Sunday, November 24, 2013

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 17, 2013 – 59 F and sunny. It was very windy last night. Today the wind has gone down and we will try to move to Fort Stockton, TX. We made the trip on I 10 to Fort Stockton RV camp. It is a nice camp out in the middle of west Texas. All we saw was miles and miles of cactus and sage brush. There were a few Pecan orchards, cows, and many trains and trucks. We had a little fender bender on the trailer by trying to go around a gas pump to close. I think it can be straighten and you will not be able to see it. What a bummer we made 14,000 miles and now have a dent. We did our tire pressure and lug nut check.

Desert and Rocks

Rocks and Desert

Lots of rocks

Many trains run between El Paso and San Antonio

Fort Stockton RV Park

Pecan Fram along I-10 to San Antonio

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 16, 2013 – 51 F and partly cloudy/ windy. It rained last night and the wind made the trailer shake. The wind has blown all day 10-16 mph with gusts to 30. It is another football Saturday. Alabama won 20-7 over Mississippi State not their best game but a win. Tennessee was off. We got to watch the game in the RV site family room just across from our trailer.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 15, 2013 – 49F and cloudy. We had a busy day. We toured Biggs Army airfield. I land there many years ago at about 2 am. It was fun to see it at noon time. We ate at a very good Mexican restaurant established in 1926 and the number #2 restaurant on Trip Advisor in El Paso – L & J Café. The restaurant had a waiting line. Carl got a army haircut and we made a commissary run. We studied many foods and their sodium content. It was surprising that in a category you could find many different amounts of sodium in the same product. The wind is blowing 17; Gust to 20 mph.

L & J Cafe

Downtown El Paso

Base Housing on Ft Bliss

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 14, 2013 – 49F and sunny. We visited the Ft Bliss Museum (Old Ironsides) and a replica of old FT Bliss (1857). It took us sometime to find them. The main road to them does not show on the map that they built their BX complex in the middle of the road. We also, visited the BX complex. It is like a large mall. It has 20-30 mix of shops, restaurants, movie, banks, gas station, class six store (liquor Store) and a very large BX. Tomorrow, we will try to find the airfield and go to the commissary.

Display in Ft Bliss museum

Old Ft Bliss from 1857

Old Ironsides

Display in from of Ft Bliss Museum

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 13, 2013 – 49 F and cloudy. We drove around Fort Bliss and El Paso. It is hard to tell the difference. There are several gates to stop and show ID but there are many areas that are still on Ft Bliss with no guarded entrance. The BX Mall must have 20+ off base type stores. The commissary is very large. We are not use to being on Army bases. They must have 300 to 400% more people than at an Air Force base. We only covered the west side of the base. The airfield is a whole east base. I guess tomorrow we will explore the base more. We, also, went to Wal-Mart and purchased toilet drop-ins and a toilet cleaning wand. The campground has a family TV area and we can get ESPN there. Hopefully, we will be able to watch the Alabama game there Saturday at 5:45 pm. Otherwise; we will be watching the game at Buffalo Wild Wings on Fort Bliss in the BX area.

Ft Bliss RV Park TV Center

Ft Bliss RV Park

BX Shopping Area

El Paso, TX sunset

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 12, 2013 – 54F and sunny- forecast winds 20 -30 mph. We had a great down day.

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 11, 2013 – 46F and sunny. Today it is off to El Paso on I- 10 and Ft Bliss Fam Camp. We arrived and got the trailer setup. It is a nice campground. The city of El Paso is all around. We will see if we can find our way around Ft Bliss tomorrow.

Pecan Trees -many very large orchards

Mountains we crossed on I-10

Dairy Farms -- We must have passed 5 miles or more of cows

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 10, 2013 – 54 F and sunny. We are now in Deming, NM at Little Vineyard RV Park. It is a nice park. It has 144 sites of which only about ¼ are occupied. The drive over was through the desert. There were warnings of dust storms and blowing dust. We climbed all day to about 4500 ft and tonight it will be in the 40’s.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 9, 2013—54 F and sunny. Now that we are back where there are lots of people, it is hard to get trailer space. In Dallas the spot we had chosen near Gina is full for Thanksgiving. I guess we will just have to keep looking. It is another Football Saturday. Tennessee lost big time to Auburn 55 – 23 and Alabama beat LSU 38 – 17. We watched most of the Tennessee game at Buffalo Wild Wings and then toured the Saguaro National Park. We drove around an 8 mile loop looking at all types of cactus and especially the tall Saguaro.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 8, 2013—59 F and sunny. Happy Anniversary 33^rd. Great day with Jo Ann. We just hung out. We did some washing and had a great steak dinner in the trailer.

My 33 year bride

Prissy on guard duty

Campground Showers and laundry

Tucson Campground

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 7, 2013 – 59F and sunny/windy. We had the oil changed at Thoroughbred Nissan and ate lunch at Tucson Tamale Company. It was Jo Ann’s first tamale. A cornmeal dough rolled with ground meat or beans seasoned usually with chili, wrapped usually in corn husks, and steamed. She decides they were ok. We also, went to the commissary. We are stocked up with our favorite junk foods. Since we are on base again, we have daily bugle calls and the Star- Spangle Banner.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 6, 2013 – 58 F and sunny. We drove to Tucson, AZ and are staying at Davis- Monthan AFB Fam Camp (Agave Gulch). It is a very nice camp and well organized. However, if you want trees and grass it is not in Tucson. We are in the middle of the desert. The site is gravel with cactus and small bushes.

Another rock farm

Large farm growing peanuts, strawberries or lettuce-- We are not sure

More barren mountains

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

November 5, 2013—59 F and sunny. We drove down Interstate 8 from San Diego to Yuma, AZ There were mountains, deserts, sand dunes, vegetable and hay farms -- all irrigated. We stopped at Sun Vista RV Resort a 55 plus resort. It has over 1200 sites plus Recreation Building, indoor/outdoor pools, Fitness Center, golf cages and putting greens, and many permanent residents. This looks like a winter resort for people from up north. It is much like being in South Florida except the town of Yuma is much smaller than most of the South Florida towns.. The town is almost all RV Parks.