These are the last pictures from the campground in Carrabelle Florida. It was fun place and we extended our stay to 2 weeks. Kate and Judi took long walks on the beach several times a day and they enjoyed chasing the sea birds.
Feb 10, 2009
These are from the Hollywood Casino campground in Bat St Louis Missississippippi.
We stayed 4 days there until we lost all our money in the slots (just kidding although we did make a contribution). Great food and fun playing the slots. Kate & Judi met lots of new friends.
The next stop was in Columbia MS to visit friends and some of the dogs we bred. Raining so we will move on today.
Next stop near Breaux Bridge LA.
Update: It was a rainy travel day so we kept going past Breau Bridge and stopped just past Houston Texas.
Feb 14, 2009
Happy Valentines day to all the friends and family back home.
We arrived at this fantastic campground yesterday (Top of the Hill) in Bourne Texas just about 40 miles west of San Antonio. The first picture is Kate and Judi and Mrs JRRanch in their favourite resting spot on the top of the hill. The girls got Granny some beautiful roses for Valentines and Grumpy negotiated a good price on the vase from the artist who made it in Bourne (his name is Bub Vickers).
The campsite is right in the Texas hill country on the top of a hill. The picture of one of their cabins and our RV show how high up we are.
Texas has some beautiful flowers and they are just starting to appear. The last two pictures are of a beautiful flowering tree. One of many in the campground. Walking the dogs last night I noticed a beautiful smell in the air and it turned out to be this tree.
We will stay here for at least a week and hopefully more of the flowers will be in bloom.
Feb 19, 2009
Kate & Judi LOVE Texas. This is their favourite spot, Luckenbach.
The girls in the first picture are really interested in the rooster chasing a bunch of chickens around but I don't think they want to make love to them like the rooster.
The next picture is Grumpy and Granny with Omen and Sadie.
The next pictures are of the inside of the Post Office/Store. This is about the only real building there is in Luckenbach. There is also a dance hall, outdoor stage and a few other small buildings but thats it. Just a store, bar and music. Its a great place. We had a couple of Lone Star's here and bought a bunch of stuff.
The guitar player lives a few miles away and is a good picker, singer and a lot of fun. Lots of characters here. Apparently Willie Nelson drops in occasionally to play with the boys.
Feb 23, 2009
Made a trip into San Antonio to take the River Walk today. It is a beautiful area in the centre of the city where the river defines the streets above. It goes around several city blocks and is dotted with flower gardens, water falls and many restaurants. It was a lot of fun and an easy walk.
We took Sadie with us because we didn't think she would do very well in the motorhome by herself. She wasn't allowed on the tour boat but as it turned out it was better to walk. We had lunch at the oldest restaurant on the river walk and Sadie got a few treats and a bowl of water from the waitress.
We also walked a short block to the Alamo and toured around there until Sadie got us kicked out.
We will be in Boerne until the end of the week then we are moving a short way down the road to another Texas hill country campground for the next week. Will do an update from there.
March 3, 2009
We moved down the road a bit to Johnson Creek RV which is just west of Ingram Texas. This is a beautiful park built in a Pecan orchard. Always see several deer grazing underneath the large pecan trees. Lots of events to keep us busy. Morning coffee meet every day, music and sing along in the clubhouse every week and tomorrow we are going out to a bar where they have entertainment and you bring your own meat to BBQ.
Every morning we see the donkey parade as they take them to their pasture on the other side of the park. The picture was taken out the front window of the RV
Today Kate and Judi did some exploring by the creek and they posed for a lot of shots.
Friday we will head further west. We will take 2 days to get to the New Mexico/Arizona border where we will camp in the middle of the desert between 2 mountains. Its Called Rusty's RV Park and it is near Rodeo NM. Bet you can't find this one on the map. Its in the middle of nowhere.
March 8, 2009
On to New Mexico. It was a 2 day trip with an overnight in Van Horn, TX. The first picture is of the girls on a large hay bale with the mountains in the background. We thought this was pretty and considered staying but we are very glad we pushed on.
We arrived at this campground near Rodeo NM last night and it is spectacular. We were driving down a road in the middle of nowhere at about 4600 feet in the high desert and dropped down a steep hill about 700 feet to a beautiful valley below. Rusty's RV Park is in this valley between 2 mountain ranges. Did I say this area is spectacular?
