Saturday the 27th
The weather was looking pretty iffy this morning with rain showers predicted along with high winds, but the sun was out so I decided to participate in a planned ride supporting the local Special Olympics organization.
Called the "Le Tour de Manure", the ride covers a large section of the southern Imperial Valley commemorating the annual fertilization of the fields. Anyone who has ever spent time in the Kent Valley when it was still mostly crop fields will remember the smell. Called "Liquid Gold", manure from all the dairy and cattle herds is collected, mixed with hay and fermented for a year. Water is added and the resulting mess is then strained and spread with mobile spray rig.
I was at the start point around 8:00 AM, registered and spent time talking with other participants. I finally hooked up with a very nice young man of 45 who was celebrating his birthday. Eventually the ride organizers had everyone line up in the street for a mass start led out by a patrol car. Art and I were across the line and onto the route hoping to complete the event before the rain hit.
The roads were fairly good and the organization really good with police at major intersections controlling traffic and keeping the riders moving. The first ten miles were into a stiff wind and we were pushing pretty hard, probably running about fifteen mph. Eventually we mad the first major change in direction and had the wind coming from behind us. We upped the pace to about twenty and traded off pulls. This is like a two person pace line, trading the lead every quarter mile to provide a draft for the second person. It allows the riders to maintain a faster pace for longer periods.
Eventually we hit a five mile stretch of absolutely horrible road. We ended up slowing to about 12 mph because it was too difficult to maintain safe control at faster speeds. The last ten miles we were on the return leg back to town and were running against the wind again so we basically gave up trying to maintain a good pace and spent our time riding side by side and talking.
When we got back to the start line, there was pasta, salads, refreshments, fruit and music. Art and I grabbed a bite to eat and visited some more before we called it a day and after thanking each other and the organizers for a good ride we went our separate ways.
Returning home I put everything in the wash and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing with Tina as we watched more of the Olympics. Every now and then we were serenaded by the "Blue Angels" doing training runs. Their base is about three miles away.
Not too much else to report. It never did rain but the winds came up and rocked the coach every now and then. We took the kids for several walks. Other than the wind it as quite nice out. Tomorrow its supposed to be back in the 70's.
No photos today.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Bike Ride and Swim
Friday the 26th
The weather is still holding up nicely. It's cool enough in the morning for the heat to come on for about an hour then the sun takes over and around noon we switch to A/C. I think we have a permanent feature programmed into our morning alarm clock. Seems that 6:00 AM when the sun comes up is the new get up time. Oh well, just gives us more day to enjoy, heh, heh.
We went out after lunch for a ten mile bike ride through the agricultural fields. Some of the roads are in really bad shape due to all the heavy trucks running on them and also affected by the rain, which though not necessarily all that heavy, doesn't soak in. There is a lot of clay in the soil and when it does rain the trucks continue to pound the roads damaging the underlayment and breaking up the asphalt. For cars and trucks it's not too bad but for skinny tire bikes it's murder.
After e returned from our ride we changed into our swim suits, grabbed our towels, books and a pop and headed for the pool. The pool was divided in two with a volleyball net on one side. There must have been twenty people playing volleyball and having a really great time. We went in for a dip in the other half but only stayed in for about fifteen minutes. The temperature must have been almost 90 degrees! Getting out we spent another fifteen minutes in the hot tub before retiring to our table and chairs where we sat reading and watching the volleyball game.
Riding back to the coach we changed clothes and drove to the Imperial Mall to see Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief. It was pretty good flick. I have read the first four books in the series and they did a good job converting the first book into a screenplay. After the movie we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner - it was good but nothing to write home about.
By the time we got home it was 7:30 PM and the kids were really hungry!! So we ed them dinner, took them out for a walk and settled in for the evening, watching the Olympics.
No photos today.
The weather is still holding up nicely. It's cool enough in the morning for the heat to come on for about an hour then the sun takes over and around noon we switch to A/C. I think we have a permanent feature programmed into our morning alarm clock. Seems that 6:00 AM when the sun comes up is the new get up time. Oh well, just gives us more day to enjoy, heh, heh.
We went out after lunch for a ten mile bike ride through the agricultural fields. Some of the roads are in really bad shape due to all the heavy trucks running on them and also affected by the rain, which though not necessarily all that heavy, doesn't soak in. There is a lot of clay in the soil and when it does rain the trucks continue to pound the roads damaging the underlayment and breaking up the asphalt. For cars and trucks it's not too bad but for skinny tire bikes it's murder.
After e returned from our ride we changed into our swim suits, grabbed our towels, books and a pop and headed for the pool. The pool was divided in two with a volleyball net on one side. There must have been twenty people playing volleyball and having a really great time. We went in for a dip in the other half but only stayed in for about fifteen minutes. The temperature must have been almost 90 degrees! Getting out we spent another fifteen minutes in the hot tub before retiring to our table and chairs where we sat reading and watching the volleyball game.
Riding back to the coach we changed clothes and drove to the Imperial Mall to see Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief. It was pretty good flick. I have read the first four books in the series and they did a good job converting the first book into a screenplay. After the movie we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner - it was good but nothing to write home about.
By the time we got home it was 7:30 PM and the kids were really hungry!! So we ed them dinner, took them out for a walk and settled in for the evening, watching the Olympics.
No photos today.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wister Mud Volcanos
Thursday the 25th
After lunch we drove to El Centro, fueled up and got the car washed, then turned north towards the Salton Sea. We were headed for the Wister Mud Pots located nine miles north of the small town of Niland.
We pulled into the ranger stop and registered our intent to do some bird watching. Leaving the parking area we drove onto the unpaved road (in our newly washed car) and turned on one of the levee roads to try and get to the shore of the Salton Sea. We saw lots of birds but unlike in Florida, most of them are very skittish and fly off as soon as we get close.
Eventually we had to turn around and head back for Davis Road which runs parallel to the Salton Sea.
There were probably 25 large mud volcanoes covering an area 300 feet on a side. Many were actually small depressions filled with water, with gas bubbling up from underground.
Returning to the car we headed south again until we reached the access road to the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR where we stopped and walked up to the top of the viewing stand.
It's interesting, this whole area is part of the Pacific Flyway, a major North-South route for migratory birds, at the same time it is a major geothermal energy source. We passed at least nine very large geothermal energy plants owned by SoCal Edison, an example of nature and technology existing side by side.
Another early morning with the "Punky" alarm going off at 6:15 AM. With the sun shining through the windows it promises to be another great day, so we got up, took the kids out for their walk, gave them breakfast and then took care of our own morning routines. After breakfast I went over and shot pool while Tina did a few chores and read.
After lunch we drove to El Centro, fueled up and got the car washed, then turned north towards the Salton Sea. We were headed for the Wister Mud Pots located nine miles north of the small town of Niland. After we passed through the immigration check point we turned east toward the Coachilla Mountain foothills on Hot Mineral Springs Road. We passed several big RV Resorts and ended up at a new KOA at the end of the road.
We hadn't seen any signs or evidence of mud pots so we stopped to ask directions. When I talked to the manager, he said the only active site he was aware of was back at the south end of the Wister Wildlife Refuge. So we headed back the way we'd come making a stop at the Wister NWR first.
We pulled into the ranger stop and registered our intent to do some bird watching. Leaving the parking area we drove onto the unpaved road (in our newly washed car) and turned on one of the levee roads to try and get to the shore of the Salton Sea. We saw lots of birds but unlike in Florida, most of them are very skittish and fly off as soon as we get close. 
Eventually we had to turn around and head back for Davis Road which runs parallel to the Salton Sea.Turning south again on Davis we continued along a very rough dirt road, passing many intersections finally arriving at our intersection with Schrimpf Rd where we parked and walked out onto a big mud flat covered with Mud Volcanoes, some of which were 8 or 9 feet high. The smell of steam and carbon dioxide gas flavored with sulfur was quite strong.
There were probably 25 large mud volcanoes covering an area 300 feet on a side. Many were actually small depressions filled with water, with gas bubbling up from underground. Some make rattling sounds like old steam radiators, others gurgle like someone trying to clear their throat. The temperature of gasses coming out of the vents seemed to be warm but not hot. The water was cold or ambient temperature. The mud percolating out of the towers was very fine and sticky likely a silty clay.
Returning to the car we headed south again until we reached the access road to the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR where we stopped and walked up to the top of the viewing stand. It's interesting, this whole area is part of the Pacific Flyway, a major North-South route for migratory birds, at the same time it is a major geothermal energy source. We passed at least nine very large geothermal energy plants owned by SoCal Edison, an example of nature and technology existing side by side.
Leaving the Salton Sea we headed south on secondary roads passing huge agricultural fields where several vegetable crops are grown including broccoli, lettuce, carrots and surprisingly, hay and alfalfa used to feed huge dairy herds. Several fields were filled with equipment and workers harvesting what looked like onions.
