Homeward bound.

Last night found us perched in T.O. Fuller State Park right around the corner from Graceland but, let me tell ya, there was nothing graceful about this state park. Although our camp site was beautiful, ie treed, the facilities lacked a certain, oh, cleanliness. We’re hoping that this one experience is not indicative of state parks.

We pulled in and starting setting up camp. For the first time on this trip, we had to actually level the camper as the site was not level to begin with. Since we’ve stayed in private campgrounds until now, we’ve been spoiled (ok, the Shadow Cruiser has already spoiled us anyway) but our sites have always been spot on level. Not so with Fuller State Park (John says we were on a cliff….). The site wasn’t really all that bad but it sure wasn’t level. And, since this is our first trip, we didn’t have leveling blocks with us so flatish rocks had to work – which they did after about, oh, 20 minutes. But, we now understand how to level the camper.

The next challenge came when we realized that the pool was a short 1.25 miles away – ugh. Too hot and muggy to walk so we unhitched the truck for the first time and took off for the pool. On the way, we decided to stop for some real Memphis barbeque so got online and read some reviews. We decided on A&R Barbeque but, on the way, I spotted a barbeque truck (what?!!!). Yep, an old bus setting right there by the road looked just like the kind of crap….er….cuisine that John and I go for. So, I turned around the truck only to find that the bus was closed. Drats. Off to A&R we went.

Dinner was ribs, coleslaw, some of the best baked beans ever, and turkey green beans. Now, you’re probably wondering what the heck turkey green beans are (we were too). They’re green beans cooked with smoked turkey leg meat. They were the only thing that fell short on the delicious meter. They were very salty and, well, just plain old not good. But, the rest of meal was really really good and was priced well ($27 for two). Memphis does have a corner on the barbeque market.

Was contemplating dropping into see Elvis’ home but decided that we had little chance of meeting him (he being dead and all) so passed up the opportunity to see where Elvis slept – probably in a bed. Came back to camp and started a nice fire which, of course, reminded us of Joe, my dad. My dad would always look at a campfire or a barbeque grill and say, without fail: “You know what would be good right now?” Whomever was around, in synchrony, would all say with him ‘A  hot dog!’ It didn’t matter if we’d just had dinners or not. A hot dog over a fire was like dessert to my adorable dad. So, it didn’t surprise me when John said ‘you know what would go good on that fire right now?” My reply was ‘a hot dog’ and there was Joe right there with us. It’s so nice to have those memories of my folks. By the way, the hot dog was delicious.

After dinner, we were treated to a thunderstorm during which we turned off the air and just enjoyed the sound of the rain on the tin roof of the camper. In fact, it was so wonderful that it lulled us to sleep sort of early but, then again, we must have needed the extra rest as we got up at 4:45am which is very late for us. Shoot!  A short 45 minutes later, and one smashed finger (sorry, John), we’d successfully hitched up the trailer to the truck, stowed everything, and are now on the road as I write this post. We’ve got a long day ahead with an estimated pull in time in Wytheville, Virginia at 3:29pm. That will put us within easy striking distance of home tomorrow with about a 3 hour ride.  All in all, a very successful trip. My brother Mike cautioned John privately that this camping trip could be ‘a relationship changing event’ – and it has been. The love we feel for each other has been strengthened through the 2800 miles of shared experiences.

Update: it's now 4 hours after I started this post - not sure why the US doesn't have wireless everywhere! Anyway, we're now approaching our home territory of VA and MD. Rain is flowing but the travel is still nice and easy. Better go before I lose connection again!

Goodbye, New Orleans. Hello Memphis!

Well, yesterday found us getting on and shortly off the Jump On, Jump Off bus. Turns out that neither John nor I are touristy type of people, and the chatter from the narrator  droves us nuts in very short order. So, we hoofed it around town. Went to Cemetary #1 where Marie Laveau is buried. Marie was a big wig in the voodoo circle back in the early 1800s. Nicholas Cage actually has a plot thee – turns out that the IRS can’t seize burial property and, since he declared bankruptcy, at least his final resting place is final.

