we will do with 2 nice desk clocks!
We stopped at a super WalMart for some groceries and then returned to the park to put them away. I talked Terry into checking out a store - Jackalope Mercado - that we had passed several times since we have been here. It turned out to be several shops with an assortment of goods and even Terry enjoyed exploring it.
A little windy but we barbequed for dinner.
Sept 13th - Sun - Santa Fe
Laundry today. We discovered a very unusual laundry here at the park. There are 2 washers and 2 dryers in the men’s and in the women’s restrooms. One washer was out of order in the women’s restroom and both washers in the men’s restroom were in use so we found a nearby laundromat and got it done. I made a nice breakfast for lunch when we returned.
I have been irritated with slow internet access on the computer lately and something trying to access the internet at random times. So I dug out a note about some anti-virus software from Microsoft and downloaded it. I ran a quick scan and no problems were found. So I decided to run a full scan. 2 hours and over a million files later, the software found one bad file which Norton had already quarantined. When I got on the internet later, I still had delays while a lot of files were downloading (who knows what they were) so don’t know what the next step is.
We made a trip to Trader Joe’s to buy some inexpensive wine, sat outside for a while, barbequed dinner and watched TV.
Sept 14th - Mon - to Bernalillo NM
Didn’t need to get an early start today as we only had about 45 miles to go. We were still plenty early and saw a casino so decided to stop. Terry got $5 free play and I got $3 - whoopee!! But I managed to turn my $3 into $20 and covered Terry’s losses. The bad thing is, they gave us another scratch ticket for more free play after 24 hours - but you can’t scratch it until you go there.
We are staying at the Coronado Campground where we stayed in April after the RV rally. Terry has had a toothache for a couple of days so I tried to find a dentist online- no luck. So we went for a drive and found one dental office nearby who could not fit him in. Terry is a real wimp when it comes to dentists so he said he would be OK. When we started driving, we went through a really heavy rain and hail storm. On the way back, we waded through puddles at WalMart and then came back to the RV park where residents were discussing the storm and skirting huge puddles. After dinner, we chatted with a neighbor who introduced us to another neighbor who could make a sign for us. We continued on our way and it took us over an hour to walk around the small park as we stopped and chatted with 2 more couples.
Sept 15th - Tues - Bernalillo
We visited Mike to work out details for the sign that he was going to paint for us and then left to go to the State Fair in Albuquerque. I remembered the correct freeway exit from our visit here in April so we had no problem finding the parking for the fair.
We walked and walked and walked. Started with a funnel cake for breakfast, checked out all the vendors giving their spiels and wandered through a few other buildings. Watched an aerial act including sway poles, motorcycle on a high wire and a rotating cage. We started in the grandstand but moved to some shade - it was hot! Stayed in shade again for a cute performing pig show. Tried Indian fry bread (taco & hamburger) for lunch (so-so), spent time in the arts building and called it a day at the fair.
But the day was not over so we continued south on I25 to the Isleta Casino. We each got a player’s card with $25 in free play but their computers were down so we could not use it right away. We played with our “allowance” but it was sometimes quite frustrating. Because of the computer problem, sometimes when you would try to cash out of a machine it would put up a message requiring manual payout. Then you would have to wait for an employee who would write down the info and then have to go get the money. Because this was happening all over the casino, you would have to wait a long time to get your money. Luckily it did not happen every time and, also luckily, I was winning a bit.
Finally the computers came up so we HAD to stay to play our $25 and wait for a cash drawing (didn’t win!). We did walk out winners this time. We stopped at McDonalds (at 10:15!) on the way back.
When we got back, our new sign was waiting on our doorstep. It is great! It will be attached to the ladder on the 5th wheel and says “Little House on the Chevy”.
Sept 16th - Wed - Bernalillo
Wonderful day today! I made jelly biscuits and shared with the couple who made our sign. Then we went to the casino that we visited on the trip here to see how much free play that we would get on the second of our scratch tickets. Didn’t take long for Terry to use his $10 and me to lose my $20.
From there we went slightly further north on I25 and turned east on Hwy 22 to reach Hwy 14 (Turquoise Trail). Hwy 22 included 11 miles of dirt road that was in good shape considering the rains lately. A few miles north on the Turquoise Trail took us to Madrid which is a fun little town with lots of shops lining the main street. I had picked out the store Weasel & Fitz from a brochure so we visited it first. It was the neatest shop featuring the works of several artists who recycle material for their incredibly imaginative artwork. Paintbrushes, chopsticks, silverware, coffee pots, army helmets, used tires and assorted kitchen utensils were all turned into wonderful art.
We wandered down the main street and stopped at several stores - one had the largest selection of silver and gem jewelry that I have seen in one small store and another had amazing huge light fixtures with blown glass shades. The recycled theme was seen in other stores.
Then we continued south on 14 and stopped for a good lunch in San Antonito. This is where the road forks to Sandia Peak which was our destination. A couple of miles from the junction, we stopped at an attraction called Tinkertown. It is a quirky “museum” that is the life work of a man who made a miniature town, mostly by carving and building everything from wood. It is housed in buildings that are made from bottles set in mortar - one side shows the flat bottoms and the other has the necks of all lengths. He also built a complete miniature circus with moving performers. Other miscellaneous collections are also housed in the museum as well as a gift shop with as many different items as the museum.
From there the road winds for 11 miles and climbs to a viewpoint at 10,748 feet. It was cold (50 degrees so luckily we had jackets in the truck) and windy. There was a storm moving in so pictures were not wonderful but the view was. You can see all of Albuquerque and a valley on the other side. We didn’t tarry long.
We had passed a sign for a different route back and decided to take it even though the map indicated another unpaved road. Even the warning sign for 8.5 miles of unimproved road did not stop us. We descended in fewer miles than we ascended so it was steep, very windy and very narrow - but fun and took us right into Bernalillo where we are staying.
The storm that we saw from the mountain top moved in so we retired for the evening.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Sept 8th to 11th - Santa Fe
Sept 8th - Tues - Santa Fe
Caught up my blog before heading to downtown Santa Fe this morning. It is a very pretty city center with no high rises - mostly adobe buildings in the Southwest tradition. We had to check out the Plaza as every brochure mentions it. It is a small park in the middle of town with lots of benches for people watching. Apparently it is used for many events.
On a wide, covered sidewalk in front of the Palace of the Governors, many vendors (mostly jewelry) display their goods on blankets and “mind the store” by sitting on pillows on the ground. Santa Fe is known for jewelry stores and art galleries. Of course there are also the expected touristy shops, high end clothing stores and lots of hand woven blankets and smaller items such as place mats. We did a lot of walking in absolutely beautiful weather!
On the way back to the RV park we stopped at a grocery store and then had a quiet evening.
Sept 9th - Wed - Santa Fe
Emails and other computer work this morning and then a casino called to Terry. Camel Rock Casino is just north of downtown Santa Fe and is not huge. I continued my slow downward spiral at the slots but Terry did OK. We actually left with more money than we took - and with 4 shot glasses that were the prize of the week for earning points on the player’s card. And I can’t forget to mention 2 decks of cards with holes punched through the middle!! I see another junk cleanout in our future.
Our lovely sunshine changed into rain by the time we got back so Terry was excused from cooking on the BBQ tonight.
Sept 10th - Thurs - Santa Fe
We are really enjoying being lazy in the mornings! Once we finally got going it was to casinos again! We went to the new Buffalo Thunder casino first. It is beautifully done - all adobe style exterior to blend into the landscape. We got to swipe our new players cards to select a token for the amount of free play that we would have. Terry went first and ended up with $75. I continued my losing streak by ending up with $5 which disappeared really fast. We used a food coupon to have a really good pressed sandwich for lunch before we headed to another casino just a few miles away.
The next small casino is affiliated with Buffalo Thunder so we had to earn some points before getting $10 each on our cards. I finally broke my losing streak and it ended up costing us $5 for the day of gambling and lunch.
It rained on & off most of the day and poured when we got back to Santa Fe. The curb lane on the major street that we traveled was covered with fast moving water. But the rain let up quickly and a few blocks later there was no river in the curb lane.
We watched the burning of Zozobra on TV this evening. This is an 85 year tradition of burning “father gloom” who is stuffed with viewers problems or “glooms” in hopes of banishing them. There was a lot of dancing up & down a set of stairs in front of the huge Zozobra figure, moaning from Zozobra and fireworks. I think you have to live here to appreciate how long it took for the actual burning to take place.
Sept 11th - Fri - Santa Fe
Took a while to get going this morning with emails and such. Then finding a place to get a haircut for me. Lunch at the mall and then off for a drive. We took “The High Road” to Taos. It was a really pretty drive through hills/mountains (as the name suggests) and a variety of terrains- sandy looking with small shrubs, green valleys, wooded hillsides and one small town after another. It was about 2 hours on this road.
Taos is a long, narrow town due to hills and the main road is quite narrow and lined with shops - very picturesque. Rain showers did not invite walking. We saw a sign for a casino so had to check it out. It was small and paid out in dollar tokens so we weren’t there for long.
We took a different route back (hwy 68) that followed the Rio Grande for quite a ways. The travel time decreased to 1 ½ hours. When we got back, we visited for a while with a neighbor who is from Idaho Falls before I made dinner.
Caught up my blog before heading to downtown Santa Fe this morning. It is a very pretty city center with no high rises - mostly adobe buildings in the Southwest tradition. We had to check out the Plaza as every brochure mentions it. It is a small park in the middle of town with lots of benches for people watching. Apparently it is used for many events.
On a wide, covered sidewalk in front of the Palace of the Governors, many vendors (mostly jewelry) display their goods on blankets and “mind the store” by sitting on pillows on the ground. Santa Fe is known for jewelry stores and art galleries. Of course there are also the expected touristy shops, high end clothing stores and lots of hand woven blankets and smaller items such as place mats. We did a lot of walking in absolutely beautiful weather!
On the way back to the RV park we stopped at a grocery store and then had a quiet evening.