We arrived home around 5:30 PM in time to get the kids out and fed, then Tina put the chicken on the barby for our dinner. Later we watched the Olympics and relaxed.
To see all our photos, click on:
CanAm Parade
Wednesday the 24th
Today is the start of a big celebration and competition here in Sunbeam Lake. There is a golf tournament, shuffleboard tournament, parade and dinner. We're not participating as most of the people are long time snowbirds and everybody knows everybody else.Another beautiful day, in the low 70's so we just had a relaxing day sitting around reading, playing pool and watching the parade.
Later Tina fixed a super salad and we caught some more Winter Olympics events.
To see all our photos click on:
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Fossil Canyon
Monday the 22nd
Following the Imperial Highway through town we turned off on Shell Canyon Road and drove into the southern part of Anza Borrego Desert. After three miles of paved road we hit the unpaved portion, fortunately not a off road dirt track, so we were able to drive pretty much all the way to the end of the road.
Eventually Tina said "Whoaa" and I pulled off to the side of the road just before a gully wash. Changing into our hiking shoes we slowly made our way along the remaining road to the head of the canyon passing through hills of mudstone that had been pretty much carved up by desert bikes and 4 wheelers - leaving quite beautiful designs in the dirt.
A mile from the car we reached the gate at the head of Fossil Canyon, which is restricted to foot traffic only. As we passed the hills of sandstone and aggregate of the ancient sea bed, we saw strata of embedded shells and fossilized coral. This area we were walking through is thought to be about 50 million years old.
We hiked about a mile into the canyon until the fossil strata went back underground then turned back for the car. Between the wind and rain, erosion in the canyon has left caves and holes all along the cliff sides making it a very interesting hike.
Not much going on today. We are spending our time relaxing and enjoying the warm weather. We are back in shorts and tank tops.
Shot a little pool in the morning, there were 12 guys playing "One and Fifteen Eight Ball", six - two man teams playing on three 9' Olhausen tables. Most are pretty good players but only one is shooting at my level and I'm still improving and having a good time at the table.
Lot's of Olympics - Curling, Skiing, Skating, I love it all!!
Tuesday the 23rd
Well, the kids are a little slow to adjust to time zone changes. When the "Punky" Alarm went off it was only 6:00 AM. The light was just coming in through the blinds. Oh well, I managed to get up and moving so they could go out for their walk. It's so nice to be able to go out with them and not have to be dressed for 40 degree weather.
After breakfast Tina let me go shoot pool with the guys for a couple of hours. When I got back we drove into El Centro for lunch at La Fonda Mexican Restaurant, not bad but needed more heat, then we drove west on I-8 to the small desert town of Ocatillo.
Following the Imperial Highway through town we turned off on Shell Canyon Road and drove into the southern part of Anza Borrego Desert. After three miles of paved road we hit the unpaved portion, fortunately not a off road dirt track, so we were able to drive pretty much all the way to the end of the road.Eventually Tina said "Whoaa" and I pulled off to the side of the road just before a gully wash. Changing into our hiking shoes we slowly made our way along the remaining road to the head of the canyon passing through hills of mudstone that had been pretty much carved up by desert bikes and 4 wheelers - leaving quite beautiful designs in the dirt.
A mile from the car we reached the gate at the head of Fossil Canyon, which is restricted to foot traffic only. As we passed the hills of sandstone and aggregate of the ancient sea bed, we saw strata of embedded shells and fossilized coral. This area we were walking through is thought to be about 50 million years old. A study done in 1916 by Dr Thomas Vaughn revealed that the Carrizo Creek reef-coral is actually related to the Atlantic rather than the Pacific. Apparently, at one time the Atlantic and Pacific were connected by a waterway in Central America. When the passage closed, the Atlantic Coral in the Pacific became extinct. The fossils found in this canyon are the only evidence that this coral once existed in the Pacific.
We hiked about a mile into the canyon until the fossil strata went back underground then turned back for the car. Between the wind and rain, erosion in the canyon has left caves and holes all along the cliff sides making it a very interesting hike. Everywhere you looked, large chunks of decomposed granite were lying about, large flakes of mica reflecting the sun. We picked up several pieces of rock that looked like they had veins of gold running through them.
We made it back to the car, changed shoes and drove back home. With books in hand, we took the dogs out to the patio where we sat and read for a while. When it was time for dinner, Tina handed me a couple of nice pork steaks to grill. Dinner was yummy!! After dinner we checked out the poker game over at the card room and decided to take a pass so we spent the evening watching the Olympics. A nice ending to a great day.
To see all our photos, click on:
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Day One in El Centro
Sunday the 21st
Now that we are finally done traveling for a while we could take time to do laundry, cleaning, various minor repairs and shopping.
With that done we went on a short bike ride around the lake in a pretty stiff breeze. The rest of the day we checked out the facilities, relaxed, watched the Olympics, walked the dogs, etc.
No photos today.
Now that we are finally done traveling for a while we could take time to do laundry, cleaning, various minor repairs and shopping.With that done we went on a short bike ride around the lake in a pretty stiff breeze. The rest of the day we checked out the facilities, relaxed, watched the Olympics, walked the dogs, etc.
No photos today.
Gila Bend to El Centro, CA
Saturday the 20th
Once on I-8 we cruised west through a steady rain for about fifteen miles before it cleared up. Crossing the border into California we drove through the Imperial Valley with cultivated fields and water canals on both sides of the freeway. Then we got a real shock as we drove into the Imperial Dunes Recreation Area.
We arrived at our new home and got set up for a two week stay. It was sunny and warm even though the wind was blowing. Unhooking the car, Tina drove it off the dolly then helped me take the dolly off the rig and park it on the pad. Once free of the car and tow dolly Tina helped me back into our site. Once in, down came the jacks and out came the slides... Ahhhhh we made it to California and it's warm.
Another day dawns as we continue our westward trek in search of warmer weather. It's cloudy and about 45 degrees out. After a slow morning we got under weigh about 9:30 AM pulling out of our campsite in a light rain. Just before we got on the freeway we made a stop to look at some Arizona Pottery but didn't find anything.
Once on I-8 we cruised west through a steady rain for about fifteen miles before it cleared up. Crossing the border into California we drove through the Imperial Valley with cultivated fields and water canals on both sides of the freeway. Then we got a real shock as we drove into the Imperial Dunes Recreation Area. This is a huge area of gigantic sand dunes formed by windblown sands of ancient Lake Cahuilla. The dune system extends for more than 40 miles in a band averaging 5 miles wide. Largely known as a favorite location for off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, the dunes also offer fabulous scenery, opportunities for solitude, and a home to rare plants and animals. Stretching out on both sides of the freeway, there were big groups of RV's with jeeps and other types of off-road vehicles enjoying a day of fun in the sun.
We arrived at our new home and got set up for a two week stay. It was sunny and warm even though the wind was blowing. Unhooking the car, Tina drove it off the dolly then helped me take the dolly off the rig and park it on the pad. Once free of the car and tow dolly Tina helped me back into our site. Once in, down came the jacks and out came the slides... Ahhhhh we made it to California and it's warm.After changing into shorts and tank top we spent an hour checking out things to do in the area and keeping an eye on the TV for Olympics coverage. Dinner that evening was a gently grilled steak with sauteed asparagus followed by a small dish of chocolate ice cream for desert. After cleaning up we spent the rest of the evening watching the Olympics, glad to be done with traveling for a while.
Distance for today, 185 miles. Total for the trip so far, 6,276 miles.
To see all our photos, click on:
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tucson to Gila Bend
Friday the 19th
A nice easy drive today in warm, sunny Arizona. We had a very leisurely morning since we didn't have to get started early. Eventually we got back on I-10 and continued westward, connecting with I-8 south of Phoenix. The engine ran fine with me keeping the speed between 55 and 65 mph. I am going to have it looked at when we get to Chula Vista and have a chance to go to a Freightliner/Cat shop.We arrived at Augies Quail Run RV Campground around 12:30 PM, set up and had lunch. We are now back in shorts country weather with the temperature around 75 degrees. What a difference in our attitudes a little warmth makes. We took the kids for several walks around the campground visiting with other campers as we went. Tina fixed spaghetti for dinner followed by a small dish of ice cream for desert.
No TV so we are watching a movie and reading.
No photos today.
We have traveled about 2,100 miles in ten days, from just west of Orlando to Gila Bend, AZ.
Distance for today 125 miles. Total for the trip so far, 6,091 miles.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Deming to Tucson
Thursday the 18th
With an offer of coffee and donuts from the campground managers we walked over to the clubhouse around 8:00 AM only to find the donuts hadn't arrived and the coffee, though hot, left much to be desired.
After completing the fueling operation it was back into the office to pay. That's when the fun really began. The lady who was helping me couldn't get the card to work. The other sales lady tried and she couldn't get it to work. So the first one called in to the Shell credit card people for an authorization. They denied the request. So I had to get a different card out to finish getting our fuel.
