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Sunday, August 26, 2018

C&D Adventures 2018 Week 1


Day 1 8-22-18
When leaving for a three week vacation do you ever second guess yourself?
Little things like wondering if you have closed the garage door.
Assuming you have both sets of truck keys with you and a multitude of other things.
This trip has started off just like that.
I am pretty sure the garage door is closed but those keys.
Well I think they are still at home in Chucks shorts that are sitting on the chair in the master bedroom.
At least I have my set.
Cups for the trip
I am sure that is why the truck started in the first place.
Love the keyless entry but sometimes there is a hitch in that luxury.
Our travels are short today and we get to the Winstar Casino around 4:30pm.
We are getting ready to make the walk to the casino when a courtesy bus stops in front of our rigs.
How perfect was that.
Gosh the casino is big and getting to El Fenix made me even more hungry.
I know we are pretty predictable, but this food is pretty stinking good.
We walk back to the trailers but not before we walk around some of the trailers that are in the lot just west of us.
Appears that Funtown RV has opened a sales office here.
They didn’t have anything that we would want to trade the Taj-mah-hauler in for.
Time to call it a day and get some rest.

8-23-18. Thursday.
Big Bertha, and her sister are ready to get this vacation underway.
We are on the road by 8:30.
Greenville TX Lupie (our gps on Big Bertha) decides to change our route.
She may think this is quite humorous but when pulling 43’ of trailer it is NOT!
We recovered quite well from this little detour....LOL

The next obstacle was a work crew striping the white line on HWY 69 south bound just outside of Greenville.
Our 6mph crawl was not a lot of fun.
The line of cars were endless behind us.
We are up towards the front but not sure how long this could last.
Finally get around the crews and that is the last obstacle for us in today’s drive.

Big Bertha's sister and Big Bertha
We get to Diamond Jacks Casino around 2.30pm.
Nice little park
Walk over to the casino to figure out dinner and a lady asked if we have a players card.
Nope but give us a minute.
They had a free taco and nacho bar this evening.
It even comes with two complementary margaritas.
Can’t beat that.
After we eat we make our way to the casino.
I think those “free” tacos and drinks were just paid for by our losses at the machines tonight.
Chuck and Chris came out fine but Diana and I are losers.
We walk back to the park and sit outside for a bit.

Meanwhile back in Oklahoma Mother and Louie have gone to our house to hopefully pick up a UPS package. (not to be found)
While there mother finds Chucks missing truck keys.
Check that one off the list.
Nice quiet evening

Day 3 8-24-18 Friday
Although I didn’t sleep very well worrying about the whereabouts of a UPS package, the trailer was cool and comfortable.
First thing this morning I text our UPS driver and he informs me that he left our package with our next door neighbor.
Another mystery solved.
Check that off the list as well. 

We leave the park at 9.
Today’s destination is New Orleans.
I-49 highway puts any Oklahoma road to shame.
It was terrible...
Then we got on I-10 and it was even worse.
We have hit Love bug country, and those little guys are out in force.
We hit a few million I think.
I know what we will be doing when we get set up this evening.
We have learned our lesson on those guys.

We have a slow down at Lafayette due to road construction.
Took some time off our trip but just didn’t want to risk trying to take off streets to bypass it.
Low bridges are not our friends.

Another slow down on I-10 as we make our way to New Orleans.
Guess it’s good we are not in any hurry.
We make it to the Pontchartrain Landing RV Park this afternoon.
We end up at a different spot than we requested, as the guy thought with the size of our rigs we would be better in another location.   
That was perfectly fine with us.




They have a restaurant on site so we decide the just eat there.
They even have live entertainment tonight, so as got a taste of not only local food, but also the music.









Chris says he is going to have some local food, which totally shocks all of us, as he is not one to go out on a limb like that.

Hurricanes were pretty tasty and the food was good as well.

We sat outside until the mosquito's decided to come out with a vengeance.









Day 4 8-25-18 Saturday
Plans are to take the shuttle to the French Quarters.
Bronco is going with us as well
A few first for her today.
Riding in the shuttle.
Bronco did very well, and acted like she knew exactly what to do.
She was with her family and she was happy.  










Sitting in the restaurant for lunch.
Several people commented about what a pretty dog she was.
One lady even took her picture.









I was excited to get a couple of Starbucks cups I had wanted.
Even found a cute shirt at one of the shops.








We can catch the shuttle back to the RV Park at 4pm or 8pm.
Chuck and I decide to go ahead and head back and I know Bronco was ready to leave.
We get a little rain shower while waiting for our ride.
When we get back to the park it is dry.
Nothing, not a drop of rain.

Chuck and I grab dinner at the restaurant at the park again.
Pretty tasty again.
We even had live entertainment again but they didn’t have a very large crowd to play to tonight.


Day 5 8-26-18 Sunday
We decide to go to French Marketplace and shop and have lunch.
Sure looked like we were going to get wet but it passed us by.
Sitting outside getting a bite for lunch was enjoyable.
The nice breeze made the humidity tolerable.
We came we shopped and we ate.






There they are again  :)
Back at the trailers we took advantage of the off time.
I actually finished a book I had been reading off and on since we were in Arizona.
Shows you what kind of avid reader I am. LOL.
It was agreed upon to just walk to the restaurant in the RV Park once again.
We walked around the park after we ate.
All was good until the blood sucking mosquitoes started coming out.
We all sought refuge in our own trailers and called it a night.
We start a new week tomorrow, and more adventures await us.
We keep hearing about the tropical storm "Gordon" and are sure hoping it stays away from our destination in Florida.
We know, its hurricane season, but it is the best time of the year for us to make this trip, so we just have to stay weather aware and cross our fingers that they don't come to the Gulf!
Time will tell!






