Well, we got home Saturday evening. After three long days of driving we were very glad to get here. Joey ran all around the house and we can tell he is enjoying his freedom in all this (house sized) space. We traveled 6,466 miles in 41 days. We saw everything we set out to see and more, though we don't have many goals at the beginning of these trips. This trip was shorter than we had hoped, but the Aliner was very small, and I was not optimistic that it was going to work out. I really thought we would not get very far, for very long, before giving it up and coming right back home. But it was a cozy little camper, and Charlie really really enjoyed having his mini-van as the tow vehicle. Eventually it did get old having to eat out all the time, and I really really didn't like the porta-potty with no privacy. Well, we learned something, and still had a good time. Charlie is probably going to get some kind of truck to use as a tow vehicle next time. If he does that, we may not stick with this camper, though we both really like it. Almost any truck would have a lot more towing capacity and we could get a larger camper. We will have to see, it is something to figure out and look forward to. I am still limping around, and I have a doctor's appointment today. I hope to get back to walking the shelter dogs soon, but now I am resting as much as I can. I am walking Joey, but not far. He runs around on the end of the retractable leash in the front yard, while I stand in one spot. I have taken him down to the road a couple of times but I have to drive down, and then I can't even walk as far as the cul-de-sac without developing a lot of pain. Hopefully, he is not missing our long walks too much. The house, the pool, and the yard were in great shape when we got home thanks to Becky and Rick. We really appreciate everything they do. They make it possible for us to take our trips, and have been good friends to us over the years.
Here is where we camped and our camping expenses, we belong to Good Sam and Passport America so we got some good discounts:
4/12/10 Jo & Floyd Lecanto, FL
4/13/10 Jo & Floyd Lecanto, FL
4/14/10 Sunset Isle RV Park & Motel Cedar Key, FL $ 30.52
4/15/10 Manatee Springs State Park Chiefland, FL $ 21.80
4/16/10 Ann & David & Becky Tallahassee, FL
4/17/10 Ann & David & Becky Tallahassee, FL
4/18/10 Rustic Sands RV Park Mexico Beach, FL $ 18.87
4/19/10 Big Lagoon State Park Pensacola, FL $ 22.30
4/20/10 Maxey Care RV Park Morganza, LA $ 13.50
4/21/10 Jeanne Karnes City, TX
4/22/10 Jeanne Karnes City, TX
4/23/10 Jeanne Karnes City, TX
4/24/10 Governor's Landing Lake Amistad, TX $ 8.00
4/25/10 Sonora Caverns & RV Park Sonora, TX $ 15.00
4/26/10 Marathon Motel & RV Park Marathon, TX $ 12.50
4/27/10 Rio Grande Camp Big Bend Natl Park $ 30.00
4/28/10 Big Bend Resort & RV Park Big Bend, TX $ 22.00
4/29/10 Big Bend Resort & RV Park Big Bend, TX $ 22.00
4/30/10 Big Bend Resort & RV Park Big Bend, TX $ 22.00
5/01/10 Davis Mountains State Park Fort Davis, TX $ 23.00
5/02/10 Davis Mountains State Park Fort Davis, TX $ 23.00
5/03/10 Balmorhea State Park Balmorhea, TX $ 31.00
5/04/10 Sante Fe KOA Sante Fe, NM $ 35.93
5/05/10 Sante Fe KOA Sante Fe, NM $ 35.93
5/06/10 Sand Dunes Swim Pool RV Park Hooper, CO $ 25.00
5/07/10 Sand Dunes Swim Pool RV Park Hooper, CO $ 25.00
5/08/10 Four Seasons RV Resort Salida, CO $ 28.74
5/09/10 Four Seasons RV Resort Salida, CO $ 28.74
5/10/10 Four Seasons RV Resort Salida, CO $ 28.74
5/11/10 4J+1+1 Ouray, CO $ 29.05
5/12/10 Pagosa Riverside Campground Pagosa Springs, CO $ 32.67
5/13/10 Blanca RV Park Blanca, CO $ 10.88
5/14/10 Sand Dunes Swim Pool RV Park Hooper, CO $ 10.85
5/15/10 Sand Dunes Swim Pool RV Park Hooper, CO $ 27.00
5/16/10 Lathrop State Park Lathrop, CO $ 20.00
5/17/10 Oasis RV Resort Amarillo, TX $ 20.00
5/18/10 Oasis RV Resort Amarillo, TX $ 20.00
5/19/10 Terra Starr RV Park Checotah, OK $ 12.00
5/20/10 Days Inn Brinkley RV Park Brinkley, AR $ 19.01
5/21/10 Pensacola RV Park Pensacola, FL $ 32.11
Total $757.14
Our gas expenses:
4/12/10 $2.759 08.17 Gallons Sanford, FL $ 22.53
4/16/10 $2.939 17.63 Gallons Perry, FL $ 51.80
4/19/10 $2.749 12.45 Gallons Callaway, FL $ 34.24
4/20/10 $2.769 13.78 Gallons Loxley, AL $ 38.16
4/20/10 $2.759 12.62 Gallons Port Allen, LA $ 34.83
4/21/10 $2.699 13.33 Gallons Bridge City, TX $ 36.03
4/21/10 $2.789 05.00 Gallons Nixon, TX $ 14.13
4/23/10 $2.799 15.14 Gallons Karnes City, TX $ 41.77
4/24/10 $2.629 09.53 Gallons Uvalde, TX $ 25.06
4/25/10 $2.629 07.42 Gallons Del Rio, TX $ 19.50
4/26/10 $2.989 10.00 Gallons Comstock, TX $ 29.90
4/26/10 $3.299 16.26 Gallons Marathon, TX $ 53.65
4/27/10 $2.949 01.97 Gallons Alpine, TX $ 5.82
4/29/10 $3.209 09.33 Gallons Terlingua, TX $ 31.84
5/01/10 $3.059 14.49 Gallons Alpine, TX $ 44.32
5/04/10 $2.979 16.66 Gallons Carlsbad, NM $ 49.54
5/07/10 $2.959 10.10 Gallons Vaughn, NM $ 30.00
5/07/10 $2.769 11.57 Gallons Sante Fe, NM $ 32.03
5/08/10 $2.829 10.41 Gallons Alamosa, CO $ 29.46
5/11/10 $2.769 09.90 Gallons Salida, CO $ 27.41
5/11/10 $2.749 10.18 Gallons Montrose, CO $ 27.97
5/12/10 $2.799 13.58 Gallons Pagosa Springs, CO $ 38.01
5/14/10 $2.769 07.79 Gallons Alamosa, CO $ 21.56
5/15/10 $2.767 06.85 Gallons Alamosa, CO $ 18.98
5/16/10 $2.799 01.81 Gallons Alamosa, CO $ 5.05
5/17/10 $2.979 11.50 Gallons Raton, NM $ 34.20
5/17/10 $2.759 16.81 Gallons Bushland, TX $ 46.37
5/19/10 $2.749 05.08 Gallons Amarillo, TX $ 13.95
5/19/10 $2.779 09.12 Gallons Erick, OK $ 25.35
5/19/10 $2.699 09.40 Gallons Hinton, OK $ 25.43
5/20/10 $2.759 16.00 Gallons Checotah, OK $ 44.00
5/20/10 $2.759 09.49 Gallons Van Buren, AR $ 26.18
5/20/10 $2.699 14.47 Gallons Lonoke, AR $ 39.05
5/20/10 $2.639 16.63 Gallons Forrest City, AR $ 17.50
5/21/10 $2.739 15.51 Gallons Belzoni, MS $ 42.48
5/21/10 $2.579 06.76 Gallons Richland, MS $ 17.42
5/21/10 $2.699 09.33 Gallons New Augusta, MS $ 25.17
5/21/10 $2.839 12.49 Gallons Pine Forest, FL $ 35.47
5/21/10 $2.689 12.95 Gallons Marianna, FL $ 24.82
5/22/10 $2.839 13.40 Gallons Live Oak, FL $ 38.05
5/22/10 $2.849 14.45 Gallons Palm Coast, FL $ 41.17
Average $2.744
Total 459.34 Gallons $1,260.20
Not so bad for over a month of travel! That is the end of the story for this trip, I will be back to this blog next trip! BOOM! The Shuttle is home! This is possibly the last flight for Atlantis after 25 years, 32 flights, and millions of miles. p.s. Happy Birthday Mom, we love you!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
May 19 to May 21, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
We headed out this morning east on I-40. Near the campground there is a spot along the road where we noticed that people are parking and walking out to something in the field. We couldn't tell what it was, so Charlie looked it up on Wikipedia, and it is the 'Cadillac Ranch'. There are about 10 cars sticking up, on end, out of the ground. Art. We didn't walk out there, and I forgot my binoculars this trip, so we didn't get a close look. Oh well.... We drove on I-40 all day and into Oklahoma, and there was a steady parade of storm chaser vehicles with all kinds of scientific equipment. It was a very loose convoy from different institutions and universities, including Florida and Texas. There must have been at least a hundred vehicles that passed us. The best part was looking ahead we could see storms and clouds building up in the distance. The biggest cross in the western hemisphere is at exit 112 on I-40 in Oklahoma. I took pictures as we drove by. Charlie took pictures of an old Conoco station as we went through an intersection. People were posing in front of it, so we took a picture too! We will post the pictures soon. We drove about 380 miles today, and ended up in an RV Park by Lake Eufaula, south of Checotah, Oklahoma. When we got near here it started raining, and that was the first significant rain we have encountered on this trip. The rain stopped long enough for us to get set up and settled in the camper, and then it thundered, poured, blew, and lightning hit all around us all night. It was the biggest and longest storm I can ever remember. I was in the pop out so it was very exciting. I love a good storm, but wow! This was really something, and it seemed to keep circling back. There is a long underground storm shelter less than a hundred feet from our camper, and a lady told me that if we hear horns honking in the night we should run to the shelter immediately. Someone told Charlie that the campers had to run for the shelter just a week ago. Luckily we made it through the night in the camper. P.S. Palo Dura Canyon is in Texas, NOT new Mexico (see May 18 notes)!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
We drove all day and covered about 310 miles. We stayed at an RV Park behind the Days Inn in Brinkley, Arkansas. We had absolutely no fun at all! We do enjoy the comfort of our camper, but, Charlie is not liking the amount of wear and tear on the van. Even though the trailer is only 17 feet long and weighs less than 3,000 pounds, it has as much wind resistance as a 30 foot trailer that sits as high as ours does. He has asked quite a few people with full size trucks with big engines and pulling 25 foot or longer trailers what kind of gas mileage they get. Just about everyone has said 9 to 10 miles per gallon, which is pretty close to what we are getting. Charlie thinks it is more wind resistance than the camper's weight that affects the mileage, and the van is just working too hard. It is not made for towing. So he is not satisfied with this combination, and he does not like what it is doing to the van. So, we are heading home. Plus, although my hip does not hurt as much, I still can't walk very far without some pain. So I need to get it looked at, again.
