Boondocking...

Boondocking is a term used by RV'ers for camping without any hook-ups.  That's the simple explanation.  More commonly it's used to mean camping "off the grid", or camping in "non-camping locations, or spots".  This can be anywhere from places like on the beach or the desert to WalMart parking lots.

When you are a small RV like a Class B (like a Roadtrek) or a small Class C, you can easily pull off onto dirt or sandy roads and find lots of cozy spots with privacy without to much notice or fear.  With a larger RV, that's a bit harder.  First of all, you don't want to take the chance of getting stuck - either in the dirt and sand or the fact that you might not be able to turn around to get back out again!  You also stand out a whole lot more, and therefore are a bit more noticeable to authorities or neighbors who don't much want you parking there.  Running a generator on a bigger Class A makes more noise than one on a smaller RV too.  All good reasons for us "bigger kids" to stay away from the "no camping zones" when we can.

For those reasons, and for general "safety" reasons, we don't usually boondock.  We have though, a very few times, mostly in desperation, over the three years we've been camping. Traveling through Texas usually presents those "opportunities".  You see, there are very large, open spans where there just are no campgrounds!  Well...no "open spaces" in any.  The very few that are there, are filled with oil workers...if you even want to call them "campgrounds".  They are pretty much just large gravel parking lots with hook-ups, for the most part.  You can go miles and miles without seeing very much except for some tumble weeds and dust in between oil rigs and tiny towns with just the bare-bones basics. 

The one thing Texas does have though, is great "Safety Rest Areas".  They are big, clean, and well maintained.  They mark them on their maps for you as well.  You can park over-night there, no hassles, no problems.  Vending machines, security cameras or during peak season, security officers on duty.  They even have storm shelters.  Did I say they were nice?  ;-)

This trip through Texas we ended up staying at two of them...on the way into Dallas from New Mexico to visit my son and his family for Christmas and on the way out of Dallas towards Florida.  When we pulled into the first one, it was about 4 days before Christmas and about 5:00 p.m.  We don't put any of our slides out, we just tuck ourselves in and get cozy.  There were just a few other "18-Wheelers" in the lot with us at that time.  The night ended with a gorgeous sunset, and we called it a night.

That morning we looked out to see what other "company" had joined us in the middle of the night (I had seen out my side window that someone had pulled up next to us) and was surprised to see the lot almost full!  There must have been at least 30+ of those big guys there!  Many had already left, so we were sure it had been full over the course of the night.  I think we were the only RV though, all were the big 18-Wheelers.

At our second Safety Rest Area, two days after Christmas, the "make-up" was different.  This time, it was pretty much a 50/50 mix of RV'ers and the 18-Wheelers.  The lot wasn't as full either.  Being a Friday, with two days left before people had to get back to work, might of made a difference, I don't know.  I do know that the traffic picked up more and more as the days into the weekend passed.

I know that a number of people like to boondock to save money, and do so whenever they can, most often at WalMart's parking lots, but, I have to say, I still prefer a nice camp- ground.  I'm not out here traveling "to save money", I'm here to enjoy the scenery, and there isn't much scenery in a parking lot - any parking lot, no matter how nice it is.  I'm grateful that Texas has those rest stops, because there isn't much else for us, but given the choice, give me a pretty campsite any day!

...On the road heading to Florida,   Marie

Changes...

I practically grew up in San Diego.  I was a Navy brat, so spent two years here, then two years there and two years somewhere else again until I was ten, but in and out of San Diego and back again permanently at thirteen until three years ago...so, I've seen a lot of changes over the years.  I've seen San Diego grow up you could say.  Jack first moved here in 1970.

And "grow up" it has!  When I first moved here, almost sixty-five years ago, it was practically a "small town".  You could get from one end to the other in less than fifteen minutes!  We used to take Sunday Drives out to the north county for the day.  ;-)   Now, all my children have moved away to other parts of the country.  I still have some family and a lot friends here, so we still come back once or twice a year to visit.  One of the things we like to do tho, is to drive around and see all the changes the city has undergone while we've been gone...because it continues to grow, and change.

