Isle of Capri

"They say California's the big burrito; Texas is a big taco right now. We want to follow that through. Florida is a big tamale." Dan Rather

The drive through West Texas is a long drive. The terrain isn't too exciting and the towns are few and far between. Thus, we let the wind push us right on through. After leaving Fort Stockton we toyed with the idea of stopping in Kerrville for a cousin visit. As a matter of fact, we had plans to visit with them but those plans were made for about a week later than we were actually going to arrive. That was another "Oops" on my part. They weren't going to be in town over the weekend. Oh well, we'll catch them on the way back ................. maybe. At this time, we don't even know when or how we'll head back.

Friday was a long day. We started from the friendly Walmart in Fort Stockton and pushed to the Camping World just outside of Katy, TX (suburb of Houston) 480 miles away. Boondocking in parking lots on the way through sure helps balance out the per night cost.... especially when you're on a mission. We don't actually know what our mission was other than moving through Texas into Louisiana. It's also easier than getting set up in an RV park for just one night.

Saturday was a fairly short jaunt. We discovered a truck wash outside of Houston and finally got the dust and road grime removed. Then, on to Lake Charles, Louisiana and the Isle of Capri Casino. We opted for the $10 electrical site since the last two nights had been without hookups and free -- big spenders here. Signing up for the casino's player's card we were given $10 each for slots. Gambling is on the riverboat but the transition between the buildings and riverboat was seamless. After the slots we ended up with a few extra bucks in our pocket and feasted on the seafood buffet. It was loaded with just about everything I love -- clams, crabs, shrimp, catfish, etc. Terry had to roll me out of the restaurant. (The picture is actually for Sabrina ... to make her mouth water.)

The weather is finally gorgeous again and our travels are now slowing down. Scenery has changed and the winter beaches are just ahead.

We're way ahead of schedule. That's what happens when you put the pedal to the metal! It's almost time to slow down and plant ourselves close to an airport for yet another dental appointment.

Turn Up the Heat!

A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water. ~Carl Reiner

Just a few days ago it was way too hot. The thermostat was showing temperatures over 100 degrees and keeping cool was an issue even running the air conditioner constantly.

It's amazing how fast that can turn around. What a contrast this has been. And, we rushed out of Washington to avoid the snow .... only to find it in Texas!

One thing I did forget to mention in my previous post about the windstorm is that the City of Tucson was out with their utility trucks oiling down the shoulder of the freeway. Can you imagine? Winds were blowing so hard, visibility was almost zero in places and they were oiling the freeway!! Needless to say, every vehicle that passed even in the far lane received an oil bath ......... including us. Thus, the photos through the oil-splattered half windows.

Our original plan when we left Tucson was to move down the road and visit the Tombstone area before we put the metal to the pedal and moved along into Texas. However, that wind storm also brought lots of cold weather, rain and even snow!! Touring an area in those elements are not our cup of tea. Remember -- this was supposed to be an adventure where we wouldn't have to use the air conditioner and definitely didn't have to turn on the heater except at night. Well, those were just figments of our imagination because it hasn't happened much.

So, Tombstone has been put on the back burner (yet, again) for another time. We checked the winds every 50 miles and came in just behind the worst part of the storm. Oh, it was windy indeed but we missed all the rain and the snow. We spent an evening renewing friendships in Benson, NM and then hit the road again the next morning.

Snow was sprinkled all around the foothills of El Paso and the high deserts. What a site! I tried to take pictures but it's really difficult to do that when you're traveling on the road and with an iPhone. Again, we were lucky enough to miss most of the storm.

Moving down the highway it appeared that we might actually catch up with it. This is something we didn't want to do. So, we bedded down at the friendly Walmart in Fort Stockton, Texas along with a dozen other RVs. By morning we figured we have a clear shot to Kerrville. I have cousins there .... should we spend a few days or whiz on thru catching them on the way back? Hmm

This is my father's stomping grounds and a planned stop on our route.

Ripping Wind Storm

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." Jimmy Dean

What a day! Wind storms were predicted to rip through Arizona Tuesday and Wednesday. Thus, we ended up moving our RV from Phoenix to Tucson on Monday even though we still had that dental appointment to report to. However, with steady winds at 30-ish and gusts up to 60 mph, we thought it best or we might actually be stuck in the Phoenix area for another 3 or 4 days. We had already been there past our planned departure date. Besides .. we weren't pleased as peaches with the Tempe Elks RV spot. Now mind you -- location was superb. Granted we had full hookups but we were still in the dirt with RVs on top of us (including parked over the back of our hitch!!). Oh well ... enough of that.

