The drive home.
2795 km's, ninety percent of it in rain. Haven't seen the sun in over a week. It's warmer here today than it was in Austin last Saturday.
This was a trip of weather anomalies, starting with intense heat and high humidity, then wind and rain, then cooler, then downright cold and more rain.
At one point last week the radar map showed a weather system (rain) stretching from Mexico all the way to Newfoundland.
But I'm not complaining. All in all it was great.
A few random notes.
Gas in the US is CHEAP! In most states it could be found for as little as $1.60 per gallon. That would translate to 58 cents CDN per litre. We are paying 50% more for gasoline in Canada. It's nice to be able to call yourself a Canadian but it sure costs!
Diesel was a little more, about $2.00 to $2.60 a gallon, but still cheap.
We burned about $650 worth in 2620 miles. The Unit averaged about 11.5 miles to a CDN gallon. Towing the car cost us about 1 mpg. So the fuel cost to tow it the 2600 miles was about $60. Not bad.
I can't speak highly enough of this little car. We dragged it mercilessly over enormous pot-holes at highway speeds and flogged it at 75 mph in the rain for 3 days with nary whimper. I followed us everywhere faithfully, stuck to the Unit's rear bumper. If not for the rear camera I would never have known it was there. I found it hard to believe but we put 1600 km's on it not counting the trip home.
Speed limits south of the border are more realistic than in Canada. Some go beyond realistic. I remember sailing through a small town in rural Texas on a 2 lane country road (ironically the road's name was "Nameless Road") at 55 mph, the posted speed limit. That's pretty close to our maximum on major highways like the 401.
We had a budget for the trip and I'm happy to say we were able to stay well within it. This was in no small part due to the fact that I wrote the budget when the CDN dollar was near par with the US dollar. The budget didn't specify which currency it was referring to so I chose US, of course.
The low cost of fuel and our preference for State Parks over the more expensive private parks helped a lot.
Without getting into specifics, the entire trip came in just under $4000 plus the cost of the trip home at $324.
That's roughly what a week in St. Maarten used to cost us.
So there you have it. Our first big trip in the Unit. The first of many we hope.
Thanks to all who came along for the ride, it's been great!
Hope to see y'all again in the spring.
Be safe, be happy, just do it!
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Sunday, November 29, 2015
High-lites and Low-lites
After about a week of temperatures in the single digits I would have to say that, weather-wise anyways, this past week was lousy. Add to that, the past 3 days of constant rain and we're ready to come home where its drier (and probably warmer).
We drove the Unit to the storage place yesterday during a very brief dry spell. It took just about the whole day to pack up everything and winterize the water system, holding tanks, etc. Here's the Unit in her winter home. Pretty cozy, huh?
We left Austin this morning and drove 9 hours in driving rain.
Tonight we are in Little Rock, AR. , a distance of 828 kms. Just had dinner in a pizza/craft beer restaurant. Great beer, awesome pizza.
Now for the high-lites of our trip.
For places we stayed, St. George Is. State Park In Florida was by far the best. Ironically it was also the least expensive. We found we much preferred State Parks to private RV Parks. We avoided any park that had the words "luxury" or "resort" in the name.
Best food had tho be the Apalachicola Seafood Festival. We won't soon forget it and we'll be back.
Best Deal goes to the free ferry to Galveston. A close second would have to be Canadian Club Whiskey. I may have been a little over zealous in my quest to load up on the low priced libation and I now have a fair quantity to dispose of before we cross the border. Not to worry, I'm working on that as we speak.
Most fun, in spite of the weather, was the past week which we spent with Carla, Billy and the kids in Austin. Never a dull moment with Carla planning the activities.
Best Bar was Paddy's (the raw oyster place) and for entertainment, the jazz bar in New Orleans.
We wanted to determine on this trip, what the actual costs would be so I kept track of every dollar we spent. We also wanted to find out if we would drive each other nuts, being in such close proximity to each other for weeks on end. As for the latter, we're both already planning the spring trip so no problems there.
Next post, I'll get into some of the costs and other findings, some of which I found quite surprising.