Sept 9th - Wed - Santa Fe
Emails and other computer work this morning and then a casino called to Terry. Camel Rock Casino is just north of downtown Santa Fe and is not huge. I continued my slow downward spiral at the slots but Terry did OK. We actually left with more money than we took - and with 4 shot glasses that were the prize of the week for earning points on the player’s card. And I can’t forget to mention 2 decks of cards with holes punched through the middle!! I see another junk cleanout in our future.
Our lovely sunshine changed into rain by the time we got back so Terry was excused from cooking on the BBQ tonight.
Sept 10th - Thurs - Santa Fe
We are really enjoying being lazy in the mornings! Once we finally got going it was to casinos again! We went to the new Buffalo Thunder casino first. It is beautifully done - all adobe style exterior to blend into the landscape. We got to swipe our new players cards to select a token for the amount of free play that we would have. Terry went first and ended up with $75. I continued my losing streak by ending up with $5 which disappeared really fast. We used a food coupon to have a really good pressed sandwich for lunch before we headed to another casino just a few miles away.
The next small casino is affiliated with Buffalo Thunder so we had to earn some points before getting $10 each on our cards. I finally broke my losing streak and it ended up costing us $5 for the day of gambling and lunch.
It rained on & off most of the day and poured when we got back to Santa Fe. The curb lane on the major street that we traveled was covered with fast moving water. But the rain let up quickly and a few blocks later there was no river in the curb lane.
We watched the burning of Zozobra on TV this evening. This is an 85 year tradition of burning “father gloom” who is stuffed with viewers problems or “glooms” in hopes of banishing them. There was a lot of dancing up & down a set of stairs in front of the huge Zozobra figure, moaning from Zozobra and fireworks. I think you have to live here to appreciate how long it took for the actual burning to take place.
Sept 11th - Fri - Santa Fe
Took a while to get going this morning with emails and such. Then finding a place to get a haircut for me. Lunch at the mall and then off for a drive. We took “The High Road” to Taos. It was a really pretty drive through hills/mountains (as the name suggests) and a variety of terrains- sandy looking with small shrubs, green valleys, wooded hillsides and one small town after another. It was about 2 hours on this road.
Taos is a long, narrow town due to hills and the main road is quite narrow and lined with shops - very picturesque. Rain showers did not invite walking. We saw a sign for a casino so had to check it out. It was small and paid out in dollar tokens so we weren’t there for long.
We took a different route back (hwy 68) that followed the Rio Grande for quite a ways. The travel time decreased to 1 ½ hours. When we got back, we visited for a while with a neighbor who is from Idaho Falls before I made dinner.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Sept 4th to 7th - AZ to Santa Fe NM
Sept 4th - Fri - Williams
We decided to check out the county fair at Flagstaff this morning and possibly a demolition derby near the fairgrounds. The weather was lovely but it got cloudy as we drove east. The fair was very small and it didn’t take us long to wander through all of it. There were a lot of large groups of kids there and it was great to see them having fun and being so excited.
We carried on into Flagstaff, got diesel and went to a mall to look for shoes as we both destroyed our tennis shoes in 100 Mile House. We actually ended up with shoes for both of us.
When we left this morning, we walked through a swap meet that was just being set up in Williams so we went back to see if there were any more interesting vendors. Because of wind & rain, most tables were covered. We went across the street to a dollar store for a couple of items and headed back to the rig for another quiet evening.
Sept 5th - Sat - Williams
Lots of rain last night and this morning so we stayed in bed and watched TV until Terry felt too guilty and had to get up. Finally got the laundry sorted out and went to the laundry room to get it done. This park is very well kept and the laundry room and restrooms are spotless - but the laundry is a little expensive compared to other parks & laundromats.
I made a nice lunch and then we went back to the swap meet - nothing that we had to get. We drove into the heart of downtown and wandered through all the touristy stores. Some stores made me wish that I had more room for “stuff”. I worked on the computer before making dinner while Terry checked out the inside of his eyelids and then walked around the park. Pretty cool but we ate dinner outside.
Sept 6th - Sun - to Albuquerque
NM was not in our plans just yet but…….. We were going to stay in Grants at an inexpensive, stop-over park but it was early when we got there so decided to go on to the Route 66 Casino and stay in the parking lot after checking out the casino. After we finally lost our “allowance”, we had dinner at a really bad buffet, moved to a spot where we could put out the bedroom slide and tried to sleep. We could hear traffic on the highway, trains on a nearby track (no whistles though) and cars coming from & going to the casino including pounding sound systems. It was warm so we had to have the bedroom window open which faced the casino so we had flashing neon signs all night. Not one of our more inspired choices!
Sept 7th - Mon - to Santa Fe NM
We finally got an hour sleep this morning so didn’t get going at the crack of dawn. Walked to the casino for coffee and said “no thanks” to a $2 muffin.
Lovely, sunny day for a drive. Light traffic due to it being Labor Day. I made some phone calls as we drove and we selected Los Campos de Santa Fe RV Resort. It is tucked away behind a commercial center which eliminates nearly all traffic noise and we are at the back of the campground which is even more quiet.
I made lunch after we set up and then we enjoyed watching PGA golf. A walk around the park area before dinner, a short visit with a neighbor and a phone call with Claude & Val after dinner completed our day.
We decided to check out the county fair at Flagstaff this morning and possibly a demolition derby near the fairgrounds. The weather was lovely but it got cloudy as we drove east. The fair was very small and it didn’t take us long to wander through all of it. There were a lot of large groups of kids there and it was great to see them having fun and being so excited.
We carried on into Flagstaff, got diesel and went to a mall to look for shoes as we both destroyed our tennis shoes in 100 Mile House. We actually ended up with shoes for both of us.
When we left this morning, we walked through a swap meet that was just being set up in Williams so we went back to see if there were any more interesting vendors. Because of wind & rain, most tables were covered. We went across the street to a dollar store for a couple of items and headed back to the rig for another quiet evening.
Sept 5th - Sat - Williams
Lots of rain last night and this morning so we stayed in bed and watched TV until Terry felt too guilty and had to get up. Finally got the laundry sorted out and went to the laundry room to get it done. This park is very well kept and the laundry room and restrooms are spotless - but the laundry is a little expensive compared to other parks & laundromats.
I made a nice lunch and then we went back to the swap meet - nothing that we had to get. We drove into the heart of downtown and wandered through all the touristy stores. Some stores made me wish that I had more room for “stuff”. I worked on the computer before making dinner while Terry checked out the inside of his eyelids and then walked around the park. Pretty cool but we ate dinner outside.
Sept 6th - Sun - to Albuquerque
NM was not in our plans just yet but…….. We were going to stay in Grants at an inexpensive, stop-over park but it was early when we got there so decided to go on to the Route 66 Casino and stay in the parking lot after checking out the casino. After we finally lost our “allowance”, we had dinner at a really bad buffet, moved to a spot where we could put out the bedroom slide and tried to sleep. We could hear traffic on the highway, trains on a nearby track (no whistles though) and cars coming from & going to the casino including pounding sound systems. It was warm so we had to have the bedroom window open which faced the casino so we had flashing neon signs all night. Not one of our more inspired choices!
Sept 7th - Mon - to Santa Fe NM
We finally got an hour sleep this morning so didn’t get going at the crack of dawn. Walked to the casino for coffee and said “no thanks” to a $2 muffin.
Lovely, sunny day for a drive. Light traffic due to it being Labor Day. I made some phone calls as we drove and we selected Los Campos de Santa Fe RV Resort. It is tucked away behind a commercial center which eliminates nearly all traffic noise and we are at the back of the campground which is even more quiet.
I made lunch after we set up and then we enjoyed watching PGA golf. A walk around the park area before dinner, a short visit with a neighbor and a phone call with Claude & Val after dinner completed our day.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Sept 1st to 3rd - Williams AZ
Sept 1st - Tues - to Williams AZ
On Sunday we saw so many huge cultivated fields and orchards and today it seemed that we drove through many times that acreage in absolutely useless land - rocks, hills, scrub brush, dried sparse grass. We managed to get to Arizona before we got diesel and it was much cheaper than in California - $2.55 vs. $3.19. We stopped in a rest area where I cooked breakfast for lunch and arrived at the Grand Canyon Railway RV park about 3. The weather was a lot cooler but we still had the AC on until the sun went down and the wind picked up a bit.
We drove through town and stopped at Safeway for a few items before settling in for the evening.
Sept 2nd - Wed - Williams
We headed for Camping World and Flagstaff this morning. Camping World is several miles west of Flagstaff on Hwy 40 and has no signs so we missed it. We decided to continue on to Flagstaff as the next exit was too far down the road. We found my favorite Big Lots store and picked up a few “essential” items. Then to a WalMart which turned out to be undergoing a remodel and was a real mess so we got the one item that I really needed. Next to Camping World for a new sewer hose. Hit Safeway on the way back to get ingredients for Salsa Salad that I have not made for a long time.
Put the Salsa Salad together and had some for a late lunch - good stuff. Then I got at a job that I have been putting off - entering our expenses into a spreadsheet. I was so happy to get caught up. I had a pork roast in the crockpot so dinner was easy. Went for a stroll around the park after dinner since the sporadic rain showers had quit.
Sept 3rd - Thurs - Williams
We spent some time this morning going over maps & camping books to decide exactly where we are heading next. Didn’t decide!
Off to Flagstaff again but this time to continue north to Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments. Unfortunately, a parking area in Sunset Crater was being resurfaced so we couldn’t take the main walking path to view lava beds. We enjoyed walking around the preserved Wupatki Pueblo that had multiple stories and originally about 100 rooms.
This loop ended back at Hwy 89 which we took north to Hwy 64 into Grand Canyon Ntl Park. We have been to the south rim of the park previously but never to the east end. Shortly after you enter the park you encounter the Watchtower at Desert View. It is a stone tower built as a gift shop and to showcase Indian culture. We walked up the four stories to take pictures from the top - hard work at 7522 feet above sea level! We stopped at several more view points along the road before the highway turns south and out of the park. I was really impressed with the views and loved the lack of cars & people as compared to the main areas of the south rim.
