It sounds like y'all have been having a great adventure and have seen and experienced so many things. Keep up with the reports and have a safe journey.
Laura
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It sounds like y'all have been having a great adventure and have seen and experienced so many things. Keep up with the reports and have a safe journey.
Laura
West across Florida to the Gulf:
We're heading out from Walt Disney World to the Florida Gulf Coast for 3 days camping on the beach.
We learned alot about Disneyworld.
With out a doubt, the best RV camping we've found anyplace.
Nothing even comes close.
We can see why the camping alone without even visiting the theme parks is big to East Coasters.
Many have their Golf Carts, and RV's custom painted in Disney Characters, and this kinda trip is their lifes passion. An annual, standing WDW reservation is their familys annual vacation.
The way to see the theme parks is in the morning at opening, then collect fast passes, hit the waterparks through the afternoon, then take advantage of the late magic hours and re-visit the parks.
The Disney bars were something else. I've met some characters in my lifetime, but the Disney bars are excellent.
The Beach Bar at Typhoon Lagoon is dripping with beautiful girls of all cultures, from all over the planet.
Brits, Cubans, Southern Girls, French, Canadians, they all hang out there, and they are all chatty, most seemingly want to connect with someone for the nite. String bikinis are here to stay. Other swim suit styles come and go, but butt floss, like Levi jeans, will always be in style too.
I had several blisters on my right foot, so avoiding walking, I spent my fair share of time there with Alice who was tired of walking and turned the kids loose. We met one guy and his wife that had every Disney Character tattoo'd someplace on their body. You name the character, they'd point to it.
I ran Meiko, then Cleo, Geppetos gold fish, and Dis-Honest John by them and yep,, they had the tattoos.
They own'd a computerized machine shop in Orlando and didn't have to sweat employment interviews with all the ink.
We met a group of airline & corporate pilots that stay at the resort often. They spend their off days meeting girls at the bars. The Typhoon Lagoon bar they say is the best daytime bar in all WDW. It' the place from January through October.
The chix way out-number the guys and that's always good. The single moms have sitters already lined up for the evening.
Then the hook-ups made at the Typhoon Lagoon bar, will carry over to late nite hook ups at Pleasure Island which is full of clubs and nite life.
The single life is alive and thriving at WDW. It's on fire.
Food at WDW is vastly improved over our last visits.
The Bomma Buffet dinner at the Animal Kingdom resort was recomended to us here in RTA, and it's excellent.
Different food from the norm, and they really pull it off well.
Nice atmosphere too.
A duck dinner, that is,, ya duck in then ya duck out and that's nice after a long theme park day.
Absolutely have your reservation conformation numbers along with you at WDW. Line 'um on your computer up and print them and have them in hand when you arrive at the restaurant.
No clue why they loose the reservations, but they do.
Your conformation number will be essential in that case. You will not get seated otherwise no matter how sore you get. All the WDW restaurants are booked up and packed.
When you're sitting waiting to be called for your table (in spite of reservations, you'll still be que'd for a spell), if you don't have the pager, other groups without reservations will hustle in and answer to your name to steal your table, so beware of that too. Expect it.
It's usually a New York City family with 6 O'clock Mugs for faces, dads with names like Jules or Duncan or Herme.
The pre-paid meal plan is excellent. It's good at all 135 restaurant at WDW.
The snacks can be those big, giantic candied apples, seemed all the treats were included,,, and all gratituities too.
Alice and I thought the MGM theme part sucked, but the kids loved it.
The Prime Time Diner is fun, but dinner there is 2 plus hours easily, the food bland. Very bland.
Gasoline and diesel is 50 cents a gallon cheaper on WDW property than minutes away in Orlando.
That's it for now, if any tips and tales pop up on this leg, we'll check back in.
Ross & Alice,
Thanks for the continuing excellent report from your trip. Lots of interesting info here. Will you be making your way down to the Everglades?
There is a RV campground that I really enjoyed (as a nice contrast to the hustle and bustle of the Orlando area) -- It is the Lake Cypress RV and Fish Camp near St. Cloud, Florida. Don't dangle your feet in the lake water after dark...
If you get over to Crystal River -- space #40 at the Crystal Isles RV resort has (or at least it did back in 1995..) really nice shade and there are plenty of 'gators in the canal just behind the park. Saw some of the largest dragonflys I have ever seen there.
