The Grand Tetons and Into Yellowstone

At Valley View RV Park, Island Park, Idaho...

The weather was much more cooperative today in allowing the Tetons to be exploited with tens of thousands of photographs being taken by throngs of tourists roaming the viewing area where we stopped.

Naturally, I have included here my favorites of the photos, so I can remember this trip when I get old. (Assuming I can remember who I am then.)

The farther north we went in the park, the better the views:

Entering Yellowstone by the south entrance, I was happy to see that my dire prediction of a crowded park with gridlocked traffic was slightly overblown. Traffic was light, except for around the attractions; there were crowds at each one, and parking appeared to be a problem. We also had to stop a couple of times for some wandering bison, but they were merely fun to watch.

We had the good fortune of meeting up with Craig and Merikay, as they were also staying at our RV park. After hugs, we talked as though we had known each other for years. Well, in a way, we have, because we have read each other's blogs for, well, ever since I can remember. After chatting for a while, we made plans for the next day in Yellowstone. We'll have some photos of Craig and Merikay then.

We had a few things to pick up at the grocery store in downtown West Yellowstone, so we drove over there and, in the process, got a whiff of the pizza being baked nearby at The Wild West Pizzeria. We were hungry, so we went inside and, after a short wait, were seated and had our order taken.

We chose the "make your own" variety and, I must say, it was one of the better pizzas we have had.

This sucker was really loaded with the toppings we selected, especially the meat, for which I had a desperate craving after having somehow lived through that prissy little salad I ate yesterday in Jackson. I still don't know what caused me to have that little spell of dementia. Anyway, the server at the Wild West was prompt, attentive and cheerful, and just so you'll know, I was impressed enough to include this restaurant on my favorites list.

Into the park we go tomorrow for some serious sightseeing.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonder life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

Jackson, Wyoming and the Cloudy Tetons

At Huskey RV Park, Irwin, Idaho...

Since we couldn't get a space in Jackson (even at $90 a night at most parks), we trekked over there from this tiny place about 50 miles away. By the way, this little park is a very pleasant and clean place to stay, with great wifi and a bargain at $30 a night.

We enjoyed the drive along the Snake River, where we had scenes like this outside the window:

We didn't know what we would find in Jackson, but a couple of things really stuck in our minds once we arrived: 1) The egregious commercialization of what we expected to be a quaint community setting, and 2) The crush of tourists.

This stagecoach was giving rides in downtown Jackson.

We knew there would be a lot of tourists visiting the area this summer, especially with the lower fuel prices, but we weren't quite prepared for the crowds we encountered this day. Traffic was terrible, and walking around downtown couldn't be done without dodging people everywhere. Nevertheless, we took in most of the obligatory sights, including the elk antler arches and a view of the Million Dollar Saloon and its famed saddles serving as barstools.

There were many more tourists captured in this photo, but I was able to crop most of them out.

We dined al fresco at Genevieve's downtown, another restaurant that had been visited by Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives:

The weather at lunchtime was drop-dead gorgeous, with temperature in the mid-seventies, almost no wind and no insects--not even one.  I have found that TV personalities having visited restaurants does not necessarily mean they will always turn out to be good. (Our experience at Pat's BBQ in Salt Lake comes to mind.) However, Genevieve's was really worthy of a little honorable mention. Sandy had fried chicken and waffles, and this was very tasty (I stole some).

I had a smoked trout salad that was not nearly as appealing but, for what it was, it was well prepared. I'm not sure why I ordered that frou-frou salad; I suppose it was because I hadn't tried anything like that before; I hope my sanity has returned by the time I get to the next restaurant. I figure the ingredients of this meal cost about five bucks, and our bill, with tip, was $40.

In consideration of tourists like us who have no better sense than to pony up their hard-earned cash in this way, every conceivable inch of storefront space in Jackson has been converted to retail sales. Like our lunch, the prices therein are rapaciously inflated, according to Sandy, who is a world-class expert in these matters.  An example: A kid's game that sells for $6 at Target will cost you $24 in Jackson.

The throngs of tourists made it difficult to find a parking place, even though we showed up on a Monday. Even so, we finally found one, and Sandy was able to get in what turned out to be a little window shopping. I scored a plush chair in one of the shops while she roamed around, and I was prepared to defend my occupation of the comfortable chair with a hail of lead, presuming I was not napping at the time of any attempted eviction.

Once Sandy was satisfied that no bargains could be found, we made our way back to Mae and took off to see the Grand Tetons. The iconic view of these mountains grandly pops into view a few miles north of the city and, to my dismay, they were pretty well obscured by the clouds and rain that are often promulgated in the mountains by their atmospheric uplifting action. The conditions for a photo were awful, so I didn't even get out the camera. However, I've decided to take this route into Yellowstone tomorrow, and I'll try again for some photos.

I don't mean to leave readers with a negative note about a beautiful area that is certainly worthwhile to visit. However, I do believe that it would be a much better idea to be here on the shoulders of the summer season when the kids are in school. That should thin out the crowds and make for a much more enjoyable time. We would certainly have done that if we didn't have to be in Seattle for the Alaskan cruise departure on a date certain. I can't help but be concerned about a similar overcrowding situation at Yellowstone; I hope it won't be too bad. 

