The Texas Hill Country--Day 6

A birthday, a visit to the Alamo and a rousing game of Bingo.

We spent most of today away from the rally. Since today is my birthday we decided to take a road trip. After breakfast we headed southwest to the big city of San Antonio. First stop was the SAS Shoe Factory. We both pretty much exclusively wear SAS shoes so when we are near the factory we like to stop in their outlet store. Actually I was in need of a new pair of sandals since from May through September that is about all I wear and I had pretty much worn out the last pair. I also needed to replace my everyday shoes. Jo looked through the ladies shoes but either did not find anything she wanted or they did not have the ones she needed in stock. Anyway, I did present myself with two new pair as my birthday present.

Our next stop was to downtown San Antonio to visit the Alamo. We have been to the Alamo before but always enjoy going back. This is an inspirational shrine that every American should visit. There were several bus loads of school age children touring the shrine. Due to this we got to hear one of the tour guides give a great history lesson about the siege by Santa Ana and the Mexican Army. He explained how the Mexican General/President thought this was going to serve as a warning to the rest of the Texans who were attempting to secede this land from Mexico. Instead it turned the tide and soon after, with the slogan of "Remember the Alamo", the Mexicans were defeated and the Republic of Texas was born.

After our tour of the Alamo we crossed the street and made our way down to the River Walk. The city has done a fantastic job of transforming the river that runs through the middle of town into a great area. I remember being there many years ago when they were first getting this started. Today the River Walk brings a great number of tourist in, giving the area a tremendous financial boost. We strolled down several blocks on the river level, which is one level down from the surrounding streets. After a while we went back up to street level and headed back toward the car, which was parked behind the Alamo. By this time we were getting kind of tired so we stopped in at the famous Buckhorn Saloon for something cold to drink and a chance to sit a bit. The Buckhorn claims to be the oldest saloon in Texas. Besides the saloon itself there is a 40,000 square foot museum, mostly stuffed animals and hunting trophies. This building also houses The Texas Ranger Museum.

After returning to Kerrville and the coach we relaxed awhile before joining the other rally attendees for dinner. Each night of the rally has had a different country theme. Monday night was American and Tuesday was Mexican. Tonight was Italian with a good Italian dinner. Tonight's entertainment was Bingo games. We played several games and had a good time, even though neither Jo nor I won any of the games. (Last month at the rally in Tucson we both were winners at Bingo.) Here Wallace and Sarah Johnson call the Bingo numbers.

The Texas Hill Country--Day 5

A great luncheon and then some good entertainment.

Today was mostly a down day as far as planned rally activities. There were a couple of seminars scheduled but I decided to pass on them. There was a great luncheon at a place called The Inn of the Hills for all who were interested. Usually at the rallies with this club the ladies go to lunch together on one day during the rally. This time they decided to invite us guys to go with them. It was a great buffet and everyone got plenty to eat. Recently a friend commented on one of the blog entries that it appeared that we only ate when we were traveling. Since I seldom do blog entries when we are sitting at home it may appear like that. We do find we do a lot of eating when we are out in the RV. Since much of our travels include RV rallies this is especially true. It has always been traditional when people gather together to share a meal. The "breaking of bread" is mentioned in the bible in several places. So if you see references to our sojourns out to eat you will understand this long time ritual.

One of the benefits of attending the rallies is getting to cross paths with good friends that we have made along the way. That is true with the current rally. We have been lucky enough to spend some time with Bob & Maribel Clerc this week. We first met Bob & Maribel in early 2007 on our trip to Florida. They were one of the seven couples (motor homes) that traveled together to the rallies we attended in the Sunshine State. We have seen them since at the RV service center and in Minnesota at a RV rally.

Tonight's program started off with a short history of Veteran's Day and a recognition of all our veterans. This was followed by Ray Gutierrez, a local musician/singer. He did a great one man show performing music from Pop to Country to several Spanish numbers. The crowd got into the music with many couples getting up to dance and interact with the performer. Ray was born and grew up here in Kerrville and has lived here most of his life. This was a very enjoyable evening of music.

