RV Lifestyle as Full-Timers

Flexing my weak Mexican muscles

2012-01-16T21:37:00.003-06:00

MEMORIES OF TRAVEL IN MX

We took our first RV trip in Mexico in January of 2009 in a 1999 Fleetwood Storm. It was 34 feet long. We crossed the border at Pharr, TX after many scary warnings from the Americans camped in the park in McAllen. We quickly managed to get lost in Matamoros and headed down the coast to one of Mexico's newest designated beach resorts, La Pesca. Fontour (Mexican Tourism) has it in their sights.

A view of the short cut to La Pesca

LIFE ON THE LINE
We drove a seriously under construction road about 20 miles from the main road to the beach town of La Pesca. A beautiful town on a beautiful beach with an amazing river meandering inland. We parked in a hotel/RV park. There was one other RV there. A gentleman from an RV club scoping out the place for caravan trips. Guess they will wait until that scary road is finished.

Where are the boats?

Too cool for the lovely pool

Beautiful si si

Ah Stormy, our Brave RV

FOND MEMORIES OF LA PESCA

We stayed there two days, plugged into a simple 110 volt plug. It was chilly and we ventured out only to look around. The hotel was built by Americans and sold to Mexico when no one came...sad. La Pesca is about 200 miles from Brownsville, TX. I read the blogs of air friends who are currently traveling South of the Border and have tinges of jealousy for the many things (cosas) in MX that are marvelous, and the many things that are frustrating. Topes for example. You can follow a couple of our favorite blogs written by folks who are currently traveling in Mexico.. www.travelwithkevinandruth.com Also www.abuelolovo.blogspot.com I know there are many others. We also faithfully follow www.vagabonders-supreme.net That is Goerge and Ms Tioga. He has many followers and really loves Mexico.

Beautiful Sunset required in Mexico

Cindy in her bikini (under three layers of clothing)

La Gaviota Resort, Beach of La Pesca, and Poza Rica

WHAT WILL WE DO?

I hope Mexico travel will be in our future. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, do you? More to come. H, C, and Boo too

Dogs Vs Cats

2012-01-14T20:51:00.000-06:00

SMART CAT

Today, I was visiting with my neighbor (who, by the way, have three small dogs and a cat living with them in their fifth wheel), when my neighbor pointed to our door and our cat, Boo Boo, was neatly opening the sliding small door that covers the latch and then, he just pushed down on the latch and opened the door for his escape. He goes outside and will not be caught, but eventually he always returns to his home to us.

The lap cat

OUR LIFE AS DOG OWNERS

We read so many blogs that the writers have such happy times with their dogs and their pets are just simply part of their family. We never had such good luck with dogs. I could write a short book on my dog experiences. Perhaps, dogs are too smart for me or we are just bad dog parents. We had a robbery in our house in CA years ago and we went to the pound and adopted a small (we thought yappy) poodle. The dog never barked, but he peed on every square inch of our house. We tried every possible way to train her and she finally shot out the door one day and never returned.

BOO BOO, THE BLACK CAT IN OUR RV

For a cat, he is pretty social. He sleeps with us and pretty much just hangs around except for the occasional trip to the outside. He likes to get up under the rig and hide, likes others rigs too. He uses his litter box without fail and travels well. Not all cats travel well. We took this one on a test drive to make sure he would not howl or mewl. He just rides in his carrier and sleeps. We have a Class C Rig and he is always up on the dash when we return in our towed. I wonder if he is 1/2 dog?

Boo's view of the world

WELL, NOT ALWAYS A GENIUS

Today, I was boiling eggs in my mini kitchen and the cat loves to get up on the cabinet. He did that in the big house. Bad Boy, but I am a solicitious Mother. I smelled something burning and his tail was starting to singe. It didn't hurt him, but made a kind of black dusty mess. Sure did smell. Oh well, more to come, Herb, Cindy, and Boo too

Cat's eyes are like snake eyes

HOME AGAIN

2012-01-07T19:43:00.001-06:00

HOME IS WHERE YOU PARK IT

Well, there are many homes for RVer's. We are enjoying reading about folks who boondock in the deserts of Arizona and other SW states. It whets our appetite for upping our rig to a standard that would allow such freedom. We had the generator fixed, but you can't run it all the time. So, solar panels are a tempting option. I admit to being a bit of a TV addict. Luckily we have a satellite dome up top.

OFF TO QUARTZSITE

Cock-a-doodle-do and we are staying in a downtown RV park. BUT....we are there to look at all the good options that are out there for RVers and we hope to see fellow bloggers. Surely with only 100,000+ folks in attendance, we will run into someone we know. We are looking forward to the Big Shew.

A shout out to the Bayfield Bunch. Al is dealing with some health problems and their blog is so great, with amazing pictures. Kelly certainly takes good care of her guy. We wish them the best of what medicine has to offer and continued travels. You can find them at www.thebayfieldbunch.com Enjoy!!!!