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

Travel Day into Idaho

At Huskey's RV Park, Irwin, Idaho...

This will be a short post, as this was an uneventful travel day. We ate breakfast while en route, stopped for lunch at a ho-hum restaurant in Pocatello and then landed to spend the night at this small RV park about 50 miles from Jackson, Wyoming, as there was not a space to be had there.

This little burg boasts a population of 219 on the city limit sign, yet every space is filled in this RV park...must be the summer travel season or something! Since the nearest restaurant is eight miles away, we made a Thai-inspired salad with grilled chicken breast, one of our favorites.

The 250 miles we traveled today represented a normal distance for us. We could--and have--traveled a good deal farther in a day if necessary, but this amount seems just right for us. The big bus is not at all tiring to drive, as it floats silently along (the rear engine noise is inaudible in the cockpit). The big chairs are every bit as comfortable as our recliners at home, and Sandy's even has a power foot rest in addition to all the other power adjustments!  (I can confirm that she has taken some epic naps while we glide along.)With every convenience at hand, watching through an Imax-sized windshield to see new vistas unfold at every turn, I can't help but feel privileged, yet conflicted: While I wish everyone could have this experience, I selfishly hope they don't. I mean, just look at all the crowded RV parks I've mentioned!

Hmmm. On second thought, please disregard the preceding paragraph. I've changed my mind; you probably wouldn't enjoy this at all.

Thank you, Lord for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

A Visit to Park City

At Salt Lake City KOA...

Some of our blog readers recommended a visit to nearby Cottonwood Canyon and to Park City, Utah, a ski town about 30 miles southeast of Salt Lake, so we decided to make it a twofer and check out both in one trip.

Before leaving Salt Lake, however, we decided to pop into Pat's Barbeque, a rather nondescript joint in an obscure location south of downtown. It had some killer reviews and even had a past visit from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We ordered a sampling of brisket, ribs and chicken with baked beans and, once again, we were disappointed. Almost everything was wrong: The brisket was excessively fatty, and there were so many ingredients in the dry rub that it denigrated the flavor of the meat rather than enhancing it. The pork ribs were way too big and, thusly, too fatty as well. The ribs had also been cooked over too-high heat, as the meaty top of the ribs had been turned into a crisp. I had to remove this layer before getting to the fat! Needless to say, we didn't eat much of the brisket or ribs. The chicken was cooked thoroughly and not too dry, but there was no discernible smoke flavor. It could just as easily have been roasted in an oven. They tried too hard on the baked beans, too. The beans were almost unidentifiable as such, swimming as they were in a vat of flavorless sauce that gave me the impression they just opened cans of beans, threw in a few scraps of brisket and a little sugar and call them baked. The sauce containing the beans was the color of butterscotch, and I really can't imagine what they put in there to make it look that unappetizing.

Okay, this place obviously won't make it onto my favorites list, but I can't help but wonder how it managed to get good reviews and a stint on the TV show. The answer might be that the portions are quite large, and I know plenty of folks for whom quantity trumps almost everything else. I didn't even include a photo of Pat's, because I hope to erase it from my memory at some point.

The drive through Cottonwood Canyon and up to Empire Summit was certainly worth the winding journey through the rock cliffs and clear streams. Near the summit, the road was uncomfortably narrow for a short distance, but gave way shortly to a good road again. The payoff was a beautiful alpine-like vista that we enjoyed greatly as we exited Mae and walked around, enjoying the fresh 70-degree breeze on top of the mountain:

Again, on the recommendation of friends, we had dinner at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City, at a table overlooking a view much like the one above.

I took this photo through the window at our table. We would have eaten al fresco, but it was a bit too cold outside for that. (I find it hard to mention this without thinking about the hot weather we're missing in Texas; it's all I can do to avoid being smug.)

It was a light dinner of designer sandwiches and salad, very well done and tasty--but pricey, as might be expected in the town where Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival is held. This five-star ski resort hotel is amazing in every way, but amazingness is expensive. Plan on paying a thousand bucks a night for a room during ski season.

Manicured Grounds at Stein Eriksen

The old town section of Park City is a quaint place with many shops and restaurants. There are also many newer neighborhoods, mostly made up of condominiums for the skiers who flock here in the winter. It reminded me a good deal of Aspen in terms of its upscale amenities.

Also on the old Main Street is the Egyptian Theater, a refurbished movie house built in 1926, in which many live shows appear. West Side Story happened to be playing so, knowing how much Sandy likes musicals, I scored a couple of tickets.

At showtime, the theater was almost full and, although the troupe sang to a track, it was very well done with wireless microphones and a state-of-the-art sound system.

There was an aspect of the performance that was really quite unintentionally comical, having to do with the nature of the story juxtaposed with the stage presence of the male cast members. As you may remember, the play is very demanding physically, as the young men must simulate aggressive street fights between two rival gangs in New York City. Much of the dialogue of the gang members is supposed to depict the testosterone-laced machismo and bravado that would be expected of young men in the highly charged anger of the combatants. Let's just say that most of the male members of the cast were having a great deal of difficulty in portraying these characteristics, and therein lay the humor. I was not alone in observing this phenomenon, of course, and there were more than a few laughs being muffled in the audience at times when laughter would have been highly inappropriate. I think your imagination will serve you just about as well as any further description on my part, so I'll just say this troupe brought a fresh perspective to West Side Story that was certainly unexpected.