New Orleans appears to be full of chicken bones – not exactly sure if they were live chickens or dead as Voodoo abounds. I prefer to think of them as dead and fried. But, they sure were everywhere. That and found money. There was quite a bit of money that I just wasn’t interested in going after as can be seen in the below picture – ewwwww.

Ended up at the French market where we sampled Mac N Cheese with Crawfish, coconut shrimp that was awesome and local corn cooked two ways – boiled and deep fried. I actually liked the boiled better but John being a lover of anything fried, loved that corn the best.

We walked around the market and managed to not buy a thing. But, that doesn’t mean we saved money as the next stop was the casino (drats). Actually, it worked out pretty well as I found $50 and John found $55! Not a bad take all in all. Lesson learned; watch the floors and the top of the paper towel dispenser in casinos….

Walked back to Bourbon Street and found a delightful saloon in which to perch. Live music included a very talented woman singing so dancing ensued. Lots of laughs with another couple close by, especiallty when the tambourines came out, and then we were back on our way home.

Hit the pool for a few hours before retiring early as we’re on the road again. Headed to Memphis tonight which is a short 6 hour ride. Easy as pie. Tomorrow, we’ll head out toward Virginia which is a longer ride but, the Toyota is pure luxury so even a long day is not all that fatiguing.

Hello, New Orleans!

We left San Antonia at 3 am yesterday and arrived in New Orleans around 2 pm. John got stuck driving through Houston at rush hour - whew - I escaped that one! I ended up driving the final leg which, of course, took us to a casino in a Shell gas station. We stopped 40 minutes, or rather, $40 dollars worth before hitting the road again. Set up camp in a great RV park just a short .5 miles to Bourbon Street.

The RV park is beautiful and is set up in the style of New Orleans with brick walkways, a brick bar we can use, hot tub and the requisite pool. I love the setting and the fact that we can waddle right down to Bourbon street where the action is - or was.

About 5 hours wandering the streets got us back to the RV around 9:30 pm which is quite late for us. We're like Ben Franklin - early to bed and early to rise; we just don't have the wise part quite down yet.

So, my learning curve continues with my first back up into our RV slot. I was nervous about it but needn't be as I did pretty well. The fact that the truck was askew had no bearing on the fact that the camper was straight. It did look pretty goofy though with the truck going mostly sideways so John straightened it out. I could have done it but he said he 'wanted practice.' Hmmm...methinks he doubted my abilities.

Bourbon street was a blast and included a few cocktails as we wandered the streets and listened to some wonderful impromptu jazz bands on this corner or that. Had some great gumbo and fried eggplant that was really good. Lots of laughter ensued and then bedtime came about the second we hit the front door. The night was enhanced when we were treated to a few rainstorms passing through. I've always loved rain and this was no exception.

We got up at 5 and, after a few cups of coffee, hit the streets again to buy provisions for breakfast at the local market. Got waylaid and ended up at the Harrah's casino (yes, one of us appears to have a gambling issue - no need to mention names....) where we dumped, oh, never mind.n  Let's just say the morning included a great and very long walk but was not monetarily profitable unless you count the $0.13 I found in 4 separate spots. This town appears to be full of lost money - some of which I refused to pick up as it was just in a gross spot.

We're sitting at the pool right now where the sun is just peeking out from behind a clouded sky. It's the perfect setting and I've got the perfect man beside me. We've had a wonderful trip so far. As John has said many times over the 5.5 years we've been together, "I don't hate you or anything."

Lessons learned on the first trip in the Shadow Cruiser...

So, the very minute we pull into Traveler's World in San Antonio yesterday, the fan in the truck stopped working which meant one of us (who shall remain nameless) had a mental meltdown while contemplating traveling another 1500 miles with no air conditioning. Ok, once I calmed John down (insert snort laughing track), got online and looked to see what the problem could be. Opened the fuse box, looked fine. Keep looking online. Ah, there it is - faulty wiring is a known issue with this Toyota. Ugh.  But, turned on the truck and, miracle of miracle, fan worked. So, we're ok on that front.