We did move and are we ever glad we did. The wind ripped through the area and still is doing this. Arizona has had more than it's share of dust storms. Winds pick up across the flat deserts and have been known to shut down many freeway systems with numerous car pileups due to low or no visibility from blowing dust.

Freeways weren't shut down today because the visibility issues were just in small patches. However, the wind was bad and visibility horrendous at times. As a matter of fact, the east bound traffic was nearly shut down due to an earlier crash -- 3 semi's plowed into each other due to high winds and low visibility.

Anyway, we're back and listening to the wind roar and boy is it roaring. I hope we don't get blown away. Everything is rattling and jiggling! You can bet there are no awnings down in this place! Tomorrow we're hoping to get out of here and into Benson before 8 AM. The winds are predicted to be less in the morning. Tombstone, Boot Hill and Wyatt Earp are on the agenda.

Then, off to Deming!

It's HOT!! Give Me a Beach!!

Heat, ma'am! it was so dreadful here, that I found there was nothing left for it but to take off my flesh and sit in my bones.-- Sydney Smith

It is hot in Arizona. It is hotter in an RV in Arizona. Sure, the nights are cool but the days are miserable. The last few days have had record temperatures (they have to be records because it is so dang hot). Our thermometer has registered 104 degrees so you know it's not just a warm day. We can hardly wait to finish our business and get out of here!!!

We've been busy cleaning out a storage shed, sorting and shipping. (Yep, my son doesn't know all these boxes are coming to him yet.) The worst is almost over and we see a little light coming through. We've also been able to visit with my cousin, play Wii and eat a lot (there goes that diet again).

We are so looking forward to a departure from the Elks RV Park in Tempe. It has been hot, dusty and we're constantly packing in the dirt we're parked on. Of course, the location is fabulous in the center of the town. However, don't let the Elks fool you when they say you can't reserve a site. They've been reserving sites all over this place for friends coming in.

And, naturally, our plans are changing again. Thank goodness we still think the planning is fun or we would be close to burn-out. Originally, we were leaving here and heading to Sedona for a little relief from the hot desert. Then, we were going to Lake Havasu and discovered it was hot there too. Las Vegas and Quartzsite were also on the chart. That has all changed. I think the heat did it. Now we're thinking Benson -- elevation 3600 and 10 degrees cooler on our way to Dallas (our old stomping grounds) and ending up on a beach in either Alabama or Florida for the winter. We need a beach ......

Oh well .. keep posted. I'm sure more changes will be coming.

Disneyland and Quartzsite

"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." Walt Disney

Disney and Quartzsite are entire opposite. Disney is full of people and at this time of year Quartzsite is empty of people.

The last time we were at Disneyland was about 12 years ago. Up until then we had been to Disneyland numerous times with our kids. Wow! The changes to the park were tremendous. It's not that we had thought everything would remain the same. We hadn't. California Adventure was under construction on our last visit, we knew about it but still didn't expect so many changes. The highways around the park changed. The parking itself changed. Everything changed. And, everything was so much bigger. There were also a few additional rides. And, of course, they've even added the FastPass which is a huge improvement and meant standing in line a much shorter period of time.

The park was decorated for Halloween. It was very festive. The rain held off and we only experienced a few drizzles here and there. The threat of rain didn't keep everyone way. The park wasn't as full as it could have been. We'd been to Disney in the past when you could hardly walk around through the crowds. Previously we had made a point of trying to be there when we felt the least amount of kids would be. There were lots of kids .... well, of course.

Duchess didn't have such a great day. It was her "first" experience riding on a tram or even being put in a cage. The tram wasn't her favorite ride (she prefers the car) and she was extremely happy to leave the cage.

It's always interesting to see the planning at Disneyland. I'm sure you've noticed that every major ride ends with the riders having to walk through a theme store geared to the ride just finished. Now there is a captive audience for shopping!

The food courts are always full. Partly I'm sure because folks are looking for a place to sit not to mention that you aren't supposed to bring in your own food. With the threat of rain many people looked for cover to avoid getting soaked. Some of the eating establishments provided just that -- cover. However, when the rain clouds went away, you could find Main Street full and folks enjoying all the treats that Disney had to offer. Here's Terry slurping up the last of his ice cream.

One thing that we really did notice between this time and the last time we were here is that many of the happy faces weren't quite as happy. Some of the little Disney workers were quite sharp as they helped folks on rides. Perhaps, it's a sign of just too many people and the absence of Walt Disney.

Okay ... we've been here, conquered and time to move on! Rain go away.

Well, most of it went away. We started out this morning under a light rain. The roads were wet and visability was low. However, the good part was that after about 60 miles the rain did go away. After another 40 miles we were even seeing blue skies in the distance. Yahoo!

