Monticello, FL

Not much to report today as we continue the drive towards home. It was a fine drive. The new tires are continuing to provide a smoother ride, although who knows; it might be just a mental justification for the expense of the tires.

We have stopped in Monticello, FL at a KOA campground. It is probably the most expensive overnight of the trip and one of the worst campgrounds. Transients are placed in the mud bog behind the rest of the campground. The mosquitoes seem happy to have me back, though.

Nia has resigned herself to a life on the road. She sleeps the entire trip and is ready for dinner on arrival. Being a city girl, she is not too happy with mud, or dust, or gravel. Here at least she has some grass, and that makes her potty breaks easier. Tomorrow she will need to readjust to her home and yard.

Barbara and I are enjoying hummus and pita bread with wine this evening. (Under the watchful gaze of Nia who thinks that if we eat, she should eat, even if she just had dinner) Just because we are in a bog does not mean we have to give up the civilized life! We are trying to eat as much of the leftovers as possible because we will be home this time tomorrow, and the less we have to schlep home from the RV the better. Those who know me will understand that this places me in pig heaven. (Emphasis on heaven, not pig) Leftovers and lots of them.

Back in Gulfport, MS

Our reunion with Jim and Phyllis Kaiserski here in Gulfport, MS was great. We crossed paths here. Jim and Phyllis were westbound in their Tartan sailboat and we were eastbound in our motor home.  The campground and marina are only four miles apart. It was perfect timing and a perfect location.

Dinner last night was at the Half Shell Oyster House. This turned out to be a very good choice. Dinner was great! Remember this one and drop in if you are in Gulfport.

Jim and Phyllis at Half Shell Oyster House

Gulfport was badly damaged in hurricane Katrina. New Orleans gets all the press, but the Mississippi gulf coast was just as ravaged. As a result, the shoreline, marina and buildings near the coast are all new. There is a great beach within walking distance of downtown, and you would be hard pressed to find a better marina.

We met Jim and Phyllis onboard their boat Sisu for coffee and muffins this morning, got to talk more sailing talk, and then wished them well as they sailed off on their return to Niceville, FL.

Bon Voyage Sisu and her crew.

One more stop and we will be home.

Iowa, LA

We had two Toyo M154 tires mounted yesterday afternoon and were on our way first thing this morning. We enjoyed our stay in Kerrville. The Texas Hill Country is a very nice area, and we will return. The new tires are pretty good. They even seem to offer a little softer ride at higher inflation pressures.

Ever wonder what the dog does on long drives?

At five this afternoon we rolled into Cypress Bend RV Park in Iowa, LA. It is a strange place. The campground itself is actually pretty nice. It is just a bit difficult to get into, or find, for that matter. You have to look closely. It is hidden behind a Shell station and a McDonalds. It is immediately adjacent to the off ramp from I-10.

Tight squeeze between Shell station, McDonalds and the offramp.

Not much to report today since it was all spent on the road, and nothing bad happened. Tomorrow we will return to Gulfport, MS and hopefully meet up with friends Jim and Phyllis Kaiserski as they cruise back to Niceville, FL on their sailboat. It will be nice to see them again.

Kerrville, TX (Finally)

Uh oh?

 What was going to be a long day on the road turned out to be a REAL long day on the road. We got off to an easy early start and everything was going very smoothly. We even got right in to the truck stop for fuel without a wait. The trouble came midway between Ozona, TX and Sonora, TX. Go ahead, look it up on the map. There is nothing there except cell service, thank God.

Barbara was driving when the front left tire blew. We have heard horror stories of the problems that can happen when this occurs, and we thought ahead and installed a steering stabilizer (Safe-T-Plus) right after buying the coach to help in this situation. Barbara handled it with a professional calm, kept the bus pointed straight ahead, slowed gently and pulled to the shoulder. Fantastic job, Barbara!

Yeah, there was a little body damage, too.

We called our roadside service contractor who, in turn, arranged for someone to bring a tire and get it mounted. While waiting for the guy to show up I kept thinking that the price quoted for the tire was way too low, and about the time I called back to confirm that they knew to bring the correct tire the truck shows up. I was expecting one of those big semi truck wreckers, but got a pickup. Sure enough he had the correct size tire, but it was a used tire. A WELL used tire. I did not like the looks of the thing and we discussed and cussed a bit. It obviously had been sitting outside and had water stains inside. The sun is low on the horizon and this is Saturday night of Easter weekend. The nearest tire would be at least two hours away. Towing the coach would have the potential of more damage and would be hours waiting alongside the interstate waiting for the truck, let alone the actual tow. Where would he take us?