We had such a chance the other day.  We started off by going downtown to look for the new library that we heard had finally been built.  Now, if you've ever lived here, or are now, you know how long that's been coming.  It's been talked about and been voted on for decades!  Certainly something this city has needed for many, many years.  It took us awhile to find it, but it sure was worth the hunt.  What a beauty!  I think it's actually in a good location too.  Right at a trolley and bus stop, has parking (pay), out of the way of the Gaslamp District, near condos and apartments, etc.  San Diego can be proud.

We did have to shake our head tho at the continued building of more housing, knowing how bad the drought is.  Where do they think they are going to get the much needed water for all these people?  Jobs building these now, but how will these people get water later?  Short sighted planning, I'm afraid...

From there we mossied toward the Embarcadero and admired the progress of the enlargement of the airport.  We also noticed all the new signs and how they "dropped" the name Lindbergh, and are just using "San Diego International Airport" now...poor Charles.  They even painted over his picture and did a new mural!  Guess he just didn't make the cut.  While there, we drove on around to Spanish Landing to see the progress of the building of the replica of the San Salvidor.  What a lovely surprise, as she's almost complete!  They should be launching her in about a month.  What a great sight that should be for San Diego.  We wish we could be here for that.  It's been fun to follow the building of her over the years.  The Bandy Blacksmith Guild has been forging all the ironwork for it, which Jack is a member of that Guild, so we feel proud if only by association.

Leaving there, it was time for lunch, so naturally we had to stop at a favorite stop...El Indo!  Thank goodness some things never change!!  YUM!  Chips to take with (of course!)  and off to Pacific Beach...

When Jack first moved to San Diego, he lived in Pacific Beach, just a few blocks from the beach.  I also didn't live very far from there for many years, only "fifteen minutes", and was there often.  It was "my beach" hangout.  So it's the one we go to, when we are in town.  (there are beaches all along the coast in San Diego that people think of:  Pacific, Ocean, & La Jolla).  Now, PB (as it's called) is always changing.  There are some places that change constantly, and always have - same building, but new name.  It's like a game "what will it's name be this year?"  Then there are the ones you know will always be there, like the Denny's that's been there for sixty years, etc.  But the "old ones" are getting old and it's the beach after all, and the sea takes it toll, so buildings need repair, and times change, etc.  So, one never really knows...such was our discovery.

As we drove down our favorite streets and remarked on the various buildings, we had very little surprises.  We loved that we actually found a parking spot right at the beach (that's rare).  We have a favorite restaurant, one that has been Jack's since the very beginning.  It's a simple, clean, nothing fancy place, called The Green Flash.  It always had a line, breakfast, lunch or dinner.  It catered to the quiet crowd, beach people who just wanted good food with a good view, as it is right on the beach.  There are plenty other places catering to the 20s-30s drinking crowd.  We loved it.  So as we walked the beach, I asked, "do you think it's still there?"  Just as Jack was saying "of course, The Green Flash will always be the...OMG what have they DONE TO MY RESTAURANT?"  ...we had turned the corner and saw the change...ugh.  It was no longer The Green Flash...but the garish Baja Beach Cafe...filled with the 20s-30s sipping their huge Margaritas...and enjoying the changes....

...but that's ok, life is still good!

...kicking back in San Diego CA,  Marie

Thanksgivng Blessings...

We usually spend the month of November in Washington.  Both our toad and our rig are licensed there, and most of my family lives there.  So, once a year, we, and our vehicles all go there for "annual check-ups" and visits.  Now, November isn't the warmest of times, but, alas, that was when "everything" fell into place three years ago!

Three years ago, last December, we sold our house in record time (two weeks!), found the "perfect" RV (clear across the US) and loaded up what we didn't sell into a tiny storage unit and headed north.  Washington seemed like the perfect "home base" since we knew we would be on the road full time, and my sister was willing to be our mail person.  So, we drove up there, registered ourselves, got doctors, new licenses, etc. and celebrated!  Now, once a year, we brave the rain & cold and visit family and get rewarded with a wonderful Thanksgiving Feast for our efforts!

