When is Two Weeks Too Long?

After several weeks of “wandering aimlessly” (well…not exactly aimlessly) Chris & I decided to make some sort of “plan” for where we wanted to spend Christmas. Based on our current rate of travel and our sketchy route, I made the executive decision that San Antonio was likely to be the closest destination for that date. Since I made the assumption that RV parks were likely to be at maximum capacity around the holidays I did something I am loathe to do. I made a reservation. San Antonio is a rather historic area so we decided to stay two weeks but because we (I) want to be near water for the celebration of the New Year a second reservation was made for one week in Corpus Christi beginning New Years Eve.

As it turns out, we may have been a bit optimistic about wanting to be in one place for two whole weeks. The first few days were taken up with doing laundry, finishing up Christmas shopping, shipping gifts and exploring the sights in San Antonio. Upon arriving we were told about a Christmas dinner that is hosted by the park with guests pitching in side dishes and encouraged to sign up. It sounded like a good idea. It turned out to be a good decision. After a quiet morning in the coach having dinner with 108 other gypsies was a lot of fun. It was especially nice not to have to do all the preparation and cleanup, not to mention finding somewhere to put the leftovers. 

Wouldn't you just love to spend some time just sitting in this beautiful garden?

San Antonio has some interesting attractions. First of all, this is the site of The Alamo. Since it is such a large part of Texas history, it is a bit of a surprise to discover how small the place is. The entire complex only encompasses 3 acres and the main building (originally a mission church) is quite small. When it was turned into a fort a long, one story barracks’ was built to house the soldiers. The walls inside the chapel as well as those surrounding the entire fort, are extremely thick (close to 3’) adobe. 

I don't know the age of this tree but it was very old and very large and being held up with cables. In the background is the old, old well.

Inside the gift shop is a scale model of the entire complex showing it during the attack. Given the number of troops vs. enemy, it is pretty easy to see why the battle was lost. One of my favorite spots was a beautiful, shady corner that was pure tranquility just looking at it.

The San Antonio River flows right through the middle of town and over the years the area has been transformed into a lovely sanctuary, just steps below the hustle and bustle of downtown. Apparently the work was begun in 1929 and has produced a nice, wide walkway that meanders along both sides of the river, under numerous bridges (each with their own unique style) and past restaurants, shops and manmade water features. If one desires a ride on the water, that is easily accomplished by boarding one of the numerous barges manned by helmsmen/women who are also well-informed guides. 

Our first trip down the Riverwalk was a Tuesday afternoon and we practically had the place to ourselves. We were able to stroll leisurely down the river taking lots of photos and stopping for a delicious lunch at Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub. It was too easy! We were lulled. 

This is a stage on one side of the River. The seating (amphitheater style) is on the other.

 

The restaurant, Boudro’s, is apparently “The” place to eat along the Riverwalk and we decided to try it out last night…a Thursday…3 days before the Alamo Bowl between the Oregon State Univ. Beavers and the Univ. of Texas (Austin) Longhorns. It was a MUCH different experience! We arrived after 6:30 to find a 1-1/2 hour wait at the restaurant and the sidewalks packed. We decided to see if there was another restaurant with less wait time. This time the walk involved much caution in order not to be knocked into the water. We finally stopped at the Lone Star Café which didn’t have a line down the block.

 As we were waiting for our dinner a large group of Beavers fans came in to eat as well. Dressed entirely in orange and black with big beaver heads on the front of their shirts, they were hard to miss. Chris & I, not exactly your avid sports fans (to put it lightly), deduced that there must be a bowl game in town. This was confirmed after a quick chat with one of the fans who was as disappointed as we were that winter coats were required in Texas! At any rate, we will be spending the balance of the weekend away from town!  

After almost two weeks in one place, Chris & I are both beginning to get a case of “Itchy Feet” so we are looking forward to moving on. It is time for a new patch of scenery and a new adventure. Corpus Christi on Monday!

Time Zones and Texas

Two days, two states and another time zone. Just when I was just getting used to the first time change we drove right into another one. Alas, this will be the story of the whole trip. Moving from place to place and waiting for my body to catch up.

As we left Arizona it finally felt like the big adventure was really beginning. It’s been great having plenty of time to visit and sight-see in Oregon, California, Arizona & Mexico but we’ve been to all those places several times before and now we’re off to new places. Or, places one or both of us hasn’t been to in enough years that it will seem new and different.

Boot Hill RV Resort

Our first planned destination was White Sands National Monument in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The topography didn’t change a lot between New Mexico and Arizona but New Mexico seemed a bit less inhabited. When we arrived it was almost closing time at White Sands so we decided it would be best to get settled into the RV Park and go back in the morning. 

Nice, wide, level spaces here!

We stayed at the Boot Hill RV Resort which was reasonably priced, very well laid out and with excellent facilities. The spaces are gravel but very flat and very wide so easy to get into & out of and we only had to put the “feet” down to stabilize the coach a bit.  Our space faced west so once we got situated I was able to sit in the front seat and watch a beautiful desert sunset with a glass of red before beginning dinner. Wish I had a picture of it but I was too busy just enjoying. Oh…and McGinn’s Pistachio Tree Ranch was right across the street. Chris & I got a kick out of their giant pistachio nut. We probably should have stopped for some samples but…maybe next time.

