If you're watching the Where is Janee Now? link over to the right -->, you see that we're in Willcox, AZ tonight. Yes, that IS close to Tucson. And we do that on purpose. Arrival day is always a panic, with so many things to do. I hate arriving late in the day, so .. I don't! Today we drove just 2.5 hours, from Deming, NM. And ydy we drove from Las Cruces!
In Las Cruces, we stayed at the Hacienda del Sol RV Park, and it was nice. They give you a free breakfast which is comparable to Holiday Inn Express, except that you can have a custom-made Belgian waffle!
We went to the Farm Heritage Museum in Las Cruces and it was a fun time. We got to watch a cow being milked, saw many longhorns up close and personal, and toured some antique farm machines. The museum also included a gallery of photos and story about the Mexican Banceros from the first part of the 20th century. These were Mexican workers who came to the USA, through an agreement with the US and Mexican government, to work. Interesting and some really good photos.
There was also an exhibit of photos of old schools from New Mexico, many of which closed in the 1950's, and most of which are in a state of shameful ruin now.
We had a great lunch in Las Cruces, too, at Furr's Buffet. And I've decided that Sunday is going to be buffet day. No buffets on other days. The weight loss is going well, actually, though it seems really slow. I'm at 137.0 today, and that's nearly 10 lbs that I've lost since August 18. I guess that it's better to have lost 10 lbs in 3 months than it would be to gain something. :) Ok... I feel better now!
Jack is cooking dinner now, as I blog. We're having beef tenderloin and potatoes on the grill, artichokes, and Italian bread.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday
We awoke this morning in Fort Davis, Texas. We'd already scoped out churches and found this one in Fort Davis. Seriously, click that link and look at these pictures. I took some, but I'm sure that they won't be this good! We had even read Pastor Matt's blog! (Check it out here. I have already discussed with him the idea of his updating more frequently. ;))
So we readied ourselves and headed down there. When we arrived, just 10 minutes before the start of adult Sunday school, there was no one in the parking lot. Soooo.. we parked Ruby and got out to look around.
Just then, a gentleman showed up carrying a Bible, and we assumed at first that he must be the pastor. (We were wrong. He was most genial and welcoming, but was not the pastor.) He gave us a short tour, and we enjoyed looking around in the 1906 church building.
Sunday School was in the basement, and, in this tiny community of about 1200, there were about 10 of us there, led by Pastor Matt Miles. We talked mostly about traditions for the Christian year, and I got to report on my daily blogging for Lent this year.
We discussed the notion of Lent and what its purpose is. The idea of recognizing our wretchedness (for lack of a better word) and the exercising of some discipline for the period of time seems appropriate. It reminds me of the Jewish holidays and the sacrificing as they remember what their forebears endured before them.
Church was good, too. Matt's family (2 six year-old twins and a two year-old) were there with his wife, and the kids' antics made us all smile.
Anyway... good church! We felt very welcome and everyone seemed interested in hearing our story. I hope that we pass through Fort Davis on a Sunday again!
On up the road we went. We decided to go through Marfa, hoping to visit some art galleries, something (besides the lights) for which Marfa is famous. But, upon arriving, we remembered... Sunday! We contented ourselves with a Marfa Subway sandwich and headed on up the road.
Van Horne... and then I-10 to El Paso. We ended up driving about 5 hours today, trading drivers at intervals. Tonight we're at Anthony, a western suburb of El Paso. The campground is fine, though we had to use blocks to get level. It's pretty cool here, too. Right now, under clear skies, it's just 46°.
So we readied ourselves and headed down there. When we arrived, just 10 minutes before the start of adult Sunday school, there was no one in the parking lot. Soooo.. we parked Ruby and got out to look around.
Just then, a gentleman showed up carrying a Bible, and we assumed at first that he must be the pastor. (We were wrong. He was most genial and welcoming, but was not the pastor.) He gave us a short tour, and we enjoyed looking around in the 1906 church building.
Sunday School was in the basement, and, in this tiny community of about 1200, there were about 10 of us there, led by Pastor Matt Miles. We talked mostly about traditions for the Christian year, and I got to report on my daily blogging for Lent this year.
