Starting a New Year in a Familiar Place…

We certainly enjoyed our brief stay in Tucson Arizona but it became time to go. If Tucson wasn't a little bit cooler in the winter than Mesa I could see us staying there for the season. However those extra 5° of temperature on the cold side keeps us away.

We arrived in Mesa earlier than expected and as a result we had to go to a different site. Someone was in the one we had reserved starting January 1st. Since we arrived December 22nd we picked a site across the street from the one we had reserved.

It was a bit tricky getting in since it was beside a park model but we made it in just fine. The office gave us the option to stay there instead of moving. However, after setting up we quickly decided that we would probably move over to our other spot on January 1st since this was too close to the park model on our driver's side.

It didn't take us long to get settled into our Mesa routine for the winter months. We started taking our strolls and hiking in some of our favorite places as well as visiting our favorite happy hour spots.

Sharon and I also began visiting the gym every morning to get in a good workout. Evenings we attend the live music provided by the park now 6 days a week.

On January 1st we moved over to our reserved site right after the people there moved on to Yuma Arizona. We are happy to start the new year and look forward to having fun in our winter destination

We made it to Mesa AZ…

Our last travel day in 2022 took us to our winter destination in Mesa Arizona. The long drive from Benson AZ to Mesa was uneventful and we pulled into the resort around 1:30 pm. We will be staying at Towerpoint RV Resort in Mesa, AZ until April 1st so we will settle in for a while and relax.

We got to this resort in late December just before Christmas. As a result, we got to see lots of Christmas gala as well as many decorated golf carts. While it is January now, we really enjoyed spending our Christmas in Mesa AZ.

Towerpoint Resort is one of the Cal-Am resorts in Mesa. Cal-Am has many resorts in Mesa which is one of the appeals for staying here. Yes, they are a bit more expensive than we prefer but there are a lot of amenities for the money spent. There is something for everybody offered at these resorts.

Each resort has their own pools, hot tubs, fitness rooms and activities galore. Where we are staying has an extensive woodshop I can use to build some replacement cabinetry. There are pickleball and tennis courts, along with bocci and horseshoes as well.

The best thing about these Cal-Am resorts is they have their own bar/grill on premises with live music six nights a week. Everyday there is a different band playing a different style of music. Even better is that Towerpoint Resort is sandwiched in between Mesa Regal Resort and Sun Life Resort (both of which we have stayed at in the past).

Being this close to the other resorts means we can choose which band and type of music we prefer to listen to each day. Cal-AM allows us to use the facilities and attend events in all of their resorts. Therefore, we often walk to one resort to see if we like their band, and if not, go to the next resort until we find a band we like.

We chose Towerpoint for not only its proximity to the other resorts, but it is also close to places we like to shop. There is a place called the Superstition Ranch Market nearby offering produce cheaper than anywhere else we shop. As an example, we often buy 16oz of blueberries for a 1.50, strawberries for 75 cents and brussels sprouts for .69 cents per pound.

A Fry’s grocery store is also within walking distance, so we walk there anytime we need groceries. Our favorite thrift store is also within walking distance so if we wanted to, we wouldn’t ever have to drive anywhere which Sharon especially likes. That being said, we also love taking the quick drive into the town of Gilbert for happy hour and often visit the Gilbert Riparian Park as well.

We expect these next three months will allow us to fully explore and enjoy all that Mesa has to offer…

Fort Clark Springs Texas

We left Canyon Lake mid-morning and made a rather long drive, well at least for us, to Fort Clark Springs in Brackettville, TX. The 173 mile drive also took us through San Antonio around Loop 1604 and we actually drove right past the exit to our son’s house.

Brackettville is a small  two light town and is home to Fort Clark which was once a frontier fort in the mid-1800’s. The fort was built on higher grounds near the the Las Moras Springs ("Mulberry Springs") which are the headwaters of Las Moras Creek.

The fort has seen its fair share of 1800’s American History during the Civil War and during the Indian Wars. It was during the Indian Wars that the Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts were headquartered at Fort Clark from 1870 to 1914. The scouts played a decisive role in the Indian campaigns. And later four of them would receive the Medal of Honor.