Keep those reports coming...
Mark
Good tip Mark, the State of Florida is beautiful.
We're now in Destin Florida, West of Panama City on the panhandle.
We're camp'd on the sand on the beach.
The sand is pure white, a fine powder, absolutely beautiful looking out across the water.
A warm breeze flows in off the Gulf of Mexico.
Many people come up and say hello.
Local Southern folk from Mississippi, Alabama, and especially Louisana.
A nice change from the crusty east coasters.
They've camped here for 20 to 30 years they all tell us.
They all moved back a row when the park sharply raised the prices on the beachfront spots.
They usually want to know what Californians are doing here.
They notice our license plates:
"Don't you have beaches and Disneyland in California?" they sometimes ask.
I answer; "Sure, but the Civil War was fought in the South & East., and we have kin in Baton Rouge."
I then mention we're doing a hot lap around America, and they usually mention they'd like to do the same one day.
Often they mention Salinas Calif as a destination, so we'll have to review that furthur, that's a new one.
10 oz beers are the choice all around the campground.
"Yeah, we can get the 12 oz'ers, but we've always drank the 10'z. So the breweries specially can and send them here to select areas in the South"- we're told.
Traditions die hard in the South.
When I was a kid, the little green 7 oz bottles of Coke tasted better than the bigger bottles, but compairing them in this case might be a big stretch.
We had lots of credits left on our WDW dining plan, so my wife went to the gourmet markets at WDW and Pleasure Island marketplace and cashed them in on food.
Really good food.
The RV refer and freezer is stuffed and we'll be chowing it for at least the next week.
Fireworks are serious in the South.
Even the supermarkets sell stuff banned in most the rest of the country.
Multi stage mortars, cherry bombs, brutal and beautiful rockets sold at fireworks stands seemly most everywhere in the South.
There is always, everywhere, the one family that drops a weeks pay on Fireworks and a great show goes on all night.
The kids are rolling outta bed, so if weather permitting, we'll be on a days adventure in the Gulf of Mexico.
Some day you will have to make a point to being in Las Vegas on the 4th of July. My neighbors employ 6 and 8 inch mortars and fire rockets from their backyards that rival anything I have ever seen at professional firework shows. All of these huge fireworks are illegal as they can get -- but... "it's Vegas baby"...Quote:
Originally Posted by Ross & Alice
Don't forget that Nevada was made a state (without the usual requirements) just so the Union could get that much-needed gold... There were some skirmishes here in the West between union and confederate troops.Quote:
I answer; "Sure, but the Civil War was fought in the South & East.,
Enjoy the ride!
Mark
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...3/P1000236.jpg
Driving over the Shenandoah Trail
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...3/P6190350.jpg
Mesa Verde cliff dwellings.
Note foot and hand holds to climb around this room.
Today sends us west outta Florida to Baton Rouge Louisiana.
Wife has kin there and we'll stop by to visit.
Hangin' out on the beach in Destin, Florida was teriffic.
Boogie boarded all day with the kids.
Gulf water seem'd warm compaired to the cold water beaches in Los Angeles that will turn your feet purple.
The campground has two excellent pools. an excellent playground for the kids, and a singer & band atop a patio that was really good.
Lots of people just do laps all nite long around the park in their golf carts, stopping to gawk at anyone checking in. The gawking is unique to Florida we're told by the Louisiana folks.
Must be, we've never encountered it before until WDW, St Augustine and here.
Florida has many private beaches. Very rare in Calif, and no private beaches anyplace in Hawaii at all.
You can spot the Florida private beaches, they're empty.
Much stronger dog control at Southern campgrounds.
"Ya can't reason with drunks or dog owners" one employee told us.
Starting to see no-dog campgrounds in the west, but it's been happening here in the South for quite some time we're told.
It's either the barking or the owners not cleaning up after them that is the problem. Maybe 1 outta 10 owners will control their dogs barking and clean-up after them we hear.
That's pretty accurate I'd say from our experiences. Often the first chore at a campground when we check-in is cleaning up after someone elses dog.
WDW had mostly no dog loops, and very strict controls on the camping loops where they allowed dogs. A dog hotel was at the entrance to the campground, with a walking area with bags and shovels.
I missed one good pic in Durango. A sign said: "no second chances, irresponsible dog owners ejected first offense. They poop, you scoop."