The Texas Hill Country--Day 4

A trip to look for "Waylon, Willie and the Boys" and a stroll through the Pacific War.

First full day of the rally started off with the normal welcome greeting from the Rally Masters and then a talk by the local historian/newspaper publisher. This was an interesting talk about the history of Kerrville and Kerr County. Following this talk there were several seminars scheduled on the different motor home components. We have attended so many rallies over the years these seminars tend to be redundant. One neat thing is the "golf cart" provided by a local RV dealer to be used to shuttle folks from the RV parking sites to the rally hall. This cart has been built to resemble a motor home complete with roof air conditioner and TV satellite dome. Instead of sitting through the seminars we decided to go exploring. First stop, Luckenbach, Texas, the town from the western song of the same name. We had been to this little "town" some years ago but decided a trip back would be fun. Basically all that is there is a small general store with a bar in the back, a few outbuildings that are used to sell drinks during festivals and the famous dance hall. Luckenbach originally had its own post office but that was closed in 1977. There is only one residential house in town. It used to be occupied by the owner of the town but he moved away when he sold the town some years ago. Not sure who lives there now. They do have live music each evening in the dance hall.

After Luckenbach we drove to Fredericksburg. This community was originally settled by German immigrants. Many of the shops in town are of a German nature and there are many German restaurants. This is also the birthplace of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific during World War II. His family ran a hotel right on the main street through town. The hotel now houses the Admiral Nimitz Pacific War Museum. The hotel was built in the 1870's to resemble a steam boat with the upper floors protruding out over the street. Last year the city added a new National Museum of the Pacific War on the street directly behind the hotel/museum. This is over 20,000 square feet of fantastic exhibits as it walks a person through the causes leading up to the war, the war itself and the surrender and occupation of Japan. It has a lot of military hardware displayed including several aircraft and a small submarine. They also have named their main gallery after former President George H. W. Bush, who was a Navy pilot during the war. If ever in Fredericksburg this museum tour is a must. (World War II veterans are admitted free and active/retired military members are admitted at a reduced rate.)

After a stop off in one of the great German bakeries for some apple strudel we headed back to Kerrville. We had an appointment with one of the vendors to come shampoo the carpets in our coach. After four years and 37,000 miles we decided it was time. Later in the evening we joined the other rally attendees for dinner and the nightly entertainment. Tonight we were entertained by a young lady named Sarah Getto who is from Norman, Oklahoma. We have seen her perform before and always enjoy her. (Her grandmother lives just down the hall from my father in the assisted living center in Purcell, Oklahoma, and she has entertained there for the residents.) Sarah was born blind and with a terrible cleft palette. She taught herself to play the piano at age three and the violin at age 10. Her cleft palette was repaired and she went on to earn a college degree in music education with a teaching certificate. She currently travels the country in her own motor home (her dad does the driving) performing her music, mostly at RV rallies and shows. She is always well received and is a true inspiration of the American Dream of overcoming adversary and succeeding in life. The picture includes her dad who works as manager, announcer, roadie, back up musician and gofer.

The Texas Hill Country--Day 3

A slow day, a good lunch date and the rally gets kicked off.

Pretty much relaxed today and explored the grounds here at the RV park. This park is located directly on the Guadalupe River and has a lot of open space between the RV sites and the river. This gives a great area to roam and visit nature. This park like area has many very old and very huge trees. The park owners have erected large swings in several of the trees. In addition to the excellent buildings they have for rallies they also have put in a small ampitheater for outdoor entertainment. After our stroll around the place we got ready for the rally itself. The first gathering was this evening with a meet and greet with a "pot luck" with each couple bringing their favorite snack food. We visited with folks we had met at previous rallies and met some new friends.

Earlier in the day we met up with some good friends who live here in Kerrville. We met Ann & Dale Lemons at Valentino's Italian Restaurant for lunch. Dale is a retired school shop teacher. Now he turns really great pieces of wood on this lathe to make fantastic bowls and other works of art. He has brought his lathe to the last two Monaco America rallies and put on demonstrations of how he does his work. We look forward to spending more time with them when we come back down here next May for the Spring 2011 Monaco America Rally.

