Continuation of the new Adventurer Saga

When I last posted, David and I had just returned from our trip to PA to purchase and drive back to TX an Adventurer for him.  This post is more or less a continuation of the journey since he and Sophie have been busy as beavers getting the coach all tripped out and personalized just for them.

I could tell they were pushing way too hard by the daily reports of how much work was being done and needed a break (not to mention my wanderlust was gaining on me as well) so a trip to a nearby lake and Corps of Engineer park seemed to be the perfect solution.  After all, just how much work can you do sitting by a campfire and telling tall tales?  They also wanted a short trip, close to home before heading out for longer journeys to make sure all systems are go and ready.  Sort of a shake down cruise if you will to address any forgotten items and to learn the right buttons to push at the right time (as opposed to the wrong buttons at the wrong time).

So begins our epic tale of four couples with their motorhomes who have all agreed a bit of relaxing time at the lake would do everyone some good.  David preceded me to the campground and when I stopped at the entrance shack to let the attendant know I would be looking for a spot in the non-reservation area and then come back to pay, I found out for sure that David was already there.  The attendant asked me if I was with that 'other fellow' and I told him I was.  The attendant then told me the 'other fellow' had not been back up to pay yet and needed to do so promptly.  He expected someone to take care of business expeditiously and did not want any trouble or freeloading.  I told him I would seek out the 'other fellow' and see if I could 'jack him up' and get him to come back and pay for his stay.  After looking at me through a half cocked head and squinting eyes, the attendant reluctantly allowed me to enter thinking he might have another 'fare thee well' type camper on his hands.

David and Sophie's new Adventurer

Upon arriving in the campground, we easily find our friend who is still busily trying to get settled in and we pull into the spot next to him.  After I get out and talk to him, I find out the delay in returning to the previously mentioned gate attendant has to do with pushing the right buttons at the right time and the electrical connections at the campsite.  It seems the slides on the motorhome were not working as intended when he first arrived.  Now for those who are unaware, this particular model has a Master Switch with a key that keeps the slides from being activated when it is turned to the off position and the key removed.  It seems that during the process, Sophie has turned the key to off, and David has not realized it when trying to activate the slide mechanisms.  This is even as Sophie, realizing there is something amiss, asks David repeatedly, "does the key need to be in the 'On' position?"  For several minutes there is this back and forth between them about the position of the key when finally David realizes the key is not in the 'On' position as he thought he had left it and voila the slides magically operate as intended once the key is back in the 'On' position.

Now I do not want to mock this situation, but have we not all been in this position before?  This is a classic case of missed communication.  You are not hearing what I am saying and you are not saying what I know you are saying.  I would be willing to guess that everyone reading this can relate to the scenario and recall many of these events throughout their lives.  Anyway, the equipment functioned as intended after communication was re-established and meaning of words reconciled to each other's statements.

I mentioned that Bibi was going back to the entrance gate to pay and after relating the story of my adventure with the gatekeeper, would David like to ride with her to pay too.  He did and so we both have our reputations restored as men of our word and not just a couple of freeloaders.  David refrained from telling the campground host about the electrical connections he discovered.  The other part of his delay had to do with getting the electricity to work.  Being new to the coach and having installed a surge protector, David was unsure if the lack of electricity was on his end or the campground facility.  Anyway, to make a long story short, the campground receptacle had a loose part not allowing a complete connection and thus no electricity.  Again the coach functioned properly once the problem was diagnosed and addressed.

So with a few bumps and fitful starts, our camping was off to a great beginning.  The next day our other two couples arrived to join the party.  Sam and Brenda along with LA and Jean showed up to begin sharing and enjoying each other's company during our stay.  We had a short jam session when Brenda and Beverly got their dulcimers out and I got the guitar out to play and practice a bit.  Then we had Taco Soup for dinner. Afterwards, we all settled down by a nice campfire and viewed the Rangers baseball game on the outside TV while roasting marshmallows on the fire.

Roughing it - Watching Rangers Baseball by the Campfire

The next morning dawned brisk and clear with the promise of plenty of sunshine.  We had a communal breakfast of sausage muffins compliments of Brenda.  Some of our crew are early risers while others do not understand how much daylight they are burning by sleeping so late.  By the time breakfast arrived, I was already to the point of starvation and almost too weak to bring the muffin to my mouth.  But luckily I pulled on my deepest strength and managed to down some nourishment which quickly restored me to my normal blustery self.

Since this was Easter week, the weekend is expected to bring many folks to the campground.  Indeed starting Friday we saw a major influx of people as the campground began to fill up.  By Saturday, it looked as if the place was at capacity with just a couple of empty spots located here and there.  Of course, with a full campground the age levels multiply and the noise levels too.  Everyone around us seemed to be enjoying the wonderful springtime weather.  As for us, we had another enjoyable evening by the campfire watching another Ranger game on TV, this time at David and Sophie's spot.  Because there was so much joy and merriment in the campground, I had a hard time sleeping.  In fact, it benefited me for you see, Brenda made sausage muffins for breakfast again.  But this time, she caught me sleeping.  It was certainly a surprise for her to find me answering her knock on the door with my bedhead hair standing straight up in my sleep pants rubbing my eyes to get the sleep out.  It was certainly nice to have breakfast in bed that AM as I am not normally treated to such royal treatment.

