San Antonio via Houston

Westbury Church of Christ in Houston

Sunday morning and it's off to church.  We were real close to several Churches of Christ and settled on Westbury CoC.  Their attendance was around 320 and they have Spanish and Chinese speaking services as well.  They also have a large K-12 school on the property, so this is a very busy and involved Church. 


The Astrodome

We couldn't very close to the Astrodome as it was surrounded by in-use parking lots.  The property is in a kind of Catch-22" situation here.  It's old and in need of many code updates, and they would costly for the city.  And they are opposed by the citizens for demolishing as it's a landmark.  They can't book anything as it is deemed unsafe.  So, they are in real quaundry as to what to do with it.  It's been part of their lanscape since 1965.  Our RV Park was about 10 blocks from here on South Main St.


The Reliant Stadium

Standing next door to the Astrodome is the Reliant Stadium where the Houston Texans play and it dwarfs the Astrodome.  The Astor play in Minute Maid Park and it's in downtown.  These two stadiums are south of downtown.


Fort Sam Houston boarding stables  

Well, the above photo was taken from our front window of the MH and we are in San Antonio at Fort Sam Houston Army RV Park.  I sure hope we stay upwind of of the barnyard.  This photo was for my grandson,
Austin.


Austin, this past Christmas...

Well, it's time to sign off for now.  We haven't decided what we're doing yet today.  Guess I'll mull over a cup of coffee here foe a bit and see if something pops into my mind...let's see, San Antonio...what's here......well, I'll let you all know tomorrow what we decided...till then, Joe & Nancy

Baton Rouge, via Pascagoula-Biloxi-Gulf Port

In Gulf Port looking back east to Biloxi Bay across the street from Sun Coast Mall

We left Pensacola this morning heading for Batan Rouge.  Nancy wanted to take a little diversion and drive thru some of the area that Katrina devasted some five years along the Gulf Coast.  So we drove on US 90 thru Pascagoula, Biloxi and Gulf Port.  The white sands are just eye-blinding in the bright sun.


Vegetation now, homes six years ago....

From Pascagoula to Gulf Port, nearly all the devastation has been cleaned up and hauled off away from civilization.  However, there were several instances where large and small buildings remain standing with their scars evident of the catastrophe.  Like the fire engine company in Gul Port and many smaller homes.

Countless realty signs along the highway (US 90)

Some of our pics today were taken out of our MH window, so please excuse the reflections.  We noticed that the three closest blocks from the highway back to the north are generally open fields and fauna.  I would guess that the insurance companies have been hit so hard that they are now making building here next to impossible to insure.  Builder/buyer beware!  Who knows what the future holds for this beautiful stretch of wonderland.


Typical waterfront property after Katrina...so sad

Well, we grabed us a bite at the Picadilly at the Mall and got back on the road.  Nancy got a piece of their red velvet cake for to share later, and our left-over coconut cake from the night before.  We walked for about 30m in the Cortana Mall here in Baton Rouge (by the way, in Baton the emphasis on pronunciation is the second syllable, like Emeril says it) and it's also where we overnighted in the parking lot.  GO TIGERS! (LSU). 


Into the sunset we go...

So, off into the sunset we go to Ba'tawn Rouge.  Tonight we hope to make San Antonio and the Alamo.  We might spend a couple nights here to get a couple things looked at on the MH.  So, until then, see ya' later, Joe & Nancy

Pensacola, home of the Blue Angels

The RV Park we stayed at...

Wow, what happened to spring?  It was 37 this morning.  I want to go back to Ocala... Oh well, spring is just around the corner.  We stayed at the Pensacola Naval Rec Area last night but the weather wasn't very conducive to exploring, so we just stayed in and watched a little TV and turned in.

Crazy Horse Cafe

Well, the Camp Host recommended a little place that wasn't much to look at from the outside, but said it served very good down-home cookin'.  So, we're not the fast food type anyway, and so we jumped on it.  Wow!  Don't judge a book by it's cover.  We had supper there.  I had fresh eggplant parm with collard greens and carrot salad and Nancy had chicken pot pie with carrot salad and green beans.  Yummy!  The best was yet to come.  They are known far and wide (well at least from Gulf Breeze to Mobile) for their deserts.  They had a list about a foot long ona white board with all their current choices, and some had been rubbed off the board as they were all gone.  I wonder what we missed!  Anyway, we opted for fresh coconut cake.  We could only eat one piece between us, so we'll save the other one for tomorrow.


The morning cook (standing) is Ann

We walked in and got the "Just sit where ever you want to"' so we did.  I was told about Ann the evening before from one of the customers eating a couple of pork chops with both hands (use your imagination) and he said Ann fixes a killer breakfast.  Anything you want, she can just about cook it up.  Above is Ann and "her gang" as she so affectionately called them.  The all had a plate full of vittles.


The table where "the gang" was seated

The Crazy Horse is definately a place you need to visit when over near the Pensacola Rec Area.  It's a little ways off I-10, but worth the drive even if not overnighting at the campground.  Nice people and good down-home cookin.  Oh, for breakfast?  I had biscuits/gravy, eggs, corn beef hash grilled nice and crispy and a pile of hash browns.  I will walk an extra mile in the morning.  Well, time to hook up Miss CRV to the MH and head for Baton Rouge with a stop in Pascagoula for a late lunch.  I feel some catfish and hush puppies coming on.  Until next time...Joe & Nancy