Victoria, Texas -- Lazy Longhorn RV Park

Driven by the need to deal with the ever-growing burden of three weeks' worth of dirty laundry, Morty sought out a RV park with superior laundry facilities and found one in Victoria called the Lazy Longhorn. This is a AAA park that knocks 10% off for members. We also had to deal with the school holiday next week that would cause a lot of locals to flock to the state parks for this weekend. We are right on the outskirts of the city which is well apportioned with shopping and eating establishments.

We have a cozy site which is surrounded on three sides by other sites, and the fourth is the property fence which separates us from a truck yard. There are trees and other landscaping but the tall eucalyptus trees are showing signs of not surviving the last winter freezes. But we are under a massive high pressure system that has the sky severe clear. The day was warm nearing 80, but the night has cold in store as it steadily drops to 40 degrees.



On Friday and Saturday, I bike into the old town of Victoria. The old mansions are magnificent. The churches with their complexes are very impressive and densely packed, even of the same denomination. I lose my bearings on the way back for lunch, so the android phone comes to the rescue. I just enter the name of the RV park, and it asks me if I want directions. Turns out I was just half a block from finding the cross street i was looking for. The phone and its services continue to amaze.

The WiFi here is very good, if a little quirky. Here, my Chrome browser works fine on most sites, with the big exception of Yahoo Mail and Blogspot. Each of these sites works fine in the Safari browser. Something very strange going on.

David Crockett St Pk, TN

Morty did 400 miles today to roll through the second half of Mississippi, the northwest corner of Alabama and into Tennessee. This leaves us another 400-mile day on Wednesday to make it back to Columbus. We are in David Crockett State Park, which just reopened for the season on March 1. We are getting a few showers but that is welcome compared to the sustained downpour we experienced early this morning. Except for that heavy rain, we have pretty much been on the advancing edge of the low pressure area moving across the country all day. Actually, this is fairly decent travel weather in that it doesn’t impede us the way it would if we were pursuing almost any other travel-related activity.

If you are playing along at home, the cost of the site is $20, no discount unless a Tennessean. No WtiFi or Sprint coverage except for roaming. No TV stations within our range. The restrooms are quite nice, with soap and partitioned showers to keep your clothes dry.

With the weather promising to be just as damp tomorrow, we will be off to another early start, hoping to get home by dark.

Return to Sam Houston Jones St Pk, TX

We have returned to an old friend of a state park in Sam Houston Jones in Louisiana. We had a nice couple of days here on our trip West. Tonight it is just a break in heading home. The last time, we were probably ahead of the curve representing the flight of most snow birds. This time we are smack-dab on the curve of the returnees. We got here around 2:30 on a Sunday, but were surprised by the large number of campers already here and arriving in a near-continuous stream. We were lucky to get in without reservations. Evidently, the $9 reservation fee mentioned on the first stop was working in our favor.

One of the things we should have remembered from the first stop is that the power boxes on the sites around the outside of the camping area are really too far from the parking spots for the standard RV power cord. This time however, a kind neighbor offered to loan us his 25 foot 30 amp extension cord. We were really grateful for his kindness and assured him that we would use only four feet or so of the total available length.

This park is especially memorable in that it is by far the most inexpensive campgrounds with full services that we have yet experienced. We get water and electricity with excellent WiFi and good restroom facilities. Recommended again.

Today we have a few pictures from the ferry crossing leaving Galveston.



Tomorrow we head to our first camping experience in Mississippi probably near Hattiesburg if all goes well. We will let you know how it goes.

Galveston Island State Park, TX

When you look at the website for Galveston Island State Park you might be put off by the update which says "no showers and only portable restrooms". They are very slow in recovering from Hurricane Ike and even slower in publishing their progress. The fact of the matter is that the bayside restrooms, though only two in number, are fully plumbed and electrified and even air conditioned. You could move or remove them, but they are not what "portable" brings to mind. There are at this time two shower/restroom buildings on the beach side, which are nearly identical to those at Goose Island. There are some limitations in that there is a pretty good hike from the RV Bayside camping area to the restrooms which are in the tent camping area, but it is not a major factor. The other limitation is that the Beachside areas are still not electrified, although the hardware to do that appears to be in place. Also of the three beach loops, only two have restroom/shower buildings. There is even a strong WiFi signal at the headquarters building.



