27SEP-06OCT23 - Cleburne, TX & Various (or, id, ut, nm, tx)

 Wednesday early AM, 27SEP, finish hooking up toad to RV and on the road to Houma, LA.  Heavy rain from our house to just past Snoqualmie Pass.  Then I-82 and I-84 to Pendleton, OR, for a RV spot at Wild Horse Casino where we stayed couple of times in SEP/OCT 2020.  Last part of I-82 from Yakima to OR was extremely windy; been awhile since we drove in conditions like that. Early dinner in the casino, very light games of chance, and back to RV.

Thursday AM, 28SEP, on the road and first stop is the Casino gas station for diesel.  This is the first casino gas station we have encountered that gives no discount to casino card members (like us) and only discount people that have their gas station card (good nowhere else).  Then on to I-84 east to Boise, ID, for lunch and diesel at a Maverik station.  We have noticed for some time that Maverick is building/expanding thru-out the west.  Their new and remodeled stations have a big convenience store with a selection of fresh prepared deli items; there is large, easy access to all fuel pumps for (in fact this one had diesel at every pump not just semi-truck islands).  Then short drive to Glenns Ferry, ID, and Trail Break RV Park.  After parking, first chore is adding DEF to RV fuel system.

Friday AM back on I-84 east to Heber City in Utah.  To avoid Salt Lake City traffic north of SLC we go east and cross Wasatch mountains and travel south/down the “back” side of the Wasatch with very little traffic.  Plus the road is very scenic and the Aspens are changing colors.  Not as many colors or closely packed trees like NE; but the bright yellows, red/oranges & lime greens combined with the rock formations of the Wasatch should be on everyone’s must see list!

Saturday AM (last day of SEP) on the road to our next stop in Moab, UT.  Approaching Shelter, UT, in narrow canyon our GPS said 0.6 miles to Shelter and then said we had arrived even tho no sign of town.  So we took Main St exit and found what was basically a ghost town.  Then used nav app on phone we find Maverik two miles past where gas buddy, gps, and google said it was, problem? – Gas buddy and google give the address based on old center of town which is almost a ghost town now but new station is really 2 miles further on main highway where all “new” business are built (dollar general & camping world RV dealer).  But Dan did find a Muffler Man (they lurk everywhere:)

Turns out maverik is brand new and not in gps data bases.  Then windy high desert drive to Moab and set up camp in same RV park from out Grand Circle Tour in SEP 2012.  High winds preclude use of awnings.

The Ryan RV Express: 29SEP-05OCT12 - Moab, UT (last 2 stops on the grand circle tour)

Sunday AM (first day of OCT) on the road; long drive to Dancing Eagle Casino RV in Paraje, NM.  Constant gusty winds from 25mph to 45mph.  Start out in UT driving south to cut SW corner of Colorado, into NM and south.  On to I40 east at Gallup and further east on I40 to our RV spot Paraje.  After arrival we set-up camp and then head to market place grocery store; turns out casino, store, gas station and all other businesses on surrounding property are part of the Laguna Pueblo.

Pueblo of Laguna | Laguna is surrounded by enchanting mesas and is situated at the foothills of the beautiful mountains of Mount Taylor. Laguna is located 45 miles west of Albuquerque on Interstate 40. The reservation consists of approximately 500,000 acres of land situated in Cibola, Valencia, Bernalillo and Sandoval counties. (lagunapueblo-nsn.gov)

Monday no bad weather really even though forecasted, so we push thru to Amarillo, TX.  Can see from interstate that Cadillac ranch & muffler man are still there.  See below link our BLOG/pics about our visit and run-in with Anthony Bourdain.  Have tornado watch thru night.

The Ryan RV Express: 31MAY/01JUN08 - Amarillo, TX

Tuesday, 03OCT, experience no bad weather last night and hit the road early to make one long drive to visit Dan’s sister Sharon and husband Tim now living in Cleburne, TX.  No problems on drive other than two phone GPS’s and RV GPS could not find RV park.  After setting up camp head to Sharon & Tim’s house for reminiscing and lite dinner before calling it an earlier night.

Wednesday mid AM Sharon & Tim arrive to take us to their daughter’s Julia house north of Fort Worth.  Nice short visit and then all of us in two cars to the original stockyard area of Fort Worth for lunch at Joe T Garcia’s Fort Worth institution since 1935.  Then back to our homes/RV to nap.  Possible severe weather tonight.  Watch TV news into night as possible tornado weather passes north of us with damaging winds to areas south of Fort Worth.  We are not sure how someone gets the full picture looking at weather app on small screen cell phone and only having streaming service on home TV?

Joe T. Garcia's (joetgarcias.com)

Thursday late morning head back over to Sharon & Tim’s for reminiscing and home cooked dinner.  Around lunch time niece Julia shows up and serious story telling commences (no lies were told).  Lets just say Julia got some family history/stories that weren’t mentioned growing up😊.  Great day with family, back to the RV.