We discussed the notion of Lent and what its purpose is. The idea of recognizing our wretchedness (for lack of a better word) and the exercising of some discipline for the period of time seems appropriate. It reminds me of the Jewish holidays and the sacrificing as they remember what their forebears endured before them.
Church was good, too. Matt's family (2 six year-old twins and a two year-old) were there with his wife, and the kids' antics made us all smile.
Anyway... good church! We felt very welcome and everyone seemed interested in hearing our story. I hope that we pass through Fort Davis on a Sunday again!
On up the road we went. We decided to go through Marfa, hoping to visit some art galleries, something (besides the lights) for which Marfa is famous. But, upon arriving, we remembered... Sunday! We contented ourselves with a Marfa Subway sandwich and headed on up the road.
Van Horne... and then I-10 to El Paso. We ended up driving about 5 hours today, trading drivers at intervals. Tonight we're at Anthony, a western suburb of El Paso. The campground is fine, though we had to use blocks to get level. It's pretty cool here, too. Right now, under clear skies, it's just 46°.
The Marfa Lights
I finally got to see the Marfa Lights! After having driven past the viewing site several times, and always during the day, this evening, Jack and I made the effort and saw the lights!
We drove this afternoon to Alpine, Texas, and secured a campsite at Lost Alaskan RV Park. Then we did our walk, going into town with the idea of eating an early dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse (not the chain). But, when we arrived at 3:30, they were closed! Open at 5pm.
So back to the RV we walked, and then, at 5, we drove it to the Longhorn. The dinner was great. I got a filet and Jack got a sirloin, and we each had soup and salad bar.
After our dinner, we headed west on Hwy 90 the 16 miles to the Marfa Lights Viewing Station. It is quite an elaborate structure, built just for those of us who are there to look at this mysterious phenomenon. There are even restrooms!
So we joined the group of probably 8 other people, staring interestedly into the southwestern horizon. We saw lights right away, but wondered if they were *the* lights. These looked a lot like car headlights off in the distance, but they were sort of shimmery, coming and going, changing colors, and moving up and down.
But this is how they were described, and so we figured that this is it. Supposedly, the lights predated cars, since a cowboy in 1883 was said to have seen them, but that was not a sighting that he documented in his own memoirs. Rather, his heirs reported that he had seen them.
According to this site (http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4038), the mystery has been solved, and he gives a plausible explanation for the lights. I am more a science person than a mystic person, so the explanation is one that I appreciated.
Do I believe that the Marfa Lights are a mystery worthy of a "viewing site" and Roswell-style attention? Naah... But anyway... it was a fun evening!
We drove this afternoon to Alpine, Texas, and secured a campsite at Lost Alaskan RV Park. Then we did our walk, going into town with the idea of eating an early dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse (not the chain). But, when we arrived at 3:30, they were closed! Open at 5pm.
So back to the RV we walked, and then, at 5, we drove it to the Longhorn. The dinner was great. I got a filet and Jack got a sirloin, and we each had soup and salad bar.
After our dinner, we headed west on Hwy 90 the 16 miles to the Marfa Lights Viewing Station. It is quite an elaborate structure, built just for those of us who are there to look at this mysterious phenomenon. There are even restrooms!
So we joined the group of probably 8 other people, staring interestedly into the southwestern horizon. We saw lights right away, but wondered if they were *the* lights. These looked a lot like car headlights off in the distance, but they were sort of shimmery, coming and going, changing colors, and moving up and down.
But this is how they were described, and so we figured that this is it. Supposedly, the lights predated cars, since a cowboy in 1883 was said to have seen them, but that was not a sighting that he documented in his own memoirs. Rather, his heirs reported that he had seen them.
According to this site (http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4038), the mystery has been solved, and he gives a plausible explanation for the lights. I am more a science person than a mystic person, so the explanation is one that I appreciated.
