March 27, 2019

March 10, 2019

 Today Joyce and I visited the El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center.  I believe that for most folks the late 1930’s and early 1940’s is a time that we don’t study very much.  Oh, most of us have seen Schindler's List, the Steven Spielberg film about that era.  Yes, we may have studied about World War II in school and maybe read some books about that time as well.  Well, if you visit this great museum you learn a lot more about one of the world's darkest times.  God help us if we allow this type of thing to happen again, especially in our country.

March 13, 2019

 As I write this we are still in the El Paso area.

 I had been watching the weather here and the forecasts were not good.  The National Weather Service was calling for winds 30-35 MPH with gusts up to as much as 60 MPH.  We were scheduled to leave yesterday and head up to Deming, NM.  Winds up there were supposed to be about the same but with gusts up to 70 MPH.

 With all that great news we decided to hunker down at Fort Bliss and wait for better weather.  We called the RV park in Deming and changed our reservation for Thursday.  Then we had to cancel our appointment to get the refrigerator looked at at a maintenance facility there.

 Since sleeping in our RV in high winds is not good, we made a reservation at the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino just north of El Paso In Sunland Park, NM.  As you can guess Joyce is a happy camper.

 Our plans now are to leave Fort Bliss in the morning and stop at a Walmart in Las Cruces, NM to have a RV technician look at the refrigerator.  If he can’t fix it right there he will get the necessary parts and come over to Deming, NM, our next stop. Looking at the service manual troubleshooting charts I think the problem is the control board.  However, since we had the modification done to help prevent fires with this model of Norcold refrigerators, there could be a problem there.  We’re just hoping the problem is simple and we can get back on schedule.

March 17, 2019

On Wednesday the 14th, while were in the Sunland Hotel our daughter Michelle called to tell us that her husband Harold Skidmore had passed away.  As you can imagine this was devastating news that Joyce and I never in a million years would have expected to get.

 After we got off the phone Joyce got on the internet and got us flight reservations out of San Antonio to Jacksonville, FL.  The reason to go back to San Antonio was due to the costs of flying out of El Paso.

 We left Fort Bliss and drove all day back to Hidden Valley RV Park where Mark and Terri put us up in one of their rental 5th wheel trailers and then had up over for a delicious smoked worked supper.

 Yesterday we again had to get up at o-dark-thirty for the drive to the airport to catch our Southwest Airlines flight to Jacksonville through Chicago Midway Airport.  Our son Justin picked us up there and we got to Saint Augustine about 6:30.  We will be here until next Saturday trying to do a our part to help Michelle and our grand children any way we can.

March 25, 2019

 We are now back at Fort Bliss, TX after the extremely exhausting trip to St. Augustine, FL.  I’m not going to go into a lot of details here but suffice it to say Joyce and I are physically and emotionally drained.

 Michelle and the kids are doing alright given the circumstances.  She has a huge support system there which has made this difficult time somewhat easier.  Please remember Michelle, Abigail and Skyler in your prayers.

March 27, 2019

 Larry’s RV Service came by the park to troubleshoot the refrigerator and quickly found the problem.  The cooling unit over heated causing one of the lines to rupture and leaking all the ammonia out of the unit.  I didn’t see this since the leak area was covered by insulation.  Thank God we had the emergency modification installed a couple of years ago.  If not for that unit Larry said it could have been a disaster.

Joyce and I discussed our options with Larry and we decided to install a residential unit.  We made some measurements being careful to insure there would be some room for air circulation.

 We drove to Lowe’s and Home Depot but didn’t find anything that would work for us.  We then went to Sear’s and found a nice machine that will fit in the opening and gives us the features we want.  We ordered it and it will be delivered to the store on Friday or Saturday.  Now we just have to find a way to pick it up.

 That is all the good news.  The bad news s that Larry is going to fly to Dallas, TX to visit his grand children and won’t be able to get to us until next Wednesday.  So, we get to hang around the beautiful city of Las Cruces a week or so.

 More later.

Barry & Joyce

March 10, 2019

March 2, 2019

 We left Hidden Valley yesterday morning about 10 AM and headed west on Hwy 90 toward Del Rio, TX.  We’re staying at the Southwinds Marina on Lake Amistad, the recreation area for Laughlin AFB.   Lake Amistad is huge and one of the best bass fisheries west of the Mississippi River.