We camped on the bay and used the electrical hookup on Friday. After breakfast on Saturday morning, we rolled Morty to the beach side to walk the beach and enjoy the beautiful day. We will be showering before returning to the bay.

Sunset on Goose Island

We had some remarkable colors and tints in our sunset this evening:



One even caught a fish jumping out of the water!

Return to Goose Island

Morty rolled us back to Goose Island, but there were no more sites on the island itself, so we are in the wooded area just before the bridge to the island. Actually, we are very happy to not be on the water, because the predominant weather feature since we have been here is the wind. and it is much more pleasant in the woods than on the bayfront.

When we last stayed here we had great WiFi because we were near a bayfront restroom which has the antenna for the hotspot. In the woods, we thought that would also apply, but alas, no WiFi at all. At least the cell phone is giving us a pretty good connection.



Around noon we biked over to where the Whooping Cranes are wintering, and were treated to a brief display of the courting dance. Very few other birds are around, compared to our last visit in January.

Leaving Choke Canyon

Morty has had a five day rest at Choke Canyon while we absorbed all the wildlife and legends. Now it is time to move a little closer to home. A ranger mentioned a little boat tour that operates near Goose Island, so we might be giving that a try. Meanwhile, here are a few parting shots:



The big bird is the Crested Caracara or the Mexican Eagle. On our bird walk, we saw a colony of about twenty all agitated about something.

Strange Birds at Choke Canyon, TX

I revisited the little woodpecker that watched us so closely yesterday. He was just as attentive today, following me from tree to tree, even sitting on the handlebars of my bike. Little Golden Fronted Woodpecker, you are a piece of work!

I was informed by a birder from Austin, that the Yellow Warbler, is really a Yellow Rumped Warbler.

The large yellow-black bird seems to be an Audubon's Oriole -- seen only in the Rio Grande valley.



The turkeys are cute, especially when the male is strutting his stuff.

Birding at Choke Canyon

Our second day at Choke Canyon dawned clear and bright, without a care in the world -- other than some cool temperatures. I put some birdseed out on the bar-b-que and the cardinals, red-wings, and assorted others including the rare Green Jay were unanimous in their approval.



We hiked about three miles to 75 Acre Lake and back on the bird trails. At one point we were closely watched by a Golden Fronted Woodpecker, who must have been on guard duty. We had a late lunch and sat in the recliners, and watched another batch of hungry birds devour our contributions.

Birding Choke Canyon St Pk, TX

We were snowed upon while breakfasting this morning -- just three miles North of the Rio Grande. Tucson is slated for 30 degrees tonight. This was all the incentive we needed to have Morty roll another couple of hundred miles East and South. We are now back in Choke Canyon where the birds flock in abundance.



The little bird sanctuary in the park has been made more isolated with additional fencing, but the cold seems to have stemmed the flow of most birds. Still am able to get a couple of decent shots -- these the first with the D90 and 70-300mm lens in a long while. It looks like the birds are Yellow Warbler, Redwing Blackbirds, and Northern Mockingbird. Weather wise, we can see the clearing in the West and we are hoping this bodes well for tomorrow. Traveling the farm roads of South Texas again coated poor Morty in a thick layer of red mud, but we were able to wash most of it off upon arrival. Now we must stay warm until tomorrow when hopefully, the Sun will warm us all up again.

Seminole Canyon St Pk, TX

The weather in New Mexico and nearby areas in Texas was about to turn cold again, so Morty rolled another big day -- about 440 miles big -- back to Seminole Canyon on the Rio Grande. And just like it is supposed to turn out, it is gloriously warm as the Sun fixes to do some setting in the West, right out our front porch.

This time, the park seems just about full with other warmth seeking RVers.  One reason we returned was that when we stopped here on the way out, we were again eluding the cold, and had to leave after just one night when there were lots of canyons and rivers to be explored. Tomorrow promises to be warm enough to revisit that missed opportunity. The temperature is dropping rapidly in the dark though, as I go outside periodically to reestablish the elusive WiFi signal.