MEXICO CALLS

We also follow a blog by a young couple visiting and RVing in Mexico. Such an amazing country and these folks are enjoying it to the fullest. Look up www.travelswithkevinandruth.com They are in one of our favorite places now. Folks carry on about the dangers of Mexico and we know, from five years of traveling there that Mexican's are just good and hard working people. The drug dealers don't want RVers in their part of the economy. Crime is more rampant in American cities and even in small towns. The front page of the Majave Valley newspaper was filled with real crimes, murder and mayhem. I'm just saying....

Cindy, Herb, and Boo too. More to come!

GENERATOR BLUES... OR I DON'T GET A CHARGE OUT OF YOU

2012-01-01T21:19:00.000-06:00

Well, it finally happened. And I feel an obligation to warn others. Take care of your generator if you want it to take care of you. Yes, if you ignore your duty to run your generator, perform regular maintenance, and follow manufacturer’s instructions, the generator will not give you a charge when you need it.

We had parked in a RV Park utilizing full hook-ups in Denton, TX for the summer. For four months, I failed to run my generator (at least 30 minutes, twice a month). It is not really hard work to perform this task. You press the start button, put it under a full load for 30 minutes and push the stop button. Yes, neglect not laziness was my shortcoming. I finally got around to performing my duty five months later, but it was too late. Mr. Generator felt neglected and would not start.

Just press the Start Button!

I had read horror stories about generators that would not start. Repair costs exceeding thousands of dollars, generators that needed to be replaced with even more expensive new generators. I might need to get a night job to pay for my neglect.

Not able to stand the suspense any longer, we finally drove our RV to the Camping World Service Department and explained our problem. Gratefully, the service tech made an adjustment in the overhead valve and it fired up – generating a fully 120 volts, 40amps. After an expense of $178.00, we had, once again, a functional generator.

Let this serve as a warning to all those neglectful RVers who do not give their attention to their worthy generators. Love your generator. Give it your full attention and it will loyally serve you with a full charge.

THE VIRGIN VALLEY

2011-12-30T18:15:00.001-06:00

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
Starting far north of Mesquite NV, the Virgin River wends its way south. From St. George, Utah for some miles it forms a deep canyon that is the way I-15 finds its way to the south. About ten miles north of Mesquite, NV where you will find yourself in Arizona, the land becomes less of a gorge and eventually forms the Virgin River Valley.

The River runs into Lake Mead

THE CITY OF MESQUITE

This town starts at the Arizona/Nevada border and would be considered a boom town. Most everything in the town is almost new. The population has grown from 7,000 to 25,000 in ten years and expected to reach 75,000 by 2025. Most everything in the town is the Virgin this or that. The town we moved from called the mascot of their town, "The Demons". Lady Demon's basketball, Demon football, you get the idea. The Church-going side of the town decided that this was not good and it was put on an election ballot. The Demon name held its ground.

Resting place on the walking trail

Jet trails into Las Vegas to the south

LADY VIRGINS ?
Nope, guess it just didn't sound right. The Virgin Valley Schools call their team The Hawks. Probably since the bird is a commons sight in these environs. The schools, like everything else, are almost new. There is a new hospital and an airport. This is what the Del Webb retirement sites (a big one here) say is required to make a happy senior citizen. It doesn't hurt that the three big casinos seem to be full of the happily retired. Add to that six championship golf courses.

A typical landscape in Mesquite

FELIZ ANO NUEVO
We filled our propane and the nice senor' wished us the above. Ah, my Mexico memories all came flooding back and that is what I wish for our friends and readers. Cindy, Herb, and Boo too

NAVIDAD EL PASADO

2011-12-26T23:49:00.000-06:00

THINKING OF MEXICO

We had a very nice Christmas. We went to a Candlight Service at a local church with two other couples who work where we are camping. It brought back memories of candlelight services in Mexico. Christmas day, we 6 went to the buffet at the casino. The Casinos here in Mesquite are about the only place to eat out. They make it very tempting as every time you play, you get points for food.

The lovely church in Mesquite

The six of us dolled up for Christmas Eve

The Children were the best part

Social Gathering, with cookies..yum

SECOND HAND SMOKE

In the State of Colorado, smoking is not allowed in the casinos. We think that will not happen soon in Nevada and we have read that for every twenty minutes you inhale second hand smoke, you inhale the equivalent of one cigarette. We are long time non-smokers and really find it irritating. So, we have tried not to go to the casinos, even to eat and that means pretty much cooking at home. Today, Herb grilled hamburgers. They were so delicious. The weather here is perfect. Snowbird Heaven. Blue skies and no wind.