Friday, May 21, 2010
We started out in Brinkley Arkansas this morning and headed south and east over the Mississippi River at a bridge near Clarksdale Mississippi. It rained some, and we stayed off the interstates most of the way. We took route 1 at Forrest City, Arkansas, and then 242 east and route 49 at Helena – West Helena. We took 61 south at Clarksdale and jumped back to 49 by going east on 12 at Hollendale. South of Hattisburg we took 98 towards Mobile and then got on I-10. We stopped for gas five times today, and got pretty low one time. The mileage is averaging about 11 and the van is probably going to need a lot of maintenance when we get back. The air conditioner does not seem to be keeping up now that we are in warmer weather. Plus the Maintenance Required light has been on for almost two weeks, and it won't reset. We drove about 450 miles today and we are in a nice RV park just west of Pensacola tonight. We hope to make it home tomorrow, but it will take about 10 hours.
We headed out this morning east on I-40. Near the campground there is a spot along the road where we noticed that people are parking and walking out to something in the field. We couldn't tell what it was, so Charlie looked it up on Wikipedia, and it is the 'Cadillac Ranch'. There are about 10 cars sticking up, on end, out of the ground. Art. We didn't walk out there, and I forgot my binoculars this trip, so we didn't get a close look. Oh well.... We drove on I-40 all day and into Oklahoma, and there was a steady parade of storm chaser vehicles with all kinds of scientific equipment. It was a very loose convoy from different institutions and universities, including Florida and Texas. There must have been at least a hundred vehicles that passed us. The best part was looking ahead we could see storms and clouds building up in the distance. The biggest cross in the western hemisphere is at exit 112 on I-40 in Oklahoma. I took pictures as we drove by. Charlie took pictures of an old Conoco station as we went through an intersection. People were posing in front of it, so we took a picture too! We will post the pictures soon. We drove about 380 miles today, and ended up in an RV Park by Lake Eufaula, south of Checotah, Oklahoma. When we got near here it started raining, and that was the first significant rain we have encountered on this trip. The rain stopped long enough for us to get set up and settled in the camper, and then it thundered, poured, blew, and lightning hit all around us all night. It was the biggest and longest storm I can ever remember. I was in the pop out so it was very exciting. I love a good storm, but wow! This was really something, and it seemed to keep circling back. There is a long underground storm shelter less than a hundred feet from our camper, and a lady told me that if we hear horns honking in the night we should run to the shelter immediately. Someone told Charlie that the campers had to run for the shelter just a week ago. Luckily we made it through the night in the camper. P.S. Palo Dura Canyon is in Texas, NOT new Mexico (see May 18 notes)!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
We drove all day and covered about 310 miles. We stayed at an RV Park behind the Days Inn in Brinkley, Arkansas. We had absolutely no fun at all! We do enjoy the comfort of our camper, but, Charlie is not liking the amount of wear and tear on the van. Even though the trailer is only 17 feet long and weighs less than 3,000 pounds, it has as much wind resistance as a 30 foot trailer that sits as high as ours does. He has asked quite a few people with full size trucks with big engines and pulling 25 foot or longer trailers what kind of gas mileage they get. Just about everyone has said 9 to 10 miles per gallon, which is pretty close to what we are getting. Charlie thinks it is more wind resistance than the camper's weight that affects the mileage, and the van is just working too hard. It is not made for towing. So he is not satisfied with this combination, and he does not like what it is doing to the van. So, we are heading home. Plus, although my hip does not hurt as much, I still can't walk very far without some pain. So I need to get it looked at, again.
Friday, May 21, 2010
We started out in Brinkley Arkansas this morning and headed south and east over the Mississippi River at a bridge near Clarksdale Mississippi. It rained some, and we stayed off the interstates most of the way. We took route 1 at Forrest City, Arkansas, and then 242 east and route 49 at Helena – West Helena. We took 61 south at Clarksdale and jumped back to 49 by going east on 12 at Hollendale. South of Hattisburg we took 98 towards Mobile and then got on I-10. We stopped for gas five times today, and got pretty low one time. The mileage is averaging about 11 and the van is probably going to need a lot of maintenance when we get back. The air conditioner does not seem to be keeping up now that we are in warmer weather. Plus the Maintenance Required light has been on for almost two weeks, and it won't reset. We drove about 450 miles today and we are in a nice RV park just west of Pensacola tonight. We hope to make it home tomorrow, but it will take about 10 hours.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
May 16 to May 18, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
We were just going to swim a little bit this morning during the adult lap swim time, and then move on to our next adventure, but we stayed for most of the day. It was a gorgeous clear day and not much wind. We stayed until early afternoon when the crowds started showing up. Up until then there were very few people. We had a good time, and maybe a little bit too much sun again. Unfortunately, keeping Joey confined to the stroller is history. While we were swimming this morning, he worked his nose through a corner of the screen and was almost out by the time Charlie jumped out of the pool and caught him! Oh well, I am sure we can repair it when we get home. He loves to ride in the stroller, especially when I pile a bunch of towels and bags into it and put him on top without closing him in. When we were leaving the pool yesterday a child said “Look at him, he looks like His Majesty!” And he did too. After the stroller's screen was broken, we pushed a lounge chair back from the pool and tied him to it. It was no problem at all. He just laid there in the sun watching us and everyone else. Good as gold. We got some good pictures at the pool today, I think. Oh yeah, I want to mention that I flew a kite for the first time in my life yesterday. A child's ladybug kite was sliding across the campground and I picked up the string. The kite immediately took off! I have never before been able to get a kite airborne. I admit I never tried that hard, but still. After noon we packed up and headed East on Rt 160, and drove about 100 miles. We are staying in Lathrop State Park, the first state park in Colorado near Walsenburg, about 50 miles from New Mexico. The campsite is way back in the park and it is very quiet and pretty here. The campsites are big and the very few campers are spread out. We have a beautiful view of the Spanish Peaks Mountain to the south. It is a classic mountain, like Mount Fuji or Kilimanjaro. My hip is so bad tonight that Charlie had to help me walk back to the camper from the facilities. I think I may be in trouble here, I just hope it is only from too much swimming for a couple of days in a row. Luckily I have my hiking stick, now I guess it is my cane.
