Texas does not hold 'em

Despite the endless noise from I-10 that roared all night thru the well insulated walls of the RV, the weary drivers managed to get some sleep to prepare for another long days drive. With the weather being less of a wild card, the the winning hand would put them finally out of Texas and into Louisiana for the 'turn'.

Theresa had the 'dealers button' and would bet on traffic for the first 75 or so miles to finally exit Texas. Kevin took over at the 'draw' and continued over the Mississippi 'River 'and was ready to 'Flop' by the time The Smitanic was 'all in' at Lakeside RV park in LA.

The park dealt a nice mix of 5^th wheels, class A and trailers as you circled the pond at the center of the community.

Zin enjoyed chasing the geese and was warn out from pacing in the RV all day. Weather was examined again to ensure the current hand was still a winner. All was confirmed and odds were favorable for making the Florida panhandle on Saturday.

PS. References to Texas Hold 'em are purposeful! Recall that Theresa and Kevin took some lessons in Hemet and this entry seemed an appropriate use of of their acquired knowledge :)

Dodge 'em

The morning was bright and clear as an early start had Theresa in the driver's seat. She committed to making it thru San Antonio (2.5hrs), then turn the wheel back to Kevin for the remainder of the days trek. The rolling hills gave her a chance to test the engine break as descents were announced by 7% grade signs. Bruce, the DMV driving test guy, would not regret passing Theresa (he only did so after yelling at Kevin to be sure he taught her all the ins and outs of driving an RV:). On the lightly traveled sections of I-10, she would be able to practice changing lanes for incoming cars as well as monitoring her 'cushion' between vehicles. By the time traffic picked up just outside of San Antonio, she was better prepared for the pre-noon increase in traffic as well as any maneuvers that would be needed. Like Kevin, she quickly developed a disappointment(putting it mildly) in the skills and friendliness of Texas drivers. At the turnover stop, Kevin announce he was well rested and would entertain getting beyond Houston today rather than face that mess the following day. That would make the days total 345 miles (the longest day by far & no pictures were taken :).

Theresa was happy to take over as navigator with Kevin at the helm. The outskirts of the husseling city was reached at about 2pm. This at least would be non-rush hour traffic. In Houston as in Los Angeles there is always traffic. In LA drivers are at least a bit more courteous, in this city they are down right rude! Everyone (especially white pick up trucks) exceeded the 75 MPH speed limit, ignored any signal that you were making a lane change and weaved in and out of vehicles like they were playing Grand Theft Auto. After the days drive, Kevin has now re-ranked Houston, #1, as the Worse city to drive in with LA taking #2.

With the change in the days target stop, Theresa found an RV park just East of Houston right off I-10, appropriately named Houston East RV Park. The park was nondescript and very typical of a interstate temp-housing for mobile skilled workers that needed a affordable accommodations while they work on construction or some short term project. Some of the pull thru sites were set aside for overnight stays (like the Smitanic) making for an easy in and out. The park had an open wifi so the web could be surfed, blog updated and pictures uploaded. Dinner was at a local Seafood place across from Walmart, where one could only consume half of what they served you, the rest would be enjoyed at a later date.

The latest weather update was analyzed and once again aligned to the plan for the rest of the journey. Kevin suggested to get a place on the beach for the weekend, while waiting for the next weather pattern to pass. Theresa jumped all over that and booked the next 3 days. Tomorrows target will be Livingston, LA and then Saturday and Sunday will be spent on the beach in Navarre, FL in the Florida panhandle.

At the Junction

Just after first light the departure process was started.  The sky was clear and temps and wind were tolerable. The pit crew, now experts at hooking up the Toad, completed all checks and were ready to get back on the I-10 track. Posted speed signs said 80mph, but Kevin chose a more sane 65mph setting for the cruise control. Theresa did the last 2 posts for the blog and helped with navigation as well as calling the RV park to reserve a spot. There were no stops not even a bio break until the exit for Junction, TX was made! This was mid-way thru TX as well as marked halfway to the central, FL target.

