May 19, 2013

05/03/2013

We've been here at the Edwards AFB Famcamp for a few days now and have been very busy.

On Wednesday we drove down to San Diego to visit our daughter-in-law Adrian who has been going to graduate school at San Diego State since Justin has been deployed.  We had a really nice visit and had a wonderful pizza dinner.

Justin will be getting home tomorrow from his deployment in Afghanistan.  It has been a long ten months for him and I can assure you, a very long one for Adrian and us as well.  During our visit with Adrian we learned that he has been honored with an assignment as a company commander.  More details on that will follow.

Since it was such a long drive to San Diego, we got a room at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station which turned out to be only 10 miles from Adrian's apartment.  So we spent the night there and returned to Edwards yesterday morning.

05/05/2013

On Friday we drove out into the desert to find a Geocache near the YB-49 Crash Site, northwest of Edwards.  The base is named for the test pilot, Captain Glen Edwards who was the pilot.  More images here:  https://www.google.com/search?q=yb-49+crash&client=firefox-a&hs=7FO&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=-I2GUd3kNOX4igKSnYCIBw&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1467&bih=753

We then spent the evening with John and Melay Marcrum who live in Lancaster.  John fixed us a very tasty rib and sausage dinner and we had a great time catching up.  Thanks very much John and Melay for your hospitality and friendship.

Yesterday morning we hooked up and headed over the Tehachapi Pass and down into the San Joaquin Valley, arriving at NAS Lemoore about 3 PM.  We're going to stay here tonight and then head up to Fresno tomorrow morning.

05/06/2013

Since there isn't a whole lot to do and see in this part of the Central Valley, especially near Lemoore, we have been just kicking back.  We got our laundry done (free here), got some cleaning done and not much more.

Today we are heading up to Fresno to spend a week visiting my mother and the rest of the family.

05/10/2013

Joyce and Mother took a drive up to one of the local casinos on Wednesday so that Joyce could make her donation to the local welfare fund.  Then, they decided to go do it again today!  Later in the evening we had supper with my brother Alan and his wife.

Mother's computer, which she has had since 1993, finally died, so yesterday Joyce and I took her to the Apple Store "to look around".  It didn't take her long to decide on a new iMac with all the bells and whistles.  It's a beautiful go-fast machine and will serve her needs very well.

05/14/2013

Yesterday we moved up to Calistoga to visit Joyce's family.  If you haven't driven in California lately, watch out!  The roads that we took from Fresno to here were bumpy, full of cracks and generally a mess.  Highway 12 from Lodi to Fairfield was very bad.  For most of the way I never got over 50 MPH and for 90% of the drive I had to stay below 40 MPH.

05/18/2013

We had a very good time visiting with the family in St. Helena and of course, the time went way to fast.  We're going to need to spend more time in the Napa Valley the next time we come back.

Yesterday morning we made the short run to Travis AFB and are now parked in the Famcamp.  We're going to be here for a week visiting friends and attending the 7th, 44th and 86th Military Airlift Squadron's reunion.

The first event was held last night at the Hometown Buffet in Vacaville.  Thirty-seven folks showed up and we all had a great time.  Some tall stories, er...lies were told and a lot of laughter was heard all over the restaurant.  On young man stopped me and asked what was the occasion.  When I told him, he laughed and said his company would never have anything like that.  There is something really special about being part of an organization that you want to see your co-workers again.

Yesterday, the reunion day started with a visit to the C-141B, 63-8088 here on Travis AFB.  Being onboard that beautiful lady brought back many memories of my Air Force career including my younger days in aircraft maintenance when I worked on her as a young airman in the 602 Organizational Maintenance Squadron, then to my last flight as a flight engineer.  What a ride!

 With my best friend, Jim Glaspey.

 Is it time for crew rest?

 Jim's normal position during cruise!

Jeanne Galspey...Hey Engineer, Before Starting Engines Check Please.

 With Troy Fore, Ed Zakarakas

 Engineer...Arm the doors please!

Later we gathered at Pippo's Ranch in Vacaville for the main party.  I won't go into all the detail but suffice it to say there were a lot of war stories told, a good amount of adult beverages consumed and even a few tears were shed.  It was good to see all my "old" friends again.

7th & 44th Members.

86th Members.

This morning Joe and Lori Martin took Joyce and I out for a delicious brunch at the Cast Iron Grill & Bar in Suisun City.  It is always nice to reconnect with good friends again, especially with Joe and Lori.