Another weld has pop'd on a wheel so we'll be stopping off for yet another tire & wheel repair. Most likely when we roll through Texas.
OK, off for two days of mostly travel & visit kin.
I am really enjoying your reports and, especially, the photos. The one of the Appalacian Trail is fantastic, I hope you'll be printing that one and hanging it on your wall when you finally get home!
Biloxi Mississippi.
We pulled into the Wall Mart. I would imagine Biloxi has several.
We had to park on the outskirts of the parking lot, next to the Subway sandwitch store.
This SubWay does a booming business. Lines out the door.
Minutes earlier, a customer pulled a long barrel 38 and rob'd the place.
Sitting right outside the front were 2 County Sheriffs in their unmarked Pensacola Blue GMC Equinox, washing down their Subway sandwitches with sodas as the robbery went down.
As the robber exited the Store, the LEOs (Law enforcement Officers) tackled him and took his 38, and hooked him up.
Minutes later, the store back in business, the story of the robbery loosing nothing in the telling by all.
-----------------
Then over to the near-by truck stops.
Biloxi has several resort areas and Indian Casinos nearby.
Thugs have 100's of ways of stealing credit cards from vacationers.
They have to turn them into cash fast before the card gets reported.
So,,,,,
At the nearby truckstops, the thug walks up to you as you're filling your rig and the story goes like this:
" My grandmother and I are heading home and are outta cash, can we fill your rig on our credit card, and you give us cash".
I blow the punks off, and they vanish.
They choose RV's because we pump more, but more importantly, the employees in the stores view is blocked by our rig, and they don't see the thug in action.
It happened again to us this afternoon. I just say we're not interested.
So the guy vanishes,, and then a Pensacola Blue GMC Equinox towing a small travel trailer pulls up to the pump next to us.
A pretty chix get out and stands next to the pump.
The thug appears outta nowhere, and tells his tale to her.
The back doors of the GMC fly open, Leos step out the thug takes off and is tackled on the hot Mississippi asphalt, hooked up, and then hauled off after a few questions.
Ross & Alice,
Thanks for the LEO tales!
Mark
Thanks for the kind takes.Quote:
Originally Posted by UKCraig
Here is a pic of the shear 500 ft drop cliff hand & foot holds one uses visiting the Mesa verde Cliff Dwellings.
The chains and wire aren't to assist you, they are there to catch you when you fall.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...3/P6190367.jpg
Got plenty of them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Editor
Lots of adventures. Those "thugs" were everywhere when I lived in New Orleans. I always told them to get lost. We even had one that we "knew" that hung out at a gas station just off I-10 on Carrolton Ave. We finally figured out that the "exact amount I need for my bus fair to my sick grandmother in California" was the price for a pack of cigarettes.
I've also been approached in New Mexico on the Navajo Reservation with a really creative tale of having to walk to Tuba City.
What all are y'all going to do in Louisiana? Just let me know if you have any questions. I've lived there all my life.
Laura
We're in Baton Rouge as I type this.
Camped in a mom and pop campground across the street from the Chevy dealer.
The grounds are divided into daily, and "rates".
A good little biz for the young couple that runs it.
A nice atmosphere, and for $28 U.S. a nite, one can't gripe.
They have a little campground cat they call "tux" that comes over to visit us.
He's a little mudball, and a fun character of a cat.
Alice dropped off the kids at her ex-inlaws for the nite.
Teriffic people, but they're her ex's,,,,,
So we have an evening off. I like to collect interesting T shirts and tank tops with location names on them.
Like Lou Lous bar and grill down the street.
I find if you sit to have a drink, locals will ask you questions, and one must always answer like "Ya ain't trying to be nobody".
Wife finally has time to study for some medical credential exams coming up next week. Yea,, starting to get back in the swing of home life, though still on the road.
Must be boring stuff she's reading.
She'll put down the textbooks to watch me tie my shoes. Anything is more interesting than to study.
- chloroform in print as Mark Twain would call it.
Alice worked at the close-by Baton Rouge Medical Center hospital for some years, and has fond memories of the teriffic staff and patients.
Best place she ever worked she says.
Whole new definition of thunder here in Louisiana. It is loud, and it is teriffic.
---------------
When a GM car dealer has the Goodwrench sign up, it means they'll service any make GM vehicle.
So,, tomorrow will be an oil change, and a nasty exhaust leak repair on our GMC truck at the Chevy dealer across the street.
