Dec. 16, 2010
Waco, Texas
Since our latest travel is between the RV park and Lakeshore Estates, where Russell's Mom lives, there hasn't been a lot to write. Today a special event occurred, at Cici's, of all places!
We were sitting right by the window, just enjoying our buffet, when a family of 3 walked out of the restaurant and stopped at the curb. The little girl turned, looked at us and waved. I waved back and pointed her out to Betty. That child walked up to the window, right next to Betty. She tapped on the window, placed her finger on the window and waved. Just to her. Then she turned and ran back to her parents.
I've never seen anything like it. Betty LOVED it, a special gift just for her.
We could have traveled the world over and never seen anything as wonderful as this child waving to Betty, a lady who no longer perceives much about her world.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
November
November 12, 2010
I just got back from a walk through the campground, what a beautiful time of year! The pecan grove across the street played a symphony, just for me! Imagine the wind and leaves cooperating in that way at that precise time! The trees have to be the right size and still have the correct number of leaves to play that tune at that time. It is a miracle!
We are in Waco, staying at Riverview RV, which is located south of town in the Brazos river valley. There is a rally in full swing this Friday evening, so many people are out and enjoying the rain-washed evening we've been given. Grills are tuning up to add just the right fragrance to the melody filling the area. Ours will join the fray shortly. Soon the clouds and sun will collaborate on a sunset. The stage will be complete for evening activities: a party, football game, cruisin', or just relaxing from a demanding day.
Other November highlights abound: we skidded down dunes at White Sands; marveled at the diversity of white, stages of dunes, blueness of the sky; we caught a glimpse of a test missile contrail. We were witness to the many definitions of the word, "DESERT." Our path from Taos, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Corrizozo, Alamagordo, El Paso, Ft. Stockton, to San Angelo. We detected the terrain of Texas hill country and then the relative lushness of north central Texas and Waco. We sleep with the air conditioner and wake to dew, humidity and muddy soil. We are no longer in the cold dry sandy desert. Change is good.
In the SMALL WORLD Department! Walking through the park in Ft. Stockton, we noticed a familiar rig that was also a Monaco Diplomat. Could that be the folks we enjoyed in Phoenix last winter? Of course, and why not! We had a nice dinner at the campground restaurant, then a good night drink at their home. Isn't this part of the beauty of the RV lifestyle?
I just got back from a walk through the campground, what a beautiful time of year! The pecan grove across the street played a symphony, just for me! Imagine the wind and leaves cooperating in that way at that precise time! The trees have to be the right size and still have the correct number of leaves to play that tune at that time. It is a miracle!
We are in Waco, staying at Riverview RV, which is located south of town in the Brazos river valley. There is a rally in full swing this Friday evening, so many people are out and enjoying the rain-washed evening we've been given. Grills are tuning up to add just the right fragrance to the melody filling the area. Ours will join the fray shortly. Soon the clouds and sun will collaborate on a sunset. The stage will be complete for evening activities: a party, football game, cruisin', or just relaxing from a demanding day.
Other November highlights abound: we skidded down dunes at White Sands; marveled at the diversity of white, stages of dunes, blueness of the sky; we caught a glimpse of a test missile contrail. We were witness to the many definitions of the word, "DESERT." Our path from Taos, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Corrizozo, Alamagordo, El Paso, Ft. Stockton, to San Angelo. We detected the terrain of Texas hill country and then the relative lushness of north central Texas and Waco. We sleep with the air conditioner and wake to dew, humidity and muddy soil. We are no longer in the cold dry sandy desert. Change is good.
In the SMALL WORLD Department! Walking through the park in Ft. Stockton, we noticed a familiar rig that was also a Monaco Diplomat. Could that be the folks we enjoyed in Phoenix last winter? Of course, and why not! We had a nice dinner at the campground restaurant, then a good night drink at their home. Isn't this part of the beauty of the RV lifestyle?
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Alamogordo, NM
Nov. 6, 2010
This is to amend my previous post.
Describing the glorious sunset...and we have gotten to see a couple of more....I mentioned the pistachio "billboard." This term was grossly inadequate!
It is really a sculpture, art, if-you-will. It stands proudly on a pedestal by the side of highway 54, north of Alamogordo.
We visited the pistachio store today and Russell nailed the description - it resembles a pod from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". EXACTLY!
I should have an accompanying photo, but I am not prepared. Hopefully tomorrow.
Glad to have set the record straight. Billboard suggested such a tacky version of the reality.
This is to amend my previous post.
Describing the glorious sunset...and we have gotten to see a couple of more....I mentioned the pistachio "billboard." This term was grossly inadequate!
It is really a sculpture, art, if-you-will. It stands proudly on a pedestal by the side of highway 54, north of Alamogordo.
We visited the pistachio store today and Russell nailed the description - it resembles a pod from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". EXACTLY!
I should have an accompanying photo, but I am not prepared. Hopefully tomorrow.
Glad to have set the record straight. Billboard suggested such a tacky version of the reality.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
More about New Mexico
November 4, 2010
We left Santa Fe with a pledge to return in spring to make our way north; there is so much more New Mexico to see! We got a surprise call from my cousins, Scott and Ginger, who were in Ruidoso, NM. Ginger was heading to Albuquerque, so we made a stop and completely enjoyed a few sunny days there. Trees along the Rio Grande were still vibrant due to milder temps at night.
We drove further south today, arriving in Alamogordo, NM this afternoon. What a nice drive! We took a back road out of Albuquerque through Isletta Indian Reservation to catch up with I-25 several miles south of town - thank goodness traffic forced us off of the original route straight down the interstates. The Rio Grande announced its path with a swathe of gold, yellow, umber, brilliant colors in a brown/grey landscape. The river and road played tag, both eventually heading to Texas, like us. We turned east at San Antonio toward Carrizozo. The mountains changed from ragged to a more sloping variety. We were skirting White Sands Missile Range to the south, a more flat desolate desert than we've been seeing.
Further east we drove through another section of the Malpais, the Valley of Fire. The lava is up to 165 ft deep in some places. It is a forbidding landscape, which probably explains why we didn't stop. I mentioned taking a short walk to see it up close, which met with comments about snakes and sprained ankles. It isn't like we were going to see exotic wildflowers or anything else for that matter a few feet in from the highway. It is a sea of black rock with hard chiseled faces.
At Carrizozo we turned left for the final leg to Alamogordo, driving along the eastern perimeter of White Sands Missile Range, complete with sound effects. I was surprised by the number of orchards; nuts, grapes, and who knows what else. Tularosa is a cool little town, as is Carrizozo. This part of New Mexico is called the Tularosa Valley and forms the western edge of the Lincoln Forest. From here east the only way to drive is up to arrive at the cities of Lincoln, Ruidoso, and Cloudcroft, all popular for cool summers and winter ski areas. Lincoln County is also known for Billy the Kid, Smokey the Bear and the Lincoln County Wars. Interesting place!
We are staying at Boot Hill RV Resort, a wonderful place to stay. Our front window framed a glorious sunset tonight behind a giant pistachio billboard, White Sands and the mountains. Perfect! We are on the northern reaches of town and will explore it tomorrow. But before I close, I have to mention how perfect the air is. Clean, Clear, Cool, Sunny, Fabulous!
We left Santa Fe with a pledge to return in spring to make our way north; there is so much more New Mexico to see! We got a surprise call from my cousins, Scott and Ginger, who were in Ruidoso, NM. Ginger was heading to Albuquerque, so we made a stop and completely enjoyed a few sunny days there. Trees along the Rio Grande were still vibrant due to milder temps at night.
We drove further south today, arriving in Alamogordo, NM this afternoon. What a nice drive! We took a back road out of Albuquerque through Isletta Indian Reservation to catch up with I-25 several miles south of town - thank goodness traffic forced us off of the original route straight down the interstates. The Rio Grande announced its path with a swathe of gold, yellow, umber, brilliant colors in a brown/grey landscape. The river and road played tag, both eventually heading to Texas, like us. We turned east at San Antonio toward Carrizozo. The mountains changed from ragged to a more sloping variety. We were skirting White Sands Missile Range to the south, a more flat desolate desert than we've been seeing.
Further east we drove through another section of the Malpais, the Valley of Fire. The lava is up to 165 ft deep in some places. It is a forbidding landscape, which probably explains why we didn't stop. I mentioned taking a short walk to see it up close, which met with comments about snakes and sprained ankles. It isn't like we were going to see exotic wildflowers or anything else for that matter a few feet in from the highway. It is a sea of black rock with hard chiseled faces.
At Carrizozo we turned left for the final leg to Alamogordo, driving along the eastern perimeter of White Sands Missile Range, complete with sound effects. I was surprised by the number of orchards; nuts, grapes, and who knows what else. Tularosa is a cool little town, as is Carrizozo. This part of New Mexico is called the Tularosa Valley and forms the western edge of the Lincoln Forest. From here east the only way to drive is up to arrive at the cities of Lincoln, Ruidoso, and Cloudcroft, all popular for cool summers and winter ski areas. Lincoln County is also known for Billy the Kid, Smokey the Bear and the Lincoln County Wars. Interesting place!
We are staying at Boot Hill RV Resort, a wonderful place to stay. Our front window framed a glorious sunset tonight behind a giant pistachio billboard, White Sands and the mountains. Perfect! We are on the northern reaches of town and will explore it tomorrow. But before I close, I have to mention how perfect the air is. Clean, Clear, Cool, Sunny, Fabulous!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Day Trips
October 28, 2010
Still enjoying Santa Fe, the rain and ominous clouds finally blew away leaving sunny afternoons and early morning temps in the 20's. The leaves that have been so golden are beginning to get tired of these cold mornings and give up their claim to the trees. We have used the time to see a few towns on the outskirts of the city.
PECOS/GLORIETA
This pair of towns is east of Santa Fe on I-25, about 25m. We knew that Glorieta was the scene of a Civil War battle and we had heard that Pecos is beautiful. We caught a glimpse of what may have been the battleground on our way to Pecos where we stopped at the Ranger Station. Yes, that was it, a large rock with a plaque constitutes the entire exhibit. So we counted that one as done. The town of Pecos sits on the Pecos River, just as that town in Texas. The New Mexico version is far smaller and way prettier, not meaning to offend anyone in the good city of Texas. We drove up the canyon following the river to its source, although we didn't get that far. On the way we passed a Benedictine Monastery, a fish hatchery, a variety of campgrounds, a town (closed for the winter), aspen, cottonwoods, pines, and the river. We also saw a few people, but not many. I believe that most of the picturesque homes we saw have been vacated for the season. The area had not had snow yet, but I'm sure the next weather system will take care of that. All that driving caused a craving for a Blizzard run to the DQ, which we had passed on the way into town.
SANTA FE
Strange to say I did a day trip intown, but I went down to the historic town to see the missions, window shop and visit the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. The air was biting, but a bright sky helped moderate the temperature. I had a wonderful time just wondering around. The museum was less than I expected. Everyone I had talked to said how wonderful it is. the paintings are pure O'Keefe, and therefore terrific. But I thought there would be more of them and a greater variety of her many years of work. The videos were very well done and helped to explain her life and work. I did see a couple of paintings that were new to me that I really did enjoy
MADRID - that's MAD' rid
We had passed through this artsy town a few weeks ago but didn't stop. So this was a trip about 25m south just to check it out. It is a former mining town that sat dormant for several decades until the 1960's when it was revived, a lot like Jerome, AZ only smaller. the landscape is high desert mountains, dotted with junipers and not much else. We found out that the movie "Wild Hogs" was filmed there, adding a little more mystic to the place. One house-turned-store was a hotel of sorts in its previous life and had seen the likes of Walt Disney and Thomas Edison stay there. We had very good hamburgers and homemade fries at the historic Mine Shaft Tavern. We walked the half mile of town with the other tourists and enjoyed the afternoon.
Altogether, it has been a nice stay in Santa Fe, but we need to get south before it gets too much colder.
Still enjoying Santa Fe, the rain and ominous clouds finally blew away leaving sunny afternoons and early morning temps in the 20's. The leaves that have been so golden are beginning to get tired of these cold mornings and give up their claim to the trees. We have used the time to see a few towns on the outskirts of the city.
PECOS/GLORIETA
This pair of towns is east of Santa Fe on I-25, about 25m. We knew that Glorieta was the scene of a Civil War battle and we had heard that Pecos is beautiful. We caught a glimpse of what may have been the battleground on our way to Pecos where we stopped at the Ranger Station. Yes, that was it, a large rock with a plaque constitutes the entire exhibit. So we counted that one as done. The town of Pecos sits on the Pecos River, just as that town in Texas. The New Mexico version is far smaller and way prettier, not meaning to offend anyone in the good city of Texas. We drove up the canyon following the river to its source, although we didn't get that far. On the way we passed a Benedictine Monastery, a fish hatchery, a variety of campgrounds, a town (closed for the winter), aspen, cottonwoods, pines, and the river. We also saw a few people, but not many. I believe that most of the picturesque homes we saw have been vacated for the season. The area had not had snow yet, but I'm sure the next weather system will take care of that. All that driving caused a craving for a Blizzard run to the DQ, which we had passed on the way into town.
