Paducah to Mesa

I won't say I made a beeline home from Paducah, but I did drive west with purpose. Once I make up my mind I'm ready to head home, I'm typically pretty anxious to get there. So I drove 200-300 miles a day, stopping before dinner time for overnight camps.

My first stop was Maumelle Park, an Army Corps of Engineering campground just outside Little Rock, AR. While there, I spotted this beautiful rig in the campground and my siblings and I had quite a discussion on What's App trying to determine its value. We decided it was between $2-3 million, and who knows what they were hauling in that trailer.

My rig is worth less than $2 million! ;-)

My next night was spent in a free and friendly spot in Whitewright, TX. Yep, I driveway surfed at Chris and Dayna's. I could not get level nor reach the 30A plug from Richard's usual spot, but my smaller rig fit great right next to the shed in front of their house. They provided a delicious dinner of ribs, beans and potato salad, and we enjoyed getting caught up on family gossip.

Night three was spent in Lake Colorado City State Park near Colorado City, TX. It was a nice, nearly empty park, and a very warm evening, so I was glad to have AC.

Lake Colorado

My fourth night found me in Van Horn, TX in funky little Oasis RV park adjacent to Main Street and an active railroad. I counted five trains that went by (blowing their horns) during the next sixteen hours, included one at 10:15 pm and finally 2:20 am before peace settled in.

My final stop before home was back at Rockhound State Park south of Deming, NM. This is where I had stayed my first two nights out and I liked the campground a lot. However, mid-October proved to be a much busier season than mid-September, and the campground was full when I arrived. I sat along the camp road trying to decide what to do for the night when a ranger drove by, stopped and told me I could take the last hookup spot in the group site, as long as I didn't mind close proximity to some neighbors. I was very happy not to have to drive on that afternoon, and my neighbors turned out to include a couple of cute kids who fell in love with Hanna.

I got an early start the next morning, and drove the final 330 miles. As we came into Mesa/Tempe, Hanna stirred from her napping place on the floor, and at Elliot and Dobson, she stood up. At Alma School, she jumped up on the passenger seat. When we turned into our neighborhood, she began to wiggle. And when we stopped in front of our house, she ran to the door begging to get out. She was a happy pup to be home, and so was I.

I kept all my gas receipts this time, and when I get around to it, I'll tally up my miles and costs to see if I'm still getting 7.75 mpg. For now, we are enjoying our lazy days and the beautiful Arizona fall weather.

Outrunning a hurricane

From Ft Stockton, we continued east to Canyon Lake just north of San Antonio, where we tucked into a beautiful Army Corps of Engineering campground. I’ve stayed in a few ACoE campgrounds and really like them. Some of them honor the NPS Senior pass with a 50% discount, but this one did not happen to. However, the week I was there, they were running a special, so I got a $15/night rate.

The next morning, I moved on toward Houston and ended up back in the same RV Park I stayed in last year when I visited Cindy in SugarLand. It rained lightly off and on all afternoon and evening, but there were enough breaks that Hanna and I got our walks in.

I knew I had enough leeway to spend two nights in another camp before my reservation in Gulf State Park, so I decided to drive to Fountainebleau State Park on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain the next day. It was ~350 miles from my SugarLand camp, so I got an early start. It was raining as I pulled out. Throughout the morning, not only did the rain continue, it increased. At some points, I had my wipers on the fastest rate, and traffic was slowed to 35mph on the freeway, where the speed limit was 65-70mph. My Nuvi gps routed me to the San Houston Tollway, but it was too congested and rainy to find my way off and deal with my navigation system, so I just sucked it up and paid the tolls ($15.75). I finally saw an option for getting off the toll road and took a city highway over to I-12.

It was a relief to get out of Houston and Beaumont traffic, but the rain was still pouring down and I soldiered on. About 20 miles west of Baton Rouge, I came to a dead stop. Traffic was backed up for 12 miles due to a semi truck accident blocking the lanes, as well as torrential rain still coming down. By this time, I was also getting into rush hour. As I crawled along at 3-5 mph I called the state park at Lake Pontchartrain to ensure I could get into a space after hours, and was assured there were plenty of sites open and also how to get through the gate if it was closed.

