11-21OCT20 - Various: TX, NM, AZ, NV, OR (with a family visit)

Sunday AM, 11OCT (Coraline’s b-day), hook up the RV & Toad to head back to Washington.  As we head west toward Houston we notice major lines of traffic heading east (hurricane Delta evacuees returning home?).  Driving around Houston we have several close calls with other driver (aka idiots).  Finally get clear of Houston traffic mess to Katy, TX, & find RV park; 344 miles driven.

Monday AM drive 245 miles to Kerrville, TX, & park next to Dan’s sister, Sharon & husband Tim’s trailer.  After setting up camp we head to their trailer for reminiscing & dinner.  You may remember they visited us in Washington last back in July.

https://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2020/07/01-31jul20-sultan-wa.html

Tuesday late morning heading into Comfort, TX, w/Sharon & Tim for a walkabout.  Almost every business was closed on Monday & TuesdayL  we did check out the few antique stores that were open.  We almost left town after finding no restaurant open for lunch; but Dan kept looking & rounded the corner & found Food for the Soul, which would close in 15 minutes.  Excellent late lunch of fish tacos, gyros & ham BLTJ.  Back to RVs to nap.  Got back together again at dinner time for light snacks & lots of storytelling!  Excellent dayJ

Wednesday AM say goodbye to Sharon & Tim & head north on US 87 without a planned route on how we will drive back to the house in WashingtonJ  Near record heat 98 degreesL  Decide to stop for the night in Big Spring, TX, 237 miles driven.  Someone hacks Dan email & spoofs him as Amazon.  Dan initially falls for it but calls Amazon support & doesn’t follow thru & avoids the scam.

Thursday AM, 15OCT, back on the road w/gusty winds.  Winds were strong but nothing we hadn’t experienced before.  But about two hours into drive cruise control stops working; dash gives us three error codes – 1) “Cruise Control Visit Workshop” 2) “ESP Visit Workshop” 3) “ASR/BSR Visit Workshop”.  We pull over in Lamesa, TX, & call Mercedes support.  Vehicle can be driven but automatic traction safety systems may not work.  Half hour after returning to road, cruise control works; two hours later all error codes are goneJ  320 miles later we pull into RV park in Santo Rosa, NM.  Unique to the RV park was they offered smoked BBQ out of the rear of the office building from 4:30 to 6:30PM.  Call your order in, pick time for delivery & they bring it to your RV; not award winning BBQ but pretty good!

Friday early AM back on I-40W all the way to Gallup, NM (263 miles).  We note more Indian casinos on I-40 than previous drives on I-40, but only open to NM residents now because of virus, or they are closed.  After setting up camp Dan takes off to take roadside America pics – Giant Kachina, Galoop, Muffler Man.  Then back to the RV for dinner & an early evening.

The Secret Plot of the Muffler Men (roadsideamerica.com)

Saturday AM back on I-40W to Kingman, AZ (312 miles).  Made the mistake of fueling at Loves Truck Stop outside Williams, AZL This is last fuel on AZ 64 before driving straight north 55 miles one way to Grand Canyon NP.  Can you say - complete chaos? Another hour gained because of AZ daylight saving time?  Cable broken in RV park, no over the air TV eitherL

Sunday, 18OCT, continue heading towards home but first stop is slight detour into Bullhead City, AZ, for Wally Mart stop & cheap diesel.  The only Wally Marts we pass in next two days are in Las Vegas & we are driving around that city.  And Dan found a small gas station on the web in Bullhead, AZ, that is fifty cents per gallon cheaper than anywhere on today’s drive.  Then it is on to US95 & straight north to Tonopah, NV.

In fact see our BLOG link below to compare our last drive on US95.  Next fuel stop is at Indian Springs, NV, where a brand new Terrible’s combination fuel/Big Boy/casino has opened across from Creech AFB.

After 360 driving miles we get an RV spot at Tonopah Station Hotel & Casino (very small, old casino).  Very cheap gambling (penny slots, video poker & black jack) – but when you want to change machines, you hit cash out, an attendant writes down what you are owed & brings it to you often after several minutesL  Corrie who likes to jump from slot to slot ran the poor guy raggedJ  We got takeout from their diner (avocado benedict & linguica skillet) not gourmet but tasty & filling; still no cable or TVL

https://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2007/10/06oct07-beatty-nv.html

Monday AM back on the road to Fallon, NV, for cheap diesel; then due north to I-80E & Winnemucca, NV (305 miles), & more cheap diesel.  NOTE – once we were north of Vegas diesel prices were always cheaper in than regular.  And we noticed starting with Terrible’s there is a boom in large new gas/diesel stations by Maverik, Sinclair & Speedway going up all over Nevada.  These stations are mini truck stations capable of fueling most RV combinations; they have large spacious convenience store & restrooms; as well as a fast food section (some even have small casino area).