All my GM trucks get the same exhaust leak about 100k miles, our Toyotas too.
All the car dealers along Florida Blvd are in new facilities. Looks like Toyota op'd to move or quit.
Friends we had over the years that own car dealers were either very conservative and run a successful car biz,, or they had brutal gambling problems and folded the business at first chance to break even.
That first chance usually was a fire or earthquake, perhaps Hurricane too?
We've seen people beat every habit out there, drugs, booze, spending,, but I've never seen anyone break a bad gambling habit.
Friend folded his Ford Dealer last year.
A really excellent place to do business.
He said it was Toyota that got him, but we know better, it was the Mirage Hotel and Casino.
Everything looks new here in Baton Rouge. Perhaps Katrina re-newal?
One thing I miss over past visits to the South is Seal Test ice Cream.
Seems to be gone from the landscape.
Sealtest sold out to Kraft, who in turn, sold to Good Human, who produces quality like,,,,,,
It was better when the old man ran it.
The horizontal poverty thinking seem'd to have vanished from the South too. Vertical thought, that is,, looking up to a better way of life seems to have taken over the whole south.
Jim Crow is dead too thank goodness.
On to Texas,,,, then to the Carlsbad Caverns tour, and to watch the flying hamsters (BATs) evening flight from the caves.
Navigating MacBook Photos can be a trying experience.
The Apple store has a Mac Book specialist, and when we return we'll discover how picture editing can be "saved".
A lot of our pix need to be rotated, but the photo features on Mac may or may not let you do this trick or eliminate red-eye.
And if it will, it won't let you save changes, it defaults back to the original un-edited pic.
So,, when we return home, we have lots of pictures we'll load into windows, and do a final run down.
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data...190341-med.JPG
Mesa Verde Cliff dwelings Ranger tour guide.
Please forgive the duplicate pix:
Mac Book lets you edit photos, but when loaded to a host gallery, they revert back to the un-edited pic.
Let's see if we can change all that:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...3/P6190362.jpg
One of many tight passageways one must navigate at the Mesa Verde Indian Cliff Dwellings NM. Rotated 90 degrees. Not a place for those who don't like tight places. I drag'd my beer gut through it, you can too! 7 year old Maynard.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...3/P6190350.jpg
Tunnel leads to the Balcony room, 500 plus feet from the canyon floor.
Rotated 90 degrees.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...3/P6190342.jpg
One of several long ladders one must climb to enter the Cliff dwellings.
The bottom of the ladder is 500 feet above the canyon floor. Half way up you get the picture how hairy the location is.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...3/P6190367.jpg
Our 7 year old climbing out using the orig indian hand and foot holes carved in the rock cliff facing.
The chains and wires aren't guides to help you climb, they're a net to catch you when you fall.
It's a hairy climb, not for those who don't like heights. It's the only way out, no chicken exit.
Rotated 90 degrees.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...3/P6190369.jpg
Pic rotated 90 degrees. Wife about to climb one of several hairy ladders exploring the Mesa Verde Indian Cliff dwellings. If you don't have a head for heights, this isn't the tour for you.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...3/P1010114.jpg
National Corvette museum, Bowling Green Ky.
Should be called the National c4 Corvette museum.
Pic rotated 90 degrees.
A Spectacular blow out has us spending the night in Shreveport Louisiana.
GoodRich All Terrain left rear on our GMC.
Severly damaged the fender, completely eliminated the inside wheel well.
We pulled over to change it,, calling AAA first. Of course AAA didn't respond.
Buzzards started pulling up around us, so I quickly changed the tire myself., we made a quick reservation at a nearby campground, and rolled in for the night.
Tomorrow will be to get the tire replace under warranty, and yet another RV wheel replaced while we're at it.
We are in the middle of a stalking incident with a neighbor camper.
The guy has a very nice expensive MotorHome and tag along vehicle, but followed the wife to the laundy room,stood there & starred at her, then followed her back, and is in front of his MoHo stare-ing at our site.
I'll pull our rig together in an hour, and we'll depart arriving at the tire dealer at opening.
Naturally report this to the campground office, and insist no info about us be givin out.
That's it for now,, heading out.
I have had my share of blow-outs on the road, but never a stalker -- although we have had folks knock on the door late in the evenings many times.
Be safe and keep having fun.
