North Platte, Nebraska

We drove over 200 miles and came to North Platte, Nebraska.  We stayed at Mahoney State Park.  We could have only had water for hook-ups and that would have cost us extra, so we took a primitive site.  It was pretty there on the lake.

Mahoney State Park, Nebraska

There were a couple of fisherman out on boats.  The wind picked up and it threatened rain.

We were relaxing after our long drive when the camp host knocked on our door.  He said there was a tornado watch and in fact, a tornado had just touched down on the other side of the lake.  He advised me to keep watch and if I saw a spout, we were to run to the washrooms for shelter.

Not long after the wind picked up further and it began to hail.  We kept our eyes glued to the sky, but did not spot any funnel clouds.  The hail turned to rain and in a short while it was all over.  Everything smelled so fresh and clean.

The next morning we arose quite early, dumped and filled the fresh water tank.  We were on the road once again.

We decided we would stop for breakfast.  We entered a little town, called Paxton, Nebraska and found an open restaurant.  The fellow who once owned the restaurant was a big game hunter.  He had hunted all over the world and had over 200 trophies in there.  It was called Ole's Big Game Steakhouse and Lounge.  Apparently it is world famous and can be found on the internet.

This polar bear was huge.  I really don't like to see animal's stuffed, but it was interesting to hear the man's story.  Also, there were photo's of famous people who had come to see the display.

We drove to just outside of Douglas, Wyoming.  There was a sign on the highway that said "Parking Area", so we pulled over and spent the night.  The highway sounds were quite loud and eventually I did sleep.

We had planned to make it to Sheridan, Wyoming, but the wind picked up and we were driving straight into it.  We came to a town called Buffalo, Wyoming and found an RV site.  I figured there was no use going any further as gas is expensive and it was rather scary driving in the wind.  We will be comfortable here and plan to make it some distance into Montana tomorrow.  Let's hope the wind dies down!

Dodge City, Kansas

We traveled through the remainder of Oklahoma and into Kansas.  The scenery did not change much through these areas.  They were very dry.  All the creek beds were dry.  I don't know if they have had drought the previous summer or if they depend on heavy spring rains to fill the creek beds.  The country was fairly hilly.

We drove straight to Dodge City, Kansas.  We decided to stay at the casino.  We are always looking for a free camp spot.  I unhooked the car and we went to see the old part of Dodge City.

Old Town

 There was an old town with each shop open.  It was really a museum.  You could buy gifts and things and soft drinks at the saloon.

The museum had the history of Dodge City...made famous due to the many western movies and TV shows based on real Dodge City characters.

After touring the museum we went behind the old town to Boot Hill.

 








It was interesting to read some of the epitaphs in the cemetery.  If you click on the photos they will enlarge.

After our tour we went back to the casino for lunch.  We were told we would get our lunch for half price if we registered for a card.  So we did that.  The card gave us half price for lunch and $10 to gamble.  After lunch I inserted my card in the penny slots and won $500.  I cashed out and put another $10 in the machine.  I lost that and quit.  Anyway, we had $490 for gas money!

Also, I made points on my card.  My card was now worth $49.95 for dinner.  Brenda and I partook of the all you can eat crab and steak dinner, with dessert.  Wow......free parking and all the trimmings!

Preparing to Leave

Tomorrow we are pulling out from Hobart, Oklahoma.  We have enjoyed our stay here.  The people of Hobart are very friendly and very helpful.  Of course, they now have my origami to remember the Canadian gal.  I gave Casey, the hairdresser, a folded heart and she is going to frame it.                        

I am short of crisp one dollar bills, so hopefully
will get some as we travel further north.

I checked the weather today for Dodge City,  Kansas and it looks good.  We are thinking of two nights in Dodge City as there are things to see and do there.

Even Alberta is looking good.  The weather is shaping up nicely and in a week it will be safe to go home.  Yay!!!!!!!  I can't wait to see my family again!

Today it was really, really warm in Hobart.  I even saw a woman in shorts and it was indeed shorts weather.  We walked to Wal-Mart and had to take our jackets off.

So, Happy Trails to us.......

Still in Hobart

Today I finally got my hair cut.  A shampoo (what a treat!), cut and blown dry was only $20.  I feel like a new person!

