Moonscapes and Dust Storms, Wind and Smoke

Day 25 Las Vegas NV to Fallon NV

400 Miles

Oy...what a day!

We left the Oasis RV Resort around 8:30am. Jim just loves to drive in rush hour traffic in major cities! He likes a good challenge.
Me? I think I'm figuring out why I have heart disease...






Our route took us to I215 to I515 which we followed from the southeast side of the city to just a little northwest of the city, where we picked up US95 northwest toward Reno. Yes, we've heard about the earthquakes. Jim likes excitement! Maybe I should go on Prozac...



This brings me to one of differences from home. Out west here, the locals like to put THE in front of whatever freeway they are referring to. “No, you don't want THE 15 this time of day, you want to go THE 215 east to THE 515 and follow that back toward the city.” In Phoenix it was THE101 and THE 202...



We drove through what looks like a moonscape. Take away the scraggly brush and I'm sure this is where they filmed the fake moon landing....only kidding.

Out in the middle of nowhere we passed a silica mine. Isn't that the stuff that comes in a little packet tucked in the tissue paper at the bottom of the shoe box, marked *Do Not Eat* when you buy new shoes? Like who is the dufus who would think that there's something good to eat in the bottom of a shoe box?



Okay, first let me apologize to the people of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. I thought areas of your states were the most boring, desolate, uninhabitable places in the country.



I WAS WRONG!



What we saw today beat anything we've seen on other trips. Miles of nothing...and when we hit the little towns on the map, they were practically ghost towns with half the buildings abandoned. And the ones occupied were as bad as many we've seen in third world countries. Where on earth do these folks get their groceries? They have to eat...Some of the vistas were not too bad, we were heading west for a time and looking at the backside of the California mountains near Yosemite. They were enormous and covered with snow. It was nice to see a color other than brown.



But the very worst part of the drive wasn't the desolation...it was the WIND. We were buffeted constantly by strong crosswinds. Some were so bad we wondered if we'd get blown right off the road. Jim's arms were cramping from fighting to stay on the road. It was a two lane highway and when tractor trailers went by in the opposite direction we were pulled over by the vacuum. And if that wasn't enough, we kept hitting dust storms! Yikes! Two new england natives...we're not used to this. At first we thought the dust devils were pretty neat, like baby tornadoes, but then they all seemed to join together into huge areas of high winds and poor visibility and they weren't so 'neat' anymore!.



We would have made it to the Reno area but headwinds and crosswinds slowed us down a lot. We decided to stop here in Fallon, NV - about an hour east of the Reno area.

So we find this town, and it's very nice...but there's SMOKE, a LOT of smoke...let me guess. Yeah, there's a fire about 50 miles west of here, actually near where we were headed for the night, so it's a good thing we stopped when we did. This campground is full...the guy said people are afraid to stay in Reno with all the publicity about the earthquakes.



We didn't even put the slider out or unhook. Jim's not feeling well tonight, I think it's from all the stress of the drive today. He better feel good tomorrow, cause I can't drive this thing!

What Happens in Vegas...Goes on My Blog

Day 24 Las Vegas

Monday April 28

It's sunny and hot today, what a shock! I guess living in the desert has some advantages. You certainly don't have to worry about rain ruining your plans.
Our bodies needed a rest today, so we just relaxed around the resort. But first, exercise...we rode the bikes around the resort for an hour, it wasn't too difficult, no hills.


I desperately needed to give Molly a bath. She had one in Houston, she's sooooo low to the ground and this desert dust sticks to the dogs so badly that her white areas are grey. So Jim did some maintenance on the RV and I bathed, dried, and clipped the 11 year old (with an attitude) Molly.




Later we relaxed by the pool and I got to finish one book and start another. We had lunch and I updated the blog while I still had WIFI. It's a pay WIFI on a 24 hour cycle and it was due to end in a few hours, didn't want another day because we'd only use a few hours. Hey, we've got to pay for this gas some way!




Later in the afternoon I finally got to a Weight Watcher Meeting! It's a funny thing, working for Weight Watchers, we don't actually get to go to a meeting. Yes, we're AT the meetings, but we're working, so we miss most of it. It was really nice to see things from the 'other side of the scale'. And I just had to get an official weight. I lost 3 pounds! Well, actually a little more...I usually weigh first thing in the morning and with less clothing. This meeting was at 4:30 pm and I didn't have the luxury of weighing in in my work-out clothes. Jim drove the 11 miles to the meeting, and said, that he'd wait for me at the Baskin Robins across the street. Wise guy.