Mark
But yay on being in Shreveport. Yeah I know it's just another town to you, but it's my hometown and I'm finding myself ready to get back there. Two more days and I'll be in my own bed with my own pug.
Laura
We had a spectacular blowout in Shreveport La.
Left rear Goodrich T/A severly damaged the fender of the truck, and completely wiped out the wheel well.
So a slight diversion,,,
We camped at a nearby campground, planned our next move into Longview Texas in the morning to deal with tire issues.
I usually do the laundry, but this time Alice wanted too while I too the kids swimming.
A stalker entered the laundry room, stared at her and stood there crazy, so of course she left then he followed her back to our RV.
She told me.
So,,
When I made an appearance, he took off.
I was good with pugil sticks in the Marines, and carry one long.
I wanted to simonize the stalker with one, but he left us alone for the nite.
We left the campground early, and headed straight to Longview, Texas.
Pulling into Texas, our first stop was Discount tire, where my tire warranty is good, and their is a good chance they have the replacement tire in stock.
We cross the border from Lousiana, and ya know you're in Texas, ya see Tamale signs all over the place.
The attitude changes from "Maybe Manana," to; "yes sir, you're next".
That dark shadow of crime everywhere lingering overhead that started in Biloxi seems to have blown away too.
The tire store was teriffic. We got a new $300 tire under warranty, and I replaced the rest.
Though they still had 3/4"+ of tread left, I changed them out for the newer version, even more heavyduty " E " rated tires.
They also filled out a damage claim form & sent to to Goodrich to get re-imbursed for the damage to the truck, and the one lame RV tire was fixed free too.
This put us 20 hours behind on our trip detouring to a local campground, but hit us at a "free agent time" so we didn't miss much.
I wanted to see Dealy Plaza and the "6th floor museum" in Dallas but had to trade that time for tires.
While they were installing the tires, we walked about that neighborhood in Longview a bit.
Closed, that is shut down and outta business were the Krystals, Dennys Diner, and the Wendys.
We can understand why, questionable quality, always seem to be dirty stores too.
Amazing, I remember traveling nearly the same route as a kid, and we ate at good family owned restaurants. Hard to find these days, most replaced by chains offering fare nowhere near the good taste and character of a family run food Biz.
We finally ate breakfast at the Waffle House across the street from the tire store.
Ya see Waffle Houses all over the south,, way too numberous to count.
Not exaggering, maybe one at every major off ramp.
They are painted a sad mustard yellow and skuffed up black, like tire stores in Mexico, so they don't look appealing for food.
The sorry colors make customers leave when they're done eating, freeing room for new customers is the theory behind that we're told.
The food was pretty good, and very low cost. The service was that sweet Texas style from girls that were ladies. They talk in an accent and slow style, kinda like they're gonna fall asleep standing while speaking to you, but still smiling.
I'm a soft touch for Old Ford dealers.
Ya know, the kind housed in an old style wood sided building, with glass pane windows, a buffed wooden floor, the small blue neon sign with the old style blue Ford logo out front.
We got to see a few this trip.
The best example is Ojai Calif Ford.
A classic old Ford Dealer Building.
Still a few around.
Ya go in, the salesman is classic old school with a shirt and tie.
Knows everything about everything about Ford cars and trucks.
Doesn't have to flag down another employee that will then again chase down another employee to ask about some feature.
Back at the tire dealer we bump into yet another new Dodge truck owner.
They seem to always want to tell Ford and GM truck owners "ya bought the wrong truck."
I always answer "How do you like shifting that stick shift while towing 14.000 lbs ?". That blindsides them. Dodge auto trans are a matter of endless dispute, and the buyers know it, so they often op'd for the stickshift to avoid the issue.
That usually bring them back down to earth, and some miserable caught in traffic, or the wife hates shifting towing a load,, story follows.
Bless their hearts, they love what they decided to buy and want the whole world to know.
Nothing but automatic tranny trucks for this family.
We get asked so much what we're doing so far from home? We again reply "Seeing the USA in our Chevrolet."
'Gee, I want a job that would allow me to so that" is the come back. 'waddya do?"
"I retired early" is my response.
West Texas opens up and starts looking like the Southwest around West Abilene.
In Sweetwater Texas ya then really get the Sonora Desert character of the landscape.
Chapperells, Mesas, rolling landscape.