The museum was open today so I took advantage of that and did a self-tour.  It is a big museum for a town this size.

Lawn Mower

It is a good thing that everything was labeled or I would not have known what they were.  To the left is an early lawn mover.  Who would have thunk it?

The museum had tools and equipment from earlier years.  I always think about how en-genius people were.  If they waited for me to  invent something we would not have the wheel yet.

Linotype machine

When I saw this Linotype machine I thought about how noisy it must have been....all that metal clanking against each other.  That stool is really close to the floor.  How many hours did someone have to sit there lining up the type?  A good recipe for sore knees!

Butter Churn

I have never seen a butter churn this big.  It was owned by a dairy.

Woven Blanket

This woven blanket is over 100 years old.  It looks like it could have been made yesterday. 

One section of the museum was devoted to the Indian tribes that lived in this area.  This famous Native man is called Lone Wolf. 

Indian Doll

Beaded Vest

The beaded vest was made somewhere between 1880 and 1890.  Of course, they also had beaded moccasins.  I have always loved bead work.  Having done a lot of handwork in the past I can appreciate the hours that go into bead work. 

I found postcards at the museum.  They are the only place in town that sells them. 

We are sitting tight until the weather warms up a bit in the north.  Kansas is supposed to have a couple of tolerable days and then back into the deep freeze.  Who says winter can't last forever!

Hobart, Oklahoma

Last evening, James, Renee, Brenda and I went to the Dairy Queen in Gun Barrel City.  Owners of restored vehicles go there on Thursday evenings.  We saw some great old vehicles.

Cadillac

This Cadillac should bring back memories for my family.  My dad owned a 1959 and a 1961 Cadillac.  Both of his were black.  If my memory serves me right, the fins on the '59 were bigger than the ones on this vehicle.  My brothers always insisted on rolling down all the windows, because the cars were hardtops.  My sister and I would do our hair just to have it blown everywhere.  Somehow our vote did not count.....2 against 5!

She's a beauty, James!

Of course, we also went there to eat. I was very good and only had a salad.  However, I did have a banana split for dessert.  I had been craving a split for months and sometimes it is just good to give in.  It was muy delicioso!

We had spent part of the day checking out the weather for points north.  We decided we could go a certain distance and then would have to wait it out for a nice day to travel.  We traveled through the freeway in Dallas and Fort Worth during morning rush hour traffic.  Seemed to take forever.

We found a Lions Club RV park in Hobart for $10/night with hook-ups so that was our destination.

We arrived in Hobart just before 3 and got ourselves set up.  We walked down the street and came to a military museum.  The museum was dedicated to Tommy Franks, a 4-star general.  His wife grew up in Hobart.  They bought a ranch near here and that is where they retired.  He lived a very interesting life.  The man had almost every military medal known to exist.  He is best remembered for

"The War Against Terrorism" after 911.  The museum had his medals and many of the gifts he had received from politicians in various countries.  The gifts were beautiful.

There was also his family history.

Barbie doll for Muslim Little Girls

Gorgeous Gold Threaded Gown

Deck of Cards

This deck of cards was made for the soldiers who were hunting down Suddam Hussein.  The top centre card is Suddam himself.  The purpose of the deck was to aid the soldiers in recognizing these known terrorists when they came across them.  Pretty interesting.

It was a fairly large museum and Scott, who gave us a tour, was very knowledgeable.  He himself had been in the air force.

Tomorrow we will wander about the town and see what we can see.  There are a few old buildings here and some neat little shops.

Scott said he heard it was supposed to snow here tomorrow.  Hopefully he is wrong!  Nothing we can do, but sit it out, I guess!!!!

Waxahachie

Yesterday Brenda, Renee and I went to Waxahachie, Tx, to see the old court house and the old section of the city.

Court House

Waxahachie was once a big cotton town and that is how they were able to finance the court house.  We went in and did a self tour of the building.  It is now divided into offices, but the interior is beautiful, with a winding staircase in the centre and beautiful old pieces of furniture.

We had lunch and then went to tour the old jail house.  Unfortunately, it is now mostly law offices and we could only see the outside.

