Hill Country, TX

Jan 26-29

Last night Scott made a big spaghetti dinner for everyone in our RV.  Dinner for 9 in 400 sq ft! We have been lazy about entertaining in our own home the last couple of years.  It always seems like so much work, but in reality, people come to see us...not count Scouts fur balls! (Way to throw the dog under the bus, I know!) 

For some reason we were talking about and missing our weekend waffles and they offered to loan us their waffle maker for the next morning. We declined because we were probably going to just do something quick since we were leaving. I have to admit, I was not at all surprised to have had a special delivery from Jack next door! He brought over a huge plate of waffles! They are such a kind and thoughtful family.  We have really enjoyed getting to know them over the weekend.

So, we were all set, packed up and ready to roll and I noticed water leaking, quite profusely from under our bed.  Of course, it was a Sunday, so change of plans and we ended up staying another day.  It was a beautiful day too! Nice warm sunshine, in the 70’s.  We took the kids on a walk, let them play etc.  We ended up going out to a fun Texas BBQ called Rudy’s with Jason and Melissa and the kids.  They were out anyway and Jason dropped his family at the restaurant and drove the couple miles to pick us up.  They are towing a Jeep Wrangler.  When it was time to leave, we decide to see if all 9 of us could fit in the Jeep…guess what? We did! 

Monday morning arrives and we head over to an RV sales and service center where we end up spending most of our day.  They had a nice lounge so the 5 of us just hung out and worked on schoolwork etc.  Along with a couple of leaks that got fixed, it turns out we have a cracked water tank.  This means we can’t carry that much fresh water with us and we always have to be at an RV park hooked up to a water source. It will be fine and it’s covered under our warranty so we will get it fixed upon our return home.  If we waited for a new tank, it could be 2 weeks or so.  No thanks!

We hit the road and I was reviewing the bill getting more and more annoyed. Our portion was a propane refill and oil change and it was VERY expensive.  A few minutes later my cell phone rang and we had to go back because they forgot to collect our deductible for the covered expenses.  I was happy because I was able to speak up about the bill I just paid.  Definitely my mother’s daughter, I was right and they admitted to the mistake and fixed it.  So, my bill was reduced by 30%.  

We checked into another local San Antonio RV park because after shopping and everything else, it was getting late.  As Scott was getting us hooked up, we had no water hose! Those bozos used our hose and never returned it to us. So 5 minutes after the RV Office closed, I was banging on the door and the lady was so nice to let me in and hooked me up with a new hose.  It is going to get pretty cold tonight and start a freezing rain tomorrow. While outside, we met our neighbor, Mr. Cooper.  He was so nice and wrapped up our hosing really good so they wouldn't freeze overnight.  

So, it looks like a couple more down days, which is fine.  Scott is feeling like he might be coming down with something so he probably needs some rest anyway.

The kids and I hung out in the game room playing pool, monopoly and dominoes and gave Scott some quiet time. I even cooked dinner, so he must be sick! Of course the next day, I'm not feeling too great either.  So I spend all day in bed, just achy, fever none of the bad stuff...kids were feeling feverish and achy too.  In the morning, while I was still in bed and Tyler was calling me saying "Dad's acting weird" when he said it the second time, I ran out and saw him fainting into the dinette seat.  He came to quickly and it was probably just a lack of food.  He is fine, thank goodness! 

So, we are all on the mend. Needless to say, we were quite happy to leave San Antonio finally.  We are back with our friends Melissa & Jason and kids on the beach looking forward to warm weather the next couple of days.

~Linda

Baby it's cold outside!

Jan 23-24

We were expecting some cold weather for Thursday and Friday so I thought it would be a good idea to find a nearby resort with a heated indoor pool/hot tub etc.  

We checked out of San Antonio and headed about 25 miles north to our next destination. We had a bit of time to kill so we stopped at Target, picked up a few things and while we were sitting in the parking lot, we were discussing lunch. I found a Greek Restaurant on Trip Advisor, and it was just out of our line of sight.  That was one of our better restaurant meals....yes, the Greeks know how to cook!  I even got some baklava to go.  A nice big lunch and we didn't even bother with dinner.  