We experienced several downpours during the day but it was nice when we got back to the park about 5. It wasn’t nice all day however as our neighbors had their awning flip over the top of their trailer while they were gone. Visited with neighbors, watched TV and walked around the park before dinner since we had a late lunch in the park - an amazingly good Philly steak sandwich at a snack shop.
On Sunday we saw so many huge cultivated fields and orchards and today it seemed that we drove through many times that acreage in absolutely useless land - rocks, hills, scrub brush, dried sparse grass. We managed to get to Arizona before we got diesel and it was much cheaper than in California - $2.55 vs. $3.19. We stopped in a rest area where I cooked breakfast for lunch and arrived at the Grand Canyon Railway RV park about 3. The weather was a lot cooler but we still had the AC on until the sun went down and the wind picked up a bit.
We drove through town and stopped at Safeway for a few items before settling in for the evening.
Sept 2nd - Wed - Williams
We headed for Camping World and Flagstaff this morning. Camping World is several miles west of Flagstaff on Hwy 40 and has no signs so we missed it. We decided to continue on to Flagstaff as the next exit was too far down the road. We found my favorite Big Lots store and picked up a few “essential” items. Then to a WalMart which turned out to be undergoing a remodel and was a real mess so we got the one item that I really needed. Next to Camping World for a new sewer hose. Hit Safeway on the way back to get ingredients for Salsa Salad that I have not made for a long time.
Put the Salsa Salad together and had some for a late lunch - good stuff. Then I got at a job that I have been putting off - entering our expenses into a spreadsheet. I was so happy to get caught up. I had a pork roast in the crockpot so dinner was easy. Went for a stroll around the park after dinner since the sporadic rain showers had quit.
Sept 3rd - Thurs - Williams
We spent some time this morning going over maps & camping books to decide exactly where we are heading next. Didn’t decide!
Off to Flagstaff again but this time to continue north to Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments. Unfortunately, a parking area in Sunset Crater was being resurfaced so we couldn’t take the main walking path to view lava beds. We enjoyed walking around the preserved Wupatki Pueblo that had multiple stories and originally about 100 rooms.
This loop ended back at Hwy 89 which we took north to Hwy 64 into Grand Canyon Ntl Park. We have been to the south rim of the park previously but never to the east end. Shortly after you enter the park you encounter the Watchtower at Desert View. It is a stone tower built as a gift shop and to showcase Indian culture. We walked up the four stories to take pictures from the top - hard work at 7522 feet above sea level! We stopped at several more view points along the road before the highway turns south and out of the park. I was really impressed with the views and loved the lack of cars & people as compared to the main areas of the south rim.
We experienced several downpours during the day but it was nice when we got back to the park about 5. It wasn’t nice all day however as our neighbors had their awning flip over the top of their trailer while they were gone. Visited with neighbors, watched TV and walked around the park before dinner since we had a late lunch in the park - an amazingly good Philly steak sandwich at a snack shop.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Aug 29th to 31st - Oakhurst, Hanford, Newberry Springs
Aug 29th - Sat - Oakhurst
One of my purchases on Thurs was a set of cardboard boxes with lids to use to organize some cabinets so we got at it this morning. It is amazing how much stuff accumulates over 3 years - and amazing how long it takes to sort it out and decide what to do with it - Toss? Store where it makes more sense? Put it back where it was? Of course we ended up needing a couple of specific storage containers so went shopping and found them at a thrift store.
In the afternoon we got our BBQ propane tank filled and did a couple loads of laundry at the park laundry closet. Can’t call it a laundry room as there is just enough room for 2 washers & 2 dryers - but it was clean, inexpensive and got the job done.
Aug 30th - Sun - to Hanford
There is no direct way east from Yosemite except through the park which is a very windy, narrow road that climbs to 9900 feet and we did not want to experience it pulling the 5th wheel. So we decided to go south and go to Sequoia National Park which is not too far. On the internet, we found that the Hanford Fairgrounds has camping for $10 and Terry had seen an RV show advertised there so thought we would check it out. We missed the sign for RV camping in the fairgrounds so turned around in a parking lot to head back. As soon as we were on the street again, Terry noticed that the 5th wheel looked crooked - we had a flat tire nearly off the rim. We had a wide shoulder to pull onto, we were on the right side of the rig, we were in the shade and our new jack worked great - certainly could have had worse conditions to change a tire. When we didn’t get an answer at the first tire shop that we called we remembered it was Sunday and tire shops probably would not be open so we went to the fairgrounds and got a spot to stay.
We had some lunch and then walked to the RV show. It was just one large dealer so there wasn’t too much there. Next to it was a swap meet. As we started through the few tents still there, we noticed an open tire shop across the street. Of course we had to walk clear to the end of the fairground fence (in 100+ heat) to get there and then they did not have our tire size.
Back to the rig where we got out chairs to sit out in the shade - still very hot. Terry decided to wash the rigs and was halfway done with the 5th wheel when the camp host finally showed up and said we couldn’t wash rigs - then changed her mind and charged us $5 for washing. And it cost $20 to camp, not $10 as indicated on the website. Still cheap for California.
Into the air conditioned rig for the rest of the afternoon and evening.
Aug 31st - Mon - to Newberry Springs CA
The first tire shop did not have the tire that we needed but the second shop had 2 that were special ordered and the customer never picked them up - how lucky is that? They were able to get one mounted right away and we were on our way about 10.
We decided not to go to Sequoia Ntl Park but to just head for Colorado and maybe find a little cooler weather. Of course we have to get out of California and through Nevada or Arizona and then Utah to get to Colorado. We are at Twin Lakes RV park (PA) which was advertised as having shaded sites backing up to a lake. As we drove in, a sign said “no swimming”. The small lake is more like a very large, plastic lined swimming hole. We did get one of the only shaded spots as there are very few other campers.
On the drive today, 5 fire trucks and a fire captain vehicle passed us but not with lights on. Shortly after, we saw smoke rising behind a mountain and a huge smoke plume moving across the horizon. I looked at the map and concluded that the fire crews were going to help with the LA fires. On the news this evening, mention of a town and another look at the map confirmed that some of the fires are not that far from where we were driving.
One of my purchases on Thurs was a set of cardboard boxes with lids to use to organize some cabinets so we got at it this morning. It is amazing how much stuff accumulates over 3 years - and amazing how long it takes to sort it out and decide what to do with it - Toss? Store where it makes more sense? Put it back where it was? Of course we ended up needing a couple of specific storage containers so went shopping and found them at a thrift store.
In the afternoon we got our BBQ propane tank filled and did a couple loads of laundry at the park laundry closet. Can’t call it a laundry room as there is just enough room for 2 washers & 2 dryers - but it was clean, inexpensive and got the job done.
Aug 30th - Sun - to Hanford
There is no direct way east from Yosemite except through the park which is a very windy, narrow road that climbs to 9900 feet and we did not want to experience it pulling the 5th wheel. So we decided to go south and go to Sequoia National Park which is not too far. On the internet, we found that the Hanford Fairgrounds has camping for $10 and Terry had seen an RV show advertised there so thought we would check it out. We missed the sign for RV camping in the fairgrounds so turned around in a parking lot to head back. As soon as we were on the street again, Terry noticed that the 5th wheel looked crooked - we had a flat tire nearly off the rim. We had a wide shoulder to pull onto, we were on the right side of the rig, we were in the shade and our new jack worked great - certainly could have had worse conditions to change a tire. When we didn’t get an answer at the first tire shop that we called we remembered it was Sunday and tire shops probably would not be open so we went to the fairgrounds and got a spot to stay.
We had some lunch and then walked to the RV show. It was just one large dealer so there wasn’t too much there. Next to it was a swap meet. As we started through the few tents still there, we noticed an open tire shop across the street. Of course we had to walk clear to the end of the fairground fence (in 100+ heat) to get there and then they did not have our tire size.
Back to the rig where we got out chairs to sit out in the shade - still very hot. Terry decided to wash the rigs and was halfway done with the 5th wheel when the camp host finally showed up and said we couldn’t wash rigs - then changed her mind and charged us $5 for washing. And it cost $20 to camp, not $10 as indicated on the website. Still cheap for California.
Into the air conditioned rig for the rest of the afternoon and evening.
Aug 31st - Mon - to Newberry Springs CA
The first tire shop did not have the tire that we needed but the second shop had 2 that were special ordered and the customer never picked them up - how lucky is that? They were able to get one mounted right away and we were on our way about 10.
We decided not to go to Sequoia Ntl Park but to just head for Colorado and maybe find a little cooler weather. Of course we have to get out of California and through Nevada or Arizona and then Utah to get to Colorado. We are at Twin Lakes RV park (PA) which was advertised as having shaded sites backing up to a lake. As we drove in, a sign said “no swimming”. The small lake is more like a very large, plastic lined swimming hole. We did get one of the only shaded spots as there are very few other campers.
On the drive today, 5 fire trucks and a fire captain vehicle passed us but not with lights on. Shortly after, we saw smoke rising behind a mountain and a huge smoke plume moving across the horizon. I looked at the map and concluded that the fire crews were going to help with the LA fires. On the news this evening, mention of a town and another look at the map confirmed that some of the fires are not that far from where we were driving.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Aug 26th to 28th - Oakhurst
Aug 26th - Wed - Oakhurst
When we left Isleton we had to put air in one of the 5th wheel tires. When we arrived here, it was low again so we knew we had to do something but had just not figured out what. Keeping in mind that most of this small town is hills, the chance of pulling our rig into a tire shop is slim. Luckily, a neighbor had a heavy duty bottle jack which he was happy to let us use. Unfortunately, he was leaving today so we got up early to put on the spare so we could get the leaky tire fixed. The tire shop put THREE plugs into tiny holes and there were more holes so Terry ordered a new tire. It was the front tire so don’t know how it could have gotten holes without the back tire being affected.
A trip to the grocery store used up the rest of the morning and then we got to work on a project that has been waiting for time and a picnic table. We needed the picnic table so we could spray glue maps of the US and Canada to a folding cardboard backing. Then we took different color highlighters and marked our routes for each year. Of course, even though we had roads highlighted on two atlases, we could not remember exactly which line belonged to which trip so I had to constantly refer to my blog and the job took a long time.