SANTA FE
Strange to say I did a day trip intown, but I went down to the historic town to see the missions, window shop and visit the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. The air was biting, but a bright sky helped moderate the temperature. I had a wonderful time just wondering around. The museum was less than I expected. Everyone I had talked to said how wonderful it is. the paintings are pure O'Keefe, and therefore terrific. But I thought there would be more of them and a greater variety of her many years of work. The videos were very well done and helped to explain her life and work. I did see a couple of paintings that were new to me that I really did enjoy
MADRID - that's MAD' rid
We had passed through this artsy town a few weeks ago but didn't stop. So this was a trip about 25m south just to check it out. It is a former mining town that sat dormant for several decades until the 1960's when it was revived, a lot like Jerome, AZ only smaller. the landscape is high desert mountains, dotted with junipers and not much else. We found out that the movie "Wild Hogs" was filmed there, adding a little more mystic to the place. One house-turned-store was a hotel of sorts in its previous life and had seen the likes of Walt Disney and Thomas Edison stay there. We had very good hamburgers and homemade fries at the historic Mine Shaft Tavern. We walked the half mile of town with the other tourists and enjoyed the afternoon.
Altogether, it has been a nice stay in Santa Fe, but we need to get south before it gets too much colder.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Highway Crosses
October 24, 2010
As we've driven across a fairly big section of the country I have noticed the far too many crosses that dot our highways. Some roadways are such that you anticipate their presence before seeing the crosses, others surprise you. I've often thought about the variety across the nation: some areas seen to limit their appearance to a simple, small, white cross; others are very elaborate personalized tributes. Whatever their form, all have the same meaning. A precious loved one has died. I hate to think how many of these lives were very short indeed. How many of these car accidents took the lives of children? Not really wanting to know the answer to that one.
Did the family erect the cross as a reminder of their love? as a warning to a dangerous intersection? as a plea for prayers to ease the pain? Each cross gets the same response from me, and I'm sure from many others. I offer a short, silent prayer to the family, to the many who traverse this way that they do so safely, that the people we love will never have such a plaintive marker on a roadway to tell of their passing.
Today at the Rio Grande Gorge parking area, where vendors sit at tables outside their cars, I was surprised by such a marker. So I took the picture to go with the blog I've often thought of writing, but hadn't. Until now.
Taos,NM
October 24, 2010
We have been in Santa Fe for several days, straying very little from the RV park. This has been by choice, it's a nice park and we have been relaxing, but also due to threatening weather. Looking at the weather, today seemed the best shot at a drive to Taos.
And it was a wonderful day to drive along the Rio Grande, up hill all the way! The trees are golden! They just shimmered in the breezes, flashing the sunrays to show off their brilliance. We enjoyed a stroll through the town, I even bought myself a very cute hat. We also stopped at the visitor center for the Gorge. We got a lot of info in addition to getting our bearings.
The one thing I wanted to see was the Rio Grande Gorge. And it was well worth the extra drive northwest of town. At the gorge, you are on table land with mountains in the distance. A bridge spans the gap created by the river. It reminded me of the canyons we've visited. Who knows what will develop under that quarter mile of bridge over the next millennium. For now, though, it is a monochromatic wonder. The rock, minimal vegetation, and water are all a deep turquoise, brownish-blue. I was afraid of dropping my phone while taking pictures, therefore, the photos don't tell the whole story. Driving back to Santa Fe, the river and valley met on a more equal footing. Gradually the rock cliffs yielded to wide fertile valleys that have sustained people for many generations and cultures.
About the photos. I took quite a few. Unfortunately most of them turned out to be videos. This learning new stuff is a drag!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Santa Fe, NM
October 20, 2010
It has been quite a week! Watching the Rangers has commanded a large amount of our time, with good results! Yeah, they lost tonight, but we have high hopes for Friday. They have already done better than any previous year, so we're good!
After the game tonight we heard the weather forecast for this evening; Tijeras is in for hail tonight. Why is this important? We left this small town just east of Albuquerque yesterday. When we selected this destination, Passport America was all we knew, half price-yeah! Tijeras has more to offer, however. It is just off the Turquoise Trail, the back road to Santa Fe and the back of Sandia Peak. It seems that these mountains were once about 30,000 ft elevation with a large sea on the east side. These events created the mineral deposits so rich in this area: gold, silver, coal, and even turquoise. We also found an amazing pizza in Tijeras at the Trail Rider. We met Jerome at the Hidden Valley RV Park. Jerome is a retired veteran, along with many other interesting careers. His current occupation is to keep an outstanding library at the park. he is an excellent tour guide, and has all materials ready for you to take off and enjoy.
Another feature of Hidden Valley; no Internet! Again! This has become a real issue that we have tried to remedy. We have been with AT&T for years, but comparing their coverage to Verizon prompted more research and the decision to change carriers. Suddenly all the of Russell's efforts fell into place. We are getting much better reception for tethering to the computer, we can both connect through tethering a single phone, and the plan is much better to boot! The antenna that Russell installed really helps to support the network beautifully. So we have spent quite a bit of time getting to know our new Palm Pre phones, online tutorials and a lot of practice.
We are staying at The Trailer Ranch in Santa Fe for at least a week. The weather has been wonderful, sunny mild days, cool nights. Many trees are some shade of golden and just beautiful. We have gotten to the grocery store, the tire store -thank you Discount Tire for finding that nail-and the mall. All good places. If the weather clears tomorrow we will make our way to Old Town for the less mundane sights. We were here decades ago and look forward to revisiting the adobe buildings that are 400 years old.
For right now, we have rain and a chill to the air at 10:30, so it is time to sleep.
It has been quite a week! Watching the Rangers has commanded a large amount of our time, with good results! Yeah, they lost tonight, but we have high hopes for Friday. They have already done better than any previous year, so we're good!
After the game tonight we heard the weather forecast for this evening; Tijeras is in for hail tonight. Why is this important? We left this small town just east of Albuquerque yesterday. When we selected this destination, Passport America was all we knew, half price-yeah! Tijeras has more to offer, however. It is just off the Turquoise Trail, the back road to Santa Fe and the back of Sandia Peak. It seems that these mountains were once about 30,000 ft elevation with a large sea on the east side. These events created the mineral deposits so rich in this area: gold, silver, coal, and even turquoise. We also found an amazing pizza in Tijeras at the Trail Rider. We met Jerome at the Hidden Valley RV Park. Jerome is a retired veteran, along with many other interesting careers. His current occupation is to keep an outstanding library at the park. he is an excellent tour guide, and has all materials ready for you to take off and enjoy.
Another feature of Hidden Valley; no Internet! Again! This has become a real issue that we have tried to remedy. We have been with AT&T for years, but comparing their coverage to Verizon prompted more research and the decision to change carriers. Suddenly all the of Russell's efforts fell into place. We are getting much better reception for tethering to the computer, we can both connect through tethering a single phone, and the plan is much better to boot! The antenna that Russell installed really helps to support the network beautifully. So we have spent quite a bit of time getting to know our new Palm Pre phones, online tutorials and a lot of practice.
We are staying at The Trailer Ranch in Santa Fe for at least a week. The weather has been wonderful, sunny mild days, cool nights. Many trees are some shade of golden and just beautiful. We have gotten to the grocery store, the tire store -thank you Discount Tire for finding that nail-and the mall. All good places. If the weather clears tomorrow we will make our way to Old Town for the less mundane sights. We were here decades ago and look forward to revisiting the adobe buildings that are 400 years old.
For right now, we have rain and a chill to the air at 10:30, so it is time to sleep.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Socorro, NM
October 14, 2010
First time to Socorro! We had a very good Mexican dinner, cruised town a bit, and we will be on our way in the a.m. This is a mail stop, we haven't been any place for very long recently, so we picked a place we thought we might be a week down the road. This decision got us off of I-40 and on to US -60. We have seen much new terrain today, mostly high desert, but some variety made the drive interesting. We cruised through towns like: Quemoda, Pie Town, Datil, and Magdaline. Each had a similar look only varying in size from small to extremely, did-we-miss-it, small. We did stop in Pie Town and had our first ever $5 slice of pie, a la mode will be $2.50 extra! They did have some interesting combinations, Peanut Butter Pecan almost tempted me, but we went for All American Apple and Triple Berry. Both were tasty.
We slowed down, but did not stop, as we passed the Very Large Array. This set of satellite dishes was built for the purpose of catching signals from outer space. In anticipation of arrival, we talked about documentaries we've seen on the topic and even the movie with Jodie Foster playing the lady who got the whole project underway. Titles on that one escaped the memory, but we had the gist. In fact, we knew enough to feel justified to keep on rolling. Point: it's pretty cool to see and I'm sure the info/visitor center has a lot to offer, like the title of the movie!
The last week did not go quite as planned. We spent a wonderful day and evening in Alpine with the Rutherford's and not only enjoyed that, Russell got bitten by the "real estate bug." The scenery is so beautiful in Alpine, though, I think most anyone would be stricken the same way. We went to Show Low to chase down one property and checked into the local state park for 1 night. That was on Tuesday, we actually left today, Thursday. The park is really nice! We were camped right next to the lake and enjoyed entertainment by ducks, geese, and kids. Sunsets were pretty cool too! The town has a lot to offer as well. Nice people and more real estate opportunities. But we are the proverbial "tire kickers" and left empty handed.
Tomorrow we head back to Albequerque, NM. We were there just over night last year. We will stay about a week this time. We even plan to check the weather to see if it is not too late for a trip to Sante Fe. We are definitely FAIR WEATHER FRIENDS! We want nothing to do with bad weather of any kind. We met people today who were caught in a hail storm near Mesa Verde, AZ. Their coach was really a mess with thousands of dollars of repairs to be done.
First time to Socorro! We had a very good Mexican dinner, cruised town a bit, and we will be on our way in the a.m. This is a mail stop, we haven't been any place for very long recently, so we picked a place we thought we might be a week down the road. This decision got us off of I-40 and on to US -60. We have seen much new terrain today, mostly high desert, but some variety made the drive interesting. We cruised through towns like: Quemoda, Pie Town, Datil, and Magdaline. Each had a similar look only varying in size from small to extremely, did-we-miss-it, small. We did stop in Pie Town and had our first ever $5 slice of pie, a la mode will be $2.50 extra! They did have some interesting combinations, Peanut Butter Pecan almost tempted me, but we went for All American Apple and Triple Berry. Both were tasty.
We slowed down, but did not stop, as we passed the Very Large Array. This set of satellite dishes was built for the purpose of catching signals from outer space. In anticipation of arrival, we talked about documentaries we've seen on the topic and even the movie with Jodie Foster playing the lady who got the whole project underway. Titles on that one escaped the memory, but we had the gist. In fact, we knew enough to feel justified to keep on rolling. Point: it's pretty cool to see and I'm sure the info/visitor center has a lot to offer, like the title of the movie!
The last week did not go quite as planned. We spent a wonderful day and evening in Alpine with the Rutherford's and not only enjoyed that, Russell got bitten by the "real estate bug." The scenery is so beautiful in Alpine, though, I think most anyone would be stricken the same way. We went to Show Low to chase down one property and checked into the local state park for 1 night. That was on Tuesday, we actually left today, Thursday. The park is really nice! We were camped right next to the lake and enjoyed entertainment by ducks, geese, and kids. Sunsets were pretty cool too! The town has a lot to offer as well. Nice people and more real estate opportunities. But we are the proverbial "tire kickers" and left empty handed.
Tomorrow we head back to Albequerque, NM. We were there just over night last year. We will stay about a week this time. We even plan to check the weather to see if it is not too late for a trip to Sante Fe. We are definitely FAIR WEATHER FRIENDS! We want nothing to do with bad weather of any kind. We met people today who were caught in a hail storm near Mesa Verde, AZ. Their coach was really a mess with thousands of dollars of repairs to be done.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Reserve, NM
October 5, 2010
Reserve CAN be found on a New Mexico map! Look way left, just before the AZ border, about midway between I-40 and I-10. A few facts: it is the county seat for Catron County, the least densely populated one of New Mexico, which I think is really saying something! Reserve has about 400 folks, a pretty fair grocery/general store, several restaurants, a filling station, bank, and a smattering of county and US government buildings. It sits in the Gila National Forest at about 6000 ft. elevation.
Why are we here? Visiting with some long-time friends who are "ranch sitting" for some of their friends and we were invited along for fun, mainly ours. We are sharing the beautiful landscape with 3 dogs, 3 chickens, a few cattle and horses, and a bunch of elk, bear, birds, and all the other creatures of the forest. it is quite serene! There is nothing quite like getting a free week just for knowing the right people!
We just went on our first ever ATV ride. Russell did an excellent job of driving the rugged mountain path and I held on for dear life. Since I had also never ridden a motorcycle, this was a really new experience for me. Russell loved the thrill of reliving his motorcycle days in college.
I'll play a little catch-up for a minute. We really enjoyed the scenic route on US 90, we even got an unexpected detour through Ft. Davis, one of our favorite places. We got to spend 3 days back at Las Cruces, and a special visit from nephew Michael and his family, Stephanie and Parker. We were really enjoying a mild Las Cruces evening until the mosquitoes attacked and drove us inside very quickly. There was a mad relay to bring in the food and then all was well again. Our next stop was Silver City, a very cool small city in the foothills.