Do I believe that the Marfa Lights are a mystery worthy of a "viewing site" and Roswell-style attention? Naah... But anyway... it was a fun evening!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Heading Westward
Today we put the Navion into Drive and headed west again. We made it ALLLL the way (LOL) to Del Rio, Texas. That's about 140 miles. The drive was easy and pretty, as we got to see the trees gradually getting shorter, and the prickly pear cactus taking over the undergrowth.
Del Rio is right on the border between Texas and Mexico. Its main geographic feature is Lake Amistad, a lake created by a dam on the Rio Grande River. We are camped at Holiday Trave-L-Park, which .. isn't really like a "real" Holiday Trav-L-Park. This one has potted roads and unlevel sites with grass growing through the gravel. We were able to get level, only after being moved to a second site, and driving up onto all the levelers we have.
Del Rio is right on the border between Texas and Mexico. Its main geographic feature is Lake Amistad, a lake created by a dam on the Rio Grande River. We are camped at Holiday Trave-L-Park, which .. isn't really like a "real" Holiday Trav-L-Park. This one has potted roads and unlevel sites with grass growing through the gravel. We were able to get level, only after being moved to a second site, and driving up onto all the levelers we have.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Another day in San Antonio
What a fun day this was! We took the bus into town and got a transfer. This was so that we could hop the trolley down to the King William District. This is an area rife with beautiful historic homes. We toured the Steves home, saw many lovely things, and learned a lot about the history of the district.
From there, we walked all around the district, enjoying the other houses from the outside. The tour ended up down by the river, and we loved walking along there.
We caught the trolley back up to the city, getting off at the Hemisfair park. This is where the Tower of the Americas sits. This 750-some-foot-tall tower is one of the structures remaining from the international exposition that was helf here in 1968. We rose gently to the top in the glass-sided elevator.
Up there, we enjoyed a lovely lupper (lunch-supper). We ordered the scallops with ginger and bok choy rice and clam chowder. Afterwards, we shared the chocolate lava cake. This was a great meal, which we savored as our table rotated around the circumference of the restaurant, affording us wonderful views of the entire San Antonio metro area.
We picked up a pin in the gift shop before we left (We are collecting little pins from everywhere we go.) and then sauntered back to the Alamo area via the River Walk.
Happy Hour time, and we did a margarita, a beer, and a plate of fried mushrooms. By then, it was starting to get dark, and we strolled along the River Walk a little more, before making our way back to the bus stop.
City buses rock! Nothing beats public transportation for big cities. And... speaking of big, would you guess that San Antonio, TX is the 7th largest city in the US? We didn't believe it at all, till we looked it up. San Antonio is bigger than Denver, Detroit, Washington, DC, San Francisco, San Diego... I am really surprised. This town seems small, probably because of its walkability and the little neighborhoods. We both agree that San Antonio is a fun place to be, if you're a tourist!
From there, we walked all around the district, enjoying the other houses from the outside. The tour ended up down by the river, and we loved walking along there.
We caught the trolley back up to the city, getting off at the Hemisfair park. This is where the Tower of the Americas sits. This 750-some-foot-tall tower is one of the structures remaining from the international exposition that was helf here in 1968. We rose gently to the top in the glass-sided elevator.
Up there, we enjoyed a lovely lupper (lunch-supper). We ordered the scallops with ginger and bok choy rice and clam chowder. Afterwards, we shared the chocolate lava cake. This was a great meal, which we savored as our table rotated around the circumference of the restaurant, affording us wonderful views of the entire San Antonio metro area.
We picked up a pin in the gift shop before we left (We are collecting little pins from everywhere we go.) and then sauntered back to the Alamo area via the River Walk.
Happy Hour time, and we did a margarita, a beer, and a plate of fried mushrooms. By then, it was starting to get dark, and we strolled along the River Walk a little more, before making our way back to the bus stop.
City buses rock! Nothing beats public transportation for big cities. And... speaking of big, would you guess that San Antonio, TX is the 7th largest city in the US? We didn't believe it at all, till we looked it up. San Antonio is bigger than Denver, Detroit, Washington, DC, San Francisco, San Diego... I am really surprised. This town seems small, probably because of its walkability and the little neighborhoods. We both agree that San Antonio is a fun place to be, if you're a tourist!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
San Antonio
Today we awoke to a bright blue sky and that delicious feeling of having NO plans. We readied ourselves, had cereal and a pear, secured another night at the San Antonio KOA, and then went across the street to wait for the city bus.
