Louisiana and Alabama

We were a day late leaving McKinney, TX so that kinda through our "schedule" behind. Friday night we spent in Shreveport and on Saturday we drove into New Iberia, LA.

We were both excited about seeing Tim and Cheryl. Tim is Dean's youngest son (and also my son by marriage). I called as soon as we were set up and Tim said that Cheryl had a spaghetti dinner waiting for us, to come on over. Wow, that was a nice surprise as we were both hungry since we had very little for breakfast that morning and no lunch.

After the wonderful dinner followed by coconut cake, which was yummy, Tim and Cheryl followed us back to the motorhome as I had some computer work for him. My Linksys wireless had quit. Well, not actually quit, but it wasn't secure anymore and was not set for my system name. I knew Tim could fix it and he did. A big, big thanks with hugs for him!

Sunday we decided to go to the local casino for dinner and a little playing. Dinner was good, especially the crab and corn bisque soup. As for the playing - Cheryl sat down at a 25 cent machine when we came out of the restaurant and hit over $200.00 almost immediately. Well, we figured this was going to be a good day - NOT! She was the only one with luck that Sunday, at least as far as the casino was concerned.

Cheryl and I decided to go to bingo that evening and though we had a good time, neither of us won. I just love going to bingo with her, not because I think I'm going to win, but most all of her friends speak with the "Cajun" accent and I just love listening to them talk. There is one phrase that is used often "oh shey" (not sure of the spelling). Well, when I hear it, I think that they are saying Oh Sh*t! I ask Cheryl what they said and she smiles her beautiful smile and says oh shey. I think it means OK or something similar.

We had planned on stopping to see Terry and Theresa in Port Allen, LA. Terry is Dean's oldest son. Because of being a day behind, we had to scrub that idea since we went through there on Monday and he was working. Sorry Terry, but we will catch up with you before we get back on the road.

We had also planned on stopping to see our granddaughter, Amber and her new baby. She and her family live in Covington, LA. Here again, it was a work day so no could do. We will be making the drive over one day before the holidays as it's not but a couple of hour drive from S. Alabama.

Our stop Monday night was in Gulfport, MS at Dean's youngest daughters. Krystal and Ed (her hubby) had just bought a new house and we were anxious to see it. We parked the motorhome on the street in front of her house and spent the night there. Their house is beautiful! It's in a rather new sub-division north of I-10 in Gulfport. Three bedrooms, two baths, formal dining room, great room, nice kitchen and a enclosed patio with a large yard. Oops, I forgot the 2 car garage. I would post a picture here, but would you believe I forgot to take pictures. Guess my mind is slipping. We are soooo excited for them as this is their first house and their excitement flows to anyone who enters. Krystal is having a lot of fun decorating.

Krystal's mom, Sandy and her hubby, Dick are living with Krystal and it was good seeing them again. It's so funny because our daughters - Krystal and Suze - just can't get over that the four of us are friends. I guess sometimes I can't either because it hasn't always been that way, but we are and the past is behind us. You just never know, do you?

Tuesday morning we left Gulfport heading to Rainbow Plantation for a couple of nights. There were a few things that I needed to do in the area before heading to Montgomery. We will be in the Montgomery area about a week, getting tags for the motorhome, visiting my daughter & son and most important, my granddaughter Morgan and hopefully finding someone to cut my hair. We will head back south after our visit to get the doctor stuff out of the way and to attempt to finalize, as best I can, my father's estate.

Once we get the go from the doctors, our plans are to head for South Texas for the winter.

Not sure when I'll be posting again, so until then - Take care and Be Safe.....

MCD Innovations - McKinney, TX

We arrived at MCD in McKinney, TX on Sunday afternoon. We are having our pleated day/night shades replaced with the new solar screen/blind that is manufactured here at MCD. If you've been in new motorhomes recently, there is a chance that you have seen them.

