April 23 to April 30

Tuesday, April 23:  Last Friday was supposed to be my last day at work but as always, it didn’t work out like it was supposed to.  I kept remembering things I needed to finish before we left for two months, so I worked Monday and a little bit this morning.  I got back to the RV about 10 and Mike had just about everything ready for us to hit the road.  I loaded the bikes on the back of the Honda and we were ready to go!  We pulled out of our sight and backed up along the street to connect the Honda to the RV.  As I stepped out of the RV I noticed our steps were already out.  They should have retracted when I started the RV and automatically came out when I opened the door.  Crap!!  I did what I do best; I called Colin the RV repair guy immediately.  We have given him a lot of work during the 5 years we have been staying in Tucson and he has been very good to us.  He said he could be there in about 30 minutes.  It was already 11:00 so Mike made sandwiches and put them in the refrigerator to eat later.  We knew that once Colin fixed the steps we would have to hit the road and keep going in order to make it to Las Cruces, NM by “wine time.” 

Colin got there by 11:20 and with two taps of his hammer on the step motor we were back in business!  We had tried that on his suggestion but evidently we weren’t hitting the motor in the “right” spot!  Anyway, we were on the road again.  Goodbye, Tucson!

           

A beautiful Tucson sunset...

The drive to Las Cruces was fairly uneventful which we were grateful for.  My strength and stamina are slowly returning to normal after the treatments.  I still tire easily and run out of steam by late afternoon.  So this drive was a test to see how well I would do on the whole trip.  Since it was interstate highway all the way to Las Cruces I let Mikey drive for about an hour while I took a nap.  Wow, did I nap!  Out like a light and didn’t wake up for 40 minutes!  After the nap I was quite refreshed and drove on to Las Cruces to the Siesta RV Park.  Nice little park, only about 40 usable sites and a real dust bowl.  And the wind was horrendous!  We had to have “wine time” inside because the sand from the wind made everything gritty. 

Wednesday, April 24:  Our first full day in Las Cruces we walked into the old town of Mesilla which was only about a half mile away.  150 years ago Mesilla was a booming town on the Butterfield Stage Coach line.  It was also where Billy the Kid stood trial for murder.  There are several shops and restaurants around the central plaza.  We walked quite a bit then had to go back to the coach for a nap!  All this “not working” is wearing me out!!  After our nap we went for a drive to explore the town of Las Cruces.  I noticed the Rio Grande River went through Las Cruces so we drove over to a park on the river.  As you can see in the pictures, the river is kind of dry.  I loved the sign that said, “No Swimming!”  

Later that evening we walked back into Mesilla and had a beer at El Patio and then went over to La Posta for dinner.  The food was excellent and the building is an historical landmark.  After dinner we headed back to the coach for a relaxing evening and to catch up on our TV programs.  And for those of you wondering about our satellite dish, yes, we had to change sites at this RV Park in order for the satellite dish to work.  The manager put us in a site next to a tree and wouldn’t you know it, the tree blocked the dish!  We moved over two spots to a site where the tree was smaller.  It was a windy night so it was “awnings in” and hang on!

 A variety of pictures from Las Cruces…

Thursday, April 25:  We were on the road by 9:30 today, our usual start time, and had lunch at the Subway inside the gas station in Sierra Blanca, TX.  After lunch we noticed a lot of RV’s on the road heading east like us.  As 3:00 neared we realized that many of these RV’s were probably going to stop for the night in Fort Stockton, like us.  Hmm.  I had set the cruise control to 2,000 RPM’s which is between 66 and 68 mph.  I bumped it up a bit and cruised along between 68 and 70 mph, passing a few more RV’s along the way.  Fort Stockton is in the middle of nowhere right off the interstate.  We got there about 3:30 in the afternoon and checked in.  We no sooner got to our site then the barrage of RV’s we passed on the highway started showing up!  Mike said the woman behind the counter at the RV Park mentioned she had 12 more checking in today.  Whew, we made it just in time! 