The plan is to hang around this western New Mexico area, maybe even slip over the border to Arizona, and soak up as much enchantment as we can.
Reserve CAN be found on a New Mexico map! Look way left, just before the AZ border, about midway between I-40 and I-10. A few facts: it is the county seat for Catron County, the least densely populated one of New Mexico, which I think is really saying something! Reserve has about 400 folks, a pretty fair grocery/general store, several restaurants, a filling station, bank, and a smattering of county and US government buildings. It sits in the Gila National Forest at about 6000 ft. elevation.
Why are we here? Visiting with some long-time friends who are "ranch sitting" for some of their friends and we were invited along for fun, mainly ours. We are sharing the beautiful landscape with 3 dogs, 3 chickens, a few cattle and horses, and a bunch of elk, bear, birds, and all the other creatures of the forest. it is quite serene! There is nothing quite like getting a free week just for knowing the right people!
We just went on our first ever ATV ride. Russell did an excellent job of driving the rugged mountain path and I held on for dear life. Since I had also never ridden a motorcycle, this was a really new experience for me. Russell loved the thrill of reliving his motorcycle days in college.
I'll play a little catch-up for a minute. We really enjoyed the scenic route on US 90, we even got an unexpected detour through Ft. Davis, one of our favorite places. We got to spend 3 days back at Las Cruces, and a special visit from nephew Michael and his family, Stephanie and Parker. We were really enjoying a mild Las Cruces evening until the mosquitoes attacked and drove us inside very quickly. There was a mad relay to bring in the food and then all was well again. Our next stop was Silver City, a very cool small city in the foothills.
The plan is to hang around this western New Mexico area, maybe even slip over the border to Arizona, and soak up as much enchantment as we can.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Marathon, TX
September 26, 2010
We left Hondo this morning in rain and the memory of heat from yesterday. Not the case in Marathon! We spent the day following the Rio Grande, west and north, to much cooler temps and very few clouds in sight. The wind, however, is at its usual west Texas gustiness.We spent a very nice week in Houston, rain daily, but family and friends are well worth the humidity.
We elected to drive US 90 for an alternate route west to Reserve, NM. and glad we did. Staying on I-10 through San Antonio is painful in an RV, but staying west on US 90 was a breeze! This was our easiest trip thurough SA, TX. First stop was Hondo and the Alamo Area Escapees Co-op. It was our first visit to both. Hondo is a pretty nice town located in terrain somewhere between hill country and south Texas plains. They have a whole bunch of cotton in that area and farmers busy getting it in while others are plowing for the next season. As members of Escapees, the co-ops are a very good deal. You spend $15+elec to stay at someone's improved site. The advantage to this is a very wide, well-maintained RV site. The clubhouse is usually nice and folks are friendly. We are looking at a few co-ops on this trip to see if we want to settle into one of them, but no time soon, we are ready to roam!
On the trip today we had very little traffic, a good thing on a 2-lane road. But what we did see was wonderful. We went through Sabinal, Uvalde, Bracketteville, DelRio and Sanderson. Sabinal was a nice small town, Uvalde, however, however, was way better than expected. What a nice town, very clean, and very busy. We were looking forward to seeing Bracketteville, the setting for the Alamo movie. We were impressed with Fort Clark Springs but never saw an indication of the filming location. I guess that was a long time ago. The Fort has a museum of John Nance Garner, we really should have stopped, but then we would have missed the very best part of the day....
A BALD EAGLE! Russell spotted him in a mesquite tree along the road. He was a beauty! I don't know if he sweated out the summer here or had just arrived for the season, but he looked happy. We saw a smiling bald eagle in south Texas.
Spending tonight in Marathon, home of the Gage Hotel, which I understand has marvelous buffalo steak. This is according to our world-traveling friend, Nick. We may walk down there for dessert.
We left Hondo this morning in rain and the memory of heat from yesterday. Not the case in Marathon! We spent the day following the Rio Grande, west and north, to much cooler temps and very few clouds in sight. The wind, however, is at its usual west Texas gustiness.We spent a very nice week in Houston, rain daily, but family and friends are well worth the humidity.
We elected to drive US 90 for an alternate route west to Reserve, NM. and glad we did. Staying on I-10 through San Antonio is painful in an RV, but staying west on US 90 was a breeze! This was our easiest trip thurough SA, TX. First stop was Hondo and the Alamo Area Escapees Co-op. It was our first visit to both. Hondo is a pretty nice town located in terrain somewhere between hill country and south Texas plains. They have a whole bunch of cotton in that area and farmers busy getting it in while others are plowing for the next season. As members of Escapees, the co-ops are a very good deal. You spend $15+elec to stay at someone's improved site. The advantage to this is a very wide, well-maintained RV site. The clubhouse is usually nice and folks are friendly. We are looking at a few co-ops on this trip to see if we want to settle into one of them, but no time soon, we are ready to roam!
On the trip today we had very little traffic, a good thing on a 2-lane road. But what we did see was wonderful. We went through Sabinal, Uvalde, Bracketteville, DelRio and Sanderson. Sabinal was a nice small town, Uvalde, however, however, was way better than expected. What a nice town, very clean, and very busy. We were looking forward to seeing Bracketteville, the setting for the Alamo movie. We were impressed with Fort Clark Springs but never saw an indication of the filming location. I guess that was a long time ago. The Fort has a museum of John Nance Garner, we really should have stopped, but then we would have missed the very best part of the day....
A BALD EAGLE! Russell spotted him in a mesquite tree along the road. He was a beauty! I don't know if he sweated out the summer here or had just arrived for the season, but he looked happy. We saw a smiling bald eagle in south Texas.
Spending tonight in Marathon, home of the Gage Hotel, which I understand has marvelous buffalo steak. This is according to our world-traveling friend, Nick. We may walk down there for dessert.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Austin, TX
September 11, 2010
Logged in to see photos commemorating the 9th anniversary of the terrorists attacks. I don't mean to ignore or demean the loss of all of those lives, of the change of culture our nation experienced and continues to, but I do not need to return to the feelings I had. The selfish ones of a mother of a young man. I have to take stock of the fact that my fears were not realized, but so many mothers do not know that relief. How do we view those countries whose day-to-day lives are filled with many such acts of terror? We had planned to visit the site of the Pennsylvania plane crash when we turned for home. I hope we get back to see it. To pay respect to them and to all the other lives that changed on that day 9 year ago.
On a lighter note, we toured Austin last night on a quest for an "old Austin" place to eat. We drove Lamar from Rundburgh Lane to Manchaca Rd., a long, slow drive at 5:30. We saw a few recognizable places, but mainly we saw change. This is not the same town that we loved in the late '60's and early '70's and of course it is very different from the Austin my parents moved to as newly-wed students in 1949. But I'm guessing that the new students of 2010 look with the same eyes as previous generations.
Among the most noteworthy new-Austin sights: a metro train(Austin shouldn't be big enough to need this), a new pedestrian only bridge across the Colorado(very good!), an Organic Mattress Store (didn't know we needed one), frisbee golf at Pease Park. Most of the fast food places that we frequented are long gone and the ones still here are sporting unfamiliar names, which I guess means they are still locally owned, a good thing. Of course all the national chains are represented. We spotted Threadgills fairly early, "too early," said Russell. Two hours later, I was pretty hungry and suggested Threadgills, "Too late, it'll be packed!" So the Black-Eyed Pea looked good and uncrowded. It probably fit our profile better than Threadgills does anyway!
Logged in to see photos commemorating the 9th anniversary of the terrorists attacks. I don't mean to ignore or demean the loss of all of those lives, of the change of culture our nation experienced and continues to, but I do not need to return to the feelings I had. The selfish ones of a mother of a young man. I have to take stock of the fact that my fears were not realized, but so many mothers do not know that relief. How do we view those countries whose day-to-day lives are filled with many such acts of terror? We had planned to visit the site of the Pennsylvania plane crash when we turned for home. I hope we get back to see it. To pay respect to them and to all the other lives that changed on that day 9 year ago.
On a lighter note, we toured Austin last night on a quest for an "old Austin" place to eat. We drove Lamar from Rundburgh Lane to Manchaca Rd., a long, slow drive at 5:30. We saw a few recognizable places, but mainly we saw change. This is not the same town that we loved in the late '60's and early '70's and of course it is very different from the Austin my parents moved to as newly-wed students in 1949. But I'm guessing that the new students of 2010 look with the same eyes as previous generations.
Among the most noteworthy new-Austin sights: a metro train(Austin shouldn't be big enough to need this), a new pedestrian only bridge across the Colorado(very good!), an Organic Mattress Store (didn't know we needed one), frisbee golf at Pease Park. Most of the fast food places that we frequented are long gone and the ones still here are sporting unfamiliar names, which I guess means they are still locally owned, a good thing. Of course all the national chains are represented. We spotted Threadgills fairly early, "too early," said Russell. Two hours later, I was pretty hungry and suggested Threadgills, "Too late, it'll be packed!" So the Black-Eyed Pea looked good and uncrowded. It probably fit our profile better than Threadgills does anyway!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Waco with Hermine
Sept. 8, 2010
We are at the Midway COE RV Park on Lake Waco. Beautiful grounds, the lake, great campsite with picnic table and grill, even some left over wood right there, watching Hurricane Hermine pass on through. We have "reserved" tables at Starbucks where I've just made my latest discovery!
A FREE BOOK! (my favorite kind) www.bookcrossing.com is the website label on the inside and I just visited it for the first time. You "catch" the book, log on to record the BCID number and where found. You read the book then "release" it, write a review and log where the book is at that time. You can trace how long the book travels and where. Each book has its very own blog.....Like We Do! the website tells you how to download your own labels and numbers to adopt other books for the "catch and release" program. I am anxious to read and release, and release some of my excess baggage with labels to see where they travel next.
Otherwise, life is good in Texas. We had wonderful weather for walks and BBQ's at Bluff Dale. We got to visit with many friends in the area. Dallas was typically busy, but great to enjoy family. We are doing the same in Waco, but leave tomorrow for Austin and more of the same. Next Stop: Houston!
Along the way we are visiting libraries and graveyards working on family tree. This has been great fun and we have met a few, very distant, cousins while enjoying some of the current ones. Nice Combo!
Russell is packed up and ready to roll, more later.
We are at the Midway COE RV Park on Lake Waco. Beautiful grounds, the lake, great campsite with picnic table and grill, even some left over wood right there, watching Hurricane Hermine pass on through. We have "reserved" tables at Starbucks where I've just made my latest discovery!
A FREE BOOK! (my favorite kind) www.bookcrossing.com is the website label on the inside and I just visited it for the first time. You "catch" the book, log on to record the BCID number and where found. You read the book then "release" it, write a review and log where the book is at that time. You can trace how long the book travels and where. Each book has its very own blog.....Like We Do! the website tells you how to download your own labels and numbers to adopt other books for the "catch and release" program. I am anxious to read and release, and release some of my excess baggage with labels to see where they travel next.
Otherwise, life is good in Texas. We had wonderful weather for walks and BBQ's at Bluff Dale. We got to visit with many friends in the area. Dallas was typically busy, but great to enjoy family. We are doing the same in Waco, but leave tomorrow for Austin and more of the same. Next Stop: Houston!
Along the way we are visiting libraries and graveyards working on family tree. This has been great fun and we have met a few, very distant, cousins while enjoying some of the current ones. Nice Combo!
Russell is packed up and ready to roll, more later.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Waco Notes
August 13, 2010,
Waco in August! Not our first choice of locations at this time of year, but not all bad either! No rain, swimming pool is the right temp, the a/c gets a work out, the advantages go on and on. Needless to say, there is not much to write about in terms of "sightseeing." So, I write about what we have been doing: maintenance!
Russell has changed 4 different filters; generator oil and fuel, diesel oil and coolant. He has drained and filled 18 quarts of oil in the diesel and 3 quarts in the generator. We inadvertently changed the coolant fluids in response to 5 gallons that drained when changing the coolant filter. He greased about 20 certs -insertion points...our vocabulary is expanding! We are almost ready to get on the road and listen to her purr! Even considering the cost of 2 shirts that became trash after all of this industry, Russell's handiwork saved us several hundred dollars in labor costs.
But the engines are not the only items to receive attention! The front drapery liners were badly stained with sun and water from condensation on the massive front window. Russell found a fabric that is suppose to weather more gracefully and I found a lady willing to do the work. So I ripped out the pleats and the old liner then took the drapes to Nel, who did a beautiful job fitting the new fabric. I have to tell you, that as I ripped out seam of drapes and skin of fingers, I had my doubts about the worthiness of this labor. The impact is drastic! Nel's finishing is better than the original and the drapes look new, both from inside and out. This was a job well worth doing!
Add to this a flurry of cleaning, trips to storage and goodwill, and a general organization shift, and we are feeling better. An RV wash and wax is in the near future as well.
The owners have also gotten a dose of maintenance. Both of us have started exercising, yet again. And I have been to the eye doctor and can now see much better and far more comfortably. All-in-all, Waco in August is a pretty good thing!