Not a bad place to stay for several days. They (MCD) have several full hook-up sites. If you call in advance for a appointment (recommended) you will most likely be directed to one upon arrival. Monday morning, Red, the rv'er in charge of all the incoming rv's and also the installer, came to measure our windown and windshield. He said that they would probably start installing on Wed. afternoon. Well, our neighbor who has a Beaver was having the automatic system for the windshield done and I guess they ran into some design problems as it was obvious it was taking longer than expected for them to get it finished. Because of this our installation didn't begin until this morning. We had six window's done and it only took just over a hour and a half for the helper installer to get them done. Wow, do they look nice! Then this afternoon they came with the windshield solar screen. We opted for the inside install, which is much better in my opinion than having the outside one. No holes drilled in the coach for the snaps and no climbing on a ladder to put it up when parked. It also looks good. The only thing we had left was a velcro attached piece for our screen door. The previous owners of our home apparently had one made for the door but didn't leave it with the coach. We discovered that they also had the wheel covers as the track for them is there, just no covers. We have ordered them and they will be shipped to us in a couple of weeks.

What a difference the solar screen makes. We are parked facing west and every afternoon we have had to pull the curtains because of the heat. Not today! The screen really does block the heat, but yet allows plenty of light to come through. I really believe I'm going to love these blinds - no strings to break either!

I took a couple of pictures and have posted them at Picasa if you care to see how they look.

One highlight of our stay in McKinney was that I got a visit from a dear friend that I ran around with during high school. She lived across the street from me in Gulfport, MS, well, it was Mississippi City back then. The only problem was she went to Gulfport HS and I went to Biloxi HS - long story - won't go there. It had been about 7 years since we've seen each other and we had a great time catching up with each other's families. So, Natalie, if you read this, thanks for coming up to visit - I loved spending the day with you! We are hoping to be able to stop by and visit her again in the spring on our way north from S. Texas. She and her hubby have a pretty house on a lake near Log Cabin, TX - see if you can find that on a map - LOL!

We should be back in Alabama sometime next week. We will be making a few stops to see some of the kids and our granddaughter and her new baby daughter.

Till next time....

Ft. Richardson State Park & Historic Site

I decided to to a web search for things to do in this area. We had spend a few days catching up on laundry, shopping and cleaning and wanted to get out for a day.

I found Ft. Richardson State Park & Historic Site in Jacksboro, TX which is about 20 miles from where we are currently parked. Sounded like it might be interesting so off we went.

I can't say the drive was scenic, not after three months of wonderfully scenic driving in Colorado and New Mexico. If you like an occasional rolling hill, prickly pear cactus and mesquite trees, you will love this area!

We arrived at Ft. Richardson and went in the small welcome/registration center. This park not only is home to a historic fort, but also has camping and day use areas. A word for our rv'ing friends. This is one state park that I'll remember if we get back this way. Nice paved roads and all the campsite are paved. You have your choice of four different campsites besides the primitive tent area. There are campsites with w/e for $20 per day, campsites with w/e/s for $22.00 per day, campsites with full h/u + a screened shelter for $24.00 per day and campsites with w/e + a screened shelter for $22.00 per day. The screened shelter are actually a wood enclosure with lots of windows and screened area. The host said that a lot of people come in their camper and put the kids in the shelters on cots, sleeping bags etc. Sounded good to me!

Back to the fort - There are approximately four to six original building still standing here. There are also several reconstructed buildings. The fort was established in 1867 with the last building, the hospital, being finished in 1870. The fort and it's inhabitants have a very interesting history which spans several years and involves many Indian tribes. Some information about the history of the fort is available at http://en.widipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Richardson,_Texas and at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us./spdest/findadest/parks/fort_richardson/

We toured the interpretive center which had several cases with artifacts and old pictures. We then toured the hospital and where we had a guide who was very knowledgeable about the building and a lot of the equipment in the doctors office. He also had several interesting stories to tell.

There was supposed to be a wagon train gathering at mid-afternoon, so we took a break and went to town for some lunch. Dairyland Cafe was recommended as having great BBQ and we were not disappointed. Dean had the ribs and I had the brisket. It was delicious.