Monday, May 17, 2010
We looked around the park a little bit this morning. Charlie wrote to David: “The park has two recreational lakes, and I think I got some great shots with reflections of the mountain, and of two different families of geese. I climbed up a solid rock cliff to the right of the lake beach and saw some people fishing from tiny rafts. They were sitting in the rafts with their legs in the water, and they were using fins on their feet to propel themselves around. The sides of the raft had pockets to hold all their gear for fishing. It looked like a fun way to fish in calm and deep water, but I wouldn't try it in Florida, I might get more gator bites than fish. Later, on the way to the RV park, we went by the Capulin Volcano National Monument. I unhitched the trailer and left it at the Visitor Center, and I drove the mini-van to the parking area near the top of the crater. We could see down into the ancient crater from there. I hiked the trail that went up and around the top of the crater. The trail is a mile around and rises another 350 feet. It was great exercise and the views were exhilarating. We drove back down the mountain to the visitor center, and I got hitched back up with no problem. The hitch is a lot more work than with the Aliner, but I did it the right way this time, and it was a lot easier. We continued on heading towards Amarillo, and Diane, we did pass the Boys Ranch which must be about 25 miles or so west of Amarillo. The gas gauge was heading down, but I was counting on getting about 12 mpg, the lowest mpg so far. We went through two towns that didn't have a gas station on the main route we were taking. Then went about 45 more miles without going through anymore towns, or seeing any gas stations. We ran out of gas about five and a half miles from the RV park, and about 2 miles from the nearest gas station. We were stuck for about an hour and a half waiting for the AAA guy. I had a hard time getting through to AAA because we were right on the edge of cell phone reception, the phone number was to the Florida office, and I got disconnected twice. I finally got the Texas number and help. I also started to get a lot better cell phone reception, and I could see on my phone that the provider would switch back and forth from T Mobile and roaming. The AAA sent a nice guy, he got us going, and we followed him to the closest gas station and filled up. I discovered my tank holds no more than 19 gallons although it is supposed to hold 20. I will now get gas every time I am near a station, and can add more than 5 gallons. As we head further east I am sure the towns and stations will be much closer together. When we were heading to Big Bend, and had to take a big detour, I am sure we would have run out of gas had we been pulling this trailer, and we would have been stuck in a much more remote area. The worst mpg I got with the Aliner was 14, this trailer is down to 10, and I wasn't running the air conditioner. Last year, with the motor home, the gas mileage went way up in New Mexico and Colorado. Now I think New Mexico has changed their gas by adding ethanol and that brings the mileage down. With this trailer, I have driven around Colorado for over 800 miles, up and down steep mountains, and I thought I knew the fuel range limitations. Obviously I didn't. We were heading down hill a lot and with little to no head wind. I hope I get at least 9 mpg now that we are in warm to hot areas and I will have to run the air conditioner. That was the first time I have ever run out of gas. I may have come closer than I thought several times before. Without pulling the trailer, I usually go about 300 miles and a fill up is about 14 gallons. I guess I was used to these greater ranges. Our two motor homes held 35 and 55 gallons, and they averaged 12 and 8 mpg. It was always a shock to fill up a low tank, especially the 55 gallon tank. Sometimes I had to go to two stations to fill up because there would be a 75 dollar limit on gas purchases. Anyway, the experience of running out of gas was very stressful for me. I was very tired already, and ready for dinner and a good nights sleep. We made it to the Oasis RV park west of Amarillo Tx about 830 pm.” Me again: We drove 280 miles today, south on I 25, then south on 64/87, then 87/385, finally got on route 1061 just past the Boys Ranch. Today we saw pronghorn antelope (not really antelope), cows, horses, mules, deer, a boxer, and three fat little min pins. Every min pin we have ever met, except for Joey, is fat. So we need to watch out for him. I also saw a guy on a motorbike rounding up some quarter horses. When we finally reached the RV Park, we had a quick dinner and went to bed. Charlie was really done in. He did not mention that we came extremely close to hitting a deer just as we were running out of gas. When we were limping down a hill, a deer stepped into the road right in front of us. It didn't know which way to go, and kind of moved back and forth ahead of us. We were already going so slow, and Charlie did not want to put on the brakes, but he finally he had to. We missed that deer's butt by inches. I guess it would not have hurt him much at the rate we were going. Another funny thing was that Charlie did not tell me he was low on gas until he had to. I was dozing and watching the clock because I knew what time we were supposed to get to the RV park. I was hot and the sun was on my side. I just kept getting hotter and hotter. Finally I woke up enough to say: “Is there any reason in particular why the A/C is not on?” Well, after that I stayed awake, still hot, but very much awake!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
So, here we are in Amarillo, Texas. Did laundry this morning with Charlie's help. My hip is better, but I cannot walk far before it hurts. Charlie did not rest well last night, so we decided to stay at this 'Oasis' one more night. We left the camper, set the GPS for Palo Duro Canyon, and trusted it would lead us there. There have been a few times on this trip when the Garmin steered us wrong, but what the heck, we are not doing anything else today. Palo Duro Canyon is reputed to be the little Grand Canyon of New Mexico. It was nice. Charlie usually will hike the trails, and I will if I can, but neither of us were up to it today. We enjoyed it, took a few pictures, and I got my magnet. We ate at a Mexican restaurant on the way back to the campground. Charlie wanted a nap, but decided to set up the pop out so that I could sleep in it tonight. I am in it now, and it is a lot more comfortable than the foldout sofa. However, the wind is blowing hard and the canvas (vinyl) is flapping like crazy. I really don't think that will bother me, because, well, not much does bother me (except Charlie, of course). We will see. My only worry is that there are a couple of open places where the vinyl is torn. Joey could scoot right out of here. I don't think he will because he prefers his bed on the sofa, and I don't think he likes the noise the vinyl is making. Our plan is to ask a friend (you know who you are) to put some grommets in the vinyl when we get home, so that we can tie it down securely during our next trip. Charlie is napping, and I am waiting for him to wake up so I can get our latest pictures off his camera and get them posted tonight. While I am waiting, I am going to add a few more pictures from the last couple of weeks. I am looking outside at a camper across from us, it is named SEAULAYTER. I just got it. Ha!
We were just going to swim a little bit this morning during the adult lap swim time, and then move on to our next adventure, but we stayed for most of the day. It was a gorgeous clear day and not much wind. We stayed until early afternoon when the crowds started showing up. Up until then there were very few people. We had a good time, and maybe a little bit too much sun again. Unfortunately, keeping Joey confined to the stroller is history. While we were swimming this morning, he worked his nose through a corner of the screen and was almost out by the time Charlie jumped out of the pool and caught him! Oh well, I am sure we can repair it when we get home. He loves to ride in the stroller, especially when I pile a bunch of towels and bags into it and put him on top without closing him in. When we were leaving the pool yesterday a child said “Look at him, he looks like His Majesty!” And he did too. After the stroller's screen was broken, we pushed a lounge chair back from the pool and tied him to it. It was no problem at all. He just laid there in the sun watching us and everyone else. Good as gold. We got some good pictures at the pool today, I think. Oh yeah, I want to mention that I flew a kite for the first time in my life yesterday. A child's ladybug kite was sliding across the campground and I picked up the string. The kite immediately took off! I have never before been able to get a kite airborne. I admit I never tried that hard, but still. After noon we packed up and headed East on Rt 160, and drove about 100 miles. We are staying in Lathrop State Park, the first state park in Colorado near Walsenburg, about 50 miles from New Mexico. The campsite is way back in the park and it is very quiet and pretty here. The campsites are big and the very few campers are spread out. We have a beautiful view of the Spanish Peaks Mountain to the south. It is a classic mountain, like Mount Fuji or Kilimanjaro. My hip is so bad tonight that Charlie had to help me walk back to the camper from the facilities. I think I may be in trouble here, I just hope it is only from too much swimming for a couple of days in a row. Luckily I have my hiking stick, now I guess it is my cane.
Monday, May 17, 2010
We looked around the park a little bit this morning. Charlie wrote to David: “The park has two recreational lakes, and I think I got some great shots with reflections of the mountain, and of two different families of geese. I climbed up a solid rock cliff to the right of the lake beach and saw some people fishing from tiny rafts. They were sitting in the rafts with their legs in the water, and they were using fins on their feet to propel themselves around. The sides of the raft had pockets to hold all their gear for fishing. It looked like a fun way to fish in calm and deep water, but I wouldn't try it in Florida, I might get more gator bites than fish. Later, on the way to the RV park, we went by the Capulin Volcano National Monument. I unhitched the trailer and left it at the Visitor Center, and I drove the mini-van to the parking area near the top of the crater. We could see down into the ancient crater from there. I hiked the trail that went up and around the top of the crater. The trail is a mile around and rises another 350 feet. It was great exercise and the views were exhilarating. We drove back down the mountain to the visitor center, and I got hitched back up with no problem. The hitch is a lot more work than with the Aliner, but I did it the right way this time, and it was a lot easier. We continued on heading towards Amarillo, and Diane, we did pass the Boys Ranch which must be about 25 miles or so west of Amarillo. The gas gauge was heading down, but I was counting on getting about 12 mpg, the lowest mpg so far. We went through two towns that didn't have a gas station on the main route we were taking. Then went about 45 more miles without going through anymore towns, or seeing any gas stations. We ran out of gas about five and a half miles from the RV park, and about 2 miles from the nearest gas station. We were stuck for about an hour and a half waiting for the AAA guy. I had a hard time getting through to AAA because we were right on the edge of cell phone reception, the phone number was to the Florida office, and I got disconnected twice. I finally got the Texas number and help. I also started to get a lot better cell phone reception, and I could see on my phone that the provider would switch back and forth from T Mobile and roaming. The AAA sent a nice guy, he got us going, and we followed him to the closest gas station and filled up. I discovered my tank holds no more than 19 gallons although it is supposed to hold 20. I will now get gas every time I am near a station, and can add more than 5 gallons. As we head further east I am sure the towns and stations will be much closer together. When we were heading to Big Bend, and had to take a big detour, I am sure we would have run out of gas had we been pulling this trailer, and we would have been stuck in a much more remote area. The worst mpg I got with the Aliner was 14, this trailer is down to 10, and I wasn't running the air conditioner. Last year, with the motor home, the gas mileage went way up in New Mexico and Colorado. Now I think New Mexico has changed their gas by adding ethanol and that brings the mileage down. With this trailer, I have driven around Colorado for over 800 miles, up and down steep mountains, and I thought I knew the fuel range limitations. Obviously I didn't. We were heading down hill a lot and with little to no head wind. I hope I get at least 9 mpg now that we are in warm to hot areas and I will have to run the air conditioner. That was the first time I have ever run out of gas. I may have come closer than I thought several times before. Without pulling the trailer, I usually go about 300 miles and a fill up is about 14 gallons. I guess I was used to these greater ranges. Our two motor homes held 35 and 55 gallons, and they averaged 12 and 8 mpg. It was always a shock to fill up a low tank, especially the 55 gallon tank. Sometimes I had to go to two stations to fill up because there would be a 75 dollar limit on gas purchases. Anyway, the experience of running out of gas was very stressful for me. I was very tired already, and ready for dinner and a good nights sleep. We made it to the Oasis RV park west of Amarillo Tx about 830 pm.” Me again: We drove 280 miles today, south on I 25, then south on 64/87, then 87/385, finally got on route 1061 just past the Boys Ranch. Today we saw pronghorn antelope (not really antelope), cows, horses, mules, deer, a boxer, and three fat little min pins. Every min pin we have ever met, except for Joey, is fat. So we need to watch out for him. I also saw a guy on a motorbike rounding up some quarter horses. When we finally reached the RV Park, we had a quick dinner and went to bed. Charlie was really done in. He did not mention that we came extremely close to hitting a deer just as we were running out of gas. When we were limping down a hill, a deer stepped into the road right in front of us. It didn't know which way to go, and kind of moved back and forth ahead of us. We were already going so slow, and Charlie did not want to put on the brakes, but he finally he had to. We missed that deer's butt by inches. I guess it would not have hurt him much at the rate we were going. Another funny thing was that Charlie did not tell me he was low on gas until he had to. I was dozing and watching the clock because I knew what time we were supposed to get to the RV park. I was hot and the sun was on my side. I just kept getting hotter and hotter. Finally I woke up enough to say: “Is there any reason in particular why the A/C is not on?” Well, after that I stayed awake, still hot, but very much awake!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