Military calvary were stationed at the fort in the remaining years of housing military personnel. During World War II the 112th Cavalry Regiment (Horse) Texas National Guard was stationed there and the fort was even designated as a German prisoner-of-war subcamp. After WWII the fort was officially inactivated in early 1946 and later sold.

Fort Clark Springs is now a  2,700 acre unincorporated community and gated resort. It is a leisure living community and popular with Winter Texans because of the natural beauty surrounding this unique place.

Las Moras Springs discharges an average of 12 -14 million gallons per day. The springs fill a large walled-in area which spills into a 300-foot long swimming pool with 68 degree water year round. The excess flow is diverted to a bypass channel around the pool and helps form the headwaters of Las Moras Creek.

We hiked all along the Las Moras Creek as it is a lush oasis of live oaks, pecans and other woodland species you wouldn’t expect in this arid region. Once a home to Indians it is now home to birds and wildlife. The crystal clear waters make hiking along the creek especially enjoyable.

While we only spent a few days here we certainly enjoyed our stay and would recommend Fort Clark Springs as a nice respite along the long road heading westward in Texas.

Enjoying Canyon lake and Thanksgiving with Family…

With new shoes on the RV we were ready to move on down the road. We paid our bill at Humphries Tires in Luling and drove west toward our next stop in the Texas hill country. We made our way through San Marcos and an hour later we pulled into our beautiful lakefront site at Potters Creek Campground, a Corps of Engineers Park, on Canyon LakeWe enjoyed a few days of nice weather before a series of cold fronts came through making our stay rather chilly. With it raining off and on we were still able to get out and about to make a journey down the Old River Road.

Old River Road meanders along the banks of the Guadalupe River with several crossings allowing us some fabulous views of the river cutting through the hill country. With it being late fall this is one of the few places in Texas providing some nice fall colors.

The Bald Cypress trees were fully adorned with their remaining rusty red leaves lining the banks of the Guadalupe. With the blue waters of the river and the white chalky limestone cliffs the views were majestic despite the cloudy day. This is by far one of our favorite drives in the Texas hill country.

Since it was Thanksgiving week, we packed for a visit to our son’s house to prepare and eat the huge turkey feast. It’s always fun to get back together with family and this time was no exception. Although the weather was cold and rainy we still enjoyed putting all the dishes together and enjoying each others company.

It is always good to see our grandkids and our great-grandson who is growing up fast. We also love to see the grand-dogs, Barley the Boxer, and Bernie the wiener. Barley is really quite amusing to be around and he apparently thinks he too is a wiener dog as he always wanted to get up on me and lay in my lap. Too funny…

Our 20 year old granddaughter recently had some serious surgery and was recuperating so we were doubly glad to be there to help support her. She has begun chemo treatment for ovarian cancer so it has been a rough time for her and for all of us who love her. We didn’t stay as long as we might have otherwise because we certainly wanted to allow her more time to recover in a less crowded environment.

Therefore we we are back at Canyon Lake and with only a few days left we need to enjoy the lake now that the rains have passed. We can expect some sunny skies the next few days which will be wonderful.

Fontainebleau SP and Hattiesburg MS…

We packed up the RV and headed east to our next stop near Mandeville LA at Fontainebleau State Park. Fontainebleau SP is one of our favorite parks to stay at in Louisiana. The park offers nice sized sites in the woods with hiking and biking opportunities.

We hiked the trails in the park that meander through the Pine-Hardwood forest and lead to the picturesque pier at the end of the trail. The pier is one of the highlights of this park as it sits over the northern end of Lake Pontchartrain. At Happy Hour it is always fun to stop in Mandeville at the Old Rail Brewery for a cold one.

Our next stop after Fontainebleau SP was a stop in a new (for us) town in Mississippi. We will spend a few nights in Hattiesburg MS at the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Park which is basically your typical fairgrounds site but this one does have sewer hookups as well.