From Wilcox we drove across the flats then started up and over the Dragoon Mountains. Just before topping out Tina noticed a smell coming from the back. I looked at the gauges and saw that the temperature gauge was in the "Hot" range. As the smell continued to get worse, we got a break in traffic and I was able to slow down. Then a real break, as a mile further on we pulled into a rest stop to let the engine cool down. Apparently I'd been hot footing it up the hills maintaining too much speed.
With no further problems we registered and pulled into our site. It's a beautiful afternoon with the temperature about 70. After lunch we took the kids for a long leisurely walk through the cactus and mesquite scrub. Then with all the windows open we aired out the coach and relaxed before dinner.
Finally we are starting to leave the cold weather behind. With the temperature in the mid 40's it was actually quite pleasant to take the dogs out for their morning constitutional. I didn't even put my winter gloves on!!
With an offer of coffee and donuts from the campground managers we walked over to the clubhouse around 8:00 AM only to find the donuts hadn't arrived and the coffee, though hot, left much to be desired.Disappointed we returned to our coach and made our own coffee. With a bowl of cereal and cup of coffee we watched the news then cleaned up. After putting everything away we disconnected from shore power, water and cable then hit the road. Driving through downtown Deming we eased our way out to the freeway and continued our drive along I-10 headed for Tucson and the Crazy Horse RV Campground (http://www.crazyhorserv.com/ ).
We stopped for fuel in Wilcox Arizona. What an experience. We pulled into the big T/A Travel Center service station and stopped in the big rig diesel fueling station. I went in to the service counter and handed the lady my Shell CC and asked for a fill up on pump 19. She said since I was an RV I should go to the other side of the service area and fill up at the RV Service island.
Grumbling at the inconvenience of having to move, we drove out of the station and around to the RV Service island. As I was about to get ready to pump, a service technician came over and asked me to move to a different pump as he was just about to change the filters on my pump. Wonderful.
So for a second time we pulled out of the station, went around the block and re-entered the RV Service station at the island he recommended. Once we were finally stopped, back inside the office I went to ask the lady who still had my Shell card to turn on the pump. Then it was back out to the pump to start fueling. They must have had a restrictor on the line as it took more than fifteen minutes to pump 46 gallons of diesel.
After completing the fueling operation it was back into the office to pay. That's when the fun really began. The lady who was helping me couldn't get the card to work. The other sales lady tried and she couldn't get it to work. So the first one called in to the Shell credit card people for an authorization. They denied the request. So I had to get a different card out to finish getting our fuel. By the time we finished and got back on the road it had taken almost 45 minutes to fill up, a task normally done in less than fifteen from start to finish. Oh well, I'm sure a good time was had by all, heheheh!
From Wilcox we drove across the flats then started up and over the Dragoon Mountains. Just before topping out Tina noticed a smell coming from the back. I looked at the gauges and saw that the temperature gauge was in the "Hot" range. As the smell continued to get worse, we got a break in traffic and I was able to slow down. Then a real break, as a mile further on we pulled into a rest stop to let the engine cool down. Apparently I'd been hot footing it up the hills maintaining too much speed. Once the engine cooled down a bit I took the bikes off the rack, removed the bike rack and took down the ladder. Then I opened the door to the engine compartment to see if there was an identifiable problem. The coolant overflow tank showed fluids at the correct level and the oil seemed okay so I closed the door and reloaded the ladder, bike rack and bikes.
When that was done we fired up the rig and gently eased back onto the freeway where I held our speed between 55 and 60 mph for the remaining fifty miles to our campground. With a careful eye on the temperature gauge, everything stayed in the normal range but it was a lesson to remember, keep an eye on the gauges!
With no further problems we registered and pulled into our site. It's a beautiful afternoon with the temperature about 70. After lunch we took the kids for a long leisurely walk through the cactus and mesquite scrub. Then with all the windows open we aired out the coach and relaxed before dinner. The campground was hosting a dinner at the clubhouse at 5:00 PM. They were serving Jambalaya so we decided to treat ourselves to dinner out!! It turned out really nice. There was plenty of food for the forty or so people there and the deserts were awesome! We walked home in the warm setting sun to watch another night of the Olympics.
To see all our photos, click on the following link:
Distance for today, 205 miles. Total for the trip so far, 5,966 miles.
Ft Stockton to Deming, NM
Wednesday the 17th
Another beautiful but cold desert morning. Once again it froze last night. Fortunately with the two furnaces going and a faucet dribbling we didn't experience any problems.
After walking and feeding the dogs Tina and I walked over to the little Campground Cafe and had a nice "Bunkhouse Breakfast". Eggs and sausages and pancakes and bacon with OJ and Coffee, just what I needed to prepare me for the long drive ahead.
We were on the road by 9:15 AM rolling down I-10 towards El Paso. We made a stop for the kids and one for fuel then it was back on the road. Originally we had planned to go 120 miles and stop for the night in Van Horn. But since we had done so well the day before we thought we'd just combine the next day as well. So we figured we might as well go to Las Cruces in New Mexico as that only added 165 miles for a total of 285.
Traffic was light until we got close to El Paso, then it got heavy. Real heavy. With lots and lots of big trucks. With Tina reading the signs and giving me directions we managed to wind our way through El Paso and on to the NewMexico border.
Crossing into New Mexico we got near to Las Cruces when Tina saw a sign for Deming, only another 80 miles ahead. She looked at me and asked if we could make it okay. I said sure, why not. So we passed Las Cruces and headed for Deming pulling in to the Roadrunner RV Resort around 2:30 PM.
Once we got set up and could relax we spent most of the afternoon and evening watching the Olympics on TV.
No photos today.
Distance for this leg, 345 miles. Total for the trip so far, 5,758 miles.
Another beautiful but cold desert morning. Once again it froze last night. Fortunately with the two furnaces going and a faucet dribbling we didn't experience any problems.
After walking and feeding the dogs Tina and I walked over to the little Campground Cafe and had a nice "Bunkhouse Breakfast". Eggs and sausages and pancakes and bacon with OJ and Coffee, just what I needed to prepare me for the long drive ahead.
We were on the road by 9:15 AM rolling down I-10 towards El Paso. We made a stop for the kids and one for fuel then it was back on the road. Originally we had planned to go 120 miles and stop for the night in Van Horn. But since we had done so well the day before we thought we'd just combine the next day as well. So we figured we might as well go to Las Cruces in New Mexico as that only added 165 miles for a total of 285.
Traffic was light until we got close to El Paso, then it got heavy. Real heavy. With lots and lots of big trucks. With Tina reading the signs and giving me directions we managed to wind our way through El Paso and on to the NewMexico border.
Crossing into New Mexico we got near to Las Cruces when Tina saw a sign for Deming, only another 80 miles ahead. She looked at me and asked if we could make it okay. I said sure, why not. So we passed Las Cruces and headed for Deming pulling in to the Roadrunner RV Resort around 2:30 PM.
Once we got set up and could relax we spent most of the afternoon and evening watching the Olympics on TV.
No photos today.
Distance for this leg, 345 miles. Total for the trip so far, 5,758 miles.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Comfort to Ft Stockton, TX
Tuesday the 16th
Well it definitely froze last night. Fortunately I left a trickle of water running in the kitchen all night and we left the heat set at 62, also to run all night. Unfortunately, this cold weather and running the furnaces is really going through the propane. We've used almost a full tank in less than a week.
Originally we were going to stop at Ozana, which would have been a 200 mile day but the campground there got several bad reviews, so we continued to Ft Stockton, even though it added another 80 mils to the days drive. This is a pretty sparse area with very few communities or services. So there weren't a lot of options for places to stop.
Our second stop was at a roadside rest area to take the kids for walk. Fifteen minutes later we were back on the road. This has been one of our better days with very good road conditions, very little traffic and no wind. We have six cd's in the stereo and it's set on 'shuffle' so the tunes are rocking us as we roll along.
While Tina did a load of laundry I uploaded the photos and finished our daily blog. No cable here so we'll see what we can pull in off the antenna. Otherwise we don't plan to do anything except get ready for tomorrow.
Well it definitely froze last night. Fortunately I left a trickle of water running in the kitchen all night and we left the heat set at 62, also to run all night. Unfortunately, this cold weather and running the furnaces is really going through the propane. We've used almost a full tank in less than a week.It's a beautiful morning with blue sky and no clouds. We got on the road by 8:30 AM heading ever westward on I-10. We drove 65 miles and made our first stop of the day for fuel. Fifteen minutes later we were back on the road. As you can see, Wicket and Punky are ready to assume their stations on Tina lap as son as we start moving.
Originally we were going to stop at Ozana, which would have been a 200 mile day but the campground there got several bad reviews, so we continued to Ft Stockton, even though it added another 80 mils to the days drive. This is a pretty sparse area with very few communities or services. So there weren't a lot of options for places to stop.