Waco in August! Not our first choice of locations at this time of year, but not all bad either! No rain, swimming pool is the right temp, the a/c gets a work out, the advantages go on and on. Needless to say, there is not much to write about in terms of "sightseeing." So, I write about what we have been doing: maintenance!
Russell has changed 4 different filters; generator oil and fuel, diesel oil and coolant. He has drained and filled 18 quarts of oil in the diesel and 3 quarts in the generator. We inadvertently changed the coolant fluids in response to 5 gallons that drained when changing the coolant filter. He greased about 20 certs -insertion points...our vocabulary is expanding! We are almost ready to get on the road and listen to her purr! Even considering the cost of 2 shirts that became trash after all of this industry, Russell's handiwork saved us several hundred dollars in labor costs.
But the engines are not the only items to receive attention! The front drapery liners were badly stained with sun and water from condensation on the massive front window. Russell found a fabric that is suppose to weather more gracefully and I found a lady willing to do the work. So I ripped out the pleats and the old liner then took the drapes to Nel, who did a beautiful job fitting the new fabric. I have to tell you, that as I ripped out seam of drapes and skin of fingers, I had my doubts about the worthiness of this labor. The impact is drastic! Nel's finishing is better than the original and the drapes look new, both from inside and out. This was a job well worth doing!
Add to this a flurry of cleaning, trips to storage and goodwill, and a general organization shift, and we are feeling better. An RV wash and wax is in the near future as well.
The owners have also gotten a dose of maintenance. Both of us have started exercising, yet again. And I have been to the eye doctor and can now see much better and far more comfortably. All-in-all, Waco in August is a pretty good thing!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Waco Notes
August 1, 2010
We spent the morning with Betty, Russell's 87 year old mom. She is sleeping more often than not, and other signs that do not bode well. It is good that we are here.
But we have discovered other reasons it is good for us to be here:
We spent the morning with Betty, Russell's 87 year old mom. She is sleeping more often than not, and other signs that do not bode well. It is good that we are here.
But we have discovered other reasons it is good for us to be here:
- We have a lot of work to do! I'll detail all of the maintenance Russell has in store at another time, it is extensive! He has had some work done previously, but is into DIY for learning and savings purposes.
- We need to reorganize, yet again. And our storage room is here.
- It is good to be not moving for the foreseeable future, or at least not navigating new territory. There is a lot to be said for knowing how to get from point A to B, less stressful. Well, usually it is.
- We are close to family and friends. Nice.
We spent some time in the pool yesterday and one of the men there told us about Pandoraradio.com. I'm currently grooving to a Maroon 5 mix. I highly recommend this site. Of course most of you are more hip than I am and you are already there!
Anyway, we are semi-stationary for the near future, so blogs will be less frequent and less touristy, if that is possible.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
WV, KY, and back to TN
July 28, 2010
Russell is currently racking up the total of states covered in our trip so far, 23. He has just colored in the most recent one on our Good Sam's map that is posted in the cabinet. Tonight we are just north of Nashville and will get to Waco in two or three days.
About Wal-Mart boondocking: maybe better in cooler weather! It was hot! In our Civil War frame of mind, Russell recalled an anecdote about Stonewall Jackson. It seems he would sleep under a wet sheet when in hot weather. Sounded like a good idea, but really messy if you aren't sleeping on the ground. Another thing: shopping carts. The Barboursville, WV Wal-mart had the neatest parking lot of the year last night. Russell corraled carts to insure that none of them were going to come crashing into us. The one that crashed into the RV interrupted one of the few sleeping moments of the night. Poor guy was back out to the parking lot. I think Russell was just taking advantage of the cooler breezes outside. So tonight we are plugged in with a/c at a campground. NICE!
A couple of notes from earlier posts:
Russell is currently racking up the total of states covered in our trip so far, 23. He has just colored in the most recent one on our Good Sam's map that is posted in the cabinet. Tonight we are just north of Nashville and will get to Waco in two or three days.
About Wal-Mart boondocking: maybe better in cooler weather! It was hot! In our Civil War frame of mind, Russell recalled an anecdote about Stonewall Jackson. It seems he would sleep under a wet sheet when in hot weather. Sounded like a good idea, but really messy if you aren't sleeping on the ground. Another thing: shopping carts. The Barboursville, WV Wal-mart had the neatest parking lot of the year last night. Russell corraled carts to insure that none of them were going to come crashing into us. The one that crashed into the RV interrupted one of the few sleeping moments of the night. Poor guy was back out to the parking lot. I think Russell was just taking advantage of the cooler breezes outside. So tonight we are plugged in with a/c at a campground. NICE!
A couple of notes from earlier posts:
- In southwestern Virginia, I wrote about these really old log structures, not barns, not houses. We just couldn't figure out what they were. Paul Urie told us that these are drying houses for tobacco and they are as old as they appear to be.
- On the WV freeway, Russell commented on mowers on the road shoulders. I didn't get it until seeing another such rig later. The men drive the shoulder in CAT machinery with a shredder attached to arms that go over the railing to mow the down slope. The road drops off so steeply that this is the only way to get the job done. Amazing!
Amazing. Beautiful. Spectacular. Superlatives that I'm using over and over again to describe this wonderful (there's another one) country.
We are MOST FORTUNATE!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
PA, MD, WV
We've sort of been busy! News from Waco is confusing enough to prompt an about-face and head for Texas. So a number of nice folks in Pennsylvania allowed us to renege and we are on our way, spending tonight just west of Charleston, WV courtesy of Wal-Mart, a first for us. I asked the nice greeter if wifi was available anywhere in the store, response: "I've been wondering what exactly that is!" I took that as a NO, but did fill her in before moving on.
The west side of Appalachian Mts is decidedly rougher than the east, or at least from our viewpoints of the 2. The farms of Pennsylvania and Maryland are wonderful, with rotated crops spanning the hillsides. If you can't farm going up, you are out of place here. There are no observable farms in West Virgina! This is way more rugged and forested. The trees are massive. The entire drive was delightful.
We did get to Gettysburg Battlefield on Saturday, I should have written about it earlier. The auto tour circles the city, those people were under siege for 3 days. So much has been written about the event, I certainly can't add any insights here, but I can offer advise. We had read the novel Killer Angels prior to the trip and visited and read about other battlegrounds. We often refer to a wonderful history book given to us by the Scoggins'. Then we watched a couple of movies on the topic. We got so much more out of the experience by immersing as opposed to just dropping in and visiting the site. Talking to local experts was icing on the cake!
The west side of Appalachian Mts is decidedly rougher than the east, or at least from our viewpoints of the 2. The farms of Pennsylvania and Maryland are wonderful, with rotated crops spanning the hillsides. If you can't farm going up, you are out of place here. There are no observable farms in West Virgina! This is way more rugged and forested. The trees are massive. The entire drive was delightful.
We did get to Gettysburg Battlefield on Saturday, I should have written about it earlier. The auto tour circles the city, those people were under siege for 3 days. So much has been written about the event, I certainly can't add any insights here, but I can offer advise. We had read the novel Killer Angels prior to the trip and visited and read about other battlegrounds. We often refer to a wonderful history book given to us by the Scoggins'. Then we watched a couple of movies on the topic. We got so much more out of the experience by immersing as opposed to just dropping in and visiting the site. Talking to local experts was icing on the cake!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Shenandoah Valley
July 23, 2010
Our campground at Verona held a lot of promise...that largely went unfufilled. All that beauty was overshadowed by events and attitude. So most of the week was spent in-house working, or driving futility trying to find things. But then came Friday.
After getting our work out of the way, we drove south to Lexington, VA. This is a gem! The town is just lovely and would be a good day trip if that were all there was. However, it holds so much history, that is the reason for visiting. We drove through VMI - huge! We missed the museum, but learned that it was burned to the ground, along with most of Lexington, by Sherman; seems he lit more than Atlanta. We walked through a small portion of Washington and Lee University to visit the Lee Chapel. He was buried below the chapel in the cript built for his family, with Traveller just outside in the garden. The room above the cript and just behind the altar contains a lifesized statue of Lee in repose that is really beautiful. Lee was president of the university for the last 5 years of his life and completely innovated their curriculum during that time. His son was an instructor at VMI, and later became president at Washington Lee. We also visited the home of Stonewall Jackson, also an instructor at VMI for the 2 years he lived there. We really enjoyed the afternoon there.
We got back to camp to find a whole new rowdy place. It seems the weekend party starts early, a fact we missed since our arrival was on Monday morning. On Friday we were glad to be leaving before the place filled up and more partying got started. We must be getting very old!
Leaving, we turned left.
Now all week we had turned right on US 11, taking care of business. I wonder how different our stay would have been if we had just turned left earlier. The most amazing homes and hillsides were just waiting there to be discovered. Green upon green, rolling, gentle, graceful, amazing. While riding along, I was trying to compose this paragraph and knew for sure that my vocabulary was too limited, or maybe the language is not beautiful enough to explain what we saw. But the whole day was like that. We traveled north on I-81 through West Virgina, then Maryland, taking a left in southern Pennsylvania.
Today we are heading over to Gettysburg, prepared to be awed.
Our campground at Verona held a lot of promise...that largely went unfufilled. All that beauty was overshadowed by events and attitude. So most of the week was spent in-house working, or driving futility trying to find things. But then came Friday.
After getting our work out of the way, we drove south to Lexington, VA. This is a gem! The town is just lovely and would be a good day trip if that were all there was. However, it holds so much history, that is the reason for visiting. We drove through VMI - huge! We missed the museum, but learned that it was burned to the ground, along with most of Lexington, by Sherman; seems he lit more than Atlanta. We walked through a small portion of Washington and Lee University to visit the Lee Chapel. He was buried below the chapel in the cript built for his family, with Traveller just outside in the garden. The room above the cript and just behind the altar contains a lifesized statue of Lee in repose that is really beautiful. Lee was president of the university for the last 5 years of his life and completely innovated their curriculum during that time. His son was an instructor at VMI, and later became president at Washington Lee. We also visited the home of Stonewall Jackson, also an instructor at VMI for the 2 years he lived there. We really enjoyed the afternoon there.
We got back to camp to find a whole new rowdy place. It seems the weekend party starts early, a fact we missed since our arrival was on Monday morning. On Friday we were glad to be leaving before the place filled up and more partying got started. We must be getting very old!
Leaving, we turned left.
Now all week we had turned right on US 11, taking care of business. I wonder how different our stay would have been if we had just turned left earlier. The most amazing homes and hillsides were just waiting there to be discovered. Green upon green, rolling, gentle, graceful, amazing. While riding along, I was trying to compose this paragraph and knew for sure that my vocabulary was too limited, or maybe the language is not beautiful enough to explain what we saw. But the whole day was like that. We traveled north on I-81 through West Virgina, then Maryland, taking a left in southern Pennsylvania.
Today we are heading over to Gettysburg, prepared to be awed.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Blue Ridge Mts., VA
July 20, 2010
We are settled at the next campground, with a few events of note in the getting here.
The evening prior to leaving Rocky Mount, we decided to take a short, no big-deal walk down the country road. Russell kept saying, "Is that a cat in the road?" We got close enough to see that the approaching red-furred animal was actually a fox! HOW COOL! That's when the rain started. The fox headed for near-by shelter, more from us than rain, I'm sure. We turned and headed for home, much further away. But nobody melted, and we were in for the evening. Of course, the rain ended just after we got dry. That's just the way things go.
We enjoyed the short drive up I-81 to Verona, VA and the Shenandoah Valley Campground. We were early, the designated space for our stay was still occupied. So took the staff advice and just left the RV and car in the drive, and hung around inside the office/store/restaurant. We were standing at the window, admiring the park, when a boy on a bike came into view headed right for our rig! Certainly he would look up and see it sitting there! Everyone in the store heard the THUD as he hit, bike then boy, headlong into our grill. We both saw it and were dumbfounded, but recovered to be the first to the scene.
And what a scene it became. One of the camp owners took control of the 12 year old, holding his head still, I was checking his eyes, the manager came running with THE BAG, the parents were informed, so they came running, and eventually EMS arrived. Brandon never saw the 13-ft tall by 8-ft wide motor coach parked in his path. Did I mention that he's 12? He had an exciting ride in an ambulance, a quick check with a doctor, pronounced fine, and his family finished the day with a tour of a museum and pizza. We were very relieved at the outcome. And the RV grill is fine too.
Well, our stay continues with an all-too-quiet fishing trip this morning at the on-site pond. Before leaving we hope to tube down the river and enjoy the waterfalls that are also on-property. It is a beautiful, friendly park and due to Brandon, we are marginally famous!
We are settled at the next campground, with a few events of note in the getting here.
The evening prior to leaving Rocky Mount, we decided to take a short, no big-deal walk down the country road. Russell kept saying, "Is that a cat in the road?" We got close enough to see that the approaching red-furred animal was actually a fox! HOW COOL! That's when the rain started. The fox headed for near-by shelter, more from us than rain, I'm sure. We turned and headed for home, much further away. But nobody melted, and we were in for the evening. Of course, the rain ended just after we got dry. That's just the way things go.