The Junction North Llano River RV park was on the banks of a small river and had nice wide pull thru sites furnished with a nice patio, chairs, picnic table, firepit and a charcoal grill. Since there was no freeze threat for the night and all repositories on the RV were mostly full all systems were hooked up! There was also a good wifi connection as well as laundry facilities, yeah!

Being out a cream for Theresa's morning coffee gave a reason to seek out a nearby grocery or convenience store. The camp host pointed the duo to a few places up the hill past a local BBQ place. Kevin and Theresa were drawn in by the smells of the roasting beast cooking just outside the restaurant. They did not sell cream nor milk but they did sell smoked Brisket by the pound. The carver even sliced off a few samples to confirm the tenderness and flavor of the meat. The purchased 1lb of cow was wrapped up an bagged along with some sauce. Since a steak dinner was already in the plans for tonight this score will be for a future lunch or dinner! The walk up the hill continued to a Stop n Go that at least had some whole milk that would be suitable to lighten up tomorrow's java.

Laundry was completed as well as may pictures uploaded using the camps facilities.

Kevin was again successful at getting the satellite TV working, so the weather update could be analyzed and mapped to the predicted route. Another front was moving in latter the next day, so an early exit was planned with a destination of just East of Houston in hopes the route will go south of any rain or cold temps.

The Pool is open!

The wind was calm in the morning and the sun was bright and shiny exposing the hills surrounding HVR. (see previous post) With the engine heater plugged in all night, Kevin turned the key and whalla it started right up! Since only electric was connected and the toad was left hooked to the Smitanic, it only took a few minutes to bring in the slides , bring up the jacks and prepare for travel mode. It was 7+ miles of gravel after exiting the ranch. Kevin had a sigh of relief as pavement was finally under the wheels and the vibration stopped. It took 25 min to get back onto 1-10 and continue the eastward route.


A fellow RVer in Hemet mentioned Balmorea State park as a place for year around swimming, snorkeling and even Scuba diving! Theresa made note of it as a planned stop on the return trip. It was not far off I-10 (though Kevin was lerry after yesterdays adventure) and was on a 2 lane paved highway. Same day reservations could not be made on-line for the park so Theresa called to check on availability, thinking this may be a fun place to hang for a few days while the weather shapes up. No answer...leave a message. After no call back and the miles ticking off she called the reservation #... All agents are assisting other callers … leave your number for a call back …. 20 min later Theresa gets a call … sorry no same day reservations you have to call the park, but you can make reservations for the following day... you can cancel before 5pm tonight with out a charge. Theresa made reservations for the 2nd day. She again tried the park and finally got a real person! Sure we have open sites, I can take your reservation …. phone goes dead and drops the call. After much discussion about what facilities would be really usable at the park (pool, snorkeling, …) due to temps and weather conditions it was decided to cancel the 2nd day reservation and just drive in and do the one night, then see if it merits another day.

After exiting a fuel stop at a Pilot station 30 miles from the destination, Kevin noticed some strange cloud formations ahead that seemed to blend in with the hills and beauts so that one could not determine what was cloud and what was a hill. Soon the Smitanic entered the cloud formation to discover dense fog that had frozen and coated branches, wires, fences and the tops of all the underbrush. It looked like a scene from Game of Thrones beyond the Wall where the White Walkers dwell. (guess you know what DVDs have been watched :).

Kevin gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter and backed off on the gas to adjust to the diminishing conditions. The visibility became like Scuba diving in a scummy pond Kevin cringed at every bridge noting the 'bridge may icy' signs. Theresa again called the Park to get a report on the conditions there, she was assured that it was just cloudy no fog. OK this should get better sometime soon. Indeed once the exit off I-10 for the park was made, the fog lifted but left behind the white coating on all the trees and shrubbery that lined the road.

Theresa checked in at the park office and got the assigned site. The Toad was unhooked to make entry easier into the pull-thru site. Set up again would only be electric and slides to make for a quick exit as well as avoid any freezing of exposed hoses or pipes. Furnace and heat were set to battle the low 30s temperature.