 Things have really changed since the last time we were here in 2008.  They have installed all new electrical service and shelters at each site.  The office used to be a little snack bar where they sold sandwiches and drinks.  it’s now more of an office and not near as appealing.  But at $25 a night you can’t beat price in this part of Texas.

 This morning I did some checking on the weather in Alpine and Van Horn, our planned stops on the way to Fort Bliss in El Paso..  The temperatures are forecasted to drop down into the 20’s for our planned time there so we extended our stay here for two more days.

March 5, 2019

 A couple of days before we left San Antonio I crawled under our rig to lube the leveling jacks.  The next day I was feeling a little pain in my left rib area but took a couple of aspirins and went on about my business.  I was feeling much better up until yesterday morning when I bent over to pick up a piece of ice from the floor and the pain in my side came back with a vengeance.

 Since the pain was persisting Joyce recommended that we go have a doctor check me out.  The only urgent care here in Del Rio only has walk-ins in the early mornings so we went to the local emergency room.  After having some x-rays taken and a three hour wait to be seen, I actually cracked a rib.  So I‘ve got to take it easy for awhile and hopefully I will heal in a month or so.  These old bones aren’t as strong as they used to be.

March 8, 2019

 We left Del Rio about 9 AM on the 6th, jumped on Hwy 90 and headed west toward Alpine, TX.  A few months ago I tried to make a reservation in Big Bend National Park the day after they became available.  Wouldn’t you know it, everything that would work for us was already booked.  So, I went to Plan B.

 Plan B was to book an RV park outside the park but I quickly found out that they are way over-priced so I went to Plan C.

 Plan C was to book the BC Ranch RV Park in Alpine.  We pulled in there about 2 PM, got set up and Joyce made delicious chicken enchiladas for supper.

 There is a famous person that was born and raised in Alpine that some of y’all might know, Bill Baker who flew with the 7th MAS/ALS at Travis AFB, CA.  Bill called me and gave us some suggestions about what to see and do in the area.

 We got up early yesterday and drove down to Big Bend, one of the places that has been on my “bucket list” for many moons.  The drive from Alpine was about 100 miles but I can say it was more that worth the time on the road.

 After clearing through the gate we drove to the Panther Junction Visitor Center where we got information on what to do in the short time we had.  We then watched a great film about the history of the park and some of the highlights of what to see.

 On a recommendation by one of the rangers we decided to take the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.  Since this is the very beginning of spring she said that that drive would allow us to see the most wildflowers.

 Very shortly after starting down the road we started seeing a lot of Bluebonnets, the Texas state flower along with Desert marigold and some Desert willow.  The Yucca cactus plants were especially beautiful.  As we drove further along we stopped at several of the scenic lookouts.

 If you have not been to Big Bend, put it at the top of your bucket list.  Joyce and I highly recommend you go in the spring to get the best of what the park has to offer.

March 9, 2019

 We got up early this morning and left Van Horn about 8:30, which is very early for us.  But, Fort Bliss RV Park doesn’t take reservations so we wanted to get there early to hopefully get a site.

 The drive west on I-40 wasn’t too bad even with all the weekend traffic.  On the way Joyce called the RV park to check on their availability and was told they had three sites available.  When we pulled in to the park we took one of the last parking site available, a long and wide pull-through.

 That was the good news.  The bad?  Our refrigerator quit cooling during the night.  Since it was in AC mode, I switched it over to LP and still no workie-workie.  Why is it always when something goes wrong it’s on a either a weekend to a holiday?

 After getting setup in our site we drove over to the Post Exchange to get another ice chest so hopefully we can keep some of our stuff from going bad.  There’s a mobile RV repair business in the local area that we hope to have come out on Monday and get us running again.

That’s all folks.

Barry & Joyce

February 24, 2019

February 5, 2019

 On Monday I was surfing through Facebook and came across a post from Mac McWilliams.  We met Mac and his wife Maureen at the Sunflower RV Resort in Surprise, AZ a few years back.  Mac’s post mentioned that they were in San Antonio so I sent him a message to see if we could get together.  We met up with them at Willie’s Icehouse yesterday and had a wonderful visit and hopefully they will come back again next winter.

February 20, 2019

 Joyce and I left San Antonio on the 14th on a flight to Raleigh-Durham, NC to visit Adrian, Travis and the newest member of the family, Victoria Athena Crocker who is now three months old.  After renting a car at the airport we drove to Southern Pines, NC where Justin and Adrian have their home.  Unfortunately Justin couldn’t be home for this visit as he was on a training mission.