Old Jail House

The grounds were beautiful.  There was a stream that ran to the left of the bldg., but it had hardly any water in it.  It has been dry here the last couple of years.

As you can see many of the trees are in leaf and some of the shrubs are in bloom.

There were multiple bldg. there that had been built in the 1800's and many have been well preserved.

We did the walking tour, stopping at the museum and then did the driving tour so we could see some of the old mansions.

I love old buildings.  Many of these homes were well maintained, but a few were in disrepair.  We saw several that were for sale and we girls discussed the cost of maintaining such a large house.

Renee and James have been hospitality personified. We will miss them. They really made sure we felt at home in their home.

Tomorrow we are heading for Hobart, Oklahoma.  The weather looks not too bad there and there is a good campground there for a reasonable price.

It has been a long winter for points north, but one can only think that there has to be a break soon!

Started Out

We left Donna on Sunday after much fan-fare from our good neighbours.  It was difficult to leave our friends, but wanted to head home.

We had just passed Victoria, Tx and saw a river below the highway.  There was room to turn the motorhome around, so I pulled into there and that is where we spent the night. 

By the River

We could hear the highway traffic, but it slowed down over night and we slept well.

This wasn't a camping spot per se.  People came down to fish, but they left after a short while.  There were no signs saying we could not overnight camp.  We left early in the morning.

We took some secondary highways on our way to Gun Barrel City, Tx.  There was quite a bit of road construction and it was a bumpy ride.  I was glad to get back on the freeway, which was smooth and fast.  The problem with the freeway is that you don't see much.  The towns are set back.

We arrived at Jame's and Renee's about 7 pm.  We would have arrived sooner, but we got lost in Gun Barrel City itself as we had missed our turn.  They have a beautiful property on the lake.

The leaves are turning green and the lake is smooth.  This is a view from their back deck.

We have been watching the weather to ascertain when we should be heading out.  Unfortunately, a cold front has moved into Oklahoma, Kansas and points north.  It looks like we will sit still for a few days and then attempt to progress towards home.

One can only hope that winter will not last forever!

One Last Time!

We went to Mexico today.  This is absolutely our last time!  The women shop until they drop.  I shop for about 10 min. and then I am tired of shopping.  We all met at the Rose Garden after shopping.  Patty brings extra make-up and does the young Mexican girls.  They love it.

Mexican Beauty

Lipstick and Such

 It begins with one girl and soon there are several.  They know Patty and watch for her to come to Mexico. 

And of course, you are hounded to buy their goods.  The same merchants come by our table over, and over, and over again.  You cannot blame them as they hope to make a sale.  The women are quite patient, but often the men tell them to go away.

The Hat Man

The hat man came around and he did manage to sell a hat to George.  And it really suits him!

A really good wage in Mexico is about $7/day and that is usually longer than an eight hour day.  Many of these people work for a lot less.  Things are cheaper in Mexico than the U.S., but still, Mexicans tend to have large families to feed.  One little boy, about 6 years old, came to our table to sell bracelets.  You could tell he was very tired.

I asked him if he was tired and his mother nodded her head.  The children often get gifts of change from the tourists, even if they buy nothing.  I'm sure it helps feed the family.

For lunch a couple of us went for lonches.  Lonches are sold from small carts on the street, where they cook everything.  They are very tasty and very cheap and very nutritious.

Lonches

The buns are rolled in hot oil and then loaded with either chicken or beef, cabbage, tomato, avocado, green onion and cilantro.  They cost 60 cents a piece; often cheaper if you buy more than one. 

They always give you salsa and nachos as an appetizer and there is no cost for that.

There are various hot sauces you can put on your lonches.  They are a favourite of mine.  I usually order 2.



You can see the little cart where the lonches are made.  They also make tacos, quesadillas, and a few other things.  The service is fast.  Mexicans are very polite, especially to older people. 

You see many of these carts along the street.  Some people bicycle their carts around.

We are now undecided on whether to leave tomorrow or Sunday.  It looks like perhaps Sunday.  They are having a cook-off at the park and really would like Brenda and I to stay for one more day.  Since it is like Christmas at home weather-wise, one more day will not hurt. 