We went to the nearer casino to take advantage of a $8.99 steak & seafood buffet which turned out to be just OK. We also entered a free senior slot tournament. At first Terry was quickly building points but didn’t end up with enough to win anything. The slot machines took some money before we left.
Aug 27th - Thurs - Oakhurst
I spent time on the computer this morning and then put a picnic lunch together. We drove to Bass Lake, took the road on the non-public-access side of the lake and then returned to the side with many federal day-use areas. Stopped at one and enjoyed our lunch in the shade as it was still hot today. The lake is beautiful and had lots of boats pulling skiers and tubes. Didn’t go swimming as the boat wakes were churning up lots of sand near the shore.
Continued driving after lunch and then turned around and came back to town. We stopped at a liquidation type place on the way back and bought a few items that we just couldn’t live without. Also picked up the new tire for the 5th wheel.
Our neighbors Dennis & Ginger went to Yosemite today and returned shortly after we finished dinner. They came over and we spent the rest of the evening with them. There is a fire in Yosemite (planned burn got away!) so the fantastic view from Glacier Point was obscured by smoke. I showed them our pictures so they could see what it really looks like. Ginger did get a great picture of the sun in the middle of clouds of smoke.
Aug 28th - Fri - Oakhurst
We took our coffee next door and chatted with Dennis & Ginger as they got ready to leave this morning. Then we drove south to Fresno (48 miles) and bought a bottle jack so we can change a tire on the 5th wheel without building a ramp or borrowing a jack from a neighbor. The hills are really dried out everywhere. A lot of farmers work up a dirt strip beside the road to serve as a fire break should some idiot throw out a cigarette. Water really makes a difference as there were also some HUGE vineyards & orchards.
We had to pass the Table Mountain Casino on our way back so we stopped for the special senior price on the buffet - need some exercise after all the food lately!! Ended up spending several hours on the slot machines (very hot again so the AC is wonderful) and came out $5 ahead. BBQ dinner and then inside to watch TV & read.
When we left Isleton we had to put air in one of the 5th wheel tires. When we arrived here, it was low again so we knew we had to do something but had just not figured out what. Keeping in mind that most of this small town is hills, the chance of pulling our rig into a tire shop is slim. Luckily, a neighbor had a heavy duty bottle jack which he was happy to let us use. Unfortunately, he was leaving today so we got up early to put on the spare so we could get the leaky tire fixed. The tire shop put THREE plugs into tiny holes and there were more holes so Terry ordered a new tire. It was the front tire so don’t know how it could have gotten holes without the back tire being affected.
A trip to the grocery store used up the rest of the morning and then we got to work on a project that has been waiting for time and a picnic table. We needed the picnic table so we could spray glue maps of the US and Canada to a folding cardboard backing. Then we took different color highlighters and marked our routes for each year. Of course, even though we had roads highlighted on two atlases, we could not remember exactly which line belonged to which trip so I had to constantly refer to my blog and the job took a long time.
We went to the nearer casino to take advantage of a $8.99 steak & seafood buffet which turned out to be just OK. We also entered a free senior slot tournament. At first Terry was quickly building points but didn’t end up with enough to win anything. The slot machines took some money before we left.
Aug 27th - Thurs - Oakhurst
I spent time on the computer this morning and then put a picnic lunch together. We drove to Bass Lake, took the road on the non-public-access side of the lake and then returned to the side with many federal day-use areas. Stopped at one and enjoyed our lunch in the shade as it was still hot today. The lake is beautiful and had lots of boats pulling skiers and tubes. Didn’t go swimming as the boat wakes were churning up lots of sand near the shore.
Continued driving after lunch and then turned around and came back to town. We stopped at a liquidation type place on the way back and bought a few items that we just couldn’t live without. Also picked up the new tire for the 5th wheel.
Our neighbors Dennis & Ginger went to Yosemite today and returned shortly after we finished dinner. They came over and we spent the rest of the evening with them. There is a fire in Yosemite (planned burn got away!) so the fantastic view from Glacier Point was obscured by smoke. I showed them our pictures so they could see what it really looks like. Ginger did get a great picture of the sun in the middle of clouds of smoke.
Aug 28th - Fri - Oakhurst
We took our coffee next door and chatted with Dennis & Ginger as they got ready to leave this morning. Then we drove south to Fresno (48 miles) and bought a bottle jack so we can change a tire on the 5th wheel without building a ramp or borrowing a jack from a neighbor. The hills are really dried out everywhere. A lot of farmers work up a dirt strip beside the road to serve as a fire break should some idiot throw out a cigarette. Water really makes a difference as there were also some HUGE vineyards & orchards.
We had to pass the Table Mountain Casino on our way back so we stopped for the special senior price on the buffet - need some exercise after all the food lately!! Ended up spending several hours on the slot machines (very hot again so the AC is wonderful) and came out $5 ahead. BBQ dinner and then inside to watch TV & read.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Aug 23rd to 25th - Oakhurst CA
Aug 23rd - Sun - to Oakhurst CA
Freeway part of the way today and then into 2 lane roads in hills as we headed south & east. We are at the High Sierra RV park in Oakhurst which is south of Yosemite National Park. After a late lunch we explored the town a bit, filled up with diesel (California prices have been a bit of a shock - down to $2.87 here) and picked us some groceries. We put away the groceries and went to check out Chukchansi Casino about 12 miles south.
We drove on a narrow, windy road (Hwy 41) through treed hills with a couple of small communities hugging the road. So we were very surprised when we turned off the highway, went up and around a hill and saw a huge casino with a 7 story hotel (400 rooms) and 7 restaurants.
We did so-so on the slots until I finally won a small bonus when I was down to 5 cents on a machine. I tucked some away so Mr. Gambler wouldn’t want to play (lose!) it all and we ended up earning enough points on our cards to each get a “free” T-shirt.
Back to the rig for a BBQ dinner. Hot weather but cooling in the evening. Not many other campers in the park, mostly longer term residents up on a hill.
Aug 24th - Mon - Oakhurst (Yosemite)
Oakhurst is 22 windy miles from the southern entrance to Yosemite NP. Just inside the park is the road to Mariposa Grove with huge sequoias. The parking lot at the grove was full so we had to take a shuttle bus for the 2 mile trip. We took a walk of nearly a mile to the Grizzly Giant (tree) and the Tunnel Tree which had a tunnel cut through it in 1895 and is still alive.
Then a 35 mile drive - more narrow and windy - to Yosemite Valley. We stopped at Tunnel View for pictures of two of Yosemite’s best known peaks - El Capitan and Half Dome. In the valley we stopped at a picnic area for lunch. We were almost finished eating when a small bear wandered into the section where we were sitting. It was heading towards a couple who didn’t see it so we got their attention and they immediately grabbed their stuff and left the table. The bear was smart enough to head right to their table to see if anything was left behind.
Yosemite is known for scenery, hiking and climbing. Since we are not big on the last two, we made the loop around the valley and headed back south a bit before taking the Glacier Point road. Less than a mile down the road there was road construction with possible ½ hour delays. I think we waited 20 minutes and then only moved down the road a bit because the line was back to the main road. Shortly afterwards we started through several miles of one lane traffic - about 30 miles total to Glacier Point. Another walk to incredible views of Yosemite Valley and the surrounding mountains. A young man beside me told his friend that he thought it was more impressive than the Grand Canyon. As amazing as the view was one viewpoint that was hacked out of solid rock right on the edge of the canyon.
Luckily it was late enough when we headed back that the road crews were done for the day. We decided to get fried chicken for dinner and had the greatest lady at the deli counter. She did not have any chicken breasts so was trying to convince us to get something else. She gave us each a sample of the chicken strips - they were old but she could make fresh ones in 7 minutes! - then gave Terry a sample of a thigh which were on special - 4 thighs & 4 drumsticks. Terry said he would take the special if he could get all thighs. So she ended up giving us 6 thighs & 2 drumsticks. We can have fun even in a grocery store!
Aug 25th - Tues - Oakhurst
We enjoy watching the HGTV channel on TV and indulged ourselves this morning with a few episodes. Nice late breakfast, a walk around the park, clean the truck a bit and then off for a drive which took us to Table Mountain Casino (!) south of here. Another large complex in the middle of nowhere except there were some very nice homes around a golf course right across the road. I had some luck again and covered our initial outlay with some additional to keep playing. When my luck ran out, Terry started doing OK. We finally left about 5 and it cost us $5!
Before I finished making dinner, Terry invited new neighbors to have a drink so we sat and chatted with Dennis & Ginger until it was time for them to start dinner. A few minutes later, Ginger came back to tell us to have a look at a new rig that had set up in the park. It was a huge bus with 3 rows of little windows in the back half. There were a lot of people sitting at tables near it so we figured each little window was a sleeping alcove. Terry & Ginger took cameras and went to investigate. It was a tour group of 23 people from Germany. Terry invited some of them to come see our living quarters after dinner and come they did. I expected just a few but most of them have not seen the inside of a 5th wheel so they got their first view in ours. We really enjoyed talking with some of them for quite a while and found out that they are 3 days into a 2 week trip which starts & ends in Los Angeles.
Freeway part of the way today and then into 2 lane roads in hills as we headed south & east. We are at the High Sierra RV park in Oakhurst which is south of Yosemite National Park. After a late lunch we explored the town a bit, filled up with diesel (California prices have been a bit of a shock - down to $2.87 here) and picked us some groceries. We put away the groceries and went to check out Chukchansi Casino about 12 miles south.
We drove on a narrow, windy road (Hwy 41) through treed hills with a couple of small communities hugging the road. So we were very surprised when we turned off the highway, went up and around a hill and saw a huge casino with a 7 story hotel (400 rooms) and 7 restaurants.
We did so-so on the slots until I finally won a small bonus when I was down to 5 cents on a machine. I tucked some away so Mr. Gambler wouldn’t want to play (lose!) it all and we ended up earning enough points on our cards to each get a “free” T-shirt.
Back to the rig for a BBQ dinner. Hot weather but cooling in the evening. Not many other campers in the park, mostly longer term residents up on a hill.