On Friday we were visited by Bill and Nell.  Nell plays the dulcimer too and joined us for a jam session in the pines.  Now Nell is quite a character and willing to have a good time.  There is one particular song that she likes; however, our group does not play it quite as fast as Nell wants us too.  So somewhere along about the middle of the song, we all speed up to keep up with Nell.  By the end of the song, we are traveling at quite a good rate of speed and some of us are out of breath.  For those of you familiar with the old saying, 'like a mule headed for the barn', you will get a sense of the direction and speed enveloping us.  We had a grand ole time playing our instruments and hoo haaing each other during the session.  We garnered quite an audience from our immediate camping group but the rest of the campers just plain missed out on a fun time.

Beverly, Nell and Brenda on Dulcimer with me on Guitar

Saturday we had to abandon the camp temporarily to attend a wedding.  Our niece, Melissa (Missy), married Cory and we had to clean up, spiff up, put on Sunday go to meeting clothes to attend.  Afterwards, we donned our camping clothes once again and returned to the near perfect blissful rest we were all desperately seeking.  Sam and Brenda had to return due to pressing appointments and responsibilities so we are now down to three couples.

Sunday is Easter and Bibi has decided to treat us to a scrumptious feast.  She said it was an easy meal involving a crock pot and opening up cans and packages.  I told her afterwards, she gets the Cook of the Day award as far as I was concerned.  The only problem I had was trying to sleep while the crock pot cooked the meat all night long.  My senses were on overload during the night as I smelled the various stages of the cooking process.  She gave us a roast, mashed potatoes, green beans with Hawaiian King rolls meal followed by old style homemade Banana Pudding (my favorite kind).  Oh boy!  Afterwards, we all retired to check out our eyelids to see if there were any cracks in them.

Somewhere along the way we got to talking about the movie, 'O Brother Where Art Thou' which is one of my all-time favorites.  As it turns out, it is a movie that a lot of my fellow campers thoroughly enjoy as well. Even if it did not have the bluegrass music and an association with Homer's Iliad, it has some very interesting lines.  If you don't believe me then you are not bonafide.  And no, I did not turn into a Toad.  Gotta watch the movie to learn what that means, so enjoy.

For now that is the update.  But stay tuned, there will be short trip to Melissa, TX soon that is sure to find its way onto the blog.

Pennsylvania to Texas

Where to start on this latest Adventure is a real conundrum for me as I have just spent the last 2-1/2 days sharing driving time with my friend in his 2013 Winnebago Adventurer the 1200 miles to his home so I am a bit tired, sore and a little foggy in the memory.  If you are intrigued, let's begin at the beginning.

David and Sophie have been contemplating a move to full-timing since beginning their RVing ways.  During our most recent trip together to Surfside Beach the decision was completed and plans beginning to crystallize as to how to accomplish the transition to a full time lifestyle.  One of the first considerations was what type of home on wheels would best suit the impending lifestyle.

Having toured the Winnebago factory on another trip and listening to my incessant ramblings about why I thought Winnebago was one of the best at combining quality, comfort selections, most standard features and best value for one's choosing, they have narrowed a search to a particular make and model to transition to for the full time option.  Before this could happen, in David's words, he needed to get some money by selling some things.  The things he were talking about were his 'baby' (his restored Mustang fastback) and their current RV (also a Winnebago Adventurer 2001 edition).

While on the Surfside trip, he located some possibilities, using the internet, as candidates for the upcoming contemplated purchase.  When I learned of the distance to travel to look at, buy and then drive home, I offered to accompany him to assist in transporting a purchase back to Texas.

After returning home, they set about making things happen and happen they did.  Quickly he sold both the Mustang and the Adventurer.  Now came the business of finalizing a purchase.  Here is where the story really 'takes off' and begins to hum right along.

Unbelievably, this could not have been accomplished just a few short years ago but technology has advanced the opportunity to these unbelievable levels.  David contacted some folks in Pennsylvania about a unit they had listed on Craigslist while in Surfside.  Because he was not quite ready to consummate the deal, he asked for and received a positive response to let him know if someone else was wanting to buy the unit so he could make an offer.  It was during this interim time he managed to sell some assets, arrange financing and recontacted the sellers about the unit.

Things progressed to the point that a deal was struck (timing was incredible as the couple selling the unit was about to trade it in on another purchase they had located) and arrangements made.  The couple, Jeff and Kristy, were very accommodating and generous to work with throughout the process.  Now they lived and the unit was located in Pennsylvania so David had to figure out how to get there, finalize the purchase and pay for the unit, then transport it back to Texas.  This feat of mental gymnastics consumed him for some period of time and required numerous phone calls and emails to all involved parties.

All the time he kept me posted so I could make my plans to participate too.  I began to be concerned that Sophie might prefer to be in on the trip and I did not want her to feel like I was 'forcing' my way into this adventure.  She assured both David and I that she wanted us to go, saying she trusted David's judgment, which was a nice way of saying, 'you better not mess this up'!