We are both anxious to hit the road, but northern weather has not been co-operating.  It is O.K. until about the northern part of Kansas, but then it is iffy.  However, it will take us a bit of time to get that far.

I think one more day here is in order....but Sunday we will leave FOR SURE!

Winding Down

Today we did some last minute chores.  I bought a box of latex gloves for dumping the sewer.  I use them instead of a pair of work gloves as I can just peel them off and throw them away.  Then I had my car washed.

It cost $4 to have your car hand washed

Good Job!

and dried.  It cost another $3 for wax.  Neither of the two men spoke English.  That is quite normal here in the valley.  I often wish I spoke Spanish fluently.  I can usually get my point across using my Spanish words interspersed with English.  I will definitely have to work on that. 

You would think that with being on holiday I would have done that, but just did not have time.  Really!


This is a photo of the unit our friends bought in Paradise Park.  It only cost them $3500.  They still need to pay $2400/yr. for lot rental and park facilities.  They have a nice swimming pool, a huge hall and other amenities. They share the expenses. One can live quite cheaply down here.

Lewis and Marilyn's

Lewis is going to build a carport.  They were very excited about their purchase.  They were in our park for a couple of months, but they really wanted a park with a pool. 

Many of the units at that park were similar to this one.....a trailer with an addition.  It is really a lot of room for 2 people and saves driving a rig down every year. 

The bougainvillea behind our unit is extremely lush.  They bloom all year long, but in the spring they really fill out.  It has been extremely dry here this spring and the dirt has turned very fine and blows everywhere on windy days.  After one really windy day Brenda and I cleaned the motorhome.   The top air vents were clogged with dirt.  I washed the walls and ledges on my side and Brenda did her side.  I had to throw the water under a palm, as there was just too much silt in it to pour down the sink.

Bougainvillea

We are excited about being on the road again come Saturday.  There is much to see out there!

We are preparing to leave the Dolphin.  We are scheduled to leave on Mar. 16th.  Today was a day to get things done.  I had an oil change done for my car.  There was a knocking noise under my car and I mentioned it to the mechanic.  He asked if it was when I hit a pothole and I said yes.  He showed me the broken part and said both sides were worn out and I should have them replaced.  I had that done.  The parts only cost me $20.  He checked all the fluids and the tires.

When I got back to the park I mentioned to my neighbour, Charlie, that on Friday I would get the oil changed in my motorhome.  He said he would do it so I went and purchased an oil filter and he did the change.  My motorhome started well.  I was surprised as I had not ran it since November!  He also checked the fluids and filled what needed filling, which was only washer fluid.

I then climbed on the roof and washed the motorhome.  Brenda and I then went to get a gift for Charlie as he would not accept payment.

We only have 4 more days in the park.  Neighbours have been leaving all week and it was a sad time.  Brenda and I are both anxious to see our families again, but we know it is still cold in the northern states and in Canada.  We are giving ourselves 6 weeks to get home, but hope to make it in two, but our eyes will be on the weather.   We can legally stay in the U.S. until the end of April.

I am asking friends and family not to send any emails that need to be downloaded while we are traveling.  We will attempt to find signals along the way, but most all signals now have a security code except for McDonalds and such.

I still need to find a gift for the groundsmen in the park as they were so kind to take away my broken fridge, hot water tank and used oil.  I spoke with the groundsmen to take away the used oil.  I have a scattering of Spanish and asked if any of them spoke English.  Only one spoke a bit of English, but they appreciated my efforts and praised my Spanish.  I don't know the Spanish word for motorhome so I said, "motorcasa".  They laughed, but they knew what I meant.

The fellow who spoke some English said I was a nice lady and it was a pleasure to meet me.  I told him the pleasure was mine....el gusto es mio.  I have liked the Spanish speaking people I have met here.  They are very polite and gracious.  They make a small wage.  The minimum wage here is only about $5 and if you are illegal here you only make a couple of dollars a day.   And they work very hard for that couple of dollars.  That explains why everything is so cheap here.

So....we have 4 days here.   They will go quickly I know.  There is always that anxiety when pulling away as we have been parked for awhile and am no longer comfortable driving the unit with car attached, but hopefully all will go well. Speaking with my neighbours I discovered they all go through that until they hit the road.