Aug 24th - Mon - Oakhurst (Yosemite)
Oakhurst is 22 windy miles from the southern entrance to Yosemite NP. Just inside the park is the road to Mariposa Grove with huge sequoias. The parking lot at the grove was full so we had to take a shuttle bus for the 2 mile trip. We took a walk of nearly a mile to the Grizzly Giant (tree) and the Tunnel Tree which had a tunnel cut through it in 1895 and is still alive.
Then a 35 mile drive - more narrow and windy - to Yosemite Valley. We stopped at Tunnel View for pictures of two of Yosemite’s best known peaks - El Capitan and Half Dome. In the valley we stopped at a picnic area for lunch. We were almost finished eating when a small bear wandered into the section where we were sitting. It was heading towards a couple who didn’t see it so we got their attention and they immediately grabbed their stuff and left the table. The bear was smart enough to head right to their table to see if anything was left behind.
Yosemite is known for scenery, hiking and climbing. Since we are not big on the last two, we made the loop around the valley and headed back south a bit before taking the Glacier Point road. Less than a mile down the road there was road construction with possible ½ hour delays. I think we waited 20 minutes and then only moved down the road a bit because the line was back to the main road. Shortly afterwards we started through several miles of one lane traffic - about 30 miles total to Glacier Point. Another walk to incredible views of Yosemite Valley and the surrounding mountains. A young man beside me told his friend that he thought it was more impressive than the Grand Canyon. As amazing as the view was one viewpoint that was hacked out of solid rock right on the edge of the canyon.
Luckily it was late enough when we headed back that the road crews were done for the day. We decided to get fried chicken for dinner and had the greatest lady at the deli counter. She did not have any chicken breasts so was trying to convince us to get something else. She gave us each a sample of the chicken strips - they were old but she could make fresh ones in 7 minutes! - then gave Terry a sample of a thigh which were on special - 4 thighs & 4 drumsticks. Terry said he would take the special if he could get all thighs. So she ended up giving us 6 thighs & 2 drumsticks. We can have fun even in a grocery store!
Aug 25th - Tues - Oakhurst
We enjoy watching the HGTV channel on TV and indulged ourselves this morning with a few episodes. Nice late breakfast, a walk around the park, clean the truck a bit and then off for a drive which took us to Table Mountain Casino (!) south of here. Another large complex in the middle of nowhere except there were some very nice homes around a golf course right across the road. I had some luck again and covered our initial outlay with some additional to keep playing. When my luck ran out, Terry started doing OK. We finally left about 5 and it cost us $5!
Before I finished making dinner, Terry invited new neighbors to have a drink so we sat and chatted with Dennis & Ginger until it was time for them to start dinner. A few minutes later, Ginger came back to tell us to have a look at a new rig that had set up in the park. It was a huge bus with 3 rows of little windows in the back half. There were a lot of people sitting at tables near it so we figured each little window was a sleeping alcove. Terry & Ginger took cameras and went to investigate. It was a tour group of 23 people from Germany. Terry invited some of them to come see our living quarters after dinner and come they did. I expected just a few but most of them have not seen the inside of a 5th wheel so they got their first view in ours. We really enjoyed talking with some of them for quite a while and found out that they are 3 days into a 2 week trip which starts & ends in Los Angeles.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Aug 20th to 22nd - Corning, Isleton CA
Aug 20th - Thurs - to Corning CA
A long, for us, drive today. 6 hours of I5 freeway - flat, lots of orchards. Corning’s claim to fame is olives so we assumed most of the miles of orchards were olive trees. We got set up in a mostly empty PA park and went to a nearby Safeway for groceries. After dinner we called friends Claude & Val and enjoyed our chat with them.
Then we HAD to go check out Rolling Hills Casino which was only 3 miles away and promised some free play on a new player’s card. My $5 free play lasted quite a while but not my own $20 after that! Then I watched Terry play & play & play. When he was back down to $20, I was getting tired and said that when he got up to $40 it was time for us to leave. He was doing great on a machine (after dropping to less than $10) when he reached $40 and then we both enjoyed seeing him reach $80+. Back down a little (of course) and then a final $5 after cashing out and we actually walked out ahead! Not exactly high rollers but we enjoy it.
Aug 21st - Fri - to Isleton CA
Past many more miles of orchards and huge hay fields on I5 again today. Uneventful stretch right through Sacramento on the freeway and then west on Hwy 12 to the Sacramento Delta. We drove 3 miles on a levee road to reach the Lighthouse Marina & RV park. It is actually a membership park but Campclub USA members are welcome. Most spots are shaded but we selected a spot in the sun as many of the tree limbs would have hit our roof and it was not supposed to get too hot.
Part of the reason that we picked this spot was to make a trip to the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield. We left right after having lunch as the factory does not operate on the weekend. We had to wait over ½ hour for a tour which “under whelmed” us. Terry likes jelly beans so we bought 5 two pound bags of Belly Flops (irregular jelly beans at a very reasonable price) for future munching.
We barbequed for dinner and then went to the clubhouse for bingo at 7. It was free with small prizes to select from. We sat with a man who is a member here and enjoyed chatting with him. Terry selected a multi-tip screwdriver when he got a Bingo. It was pretty slow so we left before it was over at 9.
The weather ended up much warmer than forecast as the expected Delta breezes did not materialize.
Aug 22nd - Sat - Isleton
Had a nice chat with Aunt Jessie this morning before sorting the laundry and checking out the laundry room here. It left a lot to be desired (3 washers and I had 5 loads) so we drove to Rio Vista where we had passed a laundromat yesterday. Nice & clean & empty so we were done in no time. On the way back we detoured through Isleton which is a tiny, historic town.
Pretty hot again today - too hot for much activity and there are lots of camping kids so the pool was out. We relaxed in the shade or inside in the AC until after dinner when it was cool enough for a walk around the park. I discovered a “library” and exchanged some books.
A long, for us, drive today. 6 hours of I5 freeway - flat, lots of orchards. Corning’s claim to fame is olives so we assumed most of the miles of orchards were olive trees. We got set up in a mostly empty PA park and went to a nearby Safeway for groceries. After dinner we called friends Claude & Val and enjoyed our chat with them.
Then we HAD to go check out Rolling Hills Casino which was only 3 miles away and promised some free play on a new player’s card. My $5 free play lasted quite a while but not my own $20 after that! Then I watched Terry play & play & play. When he was back down to $20, I was getting tired and said that when he got up to $40 it was time for us to leave. He was doing great on a machine (after dropping to less than $10) when he reached $40 and then we both enjoyed seeing him reach $80+. Back down a little (of course) and then a final $5 after cashing out and we actually walked out ahead! Not exactly high rollers but we enjoy it.
Aug 21st - Fri - to Isleton CA
Past many more miles of orchards and huge hay fields on I5 again today. Uneventful stretch right through Sacramento on the freeway and then west on Hwy 12 to the Sacramento Delta. We drove 3 miles on a levee road to reach the Lighthouse Marina & RV park. It is actually a membership park but Campclub USA members are welcome. Most spots are shaded but we selected a spot in the sun as many of the tree limbs would have hit our roof and it was not supposed to get too hot.
Part of the reason that we picked this spot was to make a trip to the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield. We left right after having lunch as the factory does not operate on the weekend. We had to wait over ½ hour for a tour which “under whelmed” us. Terry likes jelly beans so we bought 5 two pound bags of Belly Flops (irregular jelly beans at a very reasonable price) for future munching.
We barbequed for dinner and then went to the clubhouse for bingo at 7. It was free with small prizes to select from. We sat with a man who is a member here and enjoyed chatting with him. Terry selected a multi-tip screwdriver when he got a Bingo. It was pretty slow so we left before it was over at 9.
The weather ended up much warmer than forecast as the expected Delta breezes did not materialize.
Aug 22nd - Sat - Isleton
Had a nice chat with Aunt Jessie this morning before sorting the laundry and checking out the laundry room here. It left a lot to be desired (3 washers and I had 5 loads) so we drove to Rio Vista where we had passed a laundromat yesterday. Nice & clean & empty so we were done in no time. On the way back we detoured through Isleton which is a tiny, historic town.
Pretty hot again today - too hot for much activity and there are lots of camping kids so the pool was out. We relaxed in the shade or inside in the AC until after dinner when it was cool enough for a walk around the park. I discovered a “library” and exchanged some books.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Aug 17th to 19th - Florence to Canyonville OR
Aug 17th - Mon - Florence
After breakfast we went to Old Town in Florence which is an area of shops & restaurants. The day started out cool but I was wishing that I had worn shorts before we were finished strolling up & down the main street of Old Town. On the way back to the RV park, we took a drive in a sand dune recreation area but did not stop to walk to the top of the dunes since the wind was blowing again by then.
Back at the park, I did some long overdue inside cleaning while Terry washed the bugs off the 5th wheel and dry washed the truck. We actually could have washed the 5th wheel in the park but we were just not motivated enough.
Aug 18th - Tues - to Canyonville OR
Another short trip today. We stopped at 7 Feathers casino to get a players’ card which would give us a discount at their RV park. Then to the RV park to get a spot for a couple of nights, get set up and have lunch. It is a beautiful new park which, with Good Sam & players’ club discounts, ended up costing less than the park that we stayed at in Florence.
The weather was very hot so we checked out the indoor pool. The water is cool enough to be refreshing. Then back to the casino for a while. A shuttle runs from the RV park across the highway to the casino but we made the short trip in the truck to fuel up on the way. Back for a late dinner and TV.
Aug 19th - Wed - Canyonville
There are huge areas of gorgeous scenery in the Pacific northwest and we spent several hours enjoying some of it today. We made a circle tour with Crater Lake as our destination. We stopped for a great breakfast at Union Creek and walked along the Rogue River gorge just past the restaurant. Next stop - Crater Lake. It has the most incredibly blue water that I can recall in a lake. The weather was clear & (too) hot so the views were wonderful. We missed a viewpoint that I wanted to stop at because of some road construction but we were glad that we made the trip.
The 109 degree reading in the truck prompted a stop at Dairy Queen in Roseburg on the way back. Then a cooling dip in the pool back at the RV park. We are parked to have afternoon shade so we sat out and ate dinner out again this afternoon.