Long story-short, we boarded a flight in Longview on Tuesday to Cleveland, Ohio.  Flying first class is the only way to go these days.  It is nice when you board first and the attendants address you by name and provide a drink while everyone else is boarding the plane and settling down for the trip.  After in the air, you get another libation along with warmed nuts to munch on while your meal is prepared.  Prior to the meal you receive a warm washcloth to clean up your hands before feasting on sumptuous fare prepared onboard the aircraft.  Followed by a choice of a warm chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie.  NICE!!!!

Upon arriving in Cleveland we called the local hotel where our reservations are and requested a shuttle pick up.  A short ten minutes later, we are loaded into the shuttle and on our way to the hotel.  David contacts Kristy to let her know of our arrival.  The next morning, Jeff and Kristy (having offered to pick us up prior to the trip) arrive at the hotel after driving approximately two hours from their home to the hotel at 9:30 and then drive us back the two hours to see the motorhome.  We had a great visit during the drive sharing stories and getting driving recommendations from them about our return trip in the motorhome.

Jeff actually drove us the route we would take in reverse to begin our trek back to Texas.  At one point, we approached and went under an underpass marked with a height of 12' 7".  Knowing the motorhome was listed in the technical specifications brochure as 12' 8", I questioned him about actually attempting to drive the motorhome through it.  His response was sure it would make it, he drove it through there bringing the motorhome to the house.  Soon we arrived at the house and there it was, a shiny new looking 2013 Winnebago  Adventurer.

After perusing it, flipping switches, opening cabinets, and giving the girls back home a tour via facetime (again, technology these days), he immediately received a positive response from Sophie.  After looking and asking more questions, David asks if they can start the generator.  Sure Kristy says and shows him how the procedure works from the main control panel inside the coach.  Unfortunately, it did not start.  In fact, it makes a sickening sound that says, 'no way am I starting today.'  Panic mode begins to set in and Kristy grabs the generator manual from the Winnebago compendium bible of books about the Adventurer and its systems to research possible troubleshooting procedures.  About the same time, Jeff and David hotfoot it outside to open the generator compartment and take the cover off to try and assess the problem issues.  All this while, during each attempt to start the generator, being met with the same response of 'no way am I starting today' sound.

After looking in the battery compartment, someone noticed the main cutoff switch adjacent to the battery compartment was in the 'off' position.  Once restored to the 'on' position, the generator fired up on the first attempt.  I asked Kristy if she was having heart palpitations about that time and had she regained a normal heartbeat to which she assured me all was well when she heard it start.  Tense moments but all were relieved as the issue was not with the generator but with the settings of switches.  This speaks to the complexity of these units and the multitude of systems involved with a motorhome.

After all formalities of purchasing the Adventurer are completed, we wish Jeff and Kristy adieu, telling them to let us know when they are in the East Texas area and promising to do the same when we are in Pennsylvania again too.  We head down the road and our date with the 'bridge.'  Now this is not any old bridge, it is an older version with a much narrower (and shorter) opening since its construction in the 'early' days of autos.  We approach it with much apprehension and consternation (see the picture below).

Bridge with Height Sign

Notice the Narrowness warning on the sign

But all is well, we made it although there were some tense moments for 'yours truly' as we entered the opening.  Approaching traffic created more tenseness as David yielded the space for them to pass we came closer and closer to the side of the bridge.  In fact, I told him we are too close, that is close enough and thankfully he listened.  All I could think of during this episode was Nein, Nein, Nein.  Reminiscent of our German tourist encounter (see earlier posting from South Dakota) on the Needles Highway.  Once we were through, David asked me how close we came, I told him 3 inches and I am not kidding either.  It was close.

Our next stop was at a Wal-Mart for supplies as we made our way south.  We traveled the first day without rain and stopped at Columbus, OH for an overnight stay at a Wal-Mart parking lot.  The next day we proceeded further south and west as we made it as far as Jackson, TN.  This day was an all day rain event with some very intense lightning and rain at times.  I 'cooked' for David at the Cracker Barrel that night and he 'cooked' breakfast for me the next morning at the same Cracker Barrel.

While eating our dinner, David asked for the Cracker Barrel manager to come over to our table.  The gentleman showed up and David told him we were traveling to TX in an RV and would it be okay to overnight in their parking lot for the night.  Immediately the manager replied, 'No' so David asked him if he knew of any other place close that would allow us to park overnight and again immediately he replied, 'No.' It was at this point, after waiting the appropriate length of time, the manager broke into a very wide grin and said he was just kidding, of course it was okay to stay overnight.  I can see him having a big old hooha in the the kitchen as he shared his little joke with the rest of the staff.  Anyway, he got both me and David with his very serious, I am all business reply of No before letting us in on the joke.

After breakfast the next morning, we proceeded towards home and without any rain to torment us along the way.  The only issue was gusting winds as we traveled the rest of TN and Arkansas to Little Rock.  Once past there, it was smooth sailing and a beautiful sunny day to travel to the home destination arriving 1200 miles, 2-1/2 days later at approximately 4 PM.