We started out thinking our adventure would be just for one year.  Jack was new to "camping".  Born and raised a "city boy", his idea of "camping" was "no room service" at a hotel.  I, on the other hand, love it.  This whole thing had been my idea all along, he was just "coming along for the ride...or the drive, actually, since he does the driving.  Now, this being our third full year, with no end in sight, he's the one who is still really loving it!  Probably even more than I, if truth be told!

Every year has been very different from the one before...just like life itself.  We are blessed with good health and this year I was reminded how much that matters as for the last four months I've suffered with limited use of my right arm due to some bone spurs in my shoulder.  I was thrilled that the doctor in Tacoma was able to tell me what all the pain was about and that a simple out-patient surgery will fix the problem once and for all.  I will have to come back in a few months to have it done, but that's minor, and we can go on with our journey from there, no further problems.

I also feel blessed that I have a family that allows us to travel the way we do and understands and loves us.  We don't get to see them as often as we would like.  Our children and grandchildren are spread all across the US and it's tough getting around to all of them very often and still see all the nooks and crannies of the various states, but we try as best we can, but of course, its never enough, and we miss them more than we like.

We are also blessed by the people we meet along the way.  Some are just in passing, but some we've managed to stay friends with, and that's extra special.  People like us who really get this crazy life-style of ours, who love this wonder lust.  This year, several of our friends who haven't been able to RV in a long time due to family issues, now can, are now planning on trips to either join up with us, or travel along with us.  We've always traveled alone, so we are looking forward to doing some "companion traveling" in 2015!

Doing what you love, being loved, and being healthy and happy...that's truly a blessing, ones I wish for everyone!

On the road again,  Marie

A Few Days in Denver...

We had the wonderful opportunity to spend a long weekend with some special friends while passing through Denver this time.  We met Deb & Rich on our first year out when Jack spotted their rig and noticed that it was "just like ours!"  We met up with them that evening and spent the whole evening talking around the campfire and realized we had more in common than our two rigs.  We have visited with them before and always enjoyed their wonderful hospitality and growing friendship.

 
This trip, our "tour guides" took us to a few of unusual places... First up, was Tiny Town, in Morrison.  Tiny Town is almost a hundred years old, and started by a father who wanted to build a small town to entertain his small daughter.  As the saying goes...it grew!  To 124 building by 1924.  By now he had opened it up to the public and over 20,000 people were coming to visit it. By 1927 it had become as well known as Buffalo Bill’s Grave and Pike’s Peak, and the project outgrew George Turner’s spare time so he sold out.

Over the years, it's suffered floods & fires, it's closed and reopened several times, volunteers, and finally a foundation is established to operate it and help restore and maintain it.  It's back up to 90 buildings, several of them from the original 1920's.

The day that we visited, it was closed, but a young man, Jason, was there cleaning, and said that he didn't mind letting us in and would give us a little private tour.  As we toured, several other people stopped and asked if they too, could come in.  Jason, ever gracious, let each small family in, taking the time to tell us about each small building, it's history to Tiny Town and to Denver.  It was quite something to see.  

In our many conversations, I had shared with Deb & Rich my love of unique cemeteries, so they said they knew of one they thought I would enjoy seeing, so off we went to the  Bear Cañon Cemetery in Sedalia.  They were right.

One of the first things you see is a large rusted metal cello!  There's really no marker other than a large rock with a picture and some silk flowers and a small American flag.  I did some research and found out it all belongs to Aaron Pope, but that's all.  No dates, etc.  One can only guess that Aaron played the cello and lived and died in Sedalia Colorado.  That's probably all anyone needs to know I guess.  That's the way this Cemetery is.  It's full of very personal, individual, unique memorials & headstones.  Everything from Aaron's cello to another's simple wooden cross & pink stone heart, or one with a small blue cowboy boot & small metal cross.  Some had big family areas that included a bench telling about the plane that went down while ranching and then all the rest of the family headstones surrounding it.  The oldest dated back to some Confederate War Veterans in 1823-1899.  Many had mementos surrounding them, tools, baseballs, toys, pictures, even boxes or bottles filled with notes & letters.  One had beautiful rocks & geodes circled all around each of the five graves.  A truly heartfelt place.  I left there pondering where I might like to be "remembered" one day...

