Warmer weather.......

Our Location: Mid Way Rv, Dexter, NM

 

We woke this morning to clear blue skies and frosty temps but we weren't complaining. At one point I had to go back inside and get my gloves to try to at least warm my hands a bit so I could continue to pack up and hitch up. 

 

This train had 5 engines, three on the front and two on the back.

 

As I was hooking up the gentleman from Elberta, Alabama came by, (I think he's bored) asking if we enjoyed the canyon yesterday. They too went there and loved it. They spent pretty much the whole day there, not leaving until dusk. As we were chatting a fella a few doors down from the Igloo stopped his pickup at the end of the driveway asking me if I had a repair man over a few days ago. I answered yes, he asked if I liked him, was he good, what had he worked on, etc. This guy was having furnace issues too. Inside I went to grab Matt Curry's phone number for the man. I told him I was sure he would be most satisfied with the service of Red Rover RV Repair, wished him luck and continued to finish up the last little things before heading out. 

 

Wind turbines stretching off into the haze.

 

With these slight delays we were on the road by 8:50 am this morning. Which is fine, we didn't have far to go anyway, a couple of hundred miles and we called it a day. 

 

Shiny silo's with what I'm sure is planted trees to help protect from the wind. Reflection on the glass makes the pic look more hazy than it actually was.

 

The roads were pretty good, pretty empty too. We have opted to head southerly while going west instead of just straight west. We're hoping to find some warmer weather. So we headed mostly south for a while but then veered westerly as well. Passing little Texas towns and numerous stockyards or cattle yards with literally thousands of cattle in them, waiting for the end of their time. The area around whatever kind of slaughter house it happened to be was crawling with cattle. Thousands of them thickly packed into holding pens. There were so many cattle that you couldn't see the land, just a moving dark mass that stretched around these industrial buildings. The smell was horrible. Truly, utterly disgusting. We passed one Beef Packaging plant that made me want to leave any food I'd consumed behind and believe me I wasn't interested in any food for a while.

 

A very patriotic Texas farmer.

 

The landscape was more of the same flat land, scrub land, with the horizon hazy and no definition between sky and land. The sky is huge out here and at times brilliantly blue, not the sparkly blue of Ontario, Canada but so bright it hurts your eyes to look at it too long. Due to the land being so flat I think it makes the sky look bigger as there is nothing to disrupt the skyline. Farms/ranches often have some fancy iron scroll work at the gate, and almost every side road along US 60 had cattle guards instead of gates. Numerous industrial factories/plants dotted the landscape, not all were named but they just seemed to appear in the haze. 

 

Cattle in the stockyards, all of that black stuff is cows. It goes on and on.

 

The small towns were cute, the divided highway would become 'undivided' in town, therefore allowing the driver to cross to the other side of the street without any difficulties. Then it would divide again after leaving the town.  Speed limits in Texas are 75 mph with some slow downs in the smaller towns to 45 mph but anything with a population less than 2000 didn't warranty less than 45 mph. 

 

I wonder if this is sagebrush along the road way?

 

We crossed into New Mexico rather suddenly and we weren't expecting it at the time but we turned the corner and the sign said "Welcome to New Mexico" so we figured we'd managed to make all the right turns to that point. ~laugh~  We crossed into Mountain Time (at the state line) around 11 am Texas time, which made it 10 am in the new time zone. So now we are officially 2 hours different than back in Ontario. I'll have to be careful calling there or I'll be getting told off. ~laugh~ We crossed from Farwell, Texas  into Texico, NM at that little street corner. I'm not sure but I think I may have missed a weigh station on that corner, but no one came after me, so I guess we're okay. The signs are all kind of jumbled together and it's hard to read long signs, watch traffic and make turns all at the same time. The sign (which I seen two more later in the day) said ALL trucks, tow dollies, tow bars, rentals, etc. so I think that would include me but I"m not sure. I didn't see anything about 5th wheels or travel trailers either. I'll have to ask someone. 

It just goes on and on and on....