NO TREE TO DEDECORATE

Probably not a word but, a nice day after christmas anyway. One of the not so guilty pleasures of living in a small space. We have new pics of our Grandchildren and they are a lovely sight. More to Come. Cindy, Herb, and Boo too

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T19:31:00.001-06:00

New format tonight. I guess a present for Christmas. I have enough trouble figuring all this out without a new format. Oh well, we must change to grow. We wish happy travels and Christmas joys to all of our traveling friends and to all of our friends and families everywhere. Cindy, Herb, and Boo Too

RV SIGHTS AROUND THE HOLIDAYS

2011-12-22T12:44:00.000-06:00

DRIVING IN THE DESERT

If you are shivering in the snow, take a ride with us as we make our Camping World deliveries to places where folks move south from the far north to spend the season with old and new friends in great campgrounds that eagerly await their arrival. Small towns swell from 2,000 to 10,000 during the "snowbird" season. We visit three states on our rounds. Nevada, California, and Arizona. The time always changes in Arizona as they do not suffer daylight savings.

Remember Hillary, Bill on the other side of Park Entrance

NEEDLES ARIZONA

During the summer you often hear weather reports that Needles, AZ is the hottest place in the nation. During the snowbird months, the temps are perfect during the day and cool, seldom freezing, at night. The parks are close together, Some only feet apart. The Colorado River runs next to many of these sites. It is a wide and rushing river. Many nice sites are right on the river and folks are lined up fishing on nice days. It is amazing how many folks from Europe rent RV's and travel in the US. This couple shipped their own rig from Germany.

German built, 4 folks traveling in this creation

non sprechen duesch, they nicely speak English

BULLHEAD CITY AZ

This is the place you will find the London Bridge and kazillions of snowbirds. I had one fellow tell me while we were in Texas that he used to go there , but it got too cold so, he heads to South Texas now. Bullhead City is just across the river from Laughlin, NV. Another town where gambling is king. There is one large RV park in Laughlin, Riverside. We have stayed there in the past on a trip to CA. VERY LARGE PARK.

Really, in the desert

Fall in the desert?

Mountains in the background

BACK TO VEGAS

You might think that this is a long trip. It is about 90 miles from the south of Las Vegas to Needles and then the parks are just miles or yards apart. The drive in the desert is always a treat. We see the turnoff for Christmas Tree Pass on the road from Laughlin to I-95. We see where it meets I-95. Hmmm....wonder if the HHR would or could make that sidetrip. We are always tempted. Are there trees? How high is the pass? Our next trip will be to Pahrump. Another story altogether. We see now why our desert friends get mesmerized by the landscape and endless vistas. A big shoutout to our special blogger friends, www.thebayfieldbunch.com Great blog with amazing pics of the desert. They are dealing with a rock and not a good one. Give them a shoutout and a prayer. More to Come...H, C, and Boo Too

The Lifestyle as RVer's

2011-12-20T23:29:00.000-06:00

LIVING SMALL IN A BIG WORLD

Life in a Recreational Vehicle requires adjustments that most folk could not make. You cannot be a hoarder. The first year we full-timed, our RV gained 1,000 pounds. When something new comes in, something must go. It is a cathartic thing to find that all that "stuff" you so needed is not even missed. Even then, often there is stuff that you don't use and it can be discarded, donated, or dumped. We always try to leave our books in campground social rooms. I am now reading on a kindle. Now that is getting really into new technology.

THE HUMAN BODY

Things do happen as the years pile on and we follow a lot of blogs and bad things happen to good bodies. It is a challenge to leave the Medical care that you are familiar with and see different doctors and facilities. I am awed by some of the people in our blog list that just tend to their ailments and go on down the road. I also read today about a couple who just threw in the towel and settled down...they knew it was time. Even then it was not an easy decision for them. Luckily, they have a close family near-by.

MOMENTS TO PONDER

I guess Christmas is a season to look around and see where and why you are where you are. We are working in the Las Vegas area and it is beautiful and glitzy, but life does go on. The country here is very different than where we grew up. The desert is its own kind of beauty and I revel in the diversity of the landscape. Sometimes I look at the patch of green grass in the RV park and think...hmmm miss the water bill, maybe not. So, have a great and healthy year and one more time....Happy Holidays.

THE HOLIDAY SEASON IN NEVADA

2011-12-19T16:35:00.002-06:00

BEHOLD THE EIFFEL TOWER

Well, certainly a beautiful photo of a great rendition. Also, you might notice the full moon just to the left of the tower. We took the picture as we were watching the dancing waters at the Bellagio.

Pavarotti sings from FAR away

OUR CHRISTMAS CARD THIS SEASON

Our favorite solarium in the Bellagio was decked out in thousands of amazing flowers. I read that the director of horticulture at Bellagio "Andy Garcia" is not the movie star but, a gentleman who immigrated from El Salvador in 1984. He was one of 17 children. He worked hard and rose through the ranks of the landscaping business in Las Vegas, worked hard to succeed in his rise to the top of the garden world of the desert. These pictures, taken by us, are great but not as amazing as the real thing. The smell of the Bellagio and Conservatory Gardens cannot be sent in a blog. Factually, 22,000 people visit these Gardens every day.

