OCTOBER 19 - 22 ARRIVED SAFELY in FLORIDA

FRIDAY

OCTOBER 19, 2012

 

We started our travel day by 7:17 AM, from Dfuniak, Florida,

and by the time we had traveled one hundred twenty one  miles,

my cell phone was reading 10:36 AM.
NOT FAIR.

We had lost an hour by crossing into the Eastern Daylight Time Zone.  

Even with that time loss, we arrived at Southern Oaks,

in Summerfield, Florida,

by 3 :10 PM.

 

We were greeted by friends who

arrived a few minutes before us.

They had traveled South from Delaware,

and stopped for an overnight,

so we all could have dinner together.

 

It felt like a home coming party.

We have now completed Leg Four

of our 30th Anniversary Tour.

 

We have

driven 13,048 miles,

since leaving home on June 18th.

 

 

SATURDAY

OCTOBER 20, 2012

 

During the day we continued to sort

and weed out the travel literature

we have been accumulating these

four months.  We also sat still

long enough to prepare a slide

show of the first month of our travels.

 

We  have already forgotten some of

places and things we saw,

so it was fun to refresh our memories

and enjoy the sights all over again.

 

 

SUNDAY

OCTOBER 21, 2012

 

When Russ read on the internet that

the Indian Maiden

KATERI TEKAWITHA has been

declared a Saint,

I immeditely thought of the

three different statues

I had taken photos of this Summer.

 

Here they are again,

in her honor.

 

 

Shelton, Washington

St. Edward's Church

 

Page, Arizona

Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish

 

Santa Fe, New Mexico

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assissi

 

Which one is your favorite?
Tell me why at:

grandmarita15@gmail.com  

OCTOBER 18 - TRAVELING IN 4 STATES - LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, INTO FLORIDA

THURSDAY

OCTOBER 18, 2012

 

We were ON THE ROAD AGAIN today.

My first order of the day was to take a picture

of the Spanish Moss I had seen as we

arrived at Hidden Oak RV Resort, yesterday. 

 

 

Spanish Moss

looks like someone is trying to dry some laundry,

high up in the trees.

 

 

 

 Louisiana license plate was at our

 overnight camp ground.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mississippi had one of the most

inviting and hospitable

Welcoming Centers

of all the State we have visited.

The first thing they asked was,

"Would you like some Coffee?"

                            That is Southern Hospitality for you!!!

 

 

The Oak Eagle

was carved from one of the Oaks

destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, by Marlin Miller.

 

 

Story of the Oak Eagle

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the fascinating displays at

the Mississippi Welcome Center

was a Quilt by Children.

 

 

 

 

 BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI had two beautiful

buildings in its skyline.  The tops were

like an open cutwork steel steeple.

Fourteen miles further East of Biloxi, we

crossed into ALABAMA.

 

We stopped for gas which was $3.39 a gallon,

and I met the owner of this car with

a very special license plate.

 

 

Vietnam Veteran

Plate.

 

 

 

 

 

I saw a sign directing folks to

the USS ALABAMA,

and can only assume that

is the name of this ship in

the Mobile Bay harbor.

It seemed fitting to have the

American Flag

in the picture too.

 

We arrived in DeFuniak, Florida

 at the King Lake Resort at 2:54 PM.

 

By that time the steady rain let up,

and we have settled in for the night.

 

Tomorrow will be a long day,

333 miles to get to Southern Oaks RV Resort,

 Summerfield, Florida.

 

Today's trip was 282 miles and took

us six hours, including

our lunch which we prepared

and had with us.

 

Please pray for our safe travels tomorrow.

.

 

 

 

OCTOBER 17 - TRAVEL TO HAMMOND, LOUISIANA

WEDNESDAY

OCTOBER 17, 2012

 

We departed from Hidden Lake RV Resort

in Beaumont, Texas at 8:10 AM.

Our total travel distance was 259 miles.

We arrived at Hidden Oak RV Park at 5:09 PM,

in Hammond, Louisiana.

Their Southern Oaks were draped with Spanish Moss.

 

You might wonder why it took so long for

us to get here, especially when we were

traveling Interstate 10 EAST,

where the speed limits were often 70 or 75 MPH.

 

Well, at exactly 10:57 AM, Russ got a glimpse

out his side view mirror of something black flapping

in the wind near our RV wheels.

We stopped and this is what he found.

 

 

 

 

 The rear tire on the driver's side

 of our RV was in shreds.

 

 

We called GOOD SAM, a membership organization for
RVers, at 11:01AM, and by 11:38 AM they had Calais Wrecking
come to our rescue.  Within minutes our wheel was off, and
the spare was installed.  At exactly 11:57AM, we were back on
the road.  Praise the Lord for such quick assistance.

 

Calais recommended a nearby RV Repair Service,

so we drove 3 miles to see what they could do to

help us get two new tires.

 

 

I knew the Lord was watching over us,

and it was confirmed when I saw the

name of the repair service.

 

Good Sheperd folks did not do Tire replacements,

so they sent us 3 more miles to

L & L Tire Service.

