More Fun & Games in Columbia!

Friday - Tuesday, February 24-28, 2017

We are having another wonderful time with Stephen & Sandra.  They are on the go all the time and it's been great fun!

First of all, I'm an official Game Cock supporter.  I figure after one football game and two basketball games that I really should have some sort of official University of South Carolina logo wear...so I now have a Game Cock headband :)  I'll definitely be prepared next time we visit with them, as they are avid supporters of the Game Cocks!

While here we went to both a boys and girls basketball game.  We saw the girls cinch the SEC title and will definitely be watching the tournament, now that we have some familiarity with the players. This is the fourth year in a row that they have won their division.  For the third straight year they have also ranked #1 in attendance.  Of course, the girls games still do not bring in as many people in as the boys, but still there were a lot of folks in attendance.  I could at this point discuss the inequities of women's sports and then move on to the inequities of pay for women, etc., but I shan't do that to you 😎

I took a short video of the girls game but it didn't not transfer and I deleted it from the phone before I realized...yes, I know I could recover it and I actually looked to do that but Wilson's phone does not have a recently deleted videos file (unlike mine, but his phone is better at taking video & pictures)...and yes I could have downloaded an app to do this and I started to, but I would have needed to mess around with Wilson's settings and inevitably every time I do that it messes with his phone....best not to do that 😜.  So...apparently I'm perpetuating the inequities by sharing an inferior clip of the boy's game....The picture you do get of the girl's game isn't even of the game, it's a picture of me and my cousin which is far more dear to me anyway!

 

Sporting events are not the only things we have been doing here in Columbia...We also have taken in a bit of theater.  Jessica, Steve & Sandra's eldest daughter teaches drama at a local high school and we had the opportunity to see Beauty & The Beast, the musical she directed.  Although the musical was enjoyable it was the dinner prior to the event that was the highlight for me.  We met up with Jessica's husband and two children for dinner and all I can really say was it was delightful!  David is warm and engaging and the kids are so much fun.  Their son, Jonah, kept us in stitches over finding crayons in our hair (amazing magic!) and their daughter Raegan was just a cute as can be!

We also have been playing a lot of cards...Pinochle, Oh Hell!, and Bridge.  Sandra has been on a winning streak, but I was able squeak out a win in Oh Hell!  Am I gloating?  In case you can't see my score, I starred it....Yup, a little bit 😏
                                 

And, what about the debacle with the Oscar's?  What a crappy way to have ended the night...announcing the wrong Best Picture...how does that happen.....again?

We'll stay one more night here and then we are off to Asheville where we'll spend a night in a hotel before heading to our next house/pet sitting gig in Biltmore Villages.  I'm excited by this as I have a desire to see The Biltmore mansion...don't ask me why, but for some reason I do (not unlike my desire to see Monticello, although a presidential home probably is easier to explain vs. the mansion).

Pickney Island NWR, Beaufort, SC Redux, & Columbia, SC Redux

Thursday-Friday, February 22-23, 2017

Back to Beaufort for another visit with Cousins David & Susan (on Wilson's side).  We had time before our scheduled arrival to Beaufort so we stopped by the Pickney Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is outside of Hilton Head.  We had thought to go there at the beginning of our trip but didn't make it.

Pickney Island was named after a Charles Pickney, a Revolutionary War commander and signer of the U.S. Constitution.  Although that is interesting, we actually wanted to stop here because our friend Ellen's father, Edward Starr, along with another gentleman owned the island prior to donating it to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.  Cool, right?  Wilson and I took a couple mile walk in the refuge, our goal was to visit Starr Pond.

  

We spent a lovely afternoon/evening with David & Susan.  We played many hands of Pinocle, girls against the boys, and of course the girls came out on top:).  Thursday night is burger night at a local restaurant $7 and they come with fries...the burgers were huge, 3/4 lb. of beef...