Now, plugged in the Shadow Cruiser to the electric hookup at the camp site. Went in and started to set up the inside with lights, camera, and action! Well, pressed the air conditioning button - nothing. WHAT THE HELL?!!! So, another mental meltdown occurred as we considered the ramifications of trying to sleep with no ac. John suggested that I call the dealership, but called Mike first - thank you Lord for giving my head that suggestion. Mike started going through a quick troubleshooting session with me. And, here's a lesson learned:

Just because the trailer has lights, water, etc, doesn't mean the electric is working. All of that stuff can be operated off the auxilary battery. So, one needs to sometimes TURN ON THE ELECTRIC on the box at the camp site. Duh. Flipped up the breaker switch and, ah...cooling air. Whew! So, at least for the moment, all is well.

The trailer park was only a 3 mile walk to the River Walk or 15 minutes by bus and, since the bus stop was quite conveniently across the street we (well, I....) decided we'd take the $1.20 bus instead of a cab ride. - it was way too hot to contemplate walking. Now, John is not a fan of public transportation and, another lesson learned, neither am I. I've only been on a bus maybe 10 times total in my lifetime so I'm not what you call schooled in public transportation, including the fact that a 'bus schedule' is a loose term as could be witnessed as John and I cooled our jets for 20 minutes - yep, the bus was that late.

Anyway, River Walk was fun as always and even more so since neither John nor I have been there for a number of years. We both love discovering places together and yesterday was no different. John took me to a place called "Dick's" where the waiters are intentionally rude. Patrons sometimes wear huge hats made of bucher paper with things written on them. My favorite was a girl with dyed hair whose hat said "The curtains and the carpet don't match."

Another blond girl's hat said "In training at pole dance academy." I wanted a hat very badly but John refused to let me get one - he said my hat could very well carry the message "I sleep with young boys." Nixed that idea quickly.

Got a suggestion for dinner at a wonderful place called Rossario's which is off the beaten path. We decided to let our waiter order for us and, boy, were we happy. He selected a fish dish for me that was truly delightful and John got pork and beef tamales or something like that. Dinner was a huge hit.

Came back to camp and turned in early as we wanted to hit the road today around 3 am which we did. As I type this, we're coming out of Houston on our way to New Orleans for 2 nights. We have a nice campsite reserved just 4 blocks from Bourbon street. There's a pool and all all the amenities a Princess may require. So, more later.

This is when a Class C camper would come in handy

So yesterday found us in Van Horn Texas around noon at a KOA with a pool. The day was overcast on the drive down from Tucson and, like magic, the clouds parted and the sun came out right as we jumped in the pool. It was great! Ran into some nice people there and actually enjoyed their kids in the pool for a few hours. Almost ended up with a puppy that some people had with them which was way too young to be taken from its mother - looked to me to be about 6 weeks old. Adorable little thing. John talked me down....

Hired a local Mexican guy to run and get us a steak dinner which worked out great for all involved. He ended up with a handsome tip, and we had a decent dinner versus the chips and one hot pickle we'd managed to score at the last rest stop. For those unaware, Van Horn ain't much. We had hoped to get some hot dogs on the grill but, ah, that wasn't to be. Regardless, we had a total blast! Put out the rug and dropped the awning for a bit of 'porch sitting'. Camper is a dream to tow so the trip has been great so far. But, then again, look who I have beside me - how could it not be great? Well, more on that below....

Now, about that class C camper. A class C is one of the campers that you drive and is open to the back. It would have come in extremely handy as John woke me at 1 am 'ready to go!' As I recall, I wasn't.....So.....for those of you who think I always get my way - um, not so much this time. Although I did put my foot down when he started to pass up the Pilot gas station where my coffee awaited.

If we'd had that class C which is in the future, I could have languished in bed as he drove, exactly the way any good princess should spend the morning on the road. See where I'm going with this? Plan is to keep the current rig probably 2 years and, just like the Jeffersons, we're going to 'move on up.'

So, here it is at 3:26 and we've been on the road a bit now. About to stop for gas and switch drivers. We're headed to San Antonio - 346 miles away at this posting. We're planning to park the trailer and take the truck down to the river walk for a bit of rambling this afternoon.

Edited at 10:16am - After I posted that last bit, J boy and I were getting sleepy so we pulled over in a parking spot off 10E and climbed back into bed. There is a big benefit to carrying one's home behind one. Slept for 2 hours and back at it. Stopped at La Mexicana outside Ozona Texas for a delicious, authentic Mexican burrito for breakfast. Yum!