WiFi is all we have here. No TV or Cell service. The restrooms are very nice though, with ample soap in the washrooms. We arrived after the rangers closed shop for the day at 5PM. Though, since we had called ahead, they had a space with our name on it waiting for us. Texas Rangers are the best.

Hacienda RV Park, Las Cruces, NM

The continental breakfasts are pretty special at this campground -- not in that they exist at all, but that alone would make them completely unique. No, what is special is that the offerings are wide ranging and change daily. Yesterday's choice of three cereals was supplemented with two new choices today in addition to yesterday's raisin bran. Today we also had a yogurt selection. Both days there were bagels and muffins and proper toasters with a host of toppings available.

Lynne suggested that today may be our last warm day for a while, so we are going to spend a third day here at Hacienda. Then we will be heading South into Texas following the warmer temperatures.

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Morty turned in a 228 mile day today because Deming, NM was a little too close and Las Cruces was a little more than just right. But we are glad to be here. "Here" is the "gold standard" of RV parks -- Hacienda RV & Rally Resort. We picked this one from the AAA Campbook, even though it was a little more expensive than the competition -- it did mention a continental breakfast -- something we haven't experienced before in our Morty World.

We check in and a trio of blondes whisks us through the paper work, and we get warm cookies. We are issued hotel-style card keys for the facilities. Then two of them hop into a golf cart and guide us to our site, including the backing in and hooking up -- something else entirely new.  We look at the cable TV line-up and see that they have an incredible 120 channels. We check the WiFi and find that it works perfectly and is fast too. We walk back to the office and take seats in the guest lobby to peruse some of the local color brochures. I try the hot-tub and find it clean, hot and big. We peek into the showers and find an array of home-style individual shower rooms with marble and pewter sinks and hair dryers. The restrooms have soap and paper towels. This they are doing for $40 per night. Far, far beyond the realm of any prior RV experience. Just to prove that I haven't completely lost my sensibilities over this place, I must point out that their sign on the building, is a temporary canvas affair that is totally out of place, and the I-10 freeway is close enough to be seen and heard. If you are here in the Summer, the daily rate drops to $30.

Benson, Arizona

Morty is back in Benson, so to speak, because this is the town of the Kartchner Caverns State Park which was his first Arizona stop heading West. This time we picked a campground out of the AAA book which has a heated pool. We found Butterfield RV Resort right near the heart of town. There is a lot to like about this campground, named after the early Wild West stage line.



For starters, it has its own astronomical observatory seating 15 people and putting on a couple of shows every evening. It houses a 16 inch telescope with a GPS star-finder. We looked at star clusters, the Andromeda Galaxy, Mars, Orien's Betelgeuse, Rigel, and the Great Mollecular Cloud  -- quite a show! Another nice activity is Tuesdays' Texas Hold 'em tournament. A complete newbie, I entered the poker tournament, and lasted for over two hours, which was longer than several experienced guys at my table. I even won the first hand, with "pocket pair of fives."

The next day, I bike out of town to explore and find the signs to the airport. First one leads down slope one mile and turn left. Second one is three miles straight ahead up the mountain. I only go a little over two before I start worrying about being too far out in case of a blow-out or other failure. Consequence is no airport photos, but a couple of desert views.

Casa Grande, Arizona

Morty rolled East across I-8 to where it meets I-10 and Casa Grande, between Phoenix and Tulsa. We picked up a chamber of commerce glossy book at check-in. This is one very nice community, it is on my list for some in-depth exploration someday -- not too much city, nor too much desert.

We are at the Campground Buena Tierra right in the V of the two interstates. This is a family-run campground in the desert environment, with great modern facilites, and lots of site room.

Morty's mirrors have loosened and need some large socket wrenches to tighten down. When we are at interstate speeds, they seem to need adjusting every five to ten minutes. I approached a neighbor enjoying happy hour to ask about borrowing a wrench. He was kind enough to look but in the process knocked over and broke his full wine glass -- how awkward.