After dinner we were startled by a loud bang that appeared to be behind our 5th wheel. When we went to investigate, I noticed that a tire on my bicycle was flat. Sure enough, the inner tube had exploded. Terry put in a new tube and as he was inflating it, the new tube pushed past the tire and also exploded. Maybe “universal size” tubes are not the answer.
After breakfast we went to Old Town in Florence which is an area of shops & restaurants. The day started out cool but I was wishing that I had worn shorts before we were finished strolling up & down the main street of Old Town. On the way back to the RV park, we took a drive in a sand dune recreation area but did not stop to walk to the top of the dunes since the wind was blowing again by then.
Back at the park, I did some long overdue inside cleaning while Terry washed the bugs off the 5th wheel and dry washed the truck. We actually could have washed the 5th wheel in the park but we were just not motivated enough.
Aug 18th - Tues - to Canyonville OR
Another short trip today. We stopped at 7 Feathers casino to get a players’ card which would give us a discount at their RV park. Then to the RV park to get a spot for a couple of nights, get set up and have lunch. It is a beautiful new park which, with Good Sam & players’ club discounts, ended up costing less than the park that we stayed at in Florence.
The weather was very hot so we checked out the indoor pool. The water is cool enough to be refreshing. Then back to the casino for a while. A shuttle runs from the RV park across the highway to the casino but we made the short trip in the truck to fuel up on the way. Back for a late dinner and TV.
Aug 19th - Wed - Canyonville
There are huge areas of gorgeous scenery in the Pacific northwest and we spent several hours enjoying some of it today. We made a circle tour with Crater Lake as our destination. We stopped for a great breakfast at Union Creek and walked along the Rogue River gorge just past the restaurant. Next stop - Crater Lake. It has the most incredibly blue water that I can recall in a lake. The weather was clear & (too) hot so the views were wonderful. We missed a viewpoint that I wanted to stop at because of some road construction but we were glad that we made the trip.
The 109 degree reading in the truck prompted a stop at Dairy Queen in Roseburg on the way back. Then a cooling dip in the pool back at the RV park. We are parked to have afternoon shade so we sat out and ate dinner out again this afternoon.
After dinner we were startled by a loud bang that appeared to be behind our 5th wheel. When we went to investigate, I noticed that a tire on my bicycle was flat. Sure enough, the inner tube had exploded. Terry put in a new tube and as he was inflating it, the new tube pushed past the tire and also exploded. Maybe “universal size” tubes are not the answer.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Aug 14th to 16th - Oregon coast
Aug 14th - Fri - to Lincoln City OR
We said goodbye to Billy & Lauri and headed south on the beautiful coast Hwy 101. We had planned to go to Waldport but made one of our last minute changes and ended up just south of Lincoln City at the Chinook Bend RV park on the Siletz River.
After setting up and having lunch, we headed back to Lincoln City and the Chinook Winds casino (of course!). We were not doing too well when Terry’s brother Skip walked up. He & Kathy and Kathy’s brothers & families are vacationing nearby. I knew they were on the coast somewhere but wasn’t sure exactly where they were. Skip was doing well on the slot machines and told us about the “Jaws” machines that we had not tried. Well, Terry ended up making our money back with enough extra to keep us going until we had a late dinner at the seafood buffet.
Aug 15th - Sat - Lincoln City OR
We walked about a mile on a trail along a dike and through a field at the RV park before going for a drive. We stopped at Depoe Bay, browsed through touristy shops, watched activity in the harbor and unsuccessfully looked for whales. We stopped at view points as we continued on to Waldport to check out a PA park - don’t want to stay there! We also stopped at an RV park where we have stayed and rented boats for crabbing. It has been totally redone and, as far as we are concerned , is way too pricey and the laid-back charm is gone.
On the way back we stopped at WalMart which turned out not to be a Superstore so also stopped at Fred Meyers. It was barely warm enough to sit outside for a while as long as we stayed in the sun. The RV park is near a mountain so the sun was down just after 6. We didn’t have lunch so had an early dinner and were able to finish cooking on the BBQ before the sun disappeared.
Aug 16th - Sun - to Florence OR
A beautiful day to continue the drive south on 101. We didn’t have a destination in mind so ended up stopping at Three Rivers Casino for a few hours. Had a great buffet brunch - but it cost too much!! I wanted to explore the area a bit so we stopped at an RV park just south of Florence. Not the best fit for us as most of the rigs are toy haulers with rigs to ride on the dunes.
We went for a walk on/in the sand dunes. The wind was really blowing and we were being sand blasted so didn’t go too far. Checked out Woahink Lake across the road - one fisherman on the dock that the wind was causing to bob enough to cause seasickness. The RV sites are separated by trees & shrubs that break the wind a bit so we sat out in the sun for a while. Then a lazy evening of TV & reading.
We said goodbye to Billy & Lauri and headed south on the beautiful coast Hwy 101. We had planned to go to Waldport but made one of our last minute changes and ended up just south of Lincoln City at the Chinook Bend RV park on the Siletz River.
After setting up and having lunch, we headed back to Lincoln City and the Chinook Winds casino (of course!). We were not doing too well when Terry’s brother Skip walked up. He & Kathy and Kathy’s brothers & families are vacationing nearby. I knew they were on the coast somewhere but wasn’t sure exactly where they were. Skip was doing well on the slot machines and told us about the “Jaws” machines that we had not tried. Well, Terry ended up making our money back with enough extra to keep us going until we had a late dinner at the seafood buffet.
Aug 15th - Sat - Lincoln City OR
We walked about a mile on a trail along a dike and through a field at the RV park before going for a drive. We stopped at Depoe Bay, browsed through touristy shops, watched activity in the harbor and unsuccessfully looked for whales. We stopped at view points as we continued on to Waldport to check out a PA park - don’t want to stay there! We also stopped at an RV park where we have stayed and rented boats for crabbing. It has been totally redone and, as far as we are concerned , is way too pricey and the laid-back charm is gone.
On the way back we stopped at WalMart which turned out not to be a Superstore so also stopped at Fred Meyers. It was barely warm enough to sit outside for a while as long as we stayed in the sun. The RV park is near a mountain so the sun was down just after 6. We didn’t have lunch so had an early dinner and were able to finish cooking on the BBQ before the sun disappeared.
Aug 16th - Sun - to Florence OR
A beautiful day to continue the drive south on 101. We didn’t have a destination in mind so ended up stopping at Three Rivers Casino for a few hours. Had a great buffet brunch - but it cost too much!! I wanted to explore the area a bit so we stopped at an RV park just south of Florence. Not the best fit for us as most of the rigs are toy haulers with rigs to ride on the dunes.
We went for a walk on/in the sand dunes. The wind was really blowing and we were being sand blasted so didn’t go too far. Checked out Woahink Lake across the road - one fisherman on the dock that the wind was causing to bob enough to cause seasickness. The RV sites are separated by trees & shrubs that break the wind a bit so we sat out in the sun for a while. Then a lazy evening of TV & reading.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Aug 11th to 13th - Long Beach
Aug 11th - Tues - Long Beach
Lazy morning and then we went to the Ocean Park Eagle’s Club to play bingo at noon with Billy & Lauri. We arrived early - just after 11 - to get a table. Terry won a game and it paid $125. It cost $25 for both of us to play until nearly 4 and Terry splurged $10 of his winnings on pull-tabs which returned a whopping $1.
After bingo we drove north on the peninsula to Oysterville and then looped back to explore Jack’s grocery/everything store in Ocean Park. Next into Long Beach with a stop at a “museum”/gift store.
The guys aired up the bicycle tires while Lauri & I each made dinner. After dinner we got together for a few games of Sequence which the women won in a tie breaker.
Aug 12th - Wed - Long Beach
It rained last night and was cool & cloudy this morning so we and Billy & Lauri decided to go to Astoria which is only about 15 miles away. We went to the Columbia River Maritime Museum which is very nice. After an introductory film, you can check out 6 sections including fishing, ship wrecks & the dangers of the “bar” and the Coast Guard. You can also explore a retired lightship which is a floating lighthouse.
We stopped at a liquor store and then went to Costco for a couple of items and lunch. It was such a small Costco that the snack counter was outside with no seating - but we had our hot dogs anyhow since we were all hungry.
On the way back we drove to Cape Disappointment and walked to the North Head lighthouse. Shortly after we got back we all went for a bike ride. There is a wonderful paved trail through the grass covered dunes between Hwy 101 and the beach. We rode about 9 ½ miles.
A short break and off again for the Eagle’s Club in Ocean Park - this time to listen to very good and very bad karaoke and to have a hamburger & fries that we had been told was a very good meal for $4 (not so good!).
Aug 13th - Thurs - Long Beach
Nice weather for bike riding today so that is what we did. This time we went farther north on Hwy 101 before heading to the trail in the dunes and then went farther south than yesterday. The trail winds through the little hills of the dunes and is a great ride. We went into town on the way back and then had to backtrack to a grocery store. We stopped for a beer & lunch at LBT (Long Beach Tavern) and ended up riding 15 miles.
Lauri & I both did a couple loads of laundry before I made dinner for all of us. After dinner we looked at some of our favorite jokes which I then copied onto a disk and set up on Lauri’s computer.
Lazy morning and then we went to the Ocean Park Eagle’s Club to play bingo at noon with Billy & Lauri. We arrived early - just after 11 - to get a table. Terry won a game and it paid $125. It cost $25 for both of us to play until nearly 4 and Terry splurged $10 of his winnings on pull-tabs which returned a whopping $1.
After bingo we drove north on the peninsula to Oysterville and then looped back to explore Jack’s grocery/everything store in Ocean Park. Next into Long Beach with a stop at a “museum”/gift store.
The guys aired up the bicycle tires while Lauri & I each made dinner. After dinner we got together for a few games of Sequence which the women won in a tie breaker.
Aug 12th - Wed - Long Beach
It rained last night and was cool & cloudy this morning so we and Billy & Lauri decided to go to Astoria which is only about 15 miles away. We went to the Columbia River Maritime Museum which is very nice. After an introductory film, you can check out 6 sections including fishing, ship wrecks & the dangers of the “bar” and the Coast Guard. You can also explore a retired lightship which is a floating lighthouse.