Our second stop was at a roadside rest area to take the kids for walk. Fifteen minutes later we were back on the road. This has been one of our better days with very good road conditions, very little traffic and no wind. We have six cd's in the stereo and it's set on 'shuffle' so the tunes are rocking us as we roll along.Our third stop was at a roadside picnic area for lunch. Tina fixed us sandwiches and some potato salad from last night. Twenty minutes later we were back on the road.
We turned off the road at exit 264 and pulled into the Ft Stockton RV Campground just before 2:00 PM. Once we registered, but before going to our site, we filled up our propane. Once that was done we got to our site, set up for the night.
While Tina did a load of laundry I uploaded the photos and finished our daily blog. No cable here so we'll see what we can pull in off the antenna. Otherwise we don't plan to do anything except get ready for tomorrow.To see all our photos, click on:
Distance for today, 271 miles. Total for the trip so far, 5,413 miles.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Brookshire to Comfort, TX
Monday the 15th
What a glorious morning. The sky is completely blue, not a cloud in sight. No wonder its only 30 degrees out. The winds died down about 4:00 AM this morning after howling all night. We probably had gusts up to 30 or 35 mph that would rock the coach from side to side. Even the kids were nervous and slept curled up right next to us all night. Ah well, it is a beautiful day for a drive.
We finished breakfast, cleaned up, put away, disconnected and pulled out by 8:30 AM. I-10 was just a few blocks away so our days journey got off to a quick start. Within the next ten miles the wind came up again blowing strongly from the north with frequent gusts pushing hard against the coach. Since we were westbound, our drive was an adventure in keeping the coach in our own lane, not easy with big trucks overhauling us on the left and idiots entering the freeway on the right.
Our most woolly time was going through San Antonio. Originally our directions had us leaving I-10 for one of the ring roads that ran north of the city. But we forgot to check our written directions for the direction change until we were long past our turn off. So on we went, snaking through the center of San Antonio, trying to be in the correct lane at the right time to make the move, left or right, to stay on I-10 as we passed through a very tangled set of interchanges and merges.
We made it through okay with good navigating by Tina and continued out of San Antonio to our exit, thirty miles later, where we pulled into the RV USA Campground just outside the small town of Comfort Texas. Even though it was only a little past noon we were glad to settle in for the rest of the day with lots of time to relax and take the dogs for several walks.
To see all our photos, click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
Distance for today, 204 miles. Total for the trip so far, 5, 142 miles.
What a glorious morning. The sky is completely blue, not a cloud in sight. No wonder its only 30 degrees out. The winds died down about 4:00 AM this morning after howling all night. We probably had gusts up to 30 or 35 mph that would rock the coach from side to side. Even the kids were nervous and slept curled up right next to us all night. Ah well, it is a beautiful day for a drive.
We finished breakfast, cleaned up, put away, disconnected and pulled out by 8:30 AM. I-10 was just a few blocks away so our days journey got off to a quick start. Within the next ten miles the wind came up again blowing strongly from the north with frequent gusts pushing hard against the coach. Since we were westbound, our drive was an adventure in keeping the coach in our own lane, not easy with big trucks overhauling us on the left and idiots entering the freeway on the right.
Our most woolly time was going through San Antonio. Originally our directions had us leaving I-10 for one of the ring roads that ran north of the city. But we forgot to check our written directions for the direction change until we were long past our turn off. So on we went, snaking through the center of San Antonio, trying to be in the correct lane at the right time to make the move, left or right, to stay on I-10 as we passed through a very tangled set of interchanges and merges.We made it through okay with good navigating by Tina and continued out of San Antonio to our exit, thirty miles later, where we pulled into the RV USA Campground just outside the small town of Comfort Texas. Even though it was only a little past noon we were glad to settle in for the rest of the day with lots of time to relax and take the dogs for several walks.
To see all our photos, click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
Distance for today, 204 miles. Total for the trip so far, 5, 142 miles.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Westlake to Brookshire, Texas
Sunday the 14th -- Valentines Day!!
Morning dawned cold and clear as the kids demanded to get up and get out!! So I jumped out (slowly eased my way out) of bed and turned on the heat for Tina, put on my heavy winter clothes,winter jacket, hat and gloves. That done, I put the kids leashes on and away we went! Turns out it was much warmer than I expected, probably about 42 and by 8:30 when we pulled out it was probably 46 or 47 degrees out with the sun shining making it a great day to travel.
We got on the road by 9:00 AM heading west on I-10 for 175 miles. Then we pulled off to fuel up and drove a mile to our campsite at Houston West RV Campground. It was just a little after noon. It was a beautiful day with the sun out and the temperature in the mid 60's!! We didn't have any plans to tour the area so we spent the next few hours doing laundry, vacuuming and cleaning the coach.
Later as Tina was napping I took my book outside and sat in the sun for an hour reading. Marvelous!! Later Tina made a great dinner with spiced apples, pork chops and baby red potatoes with Mrs Fields Chocolate Chip cookies for desert. Simply Devine! After dinner Tina watched a little of the Olympics while I finished the blog and uploading photos.
Around seven, the wind came up as a cold front moved in bringing the temperature down to the low 40's outside. It will be a cold one tonight but we're off to "Comfort" Texas in the morning as we continue our push westward in search of warmer weather.
To see all our photos, click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
Distance for today, 177 miles. Total for the trip so far, 5,142 miles.
Morning dawned cold and clear as the kids demanded to get up and get out!! So I jumped out (slowly eased my way out) of bed and turned on the heat for Tina, put on my heavy winter clothes,winter jacket, hat and gloves. That done, I put the kids leashes on and away we went! Turns out it was much warmer than I expected, probably about 42 and by 8:30 when we pulled out it was probably 46 or 47 degrees out with the sun shining making it a great day to travel.
We got on the road by 9:00 AM heading west on I-10 for 175 miles. Then we pulled off to fuel up and drove a mile to our campsite at Houston West RV Campground. It was just a little after noon. It was a beautiful day with the sun out and the temperature in the mid 60's!! We didn't have any plans to tour the area so we spent the next few hours doing laundry, vacuuming and cleaning the coach.Later as Tina was napping I took my book outside and sat in the sun for an hour reading. Marvelous!! Later Tina made a great dinner with spiced apples, pork chops and baby red potatoes with Mrs Fields Chocolate Chip cookies for desert. Simply Devine! After dinner Tina watched a little of the Olympics while I finished the blog and uploading photos.
Around seven, the wind came up as a cold front moved in bringing the temperature down to the low 40's outside. It will be a cold one tonight but we're off to "Comfort" Texas in the morning as we continue our push westward in search of warmer weather.
To see all our photos, click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
Distance for today, 177 miles. Total for the trip so far, 5,142 miles.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Touring Creole Country
Saturday the 13th
Well it got colder than expected last night. When I took the kids out for their walk this morning, all the cars had frost on them. Fortunately the wind had died down so it didn't feel as cold as it probably was. We stayed here two nights so we could drive the Creole Nature Trail (http://www.creolenaturetrail.org/) and see how much had changed over the past year.
From Sabine NWR we continued south to the gulf and the small community of Holly Beach. This is a small retirement type community similar to what Ocean Shores was thirty years ago. There has been a tremendous effort to clean up all the damage plus several places have been rebuilt and several new homes have been constructed. There are four "streets" between LA-27 and the shoreline, each block being one lot deep. The roads are still crushed gravel but each intersection has stop signs.
As we followed LA-27 the came to the ferry landing to cross the Calcasieau River. With a fifteen minute wait we took the opportunity to get out of the car to take some more photos. This is an area developed to support the oil and gas industry - there are numerous oil platforms visible out in the gulf. The small community of Cameron also shows signs of cleanup efforts, though some businesses will never recover. All in all it is easy to see rebuilding and repairs, but there is still a lot of damaged commercial buildings still there.
Leaving Sha Sha's the road continued northward to the Cameron Prairie NWR .Just after we crossed a huge curving bridge was the Pintail Wildlife Drive. Pulling into the first part of the drive we were absolutely astounded to see a huge flock of Snow Geese and Greater White Fronted Geese wheeling about in the sky as they prepared to settle in for the night. There must have been may thousands of birds with the sun flashing off their wings making them almost glow, then nearly disappearing as they turned in a different direction.
Turning into the one lane, one way drive along the top of a levy, the road took us out into the wetlands. There were lots of ducks and other waterfowl on the marshes and canals though we didn't see any alligators. As we neared the end of the drive a second flock of Snow Geese and Greater White Fronted Geese as big or bigger than the first flock was going through its own dance in the sky. It was simply awesome to watch, and reminded me of National Geographic videos of swirling schools of fish with the sun flashing off them. Really cool!
Once back at the car we took the kids for another walk then headed back towards Lake Charles and our campground. With a quick stop at the store for dinner fixins we got home about 4:30 PM with the sun out and the temperature about fifty. So while Tina got dinner started I hooked up the car to the tow dolly to avoid doing it in the morning.