The Penguins are skating in the background

The bears are white carnations...sweet

The annual Christmas card

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS

We are enjoying this season with friends in the RV park and co-workers at Camping World. Family is too far away for a quick trip to enjoy a good dinner and seeing our grandchildren and children. But, we think about all of them and love them just the same. We wish a safe and happy season to friends in all parts of the world.

Still Enjoying the glitz

The Penguin pops in and out

US.....NOW

For our friends and family who wonder where in the world are Herb and Cindy, we are currently workkamping in Las Vegas, NV for Camping World. We are living in Mesquite, NV in our Class C RV. We are selling our Lake Home and going on the road for as long as our bodies will let us. We just finally gave it up to the gypsy spirit in both of us. We will move on West to Napa Valley in May and serve the Camping World stores in Vacaville and Rocklin. That ends in September and who knows after that. We enjoy our life and tie ourselves to our chairs as there are three BIG casinos in the small city of Mesquite. They have great food and other temptations for us. We travel with our cat Boo Boo. He makes it feel like home and greets us when we return. Follow our blog. It might get wild and crazy. More to Come C, H, and Boo too

Our Christmas Decorations

Santa's Helicoptor lands in the RV Park

The Desertscape from Homebase

Memories of Christmas Past: Christmas 1950

2011-12-12T11:51:00.000-06:00

As Christmas Day draws near, memories of past Christmas holidays flash through my mind. How I spend the Christmas holiday today has changed as I pass through different stages in my own life.

As a child, everybody would meet at Grandma’s house. We brought a mountain of food, traditional holiday meats, vegetables, desserts and candy. The Christmas tree was heavily decorated and at its base, presents were stacked two and three deep. Card tables were set up and the games began. Card games, dominos, Monopoly, Sorry, and Potato Head were set up on the tables.

Of course, Grandma Lily was there along with Uncle Jay and Aunt Glee from Denver, Uncle Herb and Lois from Velma, Uncle Brock and Kitty from Duncan, mysterious Aunt Oma Pearl from Hollywood, and Mom and Dad. Cousins Lee, Lynnanne, Karen, Susie, Norma Lou, Brother Tom and I chased each other through the Grandma’s small two bedroom house.

The ladies would all congregate in the kitchen preparing Christmas Dinner. The men gathered in the living room playing cards and traded tales, jokes, and laughter. The kids were everywhere, in closets, bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and on the front porch, running from one end to the other.

Once dinner was prepared all would gather around the dining table along with card tables set up for the kids. A Christmas prayer was given and the feast began. The mountain of food was reduced to a few leftovers. Aunt Lois was a star at dessert time. She made the most delicious pies I have ever tasted. And, of course, there was Grandma’s skillet cobbler – Wow!

After dinner the grownups would resume the game playing and all talked at once, each telling a story or two. The kids would be taking a nap on quilts laid out on the floor and after nap time all of the kids would walk a few blocks to the downtown area and watch an afternoon movie at the Palace Theater.

After Christmas day, all would return to their respective homes and we would look forward to the next Christmas gathering. My dad was the first of our family to pass, then, Grandma died leaving us without a gathering place. The family met a few times, but as time passed, the kids grew up and had families of their own. Those were good times and the memories will keep the past family gatherings alive in my heart forever.

What are your childhood memories? Maybe the next blog I will recall Christmas 1964 – The college years.

PLANNING AHEAD

2011-11-28T21:20:00.000-06:00

AGE IS FACTOR FOR FULL-TIMERS as things in your body seem to start to change, if you are lucky, it is gradual and not overwhelming. If not so lucky, it can be a serious illness that can put you down for awhile. We have been lucky. In our 10 years, we have not really had anything that kept us down. Oh, we had our gallbladders out and Herb had a kidney stone. Both considered day surgeries in this age and time and there was a quick recovery in both cases.

Eat Right and Stay Healthy

STAYING IN ONE PLACE AND WORKKAMPING can make life less iffy, if you are close to a town. Walmart will transfer meds most everywhere and Medicare and a good supplement works most everywhere. Those folks who boondock tend to be younger, well late 50ish or so. We read of a 70 year old lady found in the Old Fat Man blog on backpacking in the desert.

http://40yearsofwalking.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/canyonlands-n-p-needles-section-1111/
She is much more healthy than I ever hope to be. Kudos to her and the amazing photos in her blog. Today, we went to visit a dermatologist, a frequent event as the skin begins to show its many years of soaking up the sun. Because this is a small town, it was simple as they took our insurance. That made it easy for us to tend to newly arising bumps and lumps.

The Future - A Snowbird's Dream

FULLTIME RVERS TEND TO BE HAPPIER, WITH A BETTER OUTLOOK AND ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW ADVENTURE including meeting new folks, places and sights.

The Past

If you are planted in your reclining chair and this is your future....boring. More to Come C, H, and Boo too PS most fulltimers have pets. Pets are good medicine.