Other RVs rolled in later, so Theresa and Kevin were relieved they got a spot and were off the roads!

The pool, the key park feature, was on the opposite end of the park and demanded a tour. Little imagination was needed to envision a warm spring or summer day with lots of kids jumping off the sides and diving boards, people snorkeling chasing the fish and Scuba instructors conducting buoyancy checks and fin pivots in this massive spring fed pool.


The pool closed at 6pm so there was not much time (nor desire) to brave the cold entry and exit required to take a dip... maybe next time.

Theresa whipped up an erky-lurky (whatever you find lurking in the frig) meal with some pre-cooked leftovers for dinner. Kevin was again successful with getting the satellite working so the weather could be monitored. Theresa scouted out 7 more days of driving to reach the destination in central FL. Each day was around 250 miles. Kevin compared each days advance with the predicted weather fronts in TX, LA, MS, AL, & FL as well as any approaching front form the west. Originally, the plan was to spend a few days in San Antonio, however that would not work favorably to avoid driving in rain and fog. The route was adjusted and a destination of Junction, TX was planned for the next day and then just west of Houston the following day. San Antonio will just be a drive thru :).

Off the Grid

The Rockhound State park, near Deming, NM, was full (no surprise), so Theresa searched for other possibilities.

Not impressed with last years Little Vineyard RV resort, a wider search spans revealed several viable options. Since Passport America came through the previous night, Theresa looked at those first. One was called LoW-HI RV park, which in further research was the Loners on Wheels - Headquarters International (a singles membership club). Maybe that was not quite suitable for the couple of almost 40 years. Yet another intriguing park, Hidden Valley Ranch, boasted it was 10 min off 1-10 but well worth it. Hummm ... sounds good so Theresa called to see if they had any openings. She was informed yes they had openings and did indeed take Passport America making the full hook (50amp) up rate $12.81. WOW that is the lowest rate to date for full hook up, could it be too good to be true? Theresa then asked for directions and was informed of a right turn off of a hwy and there would be a sign followed by a short gravel road with road signs every mile(humm how many miles). She also was assured that the roads were smooth and suitable for the big rig with a toad. With that reassurance the hook was set for this slight deviation from the safety of I-10.

The exit was made off I-10 with a left turn heading north from Deming. The first sign for the park was a slight right off hwy 180. The next sign was after a cattle crossing and said 7 miles to HVR and it promised it would be worth it... Within feet the road turned to gravel. Kevin's throat tightened up a bit as the road was just wide enough for the RV, there were no places to make a U-turn and there is no backing up with the toad attached. There were one or 2 oncoming trucks that would slow to pass as the drivers gave a farewell wave. Kevin could not go over 15mph on the washboard surface to keep the gravel from pelting the RV and the Toad. It felt like entering a remote dessert zone that even Walter White would think was too remote to set up his mobile lab.


The dead cow in the field seemed to be the first omen of doom. It was soon confirmed by a 'Open Range' sign that looked like the Mafia had done target practice on it in prep for the Valentines day massacre.

With every mile marker it seemed to be another chapter right out of a Stephen King novel, where strange and bizarre things happen to folks venturing out in scarcely populated spaces and encounter a different bread of humanity or odd phenomena.


The mile markers counted down as a Red roof was finally spotted with a entry arch marking the entrance to Hidden Valley Ranch (it does exist!). Next the arch was a grave with boots sticking up to welcome those that pass.

Kevin was warn to a frazzle, so Theresa went to the office to check in. The Passport price was indeed a whopping $12.81, with another $2 for internet (there was no Verizon service).

ATT service was non-existent as well so this was truly 'off the grid'.

The wind made the 45 degree temp feel like 32 so the hatches were battened down with plans for the furnace and movies via DVDs tonight.

With weather conditions constantly evolving in Texas and beyond, Kevin turned the Satellite antenna on to let it begin the search process in an effort to get a weather channel. Surely in this wide open space it will find a signal in the sky. Kevin looked at the advanced settings and entered the current Zipcode. Then he unplugged the satellite receiver let it sit for 20-30 min, then plugged it all back in. To his delight service was found! He had been battling this all last year and has had unhelpful guidance from both Direct TV and Wineguard technicians, so after much experimenting the past year he is now confident he has found the correct procedures when in transit.

