Other than an RV service not to forget we had a good stay in Phoenix. We took the Southwind to Beaudry RV for some needed work. Just a few things that you always have with a new coach and that we couldn’t get done earlier. I hate to rag on the service folks there but it was awful. To be fair, much of the problem was short staffing, but then that wasn’t my problem, it’s just some cover for the employees at Beaudry. I’m just going to leave it at saying ‘I won’t be going back any time soon’.
Paul and Pam are well and we had a good visit with them. Jade especially liked roaming their house while the RV was being abused.
I suppose if you’re from California you’re not impressed with the ‘Total Wine’ store. But we went in to get some adult beverages and I was, impressed that is. I would have to guess that “Total Wine’ is about twice the size of the old ‘Red, White and Blue’ grocery store where I use to get sent to get a pound of hamburger for 29 cents (or so?). I know that was a long time ago, but still…………. This was a large grocery store size facility with nothing but booze and mixer. I guess its just not something I’m use to coming from Oregon where we still have State controlled liquor stores.
Then it was off through the remainder of Arizona and then into New Mexico and Texas where we stayed at a couple of older favorites and some exotic new places like Roper Lake , Dream Catcher , Hueco Tanks and Pecos. Really they were all pretty nice. It ain’t like we haven’t been through the area but we had never stayed at these places. Roper Lake State park is just a nice place to park for a while. Flocks of Yellow Headed Blackbirds a nice setting on the lake and bicycle trails. Dream Catcher and Pecos are Escapees RV parks and they’re just good places to stay because they’re Escapees. Friendly folks, always a place, very reasonable rates and, of course, we’re SKP’s. Hueco (pronounced Waco) Tanks is a state park near Guadalupe Mountains National Park just east of El Paso. We were actually headed to the National Park but the weather turned a little cold and we (mostly Kat) chickened out! The Guadalupe mountains are the highest point in Texas and it was a little cold so I let Kat talk me out of it. Even though I do understand that ‘highest point’ and ‘cold’ are relative terms, especially when your from the northwest or a mountain state. Anyway, we’ll put it on the ‘next time’ list. Hueco Tanks was interesting. Because of the geology, water collected in pockets in the rock, and it was kind of an oasis in the middle of the desert. So it has some history. Part of that being a stop on the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach. Now it’s a place for hikers, rock climbers and campers. But if it’s not too far out of the way I’d recommend going there.
Our last stop before becoming Winter Texans again was Laredo. We walked across the border into Old Mexico and got some meds and did a little looking and shopping. It was OK. Probably not as many tourists as other crossings on the border but it was pretty clean and nice. No trouble going or coming, that is, there were no shootings between the Mexican army and the drug cartels this day, and it was a nice walk. Laredo is a busy place to drive through though. Trucks! Trucks! And more Trucks! I guess it’s NAFTA? But when you hit I 35 from US 83 going south, its crazy. Or so it seems to me. But its just a few miles along I-35 and the loop around Laredo. Maybe its just that traffic on US 83 is non existent by comparison. Still there are lots of trucks driving through Laredo. But I didn’t see any Cowboys dressed in White Linen!
Paul and Pam are well and we had a good visit with them. Jade especially liked roaming their house while the RV was being abused.
I suppose if you’re from California you’re not impressed with the ‘Total Wine’ store. But we went in to get some adult beverages and I was, impressed that is. I would have to guess that “Total Wine’ is about twice the size of the old ‘Red, White and Blue’ grocery store where I use to get sent to get a pound of hamburger for 29 cents (or so?). I know that was a long time ago, but still…………. This was a large grocery store size facility with nothing but booze and mixer. I guess its just not something I’m use to coming from Oregon where we still have State controlled liquor stores.
Then it was off through the remainder of Arizona and then into New Mexico and Texas where we stayed at a couple of older favorites and some exotic new places like Roper Lake , Dream Catcher , Hueco Tanks and Pecos. Really they were all pretty nice. It ain’t like we haven’t been through the area but we had never stayed at these places. Roper Lake State park is just a nice place to park for a while. Flocks of Yellow Headed Blackbirds a nice setting on the lake and bicycle trails. Dream Catcher and Pecos are Escapees RV parks and they’re just good places to stay because they’re Escapees. Friendly folks, always a place, very reasonable rates and, of course, we’re SKP’s. Hueco (pronounced Waco) Tanks is a state park near Guadalupe Mountains National Park just east of El Paso. We were actually headed to the National Park but the weather turned a little cold and we (mostly Kat) chickened out! The Guadalupe mountains are the highest point in Texas and it was a little cold so I let Kat talk me out of it. Even though I do understand that ‘highest point’ and ‘cold’ are relative terms, especially when your from the northwest or a mountain state. Anyway, we’ll put it on the ‘next time’ list. Hueco Tanks was interesting. Because of the geology, water collected in pockets in the rock, and it was kind of an oasis in the middle of the desert. So it has some history. Part of that being a stop on the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach. Now it’s a place for hikers, rock climbers and campers. But if it’s not too far out of the way I’d recommend going there.
Our last stop before becoming Winter Texans again was Laredo. We walked across the border into Old Mexico and got some meds and did a little looking and shopping. It was OK. Probably not as many tourists as other crossings on the border but it was pretty clean and nice. No trouble going or coming, that is, there were no shootings between the Mexican army and the drug cartels this day, and it was a nice walk. Laredo is a busy place to drive through though. Trucks! Trucks! And more Trucks! I guess it’s NAFTA? But when you hit I 35 from US 83 going south, its crazy. Or so it seems to me. But its just a few miles along I-35 and the loop around Laredo. Maybe its just that traffic on US 83 is non existent by comparison. Still there are lots of trucks driving through Laredo. But I didn’t see any Cowboys dressed in White Linen!
.jpg)