Sin City Revisited with Pics

2011-11-25T22:15:00.000-06:00

WE VISITED LAS VEGAS ON TUESDAY TO PICK UP A FEW THINGS AT CAMPING WORLD AND SEE THE FALL DECO AT THE BELLAGIO in the solarium. The flowers are just spectacular and we treat outselves to a good lunch in the restaurant that looks over the amazing display. I am always surprised at the bustle and hustle on the strip in LV. Lots of folks and many with children, small children in strollers. We lucked out and saw the dancing waters in front of the Bellagio. Luciano Pavarotti sings beautifully with the extravaganza. We will stay at the Paris in December when we go to deliver our Camping World literature.

Front of the horses

Pumpkin wagon

Mr. Tree talks and winks

Herb at the water wheel

A lovely water feature

The Back of the horses

All flowers...sweet

Mr. Tree is happy

Lunch at the Bellagio Cafe...YUM

GREAT MEAL AT THE MESQUITE SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER on Wednesday. We went with another couple from our RV park and enjoyed the great food. It is for everyone in the town. There are few people who are down and out in Mesquite. So, everyone there was mainly just seniors. They didn't have a great turnout and we could have eaten twice. I felt badly for all the homeless people we see in Las Vegas as there would have been plenty for them.

After our Thanksgiving dinner, it was time to work off a few calories. Bright sunshine on the desert made for a beautiful day. Starting at the Solstice clubhouse, we took a brief tour of some of the resort's amentities.

The club house at Solstice

The fire pit on a great day

Wow, the scenery and the grill

Bocce Ball court

Looks like a picture, walking trail

THANKSGIVING DAY AND BOO BOO ESCAPES from his leash. Herb decides that since it is such a nice day that the cat should take a walk. The cat had other ideas. He quickly wiggled out of the collar and headed for the biggest, fanciest rig and its underside. We had all our neighbors trying to lure him out, but he finally just came home on his own, like it was no big deal. Everyone in the park was outside celebrating the nice weather and good company...a really great dias de gracias. More to Come. C, H, and Boo too.

LIVING IN A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE

2011-11-17T21:22:00.000-06:00

THREE RV'S AND THREE HOUSES and here we are again in the RV. It is interesting that most folks who live fulltime in their Rig are really not social creatures. There are lots of campgrounds that winter snowbirds call their home and they love the social events that are planned for them. We have found that the folks we work with like to say hi and that's all there is to the relationship. You do meet lots of great folks...only for a short time.

THIS RIG WAS BOUGHT TO BE A TRAVEL NOW AND THEN RIG but life has a way of changing our minds. The house was just too much of a weight in our lives and we yearned to move around. The weekend trip just wasn't enough to fill the empty glass. So, we have adjusted and moved into the smaller rig. Well, not so small, but smaller than any we have previously called our home. It is easy to manage and much easier to drive than a 38 foot fifth wheel with a pickup towing. Certainly, there is less stress for Herb, who is the driver.

HERE IS THE SPACE that is occupied by Herb, Cindy, and really organized by the cat, Boo Boo. It is a small decorative area up front with a nice TV. The cat owns that space. Next there is the living area with two reclining chairs and a sofa. The cat owns that too. Voila, the kitchen is next. Spacious and it drives one to eat out and only cook food that is microwave friendly. Cat is the boss of that area.

SLEEPING QUARTERS WITH A TV OF ITS OWN and a queen size bed. Oh yes, in between is a spacious bathroom with a shower, potty, kitty's sandbox, food box, and again just his area. The bedroom is sufficient for sleeping. Maybe too close to the other TV....BUT, there is a door to shut it off. Guess who owns that area. Yes, you right...the CAT. More to come...C, H, and Boo Too

RVing is NOT free of honey-do's

2011-11-14T20:50:00.000-06:00

WE READ A LOT OF GOOD BLOGS written by folks who are just starting their life of "fulltiming" and others who are many years into their adventure. It is interesting to me that there are good people who choose to park in state and county parks or just wherever they land and not necessarily be highly social. Some have pets and some just name their RV and associated parts. They all have interesting and adventure-some lives and we really enjoy reading about their adventures. Some are listed on the side of our blog.

WE HEAD OUT TODAY TO DO "NECESSARY THINGS" as they come up in our version of fulltiming. We have had a "going flat" tire on the outside tire of our dually tires in the back of the rig. We had our service plan come out and fill it up but, that did not fix it. So, today we drove down the mountain to have it fixed. It was still somewhat aired and the second tire supported the ride to WalMart. We had an appointment and they had Herb park the rig behind the repair bays. Two very nice hispanic guys came out, used a jacklift and removed the tire. After checking for leaks, they decided that the extension valve was faulty. They put it all back together and sent us off with no charges. Nice folks in Mesquite NV at our neighborhood WalMart.