Kevin braved the cold to plug in the engine heater late in the evening so that there would be no delay in the start tomorrow. As he looked up, he so impressed with how bright and distinct all the stars were that he went in to pry Theresa from the warmth of the coach to share the night sky. Orion (and all his belt) as well as the Big Dipper were well defined with the absence of any city lights for 100's of miles. It was spectacular!

Anticipating at least 1.5 hours to get back onto I-10 (vs the advertised 10 min), it will be an early start tomorrow with a destination of Balmorea State Park in TX.

2015 Catchup and Hemet Extraction

Kevin's new hobby!

As if he needs something new to spend his time and (her) money on, Kevin brought not 1 but 3 remote controlled airplanes to 'play' with in Hemet. Last year he scouted out a model airplane field just a few miles from GVP. On calm (wind that is) mornings he will leave the RV between 8 and 9 AM and not return until around noon. He as successfully completed take off and landing many times with each plane and for the most-part all the planes have come back relatively unscathed. He has had to bend the landing gear back into their proper position several times, and only ran into a fence post one time after one of the many rough landings. Kevin had always wanted to get his private pilots license, based on his landing skills it is a good thing for all that he never accomplished this goal.

The planes live in the Jeep leaving no room for any other storage nor dog transport. If Zin needs to be transported she squeezes into the passenger leg area requiring Theresa to be careful not to catch Zin's tail in the door as she wedges herself into the only remaining area. The fragile planes are safe and secured in the entire back (rear seats down) space, while the passengers in the jeep are squished into their seats much like passengers on an airline.

Hemet Cycling

Kevin and Theresa were able to bike with the Diamond Valley Vellos a few times in Dec & Jan, however the group proved to be too fast for Theresa's speed. Kevin stayed with her and the two would bring up the rear and generally find a short cut or alternate path to keep with the group.

Theresa did venture out and ride a 26 mile mountain bike trail around Diamond Valley Lake one morning while Kevin was flying his planes. It was very scenic, relatively flat and not very utilized. She did manage find the only water on the entire loop so came back splattered with mud.

RVers are really nice folks!

Seems everywhere Kevin and Theresa stop or stay they meet some very nice folks with lots of great stories. Their neighbor at GVP, Woody, would stop by around 4-5pm with his beverage in hand and chat for a bit. He was a X-shop teacher, who lived in Southern Cal for a bit as well as Montana. He an his wife had been one of the first folks to take up residency in the park. Sadly his wife died after a second stroke had left her paralyzed. Woody is 80 years young and was recovering from Open heart surgery.

Several other folks were introduced via Zin... as she frequented the doggy park several times throughout the day as well as folks who would walk by her as she sunned outside the RV. Tucker (owners Jude and Tim) was one of the first to be introduced. Then there was Diego, who remembered Zin from last year and they picked up right where the left off as they chased each other around the confines of the dog-park. Lexie as well as many others were also in attendance at the weekly 'Bark & Wine' social. Zin loved meeting all her new friends!

Theresa's Mom's move back home!

At the end of January, Theresa's Mom was very ready to return back to her home from the Assisted Living Facility. Once home her mom quickly returned to most of her prior activities such as exercise class, crafts, and even playing golf. She is not able to drive her car but Dorothy(Theresa's sister) got her golf cart working again and she was able to drive that to her functions.

She is moving around very well and will use her cane and walker if needed. Her speech however is still an issue. She has finished with the Speech Therapy for now. Her condition is called Apraxia http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/ApraxiaAdults/ and is a result of the stroke. The ST has helped and she is dealing with it by writing down what she is trying to say or showing others what she wants/needs. She is making it work. Kevin, Theresa and all the family is just in awe of her Mom's determination and continue to be amaze at her recovery!