After a two hour delay, I finally got through Baton Rouge, and started coming out of the rain, and I arrived at the campground at about 7:15, just as the last light was fading. Finding a site in the dark and setting up camp is not a lot of fun, but I managed. I sure was glad to know I had a “zero day” ahead of me!

The next day, as I listened to the weather reports, I realized Hurricane Imelda was hitting Houston and that’s what I drove through the previous morning. They got between 2-3 feet of rainfall and devastating floods over the next couple days. I sure am glad I left when I did!

Hanna and I relaxed in the campground, taking walks around the loops and driving down to the lake front.

We packed up Thursday and drove on to Gulf Shores, where we pulled into Gulf State Park. I’ll be here through the weekend, spending time with Wendy & Denny and their friends.

Rockhound and Pancho Villa State Parks

I left home at 7:00 a.m. Thursday morning. I made my way to the campground at Rockhound State Park just south of Deming, NM. My New Mexico State Park pass is still good through next April, so I decided to make good use of it. $4 for electric & water hookups in a beautiful campground is about the best deal you can find. It was in the 90s, so I really needed the electric for AC.

The next morning, I decided to stay an extra day and drive down to Pancho Villa State Park, where Dale had spent some time last summer. He said there is a great Museum / Visitors Center there, so I tossed Hanna in the back seat of the Fit and took off down the road. When we arrived at the park, we drove around the large campground, which is right in the middle of what used to be Camp Furlong in the border town of Columbus, NM. Some of the old buildings still remain, as well as old rusted equipment. I read all the signs and took several photos, then made my way to the museum. Just as I walked up to the door, the ranger docent was putting up the Closed for Lunch sign. I gave him a sad look, and he smiled and took it back down and said “Come on in! I can wait. You’re my first visitor today!”  Since Hanna had to stay in the car, I assured him I would be quick. But in about 12-15 minutes, he had given me a good overview of the museum and the history of the area, especially focusing on the March 9, 1916 raid by Pancho Villa. It was indeed interesting, as Dale had said. I could have spent an hour there if both Hanna and the ranger had not been waiting. (The photos below are not in correct order, but it’s too difficult to move them around from my phone. Note the sign with info re: the touring car. That was particularly interesting.)

We took a quick look around the town and headed back to camp. I intended to drop Hanna off in Minnie, have a quick lunch and drive into the Walmart for a couple items, but a thunderstorm came up and it rained off and on the rest of the evening. It was much more welcome than the few items on my shopping list.

I packed up and pulled out early the next morning, and drove 350 miles east on I-10 to Ft. Stockton. I am in a little run down RV Park a few miles off the freeway, with electric hookups to keep the AC going. It’s only an overnight stop. Hopefully, tomorrow night I can find some place more appealing.

Highway 380

After I left Natchez State Park, I started making my way back home. I decided to follow highways instead of interstates, and mapped out a route that would be a pretty straight shot back to Mesa. I drove about 200 miles a day, and stayed at a couple of different Army Corps of Engineering parks, which were very nice and very affordable with the senior discount. I stopped at a couple of county/state campgrounds and one private RV park. All in all, quite economical, but none were free.

Hanks Creek CG  (ACoE camp near Lufkin, TX)

Reynolds Creek CG (ACoE camp west of Waco, TX)

Lake Sweetwater at Sweetwater, TX

Bottomless Lakes State Park east of Roswell, NM

I had pretty nice weather on the way home, with the exception of gusty wind on a couple of days, and one rainy spell. I don't like driving in wind, as I have to constantly fight to keep Minnie in the middle of the lane. I don't mind a little rain as long as I don't have to set up or take down camp in it. And I actually love the sound and coziness of raindrops on the roof when I am snuggled in.

On Saturday morning, I left the small private park I was at in Springerville, AZ and headed for home by way of Payson. Just after I got outside Payson heading south on the Beeline Highway, I pulled over to catch up on text messages. Daryl and Gisele were on their way north to Blue Ridge Ranger Station to show off their new Tesla, and Dale asked me why not turn north and drive up for the day (and night). I was already on my way home, but partly because I wanted to see the new snazzy car, and partly to prove to my full-timer brothers that I can be spontaneous and flexible, I said, "What the heck," and turned around and drove up to Blue Ridge.