      No rain yet…

This RV Park has a restaurant on site with country fried steak on the menu.  I’m a sucker for country fried steak so we had dinner at the Roadrunner Café.  When we walked in the place was almost full but we found a table and sat down.  As we were sitting down I noticed a familiar face smiling and walking towards us!  It was Dawn Stephenson from Tucson!  She and her husband Duane were among the RV’s we passed on the highway.  They were on their way to Duane’s high school reunion in Indiana I believe.  We had a nice visit with them and a pretty good meal, too!  We also endured another windy night in Texas.  “Awnings in!”

            Duane and Dawn and me….

Friday, April 26:  This morning as we were preparing to leave I couldn't get the “jacks down” light to go out on the dash.  The jacks came up but the light wouldn't go out.  When it doesn't go out and you put the RV in gear you hear a warning beep, beep, beep.  It was very annoying.  We put the jacks back down and brought them up again but that didn't help.  Since the jacks were up we decided to go ahead and leave.  We made it out to the main road heading into the park and stopped.  I put the jacks down, Mike cleaned and lubed them then I brought them back up.  The light stayed on.  AAARRGGHHHH!!   Duane and Dawn pulled up beside us and offered assistance but I told them we were ok, just going to travel down the road with the beeping sound.  Sigh.  We prepared the RV for travel and took off.  Wouldn't you know it, the dang light went out and the beeping stopped.  We haven’t a problem with the jacks since!  Sheesh!  As we passed Dawn and Duane on the highway we gave the OK sign and thumbs up. 

We parked for the night at the Roadrunner RV Park in Johnson City, TX, home of Lyndon B. Johnson.  The park is right off the highway but is next door to a supermarket and a Dollar General and we visited both!  It has been raining on us constantly through Texas so we have to put the awning out to have our wine outside in the evenings.  The temperature has been OK, warm and humid but the constant rain has been a pain. 

Saturday, April 27:  We awoke to more rain drizzle and after our normal morning routine we were on the road by 9ish.  The last two stops have been for one night each and we were both growing weary of the “one night stands.”  Mike changed the next two reservations to two nights each which gives us a little bit of a break and a chance to explore the town and surrounding community. 

The stop for the night was in Beaumont, Texas at the Gulf Shores RV Resort.  This is a nice place with paved interior streets, concrete sites and lots of green grass!  They also have a free breakfast every morning featuring waffles, biscuits and gravy, bagels, donuts, fresh fruit and a variety of cereals.  It is not a 55+ park so there were a lot of kids when we arrived but by Sunday afternoon it was quiet.  I also think because we used the Passport America discount card they put us next to a transformer on purpose.  There were many empty sites away from the transformer and I started to go ask but decided it wasn't worth it, we’re only going to be here for two nights and the humming was kind of soothing. 

    The dish is up!

Sunday, April 28:  After a leisurely morning we took a ride to explore the town.  Of course we found a Wal-Mart and just had to go in for few things.  Then it was back to the coach for lunch and a nap.  Dinner that evening was at Floyd’s Restaurant where the specialty was seafood!!  I had been craving fried catfish and Mike wanted hush puppies, both were on the menu and we pigged out!  We also had oysters on the half shell and they were delicious!  Since the cancer diagnosis I had not been “allowed” to eat sushi or anything rare so the oysters were a real treat!  

Monday, April 29:  Today we leave Texas after five days and four nights of slugging through rain and wind!  Our first stop outside of Texas was to get fuel and to meet up with our friend Darrell.  Darrell was on his way back to Houston after attending a memorial service for his father in Florida.  We got fuel at a Truck Stop at exit 4, Mike coordinated with Darrell to meet us at there and lo and behold when we pulled in there was Darrell putting fuel in his car! 

Our destination today is an RV park in in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi along the Gulf Coast.  This was part of the area hit by Hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans.  Katrina wiped out the beach communities of Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Ocean Springs, Gulfport and Biloxi.  The park we are staying in is called Bay Hide Away and is inland about a mile from the Gulf.  Nice little park but water everywhere!  We set up in the rain, again, and put the awning out to have our evening wine.  The elevation here is about 17 feet above sea level so the rain has nowhere to go so it just pools in low areas.  There is not even enough sunshine for evaporation to take place!  We are so thankful we had the carpet pulled from the coach and vinyl flooring put in this past winter.  What a difference it makes in a damp and humid climate. 