Pickle ball 

Theresa and Kevin did not get to play as much pickleball as they would have liked but they did sign up for a fundraiser Tournament held at the Park. There were two divisions one for the men and one for the women. Each person played with a different partner for 5 games. The individual with the most wins and scored points was the winner. It was an interesting way to run the event and seemed to work out just fine. Theresa and Kevin each had 1 win and not very many points, so nowhere on the leader board :( However, they did enjoy the chance to play and meet others from the park.

Visitors

In early Feb Kevin and Theresa got an email from Scuba & RV buddies from NC, Ron & Tracy Clanton, that they would be in the area and would like to be able to come to GVP for a visit and tour the park. It was great to see familiar faces and spend some time chatting about RV plans for 2015. After all it was Ron and Tracy that got Kevin and Theresa into this RV in the first place... It's all their fault! Hopefully some of the future adventures will be together!

RV (Repair Vortex)

Theresa was enjoying using the recently repaired dishwasher in the RV for about 1 month until it started to run continuously trying to drain water. As she discovered the water was in the basin below the machine and therefore would not drain. She had to mop it up with a towel to get the machine to turn off properly. After several calls to some of the mobile service providers, one agreed to come out and have a look. Brad from EMT RV gave it a valiant try but was unable to diagnose what was wrong. Kevin has added this item to the list of repairs to be looked at back in FL at Alliance.

Theresa also arranged to have the holding tanks cleaned out so that #1 the indicators would read accurate levels and #2 there would no longer be a horrible, awful, foul, disgusting smell permeating the entire inside of the RV when the tanks are full.

Hash run in San Diego

The annual AGM for the SDH3 (drinking club with a running problem) was held on Feb 15th. Kevin and Theresa extended their stay to be sure they were able to attend this event. Any former GMs (including Kevin, AKA Rambyte) were recognized as well as the new mis-management announced. There was a eagle, turkey and walking trails. Theresa (AKA Mainframe) accompanied her friend of old, Bumps, on the 3 mile walk so they could catch up a bit while Rambyte took the high road and ran/walked the 4 mile Turkey trail. At the On In there were several hashers from the past including InUenDo, Cat, Deep Throat, Poppins, Irish Cream, Game Boy, Bed Post, Shane, Interloper, Jock, Low Impact, Chicken poop, Pigeon, Soggy Buns, LaBoof, … and of course Dogfish had trays and trays of meat and other delectable delights for consumption!

In addition to the aging Hashers, (though they showed little evidence of that) there were a noticeable amount of young fresh blood running and continuing the craziness that is the Hash. Even a dad with his 2 kids, one in a baby jogger brought back memories of Rambyte pushing Pinhead(Kassel) with Squealer(Kiehl) running close behind! The Hash lives On On!

Visit to San Diego

Kiehl met up with his parents for one last day in Fallbrook at Dorothy's. Kevin and Kiehl did dueling quad copters and Theresa and Kiehl discussed plans for his upcoming nuptials in October.

Several last hugs were exchanged and then Kiehl was back to LA and Kevin and Theresa headed into SD for the hash run (see above).

After the Hash the two headed to La Jolla to stay at Raps (hash name) for the evening. Rap graciously offered to host a get together the next evening for all those who wanted to see the 'Bytes' while they were in the area.

Rap had just completed a 100 mile bicycle ride in Palm springs the previous day and suggested Grilling some steaks for the evenings meal... Kevin and Theresa had no arguments with that!

The next AM, all three marched thru the mansions of La Jolla Farms to a trail down the cliff to Blacks Beach. Blacks Beach is named for the color of the sand and is noted for its surfing and nude sun bathing. The trio was 3.5 miles into the walk when Kevin got a call from his Mom which triggered the turnaround point and march back up a paved live guard road to the top of the cliff. The top of the cliff was the notorious 'Torrey Pines' as in golf course and Glider port as well as home to UCSD??? All familiar stomping grounds to Kevin and Theresa 20 years ago! Thank goodness not much has changed in this area.

Kevin and Theresa also made a excursion to RoadRunner Sports for some new running/walking shoes and socks! They were both fitted by the Shoe dog and had custom inserts made to form fit their tired feet!

