When I came through here in 2004 I thought Fredericksburg would be a nice place to stay for a while. It’s a German community with a real Texican influence or maybe a Texan community with a real German influence. Lot’s of German shops and restaurants. Anyway, I put it on our itinerary as a good place to stop. We stayed at Lady Bird Municipal Park which has an RV park (which we of course used) and golf course (which I didn’t use). It was also time to do the laundry, one of those chores which isn’t so automatic and easy with this lifestyle. But we found a nice ‘washateria’ near a hospital so J/Kat did the laundry while I walked up to the hospital to get my quarterly blood draw and lab testing. They faxed the results to PDX so I’m good for another three months on the labs. We won’t make it that long on laundry.
Fredericksburg was OK. We walked the main street and did all the antique shops and German stores. What we didn’t do was go to a German restaurant. Nothing just jumped out at us and said ‘eat here’. Oh well! I did pick up lots of pecans in the park.
And of course Lady Bird was Lady Bird Johnson, President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s wife and First Lady in the 60’s. Johnson City and the Johnson ranch are not too far east of here. Nothing’s perfect everywhere! Even Texas had its undesirables.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Sunday, February 3, 2008
South Llano
Our next stop on the Texas tour was South Llano River State Park. South Llano is in what is called ‘Hill Country’ in Texas. I suppose it’s an apt description as far as it goes. It’s largely rolling savannah dotted with Pin and Live oak, juniper, and pecan, and it is semi-arid. The little I have read indicates it’s not the hill country it was 150 years ago. It’s been overgrazed to the point the ‘long’ grasses are nearly gone and have been replaced by the ‘short’ grasses and juniper (ash cedar). But if you’re asking me what that means in the great scope of things, “I don’t have a clue”? I did read that Llano County is known has a ‘deer factory’. In fact it has the densest population of white tail deer in the U.S. That’s one deer for every two to three acres. That’s too many deer and also not healthy for the eco-system. But it seems fine to me and I’m not going to chain myself to a stump until changes are made. I rather like it the way it is! Land for the park was donated by a Walter Buck who was apparently quite the animal guy. He had some exotics imported and a few still roam the park area. I saw an African Black Buck antelope and two doe on one occasion. They were impressive! The park also happens to be a major nesting ground for Rio Grande wild turkey. We were regularly treated to herds of deer and gangs of turkeys. (OK it escapes me. Gaggle, covey, herd, swarm, clutch, flock, pod; crap I give up? Bunches of turkeys! And Jade loved watching the turkeys!
‘Hill Country’ is also home to a variety of birds. The park has several blinds built for observation. They have made glass fronted enclosures in rather secluded areas for bird watching. They have benches and even some old theater seats in a couple of instances. And all the blinds had bird books and pictures posted to help identify bird varieties. Being the bird watchers we are we really enjoyed it
So South Llano has now become one of our favorites. I didn’t mention that there was trout fishing in the Llano River and I had some luck there. Texas offers free fishing in their state parks. So the fishing and catching has influenced my rating. We liked it to the point of getting a Texas park volunteer application form. I haven’t filled it out completely yet. But I will.
‘Hill Country’ is also home to a variety of birds. The park has several blinds built for observation. They have made glass fronted enclosures in rather secluded areas for bird watching. They have benches and even some old theater seats in a couple of instances. And all the blinds had bird books and pictures posted to help identify bird varieties. Being the bird watchers we are we really enjoyed it
So South Llano has now become one of our favorites. I didn’t mention that there was trout fishing in the Llano River and I had some luck there. Texas offers free fishing in their state parks. So the fishing and catching has influenced my rating. We liked it to the point of getting a Texas park volunteer application form. I haven’t filled it out completely yet. But I will.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Balmorhea
We did spend one night in New Mexico at an RV park in Deming but our intent was to get to Texas. Mostly because we really like it (that might be more me talking then J/Kat) but also because when last in Texas we found that the state sold annual park passes to cover entrance fees and they included some discount coupons for overnight camping. We knew we might not get our monies worth the last trip but we decided to take a chance. This trip we have made up the cost of our pass and then some.
But before we did we almost got blown off the road in Van Horn TX. The wind was strong enough to make it tiring to drive so we pulled into a Wal-Mart. It was also a long way to anything else because, “well, it’s just is a long way to anything else in west Texas”. The security guy met us and told us where to park and to go ahead and put down your jacks and put out the slides. It’s a nice feeling to be greeted like that. One of the reasons we spend a lot of our money at Wal-Mart. I think we guessed we spend more than half of any money we spend at grocery, hardware, or so called ‘dry goods’ stores at Wal-Mart. They also have lots of parking and of course most everything we need including an RV section and good prices. It’s enough to say as RV’ers we like it and we occasionally spend a night! So J/Kat shopped and I didn’t.