 Dish is up, wine is in hand, all is well... except for all the water!!

Tuesday, April 30:  We drove from Bay St. Louis up the coast to just before Pascagoula and were awed by the vacant land.  You could see where the homes used to sit on these beautiful pieces of gulf front property.  Sometimes you would see red brick steps leading up to nothing or a slab or poles where a house used to sit.  Strangely enough, most of the vacant sites were still being taken care of and looked very nice.  Many of the buildings along the coast had been rebuilt and looked quite sturdy.  There was even a new Catholic Church up on brick stilts! 

I had been using a “thing” the eye doctor gives you to put inside your glasses after you’ve had your eyes dilated to help with the glare while driving the coach.  It had become scratched and I wanted to find a new one so we stopped at Wal-Mart to see if I could purchase one from the vision counter.  Instead, the clerk talked me into purchasing a pair of clip-on’s for my glasses that are polarized to really reduce the glare.  My glasses have transition lenses and darken nicely outside but are useless in a vehicle.  The clip-on shades are very helpful.  I also asked where we could get a good grouper sandwich and the clerk suggested “Steve’s Marina Restaurant” in Ocean Springs.  We decided to give it a try and we’re glad we did, the food was delicious and the view was amazing!  We shared a Mahi-mahi sandwich (no grouper, dang it) and stuffed fried green tomato.  Needless to say, dinner that night was wine and snacks cuz we were still full from lunch. 

Check out the Stuffed Fried Green Tomato, it was yummy!

Stay tuned for more...

Summer 2013, Prologue

Summer 2013 Travel Blog

Prologue:  First, let me fill in the gap(s) since my last blog posting of August 15, 2012.  A lot has happened this past winter and I am going to try and recap it in less than two paragraphs. 

Here goes… 

Our summer trip last year ended August 15 when we rolled into Dolores, Colorado and parked in our driveway once again.  Since our house is still rented we were only going to be there for a short time.  We stayed about a week then I headed for Tucson and Mike stayed with friends, or as I like to tease him, he “slept around.”  He stayed at our house in the guest bedroom downstairs for a couple of days (Thank you, Kathy!), he stayed with Lee in Cortez for a couple of days and he stayed with Mike & Marie in Dolores for several days.  He joined me in Tucson on September 10, one day earlier than the year before. 

The 2012/2013 winter season was a different kind of season at Far Horizons RV Resort in Tucson.  It was unusually cold most of the season so “patio parties” were few and far between or were very cold, the flu and colds ran rampant throughout the resort and I was diagnosed with anal cancer.  Fortunately, it was caught early and the team at the Univ. of AZ Medical Center took very good care of me even if they did try to “kill” me with the treatments!!   I have now experienced 27 radiation treatments and two rounds of 96 hour chemo treatments first hand and I hope I NEVER have to go through that again!  The prognosis is excellent and the doctors are so confident they got it all that my port for the chemo infusions was removed on April 8, my niece Brittany’s birthday.  I have to give special recognition to my loving spouse Mike, or as I learned to call him, Nurse Ratchett, for making sure I followed doctors orders and didn't over do it.  Interestingly enough, while everyone else in the resort was sick Mike and I did not catch even a slight cold!  That’s what quarantine will do for you!  Thank you Mike for helping me cope with my “social isolation.”  It was a tough season.

This is a pic of Cassie (on the left) and Danielle (on the right), my Radiology Techs.  They helped me get through all 27 treatments.  Cassie has a special place in my heart...

Prologue, part 2:  I picked the date of April 23 at random to leave Tucson.  Not sure why, I guess it was a birthday present for Doris V. and Lasell B.  The plan was to visit family and friends in the SE states where we are from.  This includes Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Texas.  FL & GA would be my family, AL is where Mike’s family lives and our friends Darrell & Frank live in Houston, TX.  We also wanted to check out South Padre Island in Texas since we have heard so much about it.  In total we would be on the road for about two months, returning to Tucson on June 21 or 22.  I have follow up doctor appointments and a PET/CT scan scheduled for the last week of June.  After that we will go home to Colorado for the rest of the summer and fall. 

