The Big Easy

Louisiana has got to have the worst roads in the world!!! The minute we hit the state line, we were in for a ride! They need to add to their vacation brochures, “Come to The Big Easy, and don’t forget to pack your kidney belt and sports bra!!!” The highways in Louisiana are constructed of concrete, which makes for a rough ride, and the surface streets don’t seem to be any better. Without offending anyone here, I’m not sure what the state spends their tax dollars on but it’s certainly not their roads!

We’re bouncing along on the 90 when I had just dozed off. “What was that?” Whatever the noise was, I could hear it through my pillow and it was loud enough to wake me up. Brian looked in the rear view mirror. We didn’t leave anything laying in the middle of the road so we kept going. At one point, while stopped for gas, I even joked the trailer wasn’t level. Now, I realize the trailer wouldn‘t be level at that particular spot but we’ve been having a time trying to level the trailer when we set up. We’re both convinced the bubbles on this thing aren’t level to begin with which Brian says is another reason to trade her in! We pulled in to Lake Ponchatrain Landing RV Park in New Orleans and backed the trailer into our spot. As I reached to put the blocks under the tires to help level the trailer, Brian made the comment, “The tires shouldn’t be touching each other like that. Something’s definitely wrong here.” He crawled under the trailer to see what the problem was and learned we had broken a leaf spring on one of the axles. Great! Another item to add to his list of reasons to trade this thing in. They just keep adding up!

After $370 later and sitting around until late the next afternoon waiting for the mobile RV repairman, we decided it was too late to go to the French Quarter so we opted for the RV park’s bar instead, where I might add, Nate the bartender, part owner, full time operator, cook, chauffer, tour guide and all-around good guy, made one heck of a margarita. I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the sign hanging over his bar. Maybe he's got something here…

So we lost a day in the Big Easy but what the heck, it’s New Orleans! We boarded the shuttle the next morning and off we go to the French Quarter. On the way, Nate the bartender, part owner, full time operator, cook, chauffer, tour guide and all-around good guy, put on his tour guide hat and started to relay where and what to do and the areas we needed to avoid. One of them being the cemeteries unless we go in a group due to the high volume of muggings. We looked at one another and realized two does not constitute a “group” so figured we’d stay away from that area all together. I asked Nate questions about a few houses I’d seen that were vacant and obviously ravaged by a hurricane or two. Yes, those were the remnants of hurricane Katrina and yes, the ninth ward was the hardest hit but only because of the levee break. “And what ward does the RV Park sit?” He gave a little laugh and almost like I was pulling fingernails, tells us, “The ninth ward.” Great. That explains the seedy area we drove through, just before the sun set, to get to the rv park. And that also explains the high fence and electric gates as you enter the park.

We stepped off the shuttle and we’re standing in the middle of the French Quarter. We decided the first thing we would do is take a carriage ride so we can get a feel for the area and learn a little about it’s history. We were shown a building which was built for Napoleon (he died but a few months before completion) and our driver even pointed out the house where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie live when they’re in New Orleans. As I jump off the carriage, Brian looked at me and asked, “Are you hungry?” One thing I’ve learned on this trip is if Brian asks me if I’m hungry, it actually means, he’s the hungry one. So off to look for a restaurant we go. We happened on the best little restaurant in the French Quarter by the name of The Gumbo Shop. We both opted for the creole platter complete with shrimp creole, red beans and rice and French bread. And I’m happy to report, I’m back in the land of sweet tea!!! Brian hates the stuff but I can’t get enough of it! Yeah I know, I can make it at home but it’s just not the same.