Well we decided to take the used tire and limp to Kerrville, TX one hundred and thirty miles further down the road. It was our intended stop and we had a tire dealer recommended there that would help us Monday morning. We carefully drove at a lower speed while monitoring the pressure on the suspect tire. I found that the motor home is pretty good at night. We avoid night driving like the plague. At eleven PM we arrived at the Kerrville campground where we had reserved space. We found it to be a very nice, clean, large campground that earns the name “resort”. Not all do.

We got in our space and set up as quietly as we could, then broke out the wine and had chicken tacos for a late supper. It looks like we will be here at least one extra night, but it looks as though it will be a very pleasant place to while away the time.

Las Cruces, NM

We finally hit the road. We were delayed for two days due to jeep repairs, but did leave Tucson this morning. We were sad to leave since we really liked Tucson, but we need to get home to Barbara’s mom. The maintenance delay cost us a second visit to see the grandkids in Dallas, though.

Our intent was to drive to El Paso, TX and stay at the military campground at Fort Bliss. While driving east this morning I called and found that they only had one space left for tonight. They do not take reservations or I would have made one days ago. It was highly unlikely that the one open space would still be available by the time we would arrive, so we opted out and called the Hacienda RV Resort in Las Cruces, NM. They had room so we booked a spot. It turned out to be a top notch RV park. Very nice. We may regret this tomorrow, because stopping short of El Paso today just adds time to an already long drive tomorrow. I suppose we could have found something on the east side of El Paso, but we did not want the hassle of El Paso rush hour at the end of a long day of driving. Tomorrow is Saturday and a morning pass through town should be uneventful.

Las Cruces has some interesting history. The original settlement of La Mesilla was once the largest community between San Antonio and San Diego. It was a stage stop for the Butterfield Stage Lines that ran the Overland Trail. We showed you a portion of that road when we were in Fort Davis. Yep, the same long road. Billy the Kid was tried for murder here.

The Gadsden Purchase was completed here.

The Basilica

The plaza is the typical meeting place adjacent to the Basilica.

We were only a mile from the old town of Mesilla so we decided to walk there. We did a little shopping (we, in this case, should be interpreted as Barbara) and stopped in to an old Mexican restaurant. Great setting, OK margarita, not so great food. 

All the locals were excited that it started to rain. Drought, you know, but they had driven there. We walked home in it. Thankfully, it was not too bad.

We will try for an early departure, but you know how that goes with us. First there is the coffee, then the paper, then…

Tucson, AZ - Day Ten

OK, we have the jeep fixed. Well, at least the work is completed and the new axle is installed. It will be a few miles down the road that we will determine if it is “fixed” or not. Sure hope so.

Old Right Rear Axle Shaft. Seal kept leaking, so we are trying new shaft.

We are set to leave in the morning. Our next planned stop is going to be Fort Bliss and the military campground there. Fort Bliss is in El Paso, TX. From there we will continue east on I-10 and hope to find a campground along the interstate as the day draws to an end. The campgrounds are not numerous in the middle of Texas, but I am sure we will find something.

Tucson Day Nine, Yes, Nine.

We are really liking Tucson and the surrounding area in general, and the Davis Monthan AFB campground specifically. The people have been great and it is a nicely landscaped and clean facility.

We were to have left this morning for Dallas to spend the weekend with Chris, Lisa and the two boys. Unfortunately, we have a little problem with the jeep and are waiting for a part that will not arrive until tomorrow.

Having an unexpected free day I washed the jeep and then we visited Trail Dust Town. The key attraction at this old movie set western town is the Pinnacle Peak restaurant. You may know the one in Phoenix: cowboy steakhouse where they will cut your tie off if you were to wear one in. Actually, the thing I remember most of the restaurant is how they treat customers ordering their steaks well done. When the other people at the table receive their meals a waiter brings a covered dish for the target patron. When everyone else has been served, the server raises the cover to reveal an old boot! OK, eventually the guy gets his dinner, but they have some fun with him first.

We were not there for dining, however. We were just curious and thought that Barbara might find a dream catcher for her mom. No luck on that front, but we did find The Horse Soldier Museum. We seem to run into these little treasures as we travel around. This museum has not been open a year and a half yet, so it may not be on many people’s radar, but it is a terrific museum of Cavalry history. There is a nice collection of uniforms, saddles, weapons and horse care equipment. You would think this would be on a military installation with active cav units, but this is a private collection. If you are in Tucson this is well worth your time to visit.

