Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...

 


    The 83 mile drive back down SR180 from Alpine, Texas to Terlingua was pleasant and uneventful. We had gotten an early start so we could spend the afternoon at the National Park and arrived at BB RV park sometime after 11:00am.  I requested site 19, the same site we had when we were here last week, but as it was occupied we were given site 18 - right next door. With temps in the mid 90s I was kind of excited to see there was a big shade tree on the passenger (south-facing) side of the coach. The site was just long enough to accommodate us but I had to park the car across from our site in an area where employees park. After carefully positioning the coach I had to attach a wash brush to one of my extendable handles so I could break off a dead branch, about 10' up, that was in the way of the slide on that side.
   What I hadn't thought about was the problem this lovely shade tree might create for my recently acquired satellite dish. And after leveling, deploying the slides, connecting to water, electric & sewer and completing all the other little tasks we perform upon arrival at a new location, I powered up the dish and it began it's search of the heavens. Soon thereafter a message appeared on my TV screen advising me that the dish was unable to locate a satellite. Our only option was to move to another site and neither of us felt like doing that. Big Bend RV Park doesn't offer cable service and there are no over-the-air antennas within at least a hundred mile radius of this very remote location. Luckilly we have a pretty good DVD/Blu-ray library and, over the next two days, contented ourselves with watching a few Sherlock Holmes episodes from our "Complete Basil Rathbone Collection" and a Bond movie. It's all good.

    Anyway, after getting set up, we walked and fed the dogs, hopped in the car and headed for the Chisos basin area of Big Bend National Park. There are three main areas of the park we wanted to be sure to see: the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, which we had done before bugging out the previous week, Chisos Basin and the Rio Grande Village/Boquillas Canyon area. Thursday was our day to see Chisos Basin.
   It was about a 30 minute drive to the visitors center at Chisos Basin. After checking out the visitors center/museum we headed outside to take a 2 mile loop hike. A couple hundred yards in the path became very rocky. Expecting a smoother walking surface, neither of us had worn hiking shoes. That and the memory of Suzanne's fall during our Borrego Springs Hellhole Canyon hike last month convinced us that it might be wise to turn back - so we did, and instead took the short 0.5 mile paved loop. Still, the scenery was spectacular. I didn't take many pictures but here's one I took with my phone. 
 

   On Friday we drove out to the Rio Grande Village/Boquillas Canyon section of the park. I think it may have been our favorite. This time we came prepared and, wearing our hiking shoes, hiked into the canyon and to the Rio Grande.

   Pictures never capture the grandeur of places like this. In the second picture above there are people standing in the lower left corner of the frame. I included them in an effort to add perspective - but they're almost impossible to see. Suffice it to say - that's one big-ass rock wall!

   Saturday morning we packed up and headed back into the park, this time in the coach with the car in tow. There would be no sight seeing this day other than what we could see through the windshield as our purpose for heading back into the park was to reach SR 385 North to Marathon.

   I did see something very cool a few miles along SR 385 - a BIG tarantula crossing the road!

Not the tarantula, but a tarantula

   He was scooting across the road at a pretty good clip, right in front of me! Luckily I managed to avoid squishing the fuzzy little critter.

   *****

   Our destination for Saturday was Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site. I had made reservations at their RV park for one night - water & electric for $20! What a bargain! 

   About 23 miles west of SCSP&HS on SR90 in the sleepy little town of Langtry is a uniquely American tourist attraction... the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center.  It's just a hundred yards or so off the eastbound side of SR90 on the 1.5 mile Rt.25 loop. 

   We learned some interesting stuff about this eccentric dude. Thankfully, the dispensation of justice in west Texas has come a long way since the days of Judge Roy Bean.

    This is the original "Jersey Lilly" (named for Lilly Langtry, a famous actress of the day for whom he also named the town) where he served liquor and held court.