We roamed around the French Quarter a bit, took the ferry from New Orleans to Crescent City and back, then headed to Bourbon Street. Nate the bartender, part owner, full time operator, cook, chauffer, tour guide and all-around good guy suggested we take the ferry to the other side of the river to see a different view of New Orleans. Next time we’ll know not to waste our time with the ferry and I suggest, if you‘re ever in New Orleans to stay clear of the ferry as well, Bourbon street is much more fun We wandered into The Absinthe Bar bellied up to the bar and ordered our drinks. The bottle of Zinfandel was rancid when the bartender opened it so she ran to the neighboring bar and returned with my daiquiri in hand. Back out on Bourbon Street we walked up one side then down the other, can’t imagine what that place must look like at Mardi Gras but we were told by Nate the bartender, part owner, full time owner… awhhh, you get the picture… that store owners will actually smear Vaseline on the top of their posts to keep people from climbing up the poles to the 2nd story balconies. Yes, whatever happens in New Orleans, stays in New Orleans, oh yeah, that’s Vegas.

Tomorrow??? The Swamp Tour! Can’t wait!!!

We pulled in to the Spring Creek RV Park just on the outskirts of Tyler, Texas. The description in the Woodall’s book says, “good paved/gravel interior roads.” Apparently what Woodall’s didn’t know was a huge storm swept through this area a couple of weeks ago dumping a bunch of rain causing a nearby dam to break and wiped out the road to the rv park. What all this equates to is the county road leading to the rv park now is home to huge potholes and is impossible to avoid. Other than the fact you’ve got 39 sites all vying for one washer and one dryer, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Spring Creek.

Right off the bat we met the young couple next to us. Their oldest came over while we were setting up. “I’m Lane, what’s your name?” Lane had a younger sister, Brooklyn. She was only 21 months old but she could talk up a storm and had that cute little southern drawl to match her cute little blonde curls. The morning we left, the family came over to bid us farewell and wish us well on our travels.

Of all places, you’re probably wondering why Tyler, Texas. Those of you who know me, know I love to work on our family history, and it just so happens, some of my Lowery’s migrated (ok, were banished) to that area. I have a husband (lucky girl), who might not always understand, but is loving enough to let me spend a couple of days in the local library, “hunting for dead people” or “time for a self pedicure“, as he calls it. (Brian threw his humor in there.)

I entered the genealogy department of the Tyler Library and heard, “How can I help you?” That was all I needed to hear as I asked question after question for the next 4 hours. I’m sure she was sorry she ever addressed me in the first place but by the end of my time in the library we became the best of friends. Anne was a wealth of Smith County information and whenever I needed a book, she knew exactly where it was.

The next day we headed over to the Troup Library where I saw that southern hospitality surface again. “What surname you searching?” And as soon as I told the young man on the other side of the counter, he picked up the phone and started dialing. “You need to talk to Barbara. She’s a Lowery!” As it turned out, Barbara’s mother-in-law was a Lowery and in the short time we spoke, we exchanged email addresses and vowed to keep in touch.

We then headed over to Tyler’s rose garden which is the only thing Tyler is famous for. The 14-acre rose garden is one of only 24 throughout the country and is a trial garden for the All-America Rose Selection (AARS). Roses in the AARS trial garden are evaluated over a 2 year period and must be varieties not previously introduced in the U.S. After this 2 year test period, the “best of the best” are recommended as new introductions into the rose market. The area which I enjoyed the most was the David Austin antique roses and the area which housed their perennial garden. We took pictures and notes of the different rose bushes and plants to store away for our next house.




While I was off playing at the libraries, Brian worked on our hot water heater. Earlier, he accidentally ran all the water out of the tank which fried the heating element. It took him a couple of trips to the rv center for parts but I think he’s got it fixed. Which brings me to the fact he’s driving me crazy with wanting a different 5th wheel. When we first started looking we decided we wanted a trailer with 2 slides, one in the main living area and the other in the bedroom. For those of you who’ve seen the inside of the bedroom area in a 5th wheel, you’ll totally understand, but we found this 5th wheel which has everything we were looking for with the exception of the bedroom slide. So yeah, I guess you can say we settled. You see, every time we pass by an rv center with 5th wheels for sale, he whacks me on the arm and points to the rv lot. Do you realize how many rv lots there are in Texas??? It’s a huge state and I swear, it must be the rv capitol of the world! My left arm is starting to show the wear and tear of his ranting! We did find a brand new 5th wheel in Tyler we both liked but I wasn’t willing to part with the money they wanted for it so we’re still in our 1 slide, postage stamp bedroom, home on wheels.