Yuma, Arizona

Marking our one-month milestone, we are by most measures, due to be turning around. It seems like the weather at Yosemite, is just a little too nasty for this trip. After three days relaxing in the California desert, Morty was feeling the need to roll out some east-bound miles. We checked and rechecked the AAA book listings for openings on Sunday in El Centro or Winterhaven, but none were to be had. So we started looking in Arizona, and found a modern, clean and mostly paved park called Las Quintas Oasis RV Resort. Here the discounted rate of $36 per night gets full hook-ups, including cable TV, WiFi, heated swimming and spa pools.

From Casa Grande, AZ

Little Morty is in a pull-through site that is big enough to hold five more motor homes of his  size -- pretty amazing to realize again how much stuff some folks consider essential for their road-time.

Palm Canyon Trail Hike

We are still at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, since all our next options are full for the weekend. This morning we hiked the Palm Canyon Trail in search of the elusive Big Horn Sheep -- we and a couple of hundred other week-end Rvers. The Big Horn were alegedly spotted on the trail at the exact time we were also on the trail -- but it must have been a different part, but the trail is only a mile and a half long, but a lot of it up. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.



I was surprised at how dehydrated I was when we got back. I figured the warnings for a gallon of water a person were a little over the top for the winter, so went in with just a drink at the entrance and exit. Heed the warnings!

We checked a couple of triple-A campgrounds heading east, but they were full for the weekend. So we will hold over here another night. This is only $23 per night, but we have to run the generator to cook or surf beyond the MacBook internal battery capability. The twenty-five cent showers work fine, especially when you shower with a friend.

Desert Boondocking

Welcome to California desert spring camping -- where all the folks come to enjoy the early desert wildflowers! The desert is more beautiful than I ever imagined, and lots of other campers are thinking that too. For the first time in longer than I can remember, Morty is being squeezed out of a site by prior reservations and the entire hook-up area is full at Anza-Borrego. That means we will have to move to a dry camping, no-hook-ups area, or as RVers say, boondocking. So we topped off our water tank to just over two-thirds full, checked the generator for oil, and will move at check-out time of noon.



Speaking of the generator, we got a phone call from Marvin who sold Morty to us. He had found a DVD describing the care and maintenance of the generator and wanted to give it to us. Boy, was he surprised when we told him we were talking from the middle of the California desert, sitting in the our RV. He thought it sounded like we were right next-door.  He was also curious about whether we had been to Alamogordo, New Mexico where he served in the Air Force in 1948! So we told him how to find our blog to see how his old RV was making out as the new Mortimer Turtle.

Some of these pictures show the first time use of the close-up function of the Canon S90 -- pretty good for just walking and biking around. By the way, the boondocking area still has restrooms and showers and I'm hoping that it is WiFi range.

Needles, California

Today, Morty and Ms Garmina did not get their acts together. It started with reading another blog that mentioned a Wal-Mart near our next destination, Parker, AZ. We needed to do some grocery shopping, so I figured that all I had to do was enter Parker as our destination, and the closest Wal-Mart as a way point. That however, took us to Needles, California, some 60 more miles North, where we still didn't find the Wal-Mart.  Not a very happy driving day. So we shopped at a local chain Basha, and then picked the Needles Marina Park to camp for the night. The Basha was successful in that it had everything on our list at reasonable prices, and something that has consistently been out of stock at all the Wal-Marts we have been to lately: red wine in a box.



At the marina we found a nice heated pool that would allow me to swim my half-mile. Also got in a little neighborhood bike riding along the residential communities that line the Colorado River.  The other amenities were fine too, but the price was $31 after the AAA discount.

Quartzsite, AZ

Quartzsite has no state parks, so we are at 88 Shades, a commercial park selected from the AAA campground guide -- click the link for another view. The park is still recuperating from the Quartzsite Annual RV Show that runs the last couple of weeks of January.

There are mostly permanent residents here now, along with a few travelers like us. One characteristic of the permanently moored RVs are the swamp coolers -- simple air conditioners that work by just water evaporation. There are still a passel of RV dealers and support operations here, and a few gas stations, restaurants, and RV parks, so the rates are very reasonable: $25 per night. The amenities are a little wear-worn, but otherwise fully acceptable.