All in all, it was a very fast trip of eat, drive and sleep.  No sightseeing or dallying along the way.  We saw lots of things through the windshield but little else.  Dodged construction barrels, waded water, felt the wind slam against the sides, saw more than a few other RVers on the road and a lot of big tractor trailer rigs traversing the highways.  In fact, we saw so many RVs headed in the opposite direction, we felt a lot like a Salmon would feel during the swim upstream except headed in the wrong direction.  We guessed there were a lot of snowbirds returning to their home bases wherever that might be.

A very tiring but satisfying trip.  Now all that remains is to trip out the RV and decide on a destination.  Look out America, here we come!

The 2013 Adventurer making its first Wal Mart supply stop with its very proud new owner.

Last day of our most recent Adventure

Well the day has finally arrived and we always dread it when we have to pack up and head back.  It seems sad the time gets away from you before you have time to do and see everything you had planned before heading out.  Then there are the things you encounter along the way and that adds to the agenda and adventure.  For example, we are driving along on our way to the most recent destination and there to the left of the highway is a huge statue of Stephen F Austin, out in the middle of seemingly nowhere.  If you have ever seen the likeness of Sam Houston in Huntsville, then this is the type of statue standing beside this 4 lane divided highway with no other visible sign of humanity, village or enterprises around it.  Seemed very strange to us travelers why this seemingly deserted location was picked to honor one of the earliest Anglo settlers of Texas who did so much to colonize the state with other US folks like him.

Statue near Angleton on US Hwy 288

So here is what we found out about this statue.  Shortly after the Sam Houston statue was finished, a volunteer group dedicated to keeping the history of Stephen F Austin and the pioneer families' memories alive contacted the artist and commissioned this statue.  It is on land donated by a family nearby and contains a museum manned by local volunteers.  The area was chosen because it is on the coastal  plain near the mouth of the Brazos river.  This is the area where Austin and his first colonists landed and close to where he chose his first homesite.  As we all remember from our Texas history classes, the first Texas capital is just a few miles up the Brazos river at Washington-on-the Brazos.  So it seems appropriate and natural that Stephen is standing and staring at the area now that we understand the history.

So we learn something every single time we head out.  There is simply not enough time to see and do it all. This is where some of the sadness comes from as we leave a place.  But we have had a grand time here at the beach and learned a lot about the area.  We are just about to leave when the place kicks into high gear for the upcoming beach season.  Sort of the unofficial opening of prime time is St. Patrick's Day.  They have an annual parade each St. Patrick's Day that is 'the biggest thing' around here.  I noticed under 'events' in my latest issue of Texas Highways that Surfside Beach made the list with its parade.  Just down the road in Galveston, the big doin's the last two weekends have been Mardi Gras activities.

We have experienced all kinds of weather while at the beach.  From the cold stinging biting rain on the first day here to the off and on again sea fog throughout the stay to beautiful sun shining 70+ degree days and everything in between. We have heard many boat horns from the Intracoastal Waterway as we are situated between it and the ocean on a spit of land known as Surfside Beach.  Last night, in honor of our recent visit to NASA, we watched the immortal Disney classic movie, Wall-E.

It has been a memorable place to be in February and a great time with good friends. We are thankful God has given us safety while traveling and great sights from creation to behold.  Pictures do not do it justice but here is a small sample.

Walking on a cool blustery day

Sandpiper lunchtime

Oil Rig Platform headed out from Intracoastal Waterway

Driving the beach in Betty Boop

Sea Gulls watching everything and staring at nothing  Kind of like us.....

Until the next adventure, we will see you down the road.....

An interesting week without the Winter Olympics

As you remember from previous posts, the sport of Curling received a good many discussions by the four wanderers as we contemplated the finer points of such an exciting display of skill.  Since the Olympics are over, our conversations have switched to the use of ProBiotics.  Yep, that is correct - ProBiotics.  We are slowly but surely becoming well versed in this subject.  I bet you did not know that we are interested in such high level academic type discussions.

Well, when it comes to holding tanks, nothing is off the chart for us.  We are all into how to keep our tanks clean and the sensors working flawlessly.  We have spent the better part of a week now researching and discussing this subject.  We even have a plan in place to begin the actual experimentation of the usage of ProBiotics in the holding tanks.  So stay tuned for further developments in this exciting and terribly interesting subject area.  Don't let the girls try to fool you, they do not participate much in actual conversation but there is a considerable amount of facial expressions involved as they listen closely to every word spoken.

Having endured several days of extremely low visibility, the folks took advantage of a somewhat clear day to drive on the beach.  Here at Surfside Beach, driving on the actual sand next to the ocean is permissible (as long as you do not run over anyone sunning themselves or strolling along that is) and seems to be the thing to do if you are a dedicated fisherman.  This allows you to get your gear right to the water's edge without hauling it for a very long way.  There are numerous access points and you can drive for quite a distance once you are out there.  The only restrictive access are close to the actual town of Surfside Beach due to a large number of commercial enterprises with associated people traffic adjacent to the beach area.  Which is only reasonable since accidents would surely increase in a higher density of people on the beach.