Giant Pistachio Nut

White Sands opened at 9am and by 9:20 we were in the parking lot. The RV took up about 1/3 of the space (well, it seemed that way) so it was good that not many tourists are there during the winter. We wandered through the Visitor’s Center and then took the 8 mile drive through the dunes. White Sands is not actually “sand” but Gypsum that has been ground down by the elements until it is sand-like. It is very powdery to the feel but doesn’t seem to blow around much (although, the dunes supposedly move about 38’ per year). It was quite windy but the only thing blowing around much was us. And it was cold! 

Chilly Sandy!

Chris trying to blend in.

Driving through the dunes, the sand encroached farther and farther on the road until everything was white. I was getting nervous. As an old skier, it was reminiscent of those drives up slick mountain roads. 

Looking like snow covered roads!

Once we stopped to walk around I realized it wasn’t slick at all. Still…being completely surrounded by white would make it pretty easy to get lost. We passed several cars parked along the side of the road where people had gone wandering off into the dunes. I wonder if the park staff goes driving around at the end of the day to gather up all the “adventurers”? I guess that people are allowed to go sledding down the dunes but it would have to be a lot warmer for me to do that.  

White everywhere!

  

After visiting White Sands, we were back on the road again. This time to Ft. Stockton, Texas. We had anticipated about a 6 hour drive but El Paso turned out to be the fly in that ointment. A traffic accident closed the entire highway and traffic was detoured through narrow roads with lots of traffic lights. Since we were obviously going to arrive late we called the RV park to reserve a spot. Liz (manager), with a typical Texas twang, assured me that they had a nice spot for us and she'd be there until 8:00. "You'all drive careful now, Honey, and don't you worry we'll be waiting for you." It was dark by the time we arrived but the space was easy to get into and the hospitality was very nice. The park has a small "restaurant" in the back room of the office which was perfect for a couple of worn out travelers. Chris an excellent dinner of Texas BBQ Ribs & my Chicken Fried Steak was perfect comfort food. The waitress & cook treated us like family and it was a delightful evening. Then we were off to bed so we could get an early start for San Antonio. 

The next day's drive was long but we managed to arrive before dark and the RV park we are in is lovely. Everything is nicely set up and there are plenty of amenities. Besides the pool/hot tub (which it is a bit too chilly to use right now) there is a golf course next door and a bike path along the San Antonio River that goes all the way into town. We also have some pretty wildlife in our little "backyard". 

We will be here for two weeks so should have lots of time for exploring, and there is plenty to see.

To Mexico and Back

Last week we went to Mexico. Even though this year is a “road trip” year, we needed to take a little side trip to San Carlos to check on the boat, pick up/drop off a few things, do a couple little boat chores, inquire about our immigration documents and help to celebrate our friend, Linde’s, birthday.  

Leaving “Trudie” (the RV) in Amado, we hit the road early on Tuesday morning and, after an uneventful trip, arrived in San Carlos about six hours later. It is amazing how much faster the drive is when you aren’t pulling a trailer (or driving an RV).

Our first order of business was to check into a motel and unpack so we could then make the arrangements to have to boat moved into the work yard for a day.

Up & Down ladders: one reason cruisers hate being in the work yard.

The motel situation is a bit eclectic in San Carlos and runs the gamut from slum to uber-luxury. Most are overpriced but that is to be expected since it is a bit of a bedroom community for folks from Arizona, many of whom own condos or homes there. No matter where you stay, one thing is pretty much assured...there will almost always be beautiful landscaping. 

Pool & garden view from our room in the Best Western.

Kristen & Steve, who had recently stayed at the Best Western, warned us of extremely hard beds, but Patty has been there twice and loved the beds. Since we needed internet and it was walking distance to the beach we decided to give it a try. Arggh! The first night wasn’t too bad but upon waking from the second, it was clear that we would need to move if we were going to be able to drive 6 hours back to Amado.

Next stop, the Fiesta. This used to be a very upscale beachfront resort-type hotel. Not so anymore. 

Our room is on the left end, ground floor.

There is no TV, no internet, and no phone. No problem. We are used to not having TV, we have cellphones and could forgo internet for one night with no lasting effects. Unfortunately, these weren’t the only “issues”. The first thing we discovered was that the lighting situation left a bit to be desired. The main overhead light didn’t work (though the fan did). The fixture over the mirror in the bathroom had one low watt bulb…the other two were missing. 

The light over the shower consisted of a bare light bulb and open wires (yikes!). 

Each bed had a reading light above it. One didn’t work and the other pointed toward the ceiling. After a trip to the office, new light bulbs were installed in the overhead fixture so at least we could read. The curtains were 2 feet too short for the sliding door which didn’t lock from the inside. The air conditioner looked pretty iffy (ie: broken) but I tried it anyway and it was able to provide a secondary fan source. 