 Travis has grown so much since the last time we saw him.  He’s a typical three-year old, running all over the place and busy all the time.  Victoria is a real cutie and is growing like a weed.

 We flew back to San Antonio yesterday with a stop in Tampa.

February 24, 2019

 It won’t be long and we will start our annual migration back to the left coast.  Here is is our itinerary:
1-3 Mar: Southwinds Marina, Del Rio, TX.  This is a recreation area operated by Laughlin AFB.  We stayed here our first year full-timing back in 2007.
4-5 Mar: Alpine, TX.  Might make a day trip down to Big Bend National Park.
6 Mar: Van Horn, TX.
9-11 Mar: FamCamp, Fort Bliss, TX.
12 Mar: Deming, NM
13 Mar: Elks Lodge, Wilcox, AZ
14-18 Mar: FamCamp, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
19-23 Mar: Elks Lodge, Tempe, AZ.  Hope to visit my brother and sister-in-law.
24-26 Mar: Yuma, AZ.  Gonna visit friends from Oakridge, OR who are spending the winter here.
27-29 Mar: Naval Air Facility, El Centro, CA
30 Mar: Elks Lodge, Indio, CA
31 Mar: Elks Lodge, Lancaster, CA
1 Apr-4 Apr: Elks Lodge, Fresno, CA.  Visit my mother and brothers.
5-6 Apr: Elks Lodge, Woodbridge, CA (Lodi)
7-10 Apr: Calistoga, CA.  Visit Joyce’s family.
11-14 Apr: FamCamp, Travis AFB, CA.  Visit friends.
15-18 Apr: Calistoga, CA
19 Apr: Redding, CA
20-25 Apr: Valley of the Rouge State Park, Gold Hill, OR.  Visit friends.
26-30 Apr: Oakridge, OR.  Visit Jim and Jeanne Glaspey.
1 May-31 May: Cline Falls State Public Viewpoint, OR.  Camp hosting.
1 Jun-31 Jul:  Smith Rock State Park.  Camp hosting.


More next time.
Barry & Joyce

February 5, 2019

January 15, 2019

 Last night we went to Willie’s Grill and Icehouse for supper, our second visit to this restaurant.  Joyce and I each ordered their rack of ribs that we thought were very good.  Read more about Willie’s here:  https://williesgrillandicehouse.com/about-us/

January 19, 2019

 We left Hidden Valley at 11:00 AM yesterday to begin our nineteen day “vacation” to the Caribbean.  Our first stop was at the Seaside Inn (link is only for Room W on the 4th floor.  Our’s was on the 1st floor.) Airbnb in Kemah, TX.  The drive wasn’t too bad, just some slowing through Houston and then when entering the Kemah area.

 This is our first stay in an Airbnb.  The Sea Side Inn is a 4-story building that has been remodeled sometime back.  Each floor has individual rooms have a different theme and provide a king bed and in our room, a Jacuzzi tub.  On the third floor is a common living room and kitchen area.  There is free WiFi but it does slow down when heavily used.

 Last night we went to Tootie’s Seafood for supper and had a great meal.  If you are ever in this part of Texas make sure you check out this place.

 This morning we were in the living room having coffee and tea when one of of our house-mates, Brad Kerr came in to make his coffee.  We talked a little and he said he was the grandson of Mr. Robert S. Kerr who was a very powerful U.S. Senator from Oklahoma.  Mr. Kerr was the 12th Governor of Oklahoma and the first governor to have been born in the Oklahoma Territory.

 In 1929 Mr. Kerr founded the Kerr-McGee Corporation, the huge energy corporation with holding in oil and nuclear power.  Anyone remember the movie “Silkwood” staring Meryl Streep, Kirt Russell and Cher?  Yep, the same Kerr-McGee that the movie was all about.  Learn more at these sites:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086312/
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=k000144
https://oklahomahof.com/member-archives/k/kerr-robert-s-1956

 On Brad’s recommendation we had breakfast at Skipper’s Cafe.  Even though the place was packed when we got there we got seated right away.  Very large portion’s and everything was delicious.  Darn, we missed the belly dancing on Friday night.

January 26, 2019

 On Sunday the 20th we drove down to Galveston for our cruise to the Caribbean on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas.  You might recall that we cruised on Liberty two years ago, doing a back-to-back stay on her for fourteen days and now we’re doing the same thing this time.  The only difference is that we will be visiting Costa Maya, Mexico this time.