Driving allows you to cover a much larger area in a much quicker time so the opportunity for seeing 'things' is exponentially increased.  In fact, the tour included a stop by a deceased Dolphin that had washed up on the shore, an RV actually on the beach, shady characters (at least in the view of those in the vehicle they were shady), a geologist type fellow with a strange contraption taking many measurements and notes.  All in all, a very nice trip to enjoy the sites and sounds of the ocean and beach.  Here is a shot of the vehicle of choice for such a trip.

Betty Boop with driver on Surfside Beach sand

Such a beach excursion demands a trip on the road so you can see the same sights from a different perspective.  Having already made most of the trip down the beach, it was decided a trip to Galveston on the road that parallels the beach would give the desired different perspective.  We saw many things on this trip.  Since we are driving parallel to the ocean, there is a bay that must be crossed that has a Toll Bridge across the water to allow us to get to Galveston Island proper from Surfside Beach.

Now this is not just any old Toll Road and certainly not what you are accustomed to seeing in the large metropolitan areas with the automated toll booths that automatically scans a Toll Tag as you drive along. No, no, no!  This road has a manned toll booth.  Yes, that is correct, a person sitting in a small concrete block house in the middle of the road whose sole purpose is to collect the $2 fee for traversing this 2-lane bridge that connects Galveston Island's west side to the rest of Texas via this highway.  We assume this is the case 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as we did not see any way to shut traffic down nor automate the process whatsoever.

This is the point where we begin to have suspicions about whether or not the State of Texas or any other governmental unit for that matter is truly operating this toll booth.  For you see as we approach the concrete block house and pull up to the window, there is a drawer that opens for you to put your money in a plastic bowl (similar to a Walgreen's store or a bank that has a drive up window) and then is retracted so the attendant can retrieve the payment.  What caught our eye was the plastic bowl.  Not just any old Tupperware bowl, mind you, it was the storage kind you buy at the grocery store to preserve leftovers until the next meal such as a Glad brand and then is disposed of as a non-reusable item.  The other piece of evidence we examined was the lack of receipt for our toll payment.  All we got was a grunted 'Thank You' from Alfredo the attendant a/k/a Mr. Personality as so named by Bibi.

On our trip back, several hours later, Alfredo is still manning the booth.  This is late at night with no other vehicles in sight.  This time we are on the other side of the concrete block house and greeted with the same plastic bowl and drawer and the lack of a receipt as well as the customary grunted 'Thank You.'  Now this overwhelming evidence that something is awry leads to considerable conjecture as to just who is getting this cash being put in the plastic bowls in the drawers manned by Alfredo.  The consensus in the car is that Alfredo happened upon this once manned but long since abandoned toll booth and seized upon the idea that he could continue the charging for his own benefit.  We can just imagine the phone call he made back home with news of his good fortune to his parents.  "Mom, Dad you will not believe what I am doing here in Galveston, Texas.  I found a way to make money and have a dry, clean place to live for free.  The best part about it, it costs me nothing and all I have to do is sit here and wait for the next car to come by and hand me money.  Wow, talk about the land of opportunity, this is it!"

Now if this is not the case, then our apologies to Alfredo.  But, it all seems to stack up, doesn't it?  Anyway, back to the purpose of the trip.  We wanted to see Galveston Island.  Remember the low visibility I mentioned earlier.  There is this 'sea fog' that develops when the water is colder than the ambient temperature of the air.  We have been in a fog for about half the time we have been here.  Since Galveston Island is just that, an island, we did not take into account the intense sea fog we would encounter when we finally arrive on the seawall.  Visibility is all but gone so our trip to 'see' the island is not very productive as we find ourselves at Bubba Gump's Shrimp House dining on Mama Blue's southern fried shrimp all the while staring out the big plate glass windows at a very picturesque view of ........... the fog.

The next day, not to be deterred, we make a trip to NASA to look over the Johnson Space Center.  It is a blue bird day and we are far enough away from the sea fog that we can see for miles.  We had a great day looking over the exhibits, learning about the history of the space program and getting up to date on what is happening now and what is planned for the future.  As we looked at the historical items, we all reminisced about what we were doing when Neil Armstrong first landed and walked on the moon along with other significant achievements during the period.  Today, all the shuttles are retired and our astronauts ride Russian rockets to the International Space Station.

It still boggles my mind how these astronauts could have gotten into these tiny capsules mounted on top of a rocket designed and controlled by a bunch of youngsters (average age 26) and let those kids 'blast' them into space.  Talk about faith, there is some kind of faith that you will survive and somehow come back to earth in one piece.  In looking over the Orion project and training center, we get a distinct feeling that we are in a Star Wars movie.  Which begs the question, 'Does science fiction eventually become reality or does science copy science fiction?'  They are making robots to help the astronauts do their work and they look (see some pictures below) like something out of science fiction.  They even bragged about the hands on the robot that can type an entire paragraph as an iPhone text message without making a single mistake.  How many of us can do that?

We saw the mission control room that managed all the trips into space through the moon visits and were astounded that it was so small (much smaller than it appeared back in the day on the TV) and the lack of fancy computerized equipment.  Then of course, we remember small computers did not exist back then, only the big mainframes of my college days.  In fact, your cell phone has much more computing capability than the so-called computer guidance systems on board the early spacecraft.