PROPANE PROBLEMS...OR NOT in our case. This class C has a very small propane tank. 10 gallons is not much. Even a lowly propane grill tank contains 5 gallons. We have our ways of conserving. We use an electric catalytic space heater (oxygen sparing) to warm up the interior if it is cold. We do have central heat, but keep it set at 60 degrees. Also, we only turn on our hot water heater when needed and before showers. Solar panels are a tempting addition, but we are not sure if we would be good "boondockers".

How did he get up there?

BOO BOO THE CAT is very set in his ways and any change will send him into explorer mode. Today, we cleaned and decorated a little and he was in on the fun. More to come...H, C, and Boo too

Boo Boo looking over his domain

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD FOLKS, OR MAYBE IT IS!!!!

2011-11-12T14:28:00.004-06:00

DRIVING IN LAS VEGAS is certainly less confusing than was the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. We just finished our Camping World rounds and it took a full five days to cover the territory. The towns are far apart. It was a fun and interesting drive.We traveled about 700 miles. We left Mesquite, drove to Las Vegas and spent three nights there. We had three comp nights in a large hotel on the strip. It was crowded and noisy and EXPENSIVE. We could barely afford coffee at the Burger King located in the casino. This is the first hotel room we have stayed in that did not have a coffee pot. Coffee delivered to the room was $12 for FOUR cups. The medium cup at Burger King was $2.00 apiece. We did not leave any money at the hotel so, we will see if the comps appear again. We already have them for next month.

LAS VEGAS TO PAHRUMP is a drive of about 60 miles to the west. Pahrump has 1700 RV sites and the interesting fact is that it is the only city in Nevada where prostitution is legal. However, we did not see any signs of that sort of activity. It seemed to be a popular destination for Snowbirds and most of the 1700 spaces were occupied. The parks there were friendly and happy to see us. The couple previous to us had done an excellent job and made it easy for us to find our way around and be welcomed at each park.

The Sidewinder Grille in Needles, CA

LAS VEGAS DRIVING is pretty straight forward as there is one road north and south, one east and west and a circular around the city. There is lots of traffic during rush hour, but we tried to avoid that time and made our rounds in one pretty easy day. We used the good directions from the previous GWA's and our GPS to get around. You really don't see the economic problems that plague the city, except the homeless are a presence every where you travel. There have been many hit by cars as they cross the street. It is a sad situation and the news reports that the unemployment rate is 29%. I noticed that in almost every restaurant we frequented that the servers were male.

Guard booth sign says "Hi, I'm Hillary Clinton.
I was hoping to be your 44th President. Oh well!! Have a nice day!"

SOUTH TO CAL-NEV-ARI and to three states in one day. We visited 20 campgrounds in the one day. They are in clustered in Needles, CA, Mojave, AZ, Bullhead City, AZ and Laughlin, NV. It has been chilly for a few days and the snowbirds are not happy about it. Never the less, most campgrounds were nearly full.

THE RETURN TO MESQUITE completed our roundtrip. There are very nice parks in Mesquite. There is one we had not seen on the north end of town with 340 spaces. We like where we are because we are not really into the many activities the snowbird campgrounds plan for their visitors. Guess we are true nomads. We also drove north out of town to two parks. The Arizona border is just on the north edge of town so, we visit AZ once again.

BOO BOO SURVIVED three nights of boarding at a very nice Vet clinic in downtown Mesquite. They said he was a little hissy at first. but settled in. He was very happy to see us. He has been on one of our laps since we returned. They said he would be welcomed back. The last time we boarded him in Texas, they asked us not to bring him back. He does have very bad memories of his several procedure visits to the vet. We really enjoy our cat. He does not require walking in the cold early morning and gives a little lovin' when it suits him. Lots more to come....C, H, and Boo too

EARLY WINTER

2011-11-07T22:49:00.003-06:00

SNOW ON THE MOUNTAINS and a lot of rain in the desert. Mesquite looks very pretty now. When we lived in Colorado, we had a friend who lived in a small town in the mountains and she always said it was so ugly until the snow covered the ground. I understand what she meant now. I really hadn't even noticed the mountains much. They just look like high desert. BUT, they are so pretty with snow. Of course, there is no snow here at 2,000 feet, only cold rain and those who have spent the fall here before say that the cold is unusual and early.

HAM, HAM, AND MORE HAM from the 4.99 breakfast in one of the casinos. Food used to be a real bargain at casinos. Las Vegas is just out of site with the cost of food now. We had a breakfast there last year and it was nothing for almost 30 bucks. Mesquite is kind of a throwback to the past. Anyway, we had two giant ham steaks. With the leftovers, we had ham and beans and a great big breakfast this morning. We will return to that again. Also, had a prime rib dinner for $5.99. It was very good.

PICTURES FROM THE DRIVE AND MESQUITE are finally on their way. We take a lot of pictures. More photos later. Tomorrow we travel to Pahrump, NV via Las Vegas.