The next stop was a quick one, for laughs and a photo op!  We had looked up the "Roadside America" to see what funny thing there was to see, and "Sun Spot" came up!  Rich knew just where "he" was too!  A 20' tall dog covered in pet tags, out in front of the Denver Animal Shelter!  To cute to pass up, so we didn't!  ;-)

From there, we finished off our day at the oldest bar in town, and as Rich said, one not to miss seeing either! The Buckhorn Exchange (est 1893) in Denver.  Wow, it certainly made your jaw drop, that's for sure!  We weren't hungry for dinner, good thing too, as we didn't have reservations and needed them, but had some nice appetizers and drinks upstairs.

Colorado is such a beautiful state, we love traveling through here.  We often think about if this is a place we could settle down in some day, and with such wonderful friends like Deb & Rich, it wouldn't be hard.  Who knows what the future brings...

...on the road,  Marie

If you wish to view the rest of the photos from this trip, you can at my Flickr account at:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/74905158@N04/

One more visit to Texas...Floors, Family & Fort Worth

This visit was going to be a different one, in that it was to have our much anticipated new floors installed in our coach.  Ernie Ekberg has a year waiting list to get floors installed, so when he got a cancellation for October 1st, a full nine months before our scheduled apt. date, I grabbed it with glee!  We were in Michigan at the time, but as I told Ernie, "our coach knows how to make U Turns!" So, with excitement, we headed back to Texas!

I've been wanting new flooring for almost two years.  "Who", I've wondered, "ever came up with the idea of putting cream colored carpeting inside RVs?"  It's crazy! RV'ers camp in campgrounds (or boondock) in places with gravel, dirt and grass - all of which gets brought into the coach all day on our sneakers and sandals.  Keeping carpeting clean was a full-time job, and I gave that up when I retired!

So, I started researching "who & where" to go.  Found some blogs, and found out that Ernie Ekberg out of Weatherford TX was "the best".  He only does wood, carpeting and some limited vinyl tile.  When I hesitated because the wait was a year, I got dozens of e mails from his "fans" that said to "just throw down some rugs and wait, he's worth it!"  That convinced me, so I did, and I'm glad! With all the changes in the coach this year...it brings new meaning to the phrase "happy camper"!

Weatherford, it turned out, is less than two hours from where my son lives (outside of the Dallas area), so when we had a couple of free days (days we weren't working with Ernie, making decisions, getting supplies, etc) we took off and made a dash over to their place to visit with them and see our newest grandson, now just four months old.  I was there when he was born, but this was Jack's first introduction.  Four months makes a big difference when they are that tiny, and what a wonderful difference!  Nothing like seeing a happy, healthy, chubby, cooing baby; especially when he had such a difficult beginning.

There were a couple of other times - a day or half a day where Ernie would tell us to "get lost", well, he probably said it a little nicer, like "go have some fun, you can't really do anything today while I'm working on this section..."  So, with phone in hand (in case he needed us) off we went - to Fort Worth!

Looking for something a little different to visit, we chose to start off with a visit to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's Western Currency Facility.  This is one of only two currency printing facilities in the US and the home of the new $100 bills.  As you can imagine, they didn't want anyone "taking pictures", so, alas, no cameras, phones, etc. allowed.  Darn.  So, I don't have any pictures, but I can share that it was an interesting tour that has you walking overhead, looking down on billions of dollars being printed, cut, banded, stacked and packed up to be loaded into the vault.  Afterward you go into a fun area that shows you the history of money, the changes over the years, counterfeiting, a sample of what the new bills are going to look like and what goes into all of it.  All in all, an interesting and fun place to visit!

I really wasn't up for any more museums, per se, but the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame caught my eye.  It sounded a bit different from anything we'd seen so far, so we gave it a try.  I no sooner snapped a couple of pictures at the entrance when they said "no pictures inside", darn.  Beautiful place, and really impressive.  Nice to see a museum dedicated to honoring the achievements that women in the American West, in this case, make.  It honored everyone from Sacajawea, Annie Oakley to Sandra Day O'Connor.  Women are nominated in five categories:  Artists & Writers; Champions & Competitive Performers; Entertainers; Ranchers & Stewards of the Land; and Trailblazers & Pioneers.