We enjoyed the short drive up I-81 to Verona, VA and the Shenandoah Valley Campground. We were early, the designated space for our stay was still occupied. So took the staff advice and just left the RV and car in the drive, and hung around inside the office/store/restaurant. We were standing at the window, admiring the park, when a boy on a bike came into view headed right for our rig! Certainly he would look up and see it sitting there! Everyone in the store heard the THUD as he hit, bike then boy, headlong into our grill. We both saw it and were dumbfounded, but recovered to be the first to the scene.
And what a scene it became. One of the camp owners took control of the 12 year old, holding his head still, I was checking his eyes, the manager came running with THE BAG, the parents were informed, so they came running, and eventually EMS arrived. Brandon never saw the 13-ft tall by 8-ft wide motor coach parked in his path. Did I mention that he's 12? He had an exciting ride in an ambulance, a quick check with a doctor, pronounced fine, and his family finished the day with a tour of a museum and pizza. We were very relieved at the outcome. And the RV grill is fine too.
Well, our stay continues with an all-too-quiet fishing trip this morning at the on-site pond. Before leaving we hope to tube down the river and enjoy the waterfalls that are also on-property. It is a beautiful, friendly park and due to Brandon, we are marginally famous!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Rocky Mount, VA
July 18, 2010
"Brocolli Mountains." That's the term applied to these lovely rolling mountains covered in trees by our friend Muff Urie. She and husband Paul moved here 9 years ago, and we hadn't seen them since. But the Urie-drought is over! We have had a wonderful weekend with gracious hosts/tour guides. They arranged for rain to cool the temps enough for an evening dinner on the deck, ribs, YUM! They were talking about how beautiful the hillsides are in the fall, but, they are also very nice in the summer.
Tomorrow we head north for Verona, VA in the Shenandoah Valley. I'll always think of that old Jimmy Stewart movie, probably ought to rent it while there.
"Brocolli Mountains." That's the term applied to these lovely rolling mountains covered in trees by our friend Muff Urie. She and husband Paul moved here 9 years ago, and we hadn't seen them since. But the Urie-drought is over! We have had a wonderful weekend with gracious hosts/tour guides. They arranged for rain to cool the temps enough for an evening dinner on the deck, ribs, YUM! They were talking about how beautiful the hillsides are in the fall, but, they are also very nice in the summer.
Tomorrow we head north for Verona, VA in the Shenandoah Valley. I'll always think of that old Jimmy Stewart movie, probably ought to rent it while there.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Virginia
July 15, 2010
We crossed the border yesterday south of Martinsville on highway 220. Russell saw Robert E. Lee riding Traveler through the kudzu! Maybe we are too involved in the Civil War. The drive was beautiful; foothills, farm lands, mud-chinked log buildings that have been there for ages.
And then we turned off on to VA 40. It was too late in the day, 2 too tired people, but mainly it was too wide a load on too narrow a road. The oncoming traffic was hugging what little shoulder was to be had in attempts to avoid, clear, miss, dodge...us! We were just trying to stay on the road in some fashion. This was not pretty. I begged Russell to slow down, but he felt the people behind would resent 20mph less than the speed limit. My thinking was I would really resent our plunge off the side of the road! We were belted and holdin' on. So then, of course, we turned on to a more narrow road, and drove right passed the campground. We did find a turn around spot not too far off.
We did finally get there, and there is lovely. Very rural, as suggested by the road narrative, and very quiet. Very nice owners. Once again we are wifi challenged, but all else is good.
Today we have driven into Roanoke for wifi and laundry, in addition to seeing the town. Big! But I can give you more details about Panera and the laundromat than the city. I'll spare you! I did walk around the nearby mall. As we have seen in other locals, there are many empty store fronts. It may be worse here than some other places we've been. The number of jobs represented and the amount of money lost is really heartbreaking.
We crossed the border yesterday south of Martinsville on highway 220. Russell saw Robert E. Lee riding Traveler through the kudzu! Maybe we are too involved in the Civil War. The drive was beautiful; foothills, farm lands, mud-chinked log buildings that have been there for ages.
And then we turned off on to VA 40. It was too late in the day, 2 too tired people, but mainly it was too wide a load on too narrow a road. The oncoming traffic was hugging what little shoulder was to be had in attempts to avoid, clear, miss, dodge...us! We were just trying to stay on the road in some fashion. This was not pretty. I begged Russell to slow down, but he felt the people behind would resent 20mph less than the speed limit. My thinking was I would really resent our plunge off the side of the road! We were belted and holdin' on. So then, of course, we turned on to a more narrow road, and drove right passed the campground. We did find a turn around spot not too far off.
We did finally get there, and there is lovely. Very rural, as suggested by the road narrative, and very quiet. Very nice owners. Once again we are wifi challenged, but all else is good.
Today we have driven into Roanoke for wifi and laundry, in addition to seeing the town. Big! But I can give you more details about Panera and the laundromat than the city. I'll spare you! I did walk around the nearby mall. As we have seen in other locals, there are many empty store fronts. It may be worse here than some other places we've been. The number of jobs represented and the amount of money lost is really heartbreaking.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Hendersonville, North Carolina
July 13, 2010
Too much time has passed since last posting! It shows just how lazy I have been. We have been soaking up the atmosphere of western North Carolina and seeing friends.
We took a Fourth of July drive to Jump Off Rock in Laurel Park, another very interesting town just west of Hendersonville. You can see South Carolina and Georgia from this end-of-the-road peak. We took a short walk down the mountain side, cut short by worry about getting back up! The Jaymar park had a nice hot dog picnic in the evening. The people here are very friendly and we really enjoyed the company, in addition to the food and entertainment, a trio of young sisters who can really fiddle and sing!
We met up with the Morrison's, friends from Plano who currently live in nearby Charlotte. The 4 of us drove to Brevard to see the white squirrels! Brevard College has a famous music program in addition to unique squirrels. We also enjoyed the town and a delicious lunch. It was nice to see folks from home and tour more of the area.
Friends Rick and Pat arrived last Thursday. We really enjoyed catching up with them and showing them the sights. Pat and I went to Carl Sandburg's Connemara. It is a beautiful property in the nearby town of Flat Rock, yet another beautiful town, this one to the south. We spent Sunday driving to Bryson City to catch the Great Smoky Mountain Railway for a 50mile round trip along several different rivers, including the Nantahala. This is a very popular place to kayak; the junior Olympic team was training here. It was a beautiful day with wonderful scenery. Russell and Rick enjoyed getting to be passengers and really soaked up the views, and the ZZ's! We all took naps on the way back, relaxed by the rocking train and rhythmic music of tracks.
Back in the car, we took a different route back home to escape the freeway. Our attempt to see the back country was highly successful! It started with the town of Waynesville, then meandered through farm land that climbs foothills, picturesque! And then there was the sign: "9% Grades Ahead." Yes, there were! We climbed Cold Mountain, winding, switch-backing, diving, climbing again! It felt that Russell was at Indy, "Going 90" but he was really going a very tame 30mph, at best. We made an unscheduled stop to admire the peaks and calm stomachs before heading down the mountain and a return trip to Brevard. Hawg Wild BBQ gave us the energy to complete the trip home.
I would have to call the trip to Hendersonville a complete success, a place we hope to enjoy again.
Too much time has passed since last posting! It shows just how lazy I have been. We have been soaking up the atmosphere of western North Carolina and seeing friends.
We took a Fourth of July drive to Jump Off Rock in Laurel Park, another very interesting town just west of Hendersonville. You can see South Carolina and Georgia from this end-of-the-road peak. We took a short walk down the mountain side, cut short by worry about getting back up! The Jaymar park had a nice hot dog picnic in the evening. The people here are very friendly and we really enjoyed the company, in addition to the food and entertainment, a trio of young sisters who can really fiddle and sing!
We met up with the Morrison's, friends from Plano who currently live in nearby Charlotte. The 4 of us drove to Brevard to see the white squirrels! Brevard College has a famous music program in addition to unique squirrels. We also enjoyed the town and a delicious lunch. It was nice to see folks from home and tour more of the area.
Friends Rick and Pat arrived last Thursday. We really enjoyed catching up with them and showing them the sights. Pat and I went to Carl Sandburg's Connemara. It is a beautiful property in the nearby town of Flat Rock, yet another beautiful town, this one to the south. We spent Sunday driving to Bryson City to catch the Great Smoky Mountain Railway for a 50mile round trip along several different rivers, including the Nantahala. This is a very popular place to kayak; the junior Olympic team was training here. It was a beautiful day with wonderful scenery. Russell and Rick enjoyed getting to be passengers and really soaked up the views, and the ZZ's! We all took naps on the way back, relaxed by the rocking train and rhythmic music of tracks.
Back in the car, we took a different route back home to escape the freeway. Our attempt to see the back country was highly successful! It started with the town of Waynesville, then meandered through farm land that climbs foothills, picturesque! And then there was the sign: "9% Grades Ahead." Yes, there were! We climbed Cold Mountain, winding, switch-backing, diving, climbing again! It felt that Russell was at Indy, "Going 90" but he was really going a very tame 30mph, at best. We made an unscheduled stop to admire the peaks and calm stomachs before heading down the mountain and a return trip to Brevard. Hawg Wild BBQ gave us the energy to complete the trip home.
I would have to call the trip to Hendersonville a complete success, a place we hope to enjoy again.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Hendersonville, North Carolina
July 2, 2010
More beautiful weather, relatively cool and mostly sunny. We are enjoying just hanging out at the park, for the most part, lazy days when not tending to chores. It's a "front porch" type of community. People sit outside in mornings and evenings just soaking up the atmosphere and scenery.
We did go to Asheville for a tour of Biltmore Estates. Huge sort of describes it, but not enough. I spent 1.5h wandering along the tour route, but could have spent far more time. Russell made it in lass than an hour, I'm sure. The thing is, you only get to see a fraction of the place: 2 bathrooms in a place that has 43, 5 bedrooms out of who-knows-how-many, but there are a total of 250 rooms! And the rooms are all large. The dinning room has a 70-ft. ceiling and of course a pipe organ. But what makes this place really special is touring the gardens and farm. You get the feeling of a "working ranch." This branch of the Vanderbuilt family lived and worked here, gave birth and reared children here. They still work here, running the tourist attraction and employing over 2000 Asheville residents.
We couldn't help drawing comparisons to the Hearst Mansion. One large difference is the atmosphere. At Hearst you stay with the guide and do not touch anything. Every item is priceless and the guides to a wonderful job of pointing out details. Biltmore is more of a free-for-all. There are guides along the way, but you have to pay extra for a guided tour, and they are roaming around with everyone else, trying to hear. There are places to sit along the way, stay behind the ropes, but no one tells you not to touch. For all of its beauty and antiques, Biltmore is not so lush, concrete floors, painted walls. Kids ran through these halls, Hearst had an adult home, I could not see children running the halls. The period of construction was also influential, Biltmore was built in the 1890's, the Castle was built 40 years later.
The big idea that I came away with was that we are among the most fortunate to have been able to see them both and enjoy their magnificence.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
North Carolina
This is the first time in NC! We arrived early evening yesterday to the most beautiful of campgrounds. Although not quite crisp, the air is indeed fresher and not sticky. We have rolling hillsides in shades of blue and grey that vary in hue depending on time of day. The pink sunset last night was too wonderful for me to try describing. I had a hard time going inside, the evening was just too perfect. Jaymar Park also comes fully equipped with excellent tour guides. We've met several folks so far and all of them have suggestions of what to see and do, a good thing since all we know is The Biltmore in Asheville, just north of here. (We have tickets for Tuesday!)
We have spent today meeting a few people at this very busy park, getting a few groceries, cooking, resting up from yesterday's trip, and trying to find internet. The one advertised at the park leaves much to be desired, like consistent connection.
About yesterday. We left Pigeon Forge and drove west to Knoxville and Camping World. While waiting for our appointed service time, we drove through UT of the East (U of Tennessee) and downtown Knoxville. This is a very old and historic city, once the state capital, and still very lively. We enjoyed the weekly farmer's market and lunch before heading back to get the RV serviced.
It was a fairly short drive to Hendersonville, NC, less than 3 hours, but since we didn't start out until after 4pm, it seemed longer. On the bright side, we were headed east. Those poor souls going west had terrible delays due to road work that started at the state line. The traffic was crawling, if not stopped altogether, for a full 14 miles; we just had to watch mile markers to verify the length. Their trip had to take twice as long as ours did. I don't know where we are going next, but it will not be I-40 west!
We have spent today meeting a few people at this very busy park, getting a few groceries, cooking, resting up from yesterday's trip, and trying to find internet. The one advertised at the park leaves much to be desired, like consistent connection.
About yesterday. We left Pigeon Forge and drove west to Knoxville and Camping World. While waiting for our appointed service time, we drove through UT of the East (U of Tennessee) and downtown Knoxville. This is a very old and historic city, once the state capital, and still very lively. We enjoyed the weekly farmer's market and lunch before heading back to get the RV serviced.
