Join us as we travel North America in our Holiday Rambler Vacationer,
since August 2006
Where are we today?
Somewhere in Texas on I-10
313 miles today
Overnight at the San Antonio Walmart, we had a good sleep, up early as usual coffees, computing and a walkabout the store, love these 24 hour Walmarts. We are near the edge of the city so are on the road at 8 am (all the traffic is heading into town).
we are going the right way
Just a cruising along about 62 mph (100kph) even thou the speed limit is 80 mph (130 kph) we get better fuel economy and is much safer. Mind you the road is good and not a lot to see I have to set the cruise control or get carried away. We have driven this route many times and stopped at various places in the past years so just listen to tunes and chat as the miles pass by us. Love some of the interesting names they have for cities all over the USA.
80 mph
need welfare come here
need comfort come here
One thing we love about Texas interstates is the abundance of rest areas, parking places and picnic areas. The rest areas have free wifi and some have sewage dump stations as well. So we make use of these along the route to stretch my legs and stop to make lunch about noon.
Texas Picnic shelter rest area
Texas Hill Country
Our destination was today is Fort Stockton where we fueled up and checked out the Fort.
the fort
Well it did not look too exciting and probably not even open so we just carried on to Walmart, got permission to spend the night, check out the store then relax computing and reading for a while and watching as a few other coaches pulled in for the night as well. Now this has to be the smallest Walmart Super Centre I have been into but its pretty new, open 24 hours and has most everything you need.
here we are
So not having to pay again for camping we picked up a rotisserie chicken and potato salad for supper a total of $6.98 enough food for two suppers and a lunch plus a campsite sounds like a deal to me. Something I noticed here too no plastic grocery bags. They are now using recycled paper bags.
paper bags
A tasty treat
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Join us as we travel North America in our Holiday Rambler Vacationer,
since August 2006
Where are we today?
Travelling I-10 west thru Texas
A good nights rest and we are up early as usual, coffees, computing, walkabout, shower, dump tanks, store the satellite dish, secure the coach, hook up the car and we are on the road at 9:00 am. We have been here for a week time get those wheels rolling on down the road.
277 miles today
A good day for travelling nothing much exciting, just boppin along with our Sirius radio and the hits from the 60's. A few interesting sights like this water tower painted like a Golf Ball, gotta be a golf course there for sure.
Golf Ball
colorful bridges
We also saw this HUGE solar panel and just below it a very large field with slightly smaller solar panels as well, a Solar farm! Sorry I was too slow for the picture.
huge solar panel
San Antonio
We had stopped at a few rest areas to let the dog out (that's me) for a stretch and make some lunch about noon. Soon we are coming into San Antonio with the Alamo and Riverwalk downtown. We have been there a few times and as recently as last spring so no need to go again so soon.
The Alamo
Heading thru the city and amazing network of roads that luckily are well marked, Upper level, Lower level, multiple levels of highways everywhere. But not much traffic tuesday at 2pm.
El Paso here we come
multi levels
We are making our way to El Paso and I-10 but our destination for tonight is San Antonio Walmart a nice huge secure parking lot. We found a cosy spot for the night and stopped to chat with the security cruising about in his truck. He says sure you can stay, how many days? Then he told us a woman once stayed here for 2 and 1/2 weeks, the manager was annoyed. Nope we are just here for the night do some shopping and rest.
all cozy for the night
So in the store and pick up a nice $5.00 frozen three meat pizza and take it home to make it better with onions, fresh mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese and ham, olives and hot peppers on my half. This was actually very good for a frozen pizza with a very edible thin crust.
a very good pizza
Now to chat and read for bit, a little tv then call it a night.
I am posting this wed. morning drinking coffee and waiting for the sun to rise so we can get on the road.
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Overnight was cooler again, good for sleeping and this morning sunny, warm with no wind much nicer. Today is another putter around day, quick trip to H.E.B. for a few groceries then back home compute, walkabout a bit then Suzie vacuums today and I checked tire pressure etc. We are on the road tomorrow making our way thru Texas and New Mexico to Arizona over the next four days.
Our chores done now we can sit in the sun and shade, enjoy our books for a while and chat with the neighbors. Then its time for supper I got out our Fry Daddy and and cooked up an appetizer of tasty smelts I forgot we had in out full freezer.
tasty smelts
Then to make more room in the freezer a feast of chicken wings and fries with celery and carrots on the side, a tasty treat we always enjoy.
Now its dark and I packed up our Weber, table and chairs for now just so I don't have to do it in the morning, then on the road again for the long drive thru Texas and New Mexico (4 days) to find some Arizona cactus and desert dirt.
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It was quite cool overnight compared to what it has been lately, 10c (50f) but we did have a good sleep. And it was windy today, very windy all day but it was quite sunny. Morning coffees and computing, Then cut open one of the grapefruit that we got from Bob and Jody's back yard yesterday to sample. Well it was bright red, very juicy and sweeter than my morning orange juice, wow. Without a doubt best grapefruit I have ever eaten, glad we have more.
tasty
Not much planned for the day so Suzie and I walked about the resort for a while just checking out the different rv's, park models and landscaping that people have here.
Also the ever presence of the Border Patrol in the resort and on the roads keeps reminding us that we are about 200 yards from Mexico.