Sacagawea & Jean Baptiste by Glenna Goodacre

They had fun displays showcasing each of these areas highlighting the successful women in that area.  They even had a mechanical bull you could ride yourself!  I thought it was particularly interesting how they showed the evolution of the cowgirl in the rodeo doing stunts dressed in skirts & fancy outfits, even sitting side-saddle sometimes! 

They also had various videos of women ranchers talking about their daily lives.  Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week lives...loving it.  They have my respect, but I sure don't know how they do it...and I sure do know it's not a life I could ever do.  I left there feeling proud to be a woman, and a little humble in comparison.

High Desert Princess (c2003) by Mehl Lawson,

 From there we drove over to what Fort Worth calls their "Stockyards".  We missed the twice daily cattle drive of longhorns down the street, which is the big draw, really.  About the only thing truly left of the real Stockyards are the pens.  It doesn't seem like they are used anymore at all, so no cattle in them any longer.  All we saw was a tourist town of shops and restaurants and a couple of statues and murals.  We were so happy that we saw the real Stockyards in Oklahoma City!  We did manage to get a good burger and listen to some fun live music before we left and headed back to our coach.

With the coach completed, family hugged we are on our way again!  Time to hit the road again and start heading back to see family in Washington...

...on the road,  Marie

If you wish to view the rest of the photos from this trip, you can at my Flickr account at:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/74905158@N04/

Further adventures in Oklahoma City...

With so much to still see and do in Oklahoma City, we started out early.  Our first stop of the day was to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.  Both Jack and I like western heritage, so we were really looking forward to this particular museum.  In our travels, we have been to quite a few throughout the various states, but I have to say, this is one of the very best!  I'm sure that the fact that Oklahoma City's heritage is uniquely western, starting out with the Land Run of 1889 has a lot to do with it.  This museum does an outstanding job of showcasing it with more that 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts.

Beyond that, I loved how they had different, fun galleries - Native American: representing American Indian life in western North America;  American Rodeo: a lifelike 1950s era rodeo arena that showcased rodeo history, including champions, clothing and various memorabilia;  Western Performers: a really fun gallery that was a tribute to the shaping of the movie cowboy, including Western stars such as John Wayne;  and Prosperity Junction: a replica frontier town complete with the sights and sounds of the settlement at dusk. 

The End of the Trail (c1894) by James Earle Fraser

James Arness & Roy Rogers in the Western Performers Gallery

Jim Shoulders, Bucking Broncs in the American Rodeo Gallery

It took us all morning to visit this place, it was so fascinating!  We ended up staying and having lunch in their on site restaurant, that was also a delight.  Jack got to talking to one of the guards while we were there that makes knives as a hobby (and sells some in the gift shop).  They enjoyed sharing stories about blacksmithing techniques etc.

Once fortified, we headed over to the Oklahoma History Center for some more insight into this interesting state.  They too took great pride in the stars and people in the film industry that have come from Oklahoma, such as Joan Crawford & Brad Pitt (who still comes to visit his grandmother here), and movies that have been filmed here, like "Grapes of Wrath" and "Twister".  But one of the most unusual things inside the museum, I thought, was The Century Chest.  It was a chest that had been sealed into the basement of The First English Lutheran Church back on April 22, 1913, then opened a century later by that same church.  Inside were documents, a quilt, photos, newspapers, paintings, clothing, recordings, books, poetry, and messages from individuals and organizations in 1913 to the people of 2013.  The project had been embraced by the entire state as citizens, tribes, businesses, community organizations and legislators all participated.  All was on display and very cool.  So many times we see things go into one of these chests, but this is the first time I've ever seen anything that has come out of one!

Outside was another cool display, it was Devon Oil & Gas Exploration Park, of all the really early oil rigs and various equipment.

We ended the day with a last stop at the beautiful Centennial Land Run Monument.  What a magnificent multi-piece sculpture.  Bigger than life, but so realistic you feel caught up in it, part of it.  The energy is incredible, hard to describe.  It's placed among Prairie Grass, as it would have been then, in a park along a creek, that takes up at least a block.  Truly something to spend time at.