Arriving back at the park, we looked for the wagons, but couldn't find any. We went to the Commanding Officers Quarters to tour it and where told that there wouldn't be any wagon train today. We were disappointed, but that didn't stop us from enjoying the rest of the day.

We were given a guided tour of the Officers Quarters and it also included some history and stories. There had been five Officers Quarters and sometimes 2 or 3 families would share one house. If you were a Jr. Officer and someone higher ranking arrived, you had to move to a tent - ugh! Even the enlisted had wooden barracks!

We finished our day by driving through the campground at the state park. As I mentioned, it was very nice.

I've posted a few pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/SchultzTravelPhotos

Till next time ----

Bridgeport, TX

Picture from Farmington, NM

We are now settled in at Bay Landing, a 1000 Trails Park near Bridgeport, TX. We left Albuquerque last Saturday after listening to the weather report that was predicting some bad weather for the area. We guessed because of the weather that there would be no more balloon activity and we were right.

We spent Saturday and Sunday night at Tucumcari, NM in some rockin and rollin weather. The wind got so bad we pulled in the passenger side slide to keep from rocking so much. Monday morning it had stopped raining and the wind wasn't as bad so we left for Goodlett, TX. After a little more white knuckle driving we stopped at Ole Town Cotton Gin RV Park for the night. A nice park but the rain kept me from getting out to get pictures. It rained hard all night long. In the morning we found ourselves surrounded by big puddles so decided to wait awhile and let it soak in. We left around 10 am for Bridgeport and after a couple of hours of driving in mist, fog and light winds, it finally began clearing. The rest of yesterday was a mix of showers and sun so it wasn't to bad.

After getting fuel in Wichita Falls we got back on the road with Dean driving. All of a sudden I saw something fly past the drivers side window. What was that I hollered! Dean said he didn't know. I looked up and saw that the concave mirror on the drivers side was missing from the rear view mirror! Fortunately it didn't hit the side of the coach or the Jeep and there was no one close behind us. A call to Tiffin at Red Bay has a replacement on it's way to us.

This morning we woke to more clouds and heavy mist. I'll be glad when this front finally gets through here and we see some real sunshine!

We will be here until Sunday. We are going to MCD Innovations in McKinney, TX to get new blinds. I'm not a big fan of the traditional pleated day/night shades. We are going to be fitted with the new sunscreen shades and blinds. I've seen them in new motorhomes and our friends Jack & Danielle have them installed in their 5'er and they look great. They went for the electric controlled ones, but I'm cheap, we'll do the manual. Besides, the electric would be one more thing to break down! I'll post some pictures after we have them installed.

I guess my posts will start slowing down now as we are not doing any sightseeing. From here it will be get back to Alabama for doctor appointments and to settle my father's estate. Of course there are the holidays coming up and that will keep us busy. Hopefully after then we will be able to return to the highway and byways.

Till next time - stay safe....

Up, Up And Away - Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

This was the first Escapee HOP that we've attended and I must say it was a great experience. Our hosts were wonderful and everything was in place. We lucked out and got a great parking space right across from the "tent".

Thursday morning was a early rise - 5:30 am - so we could see the dawn patrol. This is about six balloons that go up to check the weather, wind and air currents. They are the deciding factor on if the balloons will go up or not. Of course if the weather is bad on the ground it's a no go - period!

It was so neat, seeing the balloons when they would light up in the dark. Anyway, at 7 am the first balloon went up carrying the American flag. It was followed by several more regular balloons then began the special shape mass ascension. In a word - AWESOME! They were followed by the regular balloon mass ascension. The field that was right where we were parked was the game field. They have a long pole and at the top is a key which is worth a special price from cash to a new car. They also have a ribbon toss from the balloons to see who can get closest to the X that marks the spot. It was really neat to watch this activity, how they would attempt to maneuver the balloons close to toss the ribbon which had a weight attached.

Thursday evening we went to the Fiesta park, about a mile away, due north, for the night glow. This is where they have the balloons blown up, but they do not launch, instead, they fire the burners so that the balloons glow in the dark. It was a beautiful night and they did the "all glow" about five times and attempted to do several "twinkle glows". The all glow is when they all light up at once. The twinkle glow is when they turn the burners on and off quickly, making a twinkly effect in the balloons.