Great views, quiet and excellent hosts. The rest of the pictures in the top line were taken last night .
Today the girls and I took a little walk about. The girls wanted to see the horses at the riding stable a short walk away. After the girls made friends with the horse we took some pictures of the desert. At first glance it looks pretty drab with little colour but looking closer their are some beautiful flowering plants and cacti.
Right next to the RV their is a 100x50 foot fenced enclosure and the kids were very happy to get to run freely. Granny had to give them a lecture on proper pen etiquette and then they all got along. Haven't talked about Sadie lately but got a picture of her enjoying her freedom in the dog run. She is still going strong. A little wobbly on her pins but keeps on going. I think she enjoys this life more than anyone.
March 9, 2009
Hey kids, Granny and I went to Paradise today!!! We already thought we were there but the little town of Paradise AZ is amazing.
The campground is about a mile from the Arizona border and we took a road towards the Chiricahua Mountains which are about 2 miles west of the campground. The little town of Portal AZ is right at the base of the mountains and a road makes a nice loop through the mountains to Paradise AZ and back to Portal.
The first pictures were taken at one of the lookouts and everywhere you turn ther were amazing views of mountain peaks. About a third of the way around the road went from paved to dirt to rocky and very rough. It was a bit scary having a 500 foot drop at the edge of the road on Granny's side. Granny was very nervous because she can't handle heights like she usedtocould. Her armrests have permanent fingerprints sqeezed into them. Her only words were "JUDD, KEEP TO THE LEFT SIDE!!!!!"
Paradise is a little ghost town from copper mine that shut down in the 30's. Only a few houses remain. One of them is Walker house and we stopped there to get the bird shots. The owner runs a bed & breakfast as well as a yard full of feeders and the birds from miles around come for treats. She gave Grumpy a chair to sit right under the feeders and I got these pictures. We will be going back for another visit to Paradise and Walker House before we leave here.
The original plan was to stay a week but I am sure we could stay a month here and never be tired of it.
The last picture was taken as we weaved or way out of the mountains. Rain was coming and it rained lightly all night. It doesn't look like it rains very often here and the land really needed it.
Many day trips to do. We have to go to Tombstone and Bisbee Arizona for sure and there are many more we can take right in this valley.
March 12, 2009
We drove right over the top of the Chiricahua Mountains today. I think we were over 7000 feet at the top. The road is narrow, rough and dirt/rocks most of the way. Many beautiful sights on the way up but when I pointed them out Granny would holler "KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD" or STEER AWAY FROM THE EDGE. Very peaceful drive otherwise.
I did stop twice for the first two pictures on the way up but wasn't allowed to stop on the way down. Granny said she was never going to let me talk her into another drive like that. I must admit that my legs got weak looking over the edge a couple of times.
When we got to the other side we went into Chiricahua National Monument and the roads were paved and in the first picture they even had guard rails. This is a trip back up another part of the mountain ending at Mossai Point at almost 7000 feet again. Most of the following pictures are of these rock formations. They are amazing rock statues eroded over thousands of years. Its a wonder some of them are still standing because it look like the slightest wind would topple them.
On the way back down from Mossai Point I took some pictures along the road.
Kate and Judi only got out of the car for a little walk when we reached flat land again. They had no idea what they had missed but we weren't about to let them out way up on the mountain. Kate would probably try to jump.
March 20, 2009
Hey kids, Granny and I walked to Arizona today. Not such a big deal as Arizona is only a mile away. Walking through the desert we saw quail, roadrunner and a rabbit. Omen found a large badger den but we wouldn't let him dig it out because they can be nasty. Some pictures along the way and then Kate & Judi had to have a nap.
The next picture is your history lesson for the day. A couple of miles down the road there is a plaque where Geronimo surrendered.
Also got some sunsets but a wing got in the way in the first one. He waved at us and I took his picture. The last one is the best sunset we have seen since we have been here.
Moving a bit north to Alimogordo tommorrow. This is near Smokey the Bear country so the next history lesson will be from there.
March 22, 2009
Travelled to Alamogordo Saturday. The first picture is of the entry into the valley and the White Sands Missile Range.