The next day in sunny calm weather we made it to Balmorhea. Its claim to fame is a huge swimming pool built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930’s. It goes from 3’ to about 30’ deep and is fed by a warm spring which keeps the water a constant 70 something degrees. Very nice and it may have been sunny and calm but I didn’t say warm, so we didn’t do any swimming. Besides that it had lots of fish that nibbled at fingers and I didn’t want to be the only person in the water available for nibbling. There were some scuba divers testing equipment or something. According to the Ranger they do use the pool for scuba classes and diver certification quite a bit.
So we’re back where we belong in the winter making a good case that we are not your typical “snow birds” but rather “winter Texans”.
But before we did we almost got blown off the road in Van Horn TX. The wind was strong enough to make it tiring to drive so we pulled into a Wal-Mart. It was also a long way to anything else because, “well, it’s just is a long way to anything else in west Texas”. The security guy met us and told us where to park and to go ahead and put down your jacks and put out the slides. It’s a nice feeling to be greeted like that. One of the reasons we spend a lot of our money at Wal-Mart. I think we guessed we spend more than half of any money we spend at grocery, hardware, or so called ‘dry goods’ stores at Wal-Mart. They also have lots of parking and of course most everything we need including an RV section and good prices. It’s enough to say as RV’ers we like it and we occasionally spend a night! So J/Kat shopped and I didn’t.
The next day in sunny calm weather we made it to Balmorhea. Its claim to fame is a huge swimming pool built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930’s. It goes from 3’ to about 30’ deep and is fed by a warm spring which keeps the water a constant 70 something degrees. Very nice and it may have been sunny and calm but I didn’t say warm, so we didn’t do any swimming. Besides that it had lots of fish that nibbled at fingers and I didn’t want to be the only person in the water available for nibbling. There were some scuba divers testing equipment or something. According to the Ranger they do use the pool for scuba classes and diver certification quite a bit.
So we’re back where we belong in the winter making a good case that we are not your typical “snow birds” but rather “winter Texans”.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Wild Horse, Picacho, and the Desert Museum
We stopped in Phoenix at Wild Horse Pass casino for a couple of nights of free parking and Pepsi and to see our good friends Paul and Pam who live nearby. Wild Horse has become a regular stop for us. It’s an Indian casino and in this case they really do like us to stop and spend some time. There is a corner of the huge parking lot that has been somewhat taken over by RV’ers staying a few nights who the Gila River tribe hopes will drop a few bucks in the casino. We take advantage and do drop just a couple of bucks, drink some free Pepsi and relax. There is even a regular security patrol of the grounds and parking lot. How nice is that? So we had an enjoyable stay and visit with Paul and Pam and caught up on each other.
Then we almost blew our wad. Not too far from Wild Horse there is an RV dealer. We went to look and before we knew it we were really serious about buying a new RV. I mean we had dinner with the sales people and were planning on going back in the morning to close the deal. We came to our senses just in time. It was a very nice RV and all; we wouldn’t have been interested was it not. But the one we have is still pretty new and very nice and we’re not that rich anyway. All we really have is good credit. So we’re keeping this one for now and maintaining our good credit. Still it had a great galley…………..!
Next we stayed at Picacho Peak state park for a couple of nights before moving on. For all of us who didn’t know it, Picacho Peak was the site of almost the most western engagement of the Civil War. There was an even more minor skirmish of the elements of the same forces just a little further west at a stage coach relay site, which was the furthest west engagement. But it’s not a state park and is mostly forgotten. That’s the story according to the ranger who gave a little talk on the subject one night during our stay. The park has a Civil War reenactment every year which is supposed to be quite good. But that is a month or so away. Maybe another time!
In Tucson we stayed at a county park very near the ‘Desert Museum’ and Saguaro National Park. We did both. The ‘Desert Museum’ has all of the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert on display. Display may be wrong word. More appropriately they took a section of the Sonora desert and called it a museum, wildlife included. It’s very well done and worth a stop for anyone in the area. And they have shops and restaurants too. Our kind of place! As for Saguaro National Park; it’s just a forest. But it is strange to think of and see a forest of cactus. It is for me anyway.
We didn’t spend a lot of time with Bob and Jan but they came up from Green Valley and we spent the evening catching up, and it was very nice of them to bring us our mail.