Leave Fort McAllister SP, GA 9:44am
Rte. 144Spur►144W►17N►17N/16E►17NI16E►315N►170E/46
Gas - Walmart (Murphy) $2.03/gal
Arrive Pickney Island NWR 11:30am (leave 12:45pm)
Rte. 170E►Bluffton Pkwy►278W►170E►21N
Arrive Beaufort, SC - 2:33pm
Miles Traveled - 98.8

Friday, February 24, 2017
We left Beaufort after a lazy morning filled with great conversation to back to Columbia for a couple more days with my cousins Stephen & Sandra.  They are great fun and I very much looked forward to seeing them again.  As I said before probably the best part of this trip is reconnecting and/or connecting on a different level with people in our lives, our visits to SC is a prime example of this.

As we travel along the east coast we start seeing more New England license plates, which excites me. I noticed them more today and mentioned it to Wilson and he said he noticed that as well yesterday. It's all interesting the things that you see on the highway...check out the huge race boat that we saw...there was a second one right behind it but we got off the interstate before it passed us :)

Leave Beaufort, SC 12:22pm
Rte. 21N►68W►95N►26N►(here we changed our route due to traffic on the interstate...it took a bit longer, but it was fine - that is after I stopped talking directions to Wilson, as I was just rambling along w/o knowing what I was talking about :)....►172E►601N
Arrive Columbia, SC - 3:35pm
Miles Traveled - 161.2

On the move...The Journey Home, Part 1, 2, 3

As we head back east I plan to keep this post as a running post of where we are and how we got here.  I'll update by adding parts (1,2,3 etc.) which will be seen on the title.  I'm thinking that by doing it this way you stay updated but since we will probably doing less sightseeing there won't be much of interest to report. Of course if there is something or I feel like waxing poetic I will create a new post.

Thursday-Saturday, February 16-18, 2017

Part 1
We left Austin and ended up back in St. Charles, LA at the Isle of Capri Casino.  If you recall we "camped" here on the way out west.  This time we paid the $20/night so that we would have electricity and access to their gym and showers.  I didn't use the gym but I thought about it. I'm practically on the road to being physically fit😎 Seriously, I thought that I was going to lose weight on this trip but it's been the opposite.  I personally attribute most of it from menopause😏

Leave Austin, TX 12:00pm
Rte. 290E►610(N)E►10E
Gas - Exit 789 off 10E Loves $1.98/gal
Arrive St. Charles, LA, Isle of Capri - 5:48pm
Miles Traveled - 298.6

Saturday-Sunday, February 18-19, 2017
Part 2
Another travel day with no specific plans, just go as long as we feel like driving.  We ended up at another Walmart parking lot in Pensacola, FL.  We shopped around for a few incidentals and then searched for a place to eat...I really had a hankering for pasta but we ended up at a place called Po Folks, must be a chain as I've seen several since eating there...sort of like a Shoneys or something like that but specializing in Southern Comfort Food.  It seemed like everything was fried....and I wonder about weight gain :)  Fried chicken livers, fried chicken, hush puppies, mashed potatoes with gravy, and macaroni & cheese...ugh!!!  Huge portions, I still have half my meal in the fridge.

Look who we saw at the Mississippi Welcome Center :) - He appears smaller in person....what I really mean to say is...I've got a big head!


Leave St. Charles, LA 10:40am
Rte. 10E(LA)►12E(LA)►10E(MS)
Gas - LA exit 101 Valero, $2.05/gal
2:40pm Welcome to Mississippi, 4:28pm Welcome to Alabama, 5:29pm Welcome to Florida
Arrive Pensacola, FL Walmart on Creighton Ave. - 6:41pm
Miles Traveled - 392.1

Sunday-Monday, February 19-20, 2017
Part 3
When you travel you should be aware of holidays.  It's President's Day weekend and all of the campgrounds are booked.  We ended up driving until we didn't feel like it anymore and got a hotel room outside Tallahassee.  The nice thing about not having a plan is that you often come across things that are unexpected.  We ended up stopping at the Gulf Islands National Seacoast Visitor Center which is only open M-F, but we did take a nice walk along the very white, fine sandy shore...really quite lovely.