I sent our friends from AZ a text saying where we would be and they ended up joining us here.  We got a spot right next to them, (Melissa and Jason along with Jack, Katie & Anna).  The kids were excited to see each other again and started playing in the rec room.  They had Wii, Xbox, fusbol, pool, ping pong...Melissa and I found some comfy chairs and chatted.  The guys went out on a beer run while we stayed back and went in the hot tub and the kids swam.  Once the kids were all done swimming they were in and out of the bathroom, showers, washing hair or not...but, Tyler eventually came out with just a towel on and with his back to us, he "flashed" and opened his towel in the opposite direction. We only saw his backside but for him to do it at all was hilarious...

Jack and Tyler went over to their RV to watch a movie and Scott and I hung out alone for awhile.  We were watching totally inappropriate Comedy Central shows and laughed until we cried! Here is a picture that Melissa texted me.

I got really cold overnight and icy! Our tiny space heater, along with the furnace set at 60 kept us warm enough.  We are getting low on propane so we prefer to use the electric heater. We have had lazy day today...the boys are finally out back at the pool and I am in baking some cookies as we are going next door for dinner tonight.  Thank goodness I did the shopping the other day and stocked up on my essential baking supplies.  

By late in the day, the sun started to come out and the kids were finally able to go play on the 2 bouncy "pillows" outside!

One of the kids is missing out on the fun! Where is Anna?

Scout making new friends too, with Katie.

This place has a really nice fire pit and plenty of wood alongside a smoker.  Jason cooked up 2 whole chickens for all of us along with home made bread,  and zucchini.  I rounded things out with my favorite black bean/corn/peach salsa recipe and chips and chocolate chip brownie cookies.  

Katie & London

I think Anna is avoiding the camera!

Tyler & Jack having some laughs... 

And this is what we found when we were finally ready to leave at 11pm! And there is Anna looking like Sleeping Beauty the DVD case looks like a crown on her head!

So even on the down days, or during inclement weather, or just driving all day, we are still making memories.  

Tyler did mention the other day that he expected this trip to be all sunshine...I said "you probably expected rainbows and unicorns too!" and he said, "yeah, pretty much!"  

I would say this trip has surpassed all my expectations and then some!

~Linda

San Antonio Riverwalk & The Alamo

January 20-21-22

We arrived here to record temps...77 degrees!  We jumped right into the pool and hot tub.  While taking Scout for a walk, I met a couple of girls from Australia.  There were 4 girls, in their 20's, traveling in a rented RV!  I just thought that was so cool.  One had just finished up a semester studying at Notre Dame.  

On Tuesday, we jumped onto the city bus right in front of our resort and headed into downtown San Antonio.  Lessons for the kids everywhere we go! 

The River Walk is an oasis of cypress-lined paved paths, arched stone bridges and lush landscapes.  It gently winds through the city center, providing easy access to the city’s cultural hot spots, historic sites and other attractions.  Jack in particular absolutely loved the Riverwalk, he just thought is was the coolest place!  We took a riverboat cruise which was about 35 minutes long and had an entertaining lesson in the architectural and historical highlights on the River.

Inside a hotel with the river running thru it!

Yes, Tyler is growing and growing and growing...

  

We followed that up with lunch at Boudro's Bistro.  They are known for their table side guacamole and, because my sister Donna said so, Scott had one of their prickly pear margaritas!

After lunch, we headed over to the Alamo and started out with a quick 15 minute video of the history of the Alamo. We walked around the grounds and viewed the display cases full of guns, lances and other artifacts of the time.

A brief history...

On February 23, 1836, the arrival of General Antonio López de Santa Anna's army outside San Antonio nearly caught them by surprise. Undaunted, the Texians and Tejanos prepared to defend the Alamo together. The defenders held out for 13 days against Santa Anna's army.

While the facts surrounding the siege of the Alamo continue to be debated, there is no doubt about what the battle has come to symbolize. People worldwide continue to remember the Alamo as a heroic struggle against impossible odds — a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. For this reason, the Alamo remains hallowed ground and the Shrine of Texas Liberty.