Caprock Canyon is a refuge for bison

A roadrunner joined us at the campsite

Campsite at Caprock Canyon

Fort Sumner NM

I guess I'll pay admission next time

Internet At Last

2011-11-03T20:40:00.002-05:00

CONNECTIVITY IS A BLESSED GIFT, especially when you have been without for it at least a week. This park has wifi reception right down the middle of the park, but not on the sides. We are now in the middle and we are nicely connected again.

THIS IS A NEW TERRAIN FOR US as we are used to trees and grass growing naturally and usually in abundance. This summer was the exception in Oklahoma as the drought kept it dry and the grass just didn't grow. Here it is very moonlike and beautiful in a different sort of way. The buttes and rock formations are a real change for us flatlanders. When the wind goes to the north here, the sand just blows around.

LAS VEGAS VISITED yesterday as we visited the Camping World stores. It is a busy city that has weathered the bad economy in the best way it can. There is new construction and many vacant buildings. The Strip is just another world away from the life of most of the people in LV. Many of the work in the industry and it seems to be weathering the storm.

MESQUITE NEVADA is an interesting town with three large Casinos, a population of 20,000 and one Super WalMart. The are six world class golf courses and a LOT of retired folks. There is a large Del Webb retirement community to the west of the city. You wonder how people find this place. It its located on the main route from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Interstate 15 is a busy freeway. The town has suffered from the economy as one large casino complex has closed. The other three seem busy and we find the food to be priced reasonably and very good.

MORE TO COME in the way of pictures. C, H, and Boo too PS The cat is feeling much better now.

Mesquite AZ

2011-10-27T21:21:00.001-05:00

IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, A LOVELY TOWN SPRINGS UP FROM THE DESERT replete with green grass, shiny casinos and lo, a Super WalMart. We have not been to Walmart yet as we are pooped. We are settled in Solstice, a motorhome private campground. They got lost in the economy and lucky us, we get to stay here. I will get out and take pictures tomorrow. It was cold last night and up to 70 today, and VERY dry.

GOOD THINGS HERE include 80 stations of free cable, good wifi, and free laundry. It ticked all my boxes. We had lunch in one of the casinos today. It was in a bowling alley inside the casino. I won a hot dog in a drawing so, guess we will have to go back for that tasty morsel.

THIS IS A TOWN OF 20,000 SOULS and pretty much the same size as the town we left in Oklahoma. That is about all that is the same. There are six beautiful golf courses and a large Del Webb retirement community. Not to mention, many casinos.

BOO BOO is strangely quiet. He seems to be eating okay. He just wants to sleep all the time. Herb thinks he has altitude sickness. He acts like a depressed cat. Guess he misses all he porch buddies from the lake. I am sure they miss us. Poor Kitties. More to Come, C, H, and Boo too

CITY OF LIGHTS AND MANY OTHER THINGS

2011-10-26T10:55:00.001-05:00

DRIVING TOWARD LAS VEGAS is a real change for us Okie flatlanders. Our Class C motor home seems to be climbing the hills like a proud little RV. We occasionally get passed by a fiver or a big hulking motorhome. Our rig gets 7 to 8 miles to the gallon. Herb stays between 55 and 60 and we get the 7 to 8 regardless of the terrain. We drove over the Hoover dam on the new road they have constructed. The GPS just went into space. Guess it needs its yearly update.

SETTLED IN THE HITCHING POST for one night took us through LV and headed us north for our final driving leg to Mesquite. Boo Boo has been acting a little strange. We decided that since he rides in his carrier that he has a bit of altitude sickness and maybe dizzy from the many mountain curves. He has been an angel of a black cat and just seems to adjust to the changes with catlike grace.

JUST HAD TO CHECK OUT THE BUFFET WORLD which used to be eat on the cheap on LV. We were about a mile north of downtown LV and decided to go to the Main Street Station. We had eaten at the buffet there some years ago and remembered that it was good. As we stood in line to get Player's club cards, a nice guy told us about free coupons he had printed from the internet. The nice lady at the desk told us she had some that someone had left. So, the buffet was almost free and delicious. We were really pooped after 5 days of all day driving so, we headed back to the rig.

PICTURES TO COME LATER as this is the first park with "great" wifi. Actually a nice intown park with amenities. I am hoping to settle out of city center. We head for Mesquite today. More to come....C, H, and Boo too

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

2011-10-25T22:10:00.000-05:00

LEAVING OKLAHOMA Yes, we have given up the comfort of living in a stick home to go on the road in our RV again. We enjoyed this lifestyle for five years and decided it was time to settle in. It was a good idea but boring. It became pretty apparent that in today's economy, that we could not support the stick home and be RVer's in the same space and time. Since time is getting shorter, we decided to sell the house and head out in the RV.