I also got my pasta, having stopped by Olive Garden...I ate a bunch of salad, as I feel my "road diet" doesn't include enough greens...it was yummy!  I also had a gorgonzola & steak fettuccine alfredo...again boxed up half of that...I need to find time to eat all of our leftovers.  Wilson says I obsess about food and I think he's right...At some point I'll post my "road wisdom" about eating.  I've got all sorts of advice :)

Leave Pensacola, FL 10:10am
Gas - Pensacola Walmart - $2.25/gal
Rte. 110S►98E►30A(scenic shoreline, small villages)►98E►231N - Great classic rock stations on the radio - windows down, hair blowing in the wind, singing to the oldies...oh God, classic rock is now oldies!
Arrive Tallahassee, TX - 5:53/6:53pm (we're back on eastern time) - Quality Inn, exit 209A - used a coupon from Visitor Center coupon book $59
Miles Traveled - 236.3

Monday-Wednesday, February 20-22, 2017
Part 4
The world is going back to work, freeing up campgrounds.  Right now we are getting ready to leave Tallahassee and will be heading to Fort McAllister SP outside Savannah, GA.
We've mapped out the next week or so and will camp for a couple of nights then head back into SC to revisit Wilson's cousin (maybe) and my cousins prior to camping another couple of nights then heading off to Asheville, NC and the Biltmore...yeah!!!  From there we will be heading back north to Philadelphia where we will have Alex worked on and go to Wilson's grand nephew's 2nd birthday party, then back to VT, perhaps by way of CT...we'll see......Stay tuned

Leave Tallahassee, FL 10:46am
Rte. 10E►295N►95N►17N►144E►144Spur
Gas - Exit 283(10E) - BP $2.26/gal
Welcome to GA 1:51pm
Arrive Fort McAllister SP, Savannah, GA - 3:48pm ($32/night, Senior Disc. $26/night)
Miles Traveled - 286.7

So long Austin...it's been great!

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Austin has been great, but it's time to move on.  We continue to move east...Yesterday we booked a campground in NC, Sycamore Lodge, March 1-8.  This is one of the free weeks that we received for listening to the spiel in Gettysburg.  Today we found a pet/house sitting position in Asheville, NC for the dates of Sycamore Lodge....I'm sure the campground is nice, but I would choose pet/house sitting over that...the cats we have taken care of thus far have been fun and full of personality and based on the description of the cats in Asheville they promise to be the same.

We'll camp at various spots along the way and will keep you updated as to where once we get there, we are thinking we will go back to St. Charles today....not long now before we're back in VT...as long as the snow is gone and the weather warms up.

A big shout out to:

Happy Anniversary Georgeanne & Don!
Happy Birthday Uncle Tom & Cousin David!

Remember the Alamo!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Happy Valentine's Day!

Again, it was supposed to rain in Austin, but San Antonio was scheduled to be dry....so off to San Anotonio we go.

I have been told by many people that the Alamo was a bit disapointing because it was an old fort surrounded by and engulfed by the city of San Antonio.  This was not my experience...yes, the city surrounds it, but the fort was well preserved and did not feel as if it was lost within the city.

I always wanted to go to the Alamo.  I've read about it and seen movies about it and it is just is one of those places that I wanted to see.  The displays were well done and the site was interesting and I would not have missed it for the world.  Was it how I pictured it, not really, but still a site to see.

After the Alamo we walked along the River Walk.  This is a nice spot to stroll along the waterway filled with shops and restaurants.  It was a very developed walk along the river, much different than others that we have walked.  We had lunch and then decided to leave San Antonio.  Although San Antonio is nice, it just didn't have the energy that I felt in Austin and didn't really feel like exploring more than we did...at least at this point in time.

One thing to note - Wilson is big on directions and environmental landmarks such as mountains and rivers. He was continually confused by people talking about the Colorado River at different areas because it didn't make sense....The reference of the Colorado River was something that kept coming up that was confusing...but thankfully, we found out that there are two Colorado Rivers (One that separates California and Arizona and one that flows through Texas).....phew, what a relief!  Can you tell, I could care less about directional things, in fact, I have a mind block about it, which I think perplexs Wilson...oh well, it sort of goes along with my issues of time :)

Check out the Crocket Hotel in the background and of course my selfie with Fess Parker, the Davy Crocket of my childhood....King of the wild frontier with his coonskin hat..