Went back to the RV and ate dinner consisting of, a lean ham slice, sweet potato, Steamfresh southwest corn medley, fresh broccoli, wild Jubilee rice, and unsweetened peach/mango applesauce.


Then we headed off to the Sahara to see a show. We'd ordered tickets the day before to see Rosanne Barr. We didn't do any walking or 'forced marches' tonight...just parked at the hotel and walked to the Conga room (holds 550) to her show. She was very funny, toned down a little from her younger days. More political and aging humor than raunchy stuff. We were right in front, which worried Jim a little. He's got a loud laugh and a bald head which seems to entice the comedians to pick on him. We were a little to the side, by choice, so she left him alone...we know better.

So that was our Monday in Las Vegas, our last day here too. My feet and hip feel much better, the dog is clean, I got my weigh in done and we saw a good show.
Tomorrow on to uncharted areas...we've never been to the Reno Tahoe area.

Gotta cross this off our list of places we we need to see.

Viva Las Vegas

Day 23 Las Vegas Nevada
Sunday April 27

Viva Las Vegas...trouble is that I can't even think it anymore without hearing that damn commercial for Viagara! 'For us *guys* with E D...
First of all, you're not 'guys' anymore, you are mature 'men'...okay, some are old geezers. And they can't even say what it really is. Am I the only one who remembers the word, impotence? Ahem, I'm getting off subject here...

Okay, back to Las Vegas.

Did a little housecleaning, had a nice healthy omelet for breakfast, with *my* special fruit salad. Jim wanted to watch the NASCAR race, nice that it's on so early in Pacific Time. He got bored with it so we got in the car and tried to find Lake Mead. We knew where it was, but decided to take city streets and he doesn't trust my navigational skills...so we got a little testy at times. Anyway we went up to the Lake Mead National Recreational Area. Gave us our first chance to use our National Parks Pass.

We took Lake Shore Road in the Park, stopping at all the overlooks...what a shock. The lake has fallen 60 feet since our last trip and it was very evident. Las Vegas Bay is gone. The boat ramp leads to dirt. Further down the marina's parking lot gets bigger every year. It's a floating marina... A beach is about a quarter mile from the restrooms. Hope for a few wet years for the area.

We came back and got ready to go to the Strip again. We are slow learners and gluttons for punishment. This time we decided to go to the middle section of the strip. We parked at Harrah's and walked around the Venetian, I love the Venetian. But...it's BIG, very, very BIG. BIG means walking...lots. I had a band aid on my blister but even with my most comfortable shoes I was in pain with every step. By the end of the night I was sure the bone was poking through....well, not really. We'd skipped dinner and weren't too hungry so we decided to have a few treats. We split a pretzel and a little later had gelatos. We each had a small (1/2 cup) and 1they were $5.50 each! But a small is all a person needs, all the taste is in the first few bites.

Walked around The Mirage too. We stayed there in the 1991 or 1992. I remember there wasn't too much south of it...not anymore.

I could never drive in this city, that's for sure! The picture at right is in front of the office of the RV resort...no little log cabin office here...this is Las Vegas!

Tomorrow I'm NOT walking too much.

Vegas Baby!

Day 22 - Flagstaff AZ to Las Vegas NV
Saturday, April 26





















We left Flagstaff around 9:00 am and took I40 west to Kingman then US 93 up to Boulder City, and over the Hoover Dam , then on to Las Vegas.


The drive was uneventful, thank goodness. Somehow, no matter when we leave home where we go on these trips we always seem to hit Las Vegas on the Laughlin Bike Week. Last time we took another highway (two lane) that ran right past Laughlin and there were literally thousands of motorcycles on the highway. Not that we have any problems with the bikers, it's just that with a vehicle as big as an RV its a little nerve wracking hoping that nobody drifts over the line. It also makes for fun people watching...especially when they need a rest area (there are none out there) so they improvise...