See ya in The Big Easy!

Ok, I’m totally convinced. They say everything is bigger in Texas and at this point in time, I’d say I’d have to agree. We pulled in to McKinney State Park just outside of Austin and set up camp when Emma decided she needed to relieve herself. So, off we go outside into the wild-blue-yonder. Our first sighting of Texas wildlife, were 2 white-tailed deer grazing only 100 feet from our trailer. Quietly, we stood and watched until they ran back in to the woods. But we’re still wondering what-in-God’s-green-earth we saw next. It was long and skinny and the body had the appearance of bark. It had to be at least 6 to 8 inches and it had pincers on it’s butt! Which by the way, curled up in attack mode when Brian poked it with a stick. It reminded me of a praying mantis, but it wasn’t the same green color as the praying mantis we’re used to seeing and the pincers on the butt… well, have never seen anything quite like that before. Does anyone have any idea what this thing is???

Then to top off the evening, Brian took Emma out for her nightly tinkle when he runs back hollering, “get your camera!” Expecting to see more deer, I grab my camera and tip toe out to where him and Emma are standing only to find Brian, not looking toward the meadow where we’d seen the previous deer sighting but standing there gazing skyward, his neck contorted like some freak show. I stand beside him to follow his gaze and there in the sky, hovering 20 feet above our heads is a HUGE spider busy spinning it’s web from one tree, across the road, and connecting to another tree. Other than the tarantulas we saw the other day, this has got to be the biggest spider I’ve ever seen!! I swear, that thing had to be on steroids!


After the spider episode, we thought we’d call it an evening so retired to the 5th wheel where Brian clobbered me in a game called Blokus and I spanked him in a game of Cribbage. All’s fair in love and war…

The next morning we drove to the downtown area of Austin where we walked around the grounds of the state capitol and let Emma chase the squirrels. Maybe it’s the fact we just left an area of the United States where the average rain fall is less than 9 inches a year but all this “green” is really amazing! The grounds around the state capitol are well manicured and the trees must be well over a hundred years old. We weren’t able to go on the tour of the inside of the capitol because we had Emma with us but I went in to take a peek. The capitol itself was completed in 1888 and is the largest, but not the tallest, state capitol building in the United States.



Lunch was BBQ… Texas style! We stopped and ate at The Iron Works Barbecue in downtown Austin. It’s a simple place with a very casual system where you stand in line, order your BBQ platter or sandwich, go to the cashier counter, sit down and pig out. This place is not for amateur eaters. It’s a lot of meat, and trust me, even hours later, I was still feeling it. Brian had the brisket which he says was fantastic. I had the beef ribs. Beef is really not my favorite but as I was getting ready to order, I guy walked by me with a plate full of the yummy looking ribs, I pointed and said, “I’ll have what he’s got.” I should have stayed with my gut feelings and ordered the chicken as the ribs, even though very tasty, were tough. The BBQ sauce made up for anything lacking in the ribs though. It was out-of-this world YUMMY! If you ever decide to go to The Iron Works, and I highly recommend you do, just keep in mind they don’t have air conditioning which can be a bummer on a hot, humid, summer day. We were lucky, it was raining the day we visited so were able to grab a table in their outdoor seating area and really enjoy ourselves.


Oh… and here’s another thing we ran across that’s “bigger in Texas.”

We're off to Tyler, TX. See ya'll there!

San Antonio

After a wonderful time in Fredericksburg, we pulled up camp and moved on down to San Antonio where we again played “Tourista” and spent our time on the River Walk and toured the Alamo. We started this leg of our adventure at the IMAX theater where we watched a 42 minute movie depicting the historical events of the 13 day siege of the Alamo. Had I stayed awake in history class we could have skipped the $11.50 per person admission fee and saved ourselves the agony of watching a badly directed with even worse acting rendition of the Alamo. I’m not even sure I would call it a “B” movie but none the less, I learned something before touring the Alamo.