We drove the Unit to the storage place yesterday during a very brief dry spell. It took just about the whole day to pack up everything and winterize the water system, holding tanks, etc. Here's the Unit in her winter home. Pretty cozy, huh?
We left Austin this morning and drove 9 hours in driving rain.
Tonight we are in Little Rock, AR. , a distance of 828 kms. Just had dinner in a pizza/craft beer restaurant. Great beer, awesome pizza.
Now for the high-lites of our trip.
For places we stayed, St. George Is. State Park In Florida was by far the best. Ironically it was also the least expensive. We found we much preferred State Parks to private RV Parks. We avoided any park that had the words "luxury" or "resort" in the name.
Best food had tho be the Apalachicola Seafood Festival. We won't soon forget it and we'll be back.
Best Deal goes to the free ferry to Galveston. A close second would have to be Canadian Club Whiskey. I may have been a little over zealous in my quest to load up on the low priced libation and I now have a fair quantity to dispose of before we cross the border. Not to worry, I'm working on that as we speak.
Most fun, in spite of the weather, was the past week which we spent with Carla, Billy and the kids in Austin. Never a dull moment with Carla planning the activities.
Best Bar was Paddy's (the raw oyster place) and for entertainment, the jazz bar in New Orleans.
We wanted to determine on this trip, what the actual costs would be so I kept track of every dollar we spent. We also wanted to find out if we would drive each other nuts, being in such close proximity to each other for weeks on end. As for the latter, we're both already planning the spring trip so no problems there.
Next post, I'll get into some of the costs and other findings, some of which I found quite surprising.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Week Five, almost time to go home
Hey, it's been a while and we've been keeping really busy.
Before I get into the past week or so, I still need to explain the last picture of the previous post.
They are a type of thorn called "stickers", probably because they stick to, or rather, stick INTO everything they touch. They are found just about everywhere in the south, most commonly in grass patches that are poorly maintained.
The worst thing about them is you really need to give them a good yank to get them out. In order to give them a good yank, you need to grip them pretty tight. So when you pull the sticker out of your toe you now have your thumb and fore finger stuck together. Tara's paws are magnets for these things.
Here is a map of our travels over the past 10 days or so.
Took me a while to figure out how to post the picture of the map.
After Galveston we spent a night in El Campo, TX with Darlene's sister Carla's relatives. We then traveled with Carla to Gruene and stayed near Canyon Lake. I saw more deer here in one day, than I've seen in the past 10 years.
Went to the Grist Mill restaurant in Gruene for dinner....BUCKET LIST!!
Onion rings the size of donuts! Glad I got the small order.
Besides a couple of chicken wings that was dinner. Fine dining!
We've been in a small park just outside Austin for the past few days, in a town called Lago Vista. Its very hilly here, the roads are very winding and the speed limit is mostly 55 MPH. It was fun driving the Unit here, the word "careening" comes to mind.
Further updates on the Bucket List. It looks like we won't be making it to the Rio Grand Valley so the walk across the border into Mexico will have to wait. Also, the Junk Gypsies in Round Top, TX are out because we opted for Gruene instead. Its amazing how really good onion rings can influence the things you do and the places you go, or don't go.
We did however make it to Rudy's BBQ. We loaded up on enough BBQ to fill a very large shopping bag.
Here's the menu.
And quite possibly Rudy himself carving up some BBQ brisket.
I went on a little road trip yesterday and found a place to store the Unit until March, when we will start Part 2 of our trip. Its 20 miles north of Austin, it's covered, has electricity to keep the batteries charged, and the best thing is, it's $90 per month. Pretty good deal I think.
We have a few more days here before we head home. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, turkey at Carla's, yum!!
I'm not looking forward to next week, It's about 1700 miles to get home and the weather will get worse as we go, unlike the trip south 5 weeks ago.
Before I get into the past week or so, I still need to explain the last picture of the previous post.
They are a type of thorn called "stickers", probably because they stick to, or rather, stick INTO everything they touch. They are found just about everywhere in the south, most commonly in grass patches that are poorly maintained.