After the play, we returned to Phannie with a fresh batch of memories of a fine day enjoying each other's company and admiring God's creation.

On Sunday, we depart for Grand Teton National Park.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

In Salt Lake City - Culture, Shopping and Food Outing

At Salt Lake City KOA...

For lunch today, we stopped at Crown Burger, an iconic burger joint with several offshoots here in SLC. Upon reading the menu, we were surprised to see a large selection of Greek dishes in addition to the burgers, so right away, there appeared to be an identity crisis. We settled on a Crown burger and a regular burger. The Crown burger was a hamburger with a good helping of pastrami piled on top of the hamburger patty, plus the veggies and a sweetish sauce sort of like thousand island dressing. We decided these burgers were okay, but the pastrami/hamburger combination seemed strange. It was sort of like a hamburger wanting to be a ruben sandwich or something; I didn't get it.  I thought to myself what a shame that it was not a Whatabuger restaurant occupying this very desirable downtown location.

After lunch, we drove up to the University of Utah to visit the museum of natural history. This is a very nice collection of exhibits and artifacts, housed in a magnificent modern building at one of the highest points in the city. I especially enjoyed the view from the fifth floor observation deck. We could see the entire valley east of the Wasatch mountains to the Great Salt Lake in the distance. Breathtaking!  I took a panoramic photo, but it doesn't do it justice at all; I need some work on this:

You may be able to make out the rain shower just beyond downtown Salt Lake City on the right side of the photo.

Among the exhibits I found most interesting was the geology and history of the Great Salt Lake, all that's left of a massive lake that covered the entire valley in prehistoric times. The water contains several times more salt than sea water, yet certain organisms, plants and animals can live in or near its environs. There were many children in the museum, and we thought how much grandson Mason would enjoy this.

After the museum visit, I treated Sandy to a shopping fix. It had been a several-day dry spell for her, so she hit a couple of stores while I took a nap in the car. Typical of her, she bought only things for Mason and Pryce and some cosmetic concoction that only women can identify or figure out how to use. Besides the brand name, which I can't remember, the container's label identified its purpose, which was something like "age defying lip sealer" or "quiet moment knuckle relaxer" or whatever. Who knows what these things do? Whatever it is, it is deemed essential to life, so I kept quiet and drove. I have learned a few things in 39 years.

After that, we stopped at a grocery store to replenish a few food items we keep on board Phannie. Now I know what your're thinking: Why should we buy any groceries at all? We seem to eat at restaurants for all our meals. Well, that's not entirely true. If we eat breakfast, we always fix that in the coach, as well as any other meal when we don't wish to go out or there are no compelling restaurants nearby. And then there are snacks...let's not forget those! But you're right; we do eat out a lot, but I only do it for you, dear readers, so I can report on what I find!

After that, we were determined to try the Red Iguana Mexican Restaurant, which is probably the most popular in the city. Every time we passed by before today, there was a line out the door, as was the case when we arrived. We had to see what was going on! My guess is that it may partially be due to a visit by Guy Fieri of the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives TV show a few years ago and still in reruns.

After about a 30-minute wait, we were seated at a table for two crowded into a corner with too many people for the room size. I ordered steak strips cooked with peppers, tomatoes and onions and served on an almond mole'.  Sandy had a taco and enchilada a la carte.



My dish

We weren't impressed. It started badly when we noticed that the tortilla chips brought to the table were stale. Sandy's dishes were average or below, and my steak strips were bland. I had to eat them quickly, as they kept disappearing--sinking in the lake of almond mole' on the plate. My entrée was okay, but the almond mole' didn't suit the dish at all, in my view. 

As I remember, the Red Iguana menu item that was demonstrated during Guy's show was, indeed, mole', so I'm guessing this sauce has quite a fan base in this town. I was surprised at the large Hispanic population here, so it would follow that there would be demand for authentic Oaxacan Mexican food. My problem is that I grew up with Tex-Mex and I like it better. Much better.

Another downer was the check's price of $37.00, including tip. I was not amused, I don't understand the hype, and I won't be back.

Customers waiting for a table at the Red Iguana

Speaking of eating joints, I have been working on my list of favorite restaurants from our travels that you can access by clicking on "Favorite Restaurants" near the top of the blog. I think I have listed all of them that are, indeed, favorites. For the purpose of this blog, 'favorite' restaurant is defined as a restaurant to which I would return. There are many that don't make the list. Feel free to consult, and to tell me if you disagree or you find it has gone out of business!

Road trip tomorrow!  Ta Ta for now!

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

Phannie Gets a Bath and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Sings to 20,000 Empty Seats

At the Salt Lake City KOA...

Well, yes, the title is a bit misleading. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra rehearse at the LDS Conference Center on Thursday evenings, and we were privileged to attend the rehearsal today (along with about a thousand other folks). The reason they were singing to 20,000 empty seats was because the conference center has 21,000 seats, and only 1,000 of them were occupied by visitors this evening.