FIRST DAY ON THE ROAD we found ourselves in Caprock Canyon State Park located in the Texas panhandle. It is an amazing place. A home for the largest herd of Bison in the state of Texas. The park is suffering from the extended drought, as is all of western Oklahoma and Eastern Texas. It was not a bargain for us as we did not have a Texas CampCard. The space was quiet and the park was almost full. Lots of foreign travelers were parked in the campground.

SECOND DAY we ambled into Fort Sumner, Texas. This is where Billy the Kid met his waterloo. We visited the museum, grave, and learned about the amazing history of this part of Texas. It was very interesting.

THIRD DAY we felt we should donate to an Indian tribe. We stayed in a great park west of Albuquerque, Sky City Casino, Hotel, and RV park. It really got cold in the night. Boo Boo, the cat was cuddled up against us in the night. Herb had to get up and turn the heat on. The food at the casino was great. The winnings were not so memorable.

TODAY We are revisiting Williams, Arizona. Back at a familiar campground. Canyon Gateway RV Park. It sits on a bluff with a panoramic view of the valley below. It is a short drive to the Grand Canyon, but we went there last time, so we will continue on toward Nevada. More to Come. Cindy, Herb, and Boo too

Practice Makes Perfect

2011-10-15T18:11:00.000-05:00

LESS THAN A WEEK until we head west to the Las Vegas area. We have so much to do and age makes its own demands. Not too many years ago I could do 5 things at once and finsh them well. Now, one task a day is usually the final total. I can do more, but something will be done less than perfect.

TODAY, WE TRAVELED to Oklahoma City to the RV show and to say goodby to Herb's youngest. We saw a bunch of new smelling RV's and had a great lunch with Dana. She is striving to be a professor of literature in Ireland. She is near her goal and we are proud that she has stayed with her passions. She will finish her Master's in December. We had a yummy lunch at Zios in OKC.

THEN WE WENT TO CAMPING WORLD in OKC to get a stool. The step on our RV just mysteriously quit working and after Herb laying on the ground under it and looking for something, he just removed the motor and pushed and secured it back under the RV. We will have it fixed in Las Vegas. The footstool will get us up and down. 6 days and counting. C, H, and Boo too

Wrong Website Listing

2011-10-11T19:04:00.000-05:00

Sorry, we entered the wrong website. It is www.lakehouse.com. Click on Oklahoma then Lake Humphrey. Voila, there your are.

Home for Sale (another)

2011-10-05T18:50:00.001-05:00

COMMITTMENT....Ah, that is something to which we have given ourselves more than once. So, once again, we sell our home and head off in our home with wheels as long as the gods of good health allow. We have a muy buena casa. You can take a peek at www.lakehouse.com It is in Oklahoma on Lake Humphrey. Send us a buyer. The house is sooo energy friendly. I cannot imagine why we would want to leave, but there is no accounting for the gypsy gene.

THE COLLECTION OF "NEW" STUFF. This house is full of things. Many of which require dusting, cleaning, etc,etc. I guess I am just a tiny house sort of person. This one is WAY too big. The garage sale got rid of lots and the leftovers were taken straight to the Donation bin....but, there is MORE. Sell furnished, oh yes. That would make it simple, but....other people love their STUFF and want to spend good money to move it from place to place. I know, it was a long-lived lifestyle of mine.

BOO, the cat is ready to travel. We do need someone to feed Herb's three porch cats. They will be really surprised to see us go. As will Meow Mix. Their stock will probably take a dive.

TIME LINE....The leave date is October 23. The route is laid out. I have spent muchas horas on the phone with Dish to become a traveling user. We have to fill out forms to get Networks. Sadly, I am addicted to Dancing with the Stars and more. We have a satellite dish, so no parking in the shade. It is planted firmly on top of our Class C. Until next time. More to Come C, H and Boo Too

A day Away

2011-09-28T20:20:00.000-05:00

Oh Geez, I have been blogless for many days now. It has not been due to lack of bizzyness. There has been a garage sale, more accurately, a porch sale. We had our valuable "stuff" on the porch all week and nobody stopped, stole, or sold. The day before the big sale, people finally came. They always buy the things that you least expect anyone to want. It was a great success and folks are funny and full of good stories.

     We survived and took the remains to the Goodwill donation site. I now consider myself completely rid of things that have been useless to me and will make someone else happy. Really, a great cathartic event.

     As a reward, we took a day and went to the very BIG Winstar Casino on the OK/TX border for senior day. It includes a large breakfast, a large lunch buffet, and lots of free play for penny pinchers. The Casino hotels were sold out. (There are 2,000 rooms), so we stayed in a America's Best Hotel in Gainsville, TX. Now, it was a bargain and run by Indians. Real Indians from India. The room was super clean and well incensed with something that smelled like old roses. It was all fun and we are now back home. Boo stayed by himself for 24 hours. (We could not go in the RV because the step is stuck in the down position). Herb's next mystery project.

    Anyway, I have pics of the sea of grey in the cavernous breakfast buffet room where they normally play Bingo. More to Come. Cindy, Herb, and Boo too