As many full-timers know securing weekend spots while traveling is getting harder and harder so stopping at off the beaten path places like fairgrounds can fill the need for weekend campsites. Here we are able to have full hookups, just outside of town  for only $20 per night which is pretty hard to beat.

Adjacent to the campground is Forrest County Lake which allows fishing and hiking within its confines. Better yet there is a boardwalk/pier bisecting the lake making for some fun gazing into the water, watching sunsets or simply enjoying nature’s reflections.

We walked into the woods on the other side of the boardwalk several times and there were numerous (unmarked) trails scattered all over the place. It would be easy to get confused of your whereabouts if you aren’t paying attention. Each day as we walked back and forth on the boardwalk we would engage in conversation with the local fishermen. They admit to catching fish here but we didn’t see a single fish caught in  the three days we were there.

Hattiesburg MS is an interesting town as it has a mixture of areas that look like they are on the upswing yet there are many other areas that look impoverished. We did find a nice disc golf course that was heavily wooded and quite challenging. It was here we found our first freely suspended basket which made for an interesting challenge.

The downtown area is reflective of the town as a whole. Some nice, and some not so nice areas can be found. We were looking for a brewery downtown but the building was so poorly marked we nearly missed it. We were certainly glad we found the place (Southern Prohibition Brewery) because their beer was both exceptional and very affordable.

We didn’t have a single beer that we were disappointed in and we met some nice people at the bar. Sharon was chatting with one fellow who was delighted to learn we were fulltime RV’ers as his mom was about to undertake such an adventure. We gave tons of tips for his mom and he was so appreciative that he gifted us four different beers from a mixed case he had bought. Wow, it really pays to be nice to people…

Making our way to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and another hiccup!

I finally finished helping our son build his outdoor kitchen so we headed back to the RV at Canyon Lake for a few days of rest and relaxation before moving on down the road. One thing we always love to do when visiting Canyon Lake is take the drive down the old River Road to New Braunfels Texas.

As always this drive was very cathartic and very scenic. We checked out the New Braunfels area then headed over to Greune TX for a mid afternoon stroll. There was some live music going on at Greune Hall so we stayed and listened for  awhile.

Afterward we drove up to San Marcos to have a cold beer at Aquabrew one of our favorite Texas breweries. They moved to a new location, not nearly as nice as the old one, but at least their beer was still good!

We left Canyon Lake and moved a short distance eastward to Lockhart State Park in Lockhart, TX. Lockhart has one of the coolest court houses (see above) and is the BBQ capital of Texas. This is an annual stop to get our Barbeque fix. While we were only there two nights we had some great hikes within the park and were able to enjoy BBQ at both Smitty’s in Lockhart and City Market in Luling Tx.

All things weren’t rosy however because when we first arrived I noticed a “Check Trans” light, come on as we backed into our site. Since we didn’t experience any transmission issues driving over to the park I kind of figured it might be electrical.However we still had to have the code read to know for sure. Finding a mobile mechanic just before New Year’s eve was a bit tricky.

We finally got a mobile mechanic over the morning we were to leave and his opinion was that it was just an electrical issue. He checked everything and just didn’t see anything wrong with our transmission. We can highly recommend Rush Truck Center’s near Austin Texas if you need mobile service in this area.

Whew, dodged a bullet there so we packed up to move on to our next location. It would be an overnight stop at Southbound RV Park and Cabins in Victoria Texas. Before leaving Victoria we made a run over to the last Aldi’s grocery store we will see for a while to stock up on some of our favorites. Then it was back on the road.

The next stop would be in V I P - La Feria RV Park in  La Feria TX. This would be a longer drive than we prefer but I wanted to stop in Kingsville TX to meet up with an old friend who had a proposition for me while we are in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. I will save the news about the proposal for the next blog after I receive more details…

NOTE: We are currently in South Padre Island TX until March 1st or later if we change our minds…

The Surrealness of Lake Abiquiu NM…

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We loved our stay in Albuquerque as we always seem to have a great time whenever we visit.. Who knows, we may even choose to live here one day. However the time came to move on and our next stop is one of my favorite NM parks. Riana Campground, COE Park, at Lake Abiquiu.  Warning: There will be lots of photos in today’s blog!