Then we almost blew our wad. Not too far from Wild Horse there is an RV dealer. We went to look and before we knew it we were really serious about buying a new RV. I mean we had dinner with the sales people and were planning on going back in the morning to close the deal. We came to our senses just in time. It was a very nice RV and all; we wouldn’t have been interested was it not. But the one we have is still pretty new and very nice and we’re not that rich anyway. All we really have is good credit. So we’re keeping this one for now and maintaining our good credit. Still it had a great galley…………..!
Next we stayed at Picacho Peak state park for a couple of nights before moving on. For all of us who didn’t know it, Picacho Peak was the site of almost the most western engagement of the Civil War. There was an even more minor skirmish of the elements of the same forces just a little further west at a stage coach relay site, which was the furthest west engagement. But it’s not a state park and is mostly forgotten. That’s the story according to the ranger who gave a little talk on the subject one night during our stay. The park has a Civil War reenactment every year which is supposed to be quite good. But that is a month or so away. Maybe another time!
In Tucson we stayed at a county park very near the ‘Desert Museum’ and Saguaro National Park. We did both. The ‘Desert Museum’ has all of the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert on display. Display may be wrong word. More appropriately they took a section of the Sonora desert and called it a museum, wildlife included. It’s very well done and worth a stop for anyone in the area. And they have shops and restaurants too. Our kind of place! As for Saguaro National Park; it’s just a forest. But it is strange to think of and see a forest of cactus. It is for me anyway.
We didn’t spend a lot of time with Bob and Jan but they came up from Green Valley and we spent the evening catching up, and it was very nice of them to bring us our mail.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The 'Golden Knights'
We changed RV parks a couple of times in Yuma until we found something we liked. We ended up in an older part of Yuma next to the Colorado River and a park area that is being renovated. It was a great place to ride bikes and walk. There was even a hummingbird and butterfly garden. Yuma is very bicycle friendly. There are trails along the canals and they are making new bike trails that go to the Old Town area. We went to a couple of open air bazaars and craft shows. This turned out to be another one of those places we could go back to. We had a couple of dinners with Blair and Vickie and got to see their place. They have a park model in a 55+ park and are enjoying the lifestyle. Of course we went back to Mexico one more time to the dentist to get my permanent crown. It took a couple of days but now it feels like it belongs.
When we were in Buckskin I met a fellow wood carver who was going to Yuma and who told me about the carving program they have at the Senior Center. A real neat program. For (I think) $15 a month you can go to the senior center and work with other carvers and share some larger tools and ideas and not even worry about cleaning up . We went just one day but I got some good ideas and tips and found out there was going to be a big carving show the coming weekend. So we went to that and I got a few things including a diamond willow stick and a couple of pieces of cottonwood bark. I have found that carving is a great hobby for the RV. I usually don’t have to clean up my mess and it doesn’t take too much room to carry my stuff. I just have a small bag of tools and a few sticks and blocks of wood. And I think carving is kind of like fishing in that the time spent carving doesn’t count towards dying. That comes from what I believe is a ‘Mark Twain’ quote?
You may have heard of the “Golden Knights”? They are the U.S. Army’s parachute jump team. They have performed all over the world in various venues and events and have won more contests than any military team. Every year they come to the Yuma Proving Grounds for a month or so of training which is open to the public. We drove out near the Parade Ground and walked over to watch. They had set up a target and landing area surrounded by some of that orange plastic fence. I don’t think the target landing site was more that 50 feet from the public. And when the paratroopers landed they came over to the fence to repack their chutes and talk or answer questions. It was really marvelous to be so close. They were jumping in 8-10 person (at least one female) teams and there may have been four teams. As soon as they repacked they loaded into a bus, went to the airstrip and jumped again. I think they were getting about a dozen jumps each that day. We watched for an hour or so and saw six or seven jumps. I sure don’t begrudge that part of my tax dollar. The U.S. Armed Forces still do it right.
When we were in Buckskin I met a fellow wood carver who was going to Yuma and who told me about the carving program they have at the Senior Center. A real neat program. For (I think) $15 a month you can go to the senior center and work with other carvers and share some larger tools and ideas and not even worry about cleaning up . We went just one day but I got some good ideas and tips and found out there was going to be a big carving show the coming weekend. So we went to that and I got a few things including a diamond willow stick and a couple of pieces of cottonwood bark. I have found that carving is a great hobby for the RV. I usually don’t have to clean up my mess and it doesn’t take too much room to carry my stuff. I just have a small bag of tools and a few sticks and blocks of wood. And I think carving is kind of like fishing in that the time spent carving doesn’t count towards dying. That comes from what I believe is a ‘Mark Twain’ quote?