Well it got colder than expected last night. When I took the kids out for their walk this morning, all the cars had frost on them. Fortunately the wind had died down so it didn't feel as cold as it probably was. We stayed here two nights so we could drive the Creole Nature Trail (http://www.creolenaturetrail.org/) and see how much had changed over the past year. The route took us to Sulpher then south along LA-27 past Hackberry where we made our first stop at the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge (http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=43640). Parking at a different place this year (it was closed last year due to hurricane damage), we hiked along the one mile paved trail out to Calcaseau Lake. Even though it's still relatively cold, there were numerous wading birds, Red wing Blackbirds, a Common Yellow Bird, a Peregrine Falcon, Roseate Spoonbills and several thrush hiding in the bushes.
From Sabine NWR we continued south to the gulf and the small community of Holly Beach. This is a small retirement type community similar to what Ocean Shores was thirty years ago. There has been a tremendous effort to clean up all the damage plus several places have been rebuilt and several new homes have been constructed. There are four "streets" between LA-27 and the shoreline, each block being one lot deep. The roads are still crushed gravel but each intersection has stop signs. Leaving Holly Beach we continued eastward along the gulf stopping at a pull off so we could go to the beach. We discovered that the beach is still rebuilding itself with erosion from waves eating away at the shoreline and exposing the twelve inch mud/clay layer from the last big hurricane. We picked up a few interesting shells to add to our collection then returned to the car.
As we followed LA-27 the came to the ferry landing to cross the Calcasieau River. With a fifteen minute wait we took the opportunity to get out of the car to take some more photos. This is an area developed to support the oil and gas industry - there are numerous oil platforms visible out in the gulf. The small community of Cameron also shows signs of cleanup efforts, though some businesses will never recover. All in all it is easy to see rebuilding and repairs, but there is still a lot of damaged commercial buildings still there.From Cameron we drove to the small town of Creole for lunch at Sha Sha's Restaurant. Last year when we were here we had some of the best gumbo ever. Unfortunately we got there late and the gumbo was all gone. So we settled for a shrimp plate instead. The shrimp were fresh that morning, Peeled and butterflied then deep fried with a very light batter. Tina had onion rings with hers, I had fries. The shrimp was absolutely the best. Mmmmm, mmmm good!!
Leaving Sha Sha's the road continued northward to the Cameron Prairie NWR .Just after we crossed a huge curving bridge was the Pintail Wildlife Drive. Pulling into the first part of the drive we were absolutely astounded to see a huge flock of Snow Geese and Greater White Fronted Geese wheeling about in the sky as they prepared to settle in for the night. There must have been may thousands of birds with the sun flashing off their wings making them almost glow, then nearly disappearing as they turned in a different direction.
Turning into the one lane, one way drive along the top of a levy, the road took us out into the wetlands. There were lots of ducks and other waterfowl on the marshes and canals though we didn't see any alligators. As we neared the end of the drive a second flock of Snow Geese and Greater White Fronted Geese as big or bigger than the first flock was going through its own dance in the sky. It was simply awesome to watch, and reminded me of National Geographic videos of swirling schools of fish with the sun flashing off them. Really cool!Leaving the drive and returning to LA-27 north, we stopped at the main center for the Cameron NWR to walk out on their boardwalk and look out over the sea of grass. After the Pintail Drive experience it was fairly quiet. Last year when we stopped here we saw about twenty Red Eared Slider Turtles in the marshes around the main building. This year, due to the cold, all the turtles were holed up somewhere trying to stay warm.
Once back at the car we took the kids for another walk then headed back towards Lake Charles and our campground. With a quick stop at the store for dinner fixins we got home about 4:30 PM with the sun out and the temperature about fifty. So while Tina got dinner started I hooked up the car to the tow dolly to avoid doing it in the morning.Once we had dinner we settled in for the night, made our drive plans and took it easy.
To see all our photos, click on:
Slidell to Westlake in a Snowstorm
Friday the 12th
Since it didn't snow last night we had a quick breakfast, put everything away, unplugged shore power, disconnected from city water, pulled in the slides and we were on the road by 8:15 AM headed back to I-10 East and onto westbound I-12, which is an 84 mile New Orleans by-pass.
This continued for almost 70 miles. At times it was so bad you couldn't read the signs along side the road. With lots of traffic and lots of snow coming down, shepharding twenty-eight thousand pounds of coach down the highway was a little stressfull. Not to mention when we were being passed by big eighteen wheelers just as cars were getting on the freeway. Wheeeeewuu!! Exciting!! Fortunately, with Tina copiloting, we were able to avoid having to hit the breaks. And being over 60 feet in length with the tow buddy dolly and the car extending back off of that, even with electric breaks on the trailer there's no telling whether we'd be able to make an emergency stop in a straight line or not. Fun stuff!!
We drove on, expecting at any time we'd have to pull off and wait it out. Fortunately, over the next thirty miles it slowly tapered off and by the time we linked up with I-10 again, it had quit altogether and the sky was showing signs of clearing, Yipeeeee!! We were so overjoyed that we missed our exit to I-10 and started north on I-110 for Ohio.
Since it was turning into a nice day we decided to go to the Sam Huston State Park on the banks of the Calcaseau River. This is a nice big park with excellent camping facilities, many trails and access to a slow moving river for canoeing, kayaking or fishing. Unfortunately, due to all the cold iver a lot of the vegetation is dead and flooding has killed a lot of the Cyprus and flooded both the river and the swamp. Even though it was very chilly we got out and took the kids for a half mile hike along the Cyprus Tupelo Trail.
The rest of the evening we took it easy, listening to the radio, reading and relaxing.
As noted yesterday, it started raining just after we arrived in Slidell and it rained heavy all night finally letting up about 7:30 AM just in time to take the kids for their walk. But man was it cold!! Brrrrrr, probably about 34 degrees plus a 10 knot breeze that put a frost on the pumpkin.
Since it didn't snow last night we had a quick breakfast, put everything away, unplugged shore power, disconnected from city water, pulled in the slides and we were on the road by 8:15 AM headed back to I-10 East and onto westbound I-12, which is an 84 mile New Orleans by-pass.Once on I-12 it started to sprinkle a little, then it started to sleet, then it started to snow, then it started to snow real heavy with a wind from the north. Thirty five miles later as we passed Hammond it reached its peak. Pretty much everybody had slowed to between 40 and 45 mph due to visibility problems. It was so bad that the windshield wiper on Tina's side was loading up with ice and snow.
This continued for almost 70 miles. At times it was so bad you couldn't read the signs along side the road. With lots of traffic and lots of snow coming down, shepharding twenty-eight thousand pounds of coach down the highway was a little stressfull. Not to mention when we were being passed by big eighteen wheelers just as cars were getting on the freeway. Wheeeeewuu!! Exciting!! Fortunately, with Tina copiloting, we were able to avoid having to hit the breaks. And being over 60 feet in length with the tow buddy dolly and the car extending back off of that, even with electric breaks on the trailer there's no telling whether we'd be able to make an emergency stop in a straight line or not. Fun stuff!!
We drove on, expecting at any time we'd have to pull off and wait it out. Fortunately, over the next thirty miles it slowly tapered off and by the time we linked up with I-10 again, it had quit altogether and the sky was showing signs of clearing, Yipeeeee!! We were so overjoyed that we missed our exit to I-10 and started north on I-110 for Ohio. And then.... Tina spotted the correct off ramp and we did a very big "U" turn, back onto I-110 South, finally picking up I-10 and continuing on to our exit for the city of Westlake and our RV Campsite for the next two nights.
We arrived at Whispering Meadows RV Park around 12:30, registered and pulled into our site. After moving the car off the dolly and setting up camp (hooking up water and power, extending the slides, moving furniture and taking the dogs for a walk) we settled in with a sigh to a big bowl of hot leftover Gumbo. Delicious!!
Since it was turning into a nice day we decided to go to the Sam Huston State Park on the banks of the Calcaseau River. This is a nice big park with excellent camping facilities, many trails and access to a slow moving river for canoeing, kayaking or fishing. Unfortunately, due to all the cold iver a lot of the vegetation is dead and flooding has killed a lot of the Cyprus and flooded both the river and the swamp. Even though it was very chilly we got out and took the kids for a half mile hike along the Cyprus Tupelo Trail.On our return to the coach we did a spot of site seeing and stopped to take a couple of photos of an old "Center Span" draw bridge. From down below it is easy to see some of the damage to the shoring from the recent floods.
The rest of the evening we took it easy, listening to the radio, reading and relaxing.To see all our photos, click on:
Distance traveled today, 226 miles. Total for the trip so far, 5,065 miles.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Holt Florida to Slidell Louisiana
Thursday the 11th
Yup, It got cold last night, not freezing but in the low 30's. No rain, just clouds. Since we all got up early it wasn't long before we were able to clear camp and head for the freeway. Simple drive toady, I-10 from Holt Florida, across Alabama, into and across Mississippi and into Louisiana where we exited for our stop at New Orleans East Campground in Slidell.