We saved Monday for the famous Cattle Auctions in Stockyards City!  I had heard about it for years and really wanted to check it out.  After all, how many places are left that have real stockyards where you can see, hear & smell thousands of cattle being herded into pens, then brought into auction?  Here, and Texas, as far as I know.  So, off we went!  Jack was a little dubious at first, but like the willing husband that he is, he went along with me.  Camera in hand, I was ready and anxious!  We barely got out of the truck before I was grinning from ear to ear, I could hardly wait to get up on the catwalk to see them!  What fun!  After about 10 min. up there, we got to talk to one of the cowboys working below who answered some of our questions for us (a really nice guy who was equally curious about us) and he explained that this time of year they tend to have a lot less cattle (about 6,000, back in the 70's it would have been around 11,000).

After shooting outside for awhile, we went inside to catch some of the auction.  There were about 25-35 or so men in a theater style room with an auctioneer and his two assistants in a front booth with TV monitors overhead giving the audience the stats.  The individual cattle brokers would come in and stand in a front pen and present the information about the cattle that were being herded through for the auctioneer, then the auctioneer would do his thing and the customers would wave a finger or nod or what ever subtle thing they had a habit of doing, and away they would go, on to the next group!  You could tell the auctioneer knew his customers, and their ways of bidding...I had fun trying to figure out who was doing the bidding and who wasn't half the time!  Fun!

Later that night we came back to the famous Cattlemen's Steakhouse for dinner.  I had to try their signature steak, the 20oz T Bone!  Of course I took half of it home, but boy was it great, and what a wonderful way to end our stay in this terrific city!


...on the road to Texas!  Marie

If you wish to view the rest of the photos from this trip, you can at my Flickr account at:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/74905158@N04/

Oklahoma City!

Oklahoma City, so much to see and do here!  We almost didn't know where to begin.  Spreading out the armload of brochures, we decided to tackle the Downtown area first.  First stop was the Oklahoma National Memorial, which was a beautiful, touching place.  To see the fence along the street still being covered in mementos was heartwarming.  I hadn't realized that the two gates at each end had two different times on them: "These monumental twin gates frame the moment of destruction – 9:02 a.m. – and mark the formal entrances to the Memorial. The East Gate represents 9:01 a.m. on April 19, and the innocence of the city before the attack. The West Gate represents 9:03 a.m., the moment we were changed forever, and the hope that came from the horror in the moments and days following the bombing."  They make a powerful statement when you enter the area.  As you walk around, you can climb some stairs and look down on the reflecting pool and the field of empty chairs and there is a large American Elm Tree up there, they call it the Survivor Tree because it was there before the bombing and withstood the bomb blast.  It's a beautiful old tree that brings such a sense of peace and hope to this place.  We didn't go into the museum itself, I couldn't bring myself to do it, to much sadness...I said some prayers and we walked on...

Just down the street is the Oklahoma State Capitol building...now how many Capitol buildings do you know of that have an oil rig in front of them?  This one does!  What a hoot!  It even has a name, it's "Petunia No. 1", the retired Capitol Site No 1 oil well, because drilling began in November 1941 in a flower bed.  The building is said to be the only Capitol in the world with an oil well beneath it! 

Now it was time to see some real art!  So off we went to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.  Well, the first thing you are greeted with is their 55-foot Chihuly glass tower in the front atrium!   It was a beautiful sunny day so the sun just glistened right on it too.  They have one of the largest collections of Dale Chihuly's art we've ever seen, and we've been to his studios in Tacoma, so this was an extra treat.  Additionally, they had some lovely European and American art that we enjoyed.  Their Museum Cafe served a great lunch, and once we were fortified, we were ready to continue our trek to see more of the city!

Chihuly Exhibit

"Chado (c2010) by Karen LaMonte

Close by was the Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum which didn't look to large, so we thought we could just fit it in before our energy gave up on us for the day.  I loved the "his & hers" fire hydrants outside before you entered, cute.  Inside they had a nice collection of antique fire apparatuses, tools and machinery used since 1736.  The coolest thing was the reconstruction of the first fire station in Oklahoma, first built back in 1869.

Phew, that was one full day, and still so much to see in this great city!

...kicking back in Oklahoma City,  Marie