Will see family soon......hurray......!!!!

Spring.....make it easy!

The Island

Brenda and I just returned from three wonderful days on South Padre Island.  We had planned to stay only one night, but were invited to stay longer and were grateful for that.  We stayed with our dear friends, Bob and Carol.  Their hospitality knows no bounds.  Bob fed us way too much, but he is a good cook and the food was delicious.

They took us to visit their friends, Joe and Phyllis.  J and P live on the part of the Island where there are channels to launch your boat. 

Joe loves to fish so it is perfect for them.  They can launch their boat from their house and go right out to sea.

The wind was really blowing that day and everything on their deck was covered in sand.  Joe says he just hoses everything down.

They are a really nice couple from Iowa.  We met them a couple of days later at Palm Street Pier.

Bob

Bob is taking a taking a photo of a pelican.  We all carry our cameras with us where ever we go.

Later that day Bob and Carol went to Mexico.  Brenda and I don't feel comfortable going there now as the cartel has stepped up their activities along the border and the police suggest staying away from border towns unless absolutely necessary.

Brenda and I took advantage of that time to go to Port Isabel and do some last minute shopping.  We had to buy a few things for people on our lists.  There are some really neat shops in  Port Isabel. 

Last evening we went to  Palm Street Pier to hear Leslie sing.  There was a good crowd and it will be the last time the older folk are out for awhile as the Spring Breakers (young adults from college/university) will be arriving in hoards and I heard things just get crazy and loud there when that happens.  Prices went up on the Island this week in preparation for the crowds.

Leslie

Here is Leslie with toilet paper wrapped around her head.  She is doing her Willie Nelson imitation.

She is quite the entertainer.  She was supposed to sing from 2-5 p.m., but she sang until almost 8 pm., without taking a break.  She has a following and her tip jar is always full.  I bought one of her CD's. 

View from Palm Street Pier

It was difficult for me to say good-bye to Bob and Carol.  They did say they would try to stop and visit us before we leave.  That will be GOOD!

Hope Spring arrives sooner rather than later on the prairies.  Canadian winters are just too long!

Musical RV's

It was quite a day!  Mary and Nolan sold their trailer to Sharon and Bill.  Mary and Nolan will not be back as Nolan has Alzheimer's.  They have been coming down for many, many years....but no more.  Sharon and Bill have also been down for 15+ years.  So Sharon and Bill bought Nolan's and Mary's trailer.  It is very nice; with two big slide-outs.  Sharon and Bill sold their trailer to an RV dealer.  Sharon has done a lot of planting at her site over the years and her and Bill had a cover made for their RV, so wanted the same site.   Apparently all had been measured.

Amy and Charlie, who drove down in their very nice motor home, decided to buy a trailer and just leave it down all year and drive their car down next winter. Stay with me.....

Steve, who is a truck driver, and only 50 something, was asked to do the driving for the musical RV's.
Mary and Nolan moved into Amy and Charlie's RV for the next month.  Steve drove Bill and Sharon's old RV out of their site and onto a different site.  When he went to move Bill and Sharon's new RV, it would not fit.  Measurements were incorrect and the overhead air conditioner was too high.

 Of course, most of the park was out to help with the moving.  What was to be done!

There were many suggestions.  Some suggested a backhoe come in and lower the ground so the RV would fit under its cover.  Others suggested that the roof of the cover be raised.  Bill and Sharon decided to have the roof raised.  It will cost them about $500 to do that.  For the time being they parked in the next site.  A construction crew will be out tomorrow to raise the roof.

Sharon was very disappointed that it will be a day or two before they can move into their old site, but what can be done?  Patience.  In the meantime we all helped to move everyone's personal belongings from one trailer to the next.

The people in this park help one another.  I love this park.  I was very impressed with Steve.  He moved those RV's with just inches to spare!  Wow!

There are many deals to be had here.  The above trailer cost less than $10,000.  It was very well cared for, has two 30 inch slide-outs, and has a beautiful interior.  In time the dust will settle and all will be happy. 

Also, the RV repairman came out and repaired my furnace.  Heat when we need it!  How good is that!