        

Another Day in Austin

Monday, February 13, 2014

It's supposed to rain on Monday and Tuesday, but no worries, there are a million things to do inside. Check out this website if you're here and looking for things to do http://www.austintexas.org/.  So many things to do it was difficult to decide....There were several Escape Room activities that caught my eye....you know, you're stuck in a room and a crime or something has occurred and you have to figure out how to get out...this would have been cool if we were with a group but not something we really wanted to do with people we didn't know.  I think it's hard enough to deal with known personalities we didn't really want to deal with those that were unknown and more than likely we would have been paired with others....

So.....what did we do?  Well, we decided to go skydiving...yup, skydiving....well, not literally, we didn't go up in a plane and jump, we went to an indoor simulation.  I've known people who have done this and it sounded like a lot of fun.  Who doesn't want to fly?  It was certainly more than we would normally budget for an activity (I'm sure you figured out by now that we like free 😊) but it was almost Valentine's Day and we decided to splurge.  It was well worth the money and if you've never done it, you should definitely put it on your list.

Wilson was much better at it than I was...body position is so important as to how the wind interacts with your body...apparently I kept my back arched too much, which made me sink....but with the help of our spotter I did get some air:) - Sorry, for those of you who wanted to see Wilson, his video is too big to add to the blog :(

You can't visit Austin without experiencing a bit of the music scene.  Greg Izor, a beautiful harmonic player from Waterbury, lives here was scheduled to play at Antone's.  I was excited to see him, unfortunately his schedule changed so we didn't get to see him....No matter, we still went to Antone's and had a great time...Wilson and I even danced....

Sunday was nice, but I was feeling like I was missing out on the energy of the city.  I don't usually have a problem just walking about, but I wanted to "feel" the city.  Today was a perfect day, we went outside our comfort zones and I didn't feel like I was "middle-aged", which is an issue with me (I'll talk more on that at a later date, but it has been something that keeps popping up on this trip).

Austin Photos

1.  Beautiful architecture in the city
2.  Haberdasheris still exist, who knew?
3.  Texas Capitol in the daylight
4.  African American Sculpture - Incredible piece of artwork!  The art piece has a history of African Americans in TX which was very, very interesting
5-7.  Food Trucks by the riverwalk - You've got to love the tag line, It's Not Fried, It's Deep Sauteed 



  

    

   

Welcome to Austin, TX

Saturday - Thursday, February 11-16, 2017

We finally made it to Austin, yeah!  Ever since we drove through the area I wanted to spend some time in Austin.  I really did feel a pull and energy to this city, even while just driving by.  We were fortunate to find a house/pet sitting gig that worked with our schedule.  We're staying in a lovely bungalow in North Austin with Tex the Cat...he is so charming, we are really enjoying him.

Austin was just rated #1 best place to live by U.S. News just prior to our arrival, coincidence?, I think not.....it's a wonderful city filled with a million and one things to do.

Sunday we drove into the city and walked around, exploring the area.  We walked along the main streets up to the Capitol building then down by the river.  Like other cities there are distinctive areas within the city itself.  We walked through areas that were historically, musically (it is the music capitol of America), recreational, and of course food oriented.

Zilker Park is a 351 acre park downtown with all sorts of recreational areas.  The weather was beautiful and there were many folks on the river enjoying kayaking, Paddle Boarding, and other floating devices that I've never seen before.  Near the river area there was a spot that had a bunch of food trucks...food trucks are the in thing these days and I can understand why.  They offer a great variety of foods and are just plain fun.

We also walked through Umlauf Sculpture Garden.  It was family day so admission was free.  The park has regular free family days where they have a variety of children's activities.  It was nice to see so many families visiting.

Austin is a very reasonable city as far as tourist activities.  I said more than once how reasonable it was in terms of pricing for museums and other activities.  We were going to go to the Mexic-Arte Museum, which was also free on Sunday, but didn't quite make it.  I found these things listed online, 11 Best Things to Do in Austin TX

Leave Bastrop SP, TX 8:58am
Rte. 95N►290W
Arrive Austin, TX - 10:35am (stopped for breakfast)
Miles Traveled - 42.7

On the Road to Austin

Wednesday-Thursday, February 8-9, 2017

Wilson and I need to be in Austin, TX the morning of 2/11.  Texas is a big state so we decide to drive a couple of days and then camp about an hour outside of Austin.  Our first day of driving finds us in San Angelo, TX where we Walmart "camp" overnight.  It's great to have the Walmart option as we have found it to be a perfect option for days that we designate as driving days, where all we really need is a place to sleep.  Of course we always buy something while at Walmart because let's face it, it's the right thing to do.