I went to the BR Campground and got set up in a space, had a quick lunch and drove the Fit over to the Ranger Station. I arrived just after Daryl and Gisele had pulled in, and we all ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the pretty new car, then we all got joy rides. Daryl let me drive it, and I fell in love. Why, oh why, didn't I just come on home from Payson? Teslas are expensive and now I want one!

Richard and Dianna had prepared grilled chicken lunch for everyone and we enjoyed a nice afternoon in family chatter. Daryl and Gisele left for home and I left for my camp. I packed back up the next morning, went to the Ranger Station to dump, and drove home, pulling in at about 11:30. Hanna and I are glad to be home, and will be ready for our next adventure in a few weeks.

Sugar Land

After four days at the seashore, I drive north toward Galveston Island. I had found a free beach camp at Freeport with my AllStays app, but when I got there, I found it was too sandy for Minnie. So I drove over to Quintana Beach County Park and paid for a space with hookups. It was a nice park, but the wind was still howling, so activity was limited. Hanna and I walked down to the beach, but it was full of wood debris, making it unpleasant. We pulled out the next morning and headed inland a bit toward Houston.

My cousin Cindy lives in Sugar Land (a suburb of Houston) and I had made plans to visit her while I was in the area. I stayed for two nights at Riverbend RV Park in nearby Richmond. Cindy came out to my RV Tuesday afternoon and we talked for a couple hours before going out for dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant. On Wednesday, her husband Vernon took care of Hanna while Cindy and I went to the Museum of Natural History in downtown Houston. It’s a beautiful museum, and we really enjoyed perusing the exhibits. We spent several hours there before heading back to their house where Vernon made us a delicious steak dinner. It was a wonderful visit and we were so busy enjoying ourselves with nonstop talking, we totally forgot to take one picture of us together!

I left Richmond and drove a long day looking for a decent place to overnight. I had to go all the way to Ponchatoula where I found a great Walmart off the highway with trees surrounding the quiet parking lot. I settled in for the night.

The next day, Friday, I made it to Meaher State Park in Spanish Fort, Alabama.

Padre Island National Seashore

I arrived at the National Park entrance on Thursday at  just about 1:00 and asked the ranger if Malaquite Campground was open. He replied he had not heard otherwise, so assumed there were still spaces. I drove the five miles in and lucked out. I got the last vacant space in the campground! After getting set up, Hanna and I walked down to the beach. I pulled her close enough to the surf to get her feet wet, but she fought against it so hard, I decided she is just not a water dog. From then on, I let her stay in the sand away from the waves while I walked along the water’s edge. Twice a day, we would walk a mile down the beach and a mile back up, getting over four miles a day.

On day two, I left Hanna in Minnie and drove up the road to the Visitors Center. I wandered around and got my passport stamp, but there was really not much there.  Each day, we drove back down toward the park entrance or over to Bird Island boat launch to get a bar or two of cell phone signal so I could catch up on messages and touch base with family.

On Saturday, I left Hanna in Minnie again, and drove into Corpus Christi. I headed to the Science and Natural History Museum, but it was closed! I had read in Mom’s journals about a mansion they had visited, and I googled Fulton Mansion, about 30 miles north in Rockport. I drove up there and toured the site. It was very interesting, and reminded me a little of Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix that Glenda and I went through last spring. Both were from the same era, and included many innovative and progressive elements. The Fulton Mansion in particular, was built with a rare wood technique with 2x6’s stacked flat on each other to give added strength against hurricane winds. Turns out, it was a very effective structure, because it withstood Hurricane Harvey last fall. Rockport was the hardest hit area along the Texas coast. The Mansion did sustain roof and flood damage, and it is under renovations, but still open during construction. I stopped at Walmart on my way back and came home to a happy puppy.

Front of house facing the ocean

Interesting “jack & jill” bath. 

Shared tub/toilet area, with double doors leading to 

sink alcoves in each of the two bedrooms. 