Tuesday long drive (420 mi) on US95 & I-80W to Wildhorse Resort & Casino, Pendleton, OR (where we stayed 29SEP).  Small winnings at slot/video poker & then back to RV w/take out bar food. Tomorrow last drive to our house outside Sultan, WA (hopefully).

Wednesday AM, 21OCT, little late getting on the road I-84/I-82; but make good time.  Dropping down into Kittitas valley from Yakima encounter strong head winds coming thru convergent zone at Snoqualmie Pass.  This causes cruise control & ESP/ASR/BSR to stop working like last ThursdayL  Continue on & stop at Thorpe fruit stand just off I-90 for cheap diesel – wind is strong & gusty & it is madhouse around the diesel pumps!  Back on the road & run into sleet at Snoqualmie pass (learn latter on the news that sleet turned to snow); followed by torrential rains on west side of pass.  305 miles driven & finally make it to the house in typical Seattle rain.  After taking care of dogs & re-opening house Corrie heads to garden to pick dozens of jalapenos that kept growing on their own while we were gone.

07-10OCT20 - Houma, LA (granddaughter's first birthday)

Wednesday, 07OCT, early & short drive to Houma, LA, 177 miles driven.  First stop is to fuel the RV in preparation for possible hurricane evacuation from Delta.  Having lived in Houma for over 10 years we “feel” it is safe to be in Houma because Hurricane Delta is weakening & turning west (unfortunately towards Lake Charles still recovering from Hurricane Laura).  Than it was off to Joe’s old house to help in final preps for selling it.  Then off to his new house to park RV & see “new” granddaughter Coraline; last seen early NOV2019.  We will make our last minute decision on Hurricane Delta evacuation tomorrow AM.

https://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2019/11/11-22oct19-houma-la-birth-of-our-third.html

https://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2019/11/29oct-05nov19-houma-la.html

Thursday AM wake up & find out Delta is turning west (very bad news for Lake Charles, LA, still digging out from Hurricane Laura) & Houma will only experience tropical storm winds/rain.  If nothing changes we will not evacuate.  We continue to help Joe w/old house; Dan makes some minor repairs to RV; then off to the in-laws, Tee & June Chiasson, for BBQ rib dinner.

Friday, 09OCT, decide not to evacuate; pull in RV slide & park closer to house for wind protection.  Meanwhile we head to Joe’s old house & discover that bathroom cabinet purchased some time ago is wrong size!  So nothing to be done & head back to RV.  Corrie cooks stroganoff for dinner at Joe & Bethany’s new house, as rain bands start to come through.

Saturday we wake up to clear weather & no wind; move RV away from house & put slide back out.  Dan helps Joe take down some garbage trees out of new house yard, & then make garbage run to landfill.  Corrie helps Bethany prepare for Coraline’s b-day tomorrow.  Because of our concerns (mainly Dan’s) about Corona Virus exposure, we will be on the road tomorrow & not participating in the family celebrationL

28SEP-06OCT20 - Various: WA, OR, ID, UT, NM, TX, LA (with a visit to the kiesels:)

Monday, 28SEP, last of RV loading takes us past lunch & finally on the road at 2:15PM.  First stop is Dan’s cousin Steve Kiesel & wife Bonnie’s in Kittitas, WA.   Relax & reminisce for few hours & then off to The Tav for dinner.  Not sure when our last visit to their small ranch, but its been too long🙁!

Tuesday slightly late AM start because Steve points out that Toad license plate tag is two months overdue.  Off to DMV to solve problem; fuel RV up & head down Canyon Road – beautiful two lane following Yakima River to Yakima.  Speed limit 45 but no climbs & descents like on I-82.  Stop at Wildhorse Resort & Casino RV in Pendleton, OR, for the night; 195 miles driven.  Of course we headed to the Casino & got Corrie here membership card & tried to beat the odds.  Their match play for blackjack was supposed to be 2$ match – it wasn’t, very disappointing.  The observing of the social distancing rules was pretty good.