Interestingly enough there is a small rodeo happening in San Angelo...why is this important to note you may ask?  Well, I actually have a strong desire to go to a rodeo.  I'm intrigued with the bull riders and all of the other events.  I don't think that we'll make a rodeo on this trip, but we sure will find a way to make one on our northern route.  I've already researched a little and there are several events in Quebec.  Perhaps when we are back in VT, if the timing works, we'll go up to Canada to see one.  We have a pet/house sitting gig in Canada in August so perhaps we'll go to one along the way there...more on that later.

While here we went to McCalister's Deli, a sandwich/salad chain.  It was a short walk from Walmart and it was the third time we had seen one and talked about it in two days - it was destiny.  Not only was it destiny, but we had a great sandwich and salad at a reasonable price.  I would recommend folks try it out.

Leave Brantley Lake SP, NM 9:55am
Rte. County Rd. 30►285S►Carlsbad Relief Route (bypass rd.)►62/180E►87
11:35am Goodbye NM, Hello TX (again) - One hour time change
Gas - Big Spring, TX Alon - $2.02/gal
Arrive San Angelo, TX - 3:55pm/4:55pm
Miles Traveled - 288

Thursday-Saturday, February 9-11, 2017

While in San Angelo we searched for our next stop.  We knew we wanted to be close to Austin and we knew we wanted to try and stay in a state park, as we had yet to do that in Texas yet.  We attempted to reserve a spot a park on the west side of Austin but were unable to, so we ended up with a park on the east side of the city, Bastrop State Park in Bastrop, TX.  We are happy that we ended up here for the following reasons:

• The people - campers, camp volunteers, and park staff have been incredibly nice
• The bathrooms are incredible - newly renovated, heated, hot showers, and especially clean ... I know I'm obsessing about bathrooms again, but these things are important :)
• The short hikes around the property were pleasantly more than we expected...very well maintained, natural paths
• The area and especially the park shows great perseverance having survived two floods and a wildfire within the last six years - Many of the trees in the park were burned down, the area is a bit desolate around the camp 
• The town of Bastrop markets itself as the most historic small town in Texas.  The town is charming and appears to be very vibrant.  We visited the Visitor Center, Library, walked the main business area as well as the River Walk.  We also had a very nice, filling lunch at The Grace Miller (Gracie's) Restaurant - Chicken Fried Steak w/cream gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, Texas toast, vegetable (spicy pinto beans w/bacon for each of us), and a piece of lemon cake (Wilson had grilled pork chops instead of the chicken) - all this food for only $7.50 for each lunch.  This was the special and it was well worth it!
• Bastrop has a lovely River Walk - along the walk we saw a couple of interesting birds, some sort of bird of prey, several types of ducks and the elusive Turkey Duck, or as the locals call them, Turucks (check out the photo below 😉)

      

    

Leave San Angelo Walmart, TX 8:25am
Rte. 89S►71E►95N►21E
Gas - Llano, TX Alon - $2.13/gal
Arrive Bastrop, TX - 1:00pm
Miles Traveled - 238

Carlbads Cavern National Park

Monday - Wednesday, February 6-8, 2017

Where to go next?  We need to be in Austin by 2/11 so we decide to head south to the Carlsbad, NM area, as we have the options to visit a couple of different National Parks.  Now, anyone who knows me that I don't particular like enclosed places or bats but I also don't like to be controlled by my fears so I suggest heading to Carlsbad Caverns as part of our next stop.  We find Brantley Lake State Park and set up camp there for a couple of nights.  Cost for camping with water and electricity is $14/night.  As far as state parks go, I would rate this as ok.  Facilities are a bit dated, but for $14/night, dated is fine with us.