Fortunately, they sold Firestone Tires,

and began replacing the dead flat tire,

as well as the one opposite, so we have a matched pair on the forward

RV tire locations.  By 3:14 PM, they had us on our way again.

Before we left L & L,

they mentioned that there would be

a long bridge and it was at least ten

miles long with no emergency lanes.

 

 

 

How fortunate for us, that

we discovered our flat

at mile marker 112,

in Louisiana,

rather than marker 124

where we would have been

 on the long dangerously narrow bridge.

 

 

We did cross the Mississippi River,

and this was one vessel we saw.

 

 

 

This is a view of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

 

We were overjoyed when we saw

this truck ahead of us today.

 

 

 

When we stopped for gas, Russ spotted

that same truck getting gas.

I walked over and took these pictures

of the sides, and the driver, Robert.

 

Robert is so proud to work for the Christian owner,

Sam Kholi Transport, Inc. of Fontana, CA,

who has 200 such trucks on the roads

between California and Kentucky.

I told Robert our sighting of his

truck today, was the highlight of our day.

 

 

 

 

We thank each and every one of you

 for your prayers for our Safe Travels.

Please keep praying for us,

til we see you again.

 

Love, Russ and Rita

 

 

OCTOBER 15 and 16 - ON INTERSTATE 10 EAST thru Houston to BEAUMONT, TX

MONDAY

OCTOBER 15, 2012

 

As most RVers know,

the time comes when you

have to do some housekeeping.

We spent Monday doing three loads of laundry.

I also began defrosting our freezer,

and prepared dinner for two nights on the road.

 

So, no pictures today.

 

 

TUESDAY

OCTOBER 16, 2012

 

We are doing "one nighters" this week.

Today was a 273 mile trip from

San Antonio to Beaumont, Texas.

We started out at 8:10 AM,

and arrived at 2 PM.

 

We were glad we had purchased a salad

at Wal-Mart, yesterday, to have

along the way.

Once again, the fast food establishments

were scarce along Interstate 10 East.

 

We passed through HOUSTON

around 11:30 AM,

where there were as many as seven lanes

of traffic one way.

Thank God the replacement Magellan

behaved and we moved safely through the

traffic.   It was a relief to arrive

safely at our destination

by 2 PM. 

We have enjoyed cooling our heels this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

Houston Skyline

 

Houston Shoreline

 

 

 

TEXAS license plate.

Taken to use when I organize my

photos to show on a Video.

 

 

 

OCTOBER 14 - SAN ANTONIO River Walk and the Alamo

SUNDAY

OCTOBER 14, 2012

 

The first order of our day was to attend

11:15 Mass at Saints Peter and Paul Parish

in New Braunfels, TX.

It was a joyful celebration with the

Young People serving the Parish

as Lectors, Ushers, and as Musicians.

The group was at least 25 strong and

included a very accomplished Violinist,

Flute and Guitar, and Keyboard.

 

 

 

The stained glass windows were magnificent.

 

 

We went to Camping World to Swap Out the Magellan,

and then had lunch at a nearby Burger King.

 

We stopped back to our RV for our Camcorder

 and then drove into town to see the Alamo,

 and take a ride on the River Boat,

along the River Walk. 

The ride only cost $6, and

was narrated for the 30 minutes it took.

 

 

 

THE ALAMO

RIVER BOATS

The River Walk is lined with outdoor eateries.

Many had music during the afternoon.

 

 

 

SAINT ANTHONY

the Patron Saint

of San Antonio.

 

We completed our adventures in San Antonio

by having dinner at Maria Mia

Mexican Bistro,

almost at the foot of

the escalators from the Marriott Hotel,

along the River Walk.

 

We tried and loved two recipes

we had never had before:

 

CARNITAS and CARNE GUISADA.

 

Both were so good, that I am hoping

I have the recipe in a Mexican Cookbook,

I received as a birthday gift,

from Rog and Carol.

OCTOBER 12 and 13 - TEXAS via US 285 South and Interstate 10 East

FRIDAY

OCTOBER 12, 2012

 

We left Carlsbad RV Park at 10:56 AM,

and headed to US 285 South, toward Texas.

We crossed the border into TEXAS at 11:36 AM MT,

but when I checked my cellphone for the correct time,

 it had advanced to 12:36 PM CT.

 

 

No sooner were we in Texas than we began

to see Oil rigs.

 

We stopped in Pecos,

so I could put my feet on Texas soil for the first time.

We also took time for the lunch we had prepared

in advance.  We had not seen any of the chain type

eating places for the entire morning.

The towns are far apart, and very small.

Many look almost abandoned.

The one Wal-Mart we did see was about a third of the

Super Center size, with no grocery department.

 

After we had traveled 136 miles on US 285 South, we

took Interstate 10 East to Fort Stockton.  It was just

a short distance to the St. Stockton RV Park.

Total miles today - 144 miles. 

 

 

SATURDAY

OCTOBER 13, 2012 

 

We knew today would be a 318 mile day, 

to get to San Antonio, Texas via I 10 East.