May 1, 2013

04/20/2013

On Wednesday we left Kerrville, jumping on I-10 and heading west to Fort Stockton, TX.  Our plans were to spend one night at the Hilltop RV Park and then move on west.  Since our plans are usually cast in Jello and subject to change at the last moment, that is exactly what happened.

After settling in at the RV park, we drove into town to fill up with fuel and to look around the booming town.  We always thought that there wasn't much to see or do in this wide spot in the road but we soon found out there is actually more to Fort Stockton than meets the eye.

Driving down Main Street, just beyond the Pecos County court house we came upon the old historic Pecos County jail.  Since it was near 5 PM and closing time we thought we might not get to look around.  However, the attendant welcomed us and then gave us a guided look around.

Built in 1883 and in use until 1975, the jail housed inmates on the second floor while the sheriff and his family lived on the first.  The second floor had no window coverings, just the bars so you can imagine what the conditions were like.  Since it was so close to closing time, we decided to stay another day and return.

 This was the bathroom before indoor plumbing.

Our first stop the next day was at the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum.  Started in 1899 and opened 1901, the hotel was first called the Koehler.  Annie purchased the building in 1904 for $5000, $3000 down and the rest on terms.  Read more about the hotel here:  http://www.rvtravelog.com/riggs.dir/riggs1.htm

After leaving the hotel, we did the Fort Stockton driving tour.  Although we didn't stop at all the "attractions", we did check out:

Pecos County Court House
Zero Stone Park
The Oldest House
St. Stephens Episcopal Church
Fort Stockton
Cemetery

So, if you are ever out in west Texas, stop in Fort Stockton and smell the roses, er….the Yucca's.

We're now parked at the Fort Bliss RV Park.  The drive wasn't bad until we got into the El Paso area where we ran into a lot of traffic.

04/21/2012

Yesterday was a cleaning day.  I worked on the outside, washing half of the rig (I'll finish that today), cleaning out the basement and our storage bins.  Joyce worked on the inside cleaning the bedroom closet and our food pantry.  We moved some food items into the basement helping to lightening the load in the large slide-out.

I got an email from Tom and Denise Worley, who we met at the Army Recreation RV Park in Destin, FL back in March.  They were here at Fort Bliss when we arrived but actually left the next morning.  They are now at Fort Huachuca, AZ., where we are headed next.  After a couple of phone conversations with Tom and Denise, we have decided to leave here one day early and met up with them there on Tuesday.

04/22/2013

Yesterday Joyce and I took a "scenic" drive up Hwy 28 from El Paso to the old town of Mesilla, NM, just southwest of Las Cruces.  I wouldn't exactly call this a scenic drive but it was interesting.  We passed numerous groves of pecan trees, several fields of onions, a few cattle ranches and a couple of wineries but other than that, there wasn't much to see.

By the time we got to Mesilla we were both hungry so we had lunch at the La Posta de Mesilla, one of several Mexican restaurants there.

04/24/2013

We left Fort Bliss around 11 AM and made the short 111 mile run up to the Low-Hi RV Ranch, about five miles south of Deming, NM.  This is a Passport America park and is owned by the Loners On Wheels, a single RV's group.  The park is all gravel but had very good 50-amp power and water pressure.

After getting unhooked, we went into Deming in search of diesel which we found at a Chevron station for $3.60 a gallon, the cheapest we have paid since leaving Oregon in August.  At the Valero right across the street they had fuel for $3.70 and out on the main drag just off the interstate the stuff was $4.07 at another Chevron.  Go figure!

We then made our way out to see what was shak'in at the Elks Lodge.  As y'all know, Joyce likes to play bingo just a little.  Well, they had bingo at 5:30 so of course she had to play and actually came out winning $90.

We'e now at Apache Flats RV Park on Fort Huachuca, NM after a easy drive from Deming.  We were greeted with smiles and hugs from our friends Tom and Denise Worley which really brightened  our day.

Tom and Denise live on an eight acre spread at 9200 feet in Divide, CO.  Tom is a retired Army Special Forces troop.  After his retirement from the Army he became a Contra Costa County, CA Deputy Sheriff, retiring from that job a couple of years ago.

Last night we had a great supper at the La Casita Mexican Restaurant in Sierra Vista.

04/25/2013

Yesterday we did some errands and shopping at the Post Exchange and Commissary.  Joyce made a delicious pulled pork supper which we shared with Tom and Denise.  Denise brought a bean salad that was outstanding and some cold slaw.

04/27/2013

On Thursday evening Joyce played bingo at the Sierra Vista Elks Lodge where she met a lot of folks, including the Exalted Ruler who invited us to come out on Friday night for dinner.  So yesterday morning we hooked up and moved to the lodge's RV park where we have 30-amp electrical and water hookups.