There are only about a dozen sites with hook-ups at the park and none have sewer. What is lacking in services is made up for in views and expanse. Another big plus is most of the campsites have a grill/smoker, picnic table and shade shelter. I took full advantage of the smoker and smoked a couple of racks of ribs!

We were a bit worried about the heat this time of year but with daytime highs only in the 80’s and lows in the upper 60’s it was perfect. It is monsoon season so there were always rain and thunder showers nearby making for some pretty landscapes with the rain shadows.

I won’t say a lot about this area as we have stayed here before and blogged about it. Let’s just say everywhere you look would make a great watercolor painting or postcard.

We hiked all around the trails within Riana Park which offer  some very scenic moments. Of course we both took lots of photos and todays blog is photo rich as a result.

We also took a day trip over to the Ghost Ranch where we ended up spending most of our time around an old dilapidated ranch house and corral. They also erected an archway of elk antlers near a very tiny rustic church. Amazing photo ops!

Just down the road a piece is the Echo Amphitheater and just across from it a little closer to us is a short hike to see a nice natural arch perched on the side of a rocky mountain outcrop. The rock features in this small part of New Mexico are stunning…

We certainly enjoyed our stay at the lake giving us a little downtime after our social whirlwind stay in Albuquerque. Next up will be Colorado…

NOTE:  We are currently Durango, Colorado until July 23rd…

WOW!!!

We are settling into our new digs here on South Padre Island. We really love the spacious site we booked sight unseen on the web. I also love having a small patch of natural growth in between sites as well. We are situated nose in so we face the vegetation giving us a feeling of being more isolated than we are.

As we do most every morning (weather permitting) we go out for a long walk alongside the jetties and then to the beach before closing our loop back at our RV site, One morning I noticed what looked like a space ship across from the jetties so I took a few photos with a full zoom to investigate later.

Back home I discovered that SpaceX has a launch site in Boca Chica which is just across from us. I checked to see if anything was being launched in the time we are staying here. Then there was a WOW moment as we realized that there was a planned test launch of the Starship SN8 (stands for serial number 8) for a flight to 12.5 km any day.

SN8 is a fully-reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. It was exciting to think we could watch a test launch of SN8 by taking a short walk over to the bay. I found a web site that would update us as a launch time neared and every time  i saw the notification we would run down to the jetty to see if it would launch only to find out it was scrubbed for one reason or another. We kept the faith however that it would eventually happen…

On 9 December 2020 the Starship SN8 would finally perform its first high-altitude test flight. As the clock ticked down we could see the steam was being released and launch appeared imminent. Then it happened, as smoke billowed out from underneath SN8 and it slowly lifted to the sky. There was a sizable crowd socially distanced along the beach cheering as it ascended to the sky.

Executing the launch was just part of the test. Once it reached 12.5 km it performed a “skydiver-like descent using high-drag body flaps” and then it began to fall back to earth. As it was falling back to earth it had positioned itself on its side in a free fall.Then as it was falling, it performed a reorientation burn to upright itself for landing. How cool was that…

As it neared the center of the landing zone it started the propulsion again as it was attempting a propulsive landing on the launch pad.  We noticed it coming in kind of fast but it was oriented right in the center of the landing pad. The landing was too hard and as a result SN8 exploded on the landing pad. The smoke came first and then a fireball with the loud BOOM shortly thereafter. It was a tragic ending to an otherwise successful and spectacular mission.

We read the explanation for the hard landing was the result of lower than expected pressure in the methane header tank, resulting in the vehicle exploding on the landing pad. The press release also stated that the mission was successful in its completion of the many test objectives for this flight and that it was a major milestone for the Starship program

WOW, for us it was truly a magical event we were lucky enough to have seen while on our Road of Retirement…

NOTE:  We are currently in Port Isabel in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas for the winter…