Vet's Medical Kit. Originally only three vets for the entire Army.

Early Cavalry weapons. Pre-Civil War.

Later weapons. Last Cavalry charge was 1942 in Philippines.

Sorry for the reflections.

Tucson, AZ - Day Eight (Tax Day)

Today was a fantastic off-roading day for us. We met with three other jeeps from the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) Four Wheelers Club. This is a group of motorhome owners that enjoy getting off-road and into the backcountry. These folks live here in Tucson and we were invited to join them on what they referred to as a “moderate” ride. Well, it sure stretched our experience level. It was great training to be out with a group that was willing to share their experience as well as their knowledge of the back roads north of Tucson.

We struck out west out of the small community of Mammoth, AZ. After airing down our tires we crossed under an abandoned railroad trestle and headed into the outback in an area called Tar Wash.

It was beautiful country. We climbed up out of the wash and ran the ridges where we got some great views of the area. Some of the trail was amazingly rocky and, if alone, Barbara and I would have not considered it passable. Through the guidance of the others we found that the jeep can do amazing things. It is a good thing we armored up the belly and had stout slide rails on the sides. All the armor was used on this trip.

We were not able to save the track on the GPS due to God knows what. The thing is finicky. It is a shame, because you would have enjoyed seeing the aerial views of this journey. For a short time the track on FindMeSpot will show, but after seven days it will expire. The GoPro camera was not working either, but Barbara did get some video on her phone.

Tucson Day Seven

Monday was an easy day. We took a drive up over the Catalina Mountains. We were treated to great views of Tucson from as high as 8,000’. The highway ended at Summerhaven and we took Control Road, a primitive dirt road kept as an escape road in case of fire, down the backside of the mountains to Oracle, AZ. Along the way we stopped for a picnic in the forest of Douglas Fir trees. It was quiet. The scent of evergreens and the sound of the breeze through the trees was very calming. 

Tucson Day Five

Saturday was the day Huguette was to depart for Santa Barbara and her new assisted living apartment. The original plan was for her to depart around ten in the morning, but the air ambulance firm called and said they had an emergency flight to conduct first. The departure was moved to late afternoon.

That gave us a chance to attend the Davis Monthan AFB open house and air show. We walked the ramp for a few hours looking at the static display aircraft and watched the aerial displays. We could not wait for the scheduled performance by the Thunderbirds, the Air Force aerobatic team, and took the bus back to the campground. As it turned out the Thunderbirds did not perform due to high winds. We had seen them practice the day before, so that was OK, but they are sure something to watch.

We drove over to the nearby commercial airport, and waited for the ambulance to arrive with Huguette. Since this is a charter flight, and not subject to stringent security measures, we were able to walk out on the ramp and check out the aircraft. We chatted with the flight crew taking her to Santa Barbara and found them to be great guys. The aircraft to be used was a Lear 35 that, while a bit smaller, was much quicker than the turboprop aircraft that brought her to Tucson. Once Huguette arrived at the airport things went very quickly. People were moving around so fast that I was not able to get very good pictures. Seems as soon as I pressed the shutter someone moved into the shot. Sorry for the bad photos.

Huguette was in Santa Barbara about an hour and a half after leaving Tucson and was soon getting settled in to her new apartment. We hear she is very happy there and already getting acquainted with her new neighbors.

Huguette is a nervous flyer under the best of circumstances.

In she goes!

Tight squeeze. Four crew, one passenger and baggage.

Door closed. Time for the checklist.

Tucson, AZ - Day Four

We have been spending time visiting with Huguette in rehab and getting caught up on laundry and other chores. Today we did a trail ride through Gunsight Pass south of Tucson. While easy by western trail standards, it was much more than anything we get in Florida. It was a good warm up for more challenging trails.

Gunsight Pass Looking NW towards Tucson.

Gunsight Pass Looking SE the way we came.

In the evening met my sister Patricia and her husband Marc at Huguette’s rehab facility where last minute packing was being completed. Huguette leaves tomorrow for Santa Barbara and an assisted living apartment there where she will be close to my other sister Jocelyne. After getting Huguette settled for the night we rejoined Marc and Patricia at their home overlooking Tucson, enjoyed one of Arizona’s famous sunsets, and wonderful dinner.

