Author: mchazen

We finally pulled ourselves out of bed early to do the workout before sunrise.  If we wait too long, we broil.  There aren’t good roads to run on here, so we stayed in the campground.  Fortunately, the roads are well maintained and the surface is that same gravely stuff the high school track was made of.  Using my GPS, it was exactly 1/3 mile around; the owners couldn’t have laid it out any better if they had tried.  As it turned out, it was a little hot and humid and we had to cut the run short.

After cleaning up and a quick breakfast, we headed to Marble Falls to update the computers, have some lunch and pick up a few things at the H-E-B.  The town was much the same as we remembered it, but a little busier.  Maybe the activity was due to the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.  We took care of business and headed back to the coach, where we would meet Leo and Grace who came down from Fort Worth for the day.

It turned out we got back just in time; they pulled up just as we were putting away the last of the groceries.  After visiting a few minutes, we headed to Johnson City for a light lunch.  We last saw them in Fort Worth just as their house was being completed in the rural town of Cleburne, Texas.  They are now living in their new house and enjoying life.  Leo recently retired and we compared notes on that life-changing experience.  Making the transition from a fast-paced financial career to gentleman farmer has its challenges, but Leo has come to terms with it.  I’m very happy to see he bagged it; he deserves a quiet life after a long, hectic career worrying about someone else’s financial problems.

We spent the afternoon at the coach before we headed to Fredericksburg for dinner.  After strolling up and down the main drag, we headed to one of the German restaurants.  The meal was excellent.  In fact, it was a perfect day of good friends, good times, good food and good weather.  We talked late into the night over dessert and coffee before Leo and Grace headed to the Best Western in Johnson City.

A good time was had by all.

It took us only about an hour and a half to drive from Kerrville to Johnson City.

We have been here two days now and have spent our time staying close to the coach and hiding out from the heat.  In fact, the morning was so hot and humid, we decided to skip the workout and wait for the heat to abate.

The small campground is located along the banks of Miller Creek just south of Johnson City.  Its an o.k. place and perfect for us to hide out over the Memorial Day holiday.  The park is empty now, but it is sold out for the holiday weekend.

Yesterday, after setting up, we did a little exploring around the area and stumbled onto a series of 25 acre lots for sale.  Obviously, someone decided to subdivide up the family ranch.  The views were nice, but the lots just didn’t do anything for us.  We took a pass and headed back to the coach.

Today was mostly spent catching up on this triplog (there was a lot to write), reading, cleaning the inside of the coach and trying to figure out the Windows Media Player object model.  I can now include audio and video clips in web pages, which I plan to add to this web site someday.

After a dinner of grilled chops and salad, we settled in for a quiet evening.  Maybe the weather will cool tomorrow so we can do some exploring.

The past week was spent at the Buckhorn Lake Resort RV park just outside of Kerrville, Texas.

Most of the time was spent at the Monaco America rally, but we did have a few days to ourselves.  The rally lasted for four days, but it was really five days if you count the day we pulled in and set up.

First, a word about the RV resort.  This was not your run-of-the-mill RV park where someone leveled out a field and installed some hookups.  No siree.  Buckhorn is a first class place with cement pads, paved roads, pools, hot tubs, lakes, store, meeting rooms, outdoor bar, etc.   It was all very civilized and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Bill and Sharon at Monaco rally.

Pat and Shirley at Monaco rally.

Chris, Natasha and their son Austin at their home in San Antonio.

Friends of Chris at their home in San Antonio.

Chris's parents, Craig and Noelle.

Jeanne and Marty pose as bandits at Western Dinner at Monaco rally. Western style handkerchiefs were distributed, which were put to good use hiding our identity.

Another shot of the partners in crime.

This is what things look like from the top of the coach. Picture of Pat, Shirley, Sharon, Jeanne, Marty and Frisco the dog. Photo taken by Bill.