So, here we are in Amarillo, Texas. Did laundry this morning with Charlie's help. My hip is better, but I cannot walk far before it hurts. Charlie did not rest well last night, so we decided to stay at this 'Oasis' one more night. We left the camper, set the GPS for Palo Duro Canyon, and trusted it would lead us there. There have been a few times on this trip when the Garmin steered us wrong, but what the heck, we are not doing anything else today. Palo Duro Canyon is reputed to be the little Grand Canyon of New Mexico. It was nice. Charlie usually will hike the trails, and I will if I can, but neither of us were up to it today. We enjoyed it, took a few pictures, and I got my magnet. We ate at a Mexican restaurant on the way back to the campground. Charlie wanted a nap, but decided to set up the pop out so that I could sleep in it tonight. I am in it now, and it is a lot more comfortable than the foldout sofa. However, the wind is blowing hard and the canvas (vinyl) is flapping like crazy. I really don't think that will bother me, because, well, not much does bother me (except Charlie, of course). We will see. My only worry is that there are a couple of open places where the vinyl is torn. Joey could scoot right out of here. I don't think he will because he prefers his bed on the sofa, and I don't think he likes the noise the vinyl is making. Our plan is to ask a friend (you know who you are) to put some grommets in the vinyl when we get home, so that we can tie it down securely during our next trip. Charlie is napping, and I am waiting for him to wake up so I can get our latest pictures off his camera and get them posted tonight. While I am waiting, I am going to add a few more pictures from the last couple of weeks. I am looking outside at a camper across from us, it is named SEAULAYTER. I just got it. Ha!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
May 13 to May 15, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
There was sleet last night, it was nice this morning for awhile, then we got snow and rain and sunshine mixed together. Finally, it brightened up long enough for Joey and I to take another walk around the pond. The pond is fed by the San Juan River which was rushing along right next to it. Charlie took a couple of pictures and posted them. We left Pagosa Springs without visiting the big resort that has hot spring pools at several different temperatures. They say Oprah Winfrey likes to go there. Maybe next time. We drove north on Rt 160 through the San Juan National Forest. We stopped on Treasure Mountain at about 8,100 feet, and hiked up to Treasure Falls, a climb of about 200 feet (seemed like a lot more!) and about one-quarter mile one way. My hip was giving me a fit, but I just have to push through it. I don't want to do all our sightseeing from the car! I took my walking stick that I bought on our trip last year, and I was feeling better on the way back down. The falls were worth the climb. We stood on a bridge and looked up at the falls which made a straight 70 foot drop and then continued down another 20 feet over huge rocks, went under us, and on down to the road in a stream. It snowed on the way up to the falls, but by the time we were half way back to the van, the sun was out. Joey had gotten a little wet and muddy, but he was dry and dirty by the time we got back. Never mind, he really enjoyed it, except when we got to the falls and onto the bridge he shivered from either cold or fear and I had to pick him up. I cannot help but continue to compare Joey to Toby on this trip. It seemed like Toby really settled into our RV routine and I got the feeling he was thinking: 'Okay, this is how we are going to be living from now on, and it is fine with me'. He was shocked when we stopped at the Harrell's on the way home and David poked his head in the motor home. It was so funny! But Joey is anxious whenever I am out of his sight, and he definitely does not want to be left alone in the camper. He jumps out whenever possible, and kind of hunkers down and scrambles around as if he does not want to run away but does not want to be caught and put back inside either. We are keeping him on his routine of feeding and walks, and he has his bed (though it gets moved around a lot), but he is just way more attached to me than he was. Still, he is calm and friendly with everyone we meet (unlike Toby ever was!). We continued on Route 160 and climbed long steep mountains up to about 11,000 feet. There was snow on the trees and they were beautiful, but the road was narrow and dropped off at the edge with no railings. There were waterfalls above the road and tunnels with tight curves. One time we were on a 6 percent grade going down, and we were glad we had our new brakes on the van. The road followed a creek and went through canyons and up and down mountains. All in all it was very beautiful and exciting. Charlie of course got to deal with the road, and did not see as much of the scenery as I did. Still, he prefers to do the driving, so what can I do? We finally got down to 8,000 feet and it seemed to be flat most of the way through cattle country. We saw buffalo and could have gotten some buffalo jerky, but you know what Charlie thought of that! Oh well, I had buffalo once on a trip to Denver for NASA. We were making for Hooper, Colorado to spend a day or two back at the Sand Dunes Swimming Pool, but since it is closed on Thursday we decided to stay at a Passport America campground on the way. It is the Blanca RV Park in Blanca, CO. Not much to speak of, but only $10 for PA members. We traveled 90 miles today, so that was good enough.
Friday, May 14, 2010
We went back on Rt 160 about 4 miles, and then got on the road to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We visited the park last year and hiked partway out to the dunes. This year we just looked around a little bit and got back on the road. We went west to a road that took us back to Rt 17 to the pool. We only traveled 45 miles today. The pool's RV park is all filled up, but we can dry camp here tonight. We parked in the lot near the pool all day instead of way out in the camping area. We left Joey in the camper, much to his disappointment, because it was too cold to have him outdoors for a long time. We had a good time swimming and sitting in the sun though I was bundled up because of the sun and the cold. Whenever we have been here during the week at least two bus loads of school children have been brought in during the day. Today there were very young ones, and then young teens. I enjoyed watching them play, but they did take over the pool, so we took a break. The clouds rolled in and it rained and thundered and the buses left. I took a nap in the camper and Charlie took his computer into the pool area so he could plug it in and get on the internet for awhile. The weather cleared up, and I brought Joey in after a couple of hours to see what he was up too. Joey got a lot of attention, not many people realize that you can bring dogs there. One young man came over to pet Joey and to show me a picture of his dog that he is missing. Several adults, children, and even a toddler just had to pet him. He licked them all. Charlie bought some fresh tomatoes at their little store and mixed them up with some chicken and pasta on the gas stove. We don't have the microwave tonight since we don't have electricity, except from our house battery. The pool is open until 10pm but we had had enough, plus the older teens took over in the evening! We watched a movie on the computer from Netflix called 'Outsourced'. It is unusual, and I really enjoyed it. Charlie had seen it and it is a favorite of his. I recommend watching it with the subtitles turned on, or it could just be the sound on my computer. Whatever, I need to watch/hear it again.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The pool opened at 9am just for adults to swim laps for an hour. It was so quiet and peaceful. The morning temperature was probably down in the 40's, but in the sun it felt like the upper 50's. Steam was rising from the pool and it felt wonderful. I swam the whole hour and Charlie swam most of it. We decided to stay tonight when Charlie learned that a campsite with full hook up is available. The day warmed up enough that I got Joey in his stroller and sat with him by the pool for a couple of hours, and I went back in swimming too. I had to stay in Joey's sight while I was in the pool, or the stroller would start rockin' and rollin', and he would start barkin'! At lunchtime I went back to the camper which Charlie had moved to our spot and gotten hooked up. He had been on the phone with David almost the whole time. Our cell phones don't work here so Charlie reactivated his Skype account and he uses it through his computer. Not a good connection, but better than nothing. We had lunch and headed back to the pool until about 3pm when we had all had enough. Joey is sleeping the rest of the day away. So, our nephew David is in China and he says he has been drinking sewage water all day to build up his immune system. Ummmm....we thought we were having an adventure and living dangerously....
There was sleet last night, it was nice this morning for awhile, then we got snow and rain and sunshine mixed together. Finally, it brightened up long enough for Joey and I to take another walk around the pond. The pond is fed by the San Juan River which was rushing along right next to it. Charlie took a couple of pictures and posted them. We left Pagosa Springs without visiting the big resort that has hot spring pools at several different temperatures. They say Oprah Winfrey likes to go there. Maybe next time. We drove north on Rt 160 through the San Juan National Forest. We stopped on Treasure Mountain at about 8,100 feet, and hiked up to Treasure Falls, a climb of about 200 feet (seemed like a lot more!) and about one-quarter mile one way. My hip was giving me a fit, but I just have to push through it. I don't want to do all our sightseeing from the car! I took my walking stick that I bought on our trip last year, and I was feeling better on the way back down. The falls were worth the climb. We stood on a bridge and looked up at the falls which made a straight 70 foot drop and then continued down another 20 feet over huge rocks, went under us, and on down to the road in a stream. It snowed on the way up to the falls, but by the time we were half way back to the van, the sun was out. Joey had gotten a little wet and muddy, but he was dry and dirty by the time we got back. Never mind, he really enjoyed it, except when we got to the falls and onto the bridge he shivered from either cold or fear and I had to pick him up. I cannot help but continue to compare Joey to Toby on this trip. It seemed like Toby really settled into our RV routine and I got the feeling he was thinking: 'Okay, this is how we are going to be living from now on, and it is fine with me'. He was shocked when we stopped at the Harrell's on the way home and David poked his head in the motor home. It was so funny! But Joey is anxious whenever I am out of his sight, and he definitely does not want to be left alone in the camper. He jumps out whenever possible, and kind of hunkers down and scrambles around as if he does not want to run away but does not want to be caught and put back inside either. We are keeping him on his routine of feeding and walks, and he has his bed (though it gets moved around a lot), but he is just way more attached to me than he was. Still, he is calm and friendly with everyone we meet (unlike Toby ever was!). We continued on Route 160 and climbed long steep mountains up to about 11,000 feet. There was snow on the trees and they were beautiful, but the road was narrow and dropped off at the edge with no railings. There were waterfalls above the road and tunnels with tight curves. One time we were on a 6 percent grade going down, and we were glad we had our new brakes on the van. The road followed a creek and went through canyons and up and down mountains. All in all it was very beautiful and exciting. Charlie of course got to deal with the road, and did not see as much of the scenery as I did. Still, he prefers to do the driving, so what can I do? We finally got down to 8,000 feet and it seemed to be flat most of the way through cattle country. We saw buffalo and could have gotten some buffalo jerky, but you know what Charlie thought of that! Oh well, I had buffalo once on a trip to Denver for NASA. We were making for Hooper, Colorado to spend a day or two back at the Sand Dunes Swimming Pool, but since it is closed on Thursday we decided to stay at a Passport America campground on the way. It is the Blanca RV Park in Blanca, CO. Not much to speak of, but only $10 for PA members. We traveled 90 miles today, so that was good enough.
