Daylight gave us a view of the camping place we chose in the dark last night - always an interesting surprise. The Pima County Fairgrounds RV Park was complete with palm trees, show rings and a hooting owl. The only challenge was they closed all the bathrooms in the middle of the night except the one’s that were furthest away. It was fun to watch the horses preparing for the competition. A combination of riders and grooms strode across the lot and into the field. Then it was was on to Saguaro National Park to see the cacti. So many different kinds in one place. We drove the loops in both the West and the East Park (separated by Tucson). Those tall cacti reminded me of soldiers guarding the Earth. Or perhaps Ents on guard for Middle Earth?
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Up with the sun, we packed the van and started our journey across New Mexico and into Arizona. Miles and miles and miles and several border stops later we came upon our own UFO. It was a white blob in the sky. Driving closer it looked like a blimp. Getting closer I used the zoom on my camera and was able to see an all white blimp with strings hanging down. A bit further and we pass the control center for Tethered Ballon Radar Sensor. No markings but our guess that this is part of the technology survey of the border - far more attractive than the proposed wall. I spent most of the drive creating a spreadsheet of proposed houses. Those of you who know me know that I am the EXCEL Queen. Everything gets cataloged. I saved photos of each home and entered facts about each one. I did refrain from sending the whole file to the realtor we are working with. I didn’t want to scare her off. For me it was a fun way to pass the 600 mile drive we did today.
Several times on our journey we have entered a National Park and wondered what all the hoopla was about. Driving to the park from the Big Bend Ranch State Park we followed the Rio Grande. In places it looked like you could wade across. And once in the park there was nothing eye-catching to see for miles. In this case Big Bend National Park offered only desert views with little to grab the eye We started our drive on the Old Maverick Road. What a washboard. My teeth and jaw were sore at the end of the 13 mile drive. Turning right we parked at the Santa Elena Canyon Overlook and Mark walked along a boardwalk. I stayed in the parking lot with Bono. A friendly park volunteer came up and thanked me profusely for not taking the dog on the trail. It seems there are mountain lions and bobcats in the area. The dogs scent scare them away. My turn to hike and I was in for the joy of the day. The path opened up to the Rio Grande that flowed out of the Canyon and made me realize the splendor of the park. The river formed the canyon over years and years to reveal steeps sides and the layers of soil and rock that formed over the eons. Completing the loop we stopped int Castolon and explored the history of this small community that struggled and farmed in this desolate land.
It’s been a week since we officially became houseless and began our westward ho. One challenge we have with our flexible traveling is the inability to find campgrounds in our national parks. Even though more than half of the sites are first-come-first-served we seldom seem first. Today the park ranger told us that this park, Big Bend, starts being full on Wednesday now. Alas, today is Thursday.
A great chat with a ranger when we paid for the site. I have to say it is wonderful to hear the enthusiasm the rangers have for their parks. True love.
A very rainy drive through the rest of Mississippi and into Texas. Our destination was Big Bend National Park. Alas, we underestimated the drive and the effect of the rain and so have stopped for the night at South Llano River State Park. Although I’m sure it’s stifling in the summer, it was beautiful when we drove in tonight. We snagged a site with electric and so had another gourmet meal - bacon and eggs and more of that delicious rosemary bread. One of my favorite things about camping are the views at sunrise and sunset. I was not to be disappointed tonight. Color everywhere. As the sun dropped, so did the temperature and so we are hunkered down in Baby Beluga for the night. With 3 comforters we’ll be all set. After all it’s only going down to 25F- balmy after our Christmas run of -7F. Bono too will be comfortable on his heated bed.