Mike waiting to enter the LDS Conference Center

The music was, as expected, magnificent. As members (inactive, while we're traveling) of the 220-voice choir of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Sandy and I are no strangers to great choral and orchestral music, and we certainly loved this experience. Director Mack Wilberg was gracious in his remarks to the audience, and we were delighted to see the man who arranged brilliantly some of the pieces performed by our own choir and orchestra.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra

Earlier in the day, we engaged the services of Cesar, a hard-working gentleman who operates an RV washing business here in Salt Lake. Cesar came to our parking spot about mid-afternoon to give me an estimate, and I knew it wouldn't be good news when I saw him shaking his head as he told me this was one of the dirtiest coaches he had seen lately. In fact, it was about twice the amount I normally pay during our winter stays in the Rio Grande Valley. But I was desperate; poor Phannie had slogged through intermittent rainstorms in three states, and she was a pitiful-looking mess. Mae, having been dragged behind and catching all of Phannie's road spray, was almost unrecognizable. It looked like we were pulling a giant mud-colored suppository behind us. (Editor's note: Now that I re-read the last sentence, it occurs to me this might be the only time the terms "Mormon Tabernacle Choir" and "suppository" have ever appeared in the same article.) But this is blogland, isn't it?

No blog post of mine would be complete without a restaurant review, so let me tell you about Spitz SLC, a downtown eatery we found after we left the rehearsal. One certainly could not discern from its name the kind of food served, but it turned out to be Mediterranean-ish casual. We shared a good-sized wrap full of gyro meat and veggies and a side of French fries covered with gyro strips and veggies along with a wonderfully flavored tatziki sauce. It was, in two words, crazy good--so much so, that I took a bite or two out of mine before I remembered to take a photo:

One more note:

I have been in the habit of sending an email to some of my blog readers who expressed an interest in knowing when I post something. My friend Bob, in a visit the other day in Colorado Springs, asked why I didn't bring my blog into the 21st century and include a widget that would allow readers to enter their email address if they wish to be advised of postings. Well, perhaps I haven't done that because I'm still surprised that anyone would want to read this rag. Another reason might be that I didn't know about such a widget. In fact, both things could be true.

So, you will notice, near the top of the current article on the right side, a box into which you can enter your email address. If you do that, you'll automatically be notified of each new post, and you won't have to guess when they are published or be aggravated by my emails if you don't want them.

And to those follow these ramblings on a regular basis, I appreciate you a lot, but I can't help but wonder why you don't have something better to do!

Hugs to all!

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

It's even raining in Salt Lake City!

At the Salt Lake City KOA...

After leaving Gunnison, we stopped a short distance out of town to have some breakfast/lunch. There was a nice turnout at the edge of the Gunnison river, and we enjoyed our meal greatly as we looked out the window at the picturesque canyon and the clear water of the river.

View of the Gunnison from Phannie; Sandy's ice tea pitcher is never far away!

We know there are some wags out there who will say that looking out the window from a motorhome is a copout--hardly the same as taking a picnic to the water's edge and communing with nature. Well, I suppose that's true, but how are you going to toast the bread for your sandwich? Huh? Bet you never thought of that?

After arriving in Green River, Utah, where I had originally planned to stop for the night, I determined there were only 180 miles on to Salt Lake City. There wasn't much to the town of Green River, and the RV park was a dump, so we decided to omit the stop altogether. We arrived at Salt Lake in plenty of time to get set up before nightfall. Afterward, we went driving around, casing the joint. It wasn't long, however, before a downpour started. I swear, I do believe the bad weather followed us up here. I'm ready for some sunshine!

I think the leg from Gunnison to Salt Lake was the longest single-day leg of any trip we have taken with Phannie: About 420 miles. In fact, it is about twice as far as we usually go in one day.  We made it fine, but we're pretty tired.

Following U. S. 24 and U. S. 50 from Colorado Springs to Grand Junction was a beautiful drive, but it required quite a bit of work to keep Phannie's speed in check while managing the engine RPM and constant shifting. I'm not sure I would do it in a motorhome again without having a purpose to do so.

Tomorrow we explore Salt Lake City!

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

A Cold and Rainy Ride to Gunnison

At Palisades RV Park, Gunnison, Colorado...

We had a hard time believing it is July. As we headed west on highway 24 from Colorado Springs, the ascent was slower than usual as we made our way in the cold rain and fog. The outside temperature stayed in the low 50s for most of the trip, and got down into the 40s at Monarch Pass. Incredibly, we had to run Phannie's heater most of the way. We began to wonder if it wouldn't have been a better idea to delay another day, as I usually try to avoid driving in the rain if at all possible. Now Phannie and Mae are a dirty mess, and I'm not sure where we will find a truck wash.

Why take highways 24 and 50 westward instead of the Interstate west from Denver?  Curiosity, I guess; I really like to travel routes I haven't seen before. I just can't wait to see what's around the next curve and, hopefully, it won't be a log truck in my lane.

I was also looking forward to driving over the legendary Monarch Pass between Salida and Gunnison. The highway was well maintained with plenty of turnouts and slow lanes, but the steep downhill grade past the summit was a formidable challenge to keep Phannie's speed in check. It required a downshift to third gear and even second in some places.

Gunnison is a pretty little town with wide streets and looks well kept, and the Garmin GPS led us expertly to the Palisades RV Park, a place recommended by friends Paul and Mary, who spend a good bit of time there in the summers.