We called a number in Kingman before getting on US93 to make sure that we would be allowed to cross over the Hoover Dam on our way in to Las Vegas. Since 9/11 there are restrictions (rightfully so!) on which vehicles can cross over and it would have been a real bummer to get all the way up there (around 100 miles) only to be turned around. As it turned out, RV's are allowed but must stop and be searched...all compartments unlocked and an officer searches inside and out. We'd been on a bumpy stretch of highway earlier so I made sure I opened the refrigerator, before he did because I knew several things would come falling out. I re-arranged things in there and took the dogs out for a walk. Had to laugh because every motor home seemed to walk the dogs while the searches went on. Every vehicle gets searched...even the motorcycles!







You learn very early in an RV trip to open overhead cabinets and the refrigerator very, very carefully after a bumpy or unusually curvy stretch. AND TO MAKE SURE THE LID ON THE TOILET IS CLOSED BEFORE YOU OPEN THE CABINET ABOVE IT! Don't ask me how I know that...








We pulled into the Oasis RV Resort just up the 'street' from The Strip. I use the word street loosely, because the streets here are as wide as Interstates...or wider. This place is huge, over 700 sites. It has great pool area too. Last time we were here (2004) the lots around it were just scraggly brush and dirt, now there's a couple of hi-rises just behind it. They even changed the entrance, making us think that we were losing our minds. Tom Tom had a little snit over it too...I kept putting the street number in and Tom Tom kept insisting that it had to be 3999, nothing lower. We like it here because it's only 5 minutes from the casinos on the top of the strip, like Mandalay Bay, Luxor, New York, New York.







After we got settled, we spent some time at the pool, had coffee and got ready to go down to The Strip. This is another place that really has to be seen to be believed. Everything is so over the top and it just keeps getting BIGGER. We parked by MGM and started to walk...and walk...and walk. The trouble with this place is that the buildings are SO BIG that they seem like they are closer. I'm sure Mt. Everest looks
like it's right down the trail only to be hundred miles away!







We walked over to New York, New York, where Jim felt pretty confident that he could get a proper northeast pizza. We ate at one of the Italian restaurants (quite off the diet, but sensibly) he had a pizza and I had cannelloni. One piece of crusty bread each, which was very, very difficult, no salads, or dessert.







Then we walked, and walked, and walked some more....by this time I really wasn't too worried about any extra calories! We walked through Monte Carlo, because we'd not been in that one before. Then stopped at the fountains of the Bellagio, where we enjoyed a spectacular fountain show to the tune of Jim's favorite song, 'Time to Say Goodbye', by Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli. We continued on through the shops at Ceasars...they're about 100 times bigger than we remember from the last trip in 2004...or maybe it's us getting older.





The trouble with walking the Strip is that by the time you feel exhausted, you are so freakin far from your car! We calculate distance these days by how bad we feel...my hip and Jim's knee. The fact that I started to get a blister the last couple of blocks didn't help either. We figured about 5 miles. The next day I measured it on Gmaps Pedometer and it was just about 5 without maping the distance we traveled in the casinos and shops! Nope, didn't worry about the dinner at all.







It was early, Vegas wise, when we left around ten o'clock, but we were pooped, and it was starting to get a little rowdy, being a Saturday night and all so we trudged back to the car. Almost made it directly back to the RV but Jim ran out of lane and we were forced to drop down on the highway and take a brief, moonlight tour of the lovely industrial side of town. Off the ramp, and back up an exit we made it home.



Unbelievable place, but noticeably a little more geared toward the adult entertainment than a few years ago.

Grand Indeed!

Day 21 - The Grand Canyon

April 25, 2008

We took the Jeep this morning for our day trip up to the Grand Canyon

We followed US89 North up to the Grand Canyon National Park at the South Rim. We spent the $80 to buy the National Park 1 year Pass. That way the rest of the parks are free, and after 3, it pays for itself.

The weather was a little cool and it was slightly hazy, but we had great views of the canyon. It is an overwhelming experience. I don't even know why I take pictures, they just do not give any representation of what it really is. A person must stand at the rim to 'get it'. I felt so small and insignificant. It is a humbling experience.

There were many tourists/visitors from all over the country and world. I don't think I've ever heard so many languages spoken. It always surprises me what idiots some people can be, getting a little too close to edges that have no fences and it's a long, long way down.