It was a long driving day. We tried to stop for the night early in the day at the Gulf Islands National Seashore in Mississippi. Arriving at noon we found everything was closed due to “lack of staff - back in 30 minutes.” When the center reopened we were greeted by an employee finishing her lunch who told us there were no open campsites. Decals? Nope—all sold out. So went to BB Poboys & Seafood in Ocean Springs, MS for a delicious seafood lunch of fried shrimp, fried oysters and crab bisque. Crossing the Mississippi sparked a discussion about why people moved to this area. That was followed by a lot of research on the history of land transfer between the British, Spanish, French and U. Back on the road that seemed to go forever. But, some days you just end up having to pay the stupid tax. The speed dropped from 70 to 60 and we didn’t. And so, the lights came on and “yes sir” was the proper answer. Cars had been zooming by us but alas we were the ones who were stopped. Paying the flat $175 bill will make this a non-moving violation. Gotcha.
Pulled into Sam Houston Jones State Park in Lake Charles, LA. It was DARK as we searched for an open site. BINGO. We found one and decided to eat in the van. When Mark opened the slider door to walk Bono he was confronted by critters. Armadillo and raccoons none of which seems concerned about the dog. He however was quite interested. Leash to the rescue. We had a overly visit in NC capped by watching the Super Bowl last night. Something we haven’t done in ages. As we rooted for the Eagles. As Mark put it “who can root for a team from the town the Red Sox comes from?” Despite my philosophical challenge with the head dangers of football I have to admit it was quite the exciting game. Who ever thought a second string quarterback would win the championship Once again Baby Beluga drew attention in the parking lot as Mark struck up a conversation with three construction guys from my mom’s village. A lively discussion as to the merits of extra batteries, inverters and contents of the van ensued. I love hearing these conversations as they confirm my love for traveling in our van. Striking out from North Carolina, we tackled our rerouting that took us south through South Carolina and Georgia and finally into Alabama. We’re spending the night in a State Park near Auburn and I do have to admit it is like coming home. We had eggs with smoked black cod for dinner on the campsite table and heated up water to have tea and hot chocolate with our candy dessert. Just like the old times. The temperatures are mild and I’m sure we’ll sleep well tonight.
Love our Sprinter Adventures A delightful breakfast this am with my aunt and uncle. The have a beautiful place with their own waterway out the back door. We felt so welcome last night and today. They were funny and supportive of our journey and sent us on our way with hugs. It’s a bright sunny day on this our first day of house freedom. The views from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel were spectacular as we marveled at the engineering that it takes to build these structures. What amazing brains we human possess. On my first trip to San Francisco with my grown kids we went to a restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf where two young kids were sitting at a table with their parents. The youngest was about 2. His mother kept making suggests for what he might like to eat. He responded each time with “I like cwab”. It’s become a family joke and we laughed again on our journey as we stopped on over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed our cwab cakes.
Connecticut sent us off with bang dropping 4” of snow overnight and giving us one last glance at the pristine white covered landscape. Our home was our haven for 34 years. It was our first and only and we’ve spent the last 6 months getting her ready for sale and purging our belongings in anticipation of today – our launch in to a New Adventure. Our first stop on this Adventure was in Rehoboth Beach, DE to visit my Aunt and Uncle. Bono had a blast as he was given a plethora of treats to help him settle in this new environment. Lots of laughter and Ernest conversations led us to a night in a real bed – after two on the floor in front of the fire. As we traveled familiar routes south through Connecticut, New York and New Jersey I couldn’t help but relive memories. You learn these roads like the back of you hand and drive them so often that you lose the wonder of the world around you. How fun to take in sights. The new Tappan Zee Bridge is quite spectacular! We have sold our house. But, as our granddaughter so rightly put it, “Grammy you aren’t homeless, you are houseless. You have the van – a bed, food, water and Bono – and that’s your home.” Amazing how kids can help you see the world through different lenses!
We've made the drive all the way across Nebraska. Today. The best part of our day was our stop in Pona, NE to meet Dan's mom, aunt and uncle. After a refeshing glass of tea they took us on a driving tour of Ponca State Park. It was by far the very best state park we've ever seen. Our visit made us feel like we had seen the real Nebraska complete with miles of farms but also gorgeous forests. Thank you for making us feel so welcome. It was probably our final camping tonight for this trip. Crossing over into Iowa we were able to snag a site at Gull Point State Park. We knew we were moving east when we opened the windows to a hot humid evening.
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