I suppose the actual grounds of the Alamo is not exactly what I had pictured before arriving. I was somewhat disappointed to find most of the property which the actual fort sat has now been handed over to commercial buildings. Even though there was a small scale mock-up of the Alamo, it was hard to imagine just how large the fort was back in 1836 compared to what’s left today. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed touring the Alamo and walking through it’s beautifully manicured grounds but I think visiting the Alamo is something you only want to do once. Brian and I were also surprised to learn that most of the defenders of the Alamo weren’t actually Texans at all but men who were from the Northern and Southern states. Kind of makes one wonder why they even bothered to defend the Alamo at all.

After touring the Alamo we wandered over to the River Walk for bit. My cousin lives in San Antonio so we were able to meet her and her husband for dinner. My cousin’s husband, Paul, hates going anywhere near the downtown area so meeting us at the River Walk was a bit of a stretch for him. It was decided we would eat at a local Mexican restaurant so we hopped the city bus, paid our $1.10 fare and rode the 10 blocks or so to his favorite eatery. Even though Brian & I would have preferred to eat somewhere on the River Walk, we really enjoyed Paul’s pick. La Margarita is well known for it’s fajita’s and they definitely lived up to their reputation. The fajita’s were served on a sizzling hot cast iron skillet which both heavy smoke and smell would follow the waiter all the way from the kitchen to your table “en fuego.” The waiter talked me in to trying the Passion Fruit margarita which I’ll have to say is my new, favorite margarita.

After dinner we bid our farewells to Paul and Kay and we walked back down to the River Walk where we hopped a boat for the river tour. Our navigator and tour guide was quite comical and very interesting with all his knowledge of River Walk trivia (I wonder if the tour guides have a River Walk school they attend with a River Walk graduation and a River Walk diploma.) We learned the River Walk is a 2 ½ mile stretch of beautifully landscaped waterfront that features various businesses. In the beginning, Spanish Explorers used the waterway to supply water to their missions. The last flood which was seen at the River Walk was back in 1921 when over 50 people were killed. Since then, various gates and an upstream dam have been constructed and there has been no flooding of the river since the tragic 1921 episode.

With all that being said, San Antonio was a wonderful experience, however spring or fall would be the ideal time to visit. We’re on our way to Austin, TX… blog ya soon!

We spent the 4th of July weekend in Fredericksburg located in the Hill Country of Texas. Fredericksburg is a town of only about 11,000 people but swells to at least double that figure every weekend and the 4th of July weekend was no exception. We stayed in Fredericksburg only 2 nights but Brian and I fell in love with the little town and it’s people. Fredericksburg descends from German settlers and there’s still a strong German influence today. Yes, we had lunch at a local German restaurant which included sausage, sauerkraut, German potato salad and warm beer.

We stayed at the Fredericksburg RV Park which we would highly recommend to anyone. Brian and I both give it two-thumbs-up. It was the cleanest RV park we‘ve yet to come across and the owners could make anyone feel right at home. As I was checking in I asked if there was an RV store close by. I know, stupid question in a small town but thought I’d give it a shot anyway. Sure enough, there wasn’t an RV store within miles of Fredericksburg. As I explained to the gentleman across the counter that a pipe to our water line broke, he told me to go ahead, get set up and he’d mosey on over to take a look at it.

As promised, the minute we finished setting up, he drove over. “Do you own this park?” I asked as he lay under our 5th wheel. “No, my wife does, I just get to work here.” He went so far as to drive to the hardware store, buy exactly what we needed and even installed it for us when he returned. Now that’s southern hospitality.