The park management seems to be of the no-nonsense variety, having made sure we understood that this is a 55-plus park and that bringing kids would not be appropriate. When we arrived, there was a sign right in the middle of the driveway that read, "Drive Slow...or Else!" This jolted me a bit, and I wondered, "Or else what?" I started to look around for someone with a nightstick or maybe a sniper or something! When we pulled up in front of the office, which was closed at the hour of our late arrival, a rather intense man emerged from an Airstream trailer near the gate and walked over. Without a smile or greeting, he said,

"Do you have a reservation?"

I answered in the affirmative, and he pointed to the only parking site left in the park. He said,

"Well, park right there; we'll see you in the morning."

Then he turned around and walked briskly back to the trailer, as I stood there, blinking. My guess is that I interrupted his dinner.

The park had wide spaces and access roads and was in a very quiet area. Thanks, Paul and Mary, for the recommendation.

After getting set up, we drove to town to find some dinner. Our friends had recommended several restaurants, the top one being the Twisted Fork, which we were disappointed to learn is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Since it was Tuesday, we settled for the Old Miner Steakhouse, also recommended. They were very busy, so we had to wait a half hour for a table.

We had a nice meal and found that splitting a steak was more than ample for us. Thanks again, Paul and Mary; and yes, we're bummed about missing the Twisted Fork!

We'll be headed into Utah tomorrow!

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

Lunch and Monkey Business at Colorado Springs

At Colorado Springs KOA...

We never know what any day will bring, but we always anticipate a good time when we meet up with friends Ed and Marilyn. Mutual friends Bob and Janet tagged along with them for lunch today, and their presence just added to the merriment. We met at the English Dockside Seafood Restaurant in Old Colorado Springs, where we had a really good lunch and got caught up with each other's meanderings.

Sandy, Janet, Bob, Ed and Marilyn

After we ate, we followed our friends out to their summer digs at Mountain Dale RV Resort south of Colorado Springs on highway 115. It's easy to see why they spend summers here; the place is beautiful, and especially so today after the mountain showers had freshened the trees and landscaping. The temperature was in the sixties, and we felt almost smug that we were here rather than in Texas today. We gathered once again in Ed and Marilyn's Mobile Suites fiver to enjoy some lemon merengue pie that Sandy had made earlier in the day, knowing it is Ed's favorite. Here's a photo of the pie as it came out of the oven:

 

 



We all sat around eating pie (it was delicious), but not before Ed had made noises of disapproval about the size of the portions that were being served. I think he was suggesting smaller sizes for everyone except himself. When Bob declined to take a slice, Ed smiled broadly, but the rest of us were worried that Bob may have stopped his therapy too early. That's just not normal.

As always happens with this bunch, we laughed a lot and, for the guys, it was open season for the disparagement of everything from our age and looks to Ed's and my flying skills which, of course, should never be open to question. This was nothing new, of course, and I would be worried if we didn't get to slam each other a bit. Bob even had the nerve to take sides with Sandy in one of her ravings about the qualities of different kinds of ice in beverages. I have warned him before about talking to women; it's like taking a cap pistol to a gunfight.

We soon said our goodbyes, feeling good about having had a visit with these good friends.

After a little rest, we decided we wanted a hamburger, so we stopped at the Green Line Grill, a highly-recommended burger joint. When we arrived, we found it pretty much a dive, but we've found some of the best food in such places, so that didn't deter us. We weren't disappointed; both of us had their signature onion burger and hand cut seasoned fries. Both were delicious, for sure. Take a look:

We had read in some of the reviews about the "vibe" of this place, but we didn't notice anything peculiar in this tiny place with only five tables. Before long, however, some additional patrons strolled in, and we started to understand about the "vibe." 

This young man certainly made a personal grooming statement:

Now far be it from me to judge people based on their hairstyle. I merely wondered how I would look if I had enough hair to do this.

A few minutes later a gentleman walked in and sat at the counter on a stool very close to our booth. After placing his order, he turned around and, without solicitation from us, began a soliloquy about a breed of goats whose bleating sounds much like a human scream. He then demonstrated the sound in a loud voice, causing the rest of the customers to look up from their meals and causing a bite of my onion burger to become quite lodged in my gullet in the approximate area of my larynx. Sandy jumped, and her eyes quickly darted around the room, as if she were sizing up all the potential exits. Perhaps it was Sandy's reaction or the increasingly blue tint of my face, but he soon turned around and apologized to the red-faced manager for scaring the customers. Thankfully, a quick cough dislodged my onion burger cud, and things quickly returned to normal. Or so I thought.

After a few minutes, a young lady strolled in and sat down beside the goat impressionist. She was rather unremarkable except for her attire or, rather, what little of it there was. To say that she may have been underdressed for the cold and rainy 61-degree weather outside was an understatement. She engaged the man in a conversation, the details of which were inaudible, but it appeared some kind of negotiation was being discussed. He eventually shook his head decidedly, and she took a few bites of his french fries and walked out of the restaurant. Now I'm not speculating about the meaning of that encounter; I report, you decide. What I do know is that this was one of the more memorable restaurant meals we've had in a long time.