Right on time, the bus arrived, and, before we knew it, we were at the Alamo! Jack loves historical places, and so do I, so we relished the Alamo and its museums. I loved the model of the compound as it looked back in 1836, with the thousands of Santa Anna's troops surrounding and marauding the 200 Texas soldiers holed up in the former church.
I think that the title of "hero" is tossed around too much, and too many of us are credited with "bravery." But these people who proclaimed "victory or death" and sent out letters begging for more help with the defense of the compound... heroes. No question in my mind. Brave? You betcha. This is a moving place to be -- a shrine to some great Americans.
Next we went to the River Walk. There are dozens of riverside cafes, offering all kinds of refreshment for the city's locals and for us tourists. We shared a meal of 2 beef tenderloins, a baked potato, and baked beans.
Sharing a meal is a great way to save money. This lovely meal cost us less than $25, including tip. The other thing we accomplish when we can agree on a meal to split is that we don't eat too much!
After our delicious lunch, we walked over to the River Center Mall and found a hair cutter, who sold Jack and me each a haircut. Mine's shorter than it's been in a very long time, but... it's cute!
Next, we walked the 10 blocks or so down to the Market Square. This is a huge shopping mall of Mexican goods of all descriptions. We escaped without buying anything, but it was cool to look at all the brightly colored and shiny objects.
Back to the River Walk, we were ready for a break. A guy hawking his cafe's Happy Hour lured us in, where we each enjoyed a margarita and shared a plate of onion rings -- all for $6, including tax!
I'll have time to go through my photos soon. I'm just now downloading a bunch, including ones from Huntsville Rocket Center and Disney World!
Right on time, the bus arrived, and, before we knew it, we were at the Alamo! Jack loves historical places, and so do I, so we relished the Alamo and its museums. I loved the model of the compound as it looked back in 1836, with the thousands of Santa Anna's troops surrounding and marauding the 200 Texas soldiers holed up in the former church.
I think that the title of "hero" is tossed around too much, and too many of us are credited with "bravery." But these people who proclaimed "victory or death" and sent out letters begging for more help with the defense of the compound... heroes. No question in my mind. Brave? You betcha. This is a moving place to be -- a shrine to some great Americans.
Next we went to the River Walk. There are dozens of riverside cafes, offering all kinds of refreshment for the city's locals and for us tourists. We shared a meal of 2 beef tenderloins, a baked potato, and baked beans.
Sharing a meal is a great way to save money. This lovely meal cost us less than $25, including tip. The other thing we accomplish when we can agree on a meal to split is that we don't eat too much!
After our delicious lunch, we walked over to the River Center Mall and found a hair cutter, who sold Jack and me each a haircut. Mine's shorter than it's been in a very long time, but... it's cute!
Next, we walked the 10 blocks or so down to the Market Square. This is a huge shopping mall of Mexican goods of all descriptions. We escaped without buying anything, but it was cool to look at all the brightly colored and shiny objects.
Back to the River Walk, we were ready for a break. A guy hawking his cafe's Happy Hour lured us in, where we each enjoyed a margarita and shared a plate of onion rings -- all for $6, including tax!
I'll have time to go through my photos soon. I'm just now downloading a bunch, including ones from Huntsville Rocket Center and Disney World!
Monday, November 09, 2009
Arriving in San Antonio
We arrived last evening in New Orleans, thinking that we'd go into town today, eat at the French Quarter, groove on some jazz.... but then the lady at the campground told us that there was a hurricane which might affect the city. Well, the memory of Katrina and the still-very-present damage from that storm are too recent in our memories. So we opted to leave there this morning, not having enjoyed ANY gumbo or crawfish etouffee.