As we continued into New Mexico we noticed the landscape gently changing from long flats stretching as far as the eye could see to a slight, gentle roll in the distance. The roads are straight and you can see for a long way but as we drove further in we found that the rolling of the hills was becoming more obvious out the window. 

The roads are long and straight, you can see the rolling hills now.

We stopped twice today on our travels. Once at a Walmart for a leg stretch and to pick up a couple of little things and once at a road side rest area. Along this particular stretch of road the signs aren't spaced far enough from whatever they are advertising and one must be right on top of things if they want to stop. Two road side picnic tables, complete with a covered roof and tons of graffiti add a couple of rubbish containers pretty much covered the little area. However it was a great little stop.

A little New Mexico fixer upper, slap a couple windows in, a door, some shingles, it's good to go.

We bypassed Roswell on our way to Dexter. We'll go back into Roswell over the next couple of days. I'm hoping to get an oil change and a fuel filter changed while we're here over the next few days. I want to get them done before they NEED to be done and we're getting close enough for me to feel it's time. Also need to dump more Blue Def into the Big Dog again. This about the 3rd jug on this journey westward so far. I've started carrying a spare one just in case. 

Not the big signs as seen on the Interstates.

We arrived at Mid Way RV park in Dexter, NM around 1:30 pm Mountain time. Checked in at the office and opted for a pull thru without sewer as the back in's with sewer were really, reeeally tight. We would have fit but we would also be looking into the neighbours window without leaving the table. The slides would have made it extremely close quarters in the two back in spots he offered. We instead chose site #22 in a more spacious row. 

This old building is in the tiny NM town of Texico just across the state line from Texas.

We've paid for 3 days but may stay an extra one to get the Big Dog serviced. I called a local guy that the office man recommended but he didn't answer so I'm not sure what I'll do now. I'll give it some thought over the next day or so. 

Large square bales of hay stacked in a field.

The Mid Way park is not fancy, it's close to the road way and a dairy farm with ill winds blowing from it today. There are about 15-20 units here, some full time, some visitors like us. The sites are fairly level or at least ours is, it's pretty clean looking, but has no amenities which suits us fine. We don't use them anyway. 

Becoming more desert like, I think.

After setting up, we payed up, then made some lunch. We debated about BBQ'ing but opted instead for an inside cooking experience. Today's menu was mashed potatoes, Italian steamed veggies (celery, asparagus, mushrooms, peppers, and beans), and Hawaiian BBQ Chicken. Add to that a mixed green salad and we were pretty full by the end but we managed to nibble on some oatmeal cookies as well. 

Flags still at half mast for the victims of the Texas Church shooting.

Tidied up, began editing pics and writing my blog. It's 5:10 pm and already pretty much dark now. We've found warmer weather and we're enjoying it immensely. Still too cold to sit outside due to the wind but tomorrow promises to be better as do the days ahead. 

 

This post office was literally on the side of the road, not near a town or even a cluster of house. Just all by itself.

So there you have it, our day. Nothing too exciting but it was fun, entertaining, educational, and warmer. It was a win all the way around. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. 

Until next time...be safe, take care....

  

Awesome Day........

Our Location: AOK Campground, Amarillo, Texas

 

(all pics today from Palo Duro Canyon State Park)

 

What a difference a few hours makes. This morning was cold, 37F/2.7C inside the Igloo. It was 47F/8.3 C outside according to our thermometer. So we cranked up the heaters and let the place warm up a bit, opened the night shades and let the sunshine in which helped too. Before long it was toasty warm in here. 

 

 

We did our usual morning stuff, you know the routine things you do pretty much each morning and then I sat down to pay some bills on my own secure internet thanks to the Verizon jet pack. The damn thing wouldn't load more than one page, then it would just sit there. Needless to say I was more than a little ticked off, I just replaced this thing within the last 10 days, and haven't had been able to use it since June. So we loaded up my computer, the jet pack and headed into Amarillo to the Verizon Wireless store.