On our way back to the KOA, I stopped to get some gas in Mae and noticed an unusual fifth wheel parked nearby. There was no one attending the vehicle, so I couldn't ask anyone about it. I took this photo, but I still can't imagine what this configuration might be:

What a day! Like I said, you never know what any day will bring, but as Ed always signs off, "Life is good!"

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

Lunch With Friends in Colorado Springs

At Colorado Springs KOA...

Dave and Martha Jo are more Texas expat friends of ours who have relocated here, and we were thrilled when they agreed to have lunch with us. 

Sandy and Martha Jo taught gifted children in the Irving, Texas school district before they retired, and Dave is a retired business executive. They are a sweet couple, and we had a great time talking all through lunch and way beyond. What a treat to see them again!

The venue was my choice, a small restaurant named Basil Thai. I found good reviews on Yelp, so I felt pretty confident that we would have a good meal. And we did, sort of; it's just that most everything we had was, well, mediocre. I don't quite understand the high marks of some of the reviewers but, then, I'm awfully picky. If I owned a restaurant, I would hate to have myself as a customer.

Now that we have heard several stories from our friends as to why they relocated here from Texas, we see there is a common theme. They love this picturesque area, and it's too doggone hot in the summertime in Texas. And as I write this post very late in the evening, I notice that the temperature past midnight in Forth Worth is still 84 degrees. A glance at the OAT gauge on Phannie now reveals 68 degrees as the temperature here in Colorado Springs. This could give even a diehard Texan like me impure thoughts about moving. (I said it "could" give me such thoughts; I didn't say it did.) 

After lunch, Sandy and I did a little shopping and went back to Phannie for a much needed nap after all that activity. Dinner was at a tiny Mediterranean diner downtown called Jerusalem Café. Sadly, it mimicked our lunch meal in its dedication to "average." This bolsters my theory that only about one restaurant in 15 might be worthy of my second visit. Only about one in 30 would get a rating higher than three stars or get a recommendation from me. And only in one in a hundred would any attempt to steal my food be met with gunfire.

Tomorrow will be another fun lunch, this time with longtime friends and fellow bloggers Ed and Marilyn. This his been a great layover for us, and we feel very fortunate to have seen all these fine folks.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

Catching up in Colorado Springs

At the Colorado Springs KOA...

One of the best things about being retired is being able to free up some time to reconnect with friends in distant places. Such was our experience in Colorado Springs this evening with Sandy's longtime high school friend Vicki and her sister, Phyllis. Until today, these were only cyber friends for me, but I quickly felt as though I had known them for a long time. 

The conversation never lagged with these merry souls, and we shared a lot of laughs over some really fine Mexican food at Hacienda Colorado. My favorite dish was, unfortunately for me, Sandy's--a trio of enchiladas (chicken, barbacoa and shrimp) ordered a la carte. If you should go there, you won't be disappointed if you order this. I know, because I stole several bites when Sandy wasn't looking.

Vicki has been a faithful follower of this blog, and I think she may be won over to RVing in the near future; we hope so.

Coming down off Raton Pass was done only reluctantly this morning, as it meant leaving behind the cool air and facing the ninety-plus temp of the Colorado plain as we pushed Phannie northward on I-25, paralleling the front range of the Rockies. Fortunately, an afternoon shower cooled things down nicely. I don't even think I perspired as I attached Phannie's umbilical cords for our three night stay here at the KOA. The park was very busy, as you might imagine, since it is the July 4th weekend.

Tomorrow, we will reconnect with Texas ex-pat friends Martha Jo and Dave. That will also be a fun time.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

Raton Pass and Cool Air

At Raton Pass RV Park, Raton, New Mexico...

After an uneventful drive from Amarillo, we pulled into this park at the top of Raton Pass; it was formerly named the Cedar Rail Park and Café. The owners certainly picked a scenic place for the park, carved out of the side of a mountain and sporting views like this:

Equally impressive as the view from the park was the reading on Phannie's outside air temperature gauge. Since one of the benefits of fleeing Texas for northern climes was the anticipation of cooler surroundings, I kept a close eye on this dial as we slowly climbed through New Mexico to the nearly 8,000 feet elevation at Raton Pass. Leaving Amarillo, the gauge read 95 degrees; when we pulled into our space at Raton Pass, it read 71 degrees. Now that's what I'm talking about! I could hardly wait to open the door and take a deep breath of the cool mountain air, and it was just as refreshing as I had imagined.

As we were setting up for the night, I noticed that one of Phannie's motorized MCD shades would not descend to cover the cockpit passenger window. I diagnosed it as a weak battery in the controller, so we took off to downtown Raton to pick up one of the little wafer batteries. I usually keep a good supply of batteries on board, but I didn't have one of those. We picked up an extra as a spare, along with some grocery items, and made our way back uphill to our campground.

We decided to eat dinner at the small café that shared space with the campground office. The draw for the place was supposed to be home-cooked food, but it disappointed, I'm afraid. The chicken was dry, the potato salad had way too much mayo, and the green chile sauce was a gelatinous blob that was downright scary.  Don't bother.

When we came through here the last time, we had a wonderful meal at El Matador in downtown Raton and possibly the best green chile sauce ever. I wish we had not tried something new this time.

Tomorrow we will have a fairly short leg to Colorado Springs, where we will be staying for a few days to visit friends before continuing into Utah and points north.

