January 28, 2010
I think the entire country is in the grip of some weird weather this winter. Russell felt that Phoenix, a place we like for lots of reasons, was the best choice for sunny skies and relaxing. So it has rained for a good deal of our two days here... maybe it's us!
We camped in Junction, TX for 2 nights. We stayed an extra day due to strong winds blowing in from the west. It seemed that I-10 was the corridor for a nasty system that included gusts of 60mph. We also spent 2 nights in Las Cruces. Our 3 travel days from Houston to Phoenix covered more than 400 miles each. I guess we needed to rest in between each leg.
Our new-to-us home has performed admirably on the long road trip. We have learned a lot about the systems, driving capabilities, and kinks still to be addressed. Each day we perform some task that makes our Diplomat a little more like home.
My Mom continues to struggle with her lung condition. The tests she underwent proved negative, so she can't recieve the proposed treatment. We will be back in the near future to spend more time with my family.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
COACH TRAVEL
Houston, TX
January 10,2010
We have made 2 road trips in our new home. This is why we switched to a class-A RV! The travel is very comfortable. Russell says it drives better; less vitbration, less fight. We have enjoyed having full facilities available during travel. Although I didn't make and serve sandwiches enroute, it was a simple process at the rest stop. No need to pack a cooler or have crumbs in the truck. We worked straight from the frig to the table!
Our first jaunt was to Waco...easy. We snacked enroute and enjoyed the short trip. We got to see Russell's Mom, who is doing quite well. We brought her to the new "house" for a visit, which was great fun.
We are in Houston to see my folks. Mom has not been well, and her lungs just get worse. Everyone is concerned for her. We will know more about treatment options after next Monday.
We'll write more, maybe even have some pictures after that. We are very happy to be in non-freezing temps!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
A NEW YEAR, A NEW RIDE!
Three wet weeks in Brownsville prompted some creative internet surfing. Russell landed on a very attractive, low miles class-A which started the negotiations by email and cell phone - love technology! So the hunt began for a TOAD-rv speak for a tow vehicle - also online. The only obstacle was the 13-hour drive from Brownsville to Valley View, TX (just south of Gainsville). The rig looked as good as promised and the deal struck!
Less than two weeks later, all goals have been accomplished! We are now mostly settled in our 2004 Monaco Diplomat with a 2005 Saturn Vue tow car. We moved in from the 5th-wheel beginning 12-22 with all goods stowed in some fashion by 12-23. It was not a pretty picture, but we rolled out of the dealership and headed for a park in Denton to sort out all of the details.
We are staying in the Dallas area to continue tweeking the minor repair work and learning new systems. We anticipate travel in more comfort with easier extended travel. No more repeated attempts at hitching, and many other chores that we had come to dread. BONUS: I won't hit my head on the hitch again.
The down side of all this activity was canceling our plans to meet friends for New Year's at Ft. Davis. So these dear floks adjusted their plans and drove to Dallas to join us on Christmas Day. What an awesome gift!
Pics to follow, we haven't had time yet!
Less than two weeks later, all goals have been accomplished! We are now mostly settled in our 2004 Monaco Diplomat with a 2005 Saturn Vue tow car. We moved in from the 5th-wheel beginning 12-22 with all goods stowed in some fashion by 12-23. It was not a pretty picture, but we rolled out of the dealership and headed for a park in Denton to sort out all of the details.
We are staying in the Dallas area to continue tweeking the minor repair work and learning new systems. We anticipate travel in more comfort with easier extended travel. No more repeated attempts at hitching, and many other chores that we had come to dread. BONUS: I won't hit my head on the hitch again.
The down side of all this activity was canceling our plans to meet friends for New Year's at Ft. Davis. So these dear floks adjusted their plans and drove to Dallas to join us on Christmas Day. What an awesome gift!
Pics to follow, we haven't had time yet!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
TEXAS
November, 2009
We drove from Albuquerque to Dallas in a single day, with the obligatory stop at the Big Texan for lunch. This is not recommended. We could’a stopped, should’a stopped, but Russell was determined to arrive into the Metroplex and negotiate an unfamiliar campground in the dark, after a long day. The man loves a challenge! Fortunately The Treetops Campground had given us a long, wide pull-through and a wonderful manager to help us accomplish the goal with as much grace as possible.
It was so wonderful to have trees with leaves falling and a damp chill in the air. It felt like being home again, which, of course, it was. We had time in Dallas to enjoy friends and Kyle, take care of business and see doctors. We headed to Waco for more of the same, and then to Houston to enjoy Thanksgiving with more family and friends. Even the right football teams won! It was a wonderful few weeks. In Waco we revisited Skipper and Connie at their RV Park, the River View. We found a great location to revisit on return trips in Dickinson, The Palms RV Park.
More of Texas awaits! About 30 years ago, we planned for a vacation at South Padre Island, but a devastating hurricane in that area changed all of that. This seemed like a good time to finally get to The Valley and South Padre.
The drive south is fairly long and uneventful in terms of terrain. Russell kept looking for when The Valley started, trying to spot high points in terrain so that a “valley” could be determined. Never found it! The best definition I could come up with is that the valley includes land that drains to the Rio Grande, and it is low elevation, even if there is no high elevation to show a contrast.