The next day we were walking through the stores on Main Street when I ran in to the local 5&Dime. “Where you from?” the owner asked. “Phoenix.” “Yeah, you ain’t from around here. Who you sending post cards to?” When I explained our trip and I’ve been sending post cards to my mother-in-law at each of our stops he told me he had just the right postcard. Not finding what he was looking for on the rack, he ran to the back room of his store. Finally finding his treasure, he gave me, free of charge, a postcard sporting a picture of his store making sure I knew his 5&Dime was only one of a handful of 5&Dime stores still left in the country. Yep, there’s more of that southern hospitality we hear so much about.

The afternoon of the 4th was spent with the locals and other tourist who lined Main Street to watch the annual 4th of July parade. This year’s parade was dedicated to the Vietnam Vets. It was your typical, small town parade complete with walking bands, old cars, local politicians, Fredericksburg’s fire truck, a queen and her court and even a clown or two.

After the parade ended we drove out of town to visit the Fredericksburg Wildseed Farm where they harvest wild seeds from various flowers and sell in pretty little packages. Of course, we had to buy a few packets and will save them for our new house, whenever and wherever that will be. Craig, you would have love it.

Until our next adventure. Love to all,
B&D

Duck vs Spider Smack Down

Thought you’d get a kick out of this one…

A couple of days after visiting Carlsbad I downloaded my photos and I came across these two of a formation called “The Witches Finger.” The first photo above was taken walking towards the large stone resembling her finger.

As I walked away from the witches finger, I turned around to snap another photo. Do you see a form of a witch? Yeah, it gave me chills too.

As we were driving through Texas on our way to San Antonio we renamed Highway 285 to the “Spider Highway.” As we were cruising along, we kept noticing these large black spots on the road. As Brian slowed so I could take a closer look, I surprised him with a big, “Ewwwww!” As it turned out, those large black spots were actually tarantulas!! There were dozens of them crossing the road and it was almost impossible to dodge them all. Brian wanted to catch a couple but I wouldn’t have them any where near me let alone in the same vehicle so he settled for a picture. The Duck wins!

I'm way behind on my blogging. We've had a lot going on the last few days so keep checking back as we try to catch up.

Give yourself a hug for us, B & D

We’ve been on the road a week now and have naturally fallen into our own jobs. Brian’s job has become pilot and out of necessity, I’ve become the navigator. Emma? Well, she’s become the co-pilot letting us know when we need to touch down for a potty break.

I fell into the role of navigator after hearing Brian exclaim, “Uh-Oh” “WHAT?? No Uh-Oh!” Just about then I heard the truck sputter and Brian went in to full speed shutting down the air conditioning and radio. “What in the world is going on?” As he looks at me with a sheepish grin he tells me, “We’re running out of gas.” Great! We’re 2 miles from Casa Grande, it’s 108 degrees out and we’re running out of gas. As we literally coast into the gas station, I proceeded to let him know that if we run out of gas, I’m not the one who will be walking in that God forsaken heat to the nearest gas station.

And so my role of navigator began. Since we’re only averaging 6 to 7 miles per gallon, I’ve become fairly proficient at telling him what, when and even where to go… take that anyway you want. ;o)

After spending a couple of days visiting Brian’s mom, we headed toward Bisbee. After living in AZ for the last 25 years, neither one of us have ever been to Bisbee and let me tell you, it’s no big whoop. I think we could have lived another 25 years without seeing Bisbee and never lived to regret it. After walking around the town for a couple of hours in the scorching heat, we did learn there are quite a few characters who call Bisbee their home. A picture is worth a thousand words…

We bid farewell to Bisbee and moved on towards New Mexico landing at Carlsbad Caverns. I remember visiting the caverns when I was but 5 or 6 but Brian had never had the pleasure. Even though it was cloudy and raining, we headed to the caverns the night of the 1st for the bat flight. Every evening thousands upon thousands of Mexican free tail bats exit the cave in search of food only to return the next morning. We learned the bats exit the cavern, circle 7 times, then fly off for the night. Why do they circle 7 times before leaving the cave entrance??? No one really knows but one can only guess maybe it’s a correlation between the way the water in the toilet circles 7 times before it’s flushed down the pipes.