The worst thing about them is you really need to give them a good yank to get them out. In order to give them a good yank, you need to grip them pretty tight. So when you pull the sticker out of your toe you now have your thumb and fore finger stuck together. Tara's paws are magnets for these things.
Here is a map of our travels over the past 10 days or so.
Took me a while to figure out how to post the picture of the map.
After Galveston we spent a night in El Campo, TX with Darlene's sister Carla's relatives. We then traveled with Carla to Gruene and stayed near Canyon Lake. I saw more deer here in one day, than I've seen in the past 10 years.
Went to the Grist Mill restaurant in Gruene for dinner....BUCKET LIST!!
Onion rings the size of donuts! Glad I got the small order.
Besides a couple of chicken wings that was dinner. Fine dining!
We've been in a small park just outside Austin for the past few days, in a town called Lago Vista. Its very hilly here, the roads are very winding and the speed limit is mostly 55 MPH. It was fun driving the Unit here, the word "careening" comes to mind.
Further updates on the Bucket List. It looks like we won't be making it to the Rio Grand Valley so the walk across the border into Mexico will have to wait. Also, the Junk Gypsies in Round Top, TX are out because we opted for Gruene instead. Its amazing how really good onion rings can influence the things you do and the places you go, or don't go.
We did however make it to Rudy's BBQ. We loaded up on enough BBQ to fill a very large shopping bag.
Here's the menu.
And quite possibly Rudy himself carving up some BBQ brisket.
I went on a little road trip yesterday and found a place to store the Unit until March, when we will start Part 2 of our trip. Its 20 miles north of Austin, it's covered, has electricity to keep the batteries charged, and the best thing is, it's $90 per month. Pretty good deal I think.
We have a few more days here before we head home. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, turkey at Carla's, yum!!
I'm not looking forward to next week, It's about 1700 miles to get home and the weather will get worse as we go, unlike the trip south 5 weeks ago.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Movin' On
Our last night in Galveston after 4 great days. I don't know what it is about this place but it has a certain vibe. There are oil drilling platforms in the harbor, probably being re-fitted for their next job. They are HUGE.
We took a tour on one which was no longer in service, it was big but was dwarfed by the modern ones.
We learned a lot about how these things work. It's amazing what an industry can do with unlimited funds.
There was a Disney cruise ship in the harbor this afternoon, which was just departing as we left the oil rig. Big boat!
From what we could hear on the pier I would have to guess that Mickey had everyone doing shooters at the bar.
It's almost time for supper but I have a couple of shots I have to show you.
A sunrise on the gulf;
The sign that is photo-bombing the picture says "Stay off the Dunes". Ironically, there really haven't been any dunes here since the hurricane of 2008.
Next, the newly rebuilt Galveston pier. We didn't go there but its an impressive sight at night from the Seawall Blvd.
Oh, and just one more.....BUCKET LIST!!!!!
Next post I want to talk about these, they are nasty!!
Chicken on a bun tonight, BBQ'd by yours truly. Gotta go.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Galveston
The trip to Galveston yesterday was interesting to say the least. It was windy when we left Lake Charles, Louisiana and by the time we entered Texas it was howling. The owner of the RV Park we had just left suggested we take the ferry across to Galveston. I didn't even know there was a ferry and since I was having serious difficulty staying in my lane on the interstate I figured the smaller highways to Port Boliver, home of the ferry terminal, might be just the ticket. About 20 miles of this highway runs right along the coast. With the 40 MPH winds whipping the gulf into a frenzy we were pelted with sea foam and salt spray all the way.
Pictures of waves seldom do them justice but here's one anyways.
Now, unlike Canadian Club Whiskey which is almost free here, the ferry is totally free. It's about a 20 minute ride to go the 2 miles to Galveston Island. I don't know who pays for all this but I'm not complaining.
It looks like they have about 6 or 7 of these running back and forth between Port Boliver and Galveston. We never left the Unit, just made another coffee and enjoyed the ride.
We had reservations for Galveston Island State Park for 2 nights. Shortly after we arrived Mother Nature went postal.