Still obsessed by the novelty of the cool air here on the mountain, I thought I would check the outside temperature again just before bedtime:

Pretty cool, huh?  (Sorry)

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.

Amarillo By Morning

At A-OK Camping Park, Amarillo, Texas...

Okay, it's not morning, but that's how George Strait sang the song. We would never, ever be anywhere before noon when traveling in Phannie. Pertaining to us, the phrase should be, "Amarillo by Evening," which was exactly the case today.

I think Bubba has put a curse on us, because Miss Allen's Fried Chicken was closed for the holiday when we passed by it in Sweetwater today. This is the second time we've found the place closed when we've stopped by. You can read more about Miss Allen's here. Then you'll know why we were bummed; I was hungry for good fried chicken.

We fended off starvation by having a few tacos at a Mexican restaurant nearby, but it was pretty run-of-the-mill stuff and not worth mentioning.

The drive northward from Sweetwater to Amarillo is, unfortunately, one of the more tedious ones in my beloved state--250 miles of FLAT, treeless plain with 4,370 telephone poles passing by the window (according to Bubba). Who's Bubba? A longtime family friend who is also a motorhome owner. Just put his name in the search box on the home page and you can find out more.

The elevation climbs imperceptibly to 3500 feet by the time you get to Amarillo, the area being known, quite appropriately, as the high plains of Texas.

I was determined to get some use out of my Passport America lifetime membership, so I pulled in to the A-OK Camper Park east of Amarillo on I-40. To say that this place is a dump would be an understatement of historic proportion. The park was home to quite a number of ancient towable RVs in various states of disrepair. One of them even had a water cooler jury-rigged into one of the windows. However, looking joltingly out of place on the dirt sites were Phannie and two other late model motor homes that were obviously overnighters. It seems that I was not the only cheapskate driving through Amarillo today, but at a PA rate of $12.50, I can put up with a good bit of shoddiness, especially for just one short overnight.

We drove downtown to the Bangkok Tokyo restaurant, which was jammed with customers. We decided to go with the flow of the Thai/Japanese theme by ordering shrimp tempura and a Thai chicken and vegetable stir fry. The tempura was tasty, but a bit too greasy, and the stir fry was fresh and cooked well.

Afterward, we made an obligatory stop at Wally World to pick up a few things.

I made a mental note that Inland Truck Parts and Service has a facility here in Amarillo. In a previous post, I bragged on Inland about the good experience I had with them at their Irving shop, and I think I would give them a try if I ever had a mechanical problem in these parts.

Well, it's bedtime, and I have to get up at the crack of nine in the morning, so I better sign off. Tomorrow's destination is Raton, NM.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

Here We Go!

At Abilene RV Park, Abilene, Texas...

The last items of our lengthy 'to do' list were taken care of only a couple of days before the launch of this epic trip. Safelite came out and fixed a small rock chip in Phannie's big windshield; we didn't want that chip to spread, you know. After that, I enlisted the aid of grandson Mason to wash Phannie. It was no surprise that his work output was frequently interrupted by, well, just about everything. I gave him a nice cash "paycheck" for his efforts, anyway. That's what grandfathers do!

It wasn't quite as rigorous  for us on departure day as I thought it would be, given the ambitious nature of the trip. Sandy made nice progress in doing triage in her wardrobe. We worked steadily and pulled out onto I-20 shortly after noon for the relatively short leg to Abilene. We have learned not to do a long trip leg on departure day, because of the length of time it takes to prepare the coach and the house.

After getting set up at Abilene RV Park, we went to a nearby restaurant named the Towne Crier, mainly because it has a salad bar, something that we like to patronize in a restaurant. For some reason, salad bars don't seem as popular as they used to be, but it's probably just another sign of the changing times. (And I'm getting pretty tired of all this "hope and change" stuff.)

The Towne Crier restaurant made me want to cry, too, because of my poor choice of restaurants. Bubba told us to go to one of a couple of other steakhouses in the area, and I should have listened to him. Everything about the meal at this place was awful, and I believe it was the first time in my long eating career that I had left any part of a ribeye on my plate.

Tomorrow, we will follow Bubba's recommendation, Miss Allen's Fried Chicken in Sweetwater. This is actually a no-brainer, because we've eaten there before, and it was definitely worth the stop.

To Colorado and Beyond!

Thank you, Lord for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.

Countdown to Alaska

At home near Fort Worth, Texas...

The digital thermometer in the den shows the outside temperature reaching into the nineties now each day. As the digits creep inexorably toward displaying three in number--and they will--I sense the need to abandon my glorious state for cooler climes.

In a few days, we will begin (for us) an epic RV trip up through the mountains of the western U. S. to Seattle, where we will board a cruise ship to Alaska. (Yes, yes, I know what I wrote in previous posts about cruises, but perhaps third time is the charm, who knows?) On the way there, we will visit several national parks that we have not seen, including Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier and several others. We will stop in Colorado for a few days to visit friends on the way. The trip home from Seattle will be southbound along the west coast and over to the Grand Canyon.

Phannie will take us to Seattle, and we will leave her there during the cruise. Driving to Alaska would undoubtedly be a magnificent road trip, but we just don't have the stamina to do that. We admire those who have made the drive--especially those in RVs--but we are just too accustomed to the easy life and the modern conveniences and services that go along with it. For example, being without cellphone and Internet service for any length of time would make me nervous, but it would probably render Sandy comatose. Yes, we admit we are wusses, but go ahead and get your scoffing over with. It's still not gonna happen.