We're now planted in Quartzsite. It is not the same place in October as it is January. What a difference! What a difference ... or did I say that. All the RV lots are empty. Oh, I take that back the huge one right in the center of town does have one motorhome on it so it's not entirely empty.

Even the BLM land is almost bare. We visited there just to check it out. There are a few RVs but not very many. Folks can really find some great places to park for the season if they want to head this way now. However, the down side is it's still hot here.

Luscious Chocolate Bars

"Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of those pieces." - Judith Viorst

We never quite made it to Yosemite. We got sidetracked but did discover Don Pedro Lake on the way to Yosemite. It is a gorgeous lake and it's filled with houseboats. There was a time we used to think that would be a great vacation --- renting a houseboat.

Actually moving down the highway in an RV is similar to a houseboat. Size is the same but the big difference is there is no water.

We also discovered a Ghirardelli Outlet -- thick rich chocolate factory. Actually, I was almost afraid to enter the outlet store. I wasn't sure if all the calories loaded in that store would be contagious or not. However, I did go in to look around but I was very, very good. Being around this much chocolate could be lethal to any diet. It was loaded with luscious candy and chocolate flavored goodies. We did buy some .... but I stayed away from them.

Even though we had settled in to Sharpe RV Park and paid for a week, we moved out early. We've done that several times. One of these days I'll learn not to pay for a week in advance. Weatherman was forecasting strong winds and rain and we thought it best to move right along. And, we did.

The central part of California is heavy farm land. All types of fruits and vegetables are grown in this region. However, we noticed some of the fields had been plowed under and were just dirt. Many of the canals were dry and some of the vegetation was starting to yellow. There were several signs along I-5 -- Congress created dust bowl. It wasn't a pretty site. Can you imagine how this is going to be reflected on our grocery bills?

Traveling through Los Angeles wasn't too bad on a Sunday. There was still lots of traffic but we made it without incident (yahoo!!) and are currently planted here until the weather passes over.

California Beach

Drive carefully! Remember, it's not only a car that can be recalled by it's maker. Anonymous

Traveling along has certainly brought some challenges. Well, it's not really the traveling. It's towing a vehicle with four feet down! In a quick little review let's take a look back since departing from the Pacific NW. You've got to realize we are only on day 5. Having moved 3 of those days it went kind of like this.

Day 1 - Brake Buddy kept blowing a fuse in the toad. Drove two vehicles.
Day 2 - Blue Ox pin came out while towing after 150 miles. Drove two vehicles.

Day 3 - Didn't move the motorhome and got new parts.

Day 4 - Toad had no lights. Drove two vehicles.

Day 5 - Didn't move the motorhome.

Does it look like a pattern? It seems any time we move, we have a fiasco! This is one reason why everything should be tested and tested before hitting the road. Oh, we could of but we didn't. We talked about it. Talking doesn't do much good. Since we were only traveling a very few miles when we did travel, it wasn't a big deal to drive both of them for those little trips. It seems this year has definitely been a learning one for us.

We're just south of Stockton and happy to be tucked in here safe and sound with full hookups. The air conditioner was even running again. Weather is gorgeous!!

Since we had snuggled into a FHU site, we were out exploring. Today we headed due west to the California coast and Half Moon Bay. This is a cute little tourist town with a beautiful beach. The problem is that everyone from San Francisco thinks so too. We opted not to go on a weekend when it was packed. Next weekend the town hosts their annual Pumpkin Fest so certainly wouldn't want to go then. When we started out the fog was hanging over the ocean but by noon the fog had been replaced by a beautiful blue sky. It was a perfect day at the beach.

The traffic was awful. We had almost forgotten what traveling was like around a big city. It took us approximately 2 hours to go about 20 miles. We should have headed back the same way we went but leaving Half Moon Bay we drove north on Hwy 1 to Pacifica. Now that's a gorgeous beach!

Tomorrow we're heading east towards Yosemite. Even though it's a Saturday I'm sure there will be lots less traffic than we encountered today!!!

Toad's Wild Ride

The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them. - Robert Frost

The next adventure has begun. Well, not exactly as planned but how many things really go as you plan them?

The weather was nice even though quite chilly. With the sun shining everything else seems so much nicer. Our first stop at the RV interior shop in Woodland took a little longer than expected. It's not that the techs were slow but they didn't exactly run out the door to greet us as we arrived. However, the real problem was that we actually had a real problem.

