We had a nice, quiet Thanksgiving and remembered all the many things that we are thankful for...too many to list here.
Casinos have fantastic buffets at very cheap prices...not because they are great humanitarians...they suspect you will drop a few coins on your way in/out. We had a very nice traditional meal at at near by buffet. Was VERY good. But, when we called our dear friend on Cedar Island we were reminded that we had not had collards so our meal was lacking! You're right Pop! But we did miss a massive NorEaster on Cedar Island that stayed around for 3 days. We've been here since 31 Oct and have seen not a drop of rain.
Steve mentioned earlier a problem of what show to see since Barbara Streisand and Larry the Cable Guy are here. Now, it got worse: the Dixie Chicks are here too. Steve keeps saying: "Get er done!!!!"
As nice as this RV park is, we're anxious to move on the the Grand Canyon and SOB.
Hugs to all
Friday, November 24, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
We Have A Date!
Finally we know when we'll head SOB! The task finishes here on the 6th so we'll head for Grand Canyon and stay there 2 nights and then on to the Border.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Sunday in Vegas...these sure are different Cathedrals!!
Yesterday was our 1st Blog and overnight realize that we left some things out. Again, this is for family and close friends who care what we're up to; most will find it boring, Maybe it will get more exciting when we head SOB (I wonder if there will be "Pedro" signs every mile or so as we get close...like on I-95?)
If you're new to blogs, they generally show the newest post on top...you can change that but for now you should read from the bottom. Check back periodically and see when we've updated...probably won't be much until we head South.
If you double click on a picture, it will show a bigger size.
Some answers for those that we haven't seen in awhile:
Destino? Destino is what we call the Motor Home. It is a 2001 Itasca Sunflyer 35U (made by Winnebago). 35' long; 10 tons; Ford V10 gas engine; 5.5 KW generator, We bought it in Feb when it had 10,000 miles on it; it now, 9 months later, has 23,000!). Until this trip we used it for other proposal efforts at Eglin AFB (Destin/Fort Walton Beach FL), visiting Steve's brother and his wife Anne near Tampa, and seeing Eli in Richmond...oh yes...we saw Claire and Dinkus too. We also had a neat trip in the mountains with all the Deane clan. We've really enjoyed Destino. We can take it almost anywhere and have all our stuff with us. Including the beasts! Yes, the Bouvier, Lab, Newfie, and 2 kittens are always with us.
Who RV's? This has been interesting. For the most part they are folks like all of us. Amazed at the number who full-time (sold their house and live in the RV). They come from all walks of life. We've seen retired factory workers with huge mega rigs costing $300,000+ and bankers with old ones. Neat also is their attitude. Have not seen one of living in the past...telling war stories, etc. What we see is folks that worked hard, saved their money, retired, and now are going to see things. The topic of conversation is almost always where they "might" go next. We say "might" because most do not know until a day or so before they launch.
Mexico?? Aren't you afraid?? If we were afraid, we wouldn't be staying in North Las Vegas or have travelled through some of the cities we did to get here. And many of you live in REAL crime zones (DC, Richmond, Tampa, Norfolk...). Most of the stories you read are about Border Towns. We read RV and Mexico forums a lot and have never read of much crime...and the question is asked all the time. One thread asked folks to list what had happened to them: a huge number reported no incidents and there were a couple of bicycle thefts. Of course, you're careful about where you go and when. Just like in the US or anywhere else.
OK! Big plans today: go find a new buffet; watch folks lose their money; come home at about 2000.
If you're new to blogs, they generally show the newest post on top...you can change that but for now you should read from the bottom. Check back periodically and see when we've updated...probably won't be much until we head South.
If you double click on a picture, it will show a bigger size.
Some answers for those that we haven't seen in awhile:
Destino? Destino is what we call the Motor Home. It is a 2001 Itasca Sunflyer 35U (made by Winnebago). 35' long; 10 tons; Ford V10 gas engine; 5.5 KW generator, We bought it in Feb when it had 10,000 miles on it; it now, 9 months later, has 23,000!). Until this trip we used it for other proposal efforts at Eglin AFB (Destin/Fort Walton Beach FL), visiting Steve's brother and his wife Anne near Tampa, and seeing Eli in Richmond...oh yes...we saw Claire and Dinkus too. We also had a neat trip in the mountains with all the Deane clan. We've really enjoyed Destino. We can take it almost anywhere and have all our stuff with us. Including the beasts! Yes, the Bouvier, Lab, Newfie, and 2 kittens are always with us.
Who RV's? This has been interesting. For the most part they are folks like all of us. Amazed at the number who full-time (sold their house and live in the RV). They come from all walks of life. We've seen retired factory workers with huge mega rigs costing $300,000+ and bankers with old ones. Neat also is their attitude. Have not seen one of living in the past...telling war stories, etc. What we see is folks that worked hard, saved their money, retired, and now are going to see things. The topic of conversation is almost always where they "might" go next. We say "might" because most do not know until a day or so before they launch.
Mexico?? Aren't you afraid?? If we were afraid, we wouldn't be staying in North Las Vegas or have travelled through some of the cities we did to get here. And many of you live in REAL crime zones (DC, Richmond, Tampa, Norfolk...). Most of the stories you read are about Border Towns. We read RV and Mexico forums a lot and have never read of much crime...and the question is asked all the time. One thread asked folks to list what had happened to them: a huge number reported no incidents and there were a couple of bicycle thefts. Of course, you're careful about where you go and when. Just like in the US or anywhere else.
OK! Big plans today: go find a new buffet; watch folks lose their money; come home at about 2000.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Vegas Baby
In the first post we indicated that we were going to be in Vegas for about 2-3 weeks. Well, that ain't gonna happen. As of 18 Nov, the government document we need still has not been released. So, we expect to be here until about 10 Dec when we will then head SOB. Plan now is to twist the arms of Dinkus, Claire, and Eli and Frank and Anne and have them join us for Christmas in Mexico. Dinkus is on a movie so it is unknown how much time he will have...but we need our Eli fix!!
This Nellis FAMCAMP is great! Very nice facility with lots of room between rigs. It is near the Nellis Flight Line so there is an air show everyday with every plane imagionable real low over head...even the new F-22 Raptor. We had fantastic "seats" for last week's Air Show since they came directly over us. Steve's company had a chalet at the Air Show so we got to see the Thunder Birds up close.
Oh, and The Strip? We've been in town twice to dine at Paris...the Buffet. This is a high cuisine (really!) buffet...hey, Daniele loves it! After that, we invest $20 in a slot machine and so far, Daniele is still ahead...or rather, she hasn't lost her $20. After a wild evening on The Strip, we're back at Destino by 2000 (8 PM for you civilians). The place is amazing though: Steve watched the roulette table one night and in about 30 minutes, the casino raked in at least $30,000. There were so many chips on the table that it was taking 10-15 minutes between spins to clear the table and stack the chips. Shows? Well we see that Barbara Strisand and Larry the Cable Guy are in town...Steve cannot make up his mind as to which one he'd rather see so we'll pass :-))))).
This Nellis FAMCAMP is great! Very nice facility with lots of room between rigs. It is near the Nellis Flight Line so there is an air show everyday with every plane imagionable real low over head...even the new F-22 Raptor. We had fantastic "seats" for last week's Air Show since they came directly over us. Steve's company had a chalet at the Air Show so we got to see the Thunder Birds up close.
Oh, and The Strip? We've been in town twice to dine at Paris...the Buffet. This is a high cuisine (really!) buffet...hey, Daniele loves it! After that, we invest $20 in a slot machine and so far, Daniele is still ahead...or rather, she hasn't lost her $20. After a wild evening on The Strip, we're back at Destino by 2000 (8 PM for you civilians). The place is amazing though: Steve watched the roulette table one night and in about 30 minutes, the casino raked in at least $30,000. There were so many chips on the table that it was taking 10-15 minutes between spins to clear the table and stack the chips. Shows? Well we see that Barbara Strisand and Larry the Cable Guy are in town...Steve cannot make up his mind as to which one he'd rather see so we'll pass :-))))).
Go West Young Man
This is a report to family and friends on our trip to Mexico. As most of you know, we've been quite anxious to visit Mexico and the opportunity arose. Steve was asked to go to Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada, to help with a proposal that his company was working on. We thought we were pressed for time since release of the "request for proposal" by the government was supposed to hit on 1 Nov. As of this writing (18 Nov), it still has not arrived. Adding to the complexity of doing this was that Steve had just returned from another proposal effort in Norfolk and San Diego and we only had about 4 days on Cedar Island to get the Motor Home (we call it "Destino", Spanish for Destiny) and us ready.
Our original plan: Be in Vegas by 1 Nov; leave Vegas o/a 20 Nov and spend 2 nights at the Grand Canyon; leave the Grand Canyon and go to Tuscon, Arizona for or border crossing; roam down the west coast of Mexico to about Guadalajara and then go north east and enter the US at Brownsville, Texas; proceed to Dade City (Tampa), Florida and join Steve's brother and Anne and Claire and her family for Christmas; return to Cedar Island in early January.
Wed, 25 Oct 2006: We departed Cedar Island and drove on US 70 to the Raleigh area where we got on I-40. This is significant because navigation for this trip is very easy: stay on I-40 West until near Vegas and then turn right! We drove for about 6 hours, 221 miles, and stayed near Hickory, North Carolina at the Lake Myers Campground in Mocksville, NC. A nice CG with a family next to us that had a little granddaughter that was a talker...reminded us of Claire when she was that age.
Thur, 26 Oct 2006: we got back on 40 and went through Ashville, NC and across the Blue Ridge. The leaves were in full color so it was a beautiful trip. (Editorial note: We did not get to see much on this trip since we needed to be in Vegas by the 31st...our commentary is really based on what you can see from the Interstate.) We drove for about 7.5 hours (400 miles) and stayed in the Nashville KOA. Didn't see much because it poured rain all night!. An interesting thing was about a dozen European RV'ers in neat Class C type RV's. They were all shipped over and the owners from Germany, Austria, Netherlands, and Italy were touring the US and Mexico until Spring!
Fri, 27 Oct 2006: We got back on 40 and crossed into Arkansas. Surprised us to see a lot of rice paddies! We drove for about 7 hours (432 miles) and stayed near Little Rock at the Lake Dardenelle State Park in Russellville, Arkansas. The lake is huge! There was a bass tournament that attracted hundreds. An amazing number of very expensive boats and SUV's. When they launched in the morning, it sounded like an airport.
Sat, 28 Oct 2006: We crossed through Oklahoma and were amazed to see a lot of windmills generating electricity near Oklahoma City. Saw a lot of oil wells. Did see a vineyard: had a sign that said (about their wine) "Like California But Less Fruity"! We then went into Texas. We drove for about 7 hours (431 miles) and stayed near Amarillo. This is the real West....miles and miles of prairie with no sign of human life. Our RV park was on the famous Route 66! What a change from back East: wide open spaces. Daniele and the pets relaxed outside for awhile.
Sun, 29 Oct 2006: Out of Texas and into New Mexico. Beautiful desert scenary that changes with the elevation. Lots of mountain climbing getting into Albuquerque but Destino handled it fine. Lots of windmills again. We drove for about 6.5 hours (387 miles) and ended up in the Kirtland Air Force Base Family Camp. Ate in old Albuquerque, but not very special. By the way, when I say "we" drove, it is true! Daniele had her maiden turn at the wheel and did fantastic.
Mon, 30 Oct 2006: Neat side trip today as we crossed New Mexico: Petrified Forest! It is right on I-40 so we were able to drive through without losing too much time.
We drove for about 7 hours (355 miles) and ended up in the Flagstaff, Arizona KOA. Lots of headwinds and climbing since Flagstaff is a little over 7,000 feet elevation.
Tue, 31 Oct 2006: Off to Vegas Baby!!! We finally leave I-40 and head North across the Hoover Dam and into Vegas. Since 9/11 traffic across the Dam must go through a check point. Pays to have an 82nd Airborne plate on the front and a Cherry Point MCAS sticker since the inspectors consisted of a former 82nd Master Sgt and a Marine Master Gunny...we got through REAL quick!!!
Only 5 hours today (262 Miles). We reached our destination of the Desert Eagle Family Camp on Nellis AFB. The Strip is easily visable and beautiful at night.
So, here we are at our way point before our Mexican venture. Some facts re our trip West:
2595 Miles
346 gallons of gas (about 7.5 MPG for a 35', 10 ton house!)
Gas cost: $759 (most places it was about $2.25/gal)
Campground fees $155.81
Almost zero cost for food since we ate in Destino almost every night
Our original plan: Be in Vegas by 1 Nov; leave Vegas o/a 20 Nov and spend 2 nights at the Grand Canyon; leave the Grand Canyon and go to Tuscon, Arizona for or border crossing; roam down the west coast of Mexico to about Guadalajara and then go north east and enter the US at Brownsville, Texas; proceed to Dade City (Tampa), Florida and join Steve's brother and Anne and Claire and her family for Christmas; return to Cedar Island in early January.
Wed, 25 Oct 2006: We departed Cedar Island and drove on US 70 to the Raleigh area where we got on I-40. This is significant because navigation for this trip is very easy: stay on I-40 West until near Vegas and then turn right! We drove for about 6 hours, 221 miles, and stayed near Hickory, North Carolina at the Lake Myers Campground in Mocksville, NC. A nice CG with a family next to us that had a little granddaughter that was a talker...reminded us of Claire when she was that age.
Thur, 26 Oct 2006: we got back on 40 and went through Ashville, NC and across the Blue Ridge. The leaves were in full color so it was a beautiful trip. (Editorial note: We did not get to see much on this trip since we needed to be in Vegas by the 31st...our commentary is really based on what you can see from the Interstate.) We drove for about 7.5 hours (400 miles) and stayed in the Nashville KOA. Didn't see much because it poured rain all night!. An interesting thing was about a dozen European RV'ers in neat Class C type RV's. They were all shipped over and the owners from Germany, Austria, Netherlands, and Italy were touring the US and Mexico until Spring!
Fri, 27 Oct 2006: We got back on 40 and crossed into Arkansas. Surprised us to see a lot of rice paddies! We drove for about 7 hours (432 miles) and stayed near Little Rock at the Lake Dardenelle State Park in Russellville, Arkansas. The lake is huge! There was a bass tournament that attracted hundreds. An amazing number of very expensive boats and SUV's. When they launched in the morning, it sounded like an airport.
Sat, 28 Oct 2006: We crossed through Oklahoma and were amazed to see a lot of windmills generating electricity near Oklahoma City. Saw a lot of oil wells. Did see a vineyard: had a sign that said (about their wine) "Like California But Less Fruity"! We then went into Texas. We drove for about 7 hours (431 miles) and stayed near Amarillo. This is the real West....miles and miles of prairie with no sign of human life. Our RV park was on the famous Route 66! What a change from back East: wide open spaces. Daniele and the pets relaxed outside for awhile.
Sun, 29 Oct 2006: Out of Texas and into New Mexico. Beautiful desert scenary that changes with the elevation. Lots of mountain climbing getting into Albuquerque but Destino handled it fine. Lots of windmills again. We drove for about 6.5 hours (387 miles) and ended up in the Kirtland Air Force Base Family Camp. Ate in old Albuquerque, but not very special. By the way, when I say "we" drove, it is true! Daniele had her maiden turn at the wheel and did fantastic.
Mon, 30 Oct 2006: Neat side trip today as we crossed New Mexico: Petrified Forest! It is right on I-40 so we were able to drive through without losing too much time.
We drove for about 7 hours (355 miles) and ended up in the Flagstaff, Arizona KOA. Lots of headwinds and climbing since Flagstaff is a little over 7,000 feet elevation.
Tue, 31 Oct 2006: Off to Vegas Baby!!! We finally leave I-40 and head North across the Hoover Dam and into Vegas. Since 9/11 traffic across the Dam must go through a check point. Pays to have an 82nd Airborne plate on the front and a Cherry Point MCAS sticker since the inspectors consisted of a former 82nd Master Sgt and a Marine Master Gunny...we got through REAL quick!!!
Only 5 hours today (262 Miles). We reached our destination of the Desert Eagle Family Camp on Nellis AFB. The Strip is easily visable and beautiful at night.
So, here we are at our way point before our Mexican venture. Some facts re our trip West:
2595 Miles
346 gallons of gas (about 7.5 MPG for a 35', 10 ton house!)
Gas cost: $759 (most places it was about $2.25/gal)
Campground fees $155.81
Almost zero cost for food since we ate in Destino almost every night
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