Friday, May 14, 2010
We went back on Rt 160 about 4 miles, and then got on the road to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We visited the park last year and hiked partway out to the dunes. This year we just looked around a little bit and got back on the road. We went west to a road that took us back to Rt 17 to the pool. We only traveled 45 miles today. The pool's RV park is all filled up, but we can dry camp here tonight. We parked in the lot near the pool all day instead of way out in the camping area. We left Joey in the camper, much to his disappointment, because it was too cold to have him outdoors for a long time. We had a good time swimming and sitting in the sun though I was bundled up because of the sun and the cold. Whenever we have been here during the week at least two bus loads of school children have been brought in during the day. Today there were very young ones, and then young teens. I enjoyed watching them play, but they did take over the pool, so we took a break. The clouds rolled in and it rained and thundered and the buses left. I took a nap in the camper and Charlie took his computer into the pool area so he could plug it in and get on the internet for awhile. The weather cleared up, and I brought Joey in after a couple of hours to see what he was up too. Joey got a lot of attention, not many people realize that you can bring dogs there. One young man came over to pet Joey and to show me a picture of his dog that he is missing. Several adults, children, and even a toddler just had to pet him. He licked them all. Charlie bought some fresh tomatoes at their little store and mixed them up with some chicken and pasta on the gas stove. We don't have the microwave tonight since we don't have electricity, except from our house battery. The pool is open until 10pm but we had had enough, plus the older teens took over in the evening! We watched a movie on the computer from Netflix called 'Outsourced'. It is unusual, and I really enjoyed it. Charlie had seen it and it is a favorite of his. I recommend watching it with the subtitles turned on, or it could just be the sound on my computer. Whatever, I need to watch/hear it again.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The pool opened at 9am just for adults to swim laps for an hour. It was so quiet and peaceful. The morning temperature was probably down in the 40's, but in the sun it felt like the upper 50's. Steam was rising from the pool and it felt wonderful. I swam the whole hour and Charlie swam most of it. We decided to stay tonight when Charlie learned that a campsite with full hook up is available. The day warmed up enough that I got Joey in his stroller and sat with him by the pool for a couple of hours, and I went back in swimming too. I had to stay in Joey's sight while I was in the pool, or the stroller would start rockin' and rollin', and he would start barkin'! At lunchtime I went back to the camper which Charlie had moved to our spot and gotten hooked up. He had been on the phone with David almost the whole time. Our cell phones don't work here so Charlie reactivated his Skype account and he uses it through his computer. Not a good connection, but better than nothing. We had lunch and headed back to the pool until about 3pm when we had all had enough. Joey is sleeping the rest of the day away. So, our nephew David is in China and he says he has been drinking sewage water all day to build up his immune system. Ummmm....we thought we were having an adventure and living dangerously....
Thursday, May 13, 2010
May 10 to May 12, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Charlie left the campground early this morning to get the new brakes for the van. Joey and I hung out and did laundry, dishes in the campground's rec room, and then I did a mean thing. I took Joey next door and had his nails trimmed. He gets so upset that he has to be muzzled. The lady didn't want to muzzle him, but he was beside himself. She had this big thing that covered his whole face and he kept shaking it off. It was a real scene, and I had to give her a good tip. Afterward, we went back to the camper and relaxed a bit, and I got on the computer. Then Charlie got back and he was hungry....I am glad he came and got me because all I have been eating all day is yogurt and cookies. We went and got a nice lunch and then went by the RV place to see how our new camper is coming along. The dealership had the camper as a consignment, but they are supposed to check it out thoroughly and add the equalizer thing. Cody was happy to see us and asked us to come back at 4 o'clock and the camper would be ready! That was good news, but it only gave us two hours to get the Aliner ready. Incredibly we got almost everything out of it, and into the van. We left our bikes, some crates, and the porta potty at the campsite. We made it to the dealership in time but we did not get away from there with our new camper until after 6pm. So then we had to go back and load up the new camper and get it organized enough so that we could go to bed. The funny thing about this camper is that the front end pops out into a bed like a pop up camper. The way the dealer had it put together, the mattress in the pop out was intruding on the sofa and dinette (when it was closed) which are the only other two places to sleep. I was sure that could not be right, but I couldn't figure it out. So we had to open the pop out to sleep in. It was after 10:30 before we were able to settle down. Charlie slept in the pop out, the temperature outside kept dropping, and the vinyl pop out was not much protection. The heater was on, but it just made the rest of the camper hot. During the night I got up off the foldout sofa and it slid away from the wall and was kind of crooked. That was the end of sleep for the night. Charlie got up and fixed the sofa, and I figured out how the pop out mattress snaps in so that it does not intrude on the rest of the camper. Now we can keep the pop out closed and have a solid wall, and we can sleep on the dinette and the sofa when it is too cold or too hot outside. Charlie also had to deal with the water which was not ready to go since it had been winterized and the dealership did not finish undoing that. Hopefully we have the kinks worked out now. This camper is so comfortable as far as having a place for everything, and I am so glad we have it in spite of the rough start.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
We were up half the night and really tired, but continued to get organized and figure things out. Finally, Charlie decided he wanted to get on the road to see how we do. The new hitch that is meant to help balance the weight between the tow vehicle and camper is huge. It is so big and complicated that Charlie is getting frustrated and I am not strong enough to help. I hope he will find it easier as he gets used to it. We got back on Route 50 and headed west. We went through beautiful mountains and along rivers and streams. It is the prettiest drive we have made in a long time. The sky was overcast most of the way though, and it was very cold so we didn't stop anywhere except for the ski lifts on Monarch Mountain, and at the Monarch Crest which is at the Continental Divide at 11,312 feet. It was so windy that we didn't even try to get Joey out of the car. It rained toward the end of the day, and the rain was brown! All day the horizon had been hazy and brown, and now we know why. It was a dust storm with rain. I never heard of such a thing. We had trouble seeing through the muddy rain, and the van and camper have brown streaks all over now. We took Rt 550 to Ouray, CO where we pulled into an RV park that is right in town. The office was closed and a boy told us that the restrooms are not open yet. We traveled about 160 miles today and we were tired, so we settled in anyway. As soon as we did, it started to snow. When I walked Joey later in the snow my jacket got brown spots, and I noticed that the hood of the van is turning brown. Yuck! Joey saw four deer before I did, and got them on the run. Our campsite is next to a rocky mountain that goes almost straight up. It has been snowing all evening and we are happy to be snug and warm in our new camper with a 'camper' cooked hot meal.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
It is clear this morning and when I got out to walk Joey I noticed that there is a very fast moving creek about 100 feet from the camper...duh! I heard it before I saw it, and wondered how I could of missed it! I guess I was so interested in the mountain on the other side? Oh well. The dust storm yesterday continued during the night and the van is covered with brown mud. Charlie was able to borrow a hose from the owner to clean the van & camper, not usually allowed in RV parks. We then drove south on Rt 550, the Million Dollar Highway, for about 24 miles to Silverton. It was a beautiful drive, along Bear Creek and we saw many waterfalls, and two mountain goats. We drove through ice and snow on the road and there were lots steep switchbacks going up and down the mountains. We stopped at the old Idarado Mine which was founded in 1939, and closed in 1978. The overlook road was covered with ice and snow so Charlie walked up it and took pictures. We arrived in Silverton which is at about 9,300 feet. We parked on a side street and left Joey in the camper while we did lots of shopping and had lunch at the Brown Bear Cafe. As we finished lunch snow really started coming down. Oh no, this is exactly what happened when we were here three years ago. That time it snowed for two days. By the next afternoon there was at least a foot of snow on the ground and lots more was predicted so we took a chance and left. We had a harrowing ride through the mountains in the snow, and I was mad because we didn't get to stop in Ouray. This trip Charlie was determined that we would do that. Anyway, today it was about 2pm and snowing, so we were going to go ahead and stay at the same RV park in town, but they did not have showers there. We both really want and need showers, and we are not ready to try to take them in the camper. Too tight and we have to worry about how much water we are using. So we left Silverton and continued south on Route 550 through the mountains up to 11,000 feet in the snow. We then had to mount another summit, more switchbacks with shear drops on wet and icy roads. For once I stayed awake. We went through Ouray but almost all of the stores are closed, I guess the season has not started yet. So, we need to keep Ouray on our list of places to visit. Ouray has swimming in Hot Springs too. I never knew there were so many hot springs in Colorado. About 50 miles after Silverton we got on Route 160 east. So now we are heading in the direction of home. We went another 60 miles to Pagosa Springs. We stopped at two RV parks but didn't stay. One had no showers, and one Charlie just didn't like. Finally we found a very nice place, still in Pagosa Springs called the Riverside Campground Pond & River. When we were back in Silverton and left Joey in the camper, I had set out a bowl of water for him on the counter next to the sofa. I forgot about it until we were on the road again, and the whole way I am thinking we are going to have a wet sofa (my bed). Incredibly, the bowl was still sitting on the counter when we stopped for the day. This camper must have a very smooth ride. We are camped beside a pretty little pond that we walked all the way around. There is a tiny dock with paddle boats tied to it. Joey was very curious all along the bank of the pond and then he went out on the dock. Several times his leg slipped through the slats in the dock and he fell through up to his chest. I have never seen a dog do that. He does not seem to be as sure footed as other dogs I know. If we had a TV we could be watching it now. Since we got a camper that is big enough to have a TV we miss having one all of a sudden. We have not really seen TV for weeks and only have a vague notion of what is going on in the world. Perhaps that is just as well.