It was a fairly short drive to Hendersonville, NC, less than 3 hours, but since we didn't start out until after 4pm, it seemed longer. On the bright side, we were headed east. Those poor souls going west had terrible delays due to road work that started at the state line. The traffic was crawling, if not stopped altogether, for a full 14 miles; we just had to watch mile markers to verify the length. Their trip had to take twice as long as ours did. I don't know where we are going next, but it will not be I-40 west!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Tennessee
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June 25, 2010
We took a day trip from Pigeon Forge northwest along the Davy Crockett/Cumberland Gap Highway. This is beautiful country, to be sure, but not the purpose of our trip. Russell's maternal grandfather grew up in this region. Our biggest question: Why did he ever leave?
But he left along with his family in the early part of 1910's. Russell remembers him talking about being tired of the coal mines. Very understandable, but Crosbyton, TX? The 2 areas could not be more different. For those who don't automatically get a mental image of Crosbyton, think "Lubbock." We know that this is where he met the future Mrs. Ellison. We have discovered that he arrived prior to WWI, in which he served. But he took trips back to visit Tennessee, Betty, Russell's mom, remembers one trip with her and her brothers, I'm guessing in the 30's. He also talked about Speedwell, TN with his grandkids.
Anyway, we started exploring at the library of the county seat of Tazewell and then the courthouse. Russell found a registration for his great-granddad's purchase of land in 1899. We had the legal description of the property, metes and bounds, and the luck of being there at the same time as a local lawyer who knew where we could find the place. He also gave us the name of a current Speedwell Ellison, Billy Mack.
Off we went with lunch from the Frostee Freeze and a map. We tromped through a number of cemeteries and definitely located the property in question. We found a number of buried Ellison's, and one who was driving a tractor, Billy Mack! He directed us to another cemetery and the house of Franklin Russell.
Mr. Russell, a 77 year old widower, was most happy to visit with us and detected a strong family resemblance between himself and Russell. It seems that the Ausmus's intermarried with Russell's and Ellison's, creating the link. We had a wonderful visit and got a lot of information to boot. We talked about how very many Tennesseeans settled Texas to make it full of such good people. But Mr. Franklin had been in Texas enough to know that he doesn't ever want to live there, too hot!
We completely enjoyed our day in the back-country of NE Tennessee. You are looking at the Cumberland Plateau in the distance and winding through foothills that are green with trees and crops. We answered the original question, however. Only economic factors could have driven folks to leave all of this beauty.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Pigeon Forge, TN
June 22, 2010
We have taken 2 more hikes since I last wrote. Laurel Falls is a paved walk of about 1.5m to a nice waterfall. Hike in the Smokies usually means straight up, and this was no exception. However, we were not alone. Hundreds of folks like us made the trek on Saturday morning, the lady with a bloody knee foreshadowed our view of the falls.
I have to say, we saw more spectacular falls in the Pacific states, but these were certainly nice and I wanted a better view, one that was on the other side of the folks who stopped right in the middle of the walkway. And stayed there. I was irritated with them, grew impatient, and tried a side-step off the bridge on to the rocks. Not a good idea. Of course I went down to a 2-point landing - right knee and left camera. Several good people helped the old woman up off the rocks, including the 2 people I truly wanted to yell at, "This is all YOUR fault!" I want you to know that embarrassment and self-control prevented the scene from getting out-of-hand. I was fine, the camera not so much. In the mean time, a man arrived from out of the trees to tell the gathered hikers about how much more beautiful the falls are further up. Another day, I might have wanted to go see, and was really tempted; but it seemed best to stay quiet at this time.
On the way back we visited with a couple from New Orleans who were celebrating their 33rd anniversary in the same place as their honeymoon. Nice idea. Nice people. Two of the many who helped me back to an upright position. Russell was worried about my ability to get back to the car(no problem) and correctly predicted many aches and pains in the days to follow.
We walked the neighborhood around the park and completely enjoyed the area, but we waited a couple of days before a trip back to the mountains.
We enjoyed the trek to the Greenbriar School and the Walker Sister's House just inside the park. The Great Smoky Mt. Park is home to the most log cabins anywhere. We really enjoyed the house, fairly large, and clearly livable. The old newspaper is still on the walls in one room. Russell was ready to move in! I don't look for it to happen any time soon, however.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Pigeon Forge, TN
June 18, 2010
There were clues. The lady in the laundry, "Pigeon Forge is pretty congested." Finding Dollywood listed as things to do. Other than that, I thought we were headed to a sleepy Smoky Mt. park that gives great rates for Excapees members.
We learned the truth fairly quickly! For those who have not experienced Pigeon Forge, Parkway Blvd is the major street that escorts tourists off I-40 through Sevierville (Dolly's hometown), Pigeon Forge (Dollywood and its satellites), Gatlinburg (more tourists) to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (more tourists still). I feel somewhat hypocritical complaining about people who bear the same label as we do. After all, their license plates are mostly from points closer to Tennessee than Texas. But still! All of these people are routed on what appears to be the only throughway to get to such places as Ripley's, Ober Gatlinburg, country singer theaters, outlet malls, too many pancake houses to count, and the Smokeys. The Smokey's offer ziplining, rafting, tubing, climbing, biking, history and total beauty. The commercialism is really overwhelming, but did I mention the beauty?
Fortunately, we are on Highway 321 which offers a back way to the National Park. We took that yesterday through Wears Valley to tour the Cades Cove Loop. This is an 11m drive through the remains of a farming town founded in 1819, but was fairly played out 100 years later. The log cabins, mill, blacksmith shop, and churches offer a glimpse of why it is so nice to live in the 21st century. These folks were indeed hardy, but had a spectacular front seat in the mountains that tourists jockey for today.
Today we drove to Gatlinburg to ride the tram up a mountain then a chair lift further up to the top for a view of Mt. LeConte, Clingman's Dome, and the Newfound Gap that is the only hardtop road through the park. We assumed that the chair lifts were used for ski trails in winter and tried to find them. One of the workers said that the trails had to be closed because there were so many accidents. Current ski trails are not as high up. We enjoyed the views of mountains catching the clouds, giving the area its name. So we headed down for a trip to see the views up close.
We drove the winding road up, through tunnels, over creeks, around bends to arrive at the highest point on the road and the state line between Tennessee and North Carolina. From this overlook park you can hike to the Appalachian Trail, the mother of all mountain hikes. We got a kick out of walking along the crest of a mountain along a path so many have taken. One woman threatened to walk to Maine, entirely doable, but probably not by her, and certainly not by me!
We came home on Parkway, along with most of humanity, tired, but with a plan of attack of tomorrow's drive and hike.
There were clues. The lady in the laundry, "Pigeon Forge is pretty congested." Finding Dollywood listed as things to do. Other than that, I thought we were headed to a sleepy Smoky Mt. park that gives great rates for Excapees members.
We learned the truth fairly quickly! For those who have not experienced Pigeon Forge, Parkway Blvd is the major street that escorts tourists off I-40 through Sevierville (Dolly's hometown), Pigeon Forge (Dollywood and its satellites), Gatlinburg (more tourists) to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (more tourists still). I feel somewhat hypocritical complaining about people who bear the same label as we do. After all, their license plates are mostly from points closer to Tennessee than Texas. But still! All of these people are routed on what appears to be the only throughway to get to such places as Ripley's, Ober Gatlinburg, country singer theaters, outlet malls, too many pancake houses to count, and the Smokeys. The Smokey's offer ziplining, rafting, tubing, climbing, biking, history and total beauty. The commercialism is really overwhelming, but did I mention the beauty?
Fortunately, we are on Highway 321 which offers a back way to the National Park. We took that yesterday through Wears Valley to tour the Cades Cove Loop. This is an 11m drive through the remains of a farming town founded in 1819, but was fairly played out 100 years later. The log cabins, mill, blacksmith shop, and churches offer a glimpse of why it is so nice to live in the 21st century. These folks were indeed hardy, but had a spectacular front seat in the mountains that tourists jockey for today.
Today we drove to Gatlinburg to ride the tram up a mountain then a chair lift further up to the top for a view of Mt. LeConte, Clingman's Dome, and the Newfound Gap that is the only hardtop road through the park. We assumed that the chair lifts were used for ski trails in winter and tried to find them. One of the workers said that the trails had to be closed because there were so many accidents. Current ski trails are not as high up. We enjoyed the views of mountains catching the clouds, giving the area its name. So we headed down for a trip to see the views up close.
We drove the winding road up, through tunnels, over creeks, around bends to arrive at the highest point on the road and the state line between Tennessee and North Carolina. From this overlook park you can hike to the Appalachian Trail, the mother of all mountain hikes. We got a kick out of walking along the crest of a mountain along a path so many have taken. One woman threatened to walk to Maine, entirely doable, but probably not by her, and certainly not by me!
We came home on Parkway, along with most of humanity, tired, but with a plan of attack of tomorrow's drive and hike.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Chattanooga, TN
June 15, 2010
Chattanooga is an interesting city of transportation. We kidded about "Chattanooga Choo Choo" on our way in, but it is an historic place as well as a celebrated song! The Glenn Miller song was the very first Gold Record. Also, there is an old depot with a nice hotel named Chattanooga Choo Choo. It is next to the free shuttle depot. FREE means we hopped on and rode north to the river. The city is way more bustling than Memphis. There is a minor league ball field, aquarium, art museum, and riverside park. We were walking around with a bunch of folks, enjoying the heat - well, sort of. We hiked up Missionary Ridge and back downtown for a smoothie. In spite of the cool drink, hot and humid won, so we shuttled back to the car and home. We visited with some nice folks along the way, confirming our opinion of the city.
We enjoyed our tours of the 2 battle sites in this area. The Chickamauga Battlefield is in northern Georgia in the plains south of Chattanooga. We happened to be in time for a Ranger-led tour of the major battle areas. Ranger Rob painted a picture of incompetence and large egos in high places; heroism among the rank and file. it is a story of WHO-you-know, as opposed to WHAT-you-know, determining promotions and decisions. The battle was the meeting of 2 forces, roughly 60,000 men each, clashing over a two-day period with 34,000 casualties. The goal was control of Chattanooga and its supply center of trains, rivers and roads. The Confederates won at Chickamauga, only to loose sight of the objective by letting the Union troops retreat to Chattanooga.
That began the Battle of Chattanooga and Lookout Mt. and a siege, the reverse of Vicksburg, where Union forces were cut off from supplies. Again, mismanagement came into play, allowing the Union to re-establish a supply line and then run the Rebels out of the area. All of this was presented in another Ranger Rob tour of the Lookout Mt. battlefield at Point Park.
We took an early morning 1.5m hike down the mountain from Point Park to the Craven House, the Confederate command post. The trail shows where forces tried to scale the cliffs to gain control of the high ground. Amazing. Even more amazing was the climb back up. Thought I was gonna' die! We came back up top into the park where I scared folks from going any further. Morning walks began the next day! My laziness has just gone too far.
Just one more thing about Chickamauga. A reunion was held in 1889 to celebrate the peace at the former battlefield. Few were expected, but over ten thousand came with their families to picnic and relive the events of September, 1863. This meeting sparked the idea of preserving this battlefield and others of the Civil War. Therefore, it became the first of the four original memorial parks preserved to original condition to pay tribute to those who fought. The other original parks were Vicksburg, Shiloh, and Gettysburg.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Southern Tennessee
June 10, 2010
Upon recommendation from Kyle, we made the 350m trip from Memphis to Chattanooga on state highway 64. Our well-traveled son claimed it is one of the prettiest drives ever. We had to agree. Leaving Memphis, hills gently roll on by, all of them green. Trees-unencumbered by kudzu, pastures, hay and corn fields, and picturesque houses line the equally beautiful 4-lane divided highway. We were travelin' in RV heaven!
The towns we passed define "quaint." Selmer, Boliver, Adamsville, Savannah, Fayetteville are towns surveyed by the likes of David Crocket and established soon after. old Davey survey the road that became SH 64 and represented the area in Congress. Another person of note is Bufford Pusser, Adamsville, which led to a conversation about "Walking Tall". Savannah is by far the most beautiful. It is situated on the Tennessee River, not as wide as the Mississippi, but also not as muddy! Savannah has beautiful old buildings in grand southern-style.
The scenery continued in its beautiful green-ness with gradually increasing hills. As the hills work their way into mountains, the pastures give way to forests with rock outcroppings. As we neared Chattanooga the mountain terrain took over. One 6% grade took our breath away.
One thing we noticed by its absence is trash. The highways are not littered and even the most modest farm house is well kept and tidy. Very impressive!
The scenery continued to amaze, as did the road conditions, but not to the good. Our smooth 4-lane divided yielded to 2-lane narrow with active construction on either side. We were often held to 35-45mph, making for a very long day. One day soon, this will be a completely wonderful trip.
Our park in Chattanooga is also scenic. Located on the Tennessee/Georgia border, it is near the Civil War Battlefield and is the site of one of the skirmishes. We will enjoy our stay here.
Upon recommendation from Kyle, we made the 350m trip from Memphis to Chattanooga on state highway 64. Our well-traveled son claimed it is one of the prettiest drives ever. We had to agree. Leaving Memphis, hills gently roll on by, all of them green. Trees-unencumbered by kudzu, pastures, hay and corn fields, and picturesque houses line the equally beautiful 4-lane divided highway. We were travelin' in RV heaven!