   We told the woman behind the counter at the visitor center that we were heading for SCSP&HS and she told us that there is a guided tour at 3:00pm. In fact, you can only tour the canyon with a guide and tours are conducted just twice daily - one at 8:30am and the other at 3:00pm. It was 1:45pm so we hurried back to the coach and out onto SR90 east. We arrived at the park about 20 minutes later and while Suzanne took Winnie for a walk I went inside and registered for our one night stay and purchased two tickets for the 3:00 canyon tour. We quickly unhooked from the car and Suzanne followed me as I drove the coach up the hill to site E-8 where I deployed the slides, plugged into the 30 amp service and turned on the AC so the dogs would be comfortable while we were away.

    The canyon tour was fascinating.

4500 year old pictographs

300 year old mesquite tree

    The RV park was top notch and a short walk to the top of a scrubby knoll afforded a vast 360 degree vista of the West Texas desert. The sunset was incredible and the lack of artificial light made for a stunning night sky on a moonless, cloudless night. 

*****

    So today is Sunday and we're in Uvalde, Texas at Quail Springs RV Park where we will remain until Thursday. Suzanne will put in her three days of work and then we'll head for South Padre Island. We're about 325 miles away and I planned to do it in a day... but we may break it up into two.

    Thanks for checking out the blog!

   

   

 

Big Bend: Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive

 

   We arrived at Big Bend RV Resort & Adventures in Terlingua, Texas last Friday after a one night stay at Desert Willow RV Park in the sleepy little town of Van Horn, Texas. Van Horn is one of those places that time forgets when the interstate (I-10) gets completed... and passes you by.

   What Wikipedia has to say about the place...

"Anglo-Texan^[7] settlement began in the late 1850s and early 1860s supportive of the San Antonio-El Paso Overland Mailroute.^[8] Although U.S. Army Major Jefferson Van Horne is believed to have passed near the area in 1849 on his way to take command of what would later become Fort Bliss, the town is instead named for Lt. James Judson Van Horn who commanded an army garrison at the Van Horn Wells beginning in 1859. Lt. Van Horn's command was relatively short-lived, as the post was seized by Confederate forces in 1861 and Lt. Van Horn taken prisoner.^[9] Settlement was further stimulated by the construction of the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881.^[10][11][12] The town has several buildings on the National Register of Historic Placesincluding the First Presbyterian Church (now Primera Iglesia Bautista), built in 1901."

We walked around town Thursday afternoon, taking the free guided tour of The Clark Hotel Museum...

And a quick peek inside the El Capitan Hotel...

   We've traveled through and visited so many of these little towns - but each has it's individual story and unique charm. It's always fun exploring these places. There's often so much to see and experience just off the interstate.

   So... back to Big Bend...

   As I said, we arrived Friday afternoon. I had concerns about Verizon coverage in the greater Big Bend area after doing some online research a few days before our arrival.

   Here's why...

The Red areas represent Verizon coverage

   I called the RV park and asked about cell signals and was told it was spotty and that the only way to know for sure was to come on down and give it a try. There are red spots in the area of the RV park so I was hopeful that we would receive a good signal. As I've mentioned in previous blogs, Suzanne works part time, Monday - Friday, and we need to have a good Verizon signal in order for her to participate in conference calls and connect to the internet via our Verizon hot spot(s). Both our phones have hot spot capability and we have a dedicated Ellipsis Jet Pack. In addition to our hot spots we have a Weboost Drive 4G-X system installed in the coach which will significantly boost a weak signal.

   As it turned out, even with the aid of our Weboost, we had a very poor signal - strong enough to make phone calls, but not strong enough to get online. The RV park had a room in their main building, available for guest use, where there was wifi, a wireless router and a desk at which one could sit with his/her laptop. Suzanne gave it a test run Saturday afternoon but with the noise from the adjoining rec room, deemed it unacceptable. I walked to the office and arranged a Sunday departure (we were booked through Thursday), returning Thursday (4/25) through Saturday (4/27). Sunday morning we packed up and drove the 83 miles back up to Alpine - a town we had passed through two days earlier and that I knew had a very strong Verizon signal. We have been at The Lost Alaskan RV Park in Alpine since Sunday afternoon and will be leaving tomorrow (Thursday) and returning to Terlingua. We were able to do some exploration of Big Bend National Park on Saturday. It's a beautiful park - the size of the State of Rhode Island and requires more than a day to experience. We drove the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive  which terminates at the bank of the Rio Grande after winding through some of the most spectacular landscape this side of the... um... Rio Grande.