The next pictures are of the White Sands National Monument. We were here on Sunday and many families were out sliding down the dunes, picnicing and flying kites in the constant wind. This is the New Mexico Coney Island. Granny and Sadie had a lot of fun trying to climb the dunes. The sand is almost pure white and is very fine but unlike beach sand doesn't stick to your feet and comes off easily. The last picture is of the courtyard of the store there.
Today we took a trip up to Lincoln National Park (home of Smokey the Bear) and visited The National Solar Observatory. Then we had lunch in the cute little town of Cloudcroft. There is a golf course at 9000' there but it is not open yet. Got a picture from the first tee where there is a 700' drop to the fairway.
Will be visiting this area again to get more pictures. It is fantastic but my camera battery ran out so I didn't get many pictures this time. Update coming soon.
March 24, 2009
Here are some pictures taken in the last couple of days. The camera battery failed yesterday so I went back up the mountain today to get the rest of the pictures. Granny stayed at the campground and did laundry. The road up the mountain is very good although you can't go too fast for fear of missing a hairpin turn. The road to the observatories is good also but several 20mph hairpin turns keep your attention. Granny only told me to keep my eyes on the road a couple of times and never asked me to stop and let her out like on Chiricahua Mountain.
First picture is for Fred. This is the blue tee box on the first hole. The fairway is 700 feet below and the green can't be seen but it is a dogleg right. I was aching to take out your 3 wood and smash one but the course isn't open until next week. Its a 9 hole course and I have no idea how they fit it among the extreme hills here. Like I said on the phone the course is almost 9000 feet so choosing the right club would be a real challenge.
Next stop was the National Sunspot Observatory at Sacramento Peak. This is the national site for studying sunspots so it is operating during the daytime. The first picture is of the museum and store where Granny spent a lot of time. Next is a small telescope and a picture of the indside. The big teepee shaped building holds the big telescope. One third is above ground and the other 2/3 is underground. The next pictures are of the inside this large telescope and people working.
Another site about a mile away is run by several Universities and it studies the sky at night. It is called the Apachee Point Observatory. They have 3 main telescopes there but aren't operating during the day and don't allow visitors inside the buildings.
On the way back down the mountain I stopped at Cathey Peak for a few pictures.
Then stopped about half way down the mountain at the tunnel for more pictures.
The last 2 pictures were taken from our campground. The first one barely shows the Sunspot observatory on the left and Apachee on the right. They are about a mile apart. The last picture is of Sierra Blanca Mountains. The tallest most southerly mountains of the rockies.
This is the second area we have visited here and we have a couple more places to see before we move on to Moriarty to visit Mary.
March 26, 2009
Today we drove to the Valley of Fire where we took these pictures. We also visited Ruidoso which is a nice little tourist town in the mountains. No pictures from there, but Fred, we had lunch at Schlotzky's!!
The Valley of fire is an amazing place. Out of nowhere the ground turns to black lava that bubbled up through crevasses in the original rock floor. A trail allows an easy 1 mile walk through the lava bed. We picked up a couple of pieces of lava for display in the motorhome. The girls were allowed on this walk and really enjoyed themselves. They wanted to get down into the crevasses real bad. Must have been some critters in there.
A high wind storm was brewing so it was a cold day. Seems to always be windy here.
The last couple of pictures are of the camping area. The first picture is of a tent site right next to the lava. You can see the black lava behind shelter about 10-12 feet high. The second site is for the motorhome with a beautiful vista of the Valley of Fire.
We might stop here for a night on the way to Mary's
Click on any thumbnail to see full size pictures.
March 27, 2009
We took a short drive to the Three Rivers Petroglyphs today. It was a good hike up a rocky hill with petroglyphs on the rocks all along the way. The dogs weren't allowed on this trail so only pictures of Granny without her dogs.
Every step there are petroglyphs to see. Thousands of them on almost every rock on this hill. We walked about 1/2 mile up the hill and could see folks still going up the hill about a mile ahead.
Kids, can you find the petroglyph of the sheep with two arrows in it?
The last one is a face that looks very similar to the big painted rock on Devils Gap on Lake of the Woods just outside Kenora.
It was very cold and windy this day and when we drove further up the valley to a primitive campground it was snowing and 31F.