The Texas Hill Country--Day 2

A long days drive and then we're ready to rally.

We pulled out from home around 7:45 yesterday morning, heading south for the Texas Hill Country. We are here to attend a rally with the Monaco Wan-na-go's RV club. This is another of the coach owner clubs, that are affiliated with the Monaco brand, of which we are members. As opposed to our two other Monaco clubs, which are international in nature, meaning the U.S. and Canada, this club is for owners within a six state south central region. We are at the Guadelupe River RV Resort on the west edge of Kerrville, Texas. This is about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio on Interstate 10.

We spent most of the day yesterday on the road, down Interstate 35 to Austin and then west through Fredericksburg to Kerrville. We arrived around 6:15 yesterday evening. With the change in Daylight Savings Time this weekend it was almost dark by the time we got here. Setting up in the dark is always a problem but things went fairly easy last night. The rally does not actually start until tomorrow evening so today was spent with routine maintenance on the coach. In addition to getting the bugs off the front of the coach I had to repair one of the rearview mirrors. These are not the normal small mirrors you would have on your car. They are large, crome and power operated. The bracket holding it to the coach was loose so I had to remove the mirror and the bracket to tighten it all back up. Got all that done and then relaxed and watched the rally parking crew assist the new arrivals into their spaces. Looking forward to a good rally in a very beautiful RV park.

A fast trip to the East Coast in the planning

2400 miles in five days.

We are in the process of adopting a rescue dog as a little sister to our Buddy Joe. A friend from high school now works on the staff of the county shelter in Chatham County Georgia and lives in Savannah. They have a small Miniature Schanuzer that has been abandoned by her owner and is in need of a new home. Since Diane already has six dogs of her own it is impossible for her to keep her so she thought of us next. Now I'm trying to put together a very quick trip from Oklahoma City to Savannah. Two days on the road to get there, one day to take care of everything with the shelter and two days to get back home. Am planning to have my son, Alex, go with me to help with the driving but am having some scheduling problems. He cannot leave until Wednesday. Our friends in Savannah plan on leaving for vacation on Thursday. Stay tuned to see how this drama turns out. As the attached picture of her shows she is a sweet little dog and needs a good home.

Arizona Bound--Day 22--Home

A hard drive in the wind and another adventure is over.

After a good nights rest in Amarillo we headed out for our last leg. The planes coming in low over the coach finally stopped around midnight and we were able to get some sleep. Wound up getting up about an hour later than planned so we did not actually get on the road until around 9:30. After a refueling stop we hit the road with a raging wind coming straight out of the north. When you drive a large vehicle that is almost 13 feet tall and shaped like a loaf of bread a side wind can make for hard driving.

Actually the trip was fairly uneventful and we made it home about 3:30 this afternoon. We spent the next couple of hours unloading most of the stuff in the coach and then collapsed. There are still a few loads of stuff to bring in but that can wait until tomorrow. The coach needs a bath after three weeks in the desert and there are a few minor repairs that need to be attended to. When you take a house, put it on wheels and then drive it up and down the roads in our country things are going to work loose. Most of the things can be fixed here at the house but there are a couple of things I'll need to get the RV dealer to take care of. Those items can wait until the first of the week. After that it will go back to the storage lot until time to get it ready for the next adventure this next month. Stay tuned to see what's next and where we are going.

Arizona Bound--Day 21

Beautiful mountains, good roads and a bunch of wind.

Today was another day of driving but before we could pull out of Alamogordo I had to trek across the road to take a picture of the World's Largest Pistachio Nut. (One of our RV friends seeks out these "World's Largest" on their travels, so Rod this is for you.) This is at a pistachio farm and winery just across the road from the Boot Hill RV Park. After that we hit the road around 8:30 and headed northeast. We traveled up into the mountains and through Ruidoso, a fantastic place up in the high mountain area of east central New Mexico. From there it was through Roswell and then up to Clovis before we crossed into Texas. At the Texas state line, as has been our experience in the past, the wind picked up greatly, this time out of the north. Since we were traveling as much to the north as the west we found ourselves driving straight into the wind most of the day.