So, I we were up early and ready to leave the

campground when I turned around and saw this Sunrise.

 

8:01AM CT

 

8:02AM CT

 

 

About 10 AM, we stopped for gas.

When Russ got back into the truck,

we had a hitchhiker that made

itself visible after we were underway.

So, this beautiful RED ADMIRAL butterfly

rode with us for the next 29 miles,

until we found a rest area where

we could let it go free to a nearby tree.

 

 

 

We arrived in SAN ANTONIO by 2:15 PM,

and began negotiating the 5 to 6 lanes of traffic.

In the midst of the heavy Saturday afternoon

traffic, our new Magellan GPS died.

We began praying, for sure, and I had

the presence of mind to ask Russ if he had printed out the directions,

as he often does.  Fortunately, he had.

 

The RED Notebook was within reach,

so I ruffled through the pages and

found the proper exit just two before it was

time to take Exit 153 to Exit 574 toward

Corpus Christi to TX 13 loop/Military Drive Exit 135.

We were so thankful to be off the road that

we stayed in the RV for the balance of the day.

I was so glad we had provisions to make

dinner and just relax that evening.

 

In the meantime, we called Camping World

in Albuquerque where we had purchased

the Magellan, on October 2nd, and they gave us the

number of the nearest Camping World.

We talked with the Texas store, and

made arrangements to SWAP OUT the

unit on Sunday.

 

LESSON for other RVers.

 

CAMPING WORLD will Swap Out electronics

during the first 90 days.  You do not have to

send it back to the manufacturer yourself.

We were so grateful they had a duplicate

we could take with us.  The

replacement is doing its job, and the

screen seems brighter than on the first unit.

 

 

 

OCTOBER 11 - CARLSBAD CAVERNS, NEW MEXICO

THURSDAY

OCTOBER 11, 2012

 

It was so good to wake to a morning above 50 degrees

and have it up to 71 degrees by 11 AM,

 when we drove 25 miles to Carlsbad Caverns.

  We stopped and bought a lunch to-go.

 

We arrived at the Visitor's Center, 12:20 pm,

and took time to watch their video (15minutes after the hour),

eat our lunch while waiting,

listen to a Ranger presentation (at 45 minutes before the hour),

about the variety of BATS

in the Cavern, and

then took the elevator

down 750 feet into the Cave

BIG ROOM at 2 PM,

which is a self guided area

 

Our Golden Parks pass saved us $6 each Park entrance fee.

There is no charge to view the BIG ROOM.

We paid $5.00 for the use of an Audio Stick

which gives fascinating information

about the 50 sites that are

disbursed throughout the 1.3 miles walk.

 

The walk generally takes 1 1/2 hours to

complete, and because of my stopping

to take pictures, took us two and twenty minutes.

I took 169 photos that I downloaded.

Of course, many were duplicates,

and some just did not "take"

because of the dim lighting conditions.

However, I have some that I am

absolutely thrilled with,

and will share a few with you.

 

 

 

I call this one a FRINGE formation.

 

 

 

 

This one was named DOLLS THEATER.

 

 

 

 

I've decided to call this one

FROSTED FINGER

 

 

 

 

ILLUMINATED BIG ROOM

 

Our experience of seeing the Caverns,

up close and personal was far

more powerful than even

the Grand Canyon.

 

In fact, it was a very holy experience,

like being in a BIG CATHEDRAL.

The various lighted chambers being side altars.

The size of the space was beyond my wildest dreams.

For a person who has problems with enclosed spaces,

where there are no windows or outside light,

I was amazed how open and spacious the Big Room is.

 

The space of the Big Room is as large as 14 football fields.

 

 

 

 

The loop we walked was 1.3 miles around the outside edge.

 

 

ROCK OF AGES

 

 

 

 

"Pink Glow"

 

from light in another chamber

through this archway.

 

 

 

BAT FLIGHT

 

an artist's rendering in

the Gift Shop.

 

The grande finale to our visit to Carlsbad Caverns

was at 6 PM.

 

Nightly from mid-May through mid-October,

thousands of BATS come flying out of the Entrance to the Cave.

 

They go searching for their daily average of 1 1/2 times their own

weight in INSECTS.  Moths are their primary food,

with other bugs as available.

 

As predicted by the Ranger, ERIC,  who spoke for the first

ten to fifteen minutes about the bats importance

to our environment, and their habits,

the flight began about the same time

the Barn Swallows retired from their flights.

 

Eric said it was like the changing of the guard.

When the Barn Swallows moved on,

the BATS moved OUT.

 

There was a special amplifier monitor in the Cave that

alerted us to the bats activity,

so we knew when to expect them to

start flying out of the Cave.

They came out in swarms,

without stopping for over 30 minutes.

 

As Eric predicted, we soon tired of the novelty

and decided we had seen enough.

 

We had to sit very still,

and could not take pictures,

or have any electronic devices turned on.

 

Enough said - especially for the School students

and families with young children.