We learned about life on the International Space Station, including exercise, hygiene, eating, sleeping and bathroom issues.  Did you know the inhabitants have to drink recycled urine for water.  Talk about brave men and women.  I think most of the population would un-volunteer to be an astronaut once this fact is made known to them.  The other negative is each astronaut has to exercise at least two hours a day to overcome the weightless effects on the human body such as loss of muscle mass, osteoporosis, etc.  I am not sure about you but I like a little exercise (emphasis on little) but not a solid two hours worth daily.

Mission Control Room as seen from actual Visitors Gallery

Orion Capsule for trip to Mars

Some rovers and robots on wheels, notice the spider on the left (creepy)

See worker at table, programming for the robot hanging in front of him

Saturn rocket for moon launches, this thing is huge

See how big, this is in between the last two stages of the rocket

My personal favorite insignia patch

After wearing ourselves out, we decided to visit Kemah for a meal while we waited for rush hour traffic to clear out a bit.  Once we arrived at Kemah, we sat down at Saltgrass to enjoy our meal and the intriguing view of the 'sea fog' from the beautiful large plate glass windows once again.  We anticipate a day of rest and then some strolls on the beach as the next front comes through and changes the weather pattern a bit.

Until next time, take care.

Buc-ee's Fog and Curling

Well the last time I left you a note, I was deeply concerned about the recent chapstick episode endured on our way back to the beach.  Since this was so heavy on my mind, I forgot to tell about our last stop on the trip back.

Somewhere between Huntsville and Conroe, we decided we needed to get some gas before continuing any further.  We pulled into a small burg, named Madisonville, for no particular reason other than to make a quick stop for the gasoline.  Well part of the convenience store where we stopped has a Subway sandwich shop.  Since we are already stopped and there are a couple of hours driving left, we decide to refuel ourselves as well.  This further leads to taking a restroom break before hitting the road once again.

Well, as everyone knows, the guys have no problem with the restroom situation at any stop.  This is not the case with the girls.  There are the issues of cleanliness, privacy and clientele appearance that must be satisfied before approving the use of a place's facilities.  This poor convenience store failed on all three counts if not more.  So we struck out in search of suitable facilities.  We see a Buc-ee's on the other side of the interstate and head that direction.

Now for the uninitiated, Buc-ee's is a regional convenience store found in South Texas primarily.  It's logo (pictured below) looks like a beaver with buckteeth.  I have always wanted to stop at one to peruse the establishment because they look so interesting from afar.  Here was one that we could not believe our eyes when we topped the bridge and looked into the parking lot and gas pumps.  There must have been in excess of 100 cars and trucks.  Figuring this many people cannot be wrong, we forge onward to check out their facilities.

Buc-ee's Logo used on Signs at their locations

We guys waited in a parking space close to an entrance having already taken care of business whilst the ladies ventured into the melee inside the store.  While sitting there we conjectured on why so many folks had stopped at the store.  Casually watching the comings and goings, I noticed the large digital sign below the Buc-ee's sign.  It would flash various advertising messages to entice those travelers on the road to stop in before continuing their journey.  The one piece of information that really gave me a hoo-hah was the statement: "Two Reasons to Stop at Buc-ee's - - #1 and #2".  (Think about it for a minute - this is the exact reason we stopped)  And as if to confirm the message on the sign, the ladies came back raving about this place having the best bathrooms anywhere we have been before.  Very large (around 20 stalls), extremely clean and spacious inside.  Obviously, not many five-star hotels could compete with what I was hearing.  So the sign is exactly right, 2 reasons to stop!

Upon returning to the RV park on the beach, we have settled comfortably into somewhat of a routine.  A routine that involves walking along the beach.  There is a jetty some distance from us that leads into the Intracoastal Waterway that Bibi and I have set as our goal to walk to and from before we leave this location. David says if he walks down to that, someone will have to come pick him up in the car to carry him back. This may end up being the case for us as well.  We have walked so much that sometimes a planned second walk for the day does not happen due to tiredness and soreness.

The last few days have been marvelous temperature-wise.  An interesting phenomenon is occurring regularly. Because the water temperature is cooler than the ambient air temperature, we have London style fog all the time.  Most of the time the visibility is a half-mile or lower.  This morning, I got up and could not see the fence across the driveway in front of the RV.  This distance is approximately 50 -60 yards.  It makes for an interesting walk by the ocean when you cannot see normal distances.  There is an almost surreal feeling to the environment.  It also messes up your sense of distance since you do not have far off landmarks to mark how far you have gone, you can easily go too far.  Remember, wherever you start from and end up, you have to traverse this distance again to get back to your starting point.

Another interesting phenomenon is happening back at the RVs too.  Since the Winter Olympics are taking place, we naturally are interested in the different sporting activities.  But one 'sport' has evidently captured our collective East Texas imaginations.  It seems daily whenever we get together, the conversation turns to this particular sport and a discussion of the fine intricacies involved ensues.  Now mind you, none of the four adults in this conversation has ever participated in the sport (East Texas is not a hotspot for this sport) let alone even have read the rules associated with the sport.