We drove like maniacs, instead, going 540 miles, and making it all the way to San Antonio! We're at the KOA, which is close to downtown and right on the bus route. We had a hotdog feast, sponsored by the campground, met some fellow campers, and we're happy to be here!
We drove like maniacs, instead, going 540 miles, and making it all the way to San Antonio! We're at the KOA, which is close to downtown and right on the bus route. We had a hotdog feast, sponsored by the campground, met some fellow campers, and we're happy to be here!
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Gulf Coast
We're having a great time! We are moving slowly along the Gulf Coast in the panhandle area of Florida right now. We had a lunch of mullet (a fish that they have down here and it's GOOD!) and beans yesterday, and just snacked (Jack soup and popcorn and Janee cereal) last evening.
My somber news is that I am not going to make my weight loss goal, unless I change the date. 130 is still my goal, but this last 8 lbs has proven to be pretty sticky. My actual goal is to keep 130 for the rest of my life, so I suppose the date doesn't matter that much. How about if I make it by Christmas?
I'm starting to notice little things that signify that I'm lighter, besides just the number on the scale. I find that my rings fit more loosely and so do my jeans. I don't feel as overall stodgy as I did a few weeks ago, either, so .. that's good!
My somber news is that I am not going to make my weight loss goal, unless I change the date. 130 is still my goal, but this last 8 lbs has proven to be pretty sticky. My actual goal is to keep 130 for the rest of my life, so I suppose the date doesn't matter that much. How about if I make it by Christmas?
I'm starting to notice little things that signify that I'm lighter, besides just the number on the scale. I find that my rings fit more loosely and so do my jeans. I don't feel as overall stodgy as I did a few weeks ago, either, so .. that's good!
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
DisneyWorld
Jack and I have had a wonderful vacation at Disney World. We arrived here on Saturday, at Fort Wilderness Campground. It is a wonderful campground, with large, well-equipped, very clean sites. There's plenty for families, and conveniences of all sorts. It's just the Disney experience for campers!
We didn't want to use a park admission for just a small part of the day, so we hopped a bus over to Downtown Disney. Since it was Halloween, we got to see the trick-or-treaters, so cute dressed as princesses, pirates, witches, and more. We ate a very good dinner at Portobello's.
Sunday we went to Epcot, and spent a long day there. We met Michele, Jack, Matthew, and Katherine there, and went with them on a couple of rides before they had to go, to meet friends. Jack and I stayed for dinner and then for the fireworks, which were spectacular!
Monday we started out the day at Wild Animal Kingdom. Again, we met the kids, so that was fun. We went with them on the Expedition to Everest and some other things. When they took off for their dinner reservation, Jack and I took some photos around the Discovery tree and then had our own supper.
Later that day, we used our Park Hopper tickets to head over to Magic Kingdom. We'd planned to meet the kids there, but we ran out of energy and came back to the campground on an early bus. Before that, though, we did get to see the light parade and the fireworks!
Tuesday, we decided to have a park-free day. We slept in and just walked around, exploring Fort Wilderness a bit. This is a huge campground! Later in the day, we did head out to Downtown Disney, grabbed some grub, and then came back to the campground. The kids came over here and we fixed hamburgers and chips for them. We walked them to their boat back to their resort, and we said our goodbyes. They left today to return home.
So today we opted to go to Hollywood Studios. We did the Aerosmith ride -- a very fast, very dark, and very intense rollercoaster ride. We did the Hollywood tower (fun!), and saw 3 3-D movies. We did the backlot tour, and .. just about everything else. The park was uncrowded, so the lines were short.
In the afternoon, we decided to head over to Epcot for some dinner. We first explored Innoventions, where we got to ride on a Segway, sent a couple of photos to ourselves, and made a video game featuring ourselves running and jumping!
Dinner proved to be a little complicated. We had decided that we wanted to go out for a nice dinner, but all the nice places seemed to require reservations. Morocco was the exception, though, seating us immediately for what turned out to be a delicious dinner with a belly-dancing show!
After our dinner, we called Linda Osborne from Big Rapids. She had called to tell us that she was going to be in Disneyworld visiting her daughters, so... we got to meet with them! We hopped a bus over to Downtown Disney for our rendezvous and had a nice visit. Whew! What a whirlwind Disney trip! We're both pooped!