The rally itself was somewhat different from the others we attended.  First of all, it was limited to Monaco owners with certain motor home models.  With only 102 coaches, it was a small affair and gave everyone a chance to visit and make friends.  The rally included breakfast and dinner each day along with a open bar for social hour, ice cream socials and after-dinner entertainment.  One day, Jeanne attended an afternoon tea for the ladies.  The few vendors were doing a brisk business.  A local Monaco dealer brought by some new coaches to test drive and hopefully sell.  Monaco sent a representative along with a technical staff that would fix two things for free labor but charge for parts.  Finally, expecting to sell a few coaches, there were sales reps from the local dealer.  So, the rally was very narrowly focused on the Monaco brand and Monaco owners.

Our two things to fix included a bent windshield wiper arm and the squeaking toilet.  The wiper arm was easy enough — the tech (Bubba) just bent it back into position.  But our hopes were dashed when the tech announced that he had never heard a squeaking toilet before and didn’t have a clue how to fix it.  In his opinion, if it was holding water, we should leave it alone.

Between the seminars and meetings, we did find time for our workouts and laying in the sun by the pool.  The road to the RV park was perfect for running since it dead-ended about 2 miles from the park.  Just like the pictures in the running magazines, we found ourselves running down the center of a lonely country road.  But we weren’t smiling.  Yes, there are hills in the Texas Hill Country and some are quite steep.  The pool was a refreshing place to cool down after a run.

In the You-Never-Know-What-You-Will-Run-Into department, we had an encounter with a rattlesnake.  On our return run to the coach, both of us were startled by the presence of a coiled rattler by the side of the road.  On closer inspection (not too close) it proved to be dead, but was in the coiled and ready to strike position.  Seeing this out of the corner of your eye is a heart-stopper and the rest of the run was completed from the middle of the road.  After 20 years of living with Jeanne, I never knew she could change direction in midair. 

We hooked up with Bill and Sharon, the couple we met in Fredericksburg.  In turn, they introduced us to their friends, Pat and Shirley.  All of us are retired Southern Californians and we got along well.  We very much enjoyed their company.  Bill and Sharon are experienced motor home owners and have taken many long trips.  We swapped stories of our travels and shared our experiences.  Who knows, maybe one day we will travel with Bill, Sharon and their adopted dog Frisco.

After the rally ended, we took a few trips to Kerrville for supplies.  With a population of about 20,000 Kerrville is about twice the size of Fredericksburg.  It has a lot to offer, including a nice park along the banks of the Guadalupe River.  It’s one of those regional centers where you can find just about anything you are looking for.

The Sunday before we left Kerrville was a special day.  A good friend from CHFC, Chris and his wife Natasha, recently settled in San Antonio due to a job transfer.  They invited us to the home for dinner.  We spent the afternoon and evening at their house visiting with our hosts and Chris’s parents, who happened to also be visiting.  The food and conversation were excellent and we very much enjoyed the evening.  We hope Chris will stop by the coach while we’re in Johnson City next week.

On the way to San Antonio, we stopped by Camping World for some supplies.  A must-have was a can of silicone spray designed to lubricate the toilet bowl seal.  Much to our amazement, it worked and all is now right again with the Black Tank.

We have been suffering from low water pressure.  When connected to city water, there just wasn’t enough oomph to flush the toilet or take a shower without using the pump.  Through the process of elimination, we suspected a clogged pressure regulator (you need one of these to protect your coach plumbing from excessive water pressure).  Well, money won’t make your happy, but it sure solves problems.  We bought a new high-flow regulator for $9.00 and solved the problem.

Oddly enough, we had problems finding suitable outdoor chairs for the coach.  The recliners proved to be too heavy and bulky.  The folding tube-type chairs get uncomfortable and hot.  Jeanne found the perfect compromise of comfort and convenience at Camping World and we are now the proud owners of two folding type aluminum chairs with breathable woven seats and backs.  What a find!