You may have heard of the “Golden Knights”? They are the U.S. Army’s parachute jump team. They have performed all over the world in various venues and events and have won more contests than any military team. Every year they come to the Yuma Proving Grounds for a month or so of training which is open to the public. We drove out near the Parade Ground and walked over to watch. They had set up a target and landing area surrounded by some of that orange plastic fence. I don’t think the target landing site was more that 50 feet from the public. And when the paratroopers landed they came over to the fence to repack their chutes and talk or answer questions. It was really marvelous to be so close. They were jumping in 8-10 person (at least one female) teams and there may have been four teams. As soon as they repacked they loaded into a bus, went to the airstrip and jumped again. I think they were getting about a dozen jumps each that day. We watched for an hour or so and saw six or seven jumps. I sure don’t begrudge that part of my tax dollar. The U.S. Armed Forces still do it right.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Still Yuma
Circumstances dictated that we stay in Yuma longer than planned. We had to get the windshield fixed, we wanted to see Vickie and Blair, who just came down to their place, and we wanted to get some eyeglasses and medications in Mexico.
The windshield repair guys showed up on time at our RV space and went right to work. All I had to do was show them my insurance card and sign. Good as new. Time to go to Mexico!
On a nice Yuma morning we picked up Vickie and Blair and headed for Algodones. Algodones is maybe ten miles west of Yuma back into California and then south a couple of miles to Mexico. It probably has more pharmacies, dentists, and eye doctors per capita than any place, any where. That’s what it is and that’s why people like us go there. Blair made a dental appointment, Vickie checked on contact lenses while J/Kat and I both got a pair of eye glasses. That was bifocals, transitional lenses, and the works for $99 total. We did have our own frames. Then we bought a bag full of prescriptions that were cheaper than our co-pay. We did a little walking through the shops browsing and haggling over prices, had a nice lunch and headed back. I did check on getting our satellite dish painted but wasn’t sure I’d do it.
Then I broke a tooth. A couple days later at breakfast I found a hard thing in my mouth and felt a hole in my head. I probably couldn’t have been in a better place. So back we went to Mexico to see Blair’s dentist. I got right in and got checked. Very nice office and technicians and everything. They took a picture of my tooth, which I got to see on the computer screen, and told me they could do a crown for $270. I might have gotten a better deal; I’ll never know and don’t want to. It’s just that as a Gringo sitting helplessly in Mexico while a Mexican has his hand halfway down your throat you’re not in much of a position to haggle about price. Under the circumstances I felt like I should have it done where I was. So they did some drilling and grinding and put a temporary cap on and told me to come back in a week for the real thing.
Next we went to get the satellite dish painted. I had come up with a design and taken a copy with us. I talked to a couple of the local artisans and found one who would do it for $60. You’ll notice in our pictures that the theme was “rabbit ears”. I guess you might have to be older than 39 to get it? Maybe not!
The windshield repair guys showed up on time at our RV space and went right to work. All I had to do was show them my insurance card and sign. Good as new. Time to go to Mexico!
On a nice Yuma morning we picked up Vickie and Blair and headed for Algodones. Algodones is maybe ten miles west of Yuma back into California and then south a couple of miles to Mexico. It probably has more pharmacies, dentists, and eye doctors per capita than any place, any where. That’s what it is and that’s why people like us go there. Blair made a dental appointment, Vickie checked on contact lenses while J/Kat and I both got a pair of eye glasses. That was bifocals, transitional lenses, and the works for $99 total. We did have our own frames. Then we bought a bag full of prescriptions that were cheaper than our co-pay. We did a little walking through the shops browsing and haggling over prices, had a nice lunch and headed back. I did check on getting our satellite dish painted but wasn’t sure I’d do it.
Then I broke a tooth. A couple days later at breakfast I found a hard thing in my mouth and felt a hole in my head. I probably couldn’t have been in a better place. So back we went to Mexico to see Blair’s dentist. I got right in and got checked. Very nice office and technicians and everything. They took a picture of my tooth, which I got to see on the computer screen, and told me they could do a crown for $270. I might have gotten a better deal; I’ll never know and don’t want to. It’s just that as a Gringo sitting helplessly in Mexico while a Mexican has his hand halfway down your throat you’re not in much of a position to haggle about price. Under the circumstances I felt like I should have it done where I was. So they did some drilling and grinding and put a temporary cap on and told me to come back in a week for the real thing.