We enjoyed a lunch that we brought with us while at one of the overlooks. Lunch with a view of one of the most amazing places in the world...not too shabby, eh?

We stopped at all the overlooks and toured some of the Indian ruins and some of the small museums up at the rim.

We took US180 back down to Flagstaff, making a 150 mile circle, up on the east side of the park, down on the west side....I hate backtracking, so this was nice.

Came back to our afternoon coffee, later a nice easy dinner of roast pork au jus (thank you Hormel) baked sweet potato, fresh asparagus, salad with balsamic vinegar and Davinci raspberry syrup and unsweetened applesauce, with cinnamon and Splenda added. My son is teasing me about seeing pictures of real food, so this is for him. I'm feeding your dad well, see?

We took a break from our daily black beans today...it was way quieter this evening!
The heat is on in the RV, going down to 25 again overnight.

We're ready to leave in the morning, taking I40toward Kingman and then US93 toward Las Vegas.

Trees Again! Flagstaff

Day 20 - Phoenix AZ to Flagstaff AZ
190 miles

Avoided the rush hour traffic in Phoenix and left about 10:00am. So much smog there today, that the mountains were hardly visible. It's expected to get worse this weekend.

We took I17 north toward Flagstaff. Would have liked to visit the Sedona area, but we realize that we can't do everything.

The rocks were a different color...and little by little small bushes and a little grass started appearing. It was a big deal. Oh, and I saw two ANTELOPE! Although, I didn't see any deer playing nearby...or, for that matter, buffalo roaming.

Big climbs for the poor RV. One climb was 7 miles long, we are rethinking our route concerning mountains. Tomorrow we're taking the JEEP up to the Grand Canyon and mountains, the RV and dogs will stay here in Flagstaff. We are camped at the base of a mountain, very pretty. With big PINE TREES!



Arriving in Flagstaff with Humphrey's Peak in the background at right. (I think it's that one)





We are at 7,ooo feet elevation. It's so much colder! I have a problem with elevation and the heart condition, so I won't be doing any exercise. Tonight is supposed to be 25 degrees and tomorrow in the 60's. There's snow on the mountain in town, it's over 12,000 feet. We wanted to go to the north rim, but we've been told it's still too snowy up there. Snow, yikes!

Went to the grocery store and stopped at the little Flagstaff Mall for some walking shoes. Most of the locals are Indian...(feathers, not dots)

Need to hit the sack, we've got a long day tomorrow and would like to start early.

I should have some good pictures tomorrow.

From Podunk to Phoenix in 19 Days

Day 19 - Phoenix AZ Non Travel Day

Of course it was a BEE YOO TEE FUL day here in Phoenix. So Jim's sister took us to visit the Phoenix Botanical Gardens. Very nice place. I've seen every type of desert plant in the world I'm sure...and EVERY ONE OF THEM WILL STICK YOU WITH THEIR NASTY SPINES! Our plants in Charleston are so much more *friendly*.

For those wondering about the GNOME photos. You know how a family member says something that's so funny that the poor soul never lives it down? Well, my oldest grandson called one of those things a *NORMAN* last year and we've been teasing him ever since. He's 20 so he can take it. For the rest of his life, every time there's a gnome around we'll point the NORMAN out to him. Poor kid.

'

After lunch we took a ride up a canyon road to a lake (don't want to look the name up) to a place called Tortilla Flats, a sort of old western town with a sense of humor. The buildings have dollar bills attached to every inch of the walls and ceilings from tourists. This is where we took the photos of the can can girl in the ladies restroom and the toilet seats out on the porch.

Later we went out for Mexican food....again. Okay, I'm done with Mexican for a while.

Stalactites, Stalagmites and Stalag 17

Day 18 - Lordsburg NM to Apache Junction AZ
300 miles

We left the almost deserted KOA, stopped for gas where the lady in front of us was complaining about the price of gas. She didn't feel so bad when she heard what we've been spending!

The traffic is practically non existent...so are towns, people, etc. There are hills and real mountains now, and rocks...lots and lots of rocks. Where there is a source of water it looks a little like the Imperial Valley in California, with different orchards and other crops - HUGE farms.