After getting the rig settled into our parking spot, we headed over to the old mining town of Bisbee.  From the late 1870's to 1975, there were several copper mines in operation in "the Queen of the Copper Camps".  When the price of copper fell, the last one in operation closed down.  The city is now a mecca for artists and hippies who have set up shops all over town.

After walking around the town for an hour or so, we then took a tour of the Queen Mine.  In operation from 1877 to 1975, this mine yielded huge numbers of copper, gold, silver and other minerals.

Today we made the run up I-10 to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson and are staying at their Agave Gulch Famcamp, one of the largest in the Air Force system.  With our AF Camping Book and discount coupon's, we paid for one night at $19 and got the second night free.

Awhile back Joyce and I updated our internet device from a 3G aircard to Verizon's 4G, 890L Jet Pack.  It had served us well so far however, there are times when we will be in marginal coverage areas, like at Smith Rock State Park.  To help us get a stronger signal, we ordered a Sleek Signal Booster with the home office accessories and a charging cord from 3G Store.

When I turned the Jet Pack on today we had four bars of 4G service without the Sleek connected.  After connecting the Sleek, we now have a solid five bars.  That is a good sign that this thing is going to work for us but I'm anxious to see what happens when we have only two or three bars.  That will tell the tale.

05/01/2013

On Sunday we toured Saguaro National Park, the home of America's largest cacti.  After getting out National Parks Passport stamp and watching a 15 minute video about the park, we took the 6-mile Signal Hill Loop tour.

 The beginning.

 The end.

Our stay in Tucson was nice but the temperatures are on the march north and so are we.  On Monday we hooked up early and started the 300 mile trip to Kingman, AZ.  We don't usually like to drive that much in one day but we really wanted to get through the middle of Arizona and hopefully find a tad cooler weather.

We spent one night in Kingman and then made the 290 mile run to Edwards AFB, arriving here at the Famcamp about 3:30.  We plan to spend four days here, visiting Adrian, our daugther-in-law and friends who live in Lancaster.

More later.

Barry & Joyce

April 17, 2013

04/09/2013

Yesterday morning we made the drive from Beaumont to San Marcos and of course, we had to travel through Houston.  The manager of Hidden Lake advised us to go around Houston via the Sam Houston Tollway since there was a lot of construction being done in on I-10 in the downtown area.  We did that and it turns out to have been a mistake.

After getting off of I-10 we made the mistake of getting on the EZ Pass only section of the highway.  My first thought was, "this ain't so good Tonto".  After a couple of exits we decided to just get off and onto the part of the Tollway we were supposed to be on in the first place.  This section was nothing but a frontage road with several traffic lights and very heavy traffic.

After what seemed like miles and miles of that, the road finally got us on the freeway but then the traffic got really bad.  When we finally came to a toll booth, I told the gal what we had done.  She gave us a card with a phone number to call where we could pay the fee for the section we had run by mistake.  Joyce called and yep, they had our license plate picture.

All-in-all going around Houston cost us $15.25 and added over thirty minutes to the drive.  Should have ran I-10 and took our chances.

So, after all the stress of that trip, we are at the Pecan Park Campground just outside of San Marcos.  This is a very nice Passport America park where we are hooked up to 50 amp electric, water and sewer for $18.50 a day.  There is free cable TV and WiFi along with a swimming pool and other amenities as well.

Today we're going to do the factory outlet thing.  The Columbia hiking shoes I have been wearing for several years have finally seen their better days so I hope to get a new pair here.  After that we're having supper with Jim and Linda Hotz.

04/10/2013

Our visit with Jim and Linda yesterday afternoon at their home here was a lot of fun.  We met them a couple of years ago when we were staying at Lockhart State Park and have become very good friends.  Linda fixed a delicious steak dinner and the conversation was lively.

Jim gave me a beautiful knife that he has had for about 60 years.  Thank you Mr. Jim!

They are in the process of selling their ranch here and buying a new home in Amarillo to be close to their daughter and her family.  So, if anyone is interested in a beautiful 11-acre spread near San Marcos, check it out here:  http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/18700-San-Marcos-Hwy_Martindale_TX_78655_M77324-94815?row=2

There was a prediction of thunderstorms and heavy rain in this area for today but it looks like the front has missed us.  When checking the radar this morning, it looks like the major stuff is north of Austin and all the way up into the Great Lakes region.

This morning we'll hook up and head down to San Antonio for a few days.