 

Gift shop down below us

 

However we were delayed by a nice gentleman from Elberta, Alabama. He used to own an RV park there, but has since given it to his son. We chatted about the small town of Elberta as I've been there many times, even stayed there a few times. Not at his park but near by. Funny what a small world it is, don't you think? We discussed his trip to Alberta, Canada and their journey to the Cumberland Ice Fields ( I think that's what he called it) and how there was so much snow, etc. For a fella from Alabama anything more than a flake is a LOT of snow. ~laugh~  We parted with each of us wishing the other safe journeys and an enjoyable day.

 

 

 It took us about 20 minutes to get to Verizon Wireless and you won't believe what happened. It worked perfectly, not a blip, not a hick up. I know the guy thought I was nuts but it's like taking your car to the mechanic and it has healed thy self. ~laugh~  The stupid thing was as fast a greased pig in a tight spot. 

 

The haze was far off in the distance but showed up more in the photo.

 

We loaded ourselves back in the Dogsled, heading out to Palo Duro Canyon. Now you must realize that I had been in such a state over this stupid jet pack that I completely forgot the walking sticks and the extra bottles of water. Didn't realize that until we were about 10 miles from the Canyon. Oh well, we'd manage, we can buy water and we weren't sure we wanted to hike down and up the canyon anyway. 

 

 

Just before the entrance to the Palo Duro Canyon State Park we noticed a sign for riding stables, and debated about going via horse down into the canyon. We however opted to have a look first and perhaps do the horse back trip on the way out. A $5 per person fee was paid to a nice fella in the booth and for our money he gave us a single piece of paper with a map type bit of information, and rules of the park. We headed off around the corner, another corner, and yet another before we began seeing what to us was absolutely amazing. We've never seen anything like it before. It was truly awesome. The canyon stretched before us in all of it's splendor with various shades and shadows, hills and valleys, crags and crevices. It was worth the drive to Texas to see it. 

 

There are roads and rivers down there

 

I can't begin to explain the colours, although I'm sure many of you wouldn't be awed by such a sight as I'm certain you've seen them before but for us first time viewers it was amazing. The colour layering the rocks, the distant haze and beckoning shadows couldn't be captured in the photos but it gives you an idea of what we seen. 

 

Again the haze was not so noticeable when I took the picture.

 

We checked out each and every nook and cranny we found, from the welcoming gift shop to the numerous campgrounds on the canyon floor. We debated about staying there for a night or two but the drive UP the canyon road was enough in just the Dogsled, I couldn't imagine hauling the Igloo up the small, winding path. The campsites were nice, the views amazing but the road scared the crap out of me when I thought about hauling UP. Down didn't bother me, with tow, and an engine brake, plus lower gears, I wouldn't be too worried. The haul up would be on the outside of the lanes, near the edge, with no rails, and some pretty sharp corners. We opted to pass. ~laugh~ 

 

 

The park was opened in 1934 ( I believe) and at one point they had a camp there for the workers that were making the park into a usable attraction, making roads, building buildings, etc. It was a thriving little community where these men lived but all that remains is the stone chimney from the community building. 

 

 

Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the USA, second only to the Grand Canyon. It is vast with numerous hiking trails and attractions to be seen. We took some time to check out the Pioneer Amphitheater and I checked out a couple of different seats to find which one would be the best view. ~laugh~ Of course it was just the two of us, so we pretty much had the pick of the house. No show to see though, but it was still interesting. 

 

 

You can rent some small stone cabins in the canyon as well. They are made of stone with only one or two windows, and doors. They aren't much bigger than about 12 X 12, or at least they don't appear to be. They have a small chimney which indicates a cook stove or wood stove, screens on the door and windows. Even the roof looks to be made of stone. Interesting little buildings. 

 

 

The campgrounds vary, some are for groups only, some are for tents only, some for rv'ers with horses only, and others are for the rest of the folks. A couple of dump stations were visible, not sure if they had sewer hookups or not. Some were back in, a few pull thru's, and all of them had a covered picnic table and grill area. 