The roads are all under renovation. An off or on ramp is simply a dropped truckload of asphalt, then run over with a sheepsfoot.
Really hairy entering and exiting the highways.
Heading Northwest to New Mexico, the Texas farms and homes look so storybook perfect.
Stone farm homes surrounded by shade trees look so comfortable and happy and warm.
Gas stations about a tankfull apart, so good we have a few 5 gallon containers along.
So now we are camped in Carlsbad New Mexico. Pouring rain.
We'll be dropping down into the Caverns at 2 PM. Then the flying hamster (bats) show at dusk.
Then, a once a year, Bat breakfast tomorrow.
Entirely different from the silent 600.000 bats quietly exiting the cave in one big silent ribbon.
They return screaming, diving bombing each other,, quite a show, and only once a year they do the breakfast.
Then, the final pull into Parker Az after the kids take a flight over the Grand Canyon.
It'll be good to be back in Parker. Got a whole summer ahead of us in Parker.
We were surprised how neat the self-guided walking tour of the Caverns is.
It can be a walk of over 2 miles underground.
Very well laid out, very well set-up by the Park Service.
We opted for one guided tour in addition. It was the tour to the Kings room.
Our Park Service ranger/ guide was doing it for his first week on the job, and handled the tour well.
The guided tours will take you places you can't visit self-guided.
A century of visitors has really shop worn sections of the Caverns, so now Rangers accompany you in those areas.
The guide had a strong Texas accent, so a piller wasn't a column of Calcite, a piller is something you lay your head on at nite.
At sundown. you can sit at the natural entrance of the cave, and see the silent exit of the Mexican Free-tailed bats leave the cave.
Estimated to be about 600.000.
Looks like a quiet puff of black smoke.
The kids loved it.
Once a year, Park Service employees stage a morning bat-return breakfast, now moved ahead one weekend to today.
The bats don't return in one silent black ribbon.
They come back fussing with, and dive bombing each other and in ones and twos.
The Carlsbad Caverns National Park overall is also a beautiful, unique park.
A stunning view of the land below, and a beautiful drive up to the Caverns themselves.
It's a knock-out of a scenic place.
Our signal strength is very week, so we'll post some pix when we return home.
The town of Carlsbad shocked us. Seedy, overgrown and in dis-repair, many business abandon'd. Roads, streets and neighborhoods, business districts neglected. A town in pain. We felt bad driving through, shocked really.
We had visions of a Sedona, Frank Lloyd Wright, proud of ownership curb-appeal, Southwestern kinda place. Nope, far from it.
We camped about 20 miles North of town at the KOA.
A nice campground, about $33 a nite with our KOA discount card.
One can clearly see why the campground moved from the center of town for much nicer digs past the City Limits.
Those awful biting Black flies we first encountered in Texas are still in the air, so use caution in the late afternoon and evening hours.
They'll jump ya and hang on tight.
Mosquitos too.
Today the Living Desert Museum and Zoo, and a walk under Sitting Bull Falls.
Twenty Three States so far.
We'll roll into home in a few days, and we put up a gallery of pix from the trip.
The Verizon wireless can be very slow and cranky to both post or send pics, if at all.
Also, it was sometime tough to even post, so thank to all for your kind comments and patience with my sentence structure and spelling.
You can obviously tell the "sweeter" posts by Alice.
We'll post the routes & route numbers, the stops, the pix and some takes when we get to a hardwired "deck computer."
In future roadtrips, we hope to post more about fun eating places just on or off interstates.
I drove our Honda s2000 a while back to the 50th aniv. of the tragic James Dean car accident in Cholame Calif., and made it a point to make good food part of the trip.
Those good eating places are out there, ya just gotta find them.
A ESPN reporter contacted me at the last moment and asked to come along.
Have no clue what became of the reporter/writers story, but the food on the road can be a great experience.
At least the reported was impressed that there is more out there than fast food with a little internet research.
.
When on the road, never, ever judge a book by it's cover when checking out good food stops. Your first impression when walking in is important though.
Especially in Louisiana. Great food places, the exterior is a last thought, but damn,, really good food at good prices.
Last leg of this American Roadtrip will be Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Pure sightseeing, but if their is a waterpark, the kids will be getting wet.
Traveling to Abq NM.
Lots of open space and time to think.
I mean real wide open spaces in New Mexico.
I remember at the start of this trip, we were lucky enough to camp overnite at the Page Az Elks.