The wind which had been building 15+ ft waves turned 180 degrees and was hammering the tops off the waves from the other direction. I have video but once again, it doesn't do the event justice. Then the rain started and I mean RAIN! The temperature went from 24C to 14C in minutes. Long story short, Mother Nature washed the salt off the Unit in short order. (which is nice because she put it there in the first place).
The State park turned out to be a bit of a dump. Low scrub, no trees and bad drainage. The Unit was standing in 3 inches of water even this morning. We cancelled our second night and moved a few miles closer to town at the Dellanera RV Park. Great place and right on the beach. We signed up here for the next 3 nights. I think I'm getting lazy, driving just seems too much like work.
Galveston was leveled in 2008 by Hurricane Ike. It's amazing what they have done to the place since then (we were here in 2000). A lot of history here which I hope to get into over the next few days.
Going out for Mexican tonight and Darlene is driving...life is good.
Pictures of waves seldom do them justice but here's one anyways.
Now, unlike Canadian Club Whiskey which is almost free here, the ferry is totally free. It's about a 20 minute ride to go the 2 miles to Galveston Island. I don't know who pays for all this but I'm not complaining.
It looks like they have about 6 or 7 of these running back and forth between Port Boliver and Galveston. We never left the Unit, just made another coffee and enjoyed the ride.
We had reservations for Galveston Island State Park for 2 nights. Shortly after we arrived Mother Nature went postal.
The wind which had been building 15+ ft waves turned 180 degrees and was hammering the tops off the waves from the other direction. I have video but once again, it doesn't do the event justice. Then the rain started and I mean RAIN! The temperature went from 24C to 14C in minutes. Long story short, Mother Nature washed the salt off the Unit in short order. (which is nice because she put it there in the first place).
The State park turned out to be a bit of a dump. Low scrub, no trees and bad drainage. The Unit was standing in 3 inches of water even this morning. We cancelled our second night and moved a few miles closer to town at the Dellanera RV Park. Great place and right on the beach. We signed up here for the next 3 nights. I think I'm getting lazy, driving just seems too much like work.
Galveston was leveled in 2008 by Hurricane Ike. It's amazing what they have done to the place since then (we were here in 2000). A lot of history here which I hope to get into over the next few days.
Going out for Mexican tonight and Darlene is driving...life is good.
Monday, November 16, 2015
A little post Nawlins R & R
Been taking it easy for a couple of days after 3 days of New Orleans' madness. We're in Lake Charles LA, in a nice quiet park just chillin'.
I'll let Tara demonstrate up how we felt by the third day.
Washed the Unit today. Seems every time I wash it it rains. It's supposed to rain tomorrow.
I was sitting under the awning this evening and noticed a street light reflecting on the side of the now very clean Unit. Kind of a neat lighting effect so I took a picture
We ordered take out from what is supposed to be the #1 rated restaurant in the area, Steamboat Bill's. We weren't sure what to order from the enormous menu, (check it out here)
http://steamboatbills.com/menu/images/Steamboat_Bills_Menu.pdf
so we ordered the Captains Platter, a bit of everything.
Wow, enough to feed 6. Stuffed shrimp,catfish, oysters, stuffed crab, shrimp and fries. the only thing that wasn't breaded and/or deep fried was the cole slaw. For an appetizer we got alligator bites, also breaded and deep fried. How's that for an artery clogging line-up?
Tomorrow we're heading to Galveston Island for a few days. Haven't seen a beach in nearly a week and starting to twitch.
Talk later.
I'll let Tara demonstrate up how we felt by the third day.
Washed the Unit today. Seems every time I wash it it rains. It's supposed to rain tomorrow.
I was sitting under the awning this evening and noticed a street light reflecting on the side of the now very clean Unit. Kind of a neat lighting effect so I took a picture
We ordered take out from what is supposed to be the #1 rated restaurant in the area, Steamboat Bill's. We weren't sure what to order from the enormous menu, (check it out here)
http://steamboatbills.com/menu/images/Steamboat_Bills_Menu.pdf
so we ordered the Captains Platter, a bit of everything.