We realize some of you may or may not have been through the caverns but we were truly amazed by all the formations, the vastness of the cavern itself and how nice the park is kept. Park rangers were polite in answering every question, the road to the cavern recently paved and the path inside the cavern is well maintained and easy to hike. But word to the wise, make sure you wear comfortable tennis or hiking shoes. The caverns is not a path you want to wear flip-flops.

I need to back up a bit here… On our way to Carlsbad we stopped at our first “largest ball of twine.” As we were coming up on the White Sands National Park we decided to take a peek. Pulling in we forked over the moola for an “America the Beautiful” park pass and drove on. It was really weird driving through the large mounds of white sand, your mind playing tricks on you making you think it was going to be cold outside only to step out of the car onto the hot ground. What was really mind boggling was the kids with their sleds sledding down the mountains of the hot, white sand. To each his own. I’ll take the slopes of Telluride any day!

We’re now in Fredericksburg, TX for the 4th of July weekend. We’re heading to the town parade tomorrow with a concert and fireworks in the town park tomorrow night. We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday tomorrow and have a hot dog for us!!

Ready... Set... Go!!!

We closed on our home the morning of, Friday, June 25th. It was bittersweet since we'd lived in that house the last 14 years and had worked hard to make it our own. Yes, I cried as I gave the new owner a hug and told her I hope they make many new memories of their time in their new home just as we had over the years. With tears in my eyes, I crawled in the truck and we drove away.

Since the last time I blogged was before closing on the house, you're probably wondering where we are. One can only imagine we've put many miles in between us and Phoenix and have seen quite a few things by now. Encontre!! We drove north out of Phoenix and spent the next 2 days camping with our friends - - got to get in that last camping trip with everyone, you know! - - drove back through Phoenix and ended up in the little town of Amado, AZ. What, pray tell, are we doing here?? My sweet mother-in-law lives just north of our location in Green Valley and since the only RV park in Green Valley cateers only to those 55+, we ended up here.

We spent yesterday afternoon with Brian's mom, his sister and brother-in-law going through old pictures and papers of Brian's grandmother, Midge, who had spent her early years in various all girl bands playing tenor sax. I knew she used to play with Ada Leonard but yesterday, we learned she had also played with Jean Harlow. It also appears Midge and her husband enjoyed the arts and had kept playbills from the late 1800's in her scrapbook! Those who know me, know I was in Hog Heaven going through all those old photos and papers!! We're heading back later this morning to visit, and to finish going through Midge's box.

We'll be heading out early tomorrow so stay for our next "adventure".

Luv to all... D

It's amazing who comes out of the woodwork when you're giving stuff away.

Listed our piano on craigslist and within the first 10 minutes of the posting we received 3 emails and 7 phone calls. The problem now is trying to find just one out of these 10 people who are actually serious enough to come haul the thing away.

Also listed our mattress set as a freebie. I would have never thought anyone would be remotely interested in an old and lumpy mattress but my girlfriend suggested there must be someone out there sleeping on the floor and just waiting for this old thing. Well, thanks to P's suggestion, a young man is now the proud owner of our throw away. He'd told us his ex-girlfriend got their bed in the breakup and he's been sleeping on his couch. He was almost giddy as he drove down the street and out of sight.

They're delivering the pods tomorrow so it's going to be a big day. I never realized just how much stuff we have until I started packing. Is it too late for another garage sale???

D

And The Journey Begins

We've sold the house and we're off into the world unknown.

Since we're young (or at least young minded) and healthy, and don't have anywhere we need to be at any certain time we've decided to put all our belongings in storage and head off in to the wild-blue-yonder with dog and trailer in tow. And since family and friends keep asking us, What's next? Where you heading? we've decided to start this blog so those we love can track our travels.

We hope you join us as we start in Arizona and eventually end up in Colorado. We're looking forward to adventures around every corner and to sharing our happy times and challenges.

B & D