After the rally ended, the weather turned hot.  In fact, the day we left Kerrville it was 94 degrees under clear skies.  We were sorry to leave such a comfortable place, but it was time to move on.

Several readers have been eagerly awaiting updates to this triplog.  Unfortunately, I have been suffering from writers block brought on by laziness.  I apologize for the gap and promise future update will be more timely.

We spent several days looking at property and familiarizing ourselves with the Fredericksburg area.  Most of the surrounding countryside looks the same — rolling hills, brush, oaks and cedars.  We got as far north as Llano and as far south as Kerrville.  Some of the farm roads we took were remote and we had to watch for free-range cattle.  The area was thick with deer and hitting one was always a danger.  We also saw a surprising number of goats, which ranchers use to control brush.  We even did some off-road driving and it was a good thing we had a 4-wheel drive Jeep.  I’m sure Sheriffs in four counties all got calls about a white Jeep Liberty with California plates cruising the area.

After several days looking around, we have a general feel for property values the various areas surrounding town.  Nothing got us really excited, but the research confirmed our positive impression.  The area is definitely on the “A” list.

Our sampling of the local cuisine yielded mixed reviews.  The catfish place was a yawn and one family-style restaurant, usually packed with locals, was underwhelming.  However, the Italian restaurant we discovered last year was a hit, as was lunch at a German restaurant.  Our freezer is filled with meats from a place called Opa’s Sausages.

With tourism a big part of the local economy, Main Street is lined with a series of small shops and galleries.  Most of it was the sort of stuff you would expect, but there was one exception.  There is one store, Dooley’s, which retains the flavor of an old-time five and dime.  Jeanne recalled the Woolworth’s in Santa Paula.  For me it brought back memories of Almar’s 5 and 10 in Reseda.  Loose merchandise was displayed in compartmentalized glass sections.  There were isles for sewing notions, toys, school supplies, house wares, etc.  Candy was displayed at the front counter.  The heater was one of those hang-from-the-ceiling contraptions.  The wood floor echoed your footsteps.  If you ignore the fact that most of the stuff is now made in China, it was almost like stepping back in time.  With limited space in the coach, we didn’t buy anything.

We got back to our workout routine, which was agonizing after a week layoff.  We also discovered that any direction you run after leaving the RV park is downhill, which means the return trip is always uphill.

For a few days of our Fredericksburg stay we camped next to a couple about our age, Tom and Kay.  Like us, they are both recently retired and have been on the road about a year.  Also like us, they are on the leading edge of retiring baby-boomers.  One evening, we talked long into the night about our similar work and retirement experiences.  It was a pleasure to swap stories with someone in the same demographic.  Hopefully, we’ll stay in touch and our paths will cross again.  I wish them well on their travels.

Just when I thought the Black Tank was my friend, it turned on me.  Readers may recall the coach sewage system has two waste water holding tanks.  The gray tank catches water from showers, dishes, sinks, etc.  The Black Tank contains peepee water and other solids.  Our toilet is a high-tech device.  When flushed, a trap door at the bottom of the bowl slides back allowing the waste to drop into the Black Tank below.  Water swishes the bowl clean and the trap slides shut.  A rubber seal keeps a little clean water in the bottom of the bowl to help control odors.  Recently the trap has been squeaking as it shuts.  Aside from being annoying, we suspect the friction is wearing the rubber seal.  I’m sure readers of this triplog can imagine the consequences of a worn seal.  We’re not sure about what to do about this.

The big grocery store in Fredericksburg is the H-E-B.  This is a chain-store grocery with clean, well merchandised stores and a huge selection with low prices.  Some of the prices are even LOWER than Walmart!  I’m glad to see someone is successfully competing with Walmart.  It can be done!  The Invisible Hand of Adam Smith at work!  Capitalism marches on!  If you’re ever in Texas, visit one of these stores even if you don’t need anything.