Charlie left the campground early this morning to get the new brakes for the van. Joey and I hung out and did laundry, dishes in the campground's rec room, and then I did a mean thing. I took Joey next door and had his nails trimmed. He gets so upset that he has to be muzzled. The lady didn't want to muzzle him, but he was beside himself. She had this big thing that covered his whole face and he kept shaking it off. It was a real scene, and I had to give her a good tip. Afterward, we went back to the camper and relaxed a bit, and I got on the computer. Then Charlie got back and he was hungry....I am glad he came and got me because all I have been eating all day is yogurt and cookies. We went and got a nice lunch and then went by the RV place to see how our new camper is coming along. The dealership had the camper as a consignment, but they are supposed to check it out thoroughly and add the equalizer thing. Cody was happy to see us and asked us to come back at 4 o'clock and the camper would be ready! That was good news, but it only gave us two hours to get the Aliner ready. Incredibly we got almost everything out of it, and into the van. We left our bikes, some crates, and the porta potty at the campsite. We made it to the dealership in time but we did not get away from there with our new camper until after 6pm. So then we had to go back and load up the new camper and get it organized enough so that we could go to bed. The funny thing about this camper is that the front end pops out into a bed like a pop up camper. The way the dealer had it put together, the mattress in the pop out was intruding on the sofa and dinette (when it was closed) which are the only other two places to sleep. I was sure that could not be right, but I couldn't figure it out. So we had to open the pop out to sleep in. It was after 10:30 before we were able to settle down. Charlie slept in the pop out, the temperature outside kept dropping, and the vinyl pop out was not much protection. The heater was on, but it just made the rest of the camper hot. During the night I got up off the foldout sofa and it slid away from the wall and was kind of crooked. That was the end of sleep for the night. Charlie got up and fixed the sofa, and I figured out how the pop out mattress snaps in so that it does not intrude on the rest of the camper. Now we can keep the pop out closed and have a solid wall, and we can sleep on the dinette and the sofa when it is too cold or too hot outside. Charlie also had to deal with the water which was not ready to go since it had been winterized and the dealership did not finish undoing that. Hopefully we have the kinks worked out now. This camper is so comfortable as far as having a place for everything, and I am so glad we have it in spite of the rough start.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
We were up half the night and really tired, but continued to get organized and figure things out. Finally, Charlie decided he wanted to get on the road to see how we do. The new hitch that is meant to help balance the weight between the tow vehicle and camper is huge. It is so big and complicated that Charlie is getting frustrated and I am not strong enough to help. I hope he will find it easier as he gets used to it. We got back on Route 50 and headed west. We went through beautiful mountains and along rivers and streams. It is the prettiest drive we have made in a long time. The sky was overcast most of the way though, and it was very cold so we didn't stop anywhere except for the ski lifts on Monarch Mountain, and at the Monarch Crest which is at the Continental Divide at 11,312 feet. It was so windy that we didn't even try to get Joey out of the car. It rained toward the end of the day, and the rain was brown! All day the horizon had been hazy and brown, and now we know why. It was a dust storm with rain. I never heard of such a thing. We had trouble seeing through the muddy rain, and the van and camper have brown streaks all over now. We took Rt 550 to Ouray, CO where we pulled into an RV park that is right in town. The office was closed and a boy told us that the restrooms are not open yet. We traveled about 160 miles today and we were tired, so we settled in anyway. As soon as we did, it started to snow. When I walked Joey later in the snow my jacket got brown spots, and I noticed that the hood of the van is turning brown. Yuck! Joey saw four deer before I did, and got them on the run. Our campsite is next to a rocky mountain that goes almost straight up. It has been snowing all evening and we are happy to be snug and warm in our new camper with a 'camper' cooked hot meal.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
It is clear this morning and when I got out to walk Joey I noticed that there is a very fast moving creek about 100 feet from the camper...duh! I heard it before I saw it, and wondered how I could of missed it! I guess I was so interested in the mountain on the other side? Oh well. The dust storm yesterday continued during the night and the van is covered with brown mud. Charlie was able to borrow a hose from the owner to clean the van & camper, not usually allowed in RV parks. We then drove south on Rt 550, the Million Dollar Highway, for about 24 miles to Silverton. It was a beautiful drive, along Bear Creek and we saw many waterfalls, and two mountain goats. We drove through ice and snow on the road and there were lots steep switchbacks going up and down the mountains. We stopped at the old Idarado Mine which was founded in 1939, and closed in 1978. The overlook road was covered with ice and snow so Charlie walked up it and took pictures. We arrived in Silverton which is at about 9,300 feet. We parked on a side street and left Joey in the camper while we did lots of shopping and had lunch at the Brown Bear Cafe. As we finished lunch snow really started coming down. Oh no, this is exactly what happened when we were here three years ago. That time it snowed for two days. By the next afternoon there was at least a foot of snow on the ground and lots more was predicted so we took a chance and left. We had a harrowing ride through the mountains in the snow, and I was mad because we didn't get to stop in Ouray. This trip Charlie was determined that we would do that. Anyway, today it was about 2pm and snowing, so we were going to go ahead and stay at the same RV park in town, but they did not have showers there. We both really want and need showers, and we are not ready to try to take them in the camper. Too tight and we have to worry about how much water we are using. So we left Silverton and continued south on Route 550 through the mountains up to 11,000 feet in the snow. We then had to mount another summit, more switchbacks with shear drops on wet and icy roads. For once I stayed awake. We went through Ouray but almost all of the stores are closed, I guess the season has not started yet. So, we need to keep Ouray on our list of places to visit. Ouray has swimming in Hot Springs too. I never knew there were so many hot springs in Colorado. About 50 miles after Silverton we got on Route 160 east. So now we are heading in the direction of home. We went another 60 miles to Pagosa Springs. We stopped at two RV parks but didn't stay. One had no showers, and one Charlie just didn't like. Finally we found a very nice place, still in Pagosa Springs called the Riverside Campground Pond & River. When we were back in Silverton and left Joey in the camper, I had set out a bowl of water for him on the counter next to the sofa. I forgot about it until we were on the road again, and the whole way I am thinking we are going to have a wet sofa (my bed). Incredibly, the bowl was still sitting on the counter when we stopped for the day. This camper must have a very smooth ride. We are camped beside a pretty little pond that we walked all the way around. There is a tiny dock with paddle boats tied to it. Joey was very curious all along the bank of the pond and then he went out on the dock. Several times his leg slipped through the slats in the dock and he fell through up to his chest. I have never seen a dog do that. He does not seem to be as sure footed as other dogs I know. If we had a TV we could be watching it now. Since we got a camper that is big enough to have a TV we miss having one all of a sudden. We have not really seen TV for weeks and only have a vague notion of what is going on in the world. Perhaps that is just as well.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
May 6 to May 9, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
We left the Sante Fe KOA at check out time and took I-25 south to get back on Rt 285 north, which took us back through Sante Fe and all the way to Colorado, about 170 miles. It was a pretty drive a lot of the way up here. We went through the Rio Grande National Forrest and it was over 8,500 feet. There were patches of snow on the mountain sides not too far away. It was very open all around and it seemed like we were surrounded by mountains everywhere in the far distance. When we got to Alamosa, CO we stopped for gas. It was so windy that Charlie could hardly get the van door open at the Walmart gas pumps, and then one of those outside ground signs flew by and almost hit him. We got on Rt 17 there, and started watching for motels on the way to Hooper because we were afraid we might need one. There is a sticker on the outside of our camper that says "WARNING DO NOT OPEN IN HIGH WINDS". We arrived at the campground at the Sand Dunes Swimming Pool, and after angling the camper just right, and a little struggle, we got it open. The camper next to us blocked the wind somewhat. Charlie left the camper hitched to the van since the chock blocks might not be enough during the night. Sometimes the wind gusts are so strong and steady, it sounds and feels like someone is driving off with us in the camper, and we are heading down the road at 60 miles an hour. Last year we came to Hooper for swimming for the first time, it was windy then too, but not quite as cold. It is in the low forties at night and in the low sixties during the day. It is a fascinating place and we just had to come back. I am re-posting my description from last year's journal: Hooper is in the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado. There are sand dunes, naturally hot water, gators, a speedway, and UFO enthusiasts. We skipped the speedway, UFO watchtower, and gators this trip. But I was curious about the gators. It turns out the facility started as a fish farm of Tilapia and African perch. The location was picked because of the warm geothermal water resources in the valley. They purchased 100 baby alligators to dispose of dead fish and the remains of filleted fish. What do you know, the gators grew! So they opened to the public in 1990 as Colorado Gators. Soon people with unwanted gators and other reptiles such as pythons, tortoises, iguanas, and more, started dropping them off, so they have quite a few reptiles now. We camped at the Sand Dunes Swimming Pool and RV Park. We had great views of the mountains from the RV and from the pool. The swimming pool is advertised as a Natural Hot Artesian Oasis. That is just what it is too. Well water enters the pool at 118 degrees. The pool is kept at 98 to 100 degrees. To regulate the temperature, hot and cold water pour into the pool as needed. I love standing under the hot water as it really pounds into the pool. I am not the only one, sometimes I have to wait my turn. What a great massage. Charlie does not care for it though. There is also a therapy pool kept between 105 to 107 degrees, it has jets, and it is big enough for 25 people. Charlie doesn't like that either. I did, but can't stay in for long. A baby pool with a creepy looking fountain named Puffenstuff (a dragon with water flowing from it's nose into the pool) is out of the sun. The elevation is about 7,500 feet so it is cool during the day and cold at night. It is windy almost all the time. The pool is warmer than the air so we get in the water and stay in up to our necks. It is just great. There is no chlorine or any other chemicals; instead, the pools are emptied and refilled every Thursday. Also, water appears to be constantly flowing in and out of the pool. The water flowing out of the pool goes into a pipe and then comes out at the top of a slide below the pool, making a play area for children. The slide empties into a little pond that is also open for swimming. Back to today: We arrived here this afternoon knowing the pool is closed for the Thursday cleaning. Charlie peeked in and sure enough, all of the pools are empty. It seems impossible that the pools will be filled and ready for swimming by tomorrow morning. We stayed in our little camper tonight and watched a movie on the computer, and tried to stay warm. We are pretty much stocked up on supplies but we may head into Alamosa for a meal or two. The snack bar here has a lot of fresh items that are grown in the green houses heated by the artesian well water. We are looking forward to seeing what is on the menu tomorrow and to swimming all day.