The towns we passed define "quaint." Selmer, Boliver, Adamsville, Savannah, Fayetteville are towns surveyed by the likes of David Crocket and established soon after. old Davey survey the road that became SH 64 and represented the area in Congress. Another person of note is Bufford Pusser, Adamsville, which led to a conversation about "Walking Tall". Savannah is by far the most beautiful. It is situated on the Tennessee River, not as wide as the Mississippi, but also not as muddy! Savannah has beautiful old buildings in grand southern-style.
The scenery continued in its beautiful green-ness with gradually increasing hills. As the hills work their way into mountains, the pastures give way to forests with rock outcroppings. As we neared Chattanooga the mountain terrain took over. One 6% grade took our breath away.
One thing we noticed by its absence is trash. The highways are not littered and even the most modest farm house is well kept and tidy. Very impressive!
The scenery continued to amaze, as did the road conditions, but not to the good. Our smooth 4-lane divided yielded to 2-lane narrow with active construction on either side. We were often held to 35-45mph, making for a very long day. One day soon, this will be a completely wonderful trip.
Our park in Chattanooga is also scenic. Located on the Tennessee/Georgia border, it is near the Civil War Battlefield and is the site of one of the skirmishes. We will enjoy our stay here.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Memphis, TN
June 5, 2010
The Peabody, Ducks, The Rendezvous, Farmer's Market, Beale Street, Blues, Elvis.
All on an overcast Saturday in downtown Memphis. The Peabody is a grand hotel with a history of 135 years, but it's present location was built in 1925. We relaxed here for much of the morning, but I was there for the ducks, along with a few hundred other enthusiasts. The pomp and circumstance surrounding this tongue-in-cheek tradition can not be overstated. I got the whole parade: ducks,grandmaster, children (honorary grandmasters) and their parents, from elevator to fountain on video. Russell has seen a duck and had no interest at all, a minority in this hotel. We even went to the roof for a view of town and Duckinham Palace.
Lunch at the Rendezvous was in keeping with tradition, but they really need to visit Country Tavern in Kilgore for World Class Ribs. We walked off lunch with a hike to the farmer's market, a ride in a trolley, a frustrating hunt for the lost car, and a rest back at the Peabody. We collapsed in a sofa on the mezzanine just to catch our breath before a walk down Beale Street. A beautiful lady with cups of ice water appeared to make our day. She was an employee working an event who saw us and took pity. What an Angel! We completed the afternoon waling Beale Street, blues and rock filled the air while serious clouds threatened overhead. It was time to get back to the car.
Overall, our impression of downtown was not favorable, and neither of us is in a hurry to return. "Historic Main St." is dirty, ugly, and mostly vacant. You can't stray off the beaten paths without feeling a little insecure.
We finished the day with a drive by Graceland. We opted to skip the $70per tour in favor of standing at the fence for a long distance view of the mansion. The rock fence is really pretty interesting. Fans have left messages on every square inch of the entire length. We can now say, "We saw Graceland." and feel good about the savings.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
RIBS!
As promised! I am sorry, but we started eating as soon as Russell walked in with the plate, so only 3 were left for the photo. They were just short of Kilgore yummy!
They were substantially less expensive, however.
Memphis, TN
June 3, 2010
We arrived in Southaven, MS - a soutern suburb of Memphis - in time for lunch on Tuesday to find that our RV park is situated 1 block east or west from 2 BBQ joints! Jack Pot! We intended to walk to Neely's, but the infamous humidity pursuaded us to drive. We choose Neeley's because they offer both pork and beef ribs. Now the question was: Are they as good as the World's Best Ribs in Kilgore? As good as Neely's is, they fell short in my opinion. The meat was tasty, meaty, the coleslaw fabulous, and the sauce was good, but I prefer dry ribs. We have several other restaurants to test, but the competition is stiff.
We have driven through downtown and then to the elite suburb of Germantown-very nice. We stopped for the required Starbucks for an afternon pick up. Our real destination was the Agricenter Farmer's Market. We bought dinner: green beans, summer squash, valdalia onions, big boy tomatoes, and corn on the cob. Blackberries for dessert! We ate pretty much all of it. A perfect no-meat meal.
Today, we drove to a world-class city park, Shelby Farms Park. We walked the lake and picked strawberries. This vast complex also includes the Agricenter. Russell is entering the Rib Tasting Contest with his dry-rub version. Pictures and reviews to follow.
I think the focus of our Memphis stop is fairly obvious!
We arrived in Southaven, MS - a soutern suburb of Memphis - in time for lunch on Tuesday to find that our RV park is situated 1 block east or west from 2 BBQ joints! Jack Pot! We intended to walk to Neely's, but the infamous humidity pursuaded us to drive. We choose Neeley's because they offer both pork and beef ribs. Now the question was: Are they as good as the World's Best Ribs in Kilgore? As good as Neely's is, they fell short in my opinion. The meat was tasty, meaty, the coleslaw fabulous, and the sauce was good, but I prefer dry ribs. We have several other restaurants to test, but the competition is stiff.
We have driven through downtown and then to the elite suburb of Germantown-very nice. We stopped for the required Starbucks for an afternon pick up. Our real destination was the Agricenter Farmer's Market. We bought dinner: green beans, summer squash, valdalia onions, big boy tomatoes, and corn on the cob. Blackberries for dessert! We ate pretty much all of it. A perfect no-meat meal.
Today, we drove to a world-class city park, Shelby Farms Park. We walked the lake and picked strawberries. This vast complex also includes the Agricenter. Russell is entering the Rib Tasting Contest with his dry-rub version. Pictures and reviews to follow.
I think the focus of our Memphis stop is fairly obvious!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Vicksburg, MS
May 31,2010
There are 3 Waffle Houses in this city listed with a 2000 census of 25,000. How can that be? This city that was under siege for 47 days because of their position on the Mississippi River, no longer sits on that river. There are 3 offices of the COE here controlling the flow of the Mississippi. We drove today on a levee that protects farm land from the river, except that now it is an isolated lake, a protion of an oxbow in the river that has been orphaned. A city of contradictions to be sure, but we have really enjoyed being here and researching its history.
During a tour yesterday, we came upon the first house of the area from 1827, built by George Washington Ball. That's the same Ball family as ol' George's Mom. The same Ball family that Russell is related to! We haven't gotten the connect straight yet, but it turns out we both have connections here. Who Knew?
We learned many other facts on that tour, a 2-hour trip in time, to ice merchants, nuns, governors, and Jeff Davis. Antebellum, Vicksburg was a town of merchants and plantation owners who kept a place in town for parties. We also learned that we were the first private tour for Mr. David Maggio, the biggest shock of the day. We highly recommend David if you are in the area.
We even adopted "Bbq Cat" on a very temporary basis. A beautiful little tawny adopted us for a couple of days because he/she likes the smell of Russell's cooking, but who doesn't? All part of a successful trip to this western Mississippi town.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Vicksburg, MS, Memories Before Our Time
Genealogy is addicting. When we began to unearth the family history a flurry of emails and phone calls created more links and got more people involved. Each new discovery cleared the way for a new question or theory about past events. Some of the answers are coming together. It's amazing how those answers touch on much more current events, circles are completed, and those long ago events actually become part of the current generation's memories. Time Travel....in an RV!
My great-great grandfather and his brother were two of the engineers who planned the trenches laid in the Vicksburg battlefield. We walked there yesterday morning, a day much like during the siege 150 years ago, getting warmer, muggier as the sun rose. However, we wore cotton clothes, high-tech tennies, sun screen and insect repellent as we walked between sun and shade. An hour in we got in the car, cranked up the A/C and came home for showers and lunch. Great-great grandfather MS Hasie wore a wool uniform and crummy shoes, stayed in battle for 2 months, had no trees for shade, ate what the army gave him and when possible, snuck off to see the beautiful southern girl he had met when a battle skirted near her plantation(the home was used as a hospital, like so many were) a few miles away. His experience of Vicksburg was beyond anything we can really imagine, and his team won! The poor Confederates had no relief from the elements or 2 months of starvation that eventually cost them the city and the war.
For the last 2 days I have been working through archives with the current good folks in Vicksburg, reminiscent of sitting in Texas courthouses while Dad ran title searches for lease property for Humble Oil(more summer days with no air conditioning). We found death certificates from 1878, but no bodies in the cemetery. I then found those same names on census roles in Dallas in 1900. Conflicting, yes, but proof of family lore that they escaped the city quarantine during the yellow fever epidemic. These were hardy folks!
The intrigue continues, bones rattle, and secrets are revealed. But I won't go on any more here, i have work to do on Ancestry.com!
My great-great grandfather and his brother were two of the engineers who planned the trenches laid in the Vicksburg battlefield. We walked there yesterday morning, a day much like during the siege 150 years ago, getting warmer, muggier as the sun rose. However, we wore cotton clothes, high-tech tennies, sun screen and insect repellent as we walked between sun and shade. An hour in we got in the car, cranked up the A/C and came home for showers and lunch. Great-great grandfather MS Hasie wore a wool uniform and crummy shoes, stayed in battle for 2 months, had no trees for shade, ate what the army gave him and when possible, snuck off to see the beautiful southern girl he had met when a battle skirted near her plantation(the home was used as a hospital, like so many were) a few miles away. His experience of Vicksburg was beyond anything we can really imagine, and his team won! The poor Confederates had no relief from the elements or 2 months of starvation that eventually cost them the city and the war.
For the last 2 days I have been working through archives with the current good folks in Vicksburg, reminiscent of sitting in Texas courthouses while Dad ran title searches for lease property for Humble Oil(more summer days with no air conditioning). We found death certificates from 1878, but no bodies in the cemetery. I then found those same names on census roles in Dallas in 1900. Conflicting, yes, but proof of family lore that they escaped the city quarantine during the yellow fever epidemic. These were hardy folks!
The intrigue continues, bones rattle, and secrets are revealed. But I won't go on any more here, i have work to do on Ancestry.com!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Vicksburg, MS
May 24, 2010
We arrived in Vicksburg and almost immediately went to the battlefield. I knew that one of my distant relatives had been here, Russell thinks some of his may be as well. It is amazing how many monuments you can read when you are looking for specific names! We would move on much faster without this scavenger hunt type of motivation.
Our first stop was a wonderful visitor center on the Mississippi River, which was also part of the battlefield, it seems most of the city was at some point. The building was hosting a string orchestra at that point on a Sunday afternoon and we completely enjoyed the 1800's tunes like "Turkey in the Straw." It set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. A wonderful park ranger at the actual battlefield ran a list of family names from the Civil War and provided us valuable info for securing more detailed info.
Today we set out in earnest and did spend the whole day understanding the dire circumstances of this 47 day siege in the summer of 1862. The RV park loaned us a DVD to play during the tour and we started a the Battlefield Museum, a private business, to have a much clearer understanding of the battle, siege, and town. We drove through the 16 mile battlefield thinking more globally than yesterday. It is hard to imagine what these folks endured. The park is dominated by Union monuments and movements because the Confederates were dug in, literally, in embankments that form a crescent around the city. They literally held the high ground and bombed and mined the river to protect the west side of Vicksburg. None of the Federal attempts to breach the line were successful, only starvation and disease weakened the resolve of the Rebel soldiers and citizens. Grant marched July 4, fully appreciating the irony and significance of the day.
We had not known the significance of the naval battle that took place here. A dozen or so paddle boats had been converted to "ironsides" to wage the naval battle. The USS Cairo had been sunk in the Yazoo River by a hand detonated mine - imagine guys hiding on shore to set off previously placed bombs with wires running from mid-river! Astounding! Anyway, in the 1960's this first-ever-mined boat was recovered and placed on shore with a roof and supports to mimic the parts that are rotted and washed away. The relics recovered fill an on-site museum that provides the life on board. No lives were lost in the sinking, and the Yanks went back to cut off the smokestacks that alerted any passerby of the location. So this was a pristine archaeological find, except of course for the part about being under water for 100 years.
We are sort of collapsed for the rest of the day. Soaking up the history of the place. With the help of several family members, we are also working at the personal ancestry this landmark has motivated. Monte, Ginger and Kyle have each given us a jump start to the wade back through time. We really appreciate their help and encouragement on the undertaking.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Caddo Lake
May 21, 2010
Caddo lives up to its billing! We drove to Uncertain, TX where we rented a john boat for our fishing trip. The first glimpse from the store is a wide expanse of water lilies-beautiful.
I have been on a few lakes, admittedly not too many, but this is the first time I have ever seen one with marked "road ways." A map seemed like a wise investment! We ventured on to road A, M, MM, V and F, and were very glad for the marked posts as we made our way back to the store. The lake is really a network of bayous separated by islands and swamps. The Guadalupe River has cypress trees, but Caddo has CYPRESS TREES! I completely enjoyed our day on the lake, Russell would have liked it better if he had seen the bass a little closer to his hook. But we had a nice picnic and enjoyed the cruising and the sitting still. We saw a few birds, heron mostly, and heard a bunch more...one very vocal owl. We also saw a beaver and his lodge. This thing was bigger than most tents and would have made a great picture. Oh, Well. We did catch a little sun and cool breezes. Perfect!
