The Road is Long...

     "The road is long, with many a winding turn, that leads us to who knows where, who knows where?..." -- Bobby Scott and Bob Russell

Are we there yet???  Almost!!!

      February 22nd marked our third day on the road.  We left Walmart in Edgewood, NM bright and early and headed for a regular stopping spot on the west side of Amarillo, Texas -- a distance of approximately 250 miles.

Oasis RV Park near Amarillo, Texas

      We knew a huge pull through site with full hook-ups would be a welcome sight for tired eyes once we reached Oasis RV Park.  Although the prices have increased significantly under new ownership, the dog run allowed the dogs some needed exercise and the washer/dryer got a work out.

Twin Fountains RV Resort in Oklahoma City

Plant stand in restroom at Park House

      Sunday, February 23, we drove east another 250 miles or so for a stop at Twin Fountains RV Park in Oklahoma City for a quick visit with George's son, George, and his wife Suzette.  We enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the Park House Restaurant.  We were very tempted to stay and sightsee, but a cold front was coming in behind us and we decided to hit the road again on Monday morning.



      We got a bit of a late start out of Oklahoma City and stopped short of 200 miles Monday, February 24th, for another manager approved Walmart overnight in Van Buren, Arkansas.  We again shopped short of 200 miles at a remote rest area in Hazen, Arkansas.  There was a separate area for semi trucks near the interstate with a building, but we drove on to the car and RV parking area, which was fairly desolate but appeared to have good lighting.  There were two law enforcement vehicles, which George approached to see if we would be allowed to stay overnight and secondly, if we would be safe.  With their reassurance, we parked beneath a large street light and caught up on email and phone calls.   As the skies darkened, a thunderstorm began and, despite the lightning, I was struck by how very dark it was all around us.

Rest area near Hazen, Arkansas where we did not feel safe without lights

      For the first time in seven plus years on the road, we did not feel comfortable alone with no lighting, so we moved further east after dark in the rain to the Walmart and the comfort of their security cameras in nearby Forrest City.  Experts say to trust your gut, and although it was quite disruptive, my gut certainly felt much better once we returned to civilization.

Tom Sawyer's Mississippi River RV Park -- what a view!

      Wednesday, February 26, we stopped a short distance outside Memphis in West Memphis, Arkansas at Tom Sawyer's Mississippi River RV Park.  Our plan was to have our dog Zara's dental extraction stitches checked at a Banfield Veterinary Clinic and visit Valerie's friend from Kansas City, Alexandra Clair, who has been living here for a number of years.

Barges run frequently on the Mighty Mississippi

Friends Alex Clair and Valerie Mayleben

      The park is uniquely located right on the Mississippi River, and we enjoyed watching the barges push freight up and down the river.  I'm sure there are more beautiful times to visit this park, but we had a pull through site with a fantastic view!  We stayed three nights again to catch up the laundry and replenish our supplies.  We especially enjoyed our lunch at the Silver Bullet Restaurant with Alex, who is an author, at the Silver Bullet, who gave us an autographed copy of her most recent publication, "Wood's End," an intriguing and well written novel.

Our last Walmart for awhile in Jacksonville, Florida

      We left Memphis on Saturday, March 1 and drove approximately 300 miles, stopping in Alexander, Alabama for a manager approved overnight stay at Walmart.  Finally, the weather was warm enough for flip-flops and capri pants.  We crossed into Florida on March 2 and stopped in Jacksonville for yet one more Walmart stay before driving the final leg to Water's Edge Motor Coach and RV Park in Okeechobee, Florida, where we looked forward to joining George's twin nephews for a month.

Our site at Water's Edge Motor Coach and RV Resort in Okeechobee, Florida

      On long trips we listen to audio books, operate our business to the best of our ability, and plan our route, shop, do laundry, sightsee and prepare meals.  Water's Edge is delightful, especially since we have family nearby. There's a lovely Tiki hut where we congregate for happy hour and we've found some good local restaurants.  The weather has been delightful and we are thoroughly enjoying our stay.  After 2400 miles, we need some rest!

Relaxing with the Michigan Maylebens at sunset is a favorite pastime!

Meteor Crater!...

      From Las Vegas to Orlando we had a several choices of routes.  We looked at the possibility of going north to I-70 so we could visit Valerie's daughter, Lindsay, in Boulder. But a look at road conditions in the Rockies, compounded with her class schedule during our planned dates precluded that option.