As we crossed into Texas we came into the Central Time Zone so we lost an hour at that point. We arrived at the Overnite RV Park in Amarillo around 4:30pm. This is the same place we stopped over on our way home this past April. It's a nice and inexpensive park to stop for the night with full hookups, including cable TV. We decided to stay in this evening and did not even unhook the car. Now it's time to just rest before we tackle our last day out tomorrow. One pleasant surprise here in Amarillo is our computer access. Earlier in the year I had purchased an internet Hot Spot unit from Sprint. This was so we did not have to rely on the WiFi in the RV parks. This unit offers 3G service in most of the United States but offers 4G coverage in about 25 cities around the country. Eventually they plan to have 4G coverage everywhere. So far we had not been anywhere that 4G is offered since they said they were starting with the major cities. We've used the unit in Oklahoma City, Little Rock and Tucson and did not get the 4G. So it was a big surprise that Amarillo has 4G availability. I've been told that 4G was a very fast connection but am totally blown away at how fast it is. I cannot remember having anywhere near this kind of speed even with the DSL coverage we have used at home. One major drawback, and something we did not remember about the last time we stayed here, this RV park in directly in the flight line of the Amarillo Airport so we have all these aircraft coming in very low directly above our coach.

Arizona Bound--Day 20

A drive through missile ranges, a stop at Boot Hill and another beautiful sunset.

We pulled out of the RV Resort in Tucson around 8:30 this morning. Three of our remaining four coaches left at the same time. The fourth was getting ready to pull out as we left. There were only a few remaining RVs scattered throughout the park but they too had to be out by 11:00 am. We headed east on Interstate Highway 10 toward Las Cruces, New Mexico. There we turned north on U.S. Highway 70. After about 340 miles we stopped for the night at the Boot Hill RV Park in Alamogordo, New Mexico. This is a relative new RV park and has almost all the amenities we would want. The only thing missing is cable TV. We tried to get some local stations over the antennae but did not have much luck. We'll spend the night here and then head out again tomorrow morning.

The drive today took us through the White Sands Missile Ranges. This is where the government designs, perfects and tests the many types of missiles used by the United States Military. Part of the drive took us up to about 5700 feet above sea level and then we dropped down to the desert floor in the White Sands area. Now we are in Alamogordo where one of the first nuclear bombs, one of the two that were dropped on Japan during World War II, was developed and built. After getting settled in at the RV Park we took a drive up through town. The main part of town is basically just like most of these towns along the highway. Many hotels and about every brand of fast food chain in the country. We elected to stop at a good old Oklahoma companies establishment, Sonic. We have not had a good Sonic burger since we left home, although Sonic is abundant in this part of the country. We did get to see another nice sunset. This picture was taken from directly in front of our coach this evening.

Arizona Bound--Day 19

More goodbyes, great lunch and a little coach maintenance.

By the time we got out and around this morning several more of the rally attendees had left. We did take advantage of not having rally responsibilities so we slept a little later than normal. When we did venture out there were only seven of our coaches left. As the morning went on more left and there are four of us still sitting here. We had some mail to get out so we left out about noon to find a local post office with an outside mail box and then stopped at a Denny's for lunch. This Denny's was different than their regular places in that it was fashioned as an old time diner.

After returning to the coach it was time to complete the job I started last week with the installation of the new house batteries. Part of the problem, well actually most of the problem, with the old batteries was my lack of properly maintaining them. These batteries should be checked for proper water levels at least once a month. The way they are situated it is almost impossible to see into the batteries in the back of the bay. I have to admit I have not been the best about keeping them adequately watered. To solve this problem I purchased a system that permanently attaches to the batters, a system of small tubes, that only require dropping a small hose into the bottle of distilled water and squeezing a rubber bulb until the batteries are full. A very easy way to maintain these very large batteries. Now I have no excuse for not taking proper care of them. While working outside I noticed the Metlife Blimp flying over. Since there is not major stadium in this area we had to assume that it was just traveling from one place to another rather than covering something local. All in all this was a good last day in Tucson with beautiful weather. Tomorrow takes us back on the road as we start working our way back home to Oklahoma.