We stopped at a liquor store and then went to Costco for a couple of items and lunch. It was such a small Costco that the snack counter was outside with no seating - but we had our hot dogs anyhow since we were all hungry.
On the way back we drove to Cape Disappointment and walked to the North Head lighthouse. Shortly after we got back we all went for a bike ride. There is a wonderful paved trail through the grass covered dunes between Hwy 101 and the beach. We rode about 9 ½ miles.
A short break and off again for the Eagle’s Club in Ocean Park - this time to listen to very good and very bad karaoke and to have a hamburger & fries that we had been told was a very good meal for $4 (not so good!).
Aug 13th - Thurs - Long Beach
Nice weather for bike riding today so that is what we did. This time we went farther north on Hwy 101 before heading to the trail in the dunes and then went farther south than yesterday. The trail winds through the little hills of the dunes and is a great ride. We went into town on the way back and then had to backtrack to a grocery store. We stopped for a beer & lunch at LBT (Long Beach Tavern) and ended up riding 15 miles.
Lauri & I both did a couple loads of laundry before I made dinner for all of us. After dinner we looked at some of our favorite jokes which I then copied onto a disk and set up on Lauri’s computer.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Aug 7th to 10th - Monroe,Rochester,Long Beach
Aug 7th - Fri - Monroe
I’m liking this RV site more & more!! Barb made breakfast before we left for a trip to Mt. St. Helens. Larry thought it would be a couple of hours but the GPS said 3 hours. We hit some slower traffic on I5 but not bad. Unfortunately, we picked the wrong day for this trip. Mt. St. Helens was cloud-covered and we didn’t even bother to drive another hour (after the 3 hours) as we would not have been able to see the crater or anything else. We had packed a lunch so we enjoyed it before heading back.
We experienced a lot more slow traffic on the way back as it was 4:30 when we were near Tacoma. I saw the “Welcome to Tacoma” sign and was amazed at how much time had passed before we saw the Tacoma Dome. I had put a roast in the crock pot before we left so we just had to make veggies & salad for another yummy dinner. I even surprised Barb & Larry by producing freshly baked brownies for dessert.
Aug 8th - Sat - Monroe
Fresh baked muffins - thanks Barb! - for breakfast this morning. The weather was still cloudy & cool but no rain was forecast so we went golfing at nearby Blue Boy GC. It is a short 9 hole course and the only course that I have seen with a rock formation & plants in the middle of a green. Terry was helping Larry find a ball that he hit into a hedge and ended up finding a dozen other balls.
Barb invited another couple - Russ & Judy - to join us for dinner which we were able to enjoy on the patio after putting on light jackets.
Aug 9th - Sun - to Rochester WA
We made a quick trip for groceries before enjoying another breakfast cooked by Barb. We left about 10:30 for the hour and a half drive to the Lucky Eagle Casino at Rochester. This is our parking spot when we visit our son & family as we cannot turn around in their yard to get back out their LONG driveway.
After registering for our RV site, we had to spend some time in the casino where I came out a few dollars ahead. Then it was time to start dinner. Dean, Jennifer, Victoria & Cameron arrived just before 5. The sun had come out and we were parked beside the only picnic tables by the RV spots so we could chat & eat outside. Grandson Cameron (7 years old) has grown out of his incredibly shy stage. He is a store-house of obscure animal facts and has an amazing repertoire of large words which he uses correctly. He helped carry everything outside for dinner so he & I got to spend time together which I really enjoyed. Our beautiful granddaughter Victoria is 15 and into texting like all other teenagers.
They had to leave early as they are looking after horses for friends so we returned to the casino for a while. Just could not leave with money in our pockets!!
Aug 10th - Mon - to Long Beach WA
We packed up and then went to the casino for a nice breakfast that was paid for by points on our player cards. Unfortunately, it was Senior Day and we had to take advantage of some free play. Took us a long time to lose it and a few more dollars.
We left at 1:00 for the 2 hour drive to Long Beach where we are meeting friends Billy & Lauri who we met in New York and are also full-timers. Billy called about 2 to find out where we were and to tell us that Lauri was making dinner for us. What great friends we have!
We drove past many acres of trees that were broken off or blown down by a sustained wind several years ago. They are being cleaned up by a logging company but there are still places where you can see the damage.
It sprinkled for most of the drive and then rained when we were checking in & setting up at the Sand Castle RV park. We had a good time catching up with Billy & Lauri and having a great dinner.
I’m liking this RV site more & more!! Barb made breakfast before we left for a trip to Mt. St. Helens. Larry thought it would be a couple of hours but the GPS said 3 hours. We hit some slower traffic on I5 but not bad. Unfortunately, we picked the wrong day for this trip. Mt. St. Helens was cloud-covered and we didn’t even bother to drive another hour (after the 3 hours) as we would not have been able to see the crater or anything else. We had packed a lunch so we enjoyed it before heading back.
We experienced a lot more slow traffic on the way back as it was 4:30 when we were near Tacoma. I saw the “Welcome to Tacoma” sign and was amazed at how much time had passed before we saw the Tacoma Dome. I had put a roast in the crock pot before we left so we just had to make veggies & salad for another yummy dinner. I even surprised Barb & Larry by producing freshly baked brownies for dessert.
Aug 8th - Sat - Monroe
Fresh baked muffins - thanks Barb! - for breakfast this morning. The weather was still cloudy & cool but no rain was forecast so we went golfing at nearby Blue Boy GC. It is a short 9 hole course and the only course that I have seen with a rock formation & plants in the middle of a green. Terry was helping Larry find a ball that he hit into a hedge and ended up finding a dozen other balls.
Barb invited another couple - Russ & Judy - to join us for dinner which we were able to enjoy on the patio after putting on light jackets.
Aug 9th - Sun - to Rochester WA
We made a quick trip for groceries before enjoying another breakfast cooked by Barb. We left about 10:30 for the hour and a half drive to the Lucky Eagle Casino at Rochester. This is our parking spot when we visit our son & family as we cannot turn around in their yard to get back out their LONG driveway.
After registering for our RV site, we had to spend some time in the casino where I came out a few dollars ahead. Then it was time to start dinner. Dean, Jennifer, Victoria & Cameron arrived just before 5. The sun had come out and we were parked beside the only picnic tables by the RV spots so we could chat & eat outside. Grandson Cameron (7 years old) has grown out of his incredibly shy stage. He is a store-house of obscure animal facts and has an amazing repertoire of large words which he uses correctly. He helped carry everything outside for dinner so he & I got to spend time together which I really enjoyed. Our beautiful granddaughter Victoria is 15 and into texting like all other teenagers.
They had to leave early as they are looking after horses for friends so we returned to the casino for a while. Just could not leave with money in our pockets!!
Aug 10th - Mon - to Long Beach WA
We packed up and then went to the casino for a nice breakfast that was paid for by points on our player cards. Unfortunately, it was Senior Day and we had to take advantage of some free play. Took us a long time to lose it and a few more dollars.
We left at 1:00 for the 2 hour drive to Long Beach where we are meeting friends Billy & Lauri who we met in New York and are also full-timers. Billy called about 2 to find out where we were and to tell us that Lauri was making dinner for us. What great friends we have!
We drove past many acres of trees that were broken off or blown down by a sustained wind several years ago. They are being cleaned up by a logging company but there are still places where you can see the damage.
It sprinkled for most of the drive and then rained when we were checking in & setting up at the Sand Castle RV park. We had a good time catching up with Billy & Lauri and having a great dinner.
Friday, August 07, 2009
Aug 2nd to 6th - Spokane to Monroe
Aug 2nd - Sun - Spokane
Lazy morning with coffee and the newspaper. Skip & Kathy were coming home and I decided to make dinner for all of us so we went for a few groceries & lunch. When we returned, Skip and his friend Pat were there. Skip & 11 other men had been on a golfing & fishing trip to Canada so he & Pat were cutting & vacuum sealing salmon. Kathy returned home from her “girls’ weekend” about 4:30 and we had the evening for dinner and catching up.
Aug 3rd - Mon - Spokane
We finally had the time and a bunch of Kathy’s CDs so we could load music on Terry’s MP3 player. Those little things are amazing. It has 8 gigabytes of storage and it took 1.6 GB (and several hours) to load 307 songs. I also loaded Picasa on Skip’s computer and gave him a crash course in using it.
We went to Bill & Georgia’s for dinner. It had cooled down enough to eat out on their beautiful new patio. Then we moved inside so we could see the cards & board for one of our marathon sessions of Sequence which the women won.
Aug 4th - Tues - Spokane
Skip left early to run errands so Kathy made breakfast for her & us. We decided that we needed a speaker system for our MP3 player so we could listen to music other than on ear buds. First we made an appointment to get our transmission fluid flushed and then shopped for speakers. Went to visit EllaMae & Don where Terry tried out the speakers. Turned out a cable listed on the package was missing and we couldn’t use it so he took it back to Big Lots where they opened a couple of others and found the cables missing in them also. Terry got his money back and returned to EllaMae’s just in time to go for the transmission flush.
But it just wasn’t his day! They got the truck up in the hoist and said “Oh, this is an Allison transmission and we can’t do it”! This is the same place that put new brakes on the truck a few days ago.
We stopped for a few groceries on the way back to S&K’s where they made us a wonderful dinner. Kathy had bought some “flameless” candles (an LED light in a wax shell) so, since the temperature had cooled down below 90, we moved outside to enjoy the candles, more wine and the great view.
Aug 5th - Wed - to Leavenworth WA
We had an 8:30 appointment to get our 5th wheel brakes worked on this morning. After checking out the wiring and pulling the tires it was determined that the best thing to do was replace all the brakes. We also needed one tire as for some unknown reason just one tire had worn through to the steel belts on one side and Terry had noticed it when we were packing stuff to leave Skip & Kathy’s. The tread on that tire and the others is still fine. The brakes were supposed to be delivered at 11. They called us at the casino at 11:30 to say they thought we needed new leaf springs. We had to go back there so Terry could show them two of the old springs that we kept when they were all replaced last year in New Jersey. When we left for lunch at 12:30 they hadn’t stated putting it back together.