Wow, enough to feed 6. Stuffed shrimp,catfish, oysters, stuffed crab, shrimp and fries. the only thing that wasn't breaded and/or deep fried was the cole slaw. For an appetizer we got alligator bites, also breaded and deep fried. How's that for an artery clogging line-up?
Tomorrow we're heading to Galveston Island for a few days. Haven't seen a beach in nearly a week and starting to twitch.
Talk later.
Friday, November 13, 2015
Jamablaya and a Crawfish pie.......
.......and a fillet gumbo.
Haven't eaten any of these here yet but we did make it to the "Big Easy" yesterday afternoon.
The Unit had a lube job in Foley AL yesterday and is feeling much better. It will need ball joints some time soon but I already knew that.
We went into town this morning after much deliberation on how we should get there. Bus/streetcar $6 but 1 hour each way, cab $25 each way, and Uber, about the same as a cab. We decided to drive in and hopefully, park a few blocks from the French Quarter. Expecting the worst, after a 7 minute drive from the RV park we found all kinds of parking lots. The cost was $5 for 12 hours.
New Orleans never disappoints. Not 2 blocks into Bourbon Street we ran across a very large guy about 6'5" wearing a cowboy hat, a pink wig, fishnet stockings and.....yes, you guessed it, a tu-tu.
Warning. If you look at the following picture you will see him, and once you have seen him, you can't un-see him.
I know....Ouch!!!
We walked over 6 km's today according to Dar's My Tracks app. We visited the French Market, had a superb cappuccino and had lunch at Pat O'briens. Just a beer and wine with lunch though. No Hurricanes (if you haven't heard of a Pat O'briens Hurricane, look it up) because we are planning to go back in tonight. Not possible after drinking a Hurricane in the afternoon.
I won't bore you with pictures of flowery balconies and such. I'm sure you've seen it all before. Besides, my camera does a great job of underexposing street scenes in shadow and it was in fine form today.
Maybe I'll get some good pics tonight. No more tu-tu's, I promise.
Son of a gun we're gonna have big fun on the bayou.
Just got back from round 2.
This was Bourbon Street tonight.
We dropped into a little jazz bar, great band, here's a taste.
And finally, I know I promised "no more" but I'm starting to see a trend here. These guys are wearing what appear to be coolie hats and tu-tu's. I'm obviously missing something because I just don't get it. Fashion statement?
Good night.
Haven't eaten any of these here yet but we did make it to the "Big Easy" yesterday afternoon.
The Unit had a lube job in Foley AL yesterday and is feeling much better. It will need ball joints some time soon but I already knew that.
We went into town this morning after much deliberation on how we should get there. Bus/streetcar $6 but 1 hour each way, cab $25 each way, and Uber, about the same as a cab. We decided to drive in and hopefully, park a few blocks from the French Quarter. Expecting the worst, after a 7 minute drive from the RV park we found all kinds of parking lots. The cost was $5 for 12 hours.
New Orleans never disappoints. Not 2 blocks into Bourbon Street we ran across a very large guy about 6'5" wearing a cowboy hat, a pink wig, fishnet stockings and.....yes, you guessed it, a tu-tu.
Warning. If you look at the following picture you will see him, and once you have seen him, you can't un-see him.
I know....Ouch!!!
We walked over 6 km's today according to Dar's My Tracks app. We visited the French Market, had a superb cappuccino and had lunch at Pat O'briens. Just a beer and wine with lunch though. No Hurricanes (if you haven't heard of a Pat O'briens Hurricane, look it up) because we are planning to go back in tonight. Not possible after drinking a Hurricane in the afternoon.
I won't bore you with pictures of flowery balconies and such. I'm sure you've seen it all before. Besides, my camera does a great job of underexposing street scenes in shadow and it was in fine form today.
Maybe I'll get some good pics tonight. No more tu-tu's, I promise.
Son of a gun we're gonna have big fun on the bayou.
Just got back from round 2.
This was Bourbon Street tonight.
We dropped into a little jazz bar, great band, here's a taste.
And finally, I know I promised "no more" but I'm starting to see a trend here. These guys are wearing what appear to be coolie hats and tu-tu's. I'm obviously missing something because I just don't get it. Fashion statement?
Good night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)