Which sport you ask, why 'curling' of course.  Curling seems to be the epitome of being bored for so long during winter time, you have to come up with something to do to pass the long harsh winter days since you cannot work outside.  It is some kind of strange combination of bowling on ice and washer competition or horseshoes combined.  Supposedly there is quite some skill involved in putting the 'rock' exactly where you want it to be when it comes to rest.  We are not sure about what is being yelled during the competition because as you know, they participants are not speaking 'East Texas' but using their native tongues from around the globe.  So the purpose of and the information imparted by all the yelling has thus far eluded us as we gaze intently on the televised portions of this sport.

We have discussed everything from the handle on the rock, how the rock is made, what is the purpose of the brooms, why one person tries to hit another's rock versus the person that tries to go around the rocks and everything in between.  Our discussions get quite lively sometimes in discussing these finer details, which I must say is a lot livelier than the actual competition.  Except for those folks with the brooms which are quite lively, everyone else is standing around.  We did find out there are about 900 curling clubs in the U.S. with about 16,000 folks participating in the sport in this country.  Who would have guessed that?

Why this particular activity captures our interest and holds it for such lengthy discussions is beyond each of us.  We cannot explain it, nor escape it.  Every single time a 'curling' event is on, we stop what we are doing immediately and focus all of our attention to every single action and word uttered during the televised portion of the event.  Of course, each time one of us picks up on new information, we discuss it to the 'nth' degree. You would think we are aficionados or something.  Maybe it has to do with our age.  We have noticed a lot of 'shuffleboard' courts at RV parks.  Methinks, curling is just a winter version of this popular fair weather pastime that is played primarily by folks around our ages.  Just saying......

Until next time, may all your curling be done on ice!

The week that was......

It all started the week before innocently enough.  Matt, my son-in-law had mentioned the 97 Adventurer is for sale to a co-worker that is looking to buy a motorhome before retirement.  Well while in Surfside Beach, we get a text from Matt and Rikki wanting to know if we would accept a lower price for the 97.  I respond back with 'is this a firm offer or a fishing expedition?'.  The answer: it is firm.  Now mind you, the prospective buyer has not even seen the rig or asked for any pictures.  Well we countered with a higher price that is lower than the original asking price and it was immediately accepted.

Now begins the back and forth directly with the buyer to make final arrangements to swap money for the title and the vehicle.  It is determined we should be able to make a Friday work for both parties so we set our sights on that target.  Now we have to get back home to get the rig to the shop to have a step motor replaced, buy a replacement microwave to install and clean it out completely for delivery.  We announce to our co-travelers of the recent developments and invite them to make the trip back with us.  When we left on our trip, they had sold their piano and the home fridge had quit working so there was incentive to take care of these outstanding items.

They decided to go with us and with the weather and traffic, the decision was made to leave on a Tuesday afternoon.  This is the Tuesday before the designated Friday for making the swap with our buyer.  If we do not make this deadline, the next earliest time to meet will be Tuesday following due to a bank holiday.  All of this cutting into our play time down south at the beach.  So the pressure is on to git 'r dun.  The trip back is uneventful until we get to the Lufkin area and we run into the rain/freezing rain predicted this day.  In Nacogdoches we pass a truck that has lost its load of pipe on the road, partially blocking traffic.  Just outside of Nac, we see an accident where several vehicles have left the road and are in the ditch due to the rain/freezing rain.  We see plenty of ice building on the trees and power lines.

When we finally make it home, we stop and grab a bite to eat.  This is because there are no groceries at either couple's house and eating is mandatory before calling it a night.  After we eat, the road and weather conditions have deteriorated further, making it a slower go to make it safely home.  Thanks to God's watch care, we are all safe and sound but tired as we can be with a lot more to do this week.

Wednesday starts with delivery of rig to repair shop and getting a call later that the replacement part had to be ordered and will be shipped in the next day (Thursday).  So a call to the banker, the buyer and our co-travelers to coordinate the trip to DFW on Friday ensues.  Of course this delicate balance of timing is totally dependent on getting the frig fixed, piano delivered, steps repaired, microwave replaced, rig cleaned out and banker making its final inspection before delivery.  There is nothing anybody can do to speed up, change or affect these variables except live through them and be flexible to make last minute changes.

The good news is that everything and everybody worked well together and we made it to the DFW area on Friday to complete the transaction.  A special shout-out to my father-in-law and mother-in-law for making it happen.  We delivered the rig and made our escape from the DFW traffic during rush hour to make our way back to Surfside Beach just in time for improved temperatures and sunny skies.  Now comes the kicker to this entire episode.

I have already apologized to my valentine for the hectic valentine week, lack of card and flowers and no valentine dinner missed because of trying to put all these pieces together to meet this deadline.  I thought she was okay with it and fine that we agreed on a rain check, but obviously I missed some sign that this is not the case.  For on our way back my bride asked me for some chapstick.  Unfortunately, the tube is in my pocket, I am driving and cannot retrieve it for her.  Since I have already greased up, I offer her a kiss that will allow her to share some of my chapstick.  To my surprise, she REFUSED to kiss me on Valentines day to get some chapstick.  Now to hear her tell it, I was driving and it was not safe.  This does not hold water for me because in the past I have received kisses while driving;  I therefore, know there is something else at play here.  Needless to say, I am still in shock at this recent turn of events.