The water (cold only) was a trickle until after midnight. After that there was no water at all until the staff came in the next morning around 8:00. Fortunately, the bed was sleep-able (barely) and the view was spectacular. What was the price on these villa-esque accomodations you might ask? $85/night (USD). A bit steep all things considered. Perhaps that is why only 3 rooms were occupied?

The view from the room was very pretty.

On our first night in town we went to a birthday dinner for Linde at our favorite Italian Restaurant. Then we all walked down to Linde & Ken’s RV for cake and socializing. All but 3 of the people are cruisers so much of the conversation revolved around boats, weather, favorite destinations and plans for the upcoming season.

The next day Chris & I spent a few hours on the boat, followed by fish tacos and cervezas for lunch at JJ’s. It was good to see JJ & his family again. After lunch we collected Abby from her “sitter” (Linde) and took her to the beach for a run. 

Abby loves running on "La Playa".

That night was dinner with Ken & Linde.Our final morning was dedicated to getting our immigration status straightened out. We have FM3 cards (rather like registered alien status in the States) so we can enter/leave Mexico as often as we want and don’t need visas. Since FM3’s must be renewed each year, during the same month (no exceptions) and at the same office, and we wouldn’t be in Mexico next March it was a dilemma. The penalty for not renewing your FM3 timely is a hefty fine. Consequently, we needed to find out how to handle this problem. The agent at the IMN Office explained that we needed to stop at immigration on our way out of the country and return the FM3’s. Next year we should go to the Mexican Consulate in the States to get new documents issued. This is no easy task in Portland!

That afternoon Chris did a bit more boat work and bought some Arracharra Beef to take home with us while Linde, Janie & I spent the afternoon playing Baja Canasta. We finished the day with a delicious dinner of Salmon Chowder and Salad prepared by Janie.

Friday morning we were up early (the Fiesta bed was marginally better than the Best Western bed but still not wonderful). Went to Rosa’s for breakfast, gave the Abster one last run on the beach and hit the road. 

Pelicans having breakfast with Tetakawi Mountain in the distance.

When we arrived at Kilometer 21 (the immigration point just south of the border) we attempted to turn in the FM3’s as instructed. Oops! Wrong office! They wouldn’t take them and instructed us to go to the Immigration Office in Nogales. Grrrr. We were not in the mood to fight the Nogales traffic that day so waited until Monday, left the car on the U.S. side and walked into/out of Mexico to turn in the cards.

All alone at Bahia San Pedro in March.

At the moment we are back in Tucson. Being on the boat, even for a short time, made me a little sad that we won’t be cruising this year but Friday we’ll be land cruising to a new destination and new adventure once again.  

San Diego Zoo

A zoo is a zoo is a zoo, right? Not really. Not if it is the San Diego Zoo!

Pretty Parrot in the tropical forest.

Chris & I decided before we left home that one of the things we really wanted to do on the ABLT (American Bucket List Tour) was spend a day at the San Diego Zoo. When we arrived in San Diego there were friends to visit and sights to see but the Zoo was high on the priority list. 

A word of warning for the viewees!

Luckily the King of Beasts was snoozin'.

It had been over 30 years since I last spent a day exploring the exhibits here…back when I was a young mother. It has changed dramatically. The habitats have all been enlarged substantially and were carefully designed and created to give the animals much more room. Many have special “toys” to encourage play and stimulate their brains. In addition, it is much easier for the human visitors to get up close & personal without threatening animal or people. 

Turkey Vultures discussing a rabbit that apparently made a wrong turn!

It is clear that the keepers care a great deal about their charges and the animals seem quite content. It was not unusual to see one of the staff inside an enclosure scratching a camel ear or interacting with an orangutan. 

Black with white stripes or white with black stripes...the eternal question.

All the employees were so very helpful and delighted to share their knowledge about the animals. Just wandering the grounds is like taking a trip through a rain forest…complete with waterfalls, pools and sweet smelling flowers.

Here are some of my highlights:

This Cheetah and her canine BFF have been together since they were cub & pup. They are part of an outreach program where they attend different hands on events. According to their caretaker, when the dog stays calm, the Cheetah does as well. The zoo has several of these pairs. Two Cheetah/Dog friends and two Wolf/Dog friends. 

This is Mary the Elephant getting her pedicure. She was standing there patiently while her “nail technician” trimmed and cleaned her foot. It must be as pleasant for them as it is for us because there were two more waiting their turn.

"Mine!"  "No...Mine!" Two Flamingos arguing over a tasty shrimp dish.

These two young Giraffes are taking a break as they watch a Gazelle saunter past. Just a few minutes before the picture was taken the youngsters were chasing each other around the enclosure and playing tag.

This Camel came right down into the “moat” when he saw me. As if to just say “hello”. Maybe he thought I had something yummy to eat? Or did he want his ears scratched?

I just loved the Secretary Bird. She was busy building a nest while the Mr. lounged in the grass. Typical!

The Lemurs were soooo cute! There entire town appears to be underground. I wonder if they are related to Prairie Dogs?

And, of course, the world famous Giant Pandas.

By the time we headed home, Chris & I were two very tired but happy kids.