Mike had been working diligently on our itinerary during the winter and had it mapped out to go to Houston, South Padre Island, Florida, Georgia, and Alabama and then return to Tucson.  Two things changed our plans, our friend Darrell in Houston was going to Florida the same dates we were to visit him and we got the word my niece would be graduating from the Physical Therapy Assistant program at St. Petersburg College on Saturday, May 4^th.  Mike easily adjusted our itinerary to go to Florida first then GA, AL and then Houston before going to South Padre.  And as all things in life are fluid so are our plans for this trip.  We have now decided to skip South Padre and head back to Tucson after stopping in Houston and then in Dallas to see Ann & Evan.  Shh, we haven’t told them we’re coming for a visit yet.  

HOME!! Dolores, CO

Saturday, August 11.  Needless to say, we were both up early and ready to hit the road by 8:00 AM this morning.  I think this was record time for us.  Even Jenny was ready!

I was concerned about the motor home overheating going over the Dallas Divide, climbing into and out of Telluride and also Lizard Head Pass.  I was worried for nothing!  The motor home did great, none of those passes are as steep or as high as Monarch Pass.

Here are pictures I took of Lizard Head Pass when we reached the top.  Aww, home...

We pulled into our driveway about lunch time on Saturday.  We'll be here until I leave on Monday the 20th to head to Tucson, Mike will stay with friends until after labor day and then join me in Tucson.

That's it for now.  I hope you have enjoyed our travels as much as we have.  Until next trip...

Salida, CO/Ridgway, CO

Tuesday, August 7.  We left Chatfield State Park and headed towards Salida.  Hwy 285 is a beautiful drive from the Denver area over the mountains and through some very pretty valleys.  The weather was perfect so we didn't have to run the a/c in the coach.  Mike had made us reservations at a Passport America park in the town of Howard about 10 miles east of Salida on Hwy 50.  It is on the Arkansas river but because we waited so late to make our reservation we had to take a site that didn't have a river view.  That's ok, $14 a night is not bad for full hookups and wifi!  Besides, it was an easy walk to the river.  Here are pictures of our site and the river deck where we enjoyed our wine.

Wednesday, August 8.  We both wanted to explore Salida so we drove into town and stopped at the Visitor Center and got some information about local hiking trails.  The town is cute, about the size of Cortez but is on the Arkansas river.  The woman at the V.C. suggested a hike that was on the way back to the campground so we drove to the trail head and had a nice walk with Jenny.

Thursday, August 9.  Today we drove from Salida to Ridgway via Hwy 50 over the Monarch Pass.  I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Monarch Pass but it is one of the longest and highest passes in Colorado at 11,200 +/- feet.  We've been over it before and knew what to expect but even so, it was still a pain.  The diesel engine really does a good job in the mountains but this pass is a real challenge.  About half way up the engine started overheating and then the transmission light started flickering which means the trans. is struggling.  I had to pull over to the side of the road twice to let the engine and transmission cool off.  We finally made it to the top and I thought, whew, the worst is over.  Wrong!  Going down is rough on the brakes and the transmission because of the steep grade and how far you have to go.  This time my brakes started to over heat even though I was using the exhaust brake and also had downshifted as low as I could go without stressing the transmission.  Again, I had to pull over a couple of times to let the brakes and the transmission cool off.  I hope that's the last time we have to go over Monarch Pass for a while!!

We made it to Ridgway State Park, Dutch Charlie Campground and got set up in time for cocktail hour.  Now that we're back in pinon/juniper country I don't have to worry too much about trees blocking the satellite dish.  This campground is on a ridge overlooking a reservoir that is very low because of the drought. It's pretty sad, same thing with the Blue Mesa, we couldn't believe how low it was when we drove by.  Here are a couple pics of our campsite at Dutch Charlie.

We had some pretty good storms while we were here, thankfully we have the drugs for Jenny now so we can keep her calm.

Friday, August 10.  There are some awesome hot springs in Ridgway that we have been to before so that's where we went today.  We had a nice long soak at Orvis and then came back to the RV and chilled out.  We took Jenny for a walk and had a nap.  Such a rough day...  We're both excited about returning home tomorrow, we've been on the road 3 months and 1 week.  That's a long time!  8,500 miles!!  Whew!