 

 

Flash flood warnings were in evidence in various places along the road and I wondered how that would effect the campers parked nearby. The constant 'flood' number looked to be no more than 5' at any of the bridges we came across. That's still a lot of water to come barrelling down the gully!!

 

This is the backdrop behind the stage at the Pioneer Amphitheater

 

We spent a couple of hours in the park, enjoying the sites and snapping pics. We snapped over 200 pics, I slimmed that down to just over 100. Don't worry, I'm not going to show them ALL to you. ~laugh~ Just a few.

 

I think it's the best seat in the house....

 

For our $5 fee we certainly had a million dollar view from numerous places. With more time and energy there was a great deal more we could have done to enjoy the canyon and perhaps another time we'll come better prepared. Upon heading out of the park the riding stables called me but Riley wasn't interested, so that too will be for another time. 

 

One of the little stone cabins available for rent.

 

Home around 3:00 pm Riley cooked up our lunch while I finished dumping the tanks, and putting away the sewer hoses and a few other things we had pulled out as well. Lunch was excellent, mashed potatoes, spaghetti squash, and ham steaks, along with a nice green salad. We tend to have our big meal about mid afternoon and then something light for dinner. It seems to work better for us. 

 

 

So there you have it, a great day with the temps reaching about 60F/15C with beautiful blue skies!! We both enjoyed it very much but are looking forward to hitting the road again tomorrow. New Mexico calls us and we're excited to answer!!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed your visit. If you are ever in this area the canyon is worth the time and effort to visit. So keep that in mind. 

 

This was on a T-shirt in the gift shop! Made me laugh!!

 

Until next time...be safe, take care...

A lazy sort of day, just keeping warm....

Our Location: AOK Campground, Amarillo, Texas


(yesterday's post)

A cold night with small sounds against the roof off and on thru the night, not snow but freezing rain or sleet perhaps. The cold, dull days are starting to wear on me and I’m for just packing up and pushing on tomorrow even if the weather man says it’s going to warm up and be sunny. I would suggest we go today but it’s too cold for me to pack up all of the outside as my hands would give me trouble for hours and driving that way wouldn’t be fun. So we’ll stay put today, stay inside and have a very lazy day.  After talking with Miss Riley I guess we'll chance the weather man for another day or two. We're going to pull out on Friday and head for Roswell, NM.

We have been searching the New Mexico area and I believe we will alter our original plan and strike out away from I-40 West, head south toward Roswell, NM, for a few days. From there I think we'll follow George and Suzie of 'Our Awesome Travels ' and head along US 380 to I-25 south. From there we'll check out the Deming, NM area for a few days too. Resting in the warmth is much more fun than resting in the cold.  We are in no hurry to reach the Arizona area but those warm temps are calling my name and just laughing at me being stuck back here in the cold on the Texas Panhandle. ~laugh~

Although for all my whining I will say I’m happy to be where I am and glad I’m not back in Ontario, Canada. The weather there doesn’t look too nice at all. A weather alert popped up on my phone for the Manitowaning area, or maybe Manitoulin Island in general, I didn’t check. Rain and snow flurries turning to snow with an accumulation of about 5cm or 2”. Doesn’t sound like much but that stuff could be the first of the stuff that stays all winter and it’s too early for that kind of crap. ~laugh~

The day continued to cold, never reaching more than 47F /8.3C with a chilly wind blowing. We made it to the office to pay for two more nights, and the dumpster to leave a deposit, I dumped the tanks and that was it for the day. We pretty much read, watched some movies, and rested for the remainder of the day. 

Sorry I was late getting this post out but well, you know how it is, some days it goes well, some days it doesn't. ~laugh~ Bet you can guess which one it was!!

No pics today, sorry but since we stayed inside most of the day there wasn't much to take pictures of. 

Thanks for stopping by, until next time...be safe, take care...

Cold, windy day in Amarillo....