We decided to forgo Tombstone due to time limits and headed toward Tucson. Just before Tuscon we checked the guide books and saw that there were some spectacular caverns nearby. We like caves!

We drove the nine miles on a mountain ridge to Kartchner State Park (great views of the the valleys below) They have a small museum and amphitheater before you enter the caverns also a humming bird garden outside. My son in law is always making fun of how big my dog's nose is...we took a picture of a giant sloth to show him that there actually is a bigger nose than Rookie's!

We had a couple of hours to wait before we could get into the cave tour so we went back to the RV, took the bikes down and got our exercise. Forgetting that we're on the side of a mountain we take off on the park road. I don't know why, but it didn't look like we were going UPHILL. It was a long, gradual uphill, sheesh, I damn near killed myself trying to get up it. Jim took the picture of my at the top, I'm gasping for breath. He said, "Now don't go having a heart on me!" Men! It's always about them isn't it?

We went back to the RV, made lunch , walked the dogs (they refuse to go off the sidewalks now because they've been picking up burrs) and it was time for the tour.

These caves were only discovered in the early 70's and kept secret until the state took it over promising to do it right, and not let the fragile system be ruined. Therefore, you can only go in with what you are wearing, no purses, cameras...just you. They even treated our tour like lettuce in the produce section by misting the people down before entering. Why? Oh, just to keep the
explorers from 'shedding' hair, flaky skin and the dreaded LINT. Lint is a very, very bad thing for a cave. I'll bet you never knew that! You can't touch ANYTHING in there either. I stumbled and almost killed myself because I was afraid to touch the wall and regain my balance. A man sneezed and I heard his wife ask, "Oh my God...are you allowed to do that in here?"

Inside these caverns, or any caves for that matter, it always amazes me how quiet it is. You don't realize how much noise is around you all the time. We've been eating a lot of beans lately and I thought, if one of us 'slipped' it would sound like a cannon being fired!

It was a fun time spelunking. It was steamy in the cave, felt like walking into a bathroom after someone just took a long, hot shower...OR exactly like the summer weather in Charleston! We felt right at home all sticky...the Wisconsin people were miserable.

We drove to Phoenix area (we're just west of Phoenix) to the RV 'resort' we're in tonight. They're all the same type of thing here, almost all full time snowbird with a few spots designated for short term (tax credit) These places are funny. It's highly regulated...I found out I can only walk my little dogs on TWO streets and there's a list a rules a mile long, they lock the gate at 9:00pm. People latch on to you as soon as you park...weird. Poor Jim was trying to get us all hooked up and a guy was driving him crazy. I asked him who his 'little friend' was and he just rolled his eyes. I guess the guy is just lonely...

So that's why we've nicknamed this place Stalag 17. Actually it's nice, clean, quiet and secure. We went to a WalMart down the street and couldn't believe how HUGE it was! Phoenix has to be the shopping center capital of the world...

We're staying in Phoenix tomorrow and will leave mid day Thursday to.....Grand Canyon, maybe?

Out in the West Texas Town of El Paso....

Day 17 - Fort Stockton TX to Lordsburg NM

(yeah, I never heard of it either)

4oo miles

Okay, we're in the desert so I guess it goes without saying that it was sunny when we woke up. Well, actually it wasn't...it was still dark, but clear! Being on the edge of the time zone is about the only way I manage to see a sunrise and it was pretty. I'm more of a sunset kind of gal...just face the opposite direction, it's all the same and you don't have to get up early!

We had over 240 miles to travel to El Paso to meet up with an Internet friend and I couldn't wait to say hello to her and her husband. We were running a little late, partly due to the fact that we needed gas...sooooo much gas. It took $145, the gas was $3.39/gallon. Every day the news says, 'The price of oil hit a new high today...' so I can't imagine what it'll be when we get California or, by the end of this trip! Oh yeah, and we put more gas in when left El Paso...another $125. Ouchie.

The ride between Fort Stockton and El Paso was...ah, rather

BORING *sung ala Jo Anne Worley in Laugh-In* Boy, I'm really dating myself there and my kids are scratching their heads. Baby Boomer stuff, kids.