    

Back to Carlsbad Caverns....it was amazing!  Of course this time of year there were no bats, as they winter in Mexico, but that was just fine with me.  Wilson and I hiked down from the Natural Entrance into what they call the Big Room.  The hike down into the cavern is the equivalent of going down an 80 story building and is approximately 1.2 miles, it took us about 50 minutes to get into the Big Room.  Before we started we were told that the elevator that generally brings people up is not operating, so if we hike down we must hike back up.  The thought of hiking back up was not an issue for me until we finished walking around the Big Room and I was getting tired....have no fear we hiked back up and did it in about the same time it took us to get down (actually five minutes shorter).  This was quite the accomplishment for us...as the hike was steep and basically consisted of all switchbacks (now I didn't know what a switchback was until we were hiking in Organ Pipe - of course I also didn't know the reference to the VT beer either).

I tried taking pictures but it's so dark in the cavern so not many of them came out.  I'll share what I have, but have decided to share links to websites as well so people can learn more about the places we visit and also get professional photos. 

    

Carlsbad Cavern NP Website
Carlsbad Cavern NP Photo Gallery

We were told to whisper as the sound from regular talking travels 1/4 of a mile.  In my effort to show that I went into the cave and share a little of it with you we created a short video.  Lighting was an issue so I came up with the idea to do it Blair Witch Project style...of course I whispered the information so you can't really hear me, but I still think it's funny. The area that I am describing is called the Painted Grotto which consists of soda straws and stalactites which are two forms of speleothems.  Speleothems are defined as secondary mineral deposits formed by the slow dripping of mineral rich water.

One of the things that I was most impressed with, actually more surprised by was that there were clean, flushing toilets in the cave...sounds kind of stupid but I didn't really expect them and let me tell you, it was a welcome relief (in more ways than one) to have them down there!  We were also pleasantly surprised that there were not that many people touring the cave.  We figured it was in part because it was the off season and we were sure that because the elevator was out it kept some people from going down into the cave.

Leave Socorro, NM 10:44am
Rte. 25S►380E►70E►285S►Country Rd. 30
Gas - 7-11/Alon in Socorro, NM $2.14/gal
Arrive Brantley Lake SP - 3:06pm
Miles Traveled - 237

Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge....and of course the Super Bowl

Saturday - Monday, February 4-6, 2017


Our next stop really was precipitated in part because I wanted to go there but also because we wanted a place to stay where we could watch the Super Bowl...Man, what a game that was!


I mentioned previously Bosque Del Apache as a place that a 70 year old gentleman and his 90 something old father mentioned when we met them in Big Bend.  It sounded very interesting, especially to a birdwatcher like myself :)  We got a hotel in Socorro, NM, as there really isn't much in San Antonio where the refuge is...sorry, strike that, Conrad Hilton's family home (ruins) are there...we didn't see them though :)  


We spent Saturday afternoon at the refuge, driving the 12 mile loop while stopping off to see various birds and taking a couple of short hikes.  Three Tundra Swans had just arrived at the refuge, which from what I understand is very noteworthy to birders.  We saw many more ducks, blue herons, and other birds we have no clue what they were.  The highlight was seeing a couple of javelinas walk me, about 20 ft. away and the evening fly-out of the snow geese at dusk.  It was spectacular!

Like the Sandhill Crane the Snow Geese leave their feeding area each night to head to water areas. We waited and waited as we were told that it would happen at sunset.  Just when we gave it 15 more minutes they took off...the video doesn't really give it it justice because I missed the lift off and the lighting was not all that great....despite all that, it's still really cool.  Wilson marked it as a highlight of our trip!

 As I was heading out to watch the geese I was rewarded with a couple of javelinas crossing the path just 20 feet behind me...one of them actually stopped in the road and gave me a look as if he was saying, "what are you looking at?"

 

While at the hotel there were many other folks who were there to watch the birds and other wildlife.  Wilson and I enjoyed meeting, listening, and talking to people who know way more than we do about bird watching.  Bird watching people are very nice....Hey there Alisha!