On to the party! Rap concocted her house favorite margaritas as folks arrived. The latest adventures, dramas and tribulations were shared as all the old friends reminisced mutual past experiences and good times. It was great to see everyone again. Many thanks to Rap for being the ultimate host!, and for bringing the Smit's extended family back together one more time.

The next morning was started with another hike down to the beach, this time La Jolla Shores.

3.7 mile, half up hill, was enough for the party weary couple. Then it was time to load up and make the trek back to Hemet for a few last days at GVP.

Hemet Extraction

After 2.5 months at it's stationary address, the Smitanic was prepared for it's inevitable departure. Theresa spent 2 hours cleaning the BBQ Grill so that it sparkled, Kevin rearranged all his planes, as well as found room for all the buckets of RV, biking and required paraphernalia for the trip. How will it all fit??? Closets, under bed, every cupboard, as well as all the basement storage was packed to the hilt! All counter tops were cleared of anything that would not stand the moving earthquake that was to ensue as the Smitanic rolled down I-10. All drawers and sliding Doors were locked and secured. Any obstacles in the way of the slide-outs were put up on the bed or sofas.

Kevin stopped at the office to confirm our departure and reserve the same spot for later this year when the Smitanic plans to return in October in time for the wedding!

On Thursday, Feb 19th, the Smitanic lifeline of water, power, sewer and cable were disconnected and stowed without any missteps. All was ready for the exit stage left....

Woody stood by to witness as the Smitanic made a sharp right out of site 921 and circled the parks roads so the Toad could be hooked up for the trip East. Let's roll!

Quartzsite

The rock-haven of Quartzsite was the first destination. After all, Kevin and Theresa were members of the local Yacht Club (really a restaurant/bar) which demanded a revisit. To vary and reduce expenses an alternate RV park called Dessert Gardens RV park was selected as they offered Dry Camping (no hook up) for $10. After reconsidering a need for electric hook up an upgraded site with full hook up was chosen for the night for $30, so much for economics. Now in Mountain time one hour lost in the first day left little time for much other than a meal at the Yacht Club, some down time and preparation the for the next days trek. Notable missed attractions in Quartzsite would be the Oasis Bookstore that a GVP resident said not to miss. Presumably the proprietor is naked... well maybe next time.

Picacho Peak

In planning the destinations for the East trip back to FL, Theresa looked at state parks that were not to far off the I-10 route. Picacho Peak seemed an interesting park that offered camping as well as lots of hiking trails. The online reservation site showed the campground was completely full for the weekend... bummer. The Sams Club site however showed another campground with in .5 miles that had plenty of openings. Done deal.

Theresa drove for the first hour and then swapped with Kevin so he could navigate thru Phoenix and into Picacho Peak which was equidistance between Phoenix and Tucson.

Theresa paid for 2 nights so that the parks hiking trails could be explored the next day at their leisure. :)

The trail selection was limited to one moderate 6 mile trek and one very difficult (gloves recommended) 4 mile trail. Zin opted for the moderate trail with the plan to turn around if things got unsurmountable. Equipped with rarely used hiking boots, hiking sticks and enough water for the three, Kevin, Theresa and Zin embarked on the upward leading trail lined with dessert flowers and giant cacti as far as one could see. The views were breath taking as the trail wound higher and higher in elevation. Large wooded ties were placed on the trail as steps ascended up the slope. At the base of the perpendicular rock cables were placed to help ease the steep climb, then dual cables lined what looked like a ladder up the rock. Zin called it at this point thinking she could get up but the decent would not be very safe as she had no way to grip the cables :)) Theresa led the way back with Zin wedged between her and Kevin at the back. The return trail seemed long as the seldom warn boots where wearing blisters and old knees ached with the steep decline. With the 5.5 mile trail complete the team was rewarded with Dairy Queen! Yes this is Zin's favorite :)

Showers, dinner and updating this blog were on the agenda for the evening as well as planning the next days journey. Deming, NM perhaps where there is a winery to visit :)