Being the frugal person that I usually try to be (hahahaha) I began our search for a toad brake system on the Internet -- specifically, Craigslist. We found one at $300(?) but it was in Wenatchee (200 miles away)! What a savings that was so a day trip was in store. The current owner showed us how it worked .... we didn't notice a problem. The problem only occured when we were hooking it up to actually use it 3 months later. The Brake Buddy kept blowing a fuse and it wasn't the fuse inside the car in the little fuse box. It was the fuse under the hood. Not knowing there was a second fuse we made a trip to the local dealer to find out what was going on. The result of this real problem was that we needed a new braking system. Yes, we know many folks with light weight cars who drive without a braking system. However, since it is actually illegal not to have one, we figured better to be legal than not.

Next stop - Camping World just south of Portland. Camping World sells two supplemental braking systems. We opted for the automatic one ... just in case. We were told within 60-90 minutes we'd be on the road again. We weren't. Thus, by the time 3:30 rolled around (and about $1400 later) we decided Camping World would be our destination for the night. And, off to Fry's Electronics we went (5 minutes away).

Terry had purchased a small AC/DC TV a few days prior, threw away the box and receipt but then discovered it wouldn't search for satellite channels. Fry's took it back in a ziplock bag but would only give a gift certificate, of course. Now we had to spend it then and there. We replaced my server driver that was having hiccups plus piddled the difference on a few other tidbits. After shopping ... dinner at Wankers (I'm getting tired of salads for dinner.).

On the road again in the morning and all hooked up with the toad in place. After checking connections thoroughly, we were heading out again.

The next 150 miles or so was actually quite pleasant. We even got Duchess to accept her new riding place. Then, we started hearing an occasional ping, ping. After several minutes of this strange pinging the rear camera was turned down to the towbar on the toad. EEK!! The toad was having a wild ride!! Right to left, left to right. An emergency stop on the freeway was in a place where few vehicles dare to park!! We had lost the pin out of one of the tow brackets!! After a few harrowing minutes trying to unlatch the last bracket while enduring all the vehicles honking to let us know they were passing, we were finally unhooked. Why is it stupid cars want to honk to let you know they are passing ..... none passed in the far right lane and always in the far left lane!! We certainly knew they were there. We were lucky.

Anyway, it's certainly been an adventure to this point. Our daughter-in-law tells us it's God's way of wanting us to stay in Washington. Heck, and we were trying to run out of there before the ice or snow came.

This morning we're in Redding, CA. We spent the night at the Win River Casino. Signing up for their Player's Card gives you $10 each playing money for the day you sign up and another $10 for the next day. We made our donation last night and will do so again tonight.

How long are we here for? We don't really know but at least 3 nights. Weather is to be in the 80's today and down in the mid-50's tonight -- not bad. We have nice neighbors in the casino RV park -- drydock (oops, thinking about the expensive boat) I mean boondock or is it drycamp. Or, do we really care because it's FREE. We're here. We're safe. We're happy.

Today we're going to try to locate Blue Ox pins, connections, double duty locks and whatever else we need for our next 200 mile jaunt. An outlet mall is just down the road so guess where we'll be later.

The Siskiyous are beautiful this time of year with deep green evergreens and the contrasting fall colors peaking through. Add Mt. Shasta in the background and it was quite a nice drive. However, it is tough to take a picture with a wobbly iPhone and drive too.

D-Day

"No matter which direction you start it's always against the wind coming back."

D-Day is here. It's time to move.

It's actually getting quite cool in the Pacific NW. Oh, the days are still nice but the night time temperatures even dropped below the 40-mark the other night (36 right now!!). That's pretty cold if you ask me.

Since a new Sony came into our place, I've been going through two computers and deleting and installing. That's certainly a lot of work. The nice part is that I'm keeping both of them so I don't have to worry about really storing all the information on computer #1. The bad part is that one of my server drive is having a hard time booting up so I know it'll bite the dust before too long. What does that mean? It means I better get another one quick and make the transfer before it refuses to operate.

Here's Jordie trying on dresses for a school dance!

This weekend we were busy saying our goodbyes. We had salmon on Friday, partied at Red Robin on Saturday and at Lee's on Sunday after Bri fixed another fantastic meal -- beef stroganoff! It was hard to say goodbye after spending so much time around Lee, Bri, Justin and Jordan. We've had a fantastic summer. I think we were all choked up. Sabrina is a jewelry artist to say the least. I'll post a few better pictures down the road of the jewelry she has made. These were taken with my wobbly iPhone. And, she sent me off with new sets of earrings!! I also made off with a gorgeous necklace!

Our first stop this morning will be 20 miles down the road. We need to have our captain's chair tweaked. Then, off we go ... to someplace.

The weight challenge is still on. Have I ever said I hated diets!! I do.