Our Location: AOK Campground, Amarillo, Texas

 

Hello there. We awoke this morning to fog, and cold temps. Not freezing as predicted but not far above either. To top off the cold temps there is also a pretty stiff wind blowing and it makes things feel colder still. Last look at the weather forecast called for rain tomorrow and a high of 45F. Brrrrrr for one more day, then it starts to warm up again. We're looking forward to the day after tomorrow. ~laugh~ 

 

Odd colour to the grass between the lanes on the interstate.

 

Since we weren't going any where and had nothing much on the agenda this morning I decided we'd have a nice breakfast. A breakfast burrito with eggs, green onions, yellow peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, three kinds of cheese, and a hint of Tabasco all wrapped up in nice flour tortilla, nicely browned in the pan. I must say it wasn't too bad. 

 

Not a very good pic but this thing is sure leaning, the back feet are off the ground.

 

Riley cleaned up after breakfast and I started making a list of the groceries we needed, as well as a couple of other items. I looked up the store location and since it was near by off we went for an hour's outing. Easy to get to, easy to get out of, nice store. We then headed to Target looking for a cord for Riley's tablet, which we can't find anywhere, since we bought the tablet at Target we hoped they would have a cord. No go. Best Buy next door. No go. Looks like we'll have to order one on line and have it shipped. Our last stop was the Dollar Tree for a couple of little things. From there we headed the Big Dog's nose easterly and headed back to the Igloo. 

 

Her Royal Highness (HRH) Miss Kitty during our travels.

 

Back at home we put away the groceries, I worked on one of the heaters, we had some lunch and watched a movie. Washed up after lunch, located the tools I needed to fix the pots and pan drawer along with some screws and before I knew it I was finished fixing the drawer. I cleaned up the inside of the Dogsled a bit as I haven't done that for a while and later I tidied up the Igloo a bit. Since we're having leftovers for supper I have found time to sit down and write. 

 

This stuff is everywhere, not sure if it's a grass or a small bush.

 

Not an exciting day but we needed one of these days. Tomorrow will be even more relaxed and we plan on being home all day. Thursday we're hoping to do a bit of sight seeing and possibly pulling out on Friday. We haven't really decided yet. I suppose time will tell. 

 

So on that note, I'm off. I hope you enjoyed your visit and until next time...be safe, take care.... 

Cooler day here but still nice....

Our Location: AOK Campground, Amarillo, Texas

We were up early this morning and ventured into Walmart to try to put some time in before hitting the road. It worked, we were on the road at 8:35 am, five minutes later than we normally are. ~laugh~ Amazing how it just works out to be about the same time every travel day. 

Cotton fields in Oklahoma

A cool start to the morning, windy as well in Weatherford, Oklahoma. A nice night though, not too noisy and I don't think the low reached the predicted numbers but it was still much cooler than the previous few days. We were one of 5 over night guests in Sam Walton's front yard, plus a number of big rigs. The last 3 Walmarts have all been open 24 hrs and I expected them to be noisier and have been pleasantly surprised. 

Welcome to Texas

A strong head wind when we first started out had the Big Dog drinking diesel like he was in a hurry to empty the bowl. Before we reached the Texas/Oklahoma state line the wind died down noticeably.  We topped up the drinking bowl with diesel for $61 USD for about 26/27 gallons of fuel near Elk City, Oklahoma. 

Really red/brown coloured earth in Texas

Some construction narrowed the lanes down a bit for a while but nothing too troublesome and the traffic was flowing well. I've noticed that there is less and less traffic the further we head west, longer stretches where there are fewer vehicles around. I like that. 

Amazing colours here further along in Texas

We crossed into Texas without any fanfare. No welcome center to greet us but we managed to make our way along. The first impressions of Texas weren't very favourable, as it appeared to be somewhat drab and dull. Granted it's a dull day but the feel of the area was less than exciting, perhaps it was my expectations or perhaps it was just the landscape, devoid of colour that made it seem drab. The further we get into the state the nicer it appears, the more appealing it becomes. 