We arrived in true Geezer Heaven at Winter Haven Retirement Village. This gated community in Brownsville is second home to many Canadians and other Winter Texans, even quite a lot of North Texas Texans who like to wear shorts and t-shirts all year long. There is a nice mix of RV’s, park model homes, and brick homes along the man-made canals. Golf carts are the transport of choice! Although the weather has been less than perfect, we have been able to ride bikes and walk most days. The food shopping is terrific and we have tried new recipes with the available produce.
We drove from Albuquerque to Dallas in a single day, with the obligatory stop at the Big Texan for lunch. This is not recommended. We could’a stopped, should’a stopped, but Russell was determined to arrive into the Metroplex and negotiate an unfamiliar campground in the dark, after a long day. The man loves a challenge! Fortunately The Treetops Campground had given us a long, wide pull-through and a wonderful manager to help us accomplish the goal with as much grace as possible.
It was so wonderful to have trees with leaves falling and a damp chill in the air. It felt like being home again, which, of course, it was. We had time in Dallas to enjoy friends and Kyle, take care of business and see doctors. We headed to Waco for more of the same, and then to Houston to enjoy Thanksgiving with more family and friends. Even the right football teams won! It was a wonderful few weeks. In Waco we revisited Skipper and Connie at their RV Park, the River View. We found a great location to revisit on return trips in Dickinson, The Palms RV Park.
More of Texas awaits! About 30 years ago, we planned for a vacation at South Padre Island, but a devastating hurricane in that area changed all of that. This seemed like a good time to finally get to The Valley and South Padre.
The drive south is fairly long and uneventful in terms of terrain. Russell kept looking for when The Valley started, trying to spot high points in terrain so that a “valley” could be determined. Never found it! The best definition I could come up with is that the valley includes land that drains to the Rio Grande, and it is low elevation, even if there is no high elevation to show a contrast.
We arrived in true Geezer Heaven at Winter Haven Retirement Village. This gated community in Brownsville is second home to many Canadians and other Winter Texans, even quite a lot of North Texas Texans who like to wear shorts and t-shirts all year long. There is a nice mix of RV’s, park model homes, and brick homes along the man-made canals. Golf carts are the transport of choice! Although the weather has been less than perfect, we have been able to ride bikes and walk most days. The food shopping is terrific and we have tried new recipes with the available produce.
New Mexico
November 3, 2009
We headed northeast out of Phoenix toward I-40 and northern New Mexico, the thermometer dropping the entire way. Except for a short stretch of alpine in
Arizona, it was desert the whole way. The varying hues of red, orange, yellow changed with time of day and elevation, each vista beautiful and far reaching. We have driven this part of I-40 before, but I didn’t remember the large lava fields. El Malpais is the Spanish term for these badlands of roughed terrain. But our destination of Albuquerque lay further east.
We had allowed one day to Albuquerque, surely not enough. We elected to visit Old Town first to soak up culture, history and Mexican food. The bonus was the wonderful day of shopping. We had a beautiful sunny day to get our Christmas shopping complete with no hassles of the mall. We both enjoyed the hunt in this laid back adobe setting.
NEXT TIME: the lava fields, Albuquerque museums
We headed northeast out of Phoenix toward I-40 and northern New Mexico, the thermometer dropping the entire way. Except for a short stretch of alpine in
Arizona, it was desert the whole way. The varying hues of red, orange, yellow changed with time of day and elevation, each vista beautiful and far reaching. We have driven this part of I-40 before, but I didn’t remember the large lava fields. El Malpais is the Spanish term for these badlands of roughed terrain. But our destination of Albuquerque lay further east.
We had allowed one day to Albuquerque, surely not enough. We elected to visit Old Town first to soak up culture, history and Mexican food. The bonus was the wonderful day of shopping. We had a beautiful sunny day to get our Christmas shopping complete with no hassles of the mall. We both enjoyed the hunt in this laid back adobe setting.
NEXT TIME: the lava fields, Albuquerque museums
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; a NON-RV Trip!
October 10-20, 2009
We were very excited about our long awaited first trip to the interior of Mexico. The RV waited for us back in Phoenix while we flew south. Russell’s unexpected cold threw a damper on things, but he usually gets over these things quickly and it was way too late to change plans. We were staying with the Rutherford’s in their hillside condo and had many plans. We took it easy the first day to allow time for rest from travel and to let Russell get well. But dinner on the beach, a walk through town and the main drag were great fun. Pat, a fabulous cook, served dinner on the terrace to watch the sunset on Sunday.
By Monday, Russell was much better and I was sick. We went to town that morning, where we bought medicine and each had a massage. That was the end of my week. Russell, Rick and Pat went ahead with a modified version of “Our Plans” hoping I would be up and ready the next day. That never really happened. I had 3 wonderful nurses who were very patient with the wrench I had thrown.