We finally got on the road at 3:30 and decided to take Hwy 2 to Leavenworth. Nice drive through lots of wheat fields and then a long hill down to the Columbia River. We made the mistake of staying at the KOA in Leavenworth without asking the rate first - $50.50, no sewer and parked away in the back in “the meadow”. Won’t do that again.
Still hot all day. It was 91 at 6:30 when we arrived in Leavenworth.
Aug 6th - Thurs - to Monroe WA
Did some cleaning before leaving at 10:00 to visit our friends Larry & Barb who we met a couple of years ago in Alaska. It should have been an hour and 45 minute drive but about 25 miles from Monroe there was an accident on the highway. A semi had taken a curve too fast, pushed a large section of concrete barriers several feet towards the river and tipped a load of very smelly sludge. The tractor was off the road but the trailer was on it’s side in the middle of the 2 lane highway. Shortly after we stopped (3rd in line), vehicles came through from the opposite direction by driving partly on the grassy shoulder. Just as we were about to move, the police showed up and stopped all traffic because there was slippery brake fluid on the road and “there wasn’t room to drive past” even though a huge commercial bus had gone through there minutes earlier.
An hour later the trailer had been moved slightly so it was only blocking one lane and we got to go. Luckily, our side moved first. I counted about 300 vehicles lined up for 3 miles waiting to go west. Unfortunately, we had to drive through the sludge spilled on the road so when we stopped for fuel just down the road we cleaned off the front of the 5th wheel before the splatters dried completely.
Barb had lunch waiting for us which we enjoyed outside. The weather is much cooler but comfortable with long pants for the women and shorts for the hardier (!) men.
The guys took the truck to a car wash to get rid of the sludge behind the wheels and in the wheel wells. We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting, had a great dinner and retired to our home parked in the long driveway.
Lazy morning with coffee and the newspaper. Skip & Kathy were coming home and I decided to make dinner for all of us so we went for a few groceries & lunch. When we returned, Skip and his friend Pat were there. Skip & 11 other men had been on a golfing & fishing trip to Canada so he & Pat were cutting & vacuum sealing salmon. Kathy returned home from her “girls’ weekend” about 4:30 and we had the evening for dinner and catching up.
Aug 3rd - Mon - Spokane
We finally had the time and a bunch of Kathy’s CDs so we could load music on Terry’s MP3 player. Those little things are amazing. It has 8 gigabytes of storage and it took 1.6 GB (and several hours) to load 307 songs. I also loaded Picasa on Skip’s computer and gave him a crash course in using it.
We went to Bill & Georgia’s for dinner. It had cooled down enough to eat out on their beautiful new patio. Then we moved inside so we could see the cards & board for one of our marathon sessions of Sequence which the women won.
Aug 4th - Tues - Spokane
Skip left early to run errands so Kathy made breakfast for her & us. We decided that we needed a speaker system for our MP3 player so we could listen to music other than on ear buds. First we made an appointment to get our transmission fluid flushed and then shopped for speakers. Went to visit EllaMae & Don where Terry tried out the speakers. Turned out a cable listed on the package was missing and we couldn’t use it so he took it back to Big Lots where they opened a couple of others and found the cables missing in them also. Terry got his money back and returned to EllaMae’s just in time to go for the transmission flush.
But it just wasn’t his day! They got the truck up in the hoist and said “Oh, this is an Allison transmission and we can’t do it”! This is the same place that put new brakes on the truck a few days ago.
We stopped for a few groceries on the way back to S&K’s where they made us a wonderful dinner. Kathy had bought some “flameless” candles (an LED light in a wax shell) so, since the temperature had cooled down below 90, we moved outside to enjoy the candles, more wine and the great view.
Aug 5th - Wed - to Leavenworth WA
We had an 8:30 appointment to get our 5th wheel brakes worked on this morning. After checking out the wiring and pulling the tires it was determined that the best thing to do was replace all the brakes. We also needed one tire as for some unknown reason just one tire had worn through to the steel belts on one side and Terry had noticed it when we were packing stuff to leave Skip & Kathy’s. The tread on that tire and the others is still fine. The brakes were supposed to be delivered at 11. They called us at the casino at 11:30 to say they thought we needed new leaf springs. We had to go back there so Terry could show them two of the old springs that we kept when they were all replaced last year in New Jersey. When we left for lunch at 12:30 they hadn’t stated putting it back together.
We finally got on the road at 3:30 and decided to take Hwy 2 to Leavenworth. Nice drive through lots of wheat fields and then a long hill down to the Columbia River. We made the mistake of staying at the KOA in Leavenworth without asking the rate first - $50.50, no sewer and parked away in the back in “the meadow”. Won’t do that again.
Still hot all day. It was 91 at 6:30 when we arrived in Leavenworth.
Aug 6th - Thurs - to Monroe WA
Did some cleaning before leaving at 10:00 to visit our friends Larry & Barb who we met a couple of years ago in Alaska. It should have been an hour and 45 minute drive but about 25 miles from Monroe there was an accident on the highway. A semi had taken a curve too fast, pushed a large section of concrete barriers several feet towards the river and tipped a load of very smelly sludge. The tractor was off the road but the trailer was on it’s side in the middle of the 2 lane highway. Shortly after we stopped (3rd in line), vehicles came through from the opposite direction by driving partly on the grassy shoulder. Just as we were about to move, the police showed up and stopped all traffic because there was slippery brake fluid on the road and “there wasn’t room to drive past” even though a huge commercial bus had gone through there minutes earlier.
An hour later the trailer had been moved slightly so it was only blocking one lane and we got to go. Luckily, our side moved first. I counted about 300 vehicles lined up for 3 miles waiting to go west. Unfortunately, we had to drive through the sludge spilled on the road so when we stopped for fuel just down the road we cleaned off the front of the 5th wheel before the splatters dried completely.
Barb had lunch waiting for us which we enjoyed outside. The weather is much cooler but comfortable with long pants for the women and shorts for the hardier (!) men.
The guys took the truck to a car wash to get rid of the sludge behind the wheels and in the wheel wells. We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting, had a great dinner and retired to our home parked in the long driveway.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
July 30th to Aug 1st - Spokane
July 30th - Thurs - Spokane
We went to Terry’s Mom’s house this morning and arrived in time for breakfast - good timing! Don had something wrong with his back and could not stand upright to walk so I drove him to his doctor appointment at 10. The doctor diagnosed a sciatica problem and prescribed some pain pills which we got on the way home. Terry went to Blue Crick RV to talk about the brakes on the 5th wheel. They tested the brake controller and figure it is OK. We have an appointment on Wed morning so we will be here longer than we thought.
After we had lunch at EllaMae’s, we went shopping for a few items. We hit every store we could think of on this end of town looking for a metal letter tray to match one that we already have. We haven’t had ours for long but it appears that they are no longer available. We returned to S&K’s to drop off our purchases and make a salad for dinner. Back to EllaMae’s for a nice dinner made by Terry’s sister Cindy.
July 31st - Fri - Spokane
I finally found some ripe peaches yesterday so we enjoyed them for breakfast. Terry puttered around on the 5th wheel and I worked on the computer before we went back to EllaMae’s. Terry was going to mow the lawn there but Cindy had beat us to it and was almost done. We did some weeding and then took off on our continuing search for a letter tray. We finally found a couple that are not the same as the one we had but will work. Back to S&K’s to relax and have dinner.
Aug 1st - Sat - Spokane
We stopped in to see EllaMae but she & Cindy were out shopping so we came back to S&K’s where Terry cleaned the bugs off the 5th wheel and I entered expenses on the computer. In the early afternoon we went to the Coeur d’Alene Casino. I had a run of luck and was able to cover Terry’s losses, our dinner and bring back a few dollars. We often split a very good, very large country fried steak at the casino. They changed their menu to offer a smaller portion (suitable for one) at a lower price. It is an ample dinner with a large Caesar salad, rolls, meat, mashed potatoes, a small biscuit & gravy - all for $6.99. Eat your heart out Canadian readers!!
Very hot today. Spokane broke a record at the official airport weather station at 101.
We went to Terry’s Mom’s house this morning and arrived in time for breakfast - good timing! Don had something wrong with his back and could not stand upright to walk so I drove him to his doctor appointment at 10. The doctor diagnosed a sciatica problem and prescribed some pain pills which we got on the way home. Terry went to Blue Crick RV to talk about the brakes on the 5th wheel. They tested the brake controller and figure it is OK. We have an appointment on Wed morning so we will be here longer than we thought.
After we had lunch at EllaMae’s, we went shopping for a few items. We hit every store we could think of on this end of town looking for a metal letter tray to match one that we already have. We haven’t had ours for long but it appears that they are no longer available. We returned to S&K’s to drop off our purchases and make a salad for dinner. Back to EllaMae’s for a nice dinner made by Terry’s sister Cindy.
July 31st - Fri - Spokane
I finally found some ripe peaches yesterday so we enjoyed them for breakfast. Terry puttered around on the 5th wheel and I worked on the computer before we went back to EllaMae’s. Terry was going to mow the lawn there but Cindy had beat us to it and was almost done. We did some weeding and then took off on our continuing search for a letter tray. We finally found a couple that are not the same as the one we had but will work. Back to S&K’s to relax and have dinner.
Aug 1st - Sat - Spokane
We stopped in to see EllaMae but she & Cindy were out shopping so we came back to S&K’s where Terry cleaned the bugs off the 5th wheel and I entered expenses on the computer. In the early afternoon we went to the Coeur d’Alene Casino. I had a run of luck and was able to cover Terry’s losses, our dinner and bring back a few dollars. We often split a very good, very large country fried steak at the casino. They changed their menu to offer a smaller portion (suitable for one) at a lower price. It is an ample dinner with a large Caesar salad, rolls, meat, mashed potatoes, a small biscuit & gravy - all for $6.99. Eat your heart out Canadian readers!!
Very hot today. Spokane broke a record at the official airport weather station at 101.
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