At point we could see something crossing the highway...was it deer? No, it looked more like some BIG birds...did some emu's escape? Getting close we realized they looked like wild turkeys, but their legs were too long. Missed them by inches, thank heavens, hitting them would have really messed up the front of the RV. Later I spoke to my * Ranger Rick, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, knows everything about anything that swims, runs, crawls, or flies* son about it. All I said was that they looked like turkeys because they had all that gobble de gook on their face, but their legs were way long. And without missing a beat, he tells me they are 'Rio Grande Wild Turkeys'. How does he remember these things? This is the kid who couldn't for the life of him remember what his homework assignments were..

Later we stopped at tee pee for the dogs to pee pee and I saw the neatest bug. It was iridescent blue/green...I took a picture of it, of course. Jim's walking back to the RV, yelling back at me who is two inches from the ground, "What the hell are you doing now?" After all these years, nothing that I do should surprise him.

Got a nice little bonus half way to El Paso. I thought the Mountain Time Zone was at the state line, but no, it was half way to El Paso. Now, we were running a little early, cool. I could use a time zone on my way to work sometimes.

We met up with my friend and her husband. They took us to lunch at a nice place that served great salads, they had a full menu but we were trying to do as little damage as possible to the diets. They serve a gosh darn delicious muffin with the salad...I could have just said 'no' but I didn't!

They are such an interesting couple. We all hit it off just great...and had a lively conversation. Unfortunately, it had to end too soon. Hopefully, we can meet up again someday.

We headed west on I10 again, Jim didn't want to take a side trip, so we drove on. The last half-way decent campground was listed in this little town we stopped in for the night. This is a small, isolated, desert town in New Mexico, do the math. We didn't even uh-hook the car, decided to stay right here and guard....er, I mean do the laundry.

Tomorrow headed to Tombstone and Tuscon. Wanna bet it'll be sunny, warm and windy?

Driving Off The Edge Of The Planet

Day 16 - San Antonio TX to Fort Stockton TX
315 Miles

We left in fog and it didn't clear up for a couple of hours. When it lifted, it started to warm up...a LOT!
The trees and hills of the SA area gradually gave way to much flatter land and much, much less color.

This has always been my least favorite stretch of highway on trips...scenic NOT. It's just that it goes on for such a long way with practically nothing to see. This is even more painful for a Rhode Island native who grew up thinking that more than a 15 minute ride was a quite a journey! In fact, the last time we came through Texas I begged to go a different way and we went through, Dallas and Amarillo. We would have gladly skipped this whole area in we didn't have to go to Phoenix.

We pulled in for a site a little early, around 3:30pm. It's always a good idea to get a spot for the night when you're in an isolated area, the next town with a KOA was two hours away...if that town is full, you're screwed.
It was pretty warm when we got out of the RV to register, but when I got into the car to unhook it, was surprised to see the thermometer registering 97 degrees!



So the early pull off allowed us to do some maintenance. Molly got her bath and the toilet pipes got cleaned with a long wand type thing attached to the hose...kind of like a douche for the toilet holding tank. Quite a visual, huh?


We took a little 10 minute ride into 'town' to see what it looked like. Um...not much. Got a picture in front of the fort that the town is named for.


I also included a few shots of what it looks like from the campsite, a nasty cactus to bump into and a little statue of a BIG rabbit that's in front of the campsite. First time I passed by it, the darn thing nearly scared me to death! I thought it was real for a second -- a Jackalope?








Another easy, healthy dinner of a rotisserie chicken, some of those wonderful asparagus, baked sweet potato, and sweet corn. Dessert was an orange...*IF* you want to call that dessert.
Used mucho gallons of gas today, tank is almost empty...It's gonna take a 'BIG GULP' to satisfy it tomorrow. Oh joy...said dripping with sarcasm.

Fun Day in Downtown San Antonio

Day 15 - San Antonio TX - Non Travel Day

Today was a perfect *10*


What a great day! Woke up to sun and mild temperatures, a perfect day for the festival going on here.
Drove downtown and headed for the marketplace area. There were bands playing, and other entertainment...not to mention all the local foods! Since we'd been soooooo good diet-wise the day before we'd more or less made up our minds that we'd sample the local foods, that and I weighed myself that morning and was down another pound.
Pretty good...I've lost four pounds since we left home. Now, that is quite the opposite of what happens on other vacations. I can gain that in FOUR DAYS!