Also one more important thing to note - We finally made it to a Sonic!!!  Yes, I'm talking about the drive-up fast food joint.  I know that I haven't talked about it before but Wilson and I have been determined to go to a Sonic, not only because we've seen advertisements and the restaurants all over, but because we enjoy trying various local fast food places, for the most part because of the experience.  Almost always, once is enough....but I must say that I would go back to Sonic for another coconut milkshake :)  The next fast food place is on our list, but as so often happens, neither of us can remember what the name of it is.....I'll definitely let you know when we get there...lol

Leave Elephant Butte SP 10am
Rte. Rock Canyon Rd►25N►Exit 150 Socorro, NM
Arrive Comfort Inn - Socorro - 12:20pm
Miles Traveled -80

So Long Tucson - Whitewater Draw and Elephant Butt State Park

Saturday, January 28 - Thursday, February 2, 2017


After returning from Mexico we spent several days back in Tucson with Amy and the boys.  We wanted to get back by Sunday so that we could watch Justin play an indoor, in-line hockey game.  Think ice hockey with wheels and no ice :)  We actually stayed an extra day because Mason wasn't feeling well and we wanted to help out a bit.


We left Tucson on 2/2 - Groundhog Day.  At some point in time I will spend Groundhog day in Punxsutawney, PA and watch Phil to see if he sees his shadow or not.  I will spend the rest of my time in that village watching Groundhog Day with Bill Murray and Andie McDowell.  It's not that it's a favorite movie of mine, I just think it would be a cheesy thing to do and I like doing cheesy things :)


Thursday - Friday, February 2-3, 2017
......but I digress.....We leave Tucson and head to a place called Whitewater Draw State Wildlife Refuge. which is a wintering spot for Sandhill Cranes.  Wilson and I are becoming quite the birdwatchers...Actually, we don't always know what we're looking at, but there is a sense of serenity while watching birds...plus the areas where we go are not developed which makes it even nicer. 


At Whitewater Draw we are able to set up the camper and stay overnight, which is great since the best times to see the birds fly to the wetlands is sunrise and sunset.  When we arrived most of the cranes had already flown in, even though sunset was still a while away.  it was still nice to watch them as well as the many varieties of ducks and other birds.  We woke up the next day in order to get on the path for sunrise.  Sunrise was beautiful, but it was freaking cold, 25°.  I stayed out as long as I could, but never really saw the mass exodus.

 

Leave Tucson 10:39am
Rte. I10E►80E►Davis Rd ►Follow signs - Whitewater Draw is on Coffman Rd
Arrive Whitewater Draw - 1:59pm
Miles Traveled - 109.8


Friday - Saturday, February 3-4. 2017
After an overnight at Whitewater Draw we head to Elephant Butt State Park ($8 w/o electric & water or $14/night with - we spent the $14).  This is just a spot to overnight as we head to Socorro, NM.  Elephant Butte did have some interesting sites, including a dam and a big rock that looks like an elephant if you look closely (hence the name).  The rock is actually a Butte, which is defined as an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top.


Elephant Butte, NM is next door to Truth or Consequences, NM. Hot Springs was the original name for this spa community, but they changed their name to Truth or Consequences after it was announced that the game show would air their 10th anniversary show in the first town to change their name.  The show would return year after year to broadcast from that town.  T or C is not a booming town.  In fact it's just one of many towns that we have been through that are clearly depressed.  We tried to walk around town, but after visiting the Visitor Center it was clear there wasn't much to see.  We then decided to do the next best thing...stop by a local watering hole to people watch.  Of course there isn't a regular bar there, it was suggested we go to the bowling alley....we went to the grocery store instead :)  There is a brewery coming soon which I think will be good for the downtown.  To be fair although the feeling was a bit depressed there was a sense of life, a spark that I think at some point in the next decade may really take off.

   


Leave Whitewater Draw 7:38am
Rte. Coffman ►Bigby►191(what we thought was 191 but wasn't, but it's ok we ended up in the same spot)►80E►I10E
Arrive Elephant Butte SP - 2:10pm
Miles Traveled - 278.1


Crossed the Continental Divide at 11:29am between mile marker 51 & 52 on the 10 - elevation 4585'.
The Continental Divide is the spot separates the watersheds of the Pacific from those of the Atlantic.  Basically water drops on the west side of this line eventually flow to the Pacific while those that drop on the east side flow to the Atlantic.