Friday, May 7, 2010
We woke up to a cold, but sunny, windy day. It took awhile but we finally got ourselves, and Joey, together and headed over to the pool. Dogs are allowed in the pool area! Possibly in the pool as well, but we were not interested in that. He would be a chili dog when he came out. We took the stroller and used it to keep him out of the wind and sun part of the time. What would we do without the stroller? We have not been able to get into Wal-Marts lately though. Maybe Wal-Mart is onto us and sent out an e-mail across the country??? Oh well, the weather has been such that he can stay in the van without a problem. Still, this is another instance where I wish we had a regular camper he could easily stay in when we need to leave him. One time we did set up the camper on the side of the road because it was just to hot for him to be in the van. Charlie is more than willing to do that, but it is a nuisance. The pool is in such a unusual setting with snow capped mountains all around. It was crowded today with lots of young people. They were playing volleyball in a large grassy area, and basketball in the pool. I stood under the hot waterfall as long as I could stand it, and I wished I could have gotten my hip under it, but the water is up to my shoulders. Charlie took lots of pictures. Not posted yet, but there are pics on this blog from last year. We had a good lunch and too much sun. Joey was the only dog there today and he got lots of attention. It was a good day. We are getting really really tired of not having running water in the camper. Not too mention no fridge when we are on the move. Charlie is looking on the internet again for a camper, any camper, that will meet our needs, and still be small enough to pull with the mini-van. He may have found one nearby to look at tomorrow.....we will see. We tried to pretend we can do this, bought plastic utensils, but eating out all the time and struggling just to brush our teeth everyday is getting to be too much! If we can't make a change, we really need to head home.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
We got up early intending to go back to the pool before leaving here, but then decided not to. Charlie really did get too much sun. He was already tan, but now he has a burn on top of it, his hair and beard seem to be getting whiter, and he needs a haircut and beard trim. Frankly, he looks kind of wild! I like wild. It is a warmer day today, but still windy, and a couple of people are flying kites. We, I should say Charlie, spent the morning talking to our camping neighbors. He always talks to everybody, I have just never had that much to say. I like to write though, you might have noticed, if you are still with me.... Anyway, everywhere we go people are interested in our camper and we don't mind showing it off, but we are not really good promoters since we are not happy with it. We got back on Rt 285 and drove about 70 miles north to Poncha Springs. We bought a camper from a guy named Cody at a dealership. It is a 2007 Bantam 17 (foot), Rocky Mountain edition. It is a real camper with all the storage space we could ever need and we are very happy, and hoping we did the right thing. We got a good price for the Aliner, so we will be leaving it behind, so sad. Our new camper is supposed to be ready on Tuesday so we are hanging out here in the 4 Seasons RV Resort in Salida for a few days. It is right on Route 50, the same Route 50 that goes east all the way to Ocean City Maryland. We had thought it would be fun to head east on there for awhile as we head home, but now I don't know where we are going. Certainly we are hoping to stay out for another month. The van will be worked on tomorrow to add extra brakes or something, and the camper needs to have an equalizer or something so that we can safely tow it. If all goes well we will be back on the road on Tuesday.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
I relaxed this morning and talked awhile with Mom. When I got off the phone Charlie gave me the good news that he finally figured out what that unpleasant odor is in the mini-van. Ever since before we visited Jeanne we have noticed this smell but could not locate it. Kinda musty ya know? There is so much stuff in the van, but we couldn't find anything that would cause any kind of smell. Well, this morning he lifted the third seat out of the well and discovered that one of the coolers has been leaking all this time. The leather seat was saturated and the carpet soaked under about two inches of water. Our 2004 Honda has been in pristine condition all these years. Garage kept, not much mileage. Not after this trip! Anyway we are glad to be taking care of this problem before he takes it to the dealer for the brake system tomorrow. After Charlie got most of the water out, we went to a car wash and used the vac to suck up as much of the water out of the carpet as we could. We had a nice dinner and took a walk in the campground tonight. This area is big on fly fishing and rafting and the camp is right on the river, so it is pretty here.
We left the Sante Fe KOA at check out time and took I-25 south to get back on Rt 285 north, which took us back through Sante Fe and all the way to Colorado, about 170 miles. It was a pretty drive a lot of the way up here. We went through the Rio Grande National Forrest and it was over 8,500 feet. There were patches of snow on the mountain sides not too far away. It was very open all around and it seemed like we were surrounded by mountains everywhere in the far distance. When we got to Alamosa, CO we stopped for gas. It was so windy that Charlie could hardly get the van door open at the Walmart gas pumps, and then one of those outside ground signs flew by and almost hit him. We got on Rt 17 there, and started watching for motels on the way to Hooper because we were afraid we might need one. There is a sticker on the outside of our camper that says "WARNING DO NOT OPEN IN HIGH WINDS". We arrived at the campground at the Sand Dunes Swimming Pool, and after angling the camper just right, and a little struggle, we got it open. The camper next to us blocked the wind somewhat. Charlie left the camper hitched to the van since the chock blocks might not be enough during the night. Sometimes the wind gusts are so strong and steady, it sounds and feels like someone is driving off with us in the camper, and we are heading down the road at 60 miles an hour. Last year we came to Hooper for swimming for the first time, it was windy then too, but not quite as cold. It is in the low forties at night and in the low sixties during the day. It is a fascinating place and we just had to come back. I am re-posting my description from last year's journal: Hooper is in the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado. There are sand dunes, naturally hot water, gators, a speedway, and UFO enthusiasts. We skipped the speedway, UFO watchtower, and gators this trip. But I was curious about the gators. It turns out the facility started as a fish farm of Tilapia and African perch. The location was picked because of the warm geothermal water resources in the valley. They purchased 100 baby alligators to dispose of dead fish and the remains of filleted fish. What do you know, the gators grew! So they opened to the public in 1990 as Colorado Gators. Soon people with unwanted gators and other reptiles such as pythons, tortoises, iguanas, and more, started dropping them off, so they have quite a few reptiles now. We camped at the Sand Dunes Swimming Pool and RV Park. We had great views of the mountains from the RV and from the pool. The swimming pool is advertised as a Natural Hot Artesian Oasis. That is just what it is too. Well water enters the pool at 118 degrees. The pool is kept at 98 to 100 degrees. To regulate the temperature, hot and cold water pour into the pool as needed. I love standing under the hot water as it really pounds into the pool. I am not the only one, sometimes I have to wait my turn. What a great massage. Charlie does not care for it though. There is also a therapy pool kept between 105 to 107 degrees, it has jets, and it is big enough for 25 people. Charlie doesn't like that either. I did, but can't stay in for long. A baby pool with a creepy looking fountain named Puffenstuff (a dragon with water flowing from it's nose into the pool) is out of the sun. The elevation is about 7,500 feet so it is cool during the day and cold at night. It is windy almost all the time. The pool is warmer than the air so we get in the water and stay in up to our necks. It is just great. There is no chlorine or any other chemicals; instead, the pools are emptied and refilled every Thursday. Also, water appears to be constantly flowing in and out of the pool. The water flowing out of the pool goes into a pipe and then comes out at the top of a slide below the pool, making a play area for children. The slide empties into a little pond that is also open for swimming. Back to today: We arrived here this afternoon knowing the pool is closed for the Thursday cleaning. Charlie peeked in and sure enough, all of the pools are empty. It seems impossible that the pools will be filled and ready for swimming by tomorrow morning. We stayed in our little camper tonight and watched a movie on the computer, and tried to stay warm. We are pretty much stocked up on supplies but we may head into Alamosa for a meal or two. The snack bar here has a lot of fresh items that are grown in the green houses heated by the artesian well water. We are looking forward to seeing what is on the menu tomorrow and to swimming all day.