View from the rim at Meteor Crater National Landmark

      Common sense told us we should take the southern I-10 route, but we've traveled it so much of late.  After a look at the long range weather forecast, we decided to take I-40 east from Kingman, Arizona, a trip of almost 2400 miles.

Warm soup for colder climates on the road!

      Valerie had noticed a sheared off screw beneath our kitchen slide-out in Vegas, so we cautiously brought it in and hit the road while the crock pot warmed our dinner -- Valerie's sister Amy's Mexican Pozole Soup.  Although Amy did not prepare this in the crock pot, her recipe is this:  1 tablespoon oil, 2 pounds pork cubed, juice of 1 lime, 6 cloves of garlic, 3 cups water, 29 ounce can of Mexican hominy, 16 ounce can of Enchilada sauce, 7 ounce can green chilies and 2 chicken bouillon cubes.  Served topped with chopped cilantro, green onions and radishes, it is one of George's favorites.

Cattle along the road manage to find a way to the bottom of the crater without injury.

      We drove a little more than 300 miles February 20th, our first road day, and decided to stop at the Meteor Crater RV Park east beyond Flagstaff.  With the time change we arrived just at dark and planned a visit the few miles out to see the meteor crater, which we had until now, driven past with regret.

Interesting view from the Visitor's Center at Meteor Crater

      The Visitor's Center had ample RV parking.  Admission was $15 for seniors.  We watched the movie and toured the museum and gift shop.  Valerie took the approximately hour long hike partially around the rim led by Eduardo, which was most informative, while George walked the dogs.  We were glad we finally took the time to stop and see the best preserved meteor crater on Earth!  http://www.meteorcrater.com

Interesting fossils on the different types of rocks around the crater

      Valerie put finishing touches on whole grain spaghetti and turkey meatballs for the crockpot for dinner.  We left and shared driving responsibilities for almost 300 miles, stopping for a manager approved overnight stay at Walmart in Edgewood, New Mexico, just beyond Albuquerque.  The weather had significantly cooled off, but we knew Florida sunshine was our ultimate goal, although we still had many miles to go.

What Happens in Vegas Goes in the Blog

View from the upper level of the Deuce on the Las Vegas Strip

     Saturday, February 15, Valerie's much anticipated meeting with former high school classmates materialized.  George dropped her off at the wrong hotel so she had a long walk to meet up with the group for dinner and the Cirque du Soleil's Beatles' Love performance at the Mirage.  The show was spectacular, but truly paled in comparison to catching up with the lives of some beautiful women from her past.
   

Sue Barnes and Bev Schrimpf at Beatles' Love performance

      Sunday, February 16, did not start out too well.  Valerie discovered that our younger Sheltie, Zara, had two loose teeth.  We were able to get her in to see a veterinarian at the Banfield Clinic in nearby Henderson.  The bad news was that she had periodontal disease and needed three extractions and possibly more.  They scheduled her for surgery on Tuesday morning.

Nasty lint after washer repair

      The Splendide technicians had found the problem with the washer/dryer to be a sensor that had become dislodged somewhere along the way.  The new problem became massive amounts of lint on the clothes following the wash cycle and the clothes were hot despite cold rinses.  These issues would have to wait until after our trip.

George Mayleben with J.D. Jenkins

     Later that evening we met with RV Driving School instructor, J.D. Jenkins, at Amore Pizza and Pasta.  J.D. and his wife, Marti, have recently relocated to the Las Vegas area where he plans on teaching following some upcoming surgeries.

Robin Schacht and Valerie Mayleben

      Meanwhile, thanks to Facebook connections, Valerie received a surprise call that yet another friend from her high school days planned to be in town.  George accompanied her on a ride to the Strip on the Deuce on Tuesday to meet Robin Schacht for lunch after dropping off our dog in Henderson.  Forty plus years didn't seem to interfere with their picking right back up where their friendship had left off following graduation.  It was a beautiful day and a wonderful visit!

      Sadly, Zara's dental problems were worse than expected and she lost five teeth all together.  We had mentioned her bad breath to her regular vet and he had looked at her teeth in September.  We stayed on for a day or two so that she could recover before hitting the road  south towards our commitment to the Winne Gators Rally in Orlando.

What happens in Vegas goes in the blog!