Lunch with Ben & Barbara

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

While back in Tucson Wilson and I had a lovely lunch with Ben & Barbara FitzGerald.  Ben is the brother of one of our friends in Vermont.  We met Ben last year and we were very happy to reconnect with him while here in Tucson.  They live about 45 minutes away from Wilson's niece, on the outskirts of Saguaro National Park.

Once again I fogot to get a picture of everyone, so I just have to go with a selfie of Ben and myself.  I need longer arms if I'm going to continue with this selfie thing 😎😎

  

Pab's Blue Ribbon Beer

Everyone loves Pab's beer...it's the best in San Carlos!  We enjoyed meeting folks who stopped by for a "pop".  Pab also hosted a Fish Taco party while we were there.  There is nothing better than fresh caught fish!

Check out the pictures & videos of Pab making beer.  Pab was very accommodating in the videos - recreating in some instances😎

                

 

Cheers!

More Fun in San Carlos

Pictures:
1. Pickle Ball
2-4. Nacapule Canyon Hike

• Canyon View
• Wilson examining a Nacapule Tree
• Me climbing a Rope Ladder

Videos:

1. Existing as a head in a box vs. being dead - The conversation continues- Wilson prefers death, while Pab would rather be a head in a box, maintaining the ability to think and cogetate - Luckily I was able to capture a short conversation on tape....trust me, this conversation was had at least a half dozen times...all good fun!

2. Thursday Night Jazz at Bonafacio's - Check out Pab on the drums, Brad on vocals and the flute, and Omar on the guitar---he is also playing base with his feet 

   

Reconnecting with old friends in San Carlos Mexico

January 16 - 28, 2017

Hola Amigos!  Headed South of the border to reconnect with our friend Pab, who Wilson and I worked with nearly 30 years ago.  I can't even tell you how long it's been since we saw him.  He lives in San Carlos, spending his retirement fishing, making beer, and playing drums in a jazz trio.  He's been there for five years and has made a lot of great friends which we were so fortunate to meet.

Our first night there we went to a local restaurant where a friend of his played the piano as an accompaniment to a silent movie.   The following day we went out on his Ponga boat, which is a traditional Mexican fishing boat.  San Carlos was described to Wilson by someone as a sweet drinking village where people fish once in a while.  I must admit that our stay there was a bit detrimental to the health of my liver 😄 - (have you noticed that I recently found the emoticons on the blogger site 😎😍😌😋?)


We had a great time reconnecting with Pab, meeting new people, and living a carefree life.  I'm sure that many of you are thinking "give me a break, what cares do you have?"  Trust me, our little taste of San Carlos takes carefree to another level.  A lot of U.S. & Canadians reside in San Carlos.

The weather here was in the high 60s & low to mid 70s and everyone was upset at how cold it was.

We had a very full two weeks and I can't even really relay all that we did.  The important piece is that we had a great time reconnecting with Pab, creating new memories, and reminiscing about earlier times.

I have other reflections that I will share a bit later....Teaser - Variety of retirement lifestyles - Oh yeah, we've experienced many different types and I spent a great deal of time reflecting on them during my stay there....of course it could have been persipitated by my continued altered state 😁😁

Leave Tucson 8:13am
Rte. I19S►15
Gas - Nogales U.S.A - Circle K $2.19/gal
9:55am Bienvenidos a Mexico
Arrive San Carlos - 3:38pm
Miles Traveled - 320

Gas prices were just raised in Mexico, creating demonstrations.
Exchange Rate - approximately 21pesos = 1 dollar
Food & Beverage are extremely cheap which is very dangerous for us.

People are making fun of the Trump Wall...Tecate beer has a commercial which is getting a lot of play there...check it out - Tecate Beer Commercial

Pictures:
1. Pab & his Ponga
2. The Marina
3. Brown Pelicans - These guys dive into the water to catch their food, and I could spend all day watching them.
4. Reflections
5. Haystack (Pab calls it Gum Drop) - filled with bird poop and cactus
6. Tetakawi aka Goat's Tits
7. Wilson Reflects on the Ponga
8. Pab & Me - Rockin' the Ponga


Check out San Carlos' website -  What's Up San Carlos?