The view from the first rest stop West bound I-40 in Texas.

The first rest stop is located quite a ways from the state line but for a good reason. The view is eye catching and for first timers exciting to see. The vistas are beckoning and offers great promise of much more to come the further you delve into the state. Its almost as if the country side is laughing at the surprise it's caused in you. I think Texas may be a great place to explore in the future. 

More views from the viewing platform at the rest stop

The rest stop is dominated by a white 3 sided or horseshoe shaped structure that looks to be rising right out of the ground. Each of the tall white sides has a single star cutout in it. Obviously for the Lone Star State. The building seen from the front is interesting and inviting with a small metal windmill showing thru the windows. Inside it contains washrooms and a circular bar with information about the area and the state placed on placards ringing the windmill. The back part of the building is also all windows showing the amazing first time view of the time eroded lands of Texas. Picnic areas are covered by a metal roof that appears to be waving in the wind and allows the picnic area to view the scene while enjoying the great fresh air. 

For the first time viewers like us, this was eye catching.

One of the most amazing things for me to see here in Oklahoma and Texas is all the cotton fields. They stretch on for acres and acres. Big watering machines dot the landscapes here in this part of Texas as do the bales of cotton as well as hay. A 5600 acre Wind Farm shows off the many fancy wind turbines in this area. They seem to just keep going and going and going. Like back in Ontario though, not all of them are turning, which causes the question, why not? These wind turbines are high enough to allow crops to be planted/harvested and/or livestock to graze without causing issues.  Dual purpose land!!!

The red colour is earth, the sky is huge, the horizon naturally hazy.

Just outside Amarillo we found the Passport America park, AOK Campground. It's right off of I-40 and we can hear a few trains, planes and automobiles going past but we're happy here for a while. We've had enough driving/towing for a few days and had a few things we wanted to deal with here. 

This is more of the 'exciting' landscape that I expect from the western states this winter.

Parking in site # 27 we have full hookups and good wifi. It's not a fancy park, but it's clean and presentable. So far the folks have been friendly and other than the noises mentioned the park is quiet.  The planes flying over head appear to be military with a couple of passes by a fighter jet or two. A couple of cargo planes as well flew over after we had put the Igloo's feet down and hooked up. However we aren't too worried, if it's too noisy we'll just move to another location in the area. 

First rest stop in Texas on I-40 West bound.

After setting up we started BBQ'ing lunch, we were both hungry by this time as it was already after 1 pm. While tending the BBQ I called the Red Rover Repair office and spoke with Matt Curry. I had a few issues I wanted to have resolved and the reviews for him were excellent. I was hoping to get an appointment for tomorrow or Wednesday. Not going to happen, he was here in about an hour. Of course that was just when lunch was cooked. ~laugh~ 

Picnic areas at the rest stop.

Long story short, our problem with both the hot water heater and the furnace is due to the Asian beetles. They seemed to have climbed in there and clogged things up, he cleared them out and bingo, we're good to go again. He checked over the fridge outlet as well, walked around the Igloo and gave me a few heads up and pointers. Really nice fella, very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. He even put a couple of screws in the fender cover that were loose. His name is Matt Curry, he summers in Amarillo, Tx and winters in RGV (Rio Grande Valley), TX and works in both places. You can reach him at 956-369-9918. Here in Amarillo he charges $45 to come out to the park, and $80 an hour after that which also means that if he has to go for parts you are paying him for that time, not just the time he's physically at your site. I think that's very reasonable and fair. Nice guy, or did I mention that already? ~laugh~ So if you need someone to work on your RV in those areas give him a call, you won't be disappointed. 

Forgive the dirty window but the landscape is .....vast.

So we've been here for less than 3 hrs, we've got our issues fixed, we've paid for a couple of nights and we've finished our meal. Now it's time to just sit back and relax. We have a few ideas of what we're going to do tomorrow but as you know that could change at any time. So I'll not write anything down just in case it changes. 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this post. Until next....be safe....take care....