04/11/2013

We left San Marcos yesterday morning about 11 AM and headed south on I-35 arriving at Hidden Valley RV Park at 12:30.  Traffic was very heavy which is not unusual for this stretch of the interstate but we made good time anyway.

All the hoopla about severe thunderstorms in this area of Texas didn't happen; just a lot of wind and rain in the morning which died down before we got on the road.  Up north above Dallas, it was another story.

Our first order of business after getting set up in our site was to run up to the Sears store and have them order new shocks for our truck.  Darrell, the service technician I had been working with, had already ordered them the day before.  That was a pleasant surprise.

We have been having an intermittent problem with the air conditioning in the truck for a while now.  Sometimes when driving with the AC running, the driver's side will start blowing hot air for no apparent reason.  The issue always corrects itself when I shut the engine off and restart.  Also, we didn't think that the AC was getting as cold as it should.

So, while at Sears we had them service the AC system in hopes that would correct the issues.  It did, somewhat.  The AC system was a pound low on freon so that fixed the temperature issue.  However, although the left side is colder than before, it is still about five degrees warmer than the passenger side.  Time for some internet troubleshooting before we take it in to the dealer.

Next on our list was to have some supper.  I like Mexican food!  No, I love Mexican food!  and I haven't had good Mexican food since we left San Antonio last April.  Our favorite restaurant here is Agave Mexican Restaurant on Pleasanton Rt. so that is where we headed.

To say that the chicken enchilada's were good is an understatement.  They were great and of course, we ate too much.

04/13/2013

Change 2 to Plan 1A is in effect.

Looking at the weather over in the Big Bend National Park area, the forecast is for temperatures to get up to 104 degrees for the days we had planned to be there.  Well, that is just a tad above what we want to experience right now so we have made some changes.

We're going to stay here in San Antonio until Monday then move over to Kerrville, TX for  two days. Then we'll head west, spending one night in Fort Stockton and then on into Fort Bliss in El Paso.  Kerrville is close enough to all the Hill Country that we can make a couple of day trips.

OK, Change 3 is now in effect.

I forgot to make reservations at Seal Beach Naval Base and they are booked solid.  So, we'll have to bypass that part of the trip all together.  Our plan (subject to change of course) is to leave El Centro NAS and then head up to March Air Reserve Base for a couple of nights and then go on up to Fresno.  I'm going to miss seeing my cousin's who live near Seal Beach but maybe we can stop in there in the fall.

Yesterday Joyce and I went to see the new movie, "42, The Jackie Robinson Story",  the story of his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Joyce and I both thought the film was outstanding, portraying very accurately what it must have been like for Jackie in 1947.  Read more about Jackie on Wikipedia.

In the evening we had a nice fire in Bonfire Cove, a great way to end the day.

Hidden Valley

This guy was really good and having a ball!

Josh, the manager's son, and Levi, the new family addition.

Mark and Levi.

04/16/2013



We left Hidden Valley about 9 AM and started the short drive to Kerrville, TX.  A few miles up the road a truck pulled up next to us and yelled that on of our trailer tires was flat.  I got the truck off on the side and discovered that all the tires had air but the right front one had some tread missing.

Fortunately, we were just down I-410 from the Discount Tire store where I bought truck tires last winter.  Our trailer tires are a size that is usually not stocked but our service technician had a driver already at the warehouse so we got them in about an hour.  We decided to replace all the tires since there was quite a bit of wear on all of them.  So, 3.5 hours and $1800 later we got back on the road.

We're now at the Triple-T RV Park in Kerrville, a nice park off the beaten path that we've stayed in before.  After getting parked, Joyce remembered we have a tire replacement coverage policy on our trailer tires.  We tried the numbers on our policy form but both numbers were disconnected.  However, I looked them up on the internet and the company had actually been taken over by another one.

This morning I called the company and was pleasantly surprised that they are going to cover the damaged tire even though we didn't call them before purchasing a new one.

Today we drove up to visit the Lyndon Baines Johnson National Historical Park in Stonewall, TX.  Joyce and I had visited this beautiful park before but since we were last there, the National Park Service has opened President and Lady Bird's home.  We really enjoyed our visit.

The school house where the President went to grade school.  He actually started school when he was four years old.

The reconstructed birthplace of the President.

The President and Lady Bird's grave in the family cemetery.

The ranch is still a working cattle ranch.

 The weights are to force the horns to grow curving down.  The cattle are all champion Herefords used for showing.  This bull is only a year old.

When the Johnson flew to the Western White House, the VC-137 would be parked in Austin.  They would then be flown to the ranch on this VC-140 Jetstar, landing on the ranch's 6300 foot runway.

Until next time.

Barry & Joyce