Next we went to get the satellite dish painted. I had come up with a design and taken a copy with us. I talked to a couple of the local artisans and found one who would do it for $60. You’ll notice in our pictures that the theme was “rabbit ears”. I guess you might have to be older than 39 to get it? Maybe not!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Yuma
We drove through Quartzsite on the way and stopped to see a bunch of the stuff that is coming up in the annual shindig. Business seemed to be picking up. But for now we needed to head on to Yuma so we could get our motorhome windshield replaced. We had a rock chip that started cracking and just kept getting longer. J/Kat was drying moisture off the inside windshield and we think it got too hot and started cracking. Glad we don’t have to pay for it. Not even a deductible. It’s a big windshield!
Yuma hasn’t changed much. Of course there are lot’s of snowbirds like us, and then there is the sun, sand, and vegetables. Yup! Vegetables! Who knew? Well, if you didn’t, there are miles of vegetable fields around Yuma. For those of you who went to school while they were still teaching history you may remember the Gadsden Purchase. For you younger folks, “pay attention”!
Those vegetables are growing in what is the western portion of the Gadsden Purchase. At the end of the war with Mexico in 1848 the U.S. Minister to Mexico, James Gadsden, wanted to see a transcontinental railroad built along the southern U.S. He negotiated a deal with Mexican President Santa Anna to buy a large part of Mexico that is now southern New Mexico and Arizona. It worked out to 53 cents an acre. The agreed upon price was $10 million but the U.S. Congress only approved $7 million and only $6 million arrived in Mexico City. But Santa Anna took the money and wasted it away angering the Mexican people and pretty much ending his career. There was some interest in buying a much larger piece of land but the Mexican people were too angered and it didn’t get anywhere. But a private army from California invaded Mexico laying claim to the land and declaring it the Republic of Sonora. That didn’t last. But the new Gadsden Purchase was made a part of the Territory of New Mexico. The locals being southern wanted it to be a new state which would have made it a “slave” state. That would have unbalanced the “slave state, “free state” issue at the time before the “Civil War” and congress couldn’t agree on how to divide the territory. In 1861 at the beginning of the “Civil War” the Confederate congress declared the western portion of the Territory of New Mexico to be the new Confederate Territory of Arizona, which included the western part of the Gadsden Purchase. Well we know the Confederates lost the war but in 1912 that portion of the Territory of New Mexico became the state of Arizona. OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT! (that's my disclaimer) Now I betcha’ didn’t know that Arizona was once confederate. Well! Now you do! And what does that have to do with vegetables you say? Well, maybe nothing. You would probably still be buying vegetables and some of them would still be from Mexico. But some of them would probably not be from Yuma because I think Yuma would still be part of the Mexican desert. Where they did build a railroad in what is now the United States!
Yuma hasn’t changed much. Of course there are lot’s of snowbirds like us, and then there is the sun, sand, and vegetables. Yup! Vegetables! Who knew? Well, if you didn’t, there are miles of vegetable fields around Yuma. For those of you who went to school while they were still teaching history you may remember the Gadsden Purchase. For you younger folks, “pay attention”!
Those vegetables are growing in what is the western portion of the Gadsden Purchase. At the end of the war with Mexico in 1848 the U.S. Minister to Mexico, James Gadsden, wanted to see a transcontinental railroad built along the southern U.S. He negotiated a deal with Mexican President Santa Anna to buy a large part of Mexico that is now southern New Mexico and Arizona. It worked out to 53 cents an acre. The agreed upon price was $10 million but the U.S. Congress only approved $7 million and only $6 million arrived in Mexico City. But Santa Anna took the money and wasted it away angering the Mexican people and pretty much ending his career. There was some interest in buying a much larger piece of land but the Mexican people were too angered and it didn’t get anywhere. But a private army from California invaded Mexico laying claim to the land and declaring it the Republic of Sonora. That didn’t last. But the new Gadsden Purchase was made a part of the Territory of New Mexico. The locals being southern wanted it to be a new state which would have made it a “slave” state. That would have unbalanced the “slave state, “free state” issue at the time before the “Civil War” and congress couldn’t agree on how to divide the territory. In 1861 at the beginning of the “Civil War” the Confederate congress declared the western portion of the Territory of New Mexico to be the new Confederate Territory of Arizona, which included the western part of the Gadsden Purchase. Well we know the Confederates lost the war but in 1912 that portion of the Territory of New Mexico became the state of Arizona. OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT! (that's my disclaimer) Now I betcha’ didn’t know that Arizona was once confederate. Well! Now you do! And what does that have to do with vegetables you say? Well, maybe nothing. You would probably still be buying vegetables and some of them would still be from Mexico. But some of them would probably not be from Yuma because I think Yuma would still be part of the Mexican desert. Where they did build a railroad in what is now the United States!
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