Friday morning we head to Sharon & Tim’s for a driving tour of the surrounding area.  Very scenic country side very similar to what we remember from the Hill Country of TX.  Turns out this area of TX is known for petrified wood deposits and being dinosaur capital of TX.  First stop for photo ops was an abandoned gas station/store known as the Outlaw Station.  Run down now but the beauty of the petrified wood construction still evident.  Supposedly back in the day there was a back room speak easy & was supposedly used by Bonnie & Clyde.

The ruins of Outlaw Station stand as a reminder of Prohibition in ‘Petrified City’ - Roadtrippers

Then off to the Creation Evidence Museum for some interesting dinosaur facts.  Final stop was Riverhouse Grill for excellent lunch.  Then back to their house for a little rest and on to RV to prep for tomorrow’s departure.

Creation Evidence Museum of Texas

01-26SEP23- Sultan, WA (10th b-day for grandson mason)

Friday AM (first day of September) Dan heads to Sultan Food Bank; Corrie takes Rocket to vet for follow-up ultrasound on his kidney stones event.  After dinner Dan heads to Starfire soccer complex (south of Seattle) for Mason’s first game of three game weekend tournament.  Due to hand injury to the starting goalie Mason might be goalie for entire tournament.  And this game is their first night game under the lights for the team.

Saturday around lunch we head to second of Mason’s soccer games in the tournament; then home to mow before rain arrives.

Sunday, 03SEP, before lunch we head to last of Mason’s tournament soccer games.  The team started out with a loss (4 to 0 - note all the points were scored in first half!); next day was a tie (2 to 2); and today was a win (5 to 2); not bad for playing with a “new” goalie against select teams from Seattle & Bellevue.  Back at the house it was an early dinner of take-out from Sultan Thai; rain returns, looks like summer is over?

Friday 08SEP Dan heads to food bank in morning.  Then at lunch drives south to Tacoma and around to Pitre’s to get grandson Mason after school; catch the Kingston ferry and drive home to Oma and dinner.  Then Saturday right before lunch Mason, Oma and Dan head to Mason’s soccer game at soccer complex in Redmond.  Immediately after game we head to Edmonds ferry to get Mason to his mom, Rebecca, who was covering Jaxson’s soccer game.  Then home to take out dinner from Taco Time.

Sunday great weather; Corrie gardens and Dan connects wood chipper to tractor to make sure it works; then mows backyard

Monday, 11SEP, Dan starts taking pool down.  Works off and on disassembling pool so that on Friday he can store most of pool away.  Then at lunch time head to Pitre’s for grandson sitting.

Then Saturday, 16SEP, off to Loeb’s field for both boys’ soccer games.  Thankfully both at some location one after another; Mason first and Jaxson second.

Turns out Jaxson’s team had minimum players to field a team, so Mason and another kid from his team were allowed to participate in second game.  They were pretty tired and only played sporadically.  Then into the car and Dan caught the ferry home.

Sunday we decide to fire-up the RV and head to son Joe & wife Bethany’s in Houma , LA, next week for a grand daughter fix.  So now we have to plan long drive down and back; close up house and property; and change previously made appointments!!! Looks like last good weather for at least a week so Dan mows.

Monday, 18SEP, runs errands in prep for RV trip; Dan has dental in AM and foodbank rest of the day.  Tuesday, 19SEP AM Corrie runs errands; afternoon off to pharmacy to get Fluzone and Arexvy vaccines.  Wednesday not much done; Rocket gets trimmed; Corrie feeling the effects of yesterday’s shots☹  Thursday mostly spent on preparing for next week’s RV trip.

Friday gorgeous weather; Dan goes to local RV show while Corrie runs errands.  RV show almost a waste of time/money (small selection of dealers and no vendors selling after market accessories).  Daughter Rebecca shows up with youngest son Mason to spend the night to cutdown their driving tomorrow to Mason’s soccer game.  Game is on this side of Puget Sound and no need for to catch ferry tomorrow.

Saturday late morning off to the soccer game; thankfully game finished before strong rains arrive; then home for us and not much done.

Sunday AM, 24OCT, off to the Pitre’s in the truck with dogs for grandson Mason’s birthday (10 years old) with family.  We get to Edmonds ferry terminal and half the parking lot is empty and they aren’t letting any cars past tickets booth after us?  Turns out today is a large bicycle event being held by Cascade Bicycle Club.  The first three ferry runs of the day to the Kingston Ferry Terminal give 50% of their capacity to participants.  So no waiting for us and at cars are unloaded first so we don’t get stuck behind clumps of slow moving bikes😊

At their house not much done until lunch time when we have several domino’s pizza’s and birthday cake.  Then Mason opens presents from family and we hit the road home.  Unfortunately all our good luck on the ferry this morning is wiped out by three hour wait outbound☹; get home and collapse on couch.

Kitsap Color Classic | Cascade Bicycle Club

Monday, move RV out of garage to driveway and start packing it for Wednesday’s departure; heavy, heavy rain off & on afternoon into the night.  Tuesday, 26SEP, all day on getting RV ready into the night, shooting for early AM departure to miss supposed “bad” weather approaching; during all this had to take Bella the dog to vet to have left eye checked out for possible infection.