The guys were kind of tired of sight seeing today, so we just hung out here.  They have a rec room here so we played ping pong, fusbol, air hockey & shuffleboard.  I hope to get a bike ride in too!  

I was helping the kids with their journaling this morning.  Where I think I am pretty dry in my writing, stating where we are, what we are seeing etc. the kids have a completely different take on things.  I will have to post some of their musings here very soon.

We are staying in the area for another couple of days.  We are expecting some cold weather and possibly sleet.  I found another resort just outside of the city that has some nice amenities  to keep us entertained while the weather passes.

~Linda

Texas!

Jan 19-20

We are at an impasse…not sure where to go!  Looks like a cold front is sweeping down the East Coast and into Texas…we were considering going back to Lake Havasu but that was 600 miles back.  So, it looks like we will just continue East.  

We were getting low on groceries but we decided we could just make do with what we have instead of wasting another hour or more shopping. As it was, we crossed into the Central time zone and lost another hour.  We (I should say Scott) drove most of the day, about 300 miles from Las Cruces, NM down thru El Paso, TX and into Ft Stockton.  I spent half of the trip back in our bed reading and dozing.

Ft Stockton, TX

Our campground host, Jackie, with his 15 inch braided beard...he was FULL of stories!  He said I looked like his ex-wife and daughters...the day before he said he was in a gunfight with his ex-wife...hmmm 

Jacks breakfast, leftover hamburger in between blueberry pancakes

We literally just stayed at an RV park along the highway.  This park happened to have a small cafe serving dinner, lucky us! It was like having dinner at the Community Center in our town.  The food was pretty decent…chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, ribs….ice cream for dessert! No cooking or cleaning.  A family from Bar Harbor, Maine work the cafe.  Their son, who was in the 7th grade was our waiter.  We had a nice chat with a couple from Washington State (Sue G…this was your Mom all day long!) they had a 1980’s Airstream trailer that they were towing.  We went back in the cafe for breakfast and continued our conversation with them.

Ron & Sydney, if you are reading this, you made a mediocre pit-stop much more fun and interesting!

We are currently driving to San Antonio…another 300 mile day.  

SOME QUICK STATS:

7,000 miles, 75 days on the road, averaging 93 miles a day and there have been 3 teeth that have fallen out!  The boys have probably grown another 3 inches between them!

~Linda

Like No Place Else on Earth

January 16-18th

We had a bit of a drive from Tombstone, AZ into New Mexico.  We spent the night at an RV park in Las Cruces, NM about an hour or so from White Sands Monument, our final destination.  We stopped for a quick bite to eat at the Adobe Deli, recommended by the family we met the other day.  What a hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere, but a great meal!

Known for their French Onion soup, so we tried that.

There are not many places to stay that are close to White Sands because they still do missile testing there.  We did, however, find a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) campground for $3.50/night! What a bargain! 

Aguirre Springs Campground
The high wall, needle-like spires of the Organ Mountains curve dramatically around a semicircle of Chihuahuan Desert habitat at the Aguirre Spring Campground. The campground, nestled at the base of spectacular cliffs, overlooks the Tularosa Basin and White Sands National Monument.

We arrived early in the afternoon and just relaxed. 

White Sands National Monument
This is what I have been waiting for and it did not disappoint!

Welcome to White Sands!  We all wanted to go, especially my Mom, and now we‘re here!  It was just sand dunes, kids having fun, and a beautiful mountain background.  We bought a saucer and waxed it, but where would we sled?  On the sand dunes!  They were really steep and high.  First we had to climb up.  That was the challenge.  It wasn’t that hard for me, but for my Mom, she shouldn’t have bothered.  It looked so funny to see her on all fours slipping and trying to climb up.  We only had one sled, so Tyler and I had to share.  We rode the sled together most of the time.  Once I rode alone on my belly. At the bottom there was a big bump.  When I hit it, I flew through the air and then landed back on the sled.  It hurt, but it was pretty cool.  Once we got bored, we left.

~Jack

Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dune field. 

Sledding is the thing to do here!  Nice cold sand, warm sun and steep dunes! Way better than sledding in the real stuff in New England!

This was definitely a highlight of our trip for us!  Everyone had a blast and were all tired out at the end of the day!

~Linda