As nice as our stay in Fredericksburg was, we began looking forward to our 22 mile drive to Kerrville and the Monaco rally.  So we wouldn’t show up looking like bums, I washed the coach again while Jeanne cleaned the inside.  After a thunderstorm rinsed off the remaining soap residue, the coach sparkled like new. It sure looked good.

Monaco, the manufacturer of our coach, has a complete line of motor home models similar to how General Motors offers different lines of cars.  The model we own is right in the middle of the Monaco line.  Why am I writing about this?  Well, there are generally two Monaco clubs sponsored by the FMCA and being in the middle of the line, we can attend the rally of each.  The Monaco America rally in Kerrville is the group for the entry-level motor homes up through our model.  We heard this group was friendly and that the rallies were fun, so we decided to give one a try.

A few days before leaving for the Kerrville rally, we met Bill and Sharon, who were also in Fredericksburg waiting for the rally in Kerrville to start.  They seem like good folks and we are looking forward to spending some time with them at the rally.

There isn’t  a lot more to say about Fredericksburg.  We enjoyed the stay and hope to be back someday.

We had a relatively short drive to Fredericksburg, Texas, so we lingered in the Ozona campground until 10:00 AM.

As we approached Fredericksburg, the countryside turned into rolling hills covered with brush, oaks and cedar.  We were finally in the Hill Country.

The RV park we stayed at was new and surprisingly close to the center of town.  Most anything we wanted would be handy, including a Blockbuster Video.  It would be a good place to stay for the next week.

Fredericksburg is an interesting town that still reflects the culture of the German immigrants who settled in the area.  Since most of the major highways in the area lead to Fredericksburg, the place is hard to avoid.  The major industries are ranching, tourism, retirement and county government.  On weekends, tourists from Austin and San Antonio seeking a small town experience fuel the local economy.  As proof of its importance as a regional center, a new Walmart Supercenter will open next month.

We will give this county some serious consideration as a place to settle.

It was another long travel day through open country.

For readers who have never experienced west Texas, the area is about one inch of rainfall away from being a desert.  Most of the vegetation is sparse and drought resistant.  There are no trees.  The few mountains are covered with rocky outcrops.  Any equipment left outside get pounded by the sun, heat, sand and wind.  There is a good reason settlers didn’t bother to stop on their way to California.

Finally, the scenery begins to change as you approach the small (very small) town of Ozona, Texas.  The vegetation begins to thicken and there is enough rainfall to support some oak trees.  There are even a few farms scattered along the highway.

We had stayed in this Ozona RV park before, which is perfect for an overnight stay.  And, it is cheap.  Readers of this triplog may recall our stay here last year, when we sat out a terrible series of storms.  There was no stormy weather this year.

Strange things happen on the road.  Before stopping for the night we tanked the coach at a nearby truck stop.  While waiting for the tank to fill, I was approached by a guy selling acetone as a diesel fuel additive to boost fuel economy.  Say what?!  I declined and wondered what the engine designers at Cummins would think about this.  Where did this guy get gallons of acetone from anyway?  And why would he be carrying it around?  Nasty stuff.

After a dinner of grilled salmon, we settled in for a evening reading and watching TV.

It would be a long drive to Van Horn, Texas, so we got up early, fueled the coach and hit the road by 7:30 AM.

The fuel depot was a little suspect, since the price was about ten cent lower than any of the surrounding stations.  Hmmmm, could it be they are bringing fuel across the Mexican border which is just a few miles to the south?  The diesel seemed to burn o.k. as the coach hummed down the highway.  No problemo.

The trip to Van Horn was just as boring this time as it was last time.  The area around Las Cruces, New Mexico did pique our interest and we plan to return to check out the area.  Aside from the drive through El Paso, the road ran through open country.