We made only one stop for fuel and arrived by noon. Once we registered and got set up the clouds started to leak as we were pelted by a steady sleet. Hmmmmm, there's a rhyme there somewhere. Oh well, we're all buttoned up, the furnaces are set and Tina is making Gumbo for dinner, Yummmm!!
To see all our photos, click on:
Distance for today, 201 miles. Trip so far, 4,840 miles.
Yup, It got cold last night, not freezing but in the low 30's. No rain, just clouds. Since we all got up early it wasn't long before we were able to clear camp and head for the freeway. Simple drive toady, I-10 from Holt Florida, across Alabama, into and across Mississippi and into Louisiana where we exited for our stop at New Orleans East Campground in Slidell. We made only one stop for fuel and arrived by noon. Once we registered and got set up the clouds started to leak as we were pelted by a steady sleet. Hmmmmm, there's a rhyme there somewhere. Oh well, we're all buttoned up, the furnaces are set and Tina is making Gumbo for dinner, Yummmm!!
Since we know tonight's forecast for Slidell is for the low thirties but not freezing we shouldn't have any trouble getting out of here tomorrow. Since we don't have any cable and our antenna doesn't seem to be bringing in any channels we'll watch a movie or two and maybe play some cribbage.
To see all our photos, click on:
Distance for today, 201 miles. Trip so far, 4,840 miles.
Perry To Holt Florida
Wednesday the 10th
We reached I-10 and merged for the drive west to Holt Florida. Made one stop for fuel and one rest stop to give the kids a walk, then it was back on the road, eventually to turn off at the road to Holt. Two miles later we pulled into the Rivers Edge Campground beside the swollen Yellow River. While Tina registered I took the kids for a walk down to the river. Returning to the coach we found our spot and set up for the night.
Distance traveled today,215 miles.Trip total, 4,639 miles.
Temp in the low 40's, cloudy but no rain forecast. We all got up around 7:30 AM, me and the kids to walk, Tina to get breakfast ready. We got on the road about 9:00 AM and stopped at the Super Walmart for some items Tina needed for our dinner. By 10:00 AM we're back on US-19 headed towards Tallahassee.
We reached I-10 and merged for the drive west to Holt Florida. Made one stop for fuel and one rest stop to give the kids a walk, then it was back on the road, eventually to turn off at the road to Holt. Two miles later we pulled into the Rivers Edge Campground beside the swollen Yellow River. While Tina registered I took the kids for a walk down to the river. Returning to the coach we found our spot and set up for the night.By now it was close to 3:30 in the afternoon and getting a little late for any real cooking, so we made do with leftovers and a another one of Tina's great salads. Since we had very poor net connections and no TV reception I decided to wait until our next stop to update the blog and load photos. We watched a couple of movies, read a little then hit the sack. Since I was expecting freezing temperatures I left the heat on at low temps and ran a dribble in the sink to keep the pipes from freezing.
To see all our photos, click on:
Distance traveled today,215 miles.Trip total, 4,639 miles.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Drive to Perry, FL
Monday the 8th
Not much to report. Spent most of the day getting ready to travel. Stocked up on grocery's and in the evening, Tina played Bingo while I played pool.
No photos today.
Tuesday the 9th
Once again it was very cold overnight. We're almost out of propane, but it seems there was just enough left to warm up the coach this morning. Cloudy but not raining yet. After relaxing over breakfast and the paper, we got serious about leaving. Tina and I went outside and loaded the bikes then hooked up the tow trailer.
Pulling out of our site we stopped before leaving camp to load the car on the tow dolly. Once that was completed we headed out for the nearest propane dealer and filled up. From there it was onto I-75 north for the drive to Perry, FL. We've been keeping an eye on the weather and have decided to start our return to the West Coast in hopes of better weather. For the next week or so we are seeing forecasts for overnight temperature in the high twenties. Colder than up in Seattle.
Before we had gone ten miles it started to rain. By the time we'd exited to US 27 it was coming down pretty steady. For the next seventy miles it poured buckets and we were doing 40 to 50 mph on a 65 mph divided highway. Good thing I had new wipers on. Ten miles from Perry it started to lighten up and by the time we stopped for diesel the rain had quit and the sun was coming out.
After filling up and getting back on US 19 north we came to the KOA, checked in, got our site, set up and settled in for the rest of the day. After taking the kids for a walk we had lunch and planned our route for the next couple of days.
To see all our photos, click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
Distance for today, 156 miles. Distance traveled so far this trip, 4,424 miles.
Not much to report. Spent most of the day getting ready to travel. Stocked up on grocery's and in the evening, Tina played Bingo while I played pool.
No photos today.
Tuesday the 9th
Once again it was very cold overnight. We're almost out of propane, but it seems there was just enough left to warm up the coach this morning. Cloudy but not raining yet. After relaxing over breakfast and the paper, we got serious about leaving. Tina and I went outside and loaded the bikes then hooked up the tow trailer.
Pulling out of our site we stopped before leaving camp to load the car on the tow dolly. Once that was completed we headed out for the nearest propane dealer and filled up. From there it was onto I-75 north for the drive to Perry, FL. We've been keeping an eye on the weather and have decided to start our return to the West Coast in hopes of better weather. For the next week or so we are seeing forecasts for overnight temperature in the high twenties. Colder than up in Seattle.Before we had gone ten miles it started to rain. By the time we'd exited to US 27 it was coming down pretty steady. For the next seventy miles it poured buckets and we were doing 40 to 50 mph on a 65 mph divided highway. Good thing I had new wipers on. Ten miles from Perry it started to lighten up and by the time we stopped for diesel the rain had quit and the sun was coming out.
After filling up and getting back on US 19 north we came to the KOA, checked in, got our site, set up and settled in for the rest of the day. After taking the kids for a walk we had lunch and planned our route for the next couple of days.
To see all our photos, click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
Distance for today, 156 miles. Distance traveled so far this trip, 4,424 miles.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Brrrrrrrrr!!
Saturday the 6th
That's when I realized the front furnace wasn't running. I checked the propane and we were perilously low, but the rear furnace was running so that probably wasn't the problem. So back outside I went, screwdriver in hand, to try to solve the problem. Once Th cover was off, I found a blinking red light on the control panel next to the on/off switch. Using my engineering brain I flipped the on/off switch a couple of times, tapped the gas solenoid a couple of times and went inside to see if that worked. No luck. That's when I knew it was serious.
Back outside I went to replace the cover then it was back inside. Of course, all during this time I had my gloves off so by the time I was ready to settle down and relax my hands were frozen. It took over an hour to thaw them out. Where was my magic when I really needed it, heh, heh.
Around 11:30 AM we packed up the dogs, grabbed the hp and jumped in the car for the drive to Mt Dora. This weekend was the annual Arts Fair and we wanted to check it out. We got the dogs in the car and headed out on the 35 mile drive towards Orlando.
Mt Dora is a really pretty little lakeside town and hosts a nationally recognized Art festival with over 250 artists and 20 to 30 food and craft vendors. The Center for the Arts is in the heart of downtown Mt Dora and produces the festival (http://www.mountdoracenterforthearts.org/event_artfestival.html).
While we were getting ready to walk down to the festival the sun came out and with a gentle breeze, most of the clouds disappeared as well. Even so, we still had jackets on. After taking the kids for a quick walk we left them in the car, parked in the shade, with the windows down and temps in the 50's we knew they'd be okay.
The festival was huge! It ran from one end of town to the other and covered three cross streets as well. We made it about a quarter of the way through and stopped for lunch. Then it was on with more walking, browsing and people watching. There was a huge crowd and it spilled over to the sidewalks behind the booths and into the stores on all the streets. We finally made it all the way through with only a few twinges that we should have got this or that particular item, but as Tina said, since we aren't decorating a house, making the purchases we'd like to didn't make any sense. So we just enjoyed the day.
To see all our photos, click on:
Man, it's hard to believe we're in Florida! Temps last night were in the low 30's and even with the sun out it only got to the mid 50's during the day. We had planned to go to the races at the Citrus County Fairgrounds but with the wing blowing at 20 mph and more we didn't think we could it enjoy it. So we pretty much just spent the day close to home. Turned out our walk over to Walmart to buy envelopes was the highlight!
Sunday the 7th
Woke up this morning and there was frost on the ground. After taking the dogs for their morning get out, feeding them their breakfast and turning on the coffee pot, I rode my bike over to the paper stand to buy a paper. Got there and realized I had put on my long pants - no money. Back to the coach where I grabbed a couple of quarters. Then rode back to the paper box. Got there and realized it was Sunday, needed more money. Once again I rode back home and got all my money, heheheh. Then it was back to the paper stand where I finally got my paper and rode back to the coach to relax.
That's when I realized the front furnace wasn't running. I checked the propane and we were perilously low, but the rear furnace was running so that probably wasn't the problem. So back outside I went, screwdriver in hand, to try to solve the problem. Once Th cover was off, I found a blinking red light on the control panel next to the on/off switch. Using my engineering brain I flipped the on/off switch a couple of times, tapped the gas solenoid a couple of times and went inside to see if that worked. No luck. That's when I knew it was serious.