Friday, May 7, 2010
We woke up to a cold, but sunny, windy day. It took awhile but we finally got ourselves, and Joey, together and headed over to the pool. Dogs are allowed in the pool area! Possibly in the pool as well, but we were not interested in that. He would be a chili dog when he came out. We took the stroller and used it to keep him out of the wind and sun part of the time. What would we do without the stroller? We have not been able to get into Wal-Marts lately though. Maybe Wal-Mart is onto us and sent out an e-mail across the country??? Oh well, the weather has been such that he can stay in the van without a problem. Still, this is another instance where I wish we had a regular camper he could easily stay in when we need to leave him. One time we did set up the camper on the side of the road because it was just to hot for him to be in the van. Charlie is more than willing to do that, but it is a nuisance. The pool is in such a unusual setting with snow capped mountains all around. It was crowded today with lots of young people. They were playing volleyball in a large grassy area, and basketball in the pool. I stood under the hot waterfall as long as I could stand it, and I wished I could have gotten my hip under it, but the water is up to my shoulders. Charlie took lots of pictures. Not posted yet, but there are pics on this blog from last year. We had a good lunch and too much sun. Joey was the only dog there today and he got lots of attention. It was a good day. We are getting really really tired of not having running water in the camper. Not too mention no fridge when we are on the move. Charlie is looking on the internet again for a camper, any camper, that will meet our needs, and still be small enough to pull with the mini-van. He may have found one nearby to look at tomorrow.....we will see. We tried to pretend we can do this, bought plastic utensils, but eating out all the time and struggling just to brush our teeth everyday is getting to be too much! If we can't make a change, we really need to head home.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
We got up early intending to go back to the pool before leaving here, but then decided not to. Charlie really did get too much sun. He was already tan, but now he has a burn on top of it, his hair and beard seem to be getting whiter, and he needs a haircut and beard trim. Frankly, he looks kind of wild! I like wild. It is a warmer day today, but still windy, and a couple of people are flying kites. We, I should say Charlie, spent the morning talking to our camping neighbors. He always talks to everybody, I have just never had that much to say. I like to write though, you might have noticed, if you are still with me.... Anyway, everywhere we go people are interested in our camper and we don't mind showing it off, but we are not really good promoters since we are not happy with it. We got back on Rt 285 and drove about 70 miles north to Poncha Springs. We bought a camper from a guy named Cody at a dealership. It is a 2007 Bantam 17 (foot), Rocky Mountain edition. It is a real camper with all the storage space we could ever need and we are very happy, and hoping we did the right thing. We got a good price for the Aliner, so we will be leaving it behind, so sad. Our new camper is supposed to be ready on Tuesday so we are hanging out here in the 4 Seasons RV Resort in Salida for a few days. It is right on Route 50, the same Route 50 that goes east all the way to Ocean City Maryland. We had thought it would be fun to head east on there for awhile as we head home, but now I don't know where we are going. Certainly we are hoping to stay out for another month. The van will be worked on tomorrow to add extra brakes or something, and the camper needs to have an equalizer or something so that we can safely tow it. If all goes well we will be back on the road on Tuesday.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
I relaxed this morning and talked awhile with Mom. When I got off the phone Charlie gave me the good news that he finally figured out what that unpleasant odor is in the mini-van. Ever since before we visited Jeanne we have noticed this smell but could not locate it. Kinda musty ya know? There is so much stuff in the van, but we couldn't find anything that would cause any kind of smell. Well, this morning he lifted the third seat out of the well and discovered that one of the coolers has been leaking all this time. The leather seat was saturated and the carpet soaked under about two inches of water. Our 2004 Honda has been in pristine condition all these years. Garage kept, not much mileage. Not after this trip! Anyway we are glad to be taking care of this problem before he takes it to the dealer for the brake system tomorrow. After Charlie got most of the water out, we went to a car wash and used the vac to suck up as much of the water out of the carpet as we could. We had a nice dinner and took a walk in the campground tonight. This area is big on fly fishing and rafting and the camp is right on the river, so it is pretty here.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
May 3 to May 5, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
It has been over three weeks since we left home, and we have seen a lot. Weather and scenery wise the Davis Mountains in Texas are as nice as anywhere we have been before, and without the real high altitudes. These mountains are from 3,000 to 7,000 feet, mostly below 5,000 feet. The night sky has been spectacular the last two nights. We are really enjoying the cool weather but I do get a little too cold at night sometimes. It is dry, but not extremely so. We saw Javelinas in the campground this morning, and the mule deer again. This afternoon we traveled 35 miles north on Route 17 to the Balmorhea State Park. There is a giant pool fed by artesian springs with temperatures between 74 and 78 degrees. People come here to swim, scuba dive and snorkel. It is 58 degrees here, so we will not be going in the water. Along the deck it looks like a normal pool, only huge. It is rectangular except for a uniform curve on one end. But it is filled with spring water with fish so it looks like a pond or a lake with a rough bottom. Along the inside edge the pool is about 2 feet deep, and in the middle it is up to 25 feet deep, and you cannot see the bottom. The pool was built by the CCC in the thirties and so it also has that old time look. I so wanted to get in, but it is just too cold today. After taking pictures all around the pool we met a young family who were just leaving. They have three very talkative children and they enjoyed petting Joey. They are on a long trip in a big van and pulling a utility trailer. Their stove does not work and a few other things, and they dry camp quite a bit. Apparently they are missionaries and are home schooling. We thought we were roughing it, but now I feel like I should not be complaining about our camper. We have decided that we are limited to staying in cool places because when it gets over 90 degrees, and the camper is out in the open, it is just too hot. Of course we don't want to go where it is too cold either....oh well...Charlie is surfing the net for interesting places to go, and he is looking for dealers that might have ultra light campers that will work better for us. We had a really nice authentic Mexican dinner at La Cueva De Oso (The Bear Den). Afterward we took a walk in our campground and found a kind of stream called San Solomon Cienega that is full of turtles, snakes, and large fish. We watched a snake catch and eat a fish. It was very shallow and clear and Joey was watching them all intently. I held on tight to our little dog.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
It is about 10:40pm EST, and we just got set up and are settling in at a KOA in Santa Fe. We drove about 390 miles today straight up Rt 285. We stopped in Carlsbad and looked at the R pod campers. They are very nice and are very tightly packed with all the things we want. The camper we were most interested in was brand new for $12,000. The dealership is really more of a service center for RVs, and we couldn't get much help, so we moved on. We considered hanging around until we could fully check it out, but we felt that we didn't really want to waste a few days buying and setting up in a new camper. Plus, they would not take our camper as a trade, but only on consignment. Not a complication we want to deal with. Though we would have liked to learn more, we think that once loaded, the camper would have topped out at 2,900 pounds, which is probably too much for the mini-van on long trips. Since we didn't spend a bunch of money on a new camper, now we feel like we are rich, and will stop fighting our camper's limitations. We are going to continue to eat out a lot, and not worry about it. We only brought two folding chairs on this trip, like always wants to sit in a chair too. So Charlie bought him his own chair today....it is a lot fancier than ours.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
We went into Santa Fe today and I went through the Georgia Okeefe museum. Charlie waited outside with Joey in a nice courtyard there. We took turns going into the Monitou Gallery, a place I really enjoyed last year. This year they have some of the same artists I remember but different works. Also, some new ones, all in the style of the southwest. I especially like the sculptures. While I was waiting with Joey out front next to a big cat statue, the owner came out and said that dogs are welcome in the gallery, that this is Santa Fe! Maybe we should move here. We walked around a bit more, and I did some shopping pushing Joey in the stroller while Charlie waited in the plaza. Later we drove to the capitol, which we missed last year. Last year we were limited to seeing what was on the bus line since we bused in from our campground. We took a lot of pictures of the plaza and of the churches last year which are still on this blog if you want to go back to see them. It is a really nice capitol with a nice setting. But I had enough of walking so Charlie went inside by himself. Inside is like an art gallery with a nice rotunda in the center. All the government offices are on other floors. We had a nice dinner on the way back to the camper. The restaurant is in front of the one and only mall in the area and behind the mall are rows and rows of small adobe houses that looks like a massive and old Pueblo village. Charlie posted a picture of it. He started a new album when we left Texas, so there are a few new pictures in album 4, and album 5 is started. Don't know where we are going next because it is a little cold in Hooper, Colorado which is supposed to be our next destination....
It has been over three weeks since we left home, and we have seen a lot. Weather and scenery wise the Davis Mountains in Texas are as nice as anywhere we have been before, and without the real high altitudes. These mountains are from 3,000 to 7,000 feet, mostly below 5,000 feet. The night sky has been spectacular the last two nights. We are really enjoying the cool weather but I do get a little too cold at night sometimes. It is dry, but not extremely so. We saw Javelinas in the campground this morning, and the mule deer again. This afternoon we traveled 35 miles north on Route 17 to the Balmorhea State Park. There is a giant pool fed by artesian springs with temperatures between 74 and 78 degrees. People come here to swim, scuba dive and snorkel. It is 58 degrees here, so we will not be going in the water. Along the deck it looks like a normal pool, only huge. It is rectangular except for a uniform curve on one end. But it is filled with spring water with fish so it looks like a pond or a lake with a rough bottom. Along the inside edge the pool is about 2 feet deep, and in the middle it is up to 25 feet deep, and you cannot see the bottom. The pool was built by the CCC in the thirties and so it also has that old time look. I so wanted to get in, but it is just too cold today. After taking pictures all around the pool we met a young family who were just leaving. They have three very talkative children and they enjoyed petting Joey. They are on a long trip in a big van and pulling a utility trailer. Their stove does not work and a few other things, and they dry camp quite a bit. Apparently they are missionaries and are home schooling. We thought we were roughing it, but now I feel like I should not be complaining about our camper. We have decided that we are limited to staying in cool places because when it gets over 90 degrees, and the camper is out in the open, it is just too hot. Of course we don't want to go where it is too cold either....oh well...Charlie is surfing the net for interesting places to go, and he is looking for dealers that might have ultra light campers that will work better for us. We had a really nice authentic Mexican dinner at La Cueva De Oso (The Bear Den). Afterward we took a walk in our campground and found a kind of stream called San Solomon Cienega that is full of turtles, snakes, and large fish. We watched a snake catch and eat a fish. It was very shallow and clear and Joey was watching them all intently. I held on tight to our little dog.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
It is about 10:40pm EST, and we just got set up and are settling in at a KOA in Santa Fe. We drove about 390 miles today straight up Rt 285. We stopped in Carlsbad and looked at the R pod campers. They are very nice and are very tightly packed with all the things we want. The camper we were most interested in was brand new for $12,000. The dealership is really more of a service center for RVs, and we couldn't get much help, so we moved on. We considered hanging around until we could fully check it out, but we felt that we didn't really want to waste a few days buying and setting up in a new camper. Plus, they would not take our camper as a trade, but only on consignment. Not a complication we want to deal with. Though we would have liked to learn more, we think that once loaded, the camper would have topped out at 2,900 pounds, which is probably too much for the mini-van on long trips. Since we didn't spend a bunch of money on a new camper, now we feel like we are rich, and will stop fighting our camper's limitations. We are going to continue to eat out a lot, and not worry about it. We only brought two folding chairs on this trip, like always wants to sit in a chair too. So Charlie bought him his own chair today....it is a lot fancier than ours.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
We went into Santa Fe today and I went through the Georgia Okeefe museum. Charlie waited outside with Joey in a nice courtyard there. We took turns going into the Monitou Gallery, a place I really enjoyed last year. This year they have some of the same artists I remember but different works. Also, some new ones, all in the style of the southwest. I especially like the sculptures. While I was waiting with Joey out front next to a big cat statue, the owner came out and said that dogs are welcome in the gallery, that this is Santa Fe! Maybe we should move here. We walked around a bit more, and I did some shopping pushing Joey in the stroller while Charlie waited in the plaza. Later we drove to the capitol, which we missed last year. Last year we were limited to seeing what was on the bus line since we bused in from our campground. We took a lot of pictures of the plaza and of the churches last year which are still on this blog if you want to go back to see them. It is a really nice capitol with a nice setting. But I had enough of walking so Charlie went inside by himself. Inside is like an art gallery with a nice rotunda in the center. All the government offices are on other floors. We had a nice dinner on the way back to the camper. The restaurant is in front of the one and only mall in the area and behind the mall are rows and rows of small adobe houses that looks like a massive and old Pueblo village. Charlie posted a picture of it. He started a new album when we left Texas, so there are a few new pictures in album 4, and album 5 is started. Don't know where we are going next because it is a little cold in Hooper, Colorado which is supposed to be our next destination....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