Wood construction

Back of house

Sunday was another lazy day. I walked on the beach three times, read a couple books, watched TV (I picked up all the network channels plus a few independent cable stations) and chatted with other campers.

The wind whistled every evening and all night long, but would quiet by dawn and was pretty nice each morning. I had heard wind was typical for the Texas Gulf coast, but locals said it has been worse this month than normal. I’ve seen the sun most days, but never had a cloudless sky. The temperatures were nice, but very humid. I put a hat on my head each time I went out just to keep my hair out of my face, but never once styled it. That would have been wasted effort!

Monday, I packed up and drove north toward Galveston. I’m in a county RV park in Freeport. Tomorrow I will drive into SugarLand and spend a day and a half with my cousin, Cindy. I haven’t seen her since 1998. We have some catching up to do. Until next time, see you down the road.

Four days on Interstate10

Sunday
I left Mesa Sunday morning after loading my final items, getting Minnie and the Fit out and hitched together, and filling the gas tank. I drove straight down I-10, stopping in Tucson to make a sandwich for lunch, and continuing on to Chiracahua National Monument. When I arrived the sign at the entrance said “Campground Full”. There was no place to loop around, so I drove 3 miles to the Visitor’s Center, arriving just as they were closing (4:30). There were two rangers there, and one held the door keys and said, “we’re closing,” while the other one asked, “may I help you?”  I asked from the doorway if the campground was indeed full and she said it was. I explained I couldn’t turn around at the gate and was using their parking lot loop and that I would go find another campground, when the second ranger helpfully pulled out a map and pointed out where there was free dispersed camping in the nearby forest, all while ranger #1 was jingling the keys. I thanked her and quickly made my exit.

It turned out there were quite a lot of camp spots in the woods and I selected the first one that would get me away from the road and settled in for the night. Hanna and I walked up the road before dark and found another family about a half mile away.

Monday
It took a lot of maneuvering to get turned around and out of the site the next morning, but I made it without mishap and we were on our way east on I-10 again. I stopped in Demming for lunch and hit El Paso at rush hour. I headed toward a Walmart in Horizon I had found on my AllStays camping app, as it said they were friendly to overnighters. The manager was very nice, simply requesting I park out away from the store. I spent a nice night without incident and pulled out the next morning to continue east on I-10.

Tuesday (my 66th birthday!)
I took a chance and left the freeway to drive 14 miles northeast to the town of Irann, seeking a space in one of three city RV parks there. I found an open spot in the third one, and it was a very nice little RV campground adjacent to a large city park. Hanna and I walked before dinner and again just before dark. On that second walk, I saw something out in the park grass and started to walk toward it to investigate when the little black creature with a big white stripe down its back got up and waddled away. Hanna went crazy, but I made a HASTY retreat, dragging her all the way.

Wednesday
I spent a quiet night until 5:45 a.m. when someone started up a noisy pickup and let it idle. After about 20-30 minutes, I heard a door slam and transmission shift and it drove away. By then of course, I was awake and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I got up and got on the road.

I hit the interstate by 9:30 and made it to Kerrville around 1:00. There I finally said goodbye to I-10 and headed southeast  toward Hondo and another set of small RV parks. I found open spaces in the first one I drove to and pulled in. After getting set up and hooked up, I walked Hanna, read, made dinner and walked again. We are not getting our full 10,000 steps a day, but we are working at it.

Thursday plans
I expect to get to the National Seashores National Park on Padre Island tomorrow. I’m headed toward Malaquite Campground, where Mom and Dad stayed in 1989 and 1990. The first year, they stayed over a week, relaxing, walking on the beach and watching the waves. They drove into Corpus Christi and did some other touristy things, but mostly stayed low key.

Yes, I’ve driven a lot of miles and a lot of hours these last four days, but this is a destination trip, not a leisurely lifestyle this time. And besides, I don’t like Texas much, at least the southern area I’m driving through. Some suggested I swing through Big Bend, but I honestly have no desire to go there. Even Mom wrote in her journal that she and Dad were terribly disappointed in it, describing it as nothing but desert and rocks. I’m headed for the ocean beach, and then on to visit friends.