Mileage: 56,488 Stillwell RV Park Alpine, Texas

We journeyed across southern Texas under clear blue skies. This truly is the wild west. It is big and open with scrubby brush, mesquite trees, thorny bushes, agave, yucca, prickly pear, and lots of other stuff we have never seen before. The soil is sandy and gravelly. We saw a deer, a lizard, and lots of unfamiliar birds. There were many goat, sheep, and cattle ranches. We traveled parallel to the Rio Grand all day. Often, we could see Mexico across the river.

The road was relatively straight and had little traffic. Tim thought this was an ideal place for my first driving lesson. Several months ago I decided that it was important for me to learn how to drive the RV and so today was the day. It was both easier and harder than I thought it might be. The RV handles really well and drives very smoothly but the steering is really touchy and I had to work to stay in the lines. As I grew more confident in where I was on the road, it became easier. I did 2 short sections. I would like to get more comfortable and I definitely need more practice.

Our lunch spot.

We stopped at the Judge Roy Bean Museum and Visitor Information Center in Langtry, Texas. The host there had lots of good information about Big Bend National and State Parks.

The Judge Roy Bean Museum showcased the life of this eccentric man. He lived much of his life as an outlaw before serving as the justice of the peace. He was quite a character and ran his court in his own style of law. He once found a dead man with an illegal revolver. The man had 41.00 dollars in his pocket and so Judge Roy Bean fined the dead man 41.00 for carrying the gun.

Because of the government shutdown, all campgrounds in the Big Bend National Park are closed. We decided to stay at Stillwell RV Park about 6 miles away. We were able to get laundry done and fill the fresh water tank as well.

This afternoon we took the road to the end. The bridge used to cross the Rio Grand into Mexico but it has been closed since 9/11.

After dinner we stood outside stargazing. The night sky here is amazing. There was ambient light from the campground and so we got into the Jeep and drove away into the inky blackness. There the view of the stars was spectacular. This drive gave Tim a chance to use his brand new halogen off-road lights. He spotted a glimpse of a coyote crossing the road. Tomorrow we are looking forward to exploring Big Bend.

Mileage: 56,271 Amistad National Recreation Area Del Rio, Texas

We were up early and after a quick Walmart run, we were on our way west. It was gray and overcast all morning. We stopped for a break at a safety rest area and I walked the short nature trail.

As the morning wore on it began to rain…this is the southern edge of the storm that might bring you all snow later this weekend. It is amazing what the weather can do…I am sure this is a gorgeous ride in sunshine! They say that if you tour a college campus on a rainy day, you are less likely to want to go to school there…makes sense to me!

We learned from the host at the Texas Welcome Center that the drive was much more scenic if you left 10W at San Antonio and headed west on 90. From there she outlined several cool places to see. We decided to take the even longer way across Texas. We arrived at Amistad National Recreation Area at about 4:00. Amistad means friendship. This park sits right along the Rio Grand on the Texas/Mexico border. We saw Border Patrol trucks as we got closer. One truck was on a gravel/dirt frontage road. He was pulling 3 large tires on chains, dragging the road and erasing any earlier tracks…we think in an effort to watch for disturbances later today.

We stayed at the San Pedro Campground.

Mileage: 55,964 Walmart Sealy, Texas

As we left Grand Isle this morning, I saw this sign for Port Fourchon. This area really is the “Gulf’s Energy Connection!”

It took us about 3 hours to reach Route 90 again. We could have gone more quickly if we had been in a hurry but we stayed along the canal. There were fishing boats and ships and houseboats and trawlers to look at. It was a nice ride.

Once we were on the highway, we were surprised by the amount of industry there is in southern Louisiana. Lots of energy companies, trucking companies, ship builders, and trains. We also saw sugarcane being harvested and sugarcane fields burning. There were rice fields as well.

We reached the Texas border at about 3:00. The welcome center was very nice with a boardwalk into a cypress swamp. There is a warning by the front door to watch for snakes…welcome to Texas!!

We spoke to one of the welcome center hosts. She had lots of good information for us. She advised us to stop before Houston to avoid the “very ugly” rush hour. She told us about the free safety rest areas along 10W. Anyone can stay for free for 24 hours. We decided to nap and wait for traffic to calm down before driving through the city.

The rest area was very active with trucks moving in and out and many idling as they sat and rested. We left as the sky darkened. We did encounter some Houston traffic but it wasn’t too awful!

We were going to stay at the second safety area overnight but because it was so noisy, we opted for a Walmart instead.

Tomorrow…more Texas. It is 880 miles on 10W from the Louisiana border to the New Mexico border! Of course we have different ideas…stay tuned!

Day 2 Grand Isle State Park Grand Isle, Louisiana

It was very windy when we got up this morning. We elected to explore the area with the Jeep in lieu of riding bikes in the stiff wind. Grand Isle is dotted with quaint beach houses. There is also a large Coast Guard Station and some oil company sites. As we drove to the adjacent island, Fourchon, the land was consumed by the energy industry. Products and services related to offshore oil drilling…steel, wire rope, tanks, pipelines, hoses, pumps, platforms, ships, cranes and other heavy lifting equipment, tractor trailers…all behind high barbed wire fencing with security gates. It was not a lovely ride but it was very interesting. When we fuel the RV I never give much thought to how the fuel is actually gathered and processed.

We stopped at truck stop and had some pretty good egg sandwiches.