It’s 8:20 am and we’re at our second gas stop. Left Mike’s at 4 am and saw a beautiful sunrise while coming through the southern end of Arizona. The mountains were very rocky and very beautiful.

Averaging 9.4 mpg at the moment which is about what I expected considering the Toyota is a monster truck pulling the Shadow Cruiser loaded down with a whole lot of stuff! We’re rotating driving every 2 hours which is nice – just as road fatigue sets in, it’s time for a break.

Got a reservation for a pull-through spot in Van Horn, Texas for tonight. Pull through spots are highly desirable so we don’t have to mess with backing up the trailer. We’ve got a pool, internet, and all the modern conveniences afforded campers – and then some. Just as an aside, my idea of ‘roughing it’ is sitting in my new Sharper Image shiatsu massage chair pad which only had 3 speeds….hmmmm….need to upgrade!

 

More later as the day unfolds.

The resurrection of this blog begins

So, I decided to revive this blog after letting it lapse for, oh, a year. In fact, so much time has gone by where I didn't post a single blog that I'm a bit embarrassed. Eh, I'll get over it. Anyway, onto new and better things. And, "what would that be" you might ask? Well, the big giant hint is in that picture above.

That rig is our new Toyota Tundra full-sized pick em up truck and our 2013 Shadow Cruiser S260BHS Travel Trailer! Yep, we've done it. I'm following in my mom and dad's footsteps into the trailer world. Just as they did, I'm starting with a pull behind trailer, and, a lovely one at that. I bought it in Tucson while visiting big brother Mike in May 2013. And, of course, I had to have a truck to pull the trailer so enter that Toyota Tundra which I positively love!

So, here I sit, in my niece's bed (she's at horse camp in California at the moment), having run all over Tucson with Mike the last 3 days outfitting the trailer. And, let me tell you, there's a lot of outfitting to be done with a new trailer. It was just like when I moved into my first college dorm:

Plates? Check
Silverware? Check
Sheets and blankets? Check, check
Toiletries? Check
Flashlights? Check
The Sharper Image Massage and Shiatsu Chair With Heat? Check - WHAT? How'd THAT get on the list? Well, I decided to have just one luxury and this thing is it! Whomever is not driving (that will usually be moi) will be resting said fanny upon this amazing chair pad. We have an inverter in the truck so I expect to be massaging and blogging at the same time! Is that cool, or what???

Now, the real adventure begins when John arrives into Tucson at 10:00 am to join me before we set out on the maiden voyage tomorrow morning at 4 o-dark-thirty. Oh, um, wait! Make that 'when John arrived into Tucson at 4:30 PM to join me...' - sucker missed his flight. It's starting....

So pleased to be flying to Tucson via LA....

So, the tale begins....

I originally wanted a little bitty adorable 16' trailer which I was quickly talked out of. The issue seemed to be that, with John, me, and 4 dogs along for the ride, there would be absolutely no way to walk around a 16 footer. So, I got talked into a 20 footer which I was ok with until I saw that Shadow Cruiser above at an RV show in Tucson (note to readers: do not go to RV shows without supervision, which, btw, I had in the form of my brother Mike. To Mike's credit, he did try to take some sense into me, but, as is my wont, I charged ahead, literally. Charge card in hand, that trailer was mine!).

So, now I've got a 28' trailer and a whole lot of adventure coming up. So, bookmark this log or sign up for the RSS feed. I'll be blogging frequently from the road as we head home on our first US tour. By the end of the upcoming week, I hope to be an old pro at RVing.

And, along the line, I'll be putting some ads on these pages from which you can buy all kinds of products we're going to find that we can't live without. Do me a favor and buy something will ya? Someone has to finance this sucker!

Here's an article I wrote on Squidoo - my first in what I believe will be a long series of articles regarding travel trailers:

2013 Shadow Cruiser S260BHS Review - An Owner's Perspective

Bobbi, in her infinite wisdom, gave me the Lucy/Desi movie 'The Long Long Trailer' to watch before I left to come back to Tucson. I was rolling! I'm hoping it's not a predictor of things to come. Here's a link for it. It's old but really funny: