Visit to Hemet, Pomona, and Redlands. CA

   

     We left our cozy little spot at the Chula Vista RV Resort to do a little exploring to the north.  Ben and Joanne are both working all week, which gives us plenty of free time to wander around CA and see what there is to see.  We traveled about an hour and a half north up to Hemet, a city we are very familiar with.  Thirty years ago, Debbie and I used to pass through Hemet on our way to mountain village of Idyllwild, most every weekend we were off.  Thousand Trails used to have a great campground up there, and it was much cooler in the mountains than down in Alpine or Campo.  We camped in our old Chevy truck with a cabover camper which worked out just great for us.  We even had the rear window removed so Debbie could get back in the camper and make us a lunch or grab a road soda if I got too hot.  But that's a different story and I digress....
     Ben, Joanne, and Jamo stopped over for dinner a few nights before we left on this excursion, and we had a nice visit and dinner.  Jamo had a little trouble settling down though.  Seems like there were lots of people around the park that hadn't met him yet, and he knew they were dying to.  He'll go for a walk with Grammy, but he doesn't like to get too far away from Ben or Joanne.
     Yesterday we ventured up to Pomona and the Los Angeles Fairgrounds for the FMCA Reunion.  We had never been to one, and since we're thinking of attending the rally in Burlington this summer, we thought we'd check it out.  The fairgrounds are in a beautiful suburb of Pomona right off of I-10.  We wandered through the display buildings, and picked up a few item for repairs to Big Red.  We would have liked to visit the RV's, but the temps were pushing well into the 90's, and it was just too hot out on the tarmac.  If we had been attending the rally, there were several seminars which Debbie would have attended, but that just didn't work out.  I carried my camera all day, and never took a single shot of the fairgrounds.  Sorry about that...
     Today we drove about 30 minutes from Hemet to the city of Redlands, Ca.

 Long before Palm Springs became the location that it is today, Redlands was the winter getaway of the 1890's.  By the mid 1880's, Redlands was known as the "navel orange capital of the world."  Developers designed tree lined streets throughout the village, surrounded by orange groves.  Today the orange groves have diminished, but the tree lined streets and beautiful mansions still welcome today's visitors.  Orange grove money created libraries, parks, and the Redlands Bowl amphitheater.

Murals decorate many of the buildings around a bustling downtown area.  Today, one of the downtown streets was blocked off as the residents celebrated the day with an art festival that included live music.
     Our first stop in town was a quick visit to the A.K. Smiley Public Library, built in the late 1890's.  Alfred Smiley was one of Redland's winter residents, and he and his twin brother Albert, worked to bring a library and park to fruition.

     Behind the library, we found the Lincoln Memorial Shrine, a memorial to Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War period.  It includes a Research Center, and houses the largest collection of Lincoln Memorabilia west of the Mississippi.

The collection includes manuscripts, books, and artifacts donated by Robert Watchorn in 1932.  The collection has grown to thousands of volumes on Lincoln and the Civil War, and are available to scholars and students.
     One of the mansions that is available for public tours is the Kimberly Crest House and Gardens.  Mr Kimberley was the founder and President of the paper company Kimberly-Clark.  He and his wife purchased the home in 1905, and for the next 75 years, this family maintained this home.  Mary Kimberly Shirk, the youngest Kimberly child married in 1905, but her husband died in 1919.

She returned to Redlands in 1920 and remained in Kimberly-Crest for nearly 60 years.  She was a strong advocate of education, serving as a trustee of Scripps College, as well as its President for 2 years.  Unfortunately, I was unable to photograph and of the interior of the mansion, but it is full of furniture and relics that were present when it was owned by the Kimberly's.  It is well worth a visit and the admission price.

Big News From San Diego

      We've been here in San Diego, more specifically the Chula Vista RV Resort for just about a week now, and the weather has cooperated perfectly.  It was well into the 80's the first few days, but then it broke and has settled nicely into the 60's & 70's each day.  Probably not what me friends at home want to hear, as I see on FB that the nasty weather continues to plague NY.  But good things don't last forever, and I understand that we'll be pushing well into the 80's and 90's starting on Thursday. Spring has arrived out here, and the flowers are starting to blossom nicely around the park.  The desert out by Jacumba was nice and green when we passed through, and the Ocotillo Cactus were blooming nicely.  Unfortunately I didn't stop along I-8 for any pictures, so you're gonna have to Google Ocotillo Cactus if you want to see what they look like.

     Since Debbie had been waiting patiently since about December 1st to get to California and see her son, we quickly set up camp and headed north in I-15 for Scripps Ranch.  I'm not sure who was more excited....Jamo or Debbie....to get down to some serious visiting, when suddenly quiet hovered over the room. Being the trained investigator, I noticed nothing.  But Debbie did.  What could that be?  She looked at Ben....Ben looked back.  "Go ahead, ask your question!" Ben exclaimed.  Debbie looked again, not believing what she was seeing.  I, on the other hand, being the trained investigator, headed past everyone for the fridge for a cold beer.  Suddenly everyone was screaming!  What did I miss?  Everyone was jumping and hugging, and jumping and hugging.

Ben continued, "Go ahead, ask your question!"  FINALLY the "P" word came out.  It looks like Mrs Doody is going to be a GRANDMA!  Now the clues were everywhere.  Sonogram pictures of Baby Doody on the front of the refrigerator where I had just secured a beer.  The little belly bump now evident on Joanne.  More sonogram pictures on the kitchen table.  Yup, I'm a trained investigator alright.  Twenty minutes later, everyone finally calmed down, and now it was time for Ben to call his sister in Syracuse.  Can't do that though.  Gotta text her and include the sonogram pictures.  Soon the phone was ringing..."Shut the door"! Maryanne shouts.  And all the chatter starts again.  We're twenty minutes into this pregnancy, and I'm already exhausted.  It wasn't until the following day that it dawned on me.  I'm gonna be married to a Grandma!  Debbie was able to give Ben his 1/2 birthday gift, which is something his sister MaryAnne dreamed up.  Debbie's quilt was made completely from all of Ben's childhood t-shirts which she had saved.  It's amazing to see all the basketball camps he attended!  She made them all fit though, and even included a few from his time at Siena College and Germany.  Debbie did an incredible job, and you can see her love for Ben in each of the patches.
     To say the least, we're pretty excited.  We can see the excitement and the panic in their eyes, and we remember they were the same feelings we had many years ago.  But in spite of everything, Debbie did an incredible job bringing Ben into this world with very little help from me.  I'm sure Ben and Joanne will cruise through this.  Oh yeah...they're purchasing a new house also.  Nothing like that to add to the stress level.  Jameson, don't fail me now!
      On Saturday we ventured over to Shelter Island as Debbie had booked us onto a 3 hour whale watching cruise with H&M Landing Whale Watching. The National Park Service hosts the Cabrillo National Monument overlooking San Diego Harbor and the North Island Naval Air Station.  It's a wonderful place to view the harbor and San Diego Skyline, and during low tide, the Tide Pools along the coastline.

 Each year nearly 12,000 Eastern Pacific Grey Whales migrate past San Diego to mate and give birth in the warmer waters off of Baja.  As we headed out of San Diego Harbor, the captain provided interesting factoids on Point Loma and the arrival of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542.          We weren't allowed to venture any closer than 100 yards from these guys, but I did manage to catch a couple of shots as they breached the surface.  It was a gorgeous day on the water, and Debbie and I both spoke of our days with Captain Chris on his trawler.  Debbie really enjoyed the "blue water" and the gentle rocking of the boat almost put her to sleep.  We were able to get tickets for $20, over half off of their advertised price, so don't be afraid to haggle with them a little bit.  Debbie is a master at that.
   
     We're staying a few more days in San Diego, then moving up to Hemet, Ca just for a change.  Ben and Joanne will be working, and it's always nice to check out new places on this journey.  Should give us a chance to visit with Andrea also.
     That just about catches me up with all the news.  Departure dates from CA are starting to fluctuate, but we're still hoping to be home early June and get the camp open.  We'll keep you posted on our timeline, but this Journey Across America 2015 sure is getting exciting.  I'm gonna be a Grandpa!

     

Mesa, Az to San Diego, Ca

   
     Before departing Mesa, we had a little more sightseeing to accomplish, and the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force seemed like something we should take a look at.   We found this "living" museum just a few miles down the road, and it is worth the $15/pp admission fee. Visitors to the museum, are able to experience up close and personal, vintage aircraft such as the B-17G Flying Fortress,

the B-25 Mitchell, along with several others. Amazingly, these aircraft are also available as revenue rides, and if you're ready to pony up a couple of $$$'s, be ready to climb aboard for the ride of a lifetime.  While they are sitting on the ground, visitors are able to climb aboard for a "crawl" through as I would describe it.  The aircrew must have been a little bit smaller than I currently am, as I found it quite cozy working my way down through the aircraft.

There was also an F-4 Phantom on display (my personal favorite) and many many more.  For anyone having an interest in vintage aircraft, this museum in Mesa, Az is a must see.
     Remarkably, we also stumbled upon a evening dinner show featuring the world famous Riders in the Sky, starring Ranger Doug, Woody, Too Slim, and Joey!  These guys are America's Favorite Cowboys.  They've been performing for over 37 years, and received 2 Grammy Awards for their musical scores in the Toy Story movies.  Remember the good old days when there were 3 TV stations and there was plenty to watch?

 As opposed to today, where there are 180 TV stations, and nothing to watch. They put on a very good show, stayed afterwards to sign autographs and get pictures.  Couldn't pass up getting a picture with Ranger Doug.  Remember, you guys loved Toy Story, so don't pick on me!

     But Saturday was upon us and we needed to get moving west. Debbie had us up bright and early Saturday morning and we headed west to the   Chula Vista RV Resort to begin our visit with  Ben, Joanne, and the PGD.  We pushed the 340 miles or so across the desert, and up the "grade" out in Jacumba without any problem.  We were both familiar with the "grade". I had worked that stretch of I-8 for nearly 10 years in my beginning days with the BP.  Debbie has been up and down it enough to remember that she never liked it.  The road works its way up the mountainside from sea level to over 3000 feet in about 15 minutes of driving, and the diesel engine of Big Red had little difficulty making the climb.  I think it actually shifted down to 3rd gear once, but maintained 45 mph all the way. Actually, the more exciting part is coming down the other side.  Remember, we're heading for San Diego Bay, which puts us back to sea level!  Only this time it's about 40 miles.....downhill!  The grades are only about 6%, but they go on and on.  The jake brake did it's job just fine, and we coasted smoothly into San Diego.
     The weather has been blistering to say the least, since we arrived.  I hate to say it, but we're setting new heat records daily....well into the 90's!  A little too hot to be out and about doing the tourist thing.  Debbie is cleaning up Big Red, and I'm trying to get this up to date a little better.  I'm sure I'm forgetting things, and breezing over others, but I'm trying.  Traffic is horrendous out here, and everyone seems to be in a hurry.  Not sure where they're going.  I remember now why we left.  Gonna cool off starting tomorrow, so I'm sure we'll get out of the campground.  Keep you posted.

Mesa and Northern AZ.

     Debbie and I have spent the last 2 days playing tourist around Mesa and Northern Az, but today is going to be a rest day.  It's not easy being a tourist every day!  The weather has been gorgeous each day.  Highs in the lower 80's and nice and cool at night for nice sleeping weather. With very little humidity, the temps are quite pleasant, even for me.  And Debbie seems to tolerate them much easier than the higher humidity of Florida.  Florida may be in for a challenge on next year's travel itinerary.  Mesa seems to be a bustling little town with lots to do.      There are 41 golf courses within a half hour drive of Mesa, which would be important if I were an avid golfer.  But since I'm not, we'll just file that away as a little factoid.  The big attraction seems to be spring training baseball of the Cactus League.  I'm not going to list all the teams that call the Phoenix area home during spring training, but there seems to be plenty of them.  Of course, not being a National League fan does take away some of the excitement, but it's always fun to grab a hotdog and a beer and sit back and watch the boys of summer.

 On Sunday we ventured over to Hohokum Field and enjoyed a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Oakland Athletics.   It's only a few miles from our spot here at Sun Life RV Resort, and parking was ample and easy.  The Mesa PD blocks the lanes for "game traffic" and it's easy in and out for everyone.  Parking was $5, so that's not too bad.  I only took the GoPro with me on this venture, because of it size and ease to carry. It seems to take a pretty good picture though. After parking, we hustled over to the ticket window to see what tickets were available.  For some reason. Debbie and I tend to like sitting on the right side of the field, so that's what I asked for.  I think the girls could see that my fair Irish skin would not tolerate the AZ sun, so she asked if I would like some seats in the shade.  "Absolutely" I responded, even though I had taken the necessary precautions and coated myself with my factor 50 sunscreen.

 Lots of people seemed to be enjoying themselves out on the lawn in the outfield, but I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to tolerate that sun. As you can see there not a cloud in the sky offering any protection, and by the end of the game I saw a few sunburned fans returning to their cars.  Chicago won the game quite handily and there was plenty of offense to keep the game enjoyable.
     For another little factoid: Oakland actually has a pitcher that seems to be able to throw with either hand.  I've never seen anything like that before.  He wears a specially designed  glove which allows him to wear it on either hand, and if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it.  That certainly is going to change the dynamics of the game.  No more pinch-hitting batters to face an opposing right or left handed pitcher.  The pitcher just changes sides depending on the batter.  I haven't looked up the rules on this, but he must have to declare which side he's going to pitch from before the batter gets up there, I would think.
      Yesterday we went for a journey north from Mesa up to Sedona and the Red Rock area.

 Arriving in the Coconino National Forest just outside of Sedona, we realized that we were in for some magnificent vistas.  Through the pine trees in the distance we could see cliffs of beautiful red rock looming in the distance.   As we continued in to Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon, the traffic lane was reduced to a single land and traffic seemed to snarl up as each cliff came into view and of course everyone wanted to stop and take a picture.  To the right is a photo of Bell Rock, so named because of its shape.  The canyon also included Cathedral Rock, Castle Rock, and Courthouse Butte.

 We had stopped at the Ranger Station and were advised to try and see the Chapel of the Holy Cross.  Unfortunately, they must have advised everyone to visit there as traffic became snarled well before there was any parking area.  I'm sure the residents of the area get sick of the tourists turning around in their driveways.  So we passed on the Chapel and continued on, using the GoPro to capture the views as we meandered along Hwy 179 toward Hwy 89A.
     Sedona is a very attractive town, filled with "artsy fartsy " shops for the tourists and lots of restaurants.  But in my opinion, they've unfortunately taken the beauty of the valley, and embedded their town up against these magnificent canyon vistas, which prevents everyone else from enjoying them.  Limited parking areas prevented us from getting out to enjoy the views, as parking was taken up by people hiking out in the canyons.  We were able to find an overlook out by the airport that offered a breathtaking view of the valley, but again, we seemed to be miles away.   Sedona is not a National Park, but a working town in a beautiful canyon, and  I would encourage everyone to come for a visit.
     From Sedona we circled over to Jerome, AZ located HIGH on a mountain overlooking the desert below.  Jerome was famous as a copper mining town, with the first claims being filed in 1876.

 It is self described as being one of the wildest, wickedest mining towns of the west.  "Drinking, gambling, brawling, and frolicking with the ladies of the night occurred around the clock in two dozen magnificent saloons."    It must have been quite a trick just getting up to Jerome.  The road today is nearly straight up the mountainside along numerous switchbacks.  Fires repeatedly decimated the town's wooden buildings but they were repeatedly rebuilt because of the thriving copper industry.  Off in the distance are the snow covered San Francisco Peaks above Flagstaff.  Hopefully the picture gives you some sense on how high above the desert floor Jerome is located.                                                                                            

Jerome is a neat little ghost town, and the residents are doing a nice job enticing the tourists to stop,  I even convinced Debbie I needed a Jerome, AZ T-shirt.  There were some additional shopping 1 block UP, but I didn't see any reason to go up there.  You really have to come see how this town is perched on a mountainside to believe it.
     Like I said, today is a rest day to get caught up with daily living.  Out mail should be here tomorrow from Dakota Post our mail forwarding service.  That's always pretty exciting.  After lunch we're heading over to the pool and then poolside Happy Hour this afternoon.  Saturday we head for California!  I bet my navigator has my A-I-S by 8 AM.

The Wheels Found 80!

     I really do hate to do this, especially with numerous friends and family still battling old man winter, but the plan formulated a few weeks ago to head west for warmer weather is paying off.  We departed Las Cruces heading west without any camping reservations, but Debbie was able to work her magic and we found a 10 day stay in Mesa, Az at the Sun Life RV Resort.  Best of all, she was able to secure 7 days through Passport America at the amazing rate of $25/day! I'm saying this again...you have to sign up with Passport America if you are going to be traveling as we are.  It costs $40/ year and you can see that I got my money back in 2 nights here at Sun Life.

     As we crossed from New Mexico into Arizona on I-10 we came upon massive granite boulders which appear to have just been thrown down for no apparent reason. Retha and Randy had warned us of this place, so we pulled into the rest area for lunch and just a little investigation.  Cochise was said to have had his winter stronghold here, and it appears to be quite defensible.  The Butterfield Stage Route ran through Texas Canyon on its route between Benson after leaving Apache Springs up until the start of the Civil War.  When the army moved out to fight the war, protection from the Apache's also left, and the stage route was abandoned.
     Yesterday we ventured out to do a little moseying as Debbie like to call it.  We headed out of Mesa toward Superstition Mountain, the area known for the infamous Lost Dutchman Mine.  Our first stop on the "Apache Trail" was a stagecoach stop called Tortilla Flat, pop. 6!

     In its heyday, according to the Tortilla Flat Telegraph, the settlement had a school, church, small zoo, livery stable, general store, saloon, cafe, cabins/motel, and a U.S. Post Office.  We stopped for lunch and I enjoyed a "spicy" bowl of chili.  Thankfully, it included a soft tortilla and I was able to soak up much of the hot spices that attacked me!  Debbie just sat there smiling, as she worked on a nice looking salad.  The unique characteristic of the bar area, and surely a great tourist attraction, are the saddles used for seating at the bar.  They actually looked pretty comfortable, and I'm sure the "city-slickers" visiting for the day, feel like real buckaroos and buckarettes sitting there enjoying a cold beer or sarsaparilla.

 

The walls are covered with $ bills which makes it a little unique, although we've seen it down in Key West also.  I guess it beats painting!
     We continued out of Tortilla Flats on the Apache Trail, and soon found ourselves running out of paved road.  But the desert flora encouraged us to continue on, and we were amply rewarded with wonderful scenic vistas.  The Goldfield Mountains, Canyon Lake, Apache Lake, and the Four Peaks Wilderness Area, provided a magnificent backdrop as we ventured through.

 As Teddy Roosevelt described it:  " The Apache Trail combines the grandeur of the Alps, the glory of the Rockies, and the magnificence of the Grand Canyon, and then adds an undefinable something that none of the others have.  To me, it is the most awe inspiring and most sublimely beautiful nature has ever created."  
     We met very little traffic as we worked our way through.  This could have been a good thing, since much of the road was single lane, with multiple single lane bridges over the gulches.  The GoPro captured a lot of the roadway, but really didn't capture the scenery as we had hoped.
     It is 42 miles from Apache Junction to the Roosevelt Dam, which was built to help control flooding waters of the Salt River.

 Amazingly, the lake created by the dam was named Theodore Roosevelt Lake.    Below the dam, we could see massive carp in the river who seemed to be enjoying the warm sunshine.  They are probably just a nuisance fish, but we could see them from a long distance away.

     We have found with moseying, sometimes we stumble onto areas which time prevents us from properly visiting.  Down the road from the lake we came upon the Tonto National Monument.  There we found the cave dwellings of the Salado people that are nearly 700 years old.

They had remained isolated by rugged terrain, and were not well known until the 1870's.  Construction began on the dam in 1906 and vandals soon ravaged the dwellings.  The following year, Teddy Roosevelt set aside the area as a national monument.  It is only about a half mile up to the dwellings, and something that needs to be explored again.  
     So all of this was accomplished in 1 day of moseying.  No one said this was going to be easy.     I've included lots of pictures, because the area is truly amazing.  The temperature is very moderate in the winter, and we seem to enjoy the dry heat more than the humidity.  Today is a rest and clean up day....probably work our way to the pool and think of our friends up north.  Come on down....Arizona seems to be waiting for you!  Oh yea, temps are well into the 80's next week!

Las Cruces, New Mexico

     Our trip across I-10 was uneventful and we arrived at our next destination, the Hacienda RV and Rally Resort, in Las Cruces, N.M.  What a relief to finally exit the Great State of Texas, if only by a few miles!  Actually the trip across I-10 and this section of Texas was quite pleasant, and Debbie seemed to be much more relaxed.  Although the vistas included lots of desert and dirt, the canyons and mountains in the distance were very pleasant to look at.  We passed through El Paso in a light rain which seemed to confuse these Texas drivers, but we made it through the congestion without any mishaps.  It has changed quite a bit from when I was here previously in 1997 for K9 school.  It seems that El Paso is just spreading out and growing up.  There are tons of shopping malls which would be expected, but there are also advertisements for Broadway shows.
     We settled into our campsite, and decided there was plenty of time to get out and see the area.  Since we were only spending 2 days here, we needed to get going.

 After finding a car wash to get a ton of grime off of the Jeep, we headed out to see what we could find.  And no, we didn't find 2 feet of snow!  But we did find 2 feet of white sand at the White Sands National Monument.  We passed through some gorgeous mountains and dropped over near the White Sands Missile Testing area.  The GoPro recorded our journey over the top and the desert vista of the Chihuahuan Desert that opened up before us.  As far as we could see was flat open desert.  And way off in the distance we thought we could see a white horizon.  About 30 miles further across the desert, we found the White Sands of New Mexico, which spreads out for 275 square miles.

 We approached the ticket booth manned by Rangers of the National Park Service, and Debbie whipped out our America the Beautiful Card, and we passed through the gate after a nice welcome from the Ranger.  As we entered into the world's largest gypsum dune fields in the world, it became apparent that these dunes are constantly changing as the winds whipped across them.  The roadway changed from pavement to sand, and appeared that it had recently been plowed similar to snowplows.  We took a walk up onto the dunes, and were amazed at first how soft they were, and then how hard they were.  Climbing up, a shoes sank into the sand making the journey a little difficult.  Once on top, we found them quite easy to walk across as the were quite well packed.

      Returning to Las Cruces, we found an eclectic Mexican restaurant in the historical town of Mesilla, N.M.  La Posta de Mesilla is located in the original adobe  La Posta, which has been standing for more than 2 centuries.

We enjoyed a great meal and a couple cold beers to finish up the day.  The restaurant is located less that a mile from the Hacienda RV Park, and we would definitely recommend both locations to any of our friends who find themselves in Las Cruces.
     Today we ventured back to El Paso, only because we wanted to visit the Border Patrol Museum, and have lunch with a fellow agent from Campo that we hadn't seen in many years.

The Museum is sustained only with contributions and fund raisers, and is constantly working to upgrade and improve the relics inside.  It is doing a wonderful job documenting the rich history of the Border Patrol, and actually has a Piper Cub airplane used by the BP, hanging from its ceiling.  There's a very chilling section in tribute to our fallen Agents, and documenting their stories.  The gift shop is a major source of funding for the Museum, and Debbie and I worked the sale that was ongoing and scored some nice shirts.

Tomorrow we continue our journey west, and hopefully we'll make it over to Mesa, Az.  Not quite sure where we'll be staying, but there are plenty of RV Resorts to choose from.  Hopefully the weather stays nice, and we can take in a little spring baseball.

The Wheels Found 70 Degrees!

On Feb 22nd we departed from Coastline RV in Florida heading west to chase the nicer weather. Well today is March 1, and as the title says...the wheels found 70 degrees!!!  We started west knowing that there was a storm headed across the U.S. but we were confident we could stay below it on I-10.  We did pretty good until we decided to go north about 60 miles and visit our friends Randy and Retha in San Angelo, Tx.  We arrived there on Tuesday after making some terrific time across Mississippi and Louisiana on I-10.  But Randy and Retha are such gracious hosts, and they soon talked us into settling down and spending a few days with them.  The weather was pretty cool, and Retha was able to score some tickets to a real Texas rodeo for Thursday night....how could we say no.

We broke out the winter jackets and headed over to the San Angelo Rodeo and had a terrific time watching cowboys and cowgirls strut their stuff. The show opened with some great pyrotechnics and never slowed down.

 This young cowgirl displayed "the colors" as the National Anthem was played.  There was bronc busting and ropin', and even the little kids got in the act by riding sheep across the arena.

 It was a great show until the bull riding portion.  The first rider out of the chute took a nasty beating from the bull, and from where we were sitting, it looked like the cowboy was seriously injured at the least.  The bull stepped down on his back a few times, and the cowboy laid there like a rag doll.  Medical personnel were on him in an instant and the entire arena hushed and prayed as we waited.  Miraculously, we found out this morning that he suffered only a broken arm and was released from the hospital.  That kevlar vest and helmet definitely saved his life.
On Friday morning we woke to find everything covered in ice, and we flashed back to the ice storm of '98.

     It probably wasn't that bad, except Texans definitely don't know how to drive with a little ice on the highway.  Unbelievably, the speed limits are 75 on the side roads and 80 on the interstates!  Can't do 75 on an icy road.  State Police reported over 60 accidents on Friday, so we settled down in front of a nice fire, poured another cup of coffee and spent most of the day visiting.  Saturday was the same, with continued freezing rain.  But Randy and Retha did a great job keeping us entertained both days.  Although Retha seemed to be experiencing a little "cabin fever" yesterday afternoon as she casually mentioned that the road were "probably OK" and she and Debbie should get in a little shopping!
      Debbie and I are trying to keep to some type of schedule and move in a westerly direction, and by Saturday night we decided it was time to make a break for it.  The weather to the south was projected to be warmer than San Angelo which couldn't seem to break out of the 30's with freezing rain.  But it was time to see if Big Red could lead us into some warmer weather.  As we said our goodbye's to Randy, Retha, and Maggie, Debbie announced there would be "selfies in the 70's" by afternoon.  As we pulled into the Southern Star RV Park in Van Horn, Tx, the outside temperature was pushing 68 degrees and that was close enough for us.  Of course, Debbie was able to locate an RV park that associated with Passport America and our cost for camping tonight is only $15.00!  We definitely recommend Passport America to all of our camping families.

     The map below is a photo from RVillage showing all of our campgrounds visits on our Going to see America 2015 adventure.  We both agree that we are extremely fortunate to be able to pull this off.

     Two more weeks and we'll be in San Diego and Debbie gets to see the PGD!  Oh yea,,,Ben and Joanne too!  They had some big news a few days ago......they're buying their first house!  Welcome to the world of mortgages and property taxes!
     Next stop is El Paso, Tx for a few days.  Probably some side trips over to Alamogordo and Ruidoso, NM.  We've heard that it's some beautiful country.  Of course we'll stop at the Border Patrol Museum on Tuesday and we'll look up a few BP friends from Campo.  We plan to move next to Mesa, Az and do a little sightseeing and maybe some baseball.  We just hope we can stay in the warmer weather!