Good news is the 97 Adventurer is sold and gone but the bad news is I am not feeling the love for such a sacrifice of time and effort, if you know what I mean.  I will let you all draw your own conclusion from this tale and offer suggestions on how to extricate myself from such a quandary.

So this is how the week that was....., ended.  Until next time, see you down the road.

There is no such thing as a bad day in a RV

After settling in we discover there is a RV show in Houston this week and have decided to go take a look at the new models and explore the possibilities.  Besides, our good friends are seriously considering a purchase and need all the comparison information they can obtain before finalizing such a major purchase.  Sounded like a good rationalization to me and we are off to visit the show.

So we hit the show at Reliant Park and thank goodness it is all inside because outside is a dreary, cold, misty, nasty day.  Inside is warm and inviting.  Upon entering we notice there is a main aisle with some vendors and we make our first foray down this aisle collecting many pieces of literature.  Approximately 42.4 pounds of paper was collected.  After we returned to our RV, Bibi sat down with the 'loot' and culled out 97.3% of the stuff she classified as non-essential items.  Unbelievable!

Our next stop was to review the layout of the show and plan our attack.  Since Camping World had a huge presence and we knew from past experience they carry Winnebago, we decide to begin with their units. Upon arriving in their area, we see quite a few Itasca models but no Winnebago models.  We press on looking but are momentarily distracted by a 'Palazzo' that is intriguing.  Upon entering, we encounter a Factory Rep ready to answer any question we have about the unit.  I casually ask him who the manufacturer of the unit is to which he replies Thor.  Thinking I have obtained the information desired I proceed to look over the unit and pause by the cab area to rest while the rest of our party peruses the coach further.

Unbeknownst to me, the Factory Rep has signaled a Camping World salesperson and then he snuck up behind me trying to get me to sit in the driver's chair to get a 'feel' for the cockpit.  If you have been to enough of these shows, you recognize this as a ploy to get you 'excited' about the unit.  I politely refuse explaining, I am just surveying the rig, trying to take it all in.  By this time the salesperson, a very nice older lady from Florida that works for Camping World nationwide sales, has arrived to take an interest in my activities.

Bibi and Sophie have already departed the coach, obviously they saw what was happening and made a hasty exit, leaving me and David at the mercy of the dynamic duo.  So me being the nice person I am, asked another question and promptly received a reply.  Then out came the brochure for the unit and further explanations and information followed by the question, when do you want to drive this unit out of here?

Now mind you, we have just purchased a newer Adventurer and are not in the market for another coach, but I did like this floor plan and knew David needed more comparison information so I pressed onward by making a casual statement something to the effect, 'oh, maybe on Saturday.'  Well, you would have thought I had waved a huge juicy steak in front of a starving dog, the foam started appearing on the salesperson's mouth along with her cohort, the Factory Rep and the race was on.  Now during all this time, David is hanging back listening (and not saying anything which is quite smart with this pair) and gathering information as the questions and answers are flying back and forth with some regularity and speed by now.

Back to Bibi and Sophie, they have managed to view about 15 more coaches during the process of me letting the sales person down easy.  As we are making our escape from the non-pressure sales presentation, I  cannot help but notice the pair of spouses viewing from afar (a long way off) the goings on at the Palazzo. It is at this time I let the salesperson in on the secret that I am not the buyer, but David is the real prospect. Oh my, you would have thought I had just dumped 20 gallons of cold water on her head.  She immediately quit writing down my contact information and started swiveling her head to ask where he went.  I nonchalantly said, 'Oh he is around here somewhere."  She said, well let's find him, I at least want to introduce myself to him.  Okay, I said, relieved to be out from underneath the microscope and out of the line of fire.

When we round the Palazzo, David is nowhere in sight.  At this time I take my leave of the salesperson with her card, promising to give it to David once I locate him.  I find David a few coaches down and deliver the card.  As we round the corner, whom do we bump into?  You guessed it, the salesperson.  I pointed to David and said, "here he is!" then made a quick little sidestep to avoid being run over.  Leaving David in good hands I set out to find Sophie and Bibi.

Well to make a long story, a little longer, Sophie ended up getting sucked into the sales vortex David was caught in.  After 30 minutes or so, they extricated themselves and made their way towards us standing at the edge of the Camping World area.  We moved away quickly, constantly checking over our shoulders to make sure our escape was complete and successful.

We finally made it to some Winnebago models that were at the show and carried by a competing dealer. After perusing these, avoiding all signs of any salespersons, we managed to make the rounds and had quite an enjoyable day at the show followed by a nice mid-afternoon lunch on the way back to the RV park at the beach.  Thoroughly enjoyed regaling each other with tales of the sales adventure.  Note to all sales people, it would be wise to determine early on who the real buyer is in a group.  By the time this poor person had determined I was not the buyer, all bridges had been burned by ignoring my companion, David the real buyer.  Besides, Sophie did not approve of the coach anyway, so all bets were off.

Until next time, we are still adventuring....