Wednesday drive 339 miles & stay at KOA Twin Falls/Jerome, ID.

Thursday hard drive to Green River, UT; did some Walmart shopping; 400 miles driven.

Friday, 02OCT, another hard drive to outskirts of Albuquerque, NM; worst part was on our approach to get on I-25 when US550 was gridlocked.  So we parked at Walmart to buy some more needed stuff & found out that the state required RV parks to only accept customers who could prove they had been in state 14 days!!!  So we went to Santa Ana Star Casino (one of our many casino memberships) – they were closed from the virus until tomorrow & no parking in their empty lots!!!  And because the annual balloon festival starts tomorrow, no parking at Walmart. Corrie calls one more RV park, they had one cancellation just occur & don’t ask how long we have been in state.  Last headache of the day was walking to Mickey D’s & finding out drive thru only, 294 miles driven.  (below BLOG link is our last visit to Albuquerque during balloon festival)

https://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2012/10/06-10oct12-kerrville-tx-via-albuquerque.html

Saturday another hard drive in gusting winds.  Then DEF alarm won’t reset, even after tank is filled?  So we call it a day & stop in Amarillo (last there in MAY08).  Not sure why but there was a big fireworks display in Amarillo visible from the RV park?  426 miles driven.

https://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2008/06/31may-01jun08-amarillo-tx.html

Sunday hard drive but no wind.  We are not sure when but it seems like ten years ago Texas started building Safety/Rest Areas on their state freeways; & now are building them on the interstates?  In general these sites have ample parking for semis, RVs & cars; beautiful landscaping minimizing water usage; built of local materials in the style of local architecture; & have a large an open area in the building with historical displays focused on important historical events of the local area.  426 miles driven stopping outside of Waco, TX.

Monday AM into Waco to visit Chip & Joanna Gaines of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper”.  Short Gaines’ Waco history – they started out with an interior design boutique called Little Shop on Bosque while Chip worked construction.  Eventually they closed the shop & Chip became independent contractor (he would renovate a property & Joanna did the interior decoration).  “Discovered” by HGTV & the rest is history.

They then purchased an abandoned property in Waco called “the silos” by locals.  Repurposed the silos & reopened as the Magnolia Silos (Magnolia being their company name).  It now draws tourists from near & far.  In fact the silos was already several acres in size but they bought three acres next door for major expansion to be completed soon (& they stopped their HGTV show a year ago to launch their own network).  Now they have several locations in Waco (each a different way to separate you from your money) - Silos Bakery ($3 cupcakes cheapest item); Magnolia Market (upscale clothing, home décor & garden); Magnolia Press (coffee shop w/more home décor); the reopened original Little Shop on Bosque(discount store); Magnolia Table (large restaurant where Dan had Joanna’s avocado toast – pretty good).

https://magnolia.com/about/

Then after OD’ing on Magnolia paraphernalia it was off to explore Roadside America (Dan’s favorite RV’ing activity).  First stop was to see 80 foot tall tin soldier.  A towering, abandoned incinerator in a parking lot painted to resemble a Tin Soldier in late 2014.  The Tincinerator!  Followed by Darwin the Gorilla - Cement gorilla on someone’s front lawn is frequently repainted and accessorized to suit the whims of its owner.  (note – this is very upscale neighborhood – not sure the neighbors appreciate this?)

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/tx/waco

Final stop of the day was back into Waco & the Dr Pepper Museum ($10 admission per person).  Museum had lots of interesting exhibits & history of not only Dr Pepper (fist national brand in the USA) but all their competitors.  While interesting, museum definitely needs to upgrade to modern computer/video displays & interactivity.  Ex – they have videos running old TV commercials or historical film footage.  When the video stops the display shifts to audio only presentation?  And the videos are on a set schedule, rather than stopping when no one in room, or starting at beginning when someone enters empty roomL

https://drpeppermuseum.com/

Tuesday AM, 06OCT, we start another long day of driving enroute to son Joe’s house in our old hometown in Houma, LA.  Meanwhile hurricane Delta is heading toward southern Louisiana as a category 3 or 4 storm.  We decide to stop for the night in Marksville, LA, & tomorrow decide if we will continue to Houma or move away from hurricane Delta? 373 miles driven.