Since our return home from South Padre, we have been beehives of activity getting prepared for our time away. There have been more dentist and doctor appointments for me and, of course, Sandy's visit to her hairdresser. If that weren't enough, there were the hedges to trim (again) and bushes to prune back. Oh, yes, and our smaller air conditioner is on the fritz. Fortunately, we are somewhat over-air conditioned by design, so we will not suffer while the unit is being repaired. Keeping up the stick and bricks house still causes me to mutter under my breath about just why we're bothering to do that.

Phannie and Mae were on the to do list, as well. An oil change and wash job for Mae was due, and it was once again time for Phannie's annual service visit. Inland Truck in Irving performed this for us, changing oil and filters on the bus engine and on the Onan genset, as well as fuel filters and a lube job. We like dealing with these people, as they are knowledgeable and friendly. Moreover, for such a large facility, they generally have a very quick turnaround. On most days, if your rig is at their facility in the morning, they'll have you on your way in the afternoon, with no reservations needed. I recommend them highly. This was a far cry from Freightliner of Fort Worth, where it took nine days to do a fairly simple repair on Phannie. I haven't been back there since.

Don, the friendly service writer at Inland

Inland's Headquarters Building

I have actually been dragging myself into doing some trip planning, using the My Scenic Drives app. I think I have pretty much settled on the itinerary and campgrounds as far as Salt Lake City, but I think I may need to do the rest of my research in moderation. (Too much planning tends to remind me of w**k.) I also use Google Earth to find campgrounds and to see what they look like at the same time. If you type in a search phrase like, "RV parks near (city, state)," you should get a nice list, with pins on the map. Then you can swoop down and take a look. I also pay attention to the RV Park Reviews website, where I'll check to see if there are any issues at the various locations.

Prelaunch activities will become busier and busier in the next week. For example, Phannie is due an inspection and registration renewal, a task that must be handled right away, lest we get ticketed en route
when our sticker runs out at the end of July. As I predicted, Sandy is getting anxious about selecting her wardrobe for the trip. More often than not, she just stares into space at her closet door; I'm not sure what that means, but it probably isn't good.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate enough each day.

Goodbye to South Padre

At Hatch RV Park, Corpus Christi, Texas...

After seeing the kids off at the Harlingen Airport for their one-hour flight back to Houston, we spent our last evening watching the sun set on the beautiful thunderheads just offshore at Padre Island. I have always enjoyed watching these majestic clouds in their billowing form that changes from brilliant white to gold to orange as the sun sets. As a pilot, however, I can appreciate their treachery, in that the outward beauty of their form belies the violence that awaits within for the hapless aviator who would enter these cells. I'm glad I always had weather radar on the aircraft I flew during my career. It must have been pretty exciting for pilots before that invention came along. 

Earlier in the day, we enjoyed a lunch of fresh seafood at Pier 19, a local island restaurant built on a pier jutting out into the causeway and providing a nice view of the water and boat traffic nearby. The food here was good, by the way. I wouldn't say it served the best seafood we had, but it is definitely worth a visit.

The next morning, we pointed Phannie northward toward Fort Worth, with en route stops at Corpus Christi and Spring (Houston) over the next few days. As luck would have it, tropical storm Bill had made landfall near Houston, and we wondered if we would have bad weather to deal with driving from Padre to Corpus. We kept an eye on the weather radar, using my favorite (but pricey) iPad app, RadarScope--which I highly recommend, by the way. Fortunately, tropical storm Bill's rain bands were concentrated north and east of the eye of the storm, leaving the drive from Padre to Corpus dry but increasingly windy as we got closer to the center of the rotation north of Corpus.

Corpus Christi Bay View of Downtown

While we were intending to spend only one night in Corpus, it turned into two. Heavy rains that had been lurking just offshore in Corpus Christi Bay finally moved onshore on departure morning, and the radar showed our route up U. S. 59 covered up with yellow and orange returns. Phannie would not be getting her feet wet this day, and Sandy decided to use the layover for the most productive thing she could think of--shopping! She offered some justification for this outing by announcing her assessment that the grandsons may not have more clothes than they can wear, so that would need to be corrected immediately!

Now in the 39 years we have been together, I have learned a few things. One of them is to avoid questioning Sandy's logic when it comes to any mission on behalf of the grandkids. To reap at least some appreciation reward for what was likely to be an expensive adventure, I smiled sweetly, found the car keys and offered to drive her to the mall. What do guys know about kids' clothes anyway? Why, if it were left up to Tyler and me, the boys would probably be naked before we figured out some clothes were needed.

Fortunately, I still had enough money left at the end of the day to buy dinner, this time at this place:

Now Chinese buffet restaurants can be a mixed bag, as you probably know. We haven't found very many that are worthy of note, but this one is. It had one of the largest selections of food we have ever seen, and they all appeared to be fresh--a problem in many other places we've tried. Worth a visit, in my view.

We're hoping for relatively dry travel toward Houston, as we wind up our weather delay here in Corpus Christi.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I do not appreciate it enough each day.