No fish on the hook meant we ate out. Catfish that was caught, cleaned, breaded, and cooked without any help from me, my favorite kind.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
East Texas
May 20, 2010
We had a pretty drive through east Texas - Athens, Tyler, Marshall. Some wind, road construction, and rain, but a whole lot of pretty! Fortunately, Russell remembered our friend Mike mentioning the "best ribs in the whole world" were somewhere on this route. With the help of friends and technology, we got directions to Country Tavern on Hwy 31, just south of Kilgore. We arrived ready to give Mike an argument on the way out, but such was not the case. These have to be the best ribs in the world! Since Russell ate twice as many as I did, he does them better justice, so you'll have to ask him about the juicy details.
It has been awhile since writing. We have been involved in non-blog activities, catching up with family and friends. It has been terrific and wonderful, but not exactly a travel-log.
Tomorrow, Caddo Lake. This is the only natural lake in Texas and with cypress, alligators, and a variety of wildlife, it is suppose to be beautiful. We look forward to our first trip there.
We had a pretty drive through east Texas - Athens, Tyler, Marshall. Some wind, road construction, and rain, but a whole lot of pretty! Fortunately, Russell remembered our friend Mike mentioning the "best ribs in the whole world" were somewhere on this route. With the help of friends and technology, we got directions to Country Tavern on Hwy 31, just south of Kilgore. We arrived ready to give Mike an argument on the way out, but such was not the case. These have to be the best ribs in the world! Since Russell ate twice as many as I did, he does them better justice, so you'll have to ask him about the juicy details.
It has been awhile since writing. We have been involved in non-blog activities, catching up with family and friends. It has been terrific and wonderful, but not exactly a travel-log.
Tomorrow, Caddo Lake. This is the only natural lake in Texas and with cypress, alligators, and a variety of wildlife, it is suppose to be beautiful. We look forward to our first trip there.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Dallas, Texas
May 6, 2010
We arrived in Texas yesterday afternoon and one thing I noticed right away, Texas cows like to gather in groups to graze, where as, those western cows kinda' hang out by themselves. Of course, it could be that there isn't very much grass over there to graze on, but I like to think there are social implications. We were just barely across the border from New Mexico when we saw agriculture, another thing I hadn't noticed in the last 1000 miles or so.
We also saw bluebonnets! I was afraid they would be bloomed out, but we were in luck. The drive down Hwy. 287 was spectacular today. First we noticed tallish thick grasses waving in the wind. Then wildflowers started cropping up, first in bunches, then in assorted mixes all across the highway and fields; blue, yellow, pink, purple, red, orange, white. It made me smile.
And that was one of the few reasons to smile! We have driven 3 days in heavy winds for roughly 500 miles per day. We won't do that again. Now, I didn't drive a single mile, but did make sandwiches and bring drinks like any good stew. It is good to know we will be settled for the better part of a week.
We arrived in Texas yesterday afternoon and one thing I noticed right away, Texas cows like to gather in groups to graze, where as, those western cows kinda' hang out by themselves. Of course, it could be that there isn't very much grass over there to graze on, but I like to think there are social implications. We were just barely across the border from New Mexico when we saw agriculture, another thing I hadn't noticed in the last 1000 miles or so.
We also saw bluebonnets! I was afraid they would be bloomed out, but we were in luck. The drive down Hwy. 287 was spectacular today. First we noticed tallish thick grasses waving in the wind. Then wildflowers started cropping up, first in bunches, then in assorted mixes all across the highway and fields; blue, yellow, pink, purple, red, orange, white. It made me smile.
And that was one of the few reasons to smile! We have driven 3 days in heavy winds for roughly 500 miles per day. We won't do that again. Now, I didn't drive a single mile, but did make sandwiches and bring drinks like any good stew. It is good to know we will be settled for the better part of a week.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Las Vegas, NV
May 4, 2010
We have had a very busy weekend in Sin City with Kyle, old friends and new ones. Russell made numerous trips to the airport and hotels getting everyone to all the important places beginning on Friday afternoon through Sunday. He should have had a meter! We had dinner at NY,NY on Friday night; Saturday shopping, "Phantom of the Opera" Saturday night; more eating and shopping on Sunday, even a little piano bar action before a wonderful dinner at Paris on Sunday night.
Each of these events was centered around the very important product launch of YWire Technologies, a start-up company in which Kyle is 1 of the 3 partners. All 3 partners and their families were together for this important event. We enjoyed getting to know each other and taking part in the excitement of creation. The most important events on Sunday included seeing the demo set into action and visiting the trade show booth. We joined board members and investors for dinner and capped off the evening with the Bellagio fountain. Fairly Perfect!
I was invited to "Phantom" by Karyn (Kyle's girlfriend), her mom Julie and Julie's friend Leslie. We were decked out for a show and dinner and completely enjoyed the evening and each other. An added bonus to the show, the star of the production is a friend of Julie and Karyn! She even came out after the show to see us. Kristen is a lovely lady with an amazing voice.
As a proud mom, i could keep this going for pages, but will show restraint!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Las Vegas, NV
April 26, 2010
We can finally say that we've seen Las Vegas, no more shocked faces as we admit our failure to "see the lights"! The opulence, or at least an appearance of opulence, bombards the senses at every turn until, of course, you are approached by a homeless person who reminds you of how imperfect the illusion really is. We not only gawk at the setting, but also at the cast of characters. We've asked each other many questions:
How do they keep these rooms filled?
Can this many people really afford all of this?
Will that precious item in the Chanel bag really fit into your real world back home?
Will the Victoria Secrets' bag contents really fit your body!!?
Are we the only geezers walking around just looking and not spending?
Where do the homeless go in a city that never sleeps?
Enough social commentary!
We are as taken with the scene as everyone is. I got whiplash driving down the strip at night, not wanting to miss a single image. We lined up with everyone else to watch a Belagio fountain dance. I snapped pictures at every turn - we did miss the bronze, life-sized Ceasar and must go back. I put my $5 gambling budget in the slots and lost it all, but had a good time doing it. We have eaten at the buffets, and walked a million steps. We've been to Walmart and done the wash; so life goes on, even in Vegas.
Last night we went to the downtown strip, the "Old Vegas," and really enjoyed it. I had read about The Fremont Experience and wanted to see the canopy light show, Russell wanted to see Binion's Million Dollar display. So, after a quiet dinner at home, we headed back to the fantasy. What Fun! It is an Experince! The Golden Nugget is just as opulent, if not as big, as the uptown hotels. I have my picture with $1,000,000, we ate dessert, enjoyed a wonderful saxaphone player, and listened to the missionaries try to win souls - they carry large wooden crosses embellished with words of salvation and wear microphones. Fremont Street is the home of the neon and blinking lights that enchanted us in films like "Viva Las Vegas," and other such classics - Aladdin's Lamp, the Cowboy, a giant high-heeled tap shoe, and a near-naked lady high above the crowd - all are present in this Vintage Vegas.
The Fremont Street canopy is a half-pipe ceiling 3-4 blocks long and taller than the adjacent buildings that it connects. On the hour, all the blinking lights of the casinos stop, the side-show bands stop and the canopy goes dark. The Experience is about to begin! The ceiling transforms from a billboard to a light show, syncronized to '60's music with flashing images that take you back to when the music was new. They run film footage, psychedelic lights, even a shuttle launch that blasts across the entire display. We heard Don McClain's "American Pie" and a 3-song tribute to the Doors, music that all ages in the crowd could sing along and dance to. We wanted to stay until 10:00, when they were doing a Queen tribute. It was a situation of willing spirits and tired bodies. What happened to the kids who could dance all night long?
Our Vegas trip is far from over. We are staying another week and Kyle will be here for a trade show, Friday through the following Tuesday. Karyn will be here too! She has gotten tickets for "Phantom" and even knows a cast member!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Kingman, AZ
April 18, 2010
This northwestern Arizona town of roughly 30,000 is a railroading center. The trains pull through nearly every 15 minutes blowing the whistle loud and proud! And, yes, that is around the clock! It does become soothing, but takes some getting used to. It is nestled between mountains that have the appearance of clay sticks stuck together and arranged by a toddler. It really is interesting. In Mohave county, we made the assumption that this is the Mojave Desert, but research shows that it is the Sonoran Desert.
Kingman has a couple of claims to fame. Andy Devine grew up here and they have every right to be proud of him. I can still hear his raspy voice from the many western movies he was in. The story is that he was running with some kind of stick in his mouth as a young boy when he fell and jammed the thing through the roof of his mouth. He had to relearn to talk after healing. This sounds way too much like the story we all heard from our mothers. I wonder if they knew about Andy Devine.
The second claim to fame also struck a cord with this child of '60's TV. This is the heart of the longest remaining section of Route 66. I immediately drew a mental picture of George Maharis and Martin Milner cruising in their Corvette. The stuff of pre-teen dreams! We headed down the historic highway that carried so many dreamers to California in the '30s, and '40's.
The switch-backed road took us to the mining towns of this area, most notable, Oatman. Oatman is a former ghost town of some note. It has old wooden buildings full of souveniers and tourists. We opted to eat our picnic on the west side of town and by-pass the hoopla. A good choice, because we got to see several Model-A Fords chugging into town. We wondered if any of them had made the original trip west. The flowers were blooming and the scenery interesting, so we kept going until it ended at I-40. Later I looked up Route 66 in the Atlas and found it in only a few scattered locations. It seems to have been displaced by freeways like I-40.
We headed back to Kingman with a side trip to Lake Havasu City, which just happens to be the USA home of London Bridge. We had to see it! The bridge spans a channel of the Colorado River/Lake Havasu to connect to an sizable island. We enjoyed walking around after a full day of driving. Many of the other tourists were bikini-clad, cruising in their speed boats, but there were enough geezer types to help us blend. Interestingly, the next day we were watching some learning channel at the perfect time to hear a story about how London Bridge was indeed Falling Down in its original home when a wealthy Arizona oilman bought it to grace the newly built lake and city. Many of the shops surrounding the bridge look like they have seen better days, but it is still an attraction worthy of the time to get there.
Our last day trip from Kingman was to Hoover Dam. The drive out was not nearly as scenic as Route 66 until the very end when you get into the mountains and canyons of the Grand Canyon area. You get to the bald red mountains about the same time as you arrive at road construction and then car inspections. Homeland Security wants to feel comfortable with every vehicle that crosses the iconic dam that provides water and electricity to the entire southwest. A beautiful new highway is openning in October that will take the bulk of traffic up and over the dam, easing congestion and security issues.
The dam is really impressive, probably why tens of millions have visited since its completion. The tours do a very good job of helping visitors appreciate the engineering achievement it is and the vast improvements it brought to the area. The dam controls flooding, provides a reliable source of water and hydor-electric power to millions. It is also beautifully adorned with '30s art deco sculpture and mosaics. We were awed by the attention to all the details the builders considered for the present and future value of this man-made landmark.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Camp Verde, Arizona
April 6 and 8, 2010
Indian Cliff Dwellings
We are staying at Zane Grey RV Park, a great kick for 2 old western novel readers. In the office library, you can take any book you like except for the Zane Grey's which may only be borrowed. They have a nice collection. This is the area Grey described in his books; he lived and traveled between Camp Verde and Payson.
One of the office staff told us about a great place to hike, just off the highway.
So off we went to find Indian ruins. We parked at the gate, just a mile or so west of the park. "Just up there? We don't even need to take water!" Right! The path was easily followed, even when it went straight up! it wasn't very far, really, or very strenuous, it was just the UP parts that got to me. Russell was great, reliving the lives of the Ancients who once trod these hills. We could see the caves from the road, but their complexities opened to us only as we entered the openings. We had worked up a pretty good sweat, but sitting in the shade of overhangs was very refreshing. Russell explored doorways and several "rooms." I just sat and was happy to do so. It was very cool to look down on the new housing development in the valley. We had the better view, perfect for defense, and really very cozy. The new houses had much better access to water!
On Thursday, we went to Montezuma's Castle, just north of here. These folks knew how to maximize cliff dwellings! They used adobe/mud to build walls several stories high. The Sinagua (without water) people lived in this village for over 300 years. Tourists used to climb up in the complex, but preservation requires that we stay on the sidewalk now. This made our previous climb all the better; we could relate our first-hand experience to the slightly removed one. The early European pioneers mistakenly named the ruins after Montezuma, but they date back centuries before, from 1100 to 1400.
Our final Sinagua trip in time was to Tuzigoot, an Indian condo of sorts. These folks had it made near the Verde River, on a short hill, with plenty of farm land between to 2. They climbed a ladder to enter from the roof, a doorway that also served as chimney. The artifacts found here are truely amazing! The park service has a new visitor center planned to properly display them, so we only got to see pictures of the really big clay pots. We then took the switch-backed road up to the old mining town of Jerome. We were there last year, but this visit was earlier in the day, not as crowded and way more relaxed! The Haunted Hamburger was a very good recomendation for lunch.
All of the "back-in-time" glimpses make me happy to be moving across the desert in an air-conditioned RV with all the modern conveniences.
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