Thursday, August 2, 2018

Rocky Mountain High in July 2018 (part 3)


July 30th Monday.

We decide that we will attempt to go back downtown today.
Hoping that the crowds will be a little less that last week.






It is quite tolerable, and we get a parking space fairly close to the downtown area.
Bronco is going with us today and she is very excited to be out with us.
She is so good when we go into some of the stores.
One thing about Santa Fe, they are quite "dog" friendly.

We walk and shop and touch a whole lot of merchandise, but alas we take nothing home today.















In the Square, Heike and Pat got a true feel for the vendors sitting and selling their hand made products.  
That alone is a great experience.















All the walking around has made us hungry.
First thoughts were to eat at the Blue Corn Restaurant, but with Bronco, I voted against it.
We saw a guy on the square making fajita wraps and we decided to go back there and just order from him.
Heike and I stood in line as the guys rounded up a table for us to sit at.  
It was a perfect day to sit and eat and watch all the people that were milling around.







July 31st Tuesday.



We have been able to shop at a lot of stores the past few days, and it is decided that we need to take one last trip to Jackalopes and purchase anything we think we may have missed.














I bought a really cool pillow for the trailer.....lovin the Southwest design that the trailer is taking on.
We come back to the trailer and hang out for the afternoon.
There are storms coming in again this evening, and by 5pm, it is really looking bad, but all we ever get is a few drops and it is over.
It seems that Albuquerque is getting all the Monsoon rains today...glad they stayed away from Santa Fe this time.


Since we didn't go to Blue Corn yesterday while in downtown, we decide to go to the one out by our RV Park.
It is only about a mile away and heck why not!  

We had really forgotten that today was Tuesday, and our waiter reminded us that it was Taco Tuesday.
What better way to spend a Tuesday evening.....enjoying margarita's and Taco's....just like we did in Florence, AZ.  :)  
Gosh the margaritas were really good and the taco's weren't half bad either.  
Great choice for dining tonight!  
Sadly we will be leaving tomorrow to head towards home.  
Amarillo is on the agenda for tomorrow.  
Image result for rip






Sad news on the home front as our friend Keith Smiths dad passed away early this morning.




August 1st  Wednesday
Goodbye July
Hello August.
And goodbye to Santa Fe as well.
I really do love this area, and could enjoy the culture and of course all the shops that they have to explore, but you know we have to start slowing going back to reality and get back home.

We pull out at 9:00.
We lose an hour along the way and by 3pm we are in Amarillo and pulling into the Big Texas RV Park.
We go through Amarillo so very many times, but have yet to stay here.
Have to give it to them that the sites are large, and there is plenty of room for our big rigs....Texas style you know....




Can't spend the night in Amarillo and not eat at the Big Texan.
We call the front and tell them we would like someone to pick us up at 6pm, and they are there a few minutes early.
Works for us, as there is a storm building to the north and east of us, and it is headed our way.








We get right in at the restaurant.
No, we didn't eat the 72 oz. steak, but I have to say that my chicken fried steak was quite yummy.
We decided to forgo dessert and get a big ole piece of chocolate cake to take back with us for later.
When I say big, I swear it was half of a cake!!!







As we leave the restaurant it has begun to rain.
The chauffeur is waiting for us, so we get back in the limo and he takes us back to the RV Park.  

The driver pulls up to Pat & Heike's rig, and Chuck & I decide we will just run between the raindrops back to our trailer.  

Lots of raindrops make for a wet run, but it was warm out and it felt pretty good.
Back at the trailer we decide to eat a little bit of the chocolate cake....it was Divine!  
This is our last night away from home and the rains make for nice sleeping weather. 


August 2nd Thursday.

As we make our way out of the RV Park and gentlemen tells us that the tv antenna is still up.
Oops.
Glad someone was paying attention to us....LOL


Since around 9am has worked so well with us for this past few weeks, why change it.
We meet up with Pat & Heike and start the three and a half hour drive to Yukon, OK.

I-40 is really rough and bumpy through Texas.
I am glad to say that when we hit the Oklahoma line, the roads smoothed out quite a bit.

Uneventful drive home, thank goodness.
We make it back to the house without incident.....
Pat and Heike follow us to the house and park their beautiful Dutch Star on our side street.

We keep telling them that they can just leave it there, and we will take very good care of it, but I don't think Pat is buying our idea.
Pat & Heike will be spending the night with us this evening, and they will get up early and head on home tomorrow.


We take them to Tropical Smoothie and have a smoothie and sandwich for a late lunch.
On the way back, we stop at the Clydesdale Barn for our guest to see the beautiful horses that live by our house.

Seems like we have to take everyone to Swadley's to eat BBQ when they come, but they really do have some really good eats there and we just want to share the place with everyone.

When we get back to the house Chuck turns on Netflix and we start watching Longmire.
We watch 2 episodes tonight and looks like we have gotten Pat & Heike hooked on it.

I am told later that they have gotten Netflix and are now binge watching Longmire....LOL

This concludes the final entry of our wonderful trip.
I am so impressed that we can meet up with some people that we don't really know that well, and spend 3 weeks together and have such a great time.

I guess that is one of the luxuries of being about to go mobile and travel like we do.
I can truly say that I feel like we have known Pat & Heike for a very long time and they are just some great friends.
I know we will have more opportunities to travel together and Chuck and I look forward to those days.
Can't wait to write about our next adventure....wonder where we will go?
Could it be Arizona.....I am betting so.