With all the area industry, there are environmental concerns. I am hopeful that these companies are being good stewards to the environment. We saw lots of shore birds…heron, egrets, ibis, cormorants, anhinga, brown and white pelicans, roseate spoonbills, osprey and all manner of other LWB (little white birds). Since the bird population appears to be so healthy and thriving, maybe the fish and water are also healthy.

We stopped beneath a bridge and to our delight and surprise there were dolphin feeding in the strong current at the mouth of the inlet. They were pretty close and so fun to watch.

There were also marinas with fishing boats.

This afternoon the wind had tamed a little. We hopped on our bikes and fought the headwinds. What a reward then to be pushed by the tailwind. We saw a shrimp boat leaving.

Dinner was sangria with grilled turkey taco salad, corn, and black beans. We plan to drive further west tomorrow.

Mileage: 55,524 Grand Isle State Park Grand Isle, Louisiana

After almost 11 hours of sleep, we headed out. We enjoyed our breakfast on a bench in Biloxi. I never knew the Mississippi coast was so beautiful.

We decided today to travel on Route 90 along the water.

“Take the road less traveled” she said.

“Let’s go the back way to Arizona” he said.

The truth is that we were both craving a quieter, slower pace and this was the perfect ride. We crossed over the Mississippi River and over multiple bridges into bayou. It felt like we drove over as much water as land today. It was almost 80 degrees and sunny and we could feel ourselves relaxing. We are slowly getting accustomed to this “just us” existence again.

Tim picked Grand Isle as our destination. To get there we passed through a gritty part of New Orleans…no time to stop there on this trip. We traveled 60 miles off of 90 to this last island on the Mississippi Delta.

We stopped at the Shrimp Shed for fresh shrimp for dinner…heads on!

We got to Grand Isle in late afternoon. We rested for awhile and then biked around the park.

We watched the sunset from an observation tower. As we stood there together, I told Tim that if anything ever happens to me…I want him to let everyone know that I loved my life. I was lucky enough to be in Atlanta taking care of the David and Dre and the babies, Kyle and Allison are coming to Arizona to meet us in a few short weeks, and I get to spend this precious time with Tim traveling. I am so very grateful!

Mileage: 55,311 Shepard State Park Gautier, Mississippi

We have spent the last 3 weeks in Atlanta with our son David, his wife Andrea, and our 2 beautiful grandchildren.

Now it is time for Grandma and Pop pop’s next adventure. We retrieved the RV from storage in Norcross, Georgia. We stowed our clothes and groceries and we were on our way.

We made it as far as Shepard State Park in Gautier, Mississippi. The park is on the LaMotte Bayou. We got right onto our bikes and spent the hour until sunset riding among the live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss.

It was very peaceful and quiet and dark and we slept.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reisterstown, Maryland

Mileage:  54,251

Today our journey ends.  We have been through 22 states and 3 Canadian provinces.  We have traveled almost 16,000 miles.  We have taken thousands of pictures.  We have enjoyed every minute of this grand adventure.  We are humbled by the people that we know have followed along.

We have completed our application process with the American Red Cross and we will be working on our training requirements to be able to help with disasters both locally and nationally.

We will travel to Arizona this winter after spending the holidays in Atlanta.

We will continue to use the blog as our journal for our future trips…beginning again after the first of the year.

Thanks for all of your support and comments, it means a lot to us.

We have certainly enjoyed this ride and look forward to being on our way again soon!

The more we travel, the more we realize how little we know.  Traveling this way allows you lots of time to think.  It slows your mind down while also opening your mind to new ideas.  It deepens your awareness and changes your perceptions.

We have certainly learned a lot of facts about geology, geography, birds and animals, weather, culture, history, mining and timber.

We have heard stories of survival and resilience.

We have found a sense of calm and peace as we stood among redwoods, as we watched orcas glide through the water, and as we watched shifting light over the Painted Desert.

We have realized our insignificance as we gazed at stars, stood at the rim of a meteor crater, held mammoth tooth, looked at petroglyphs, and watched age old glaciers calve.

We have stood in awe and wonder at Denali, the Icefields Parkway, the Yukon River, and in the wilderness of Canada and Alaska.

We understand after holding a piece of petrified wood 230 million years old that our time here is very short.

We have appreciated the kindness of strangers and the goodness of people.

We have engaged in problem solving and we have had the satisfaction of being self-reliant and independent.

We have learned to know each other and enjoy being together…just us.

We have found joy in this traveling and I have honed my navigation skills (I’m a work in progress!)

We know that we don’t need too much, that we can get by with very little.  We also know that we are spoiled with our nice RV and our king-sized bed and that many people live on much less every day.

We have discovered that we like to be unplugged.

We consider more about what other people need and what might be important to them in their situation.

We choose to ignore the naysayers and surround ourselves with others who have a positive attitude.

We believe in conservation and preservation so that our children and our grandchildren might also be afforded the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful world.

We feel incredibly lucky and profoundly grateful.

We want to become involved in disaster response and we got a call back from the American Red Cross today.  We will begin the training process and see where that leads us.

 

 

Walmart Morristown, Tennessee

Mileage:  53,731

We spent the morning traveling on the Nachez Trace.  Mild and sunny, it was a perfect day for a ride.

A short walk to a small waterfall.

The rest of the day, we spent driving and riding…now we are earnestly trying to get home.  We didn’t stop until 5:30.

We opted for a Walmart again.  This time we picked one way off the highway.  There were NO trucks!

We went for a bike ride just to get some exercise and then we ate dinner out.

And then we slept!