This is an event that Dean and I have always wanted to see in person and we were not disappointed.

Friday morning the air currents where going from south to north, so the decision was made to do the mass ascension from the field by us and other empty fields south of the park. While we didn't get a lot of fly overs except from the balloons that launched from south of us, it did give us the opportunity to watch the setup from beginning to launch. Very interesting to see. Unfortunately, the special shapes launched from the park and didn't fly over us.

Friday afternoon there was a talk given by one of the balloonists followed by a delicious catfish and shrimp dinner, yummy.

Because of high winds on Saturday morning, there were no balloon launches. The weather report was that it was going to go downhill all day and into the night and Sunday. We made the decision to go ahead and leave before the rain set in. Where we were parked had all the looks of becoming a mud field when the rain began. We left around 10 am and have stopped at Tucumcari, NM for two nights. It rained and the wind blew so hard last night that we brought the passenger side slide in so the topper wouldn't tare. I think we had wind gusts up close to 50 mph during the night - we certainly rocked!

I read online this morning that the final mass ascension was cancelled for today because of the weather in Albuquerque. I also read that there was damage around town from the storm. I'm glad we made the decision to leave. Besides, it got us out before all the other 500 rv's that were parked around the field!

We are heading for Bay Landing, a 1000 Trails Park for five nights then to McKinney, TX to MCD to have some new shades installed. From there on east. Catch ya next time...

I've loaded four new albums from the Balloon Fiesta at http://www.picasaweb.google.com/SchultzTravelPhotos ENJOY!

The Four Corners

This will be a short post.

Yesterday we drove through miles and miles of desolate high desert to the four corners. This is where the corner of Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico meet. There is a monument that was put at the location of these four state meeting. This is not a national monument or park, but is operated by the Native American Indian tribes. There are also Native American Indian vendors, lots of them, selling their handmade wares.

It didn't take long to see where the four corners meet, take pictures, visit the booths then leave. We then went toward Cortez to the Ute Casino. We had their lunch buffet and of course played a little. The buffet was so-so. I'm ready to get back south where people know how to cook! And as for the slot machines, I believe theirs were the tightest I've played. Yes, I know, I've said that before, but it seems that with each Indian owned casino we visit, the slots get tighter.

After loosing a little, we drove back to Farmington and arrived home in time to watch the debate between Gov. Palin and Senator Biden. I'm not going to get political - there's enough of that on TV, but I thought that the person getting my vote did very well.

That was our day, nothing really special but I did post a few pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/SchultzTravelPhotos

I'm not sure that I'll be doing any more posting from here. The weather is supposed to get wet this weekend and Monday & Tuesday we will be getting ready to leave on Wednesday for the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. We will not have internet there so it will be after the festival that I'll probably post next.

We are really looking forward to the balloon festival. We've had several friends that have been and have told us what fun it is and what to expect. On top of the fun, both Dean and I will be celebrating our birthdays during our stay at the festival. We had talked about doing a balloon ride to celebrate, but both of us decided that it isn't something that we really want to do. Since Dean's is on the 9th and mine is on the 11th, we will probably go out for dinner on the 10th to celebrate - hope we can find someplace good!

So, until sometime after October 12th, unless something happens before then, stay safe and don't forget to come on back! See ya later.......

Driving To Silverton, CO

Because of the not so nice weather in Silverton on Sunday when we arrived by train, we decided that we would drive back one day to explore the town and view the fall colors. Yesterday was that day. It was an awesome drive and the fall colors - well I'm going to let you look at the pictures and see for yourself. We couldn't have picked a better day for the drive - the highs were in the 70's and the skies were clear - beautiful!

After our third year of fulltiming, we finally stayed north long enough to see the leaves change. It seemed that we always had to leave before the change would take place, but this year was the year! We even saw it snowing on the mountain top when we left Silverton. Thankfully that's where it stayed.

Enjoy the pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/SchultzTravelPhotos