    After our drive and upon our return to Terlingua, we visited the Terlingua "Ghost Town". There were a couple of cool looking restaurants/watering holes that we'll probably investigate further when we return. 

   Here are a few shots from a quieter side of town...

   Thanks for checking out the blog!

   

Why?!

     From the "dog park" at Coyote Howls RV Park looking west into the desert...

 If I told you we are staying in a very remote area in Southwestern Arizona and you replied,               "Why?" 
  I'd say, "You're absolutely right!"
  To which you might respond, "What?"
  "No! Why!", I'd quip.

   And round and round we'd go.
   Oh, the fun we'd have!

 
 
    And that is because...

   We're in Why, Az. (pop.116) where we will spend the next three or four nights.

    "Why Why?", you might ask.

    "Why not?", would be my response.

    Actually, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is on our To-Do list and Why is just a few miles from the park entrance. 

    That's why Why.

    Why spend so much time in Why?

    Because we prefer to remain stationary Monday - Wednesday when Suzanne is working. We need a good Verizon signal and the internet connectivity it provides in order for her to transact business.

****

    Yesterday we traveled 65 miles from El Centro, CA. to Yuma, AZ.. Our first stop was the Yuma Territorial Prison State Park where we parked the coach in the RV parking lot, ate a small lunch and walked the dogs before paying our combined $12 senior admission (age has it's perks) and taking the self guided tour. 

    It was very interesting.

     One thing I found interesting is that John Behan, of Tombstone fame, was superintendent for a few years.

     Both women and men were incarcerated here. One woman I read about spent a year or so at YTP for committing the crime of infidelity. Not sure if men were held to the same standard.
     Prisoners who misbehaved (and misbehaving could be something as minor as "insulting a guard") could be made to spend time in the "Dark Cell".

   ... not a good place to be.

****

  Our travel route since leaving Indio, CA.

   Thanks for checking out the blog!

   

     

It Begins! The Long Journey Home...

   This past Tuesday we bid a fond farewell to site 51 at Indian Wells RV Resort.
   Our daughter, Allie and her husband Andy live in Frederick, Maryland. Andy was going out be out of town for a few days so Allie decided to fly out and hang with mom & dad 3/28 - 4/2.
   So....
   Instead of leaving the Coachella Valley and beginning our two month meander homeward, we spent Thursday & Friday with Allie at IWRVR (we were paid up through 3/30) and on Saturday made the 1/2 mile jaunt around the corner to Motorcoach Country Club where we rented a Gold Premium site and enjoyed three days of luxury at the "Crown Jewel of Motorcoach Resorts". If you've been following our travels you know we spent a week at MCC before moving to IWRVR on January 5.

    We slid nicely into site #12 - a beautiful site with all the amenities - pool, casita, outdoor kitchen and living area - fenced backyard allowing the dogs to run free. Everything seemed wonderful until we decided to take a dip in the pool and couldn't get the heater to work. Allie has had experience dealing with this sort of thing and it became her mission to find a solution to our dilemma - a task made more difficult by the fact that it was Saturday ... and management takes weekends off. 

   After several relayed messages to the manager via the front gate, Dawn, the manager, finally contacted Allie directly and we were offered a change of venue. It was a hassle, but within an hour we were moved and set up in our new site. Our first night was deducted from the bill and the remaining two nights were discounted. 

   Allie persevered, Dawn stepped up to the plate and everybody was happy. 