So I dug out the furnace manual and searched for the troubleshooting section. Didn't exist. The wiring/electrical schematic was undecipherable. No help there. As a last resort, I went to the inside control panel and switched the controls between A/C and Heat a couple of times for the front furnace. Voila!! Success!! The front furnace came on! We had heat in both sections of the coach. Houdini magic does it again!
Back outside I went to replace the cover then it was back inside. Of course, all during this time I had my gloves off so by the time I was ready to settle down and relax my hands were frozen. It took over an hour to thaw them out. Where was my magic when I really needed it, heh, heh. Around 11:30 AM we packed up the dogs, grabbed the hp and jumped in the car for the drive to Mt Dora. This weekend was the annual Arts Fair and we wanted to check it out. We got the dogs in the car and headed out on the 35 mile drive towards Orlando.
Mt Dora is a really pretty little lakeside town and hosts a nationally recognized Art festival with over 250 artists and 20 to 30 food and craft vendors. The Center for the Arts is in the heart of downtown Mt Dora and produces the festival (http://www.mountdoracenterforthearts.org/event_artfestival.html). We arrived in town and found a great parking spot a block away from the entrance only to find out that no dogs were allowed.
While we were getting ready to walk down to the festival the sun came out and with a gentle breeze, most of the clouds disappeared as well. Even so, we still had jackets on. After taking the kids for a quick walk we left them in the car, parked in the shade, with the windows down and temps in the 50's we knew they'd be okay.
The festival was huge! It ran from one end of town to the other and covered three cross streets as well. We made it about a quarter of the way through and stopped for lunch. Then it was on with more walking, browsing and people watching. There was a huge crowd and it spilled over to the sidewalks behind the booths and into the stores on all the streets. We finally made it all the way through with only a few twinges that we should have got this or that particular item, but as Tina said, since we aren't decorating a house, making the purchases we'd like to didn't make any sense. So we just enjoyed the day. On the way to Mt Dora we passed by a street side Barbecue place, really just a small trailer set up as a kitchen with a huge wood fired smoker grill outside. So as we drove home we decided to get some ribs for dinner while we watched the Super Bowl.
We got a slab of ribs, half a chicken, baked beans, potato salad and corn bread and made it back to the coach around 5:15 PM. After walking the dogs we settled in for the evening. Tina was rooting for the Bucs while I had picked the Saints. We had a really great dinner while we watched the game
All in all it was a pretty great day!!
All in all it was a pretty great day!!
To see all our photos, click on:
Thursday, February 4, 2010
A Day For Relaxing
Thursday the 4th
Ahhhhh, finally a warm morning - must be in the high 50's outside. What a pleasure to get up, throw on a pair of shorts and tank top to walk the dogs. After breakfast Tina said we had a problem with the hot water tank, wonderful. Last week I was an electrician, now I need to be a plumber. At least both crafts pay well, heh, heh!
Later in the morning we drove to Leesburg to the annual Holiday Travel Park Giant Craft Show. They had over a hundred vendors with displays of everything from jewelery to quilts to wood products and bromeliads planted in sculpted gourds. We made the rounds of outside and inside booths, picked up a few items and headed back to Bushnell and the Bakery for lunch. Once again we had a really nice meal.
Cold again last night, into the low 40's. Turned the furnace on at 7:00 AM and went back to bed for half an hour. Then Punky said it was time to get up. We decided to not do anything today.
Friday the 5th
Ahhhhh, finally a warm morning - must be in the high 50's outside. What a pleasure to get up, throw on a pair of shorts and tank top to walk the dogs. After breakfast Tina said we had a problem with the hot water tank, wonderful. Last week I was an electrician, now I need to be a plumber. At least both crafts pay well, heh, heh!I suspect it might be a heating element so I switched back to propane heating from electric. Everything works normally again. Yup, that seems to be the problem. Once again though, the manuals that come with the coach are next to useless.
Later in the morning we drove to Leesburg to the annual Holiday Travel Park Giant Craft Show. They had over a hundred vendors with displays of everything from jewelery to quilts to wood products and bromeliads planted in sculpted gourds. We made the rounds of outside and inside booths, picked up a few items and headed back to Bushnell and the Bakery for lunch. Once again we had a really nice meal.After returning home and taking the kids out for a long walk we spent the rest of the afternoon watching TV and the extreme weather sweeping over central Florida. We were right in the path of some of the worst of it but other than very heavy rain, it never got too bad. By 7:00 PM it had pretty much tapered off with promises of a nice day for tomorrow.
To see all our photos, click on:
Riding The Rails
Wednesday the 3rd
Another nice morning. Cold last night, probably in the low 40's but should be nice later. After waking up and handling the routine morning ablutions we went to breakfast at the Bakery in Bushnell for another great meal. The rest of the morning was spent cleaning and vacuuming. Even the car got cleaned out.
By 11:30 AM the bikes tires had been pumped, chains lubed and water bottles filled. How quickly the morning passes when you're having a good time, heh, heh! And it's now it's noon, time to load the bikes on the car for our drive to the Rails to Trails Of The Withlacoochee (http://www.railstotrailsonline.com/). We drive to Nobleton, about eight miles away and park at the campground on the Withlacootchee River, After unloading the bikes we rode over to the trail where it crosses the highway and begin the eight mile ride to Floral City.
Surprisingly the sun is out but there is a breeze blowing so it is actually chilly in the shady sections since we opted for light shirts and shorts. The trail is wide and well maintained as we continue north, crossing the Nobleton-Floral City Hwy several times. With the trail on an old railroad bed, it is pleasantly level and we pass many people out for a ride.
Arriving in Floral City we park our bikes in front of the Floral City Bagel Shop and Deli where we go in and order sandwiches. Now this is a place to get sandwiches. They are so big both of us could only eat half and we had to bring half home with us. They were really, really good sandwiches!
After lunch we rode around Floral City for a while then headed back down the trail to the car for round trip ride of just over seventeen miles. Later in the evening I went and played pool with the guys while Tina watched a movie.
No photos today.
Electicity and Cooking Class at La Maisson
Tuesday the 2nd
Around 4:00 PM we got ready to drive to Dunedin for a cooking class at La Maisson Gourmet (http://www.lamaisongourmet.com/). We had signed up for the class when we were in Tarpon Springs which is only ten miles north of Dunedin. Since we are now in Bushnell, we're closer to 65 miles away and having to get there during rush hour traffic. I drove down so Tina could make the drive back in the dark. With Tina navigating we actually made it by 6:10 PM and went inside to meet Chef John and our classmates for the evening.
As the class was arriving we had a young couple join us at our table. They lived in town and were there because his wife had bought the class as a birthday present for her husband. At 6:30 Chef John introduced himself and his assistants and went around the room asking why we were there. After introductions he divided the eighteen of us into six teams of three and assigned each team a recipe.
Our team was fortunate in that we also got to prepare the Poached Salmon as well as the grouper, so each of us got to be involved with preparing, cooking and presenting two different dishes. And I have to say ours turned out rather better than most as we didn't overcook the fish. We had a wonderful time and met some really nice people.
Rain most of last night and this morning. Sloppy day. Cool temps also. But a promise of dry and warm for later and the next couple of days. While Tina went shopping I decided to re-install the GFI outlet in the bathroom. Since the walls in a motorcoach are thin, the coach manufacturer uses an "outlet skirt" which allows the outlet to stick out of the wall half way but still look like a regular installation.
Along with very stiff 12 gage wires, attaching the outlet to the wires with the skirt loose was a real challenge. Oh yes, there was one other complication... for some reason, even with the 50 amp circuit breakers at both the coach and the outside power pole turned off, I still had 120 v electricity powering through the coach. Something is very strange here because this can only be coming through the inverter. Yet, the inverter is supposed to be disconnected from the system. I even unplugged the outside power cord just in case.
So that meant I had to be very carefully disconnecting the outlet, wrapping each if the wire ends with electricians tape as I unscrewed it, then one by one re-connecting the wires one by one removing the tape as I went. Eventually the GFI outlet was re-connected and I was able to put everything back the way it started. Annnndd, I managed to not get bit.
Around 4:00 PM we got ready to drive to Dunedin for a cooking class at La Maisson Gourmet (http://www.lamaisongourmet.com/). We had signed up for the class when we were in Tarpon Springs which is only ten miles north of Dunedin. Since we are now in Bushnell, we're closer to 65 miles away and having to get there during rush hour traffic. I drove down so Tina could make the drive back in the dark. With Tina navigating we actually made it by 6:10 PM and went inside to meet Chef John and our classmates for the evening. We were going to learn THE ART OF COOKING SEAFOOD (6:30 PM to 9:00 PM) where we would participate in cooking seven different recipes using five different methods of preparation. The menu tonight is: Oven Baked Basa or Cod with Roasted Tomato Sauce; Grilled Grouper with Avocado Coulis; Sauteed Snapper with Tomato, Shallot, White Wine and Capers; Poached Salmon with Basil Pesto Hollandaise; Broiled Snapper with Flavored Butters; Blackened Catfish with Mango Mustard Salsa; and Salmon en Papillote with Hoisin and Scallions. Eat all the food, and receive the recipes.