Border Patrol
Now my plan today is some preventive maintenance starting with our levelling jacks. Last time we moved one jack did not want to retract without help from me and a pry bar. So I cleaned them all up with degreaser and sprayed with a heavy duty silicone and they retracted. Now I turned them on to extend and "nothing", no power, hmm... So I start checking, fuse by the control, looks good. I found another fuse in the engine compartment, had to replace that one, still no work, hmm.. Testing switches and circuits I found another fuse at the rear of our coach by the hydraulic pump, its ok. Now I will start over again, the fuse by the control looks good but I tested it and no good. Now of course I have containers of fuses but not the one I need so to off to Walmart and pick up some more. I replaced that fuse and it works! I cycled the jacks three times and all looks good. Why two blown fuses? I don't know age? (12 yrs old), dampness, humidity, vibration, could be but it works now. Now back to lubricating all the hinges, locks, steps and tow bar now it looks like we are good to go.
All this puttering about took care of most of the after noon, but I did get to read for a bit before beginning supper. It's much too windy to barbecue so tonight I'm gonna make pork chops in the oven stuffed with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, apples, pecans and coated with shake n bake. The extra sweet potatoes on the side and tender tasty asparagus. It was a very yummy meal, next time I think I will add a touch of cinnamon and it would be perfect.
yummy
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Hot and humid again this morning coffees, computing and a walkabout. Past the pool while it was being cleaned, it looked so inviting I could not refuse a refreshing morning dip, just wonderful.
nice refreshing pool
I also came across a two foot long snake on the driveway that looks like he had ingested a hardy meal and was not going too far in a hurry.
After lunch we went for 30 minute drive to visit Bob and Jody in Weslaco TX, rv friends we met a few years ago who have settled down with a winter home in Texas and summer home in Ontario. We had seriously considered buying their coach last summer a beautiful Air Stream Landyacht. Well the drive ended up a 60 minute drive we took a very scenic route. Past acres and acres of sugar cane.
sugar cane
The roads were signed differently than our directions had told us, but we finally did make it. We got the tour of their magnificent two bedroom house and yard and picked a large bag of grapefruit from the huge tree in their yard, don't get them any fresher than this!
fresh grapefruit
We relaxed and chatted in their "Texas Room" getting caught up with each others lives, then before we knew it time had slipped away and it was time to head back home for supper.
Jody, Bob and Suzie
Being as we are so close to Mexico I whipped up some very tasty beef burritos for supper. If we stay here long enough I think we would learn quite a bit of Spanish and eat more Mexican food. But I can here some dry desert cactus, mountains and desert floor from southern Arizona calling us in the near future. Still learn some spanish there but will be much dryer air.
Supper done then chat for a bit, read our books and watch a movie, another wonderful day.
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Today is another great warm sunny day it is "Black Friday" the day it seems everybody wants to go shopping for the best deals of the year, line-ups, crowds, pushing and shoving, not for us. So we are going to take drive to South Padre Island and see what this winter destination as all about.
the bridge
watch out!
Welcome
It was about a 40 minute drive past some very busy crowded parking lots and stores. Across the bridge to the island and explore. This island is really a huge sandbar with sandy beaches, touristy stores, shops, expensive condos, hotels and property. Not unlike Myrtle Beach and Daytona Beach.
catchy storefront
The nice thing was it's not too busy here, I think it was a little off season plus everybody was shopping at the big box stores. The skies were sunny and it was about 83f (28c) with a nice warm breeze.
quiet main street
The south part of the island was a county park that we did not want to pay admission to so we drove north, There is only two roads north and south so we drove them both. Beach accesses every where, tiny parking lots and some private access points as we got to the northern end of the island.
Bay access
beach access
Me!
back over the dunes
Heading north the road narrows down with huge sand drifts almost blocking the roads, with sections down to one lane only. This really reminds me of some winter travel back home with huge snow drifts and impassable roads. The difference here is its not icy and very hot out, I really like this kind of winter weather much better. My winter clothes here are shorts, t-shirts and sandals. We did stop at a couple of beach access points and walked the beach for a while, and splashed in the warm waves, but it was pretty windy to spend much time there.
sand drifts
interesting house
beach access
nice houses
Ok by now its lunch time and we are looking for a restaurant with some seafood, local flair and is busy (that usually means its a good place to eat). Well Daddy' Seafood and Cajun Kitchen looked like just the right place.
looks good
Have to go in now!
Fat Tire on Tap
And sure enough the signs inside were inviting, the decor was interesting, the service was great , the beer was cold, the prices very reasonable and the food was excellent! Suzie had fried scallops and fries and I had "The Bayou" blackened catfish topped with a crawfish etoufee and white rice, a real tasty cajun dish.
Suzies scallops and fries
my tasty cajun dish
Ok now we have seen south Padre Island, beautiful white sandy beach, pretty close to perfect climate, but too much of a resort area for us. But I would like to return to Daddy's to sample more menu items. So a different route back home thru areas here that really reminded me of our time in Mexico, the local stores and houses on the side of the roads and most of the signs in Spanish. We weren't far from Mexico with the border fence along the side of the road.
border fence
Now back home the neighbors bright flowers greeted us and our lawn chairs beckoned us to relax and read, so under much protest (not) our books, a beverage and the shade took care of another great afternoon.
No supper again tonight just some crackers and cheese hit the spot.
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