   We had a great time at MCC. Suzanne's family joined us for a Sunday afternoon barbecue and our friend, Tim came over Monday evening (bearing gifts) for dinner and cocktails. We had some good times with Tim this winter and will be genuinely looking forward to seeing him again when we return next winter.

****

   Stop...
   Back up...

   Before Allie's arrival and our departure from IWRVR I was able to check a few items off my to-do list. You may remember that I had ordered and received a mounting plate for the satellite dish I installed on the roof of the coach. I'm sure the dish was adequately secured, but I generally prefer to over-build things and, after seeing how relatively thin the roof was the addition of the mounting plate seemed like a good idea. The job didn't take as long as I thought it would. The most time consuming part was removing the Dicor sealant from around the perimeter of the base. I had applied it sparingly in anticipation of removal. There are now several more screws (16?) anchoring the dish to the roof. It ain't goin' nowhere.

   I ordered an 8 pack of Dicor online and over the duration of our trip home I plan to replace the sealant on all the roof fixtures and seams.  I started with the shower skylight.

Old Dicor removed and surfaces cleaned with mineral spirits

Done

   The "flame" went out in our "fireplace". The "flame" is actually light reflected off a rotating cylinder with a spiral of tinsel-like fingers and a very cleverly designed combination of amber colored shiny stuff & mirrors. It's really quite magical and mysterious. The end result is a fairly convincing faux flame - made even more convincing by glowing logs and heat. There are three bulbs inside and in order to access and change them the entire assembly must be removed from the wall and disassembled. Somewhat of a pain in the ass. I'm guessing the bulbs didn't blow out simultaneously and that we've been unknowingly content with a ~33% level of make-believe fire for several months. 

    I replaced the bulbs and cleaned everything cleanable. We're pretty much staying as far south as possible for the return trip home and temps here in the desert southwest will soon be into the mid 90s. It may be a while before we're once again able to enjoy our faux-yer place.

    I've changed oil and oil filters on both the Tour's 450 Cummins engine and its 10k watt Onan generator. I have three fuel filters that I am waiting to change in a more appropriate setting. It's a potentially messy job. The one filter that I absolutely wanted to replace before heading east was the engine air filter. It's a big 11.5" x 23" canister and the existing one looked well past its prime. I had ordered one online back on March 5 and was guaranteed delivery before March 30. On March 29 I received an email stating the order had been cancelled. Major disappointment. The filter typically sells for somewhere in the $150 range. The one I had found online was $118 with free shipping. I found a truck supply store a few miles from our location and forked over $163 for a new filter. More than I wanted to spend, but knowing the big Cummins is breathing a little easier is worth it. 

    When we bought the coach I asked that all filters and fluids be changed. I'm pretty sure they overlooked the air filter. Pretty nasty looking - inside & out.

Old filter - rusty & very dirty inside

Like a breath of fresh air

    So here we are at Rio Bend RV Resort in El Centro, California. Why RBRVR? It's on the way and came highly recommended by a fellow we met at IWRVR. It really is a nice place and with our Passport America membership is setting us back only $76 for a four night stay. Suzanne had rearranged her schedule to accommodate Allison's visit, working Wednesday thru Friday instead of her usual Monday thru Wednesday. We needed a place to drop anchor for a few days and RBRVR fit the bill. The huge dog park, resort quality pool area, very well equipped fitness center and outdoor bar/restaurant (we enjoyed taco Tuesday) make it all the more appealing. 

    Oh, upon arrival I had to jockey around to get the coach in just the right position so that I was able to set the outside chairs on the concrete patio and in front of the TV. That meant getting as close as possible to the water hook-up on the driver's side. There is also a short fan palm just outside the door which, no matter how I positioned the coach, always seemed to be in the way - interfering with the door opening & closing. So I decided to bungee the offending branch up and out of the way. In the process I drove a thorn deep into my finger where it broke off. I was able to pull it out - and it bled like a bugger and kinda smarted for a couple of days. I guess I never realized the branches of the fan palm have thorns on them. 

    I do now.

 Ouch!