On long stretches like this, we listen to the trucker-chatter on the CB radio.  Close to El Paso, two guys got into it on the CB.  Our CB is small and could only pull in one side of the conversation, but one trucker was accusing the other of being a child molester over and over and over again. In view of recent news reports, we thought it was rather topical.  At first it was hilarious, but after ten miles it wasn’t funny anymore and several guys on the channel told him to give it a rest, which only fueled the fire.  Too much Starbucks and too many miles.

Just past Las Cruces traffic slowed as it passed a big-rig on its side in the center-divider.  It was an ugly scene.

We pulled into Van Horn in the mid-afternoon and set up.  My back was killing me and it was a relief to get out of the driver seat.  The RV park was cheap, efficient and situated in the middle of a town that is slowing withering away.  I sensed something strange about the park as soon as we walked into the office.  Maybe it was the three oversized bibles conspicuously displayed around the office.  Or maybe it was the rotating bible-quote screen savers on the computer.  Perhaps it was the morning prayer schedule for the month of May we received at check in.  The give-away was the permanent concrete block stage/pulpit/cross area that dominated one end of the campground.  Ah-ha!  Avoid conversation with this woman at all costs!  We would sleep secure knowing the Lord would not allow this location to be struck by lightening.

Dinner was a mediocre meal at the Mexican restaurant across the street.  Actually, it was Main Street.  No need to run across the street — the ONLY traffic threats were tumble weeds pushed along by the warm west Texas wind.

The past two days in Deming were mostly spent hanging around the coach and catching up on chores.

High on the list was receiving our latest mail package, which was delivered as General Delivery to the Deming post office.  People we meet frequently ask how we handle mail during our travels.  Most assume our mail is handled by a relative or friend, but the problem with this approach is burdening someone with the task.  One of the travel organizations we belong to, Escapees, offers a mail service for $79 per year plus postage.  All our mail is directly mailed to a mail-drop in Livingston, Texas, where it collects until Escapees receives mailing instructions from us.  Generally, we receive a mail package about once per week.  Escapees even culls through the mail and trashes the junk.  We’ve considering keeping the mail service after we permanently land somewhere.  But, enough about the mail.

While my back was healing, workouts were not an option.  However, washing the coach would be a good substitute.  So, on a sunny day in Deming, New Mexico, out came the bucket, brush and hose.  Four hours later both the coach and car were sparkling clean and my back was no worse for the wear.  Jeanne spent the time cleaning up on the inside.

Not much changed in Deming since we passed through last year.  Generally, it is a small town which serves as a regional shopping center of sorts.  Nevertheless, the town has prospered and some new construction is evident.  Even the Escapees RV park we stayed expanded the main building.  All in all, not bad for a town along I-10 in the middle of nowhere.

Its as if all we have done the past three days is drive.

Our first night was spent just north of Indio, California, which is a little east of Palm Springs.  We timed the drive to miss most of the commuter traffic.  Aside from the rough roads, the drive was actually better than we expected.  However when we arrived, it was clear something was different about the area.  When we attended the FMCA rally in Indio in January, it was the height of the snowbird season and the place was busy.  Now, most of the snowbirds have left and the town certainly quieted down.  It reminded us of the New Yorkers leaving Florida by the end of May.

The next day would take us to Casa Grande, Arizona, which is a little southwest of Phoenix.  It was a long drive and the day started with a long uphill pull out of the Coachella area, which is below sea level.  Once we crossed into Arizona, the roads improved, the speed limits increased and the price of diesel dropped by $.20.  Miles of desert rolled by.  If you like the desert vistas in the movie Lawrence of Arabia, you’ll like this drive.  Leaving California again was also a milestone of sorts, we felt like we were once again on the road and looking for our place to settle.

Our route took us through the little town of Quartzsite.  During the winter months, the place is a beehive of activity with vendors and snowbirds camped helter skelter in the town and surrounding desert area.  What started as a meeting of rock hounds turned into an enormous swap meet in the middle of nowhere.  Now, the place is deserted.  Tens of thousands of people packed up and left.  I wonder how many thousands of gallons of diesel fuel were needed to move all the vehicles, tents, displays, merchandise, etc.  Amazing.