We didn't want to use a park admission for just a small part of the day, so we hopped a bus over to Downtown Disney. Since it was Halloween, we got to see the trick-or-treaters, so cute dressed as princesses, pirates, witches, and more. We ate a very good dinner at Portobello's.
Sunday we went to Epcot, and spent a long day there. We met Michele, Jack, Matthew, and Katherine there, and went with them on a couple of rides before they had to go, to meet friends. Jack and I stayed for dinner and then for the fireworks, which were spectacular!
Monday we started out the day at Wild Animal Kingdom. Again, we met the kids, so that was fun. We went with them on the Expedition to Everest and some other things. When they took off for their dinner reservation, Jack and I took some photos around the Discovery tree and then had our own supper.
Later that day, we used our Park Hopper tickets to head over to Magic Kingdom. We'd planned to meet the kids there, but we ran out of energy and came back to the campground on an early bus. Before that, though, we did get to see the light parade and the fireworks!
Tuesday, we decided to have a park-free day. We slept in and just walked around, exploring Fort Wilderness a bit. This is a huge campground! Later in the day, we did head out to Downtown Disney, grabbed some grub, and then came back to the campground. The kids came over here and we fixed hamburgers and chips for them. We walked them to their boat back to their resort, and we said our goodbyes. They left today to return home.
So today we opted to go to Hollywood Studios. We did the Aerosmith ride -- a very fast, very dark, and very intense rollercoaster ride. We did the Hollywood tower (fun!), and saw 3 3-D movies. We did the backlot tour, and .. just about everything else. The park was uncrowded, so the lines were short.
In the afternoon, we decided to head over to Epcot for some dinner. We first explored Innoventions, where we got to ride on a Segway, sent a couple of photos to ourselves, and made a video game featuring ourselves running and jumping!
Dinner proved to be a little complicated. We had decided that we wanted to go out for a nice dinner, but all the nice places seemed to require reservations. Morocco was the exception, though, seating us immediately for what turned out to be a delicious dinner with a belly-dancing show!
After our dinner, we called Linda Osborne from Big Rapids. She had called to tell us that she was going to be in Disneyworld visiting her daughters, so... we got to meet with them! We hopped a bus over to Downtown Disney for our rendezvous and had a nice visit. Whew! What a whirlwind Disney trip! We're both pooped!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Ocala, Florida
It's almost too warm today! Well... almost. :) We're actually enjoying the humidity and the 80+ heat of the last couple of days!
I am feeling much better now, having recovered completely from a bout of awful flu, it seems. I was really knocked out by the silly illness. Feverish and coughing my head off, I was unable to even *drive* till just yesterday.
I was mostly recovered when we arrived at Ken & Judy's near Huntsville, AL. We stayed in the RV, but enjoyed time with them as well as time to explore the Huntsville environs. Yesterday we left there, and drove on down as far as Dothan, AL. The campground was adequate but.. not at all fancy.
Tonight's campground is much nicer, and Jack took the opportunity to do our laundry, while I caught up on my email. I cooked dinner, using some frozen cooked hamburger, rice, canned tomatoes, part of an onion, a clove of garlic, parmesan cheese, and spices. Mmmm, it was GOOD!
I am feeling much better now, having recovered completely from a bout of awful flu, it seems. I was really knocked out by the silly illness. Feverish and coughing my head off, I was unable to even *drive* till just yesterday.
I was mostly recovered when we arrived at Ken & Judy's near Huntsville, AL. We stayed in the RV, but enjoyed time with them as well as time to explore the Huntsville environs. Yesterday we left there, and drove on down as far as Dothan, AL. The campground was adequate but.. not at all fancy.
Tonight's campground is much nicer, and Jack took the opportunity to do our laundry, while I caught up on my email. I cooked dinner, using some frozen cooked hamburger, rice, canned tomatoes, part of an onion, a clove of garlic, parmesan cheese, and spices. Mmmm, it was GOOD!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