We did walk on the beach and wade in the water. Russell and Rick took parachute flights over the bay and loved it. Venders walk the beach with their wares ready to bargain with tourists. “You want to broke my family?” from one such vender become the catch-phrase of the trip. We drove north of town to see the filming location for Predator. Unbelievably, the movie was on TV the night before we drove out there! The drive to and through the jungle was so different from the Pacific forests of western United States. We walked through the sand-floored huts and along the river that was in the movie – very cool! The locale is now a restaurant. Each couple got the fish and ribs for 2. They bring out a cookie sheet platter loaded with double portions of red snapper, lobster, shish-kabob, ribs, chicken and trimmings. Two of these sat on the table before 4 wide-eyed, but very hungry, people. It was a feast! We sat drinking margaritas while the waiters not only cleared all the tables; they stacked them and the chairs. We left to continue south to another famous restaurant, The Cliffs. This one sits right on the shore, each deck a little closer to the water. We enjoyed dessert and coffee with a view of the crescent shoreline of Puerto Vallarta. Oh My!
We really enjoyed PV. It caters to tourists with a beautiful bay, fun shopping, beautiful sites and great food. The Rutherford’s condo is very comfortable, offering an eye-popping view of the city and bay. We spent many hours on the terrace, especially in the evening, to enjoy the lights and the nightly fireworks show.
We were very excited about our long awaited first trip to the interior of Mexico. The RV waited for us back in Phoenix while we flew south. Russell’s unexpected cold threw a damper on things, but he usually gets over these things quickly and it was way too late to change plans. We were staying with the Rutherford’s in their hillside condo and had many plans. We took it easy the first day to allow time for rest from travel and to let Russell get well. But dinner on the beach, a walk through town and the main drag were great fun. Pat, a fabulous cook, served dinner on the terrace to watch the sunset on Sunday.
By Monday, Russell was much better and I was sick. We went to town that morning, where we bought medicine and each had a massage. That was the end of my week. Russell, Rick and Pat went ahead with a modified version of “Our Plans” hoping I would be up and ready the next day. That never really happened. I had 3 wonderful nurses who were very patient with the wrench I had thrown.
We did walk on the beach and wade in the water. Russell and Rick took parachute flights over the bay and loved it. Venders walk the beach with their wares ready to bargain with tourists. “You want to broke my family?” from one such vender become the catch-phrase of the trip. We drove north of town to see the filming location for Predator. Unbelievably, the movie was on TV the night before we drove out there! The drive to and through the jungle was so different from the Pacific forests of western United States. We walked through the sand-floored huts and along the river that was in the movie – very cool! The locale is now a restaurant. Each couple got the fish and ribs for 2. They bring out a cookie sheet platter loaded with double portions of red snapper, lobster, shish-kabob, ribs, chicken and trimmings. Two of these sat on the table before 4 wide-eyed, but very hungry, people. It was a feast! We sat drinking margaritas while the waiters not only cleared all the tables; they stacked them and the chairs. We left to continue south to another famous restaurant, The Cliffs. This one sits right on the shore, each deck a little closer to the water. We enjoyed dessert and coffee with a view of the crescent shoreline of Puerto Vallarta. Oh My!
We really enjoyed PV. It caters to tourists with a beautiful bay, fun shopping, beautiful sites and great food. The Rutherford’s condo is very comfortable, offering an eye-popping view of the city and bay. We spent many hours on the terrace, especially in the evening, to enjoy the lights and the nightly fireworks show.
Phoenix, Arizona
October 4, 2009
We left San Diego hugging the Mexican border along I-8 the drive was as interesting and unique as all the others have been. Signs of the border and border agents were everywhere in this sparse landscape. We drove through the Cleveland National Forest (no trees here), the Imperial Valley, and Imperial Valley Sand Dunes on our way to Yuma, Arizona. Great amounts of the sand dunes were blowing across the freeway to Mexico making visibility difficult. The winds and sands stopped at the border, though, for a scenic drive through southwestern Arizona to Phoenix. It was nice to be coming back to some place and have a sense of the familiar.
We spent a week enjoying Rick and Pat and getting ready for our trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It is nice to just be here and have no pressure to sightsee. We’ve spent the near-month resting, recuperating, and catching up on business with beautiful weather and gorgeous mountains in the background. It has been time to work, bike, walk, watch football and sit in the hot tub. It is especially nice to have all of this and friends close by to enjoy it with.
We left San Diego hugging the Mexican border along I-8 the drive was as interesting and unique as all the others have been. Signs of the border and border agents were everywhere in this sparse landscape. We drove through the Cleveland National Forest (no trees here), the Imperial Valley, and Imperial Valley Sand Dunes on our way to Yuma, Arizona. Great amounts of the sand dunes were blowing across the freeway to Mexico making visibility difficult. The winds and sands stopped at the border, though, for a scenic drive through southwestern Arizona to Phoenix. It was nice to be coming back to some place and have a sense of the familiar.
We spent a week enjoying Rick and Pat and getting ready for our trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It is nice to just be here and have no pressure to sightsee. We’ve spent the near-month resting, recuperating, and catching up on business with beautiful weather and gorgeous mountains in the background. It has been time to work, bike, walk, watch football and sit in the hot tub. It is especially nice to have all of this and friends close by to enjoy it with.
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