Tucson, AZ

We arrived at the FamCamp at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ mid-afternoon. It was an easy drive from Demming, NM.

While changing drivers at a rest stop in eastern Arizona we were approached by an electrical contractor with a dilemma. He had driven forty miles to the rest stop to run a video camera inspection of the state’s septic lines to the drain field. Once there he realized that electrical power was not available close enough to the farthest inspection access, despite a hundred feet of extension cord. He was embarrassed that he had failed to bring his portable generator.

After some thought, I found a way to get turned around (can’t back up when towing the jeep) and present the side of the motor home with an electrical outlet to the curb near his work area. We fired up the genset and had him in business quickly. Once powered up he was able to complete his work in minutes, and we were on our way.

The FamCamp here is one of the best campgrounds we have been to, military or commercial. The grounds are very well landscaped, and while the sites are close together, they are very nice. There is an open house at the air base this weekend, so we are to be treated to a performance by the Thunderbirds!

Notice aircraft graveyard in background

We had dinner with my sister, Patricia, and her husband after visiting her mom (my stepmom) who remains in a care facility since suffering from heart failure and pneumonia in December. Huguette will be transferring to a more permanent facility in Santa Barbara where she will be close to my other sister, Jocelyne. The restaurant and care facility were both in the Catalina Mountains above Tucson, and the nighttime view was spectacular.

Demming, NM

We have stopped for the night in Demming, NM. That leaves only about another 250 miles to Tucson, our next planned stop of length.

We had a decent drive, but the winds were blistering strong. Those winds cut into our gas mileage causing us to pull in for fuel a little earlier than originally planned.

We are overnighting in an Escapee’s RV Park. The Escapee’s Club is a group of like-minded RVers. They own a dozen or so parks, and have other parks that offer discounts to members. Like Good Sam and FMCA, Escapees is at its heart a social club and they made us very welcome here.

Our neighbor to the right is a Winnebago Journey like ours. On our left is a 5^th wheel pulled by a semi. Seems like a little overkill, but I bet is up the mountain highways like a rocket.

 

The back of his trailer is even with the back of our coach.

No side trips today. We took advantage of the early arrival (due to gaining an hour due to the new time zone) to do laundry (me) and give Nia a much-needed bath (Barbara).

Davis Mountain SP and the McDonald Observatory

Day two in Fort Davis was divided between Davis Mountain State Park and the McDonald Observatory.

Anyone on the road in this part of Texas owes it to himself or herself to spend a little time in this state park. The setting is a canyon a few miles out of Fort Davis. The campsites are very nice, and there is plenty of hiking to keep you exercised. The CCC produced these trails during the depression. They also built a large lodge, which is now a very nice looking hotel. So if you are not a camper, there is still a way for you to spend a few days here. We drove the overlook road to the top of the ridge forming one side of the canyon. The road had many picnic areas that afforded magnificent views. We could see down to our RV on the southwestern edge of town.

 

RV Park is just to the right of the curly part of the antenna.

Looking towards Marfa, TX. Marfa is a story for another trip.

Park campground in foreground, Lodge in the distance.

The wind has been blowing hard all day, but in the canyon it was peaceful. By the time we got to the McDonald Observatory several miles away it was hard to keep a hat on. At an elevation just under 6800’, the observatory sits on the highest mountain served by the Texas highway system. There are several telescopes at the facility, but the largest are 82” and 107” in mirror size. The 107” telescope was finished to support the NASA solar exploration of the late sixties, and using the reflector left on the moon by Apollo 11 astronauts, used laser technology to accurately confirm the exact distance between earth and the moon.

 

Approach to McDonald Observatory

Lots of great scenery. Looking back the way we came.

82" on left. 107" on the right. The whole dome rotates in sync with stars.

We did not have time to take advantage of the full tour because it is two and a half hours long, but we were able to drive around the grounds and take in the displays and videos at the visitor center. Oh, for you NPR listeners, this is the group that does the "Star Date" pieces on astronomy.

It turned out the Overland Trail Museum was closed today, but here is the story. 

 

It was a good day, and we topped it off with a rib eye steak in downtown Fort Davis. There are a handful of small family restaurants on the main drag. Thankfully no chains, just locally owned and operated. We were guided to the Drug Store for the rib eye, but Lupita’s for Mexican food was highly recommended, too. There are no chain hotels, either, which is part of the charm of this small town. There are a number of small B&B style accommodations, and the lodge up in the state park.

Fort Davis is really a nice quiet place to visit. Just ignore the blowing dust.