After geting all set-up, I went inside the Lodge to scratch the surface of the town by meeting some local folks.
Really old guys married to younger, attractive women.
I thought how'd these old buzzards hook up with these nice young girls?
Then I looked up at myself in the mirror behind the bar,, and remembered my wife is 12 years younger than me.
Oh brother.
Smoked mirrors are flattering though.
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http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data...000208-med.JPG
5 Legged Cow at Prarrie Dog Town, near Scott City Ks.
An indoor waterpark is under construction at one the hotels here, but it isn’t done yet. And The Beach waterpark went out of business two years ago. So, no waterparks (sorry), but one of the local public swimming pools has water slides. ( I’ve never been there, don’t know much about it.)Quote:
Pure sightseeing, but if their is a waterpark, the kids will be getting wet.
If I can be of help finding anything in Albuquerque, just let me know.
That cow is scary! You kinda feel sorry for it - I can imagine all the other cows bullying it :) - whilst at the same time wanting to kill it and eat the thing!
Thanks Howard, appreciate the tip. Therefore, we'll be onto Meterior Crater and the 'Refrigerated Caves".Quote:
Originally Posted by howard
Spent the evening in the American Campground along the I 40 in Abq.
Rated tops in NM, and it's very nice.
What are the Blue Laws In NM?
We can't find beer at any convienence store or Market.
They had a 6 legged cow too.Quote:
Originally Posted by UKCraig
Got the tip to visit the Prairee Dog Museum in Ks, here in RTA.
Cornball as all heck, but worth a look.
7016 miles so far. Less than 700 miles left on the trip.
$2073 on fuel.
Alice figured we'd probably hit 10.000 miles and $5000 on gas, so it seems cheap.
Disneyworld:
1 week camp site fee, 7 day admissions for FOUR people at all attractions and waterparks, all meals and deserts & snacks plus other benies too numberous to list: $2400.
Some takes:
Walgreens is a good National Pharmacy to have your prescriptions already set up.
As you travel, their national network allows re-fills anyplace, and our Calif medical plan is accepted by them in all 50 states.
We had to get an urgent prescription written in Fla, and they then filled it at our $5 co-pay.
Carry a good tire gauge, and keep them inflated to MFG spex.
Though we had a brutal blow-out, we really feel we got good tire service, and avoided past yet furthur problems by watching the pressures.
This compaired to past experiences IOHO's.
Disapointments:
Most of the Smithsonian Museum in DC was closed for renovations.
It really blindsided us.
The National Corvette Museum.
Corvette has had 6 basic models since it's introduction in 1953.
The Corvette c1 through the Corvette c6.
The museum was 95% dedicated to the Corvette c4.
People want bragging rites over their old C4, so they donate it to the museum, write it off, and brag their tired old c4 sits in the National Museum.
The Cyclorama in Gettysberg, Closed for renovation.
Old style, built just after the Civil War, rotating theater with models and a Diorama of the battle.
Roswell, New Mexico. *** [See Editor's Note Below]
What can I say. Nothing like the news media protrays it. But a cool town.
It's not the sleepy dirt road town with a just a black mailbox with PhD College professor residents hangin out at the only lonely diner with plausable storys about UFO's.
It's a hustling, bustling little city, though a very nice city. Impossible to make a left turn.
Three rights make a left.
Hurricane Valley Utah.
The Mormons are nice & helpfull to you, the non-Mormons are not. Hold that thought if you travel through there.
Everything else great.
The most beautiful drive in the world is a lap around the USA.
Surprises:
Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico.
Beautiful, and an excellent self-guided tour.
Zion National Park.
Very well organized.
Park and take the busses, stop off where ya feel like it. Excellent food everyplace.
Monument Valley, and all the surroundng and approaching valleys around it.
Far more dramatic in person than the John Ford Movies.
The beaches of Florida.
All excellent. Warm water, nice conditions, mostly nice people, very accessable. I forgot all about this from when I was a kid.
Illinois and Pennsylvania are beautiful farm states with great highways.
Virginas and Carolinas state campgrounds are beyond excellent.
Much better than they have to be, and priced right.
Really super for families.
The C&O Canal, Maryland.
Rivals anyplace for beauty. The awesome history is just a huge bonus.