We were walking through the marketplace and I pointed out to Jim that the clock had hit NOON so we should eat some of those foods that we'd been temped by the aromas. We didn't have a clue what the heck most of this stuff was. The vendors were laughing at us. Heck, we grew up in New England for crying out loud...I can name every fish in a seafood case, but this stuff?

We sampled a small, greasy corn, pocket thing with some brown stuff it, I think it was a called a Gordita? (Mexican pita)
Next we shared two, greasy, rolled up corn things with brown stuff in them, Taquitos? (Mexican wrap)
Finally, we split four tiny, greasy, flat round, corn things with brown and tan stuff in them, topped with cilantro, onions and cheese.
(Mexican mini pizzas) That's what I'm holding in the picture.



We walked quite a few blocks to the Alamo. There were special events going on there too, TV cameras were everywhere. I stopped to have my picture taken with Davy Crockett's men. The guy on my right was kidding around with me....something about *this will be quick*.






After that we walked to the Riverwalk and took one of the boat rides. We were amazed at how much bigger the river system is than when we were here way back in 1991. With the weather so beautiful and the lovely landscaping...I just can't say enough about what a great place the Riverwalk is. Everyone should try to get to experience it.




I was still craving a good quality ice cream so before we left I had my final splurge of the day (month, for that matter!) and if I'm going to use that many calories it's going to be good. So I got a small Marble Slab double chocolate. Jim got a small too, and discovered that a person can be happy without getting the giant waffle cone, dipped in chocolate and covered with walnuts, with two scoops of ice cream! We savored it while we watched some young girls future American Idol contestants sing. Some were very good!



I took a picture of the Texas Ranger Museum. We didn't go in, but the decor creeped me out, especially all those antlers! I felt like I was at Disney World and those heads sticking out out of the building were going to start talking any minute!

Late in the afternoon we headed for the parking garage and walked right past it, by the time we realized it we'd walked in a huge circle...so I guess we walked off a good part of the ice cream!


We rested our feet when we got back to the campsite...by the feel of my hip and feet I'd say we walked about five miles.



We both agreed that this was the best day of the vacation so far.

Happy Birthday Jim

April 18, 2008

Day 14 - Houston TX to San Antonio TX

Darn cold front went through with that storm that robbed me of a full nights sleep. It was windy, cloudy and chilly.
We had an appointment at a RV center on the west side of Houston to look at the electrical problem. That way we don't have to backtrack across Houston...on a Friday no less.

They had the RV for a few hours and we took the dogs and killed some time. Stopped at a nearby Sams, I was looking for blueberries...didn't have them but they did have some of the most BEE YOO TEE FUL asparagus that I've gotten this year. While I'm on the subject of asparagus, let me give you a tip on how to buy good ones. Always buy the ones with the tips tightly closed, those are the freshest. I even took a picture of them...Jim thinks I've gone completely mad photographing asparagus. My dad used to grow them...what I wouldn't give for some of those now!

We stopped for gas on the way out of Sams, when you're spending as much as we are on gas, every penny counts and Sams had the cheapest. Anyway, I guess the guy who operates the gas area there must feed the pigeons. There are a LOT of pigeons in Houston! They learn fast where the free pigeon buffets are. If you don't want your vehicle to look like this...don't feed the pigeons!

We left Houston, and continued on I10 west. Stopped for lunch at another Chez La WalMart Parking Lot. The 180 mile ride to the east side of San Antonio was pleasantly uneventful and the weather was nice - sunny, warm and the wind had stopped, yea!

We got settled, walked the dogs and decided to eat dinner here before we ventured downtown to the Riverwalk. We didn't realize it's a big week here...the Fiesta Days are this week and there are all sorts of things going on. I love it when we hit things right!

We walked around the Alamo area and the mall area before we stepped down to the Riverwalk.

The San Antonio Riverwalk is great. We were probably the only two people there last night that didn't eat or drink anything. Not because *I* didn't want to...Jim was being the model dieter! I was in an 'ice cream kind of mood'...oh heck, I had my Blue Bunny Fudge Lites waiting back at the RV. Not quite the same, but NO guilt.

We left around 8:00pm, with plans to spend Saturday downtown at the Riverwalk and at the Marketplace. Really nice evening downtown!