Littleton, CO

Saturday, August 4.  Our friend Fred came down from Lone Tree to visit us while we were in the Walmart parking lot at Castle Rock.  We had a great visit and made plans to go to his house on Sunday after we checked in at Chatfield State Park.  Mike took this picture of the sunset we had this evening. 

(Castle Rock sunset)

Sunday, August 5.  We awoke to a beautiful morning in the Walmart parking lot and watched the coming and going of Walmart employees.  Our reservation confirmation said we could check in at noon so we had breakfast and prepared the coach for take-off!  Hmm, how do we get out of the parking lot?  The route out I was going to use was now blocked by a big pickup truck.  The only other option was to try and squeeze through the curb openings and circle around another parking area and then head out.  Whew!  We did it!  That’s one of the issues when you stay in a parking lot, you can’t always depend on having the same empty parking spaces when you are ready to leave. 

We drove over to Chatfield State Park and parked at the High Line Canal trailhead where we had lunch on Saturday.  Since it was only 8:45 in the morning and we can’t check in until noon we took Jenny for a walk.  Mike calculated we walked about 3.5 miles round trip.  Jenny was tired when we got back to the trailhead and took a nap in the shade at the gazebo.  The gazebo is to the left of the port-a-potty. 

(Chatfield, waiting to enter)

We had an early lunch and by 11:45 were ready to go into the park.  A lot of RV’s had already come out and a few had started going in so we figured it would be ok.  We checked in and were set up by 1 PM.  Here is our site, no trees to block the dish!

(Chatfield, site #182)

After showers and drugging the dog we headed to Fred’s house.  It looked like it might rain so we gave Jenny her meds to keep her calm in the coach.  Fred had purchased tickets for the show, “Jersey Boys” for this evening as an anniversary/wedding gift for us.  We treated him to dinner at Pasta Jay’s, one of our favorite places to eat, and then went to the theater.  The show was absolutely incredible!  It is the story of how the Four Seasons came together and how Frankie Valli started with them when he was just 16 years old.  Here is a picture of Fred and Mike in the theater lobby. 

(Fred & Mike at Jersey Boys, I took the picture)

The actors did a great job of singing almost all of the Four Seasons hits.  I can’t think of any songs they missed.  Here is a list of the songs from the show. 

(Jersey Boys music)

During the show it was explained how some of the songs developed from events that took place in one or more of their lives.  It was quite moving and funny, too.  I won’t give away too much, but the song “Oh What A Night!” does have significant meaning to Bob Gaudio, the songwriting member of the group. 

Monday, August 6.  There were threats of storms this afternoon and we wanted to be at the RV with Jenny if they happened so we went to Fred’s house late morning.   He took us downtown again to have lunch at Steuben’s Restaurant which was featured on “Diner’s, Drive-in’s & Dive’s.”   Steuben’s building was once a gas station and garage I believe.  It was busy when we got there at 11:55 so we had to sit outside in the patio area.  Thankfully, they had fans but it was still hot.  The food was delicious, I had an iceberg lettuce wedge with blue cheese dressing and bacon bits, Mike had a Greek salad and we shared an order of chicken wings and Fred had a green chili burger.  It was a wonderful dining experience! 

(Steuben’s restaurant)

On the way into the Denver area on Saturday the interstate passed under a road by the name of “Downing” which made me think of our friend Carol in St. Petersburg.  On the way to Steuben’s on Monday we drove on Downing Street for a while.  I miss you, Carol!!

(Downing Street)

A new museum recently opened in Denver called the History Colorado Museum and is just what it says, a museum of the history of Colorado.  We walked over to it after having lunch at Steuben's.  The museum is very interactive, a great place for kids and adults, too!  It is two floors and takes a while to see all of the exhibits.  You can step into a mine elevator and get the "feel" of being lowered into the ground or you can stand in a pair of ski's and "experience" a ski jump.  These are just a couple of the interactive exhibits.  

After the museum Fred treated us to ice cream at a place near his home and then we had to say our goodbyes.  Thank you, Fred, for making our anniversary one of the best ever!!  