The only exciting part of the drive was passing through Phoenix.  After what seemed like an eternity, we pulled into the RV park in Casa Grande around 2:00 in the afternoon.  The place is obviously an snowbird hangout but most of the winter residents had already left.  It had a ghost town feel to it.  Anyway, it tells you something about living in cold weather.  To escape the cold, tens of thousands of people are willing to drive for days to barren patches of gravel in the Arizona desert.  O.K., we get it, live somewhere warm.

The RV parks we stay at are part of an largely unregulated industry.  You never really know what the amenities and rules will be.  Just hooking up to utilities can be a challenge.  For example, the sewer line connection, if there is one, can be plastic or metal, can be threaded or smooth and can have three different diameters.  Sometimes all the utilities are in one location and sometimes they are spread out along the driver side of the coach.  Sometimes the connections are at the back of the coach and sometimes they are at the front.  We even had passenger side connections a few times.

We have also seen goofy rules about all sorts of things but this place had one of the strangest.  It seems the RV park is gated and rigs are not allowed to enter or check in after 5:15 PM.  If you get there late, its tough luck.  You snooze, you loose.  We made it in time, but I wonder how many rigs have been turned away over the years.  And, how did they come up with such a screwy rule!

We had not worked out in a few days and the Casa Grande location was perfect for a run through the desert.  I got up early and immediately set up the Pilates mat and hand weights.  About half way through the weights, I tweaked my back.  It was as if someone had shoved a hot poker into my spine.  Damn!  No workout today, or the next, or the next.  Worse, I would be sitting in one position behind the wheel for hours.  This happens about once a year and will take a few days to go away.  Carefully, I put the workout stuff away and slowly got the coach ready for the road.

The drive to Deming, New Mexico was long and uncomfortable.  We made a great pair, my back hurt and Jeanne was suffering from a stomach flu.  In Tucson, the sight of an 18 wheeler on its side in the center divider was sobering.  It was truly an ugly sight.  Aside from some trucker-chatter on CB channel 19, the rest of the drive was uneventful.  About 45 miles from Deming, we crossed the Continental Divide.  If it wasn’t for the sign, we wouldn’t have known it was a high-spot in the surrounding countryside — it all looked pretty flat to us.

It was a relief to reach Deming where we would spend three nights.  The break in the drive and time to heal would be welcome.  After setting up we were tired and didn’t want to cook, so we headed to town for dinner.  Although nothing much changes in Deming, it looked like the town prospered since our visit a year ago.  We ate at a local restaurant and returned to the coach to spend a quiet evening watching TV.  It was a relief knowing we would not have to face the road in the morning.

We spent our last day in Santa Paula with family.

In the morning, I went running with Danny while Jeanne spent time with Heather and the baby baking a cake for Andy’s birthday.  Danny survived the run and vowed to run a 5K with me on our next Santa Paula visit.  After gathering some things for the birthday party, we headed back to the coach to prepare for tomorrow’s departure.  The weather forecast was for rain tomorrow morning so we wanted to get as much ready as we could.

Marty playing basketball with Hailee and Adam.

Picture of Marley, Ali and some of the neighbor girls.

Baby Erica enjoying all the attention.

Marty playing basketball with Adam, Ryan and Tyler.

Andy cuts the birthday cake.

Around 3:00 we headed to Andy and Dannette’s to spend the rest of the day playing with the grandkids and visiting with family.  A good time was had by all and around 9:00 we returned to the coach.

So, once again we leave Southern California to search for the perfect community.  We’ve seen a lot of the country and think we have it narrowed down.  Maybe, just maybe, we’ll get lucky and settle down.  It’s as if we’re off on Marty and Jeanne’s Excellent Adventure, Part II.