As the class was arriving we had a young couple join us at our table. They lived in town and were there because his wife had bought the class as a birthday present for her husband. At 6:30 Chef John introduced himself and his assistants and went around the room asking why we were there. After introductions he divided the eighteen of us into six teams of three and assigned each team a recipe. Next he covered the basics of how the class would work and asked each team to pre-prepare all the ingredients for their recipe before cooking started. Tina and I had a young lady named Debbie on our team and we were given the Grilled Grouper with Avocado Coulis. Each team, after getting all the ingredients ready would prepare their recipe with assistance and instruction from Chef John as we went along. As one team was cooking the rest of the class watched and learned. After the item was cooked, it was placed on plates for everyone to taste. Usually there was enough for several fork fulls.
Our team was fortunate in that we also got to prepare the Poached Salmon as well as the grouper, so each of us got to be involved with preparing, cooking and presenting two different dishes. And I have to say ours turned out rather better than most as we didn't overcook the fish. We had a wonderful time and met some really nice people. By 9:30 PM we were on our way home getting back to the coach in a little over an hour, just in time to let the dogs out before they burst - heheheh.
To see all our photos click on:
Webster Flea Market
Monday the 1st
A break in the weather, we still have some sun and a mostly warm day. We had planned to go to Webster today for the weekly "Giant Webster Flea Market". But while Tina was drying her hair all the power went out in one half of the coach. Oh Boy!!! Electrical problems. Dang!! Oh well, I figured it had to be something simple like a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker.
After checking everything including the outside power and finding nothing wrong, I thought it must be the GFI outlet Tina was plugged into. With much trepidation, I managed to pull the unit out of the wall above the bathroom sink and then it was off to WallMart to get a new one.
When I got back, I struggled to get the new one connected but finally made it with much cursing under my breath, but wisely I didn't put it back in the wall. With a circuit tester in hand, I checked the outlet... nothing. So Tina and I went around the coach and checked all the outlets and found out that half the coach worked and half didn't. Very strange and of course very different from simple house wiring because there is an inverter as part of the system.
By this time I had run out of ideas and decided we needed to call in an expert. Fortunately there was a Mobile Repair service that could come over withing a couple of hours. So we cancelled our plans for the Flea Market ad settled down to wait for our technician to show up.
Several hours later, the technician showed up and ran a series of checks but couldn't figure it out. Eventually we found that one of the circuit breakers on the inverter had tripped. But resetting it didn't fix the problem, so he was stumped as well. After taking down the information on our power system he said he would call the manufacturer and see if they could com up with a solution.
Some time after he left I decided to take the inverter out of the loop so I went out and flipped both circuit breakers on the inverter. Amazingly, the electrical system became fully energized and all circuits went live. When the tech called back he said the problem was probably the inverter based on what he had been told by the manufacturer. When I told him about taking the inverter offline and everything working again, he said it was definitely the culprit.
Since our day was pretty much shot we decided to just hang out and wait for tomorrow.
No photos today.
A break in the weather, we still have some sun and a mostly warm day. We had planned to go to Webster today for the weekly "Giant Webster Flea Market". But while Tina was drying her hair all the power went out in one half of the coach. Oh Boy!!! Electrical problems. Dang!! Oh well, I figured it had to be something simple like a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker.
After checking everything including the outside power and finding nothing wrong, I thought it must be the GFI outlet Tina was plugged into. With much trepidation, I managed to pull the unit out of the wall above the bathroom sink and then it was off to WallMart to get a new one.
When I got back, I struggled to get the new one connected but finally made it with much cursing under my breath, but wisely I didn't put it back in the wall. With a circuit tester in hand, I checked the outlet... nothing. So Tina and I went around the coach and checked all the outlets and found out that half the coach worked and half didn't. Very strange and of course very different from simple house wiring because there is an inverter as part of the system.
By this time I had run out of ideas and decided we needed to call in an expert. Fortunately there was a Mobile Repair service that could come over withing a couple of hours. So we cancelled our plans for the Flea Market ad settled down to wait for our technician to show up.
Several hours later, the technician showed up and ran a series of checks but couldn't figure it out. Eventually we found that one of the circuit breakers on the inverter had tripped. But resetting it didn't fix the problem, so he was stumped as well. After taking down the information on our power system he said he would call the manufacturer and see if they could com up with a solution.
Some time after he left I decided to take the inverter out of the loop so I went out and flipped both circuit breakers on the inverter. Amazingly, the electrical system became fully energized and all circuits went live. When the tech called back he said the problem was probably the inverter based on what he had been told by the manufacturer. When I told him about taking the inverter offline and everything working again, he said it was definitely the culprit.
Since our day was pretty much shot we decided to just hang out and wait for tomorrow.
No photos today.
Monday, February 1, 2010
PBR Finals in Tampa
Saturday the 30th
Boooo!!! It's only about 40 degrees out and the wind is gusting to 20 mph making it verrrrry chilly outside. In fact I put my jeans on, a long sleeved shirt over my undershirt, a jacket and my winter riding gloves just to take the kids out for their morning walk. Oh well, we really should be thankfull we're here instead of somewhere up north surrounded by two feet of snow. The rest of the day promises to be nicer with temps in the high 50's and cloudy.
We arrived in downtown Tampa and found the St Pete Times Forum and pulled into the South Regional Parking Garage where we had a reserved a parking spot. Pulling up to the gate we were told we had to go back to the Forum and get our tickets from will call before we could park. So out of the garage we went, drove around the block, pulled up to the Forum where I jumped out and went to will call and picked up our tickets. Then it was back to the call and around the block again to the garage where we parked next to the elevator. The whole process probably only took fifteen minutes.
Riding down in the elevator we exited the garage and walked fifty yards across the plaza and into the Forum. We bought our lunch, chicken tenders and a polish dog plus drinks and walked across the aisle and down to our seats which were about twelve rows up and eighty feet from the action. We got seated about 1:15 PM and watched the stadium fill up as we ate our lunch.
Since we hadn't made any plans for dinner we stopped at the local Mexican restaurant and had a surprisingly good dinner for under twenty dollars. We made it back to the coach and let the kids out, fed them their dinner then went over to the park where they could run around for a while. The rest off the evening we spent reading and watching the Emmy's.
Rain Day.... laundry and just hanging out at the coach.
Sunday the 31st at the PBR
Yipeee!!! The rain has stopped and the wind has dried things out.
Boooo!!! It's only about 40 degrees out and the wind is gusting to 20 mph making it verrrrry chilly outside. In fact I put my jeans on, a long sleeved shirt over my undershirt, a jacket and my winter riding gloves just to take the kids out for their morning walk. Oh well, we really should be thankfull we're here instead of somewhere up north surrounded by two feet of snow. The rest of the day promises to be nicer with temps in the high 50's and cloudy.By 11:30 AM we had finished our coffee, cleaned up the morning dishes, walked the dogs one last time, grabbed our directions and jumped in the car headed for Tampa and the finals of the Tampa Invitational for the PBR (Professional Bull Riding). Tampa is about 60 miles south of Bushnell but it's almost all freeway driving.
We arrived in downtown Tampa and found the St Pete Times Forum and pulled into the South Regional Parking Garage where we had a reserved a parking spot. Pulling up to the gate we were told we had to go back to the Forum and get our tickets from will call before we could park. So out of the garage we went, drove around the block, pulled up to the Forum where I jumped out and went to will call and picked up our tickets. Then it was back to the call and around the block again to the garage where we parked next to the elevator. The whole process probably only took fifteen minutes.
Riding down in the elevator we exited the garage and walked fifty yards across the plaza and into the Forum. We bought our lunch, chicken tenders and a polish dog plus drinks and walked across the aisle and down to our seats which were about twelve rows up and eighty feet from the action. We got seated about 1:15 PM and watched the stadium fill up as we ate our lunch.The PBR (http://www.pbrnow.com/) really puts on a great opening show introducing the riders amid fireworks, smoke and lots of flashbang. We really had a great time at the event and stayed to the very end when it was announced that Wiley Peterson from Idaho was the event winner and $28k for the thee day event. Leaving the Forum and walking to our car we were surprised to be greeted with a very sunny afternoon. Leaving the garage we got on the freeway headed towards home within fifteen minutes of leaving our seats.
Since we hadn't made any plans for dinner we stopped at the local Mexican restaurant and had a surprisingly good dinner for under twenty dollars. We made it back to the coach and let the kids out, fed them their dinner then went over to the park where they could run around for a while. The rest off the evening we spent reading and watching the Emmy's.To see all our photos, click on:
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