Castle Rock, CO

Saturday, August 4.  The saga continues...   When we got to Chatfield State Park the lady at the front gate said they were full so we turned around and drove out to a trail head about 6 blocks from their main entrance.  Mike made sandwiches and we had lunch under a gazebo at the picnic tables.  Even though it was 80 degrees outside because of the breeze and the lack of humidity it was quite comfortable.  We did leave the generator running with the a/c on for the animals.  After lunch we drove south on Hwy 85 to I-25 south and took the Larkspur exit.  I stopped at a little store to ask about any RV parks in the area and the girl behind the counter (with a pierced nose) said there was nothing but that we could stay at the Walmart in Castle Rock.  Hmm.  Mike had called all the Walmart's in Denver and all said the same thing, no overnight parking.  So we headed back north on I-25, I needed fuel and I remembered seeing a station advertising diesel for $3.46 a gallon.  I pulled into the station and while Mike was pumping fuel I asked the girl behind the counter if there was anywhere we could "park" our rig for the night.  She said the same thing, the Walmart in Castle Rock.  She even gave me directions.  OK, it was meant to be so off we went.  The directions she gave me were perfect and the parking lot had one RV in it already.  We parked and went into to the store to "register."  Easy as could be, all you have to do is go to the customer service desk and fill out a line in a book.  So here we are, in our second Walmart parking lot of this trip.  It's way more comfortable than the one in ND, not near as hot and we have a lot of other stores around us to satisfy all of our needs.  In a short walk we bought wine (necessities for us) and cat food at a Petsmart.  Who could ask for more?   We are truly happy campers.  Only down side is no satellite dish tonight.  Don't want to run the generator all night, it's too pretty an evening.  So we'll entertain ourselves by watching the people who frequent Walmart.  Our friend Fred did stop by for a visit and we made plans for tomorrow and Monday.  Here are pics of us at Walmart...

We were even put the awnings out and the jacks down.  There was even shade for the little car and grass for Jenny.  And all this for FREE!!  Gotta love a bargain...

Cheyenne, WY

Friday, August 3.  We left Custer, SD just after Dick & Barbara did and as they headed east we headed west.  Our next stop is Cheyenne, WY to stay overnight then drive into Denver on Saturday.  On this trip we have tried to stay off the interstate as much as possible, preferring the back roads and seeing small towns.  We took Hwy 85 south most of the way to Cheyenne then got on I-25 for about 10 miles.  The RV Park is on the south side of Cheyenne about 4 miles from the Colorado line.  It was windy as all get out when we arrived but I still put the satellite dish up.  The park itself is not much to speak of, it's located right on the interstate so it's very noisy, there are no trees (great for the satellite dish!!) and lots of dirt.  Since we got here so early in the day and it was so windy outside we opted to stay inside and catch up on the Olympics.  It was an uneventful night... until about 11 PM.  I was awakened by Jenny pacing around the motor home, her nails on the linoleum always wake me up.  The wind was really howling now almost as bad as when we were in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada last month.  The more the motor home rocked the more Jenny paced. Mike had given her half a Xanax and 1/4 of the Acepromazine in the afternoon because it looked like a storm was brewing.  When Jenny climbed up on the toilet and tried to get into the medicine cabinet I woke Mike up and said he better give Jenny another pill.  He gave  her another 1/4 of the Acepromazine and within 15 minutes she had calmed down.  Better living through chemistry...

Saturday, August 4.  It was a calm and beautiful morning, no wind and lots of blue sky.  Mike gave me a much needed haircut and we caught up on chores around the motor home.  The drive to Denver is only about 2.5 hours and since we don't have a reservation anywhere for tonight there is no hurry.  We're going to try Chatfield State Park first because we have a reservation there starting tomorrow.  They sometimes have sites available on a first come first served basis.  If they don't have anything we'll find a Walmart and "camp" there for the night.

Taken Saturday morning about 8:30 AM.  Lots of dirt, no trees and right next to the interstate.  But hey, it is a Passport America park so what do you want for $19 a night for full hookups and great wifi!?!  Notice the dish is down, I had to bring it down last night when Jenny was freaking out.  I was afraid the wind would rip it off the top of the motor home.  We did not get to record the Olympics last night, dang!!