 After getting checked in our cabin we reacquainted ourselves with the ship and then checked out the Diamond Lounge.  We left Galveston about 4:30 PM and headed headed south.

 After cruising for two days we made it to our first stop in Roatán, Honduras.  Since we had been here before and did an excursion then we just decided to stay on the ship and relax.

 Our next stop was in Costa Maya, Mexico.  After having breakfast we got off the ship and fully intended to hire a taxi and see some of the city.  There were five other ships in port, one being the Oasis of the Seas, one of the largest cruise ships the world.  When we got off the ship and walked around the shopping area in the pier area it was packed with people.  We started walking and we walked, and walked and walked some more.  We both said, “the heck with this” and went back to the ship.

 Our next stop was in Cozumel, Mexico where we have been many times.  We did get off the ship to pick up some Amoxacillian and some Arnaca cream that I use on any bruises I get.  Joyce scored a couple of t-shirts and a necklace/bracelet combo.

 During the course of the week Joyce did real well in the casino, winning a very nice jackpot and earned enough points to get a free cruise.

January 28, 2018

 After a day of cruising we arrived back in in Galveston yesterday morning.  Since we are on a back-to-back with another 118 folks we all met in the Star Lounge to be escorted off the ship and to clear customs.  The last time we did this all went very smoothly but this time, not so much.

 We sat in the lounge for well over an hour and then more time down in the terminal.  After getting through that ordeal fe finally got back on the ship for the lunch that Royal provided for us.

 Today is a sea day so Joyce booked us a massage yesterday afternoon.  Joyce did her’s yesterday and I got mine done this morning.

January 30, 2019

 Yesterday we arrived in Cozumel, Mexico about 7:30 AM.  After a nice breakfast in the dining room and then headed to town to exchange a t-shirt that Joyce had bought last week.  That chore was taken care of very quickly but Joyce then went into the same jewelry store she was in last week and of course she had to buy something.  She scored a really nice earrings and necklace set that is beautiful. After returning to the ship we just relaxed for the rest of the day.

 This morning we arrived in Grand Cayman at 10:30 AM.  We had every intention of getting off the ship and wandering around for the day.  However, since this port is tendered and we have been here a couple of times, we decided to hang out on the ship.

February 1, 2019

 Yesterday we arrived at Falmouth, Jamaica at 7:00 AM.  I had been working with Richard, a dining room waiter Liberty to set up a private tour with one of his relatives who works for a tour company.  After getting off the ship Richard met us and escorted us to meet our tour guide and driver Jevaun Foster.

 We had a great time talking to Jevaun, learning a lot about the culture and other things about Jamaica.  We had planned to go see the Rose Hall Mansion but when we got there the parking lot was full with tour buses and they were short of tour guides.

 We then drove just down the road to the main part of Montego Bay and to a little outdoor cafe’ to have a Jerk Chicken lunch that out of this world good.  Next we made a stop at a grocery store to pick up some hot sauces which were a lot cheaper than in the tourist stores.  We then drove the “upper” road to the Roof Top Bar and Grill (used to be the Sky Bar And Grill) for a cold one.  The views from there are spectacular.

February 5, 2019

 We are now back at Hidden Valley RV Park after an easy departure from the ship and an uneventful drive from Galveston.

 All-in-all this cruise was great.  We met some really nice folks and saw some beautiful things while in the ports.  Will we do another back-to-back?  Probably, but will most likely combine two shorter cruises.  Fourteen days in a long time on a cruise ship.

 Our next cruise is on the Ovation of the Seas out of Seattle going up to Alaska in August.  I think there are still cabins available so if anyone of our friends who would like to go on that one book it ASAP.

 As I said earlier Joyce won a free cruise.  Well, she actually got enough points to get two freebies.  We will use those to do another back-to-back on the Enchantment of the Seas starting 28 October thru the 6th of November out of Galveston and going down to Mexico.

 We have been studying the idea of only staying in Texas for a three months and then making a run to Florida in January 2020.  Also, we have been thinking about doing a cruise on Royal Caribbean’s owned Celebrity Cruise Lines for sometime now.  With that said, Joyce checked into a twelve nighter out of Fort Lauderdale in February 2020.  Since this would be our first cruise with them they offered us free drink packages, pre-paid gratuities and a $500 onboard spending credit.

 So on the the Silhouette we’ll be going to the southern Caribbean and visiting St. Croix, U.S.V.I., Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and St. Kits.  Anyone want to go?


More later.

Barry & Joyce