****[Editor's Note: The "black mailbox and the lonely diner" still exist -- you just had the wrong state and location! That is a permanent fixture of the ET highway in Nevada!!!!] Actually the so-called "black mailbox" is actually painted white -- and it always has been -- this is an "insiders joke" -- our photo is on this page.
Ross and Alice,
Great field report thus far.
I love it that Roswell has usurped the location for the famous "black mailbox" -- as you can see above, it is still exists. But it is about 921 miles to the northwest of Roswell, NM.
Mark
Quote:
What are the Blue Laws In NM?
We can't find beer at any convienence store or Market.
No drive-up liquor sales.
No liquor sales after midnight.
No liquor sales before noon on Sunday.
No liquor sales within a certain distance (200 yards? I think) of schools and churches. Some stores where you would normally expect to find beer can’t sell any liquor at all because of this law.
This is helpful, I have been stumped before in NM looking for a similar libation. In some states, one has to a package liquor warehouse to purchase a six-pack of beer.Quote:
Originally Posted by howard
Mark
Ya got us on that one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Editor
Other corrections:
It was the Denver and Rio Grand not the Durango and Silverton that once traveled from the Rio Grand to Denver.
It's the Chihuahua Desert, not the Sedona we passed through in Texas.
Wife is 11 years younger, not 12.
BTW:
What caught our attention:
Clinton promised to release any classified info about the Roswell incident.
And he did.
All it did was make everyone more sore at him, if that was possible.
Thanks Howard.Quote:
Originally Posted by howard
That certainly explains why the state is so dry.
And soooo many DUI checkpoints mid-day.
What also surprised us are how few gas stations there are.
Just about a tankful apart.
Today brings an airplane tour of the Grand Canyon, and a Hummer off road tour.
Then, the kids asked for much-missed In & Out burger 4x4 animal style for dinner in Kingman,, then home.
Major Powels assessment of the Colorado River.
He was the first to assess and travel it in 1869 and again in 1871.
I first read those words when I was 12, and have always loved the Colorado since I first laid eyes on it in Needles, Calif.
Sunday, we took a Grand Canyon Airlines flight over the Grand Canyon.
Pictures forthcoming.
Some long stretches of the Colorado are Carribean Blue. Stunning.
Since the big rains of 1986, two of the 191 stretches of the Colorados rapids were elevated to "10" status.
Any rating above 10 is considered un-navigable.
We considered both the Helicopter tour and the Twin Otter fixed wing tour.
Each tour very different, but the Twin Otter had the best value for a family of four.
Our route in flite was kinda-of-a lazy 8 from rim to rim. The North rim about 1200 ft higher in elevation than the South. Worked well, was fantastic.
Later:
We visited both the Brite Angel Hotel, and the close-by El Tovar Hotel.
Take our word for it, both hotels were built on these particular sites for good reasons. The views are spectacular, and though very close-by, entirely different. Hard to believe they're real views.
You realize right on the spot why the whole world comes to simply gaze out at the Canyon.
You can walk clear through the El Tovar and it is a really neat hotel.
One can simply walk a mile down, or perhaps just 50 yards down Brite Angel Trail to really fill ones heart with the majestic beauty of the canyon.
It's a 12 hour, hot and high altitude climb back up the trail if you hike to the bottom.
Honestly go on Brite Angel Trail eyes wide open, and prepaired if you decide to take the full hike. Even a short distance at least bring water, or Gatoraid.
We are now at our journeys starting point, Parker Arizona. 8016 miles total.
Today brings much needed welding repairs to our RV (remember cheap junk and expensive junk are your choices when considering an RV purchase).
Alice returns to work, one child delivered back to an ex, and Maynard & I then go take delivery on our new Wakeboard boat and go home too.
We will upload an album and a route with takes from all in the family.
Thanks to all for the nomination, and kinds positive votes putting us as Advisors.
- Ross and Alice.
Ross & Alice et al,
It was quite a holiday trip. Thanks for sharing it with all of us!
Mark
Thanks for the kind words Mark.Quote:
Originally Posted by Editor
BTW:
Last nite my 7 year old and I were watching the Kids Science Channel.
They did a documentary from Roswell. They ran the Black Mailbox and the lonely backroad diner filled with the believable pundits by us yet again.
We know better now.
"That vast wasteland called television."
-TV inventor Philo T. Farnsworth (Philco)
I can't believe no one has ever complained about this. What a bunch of nonsense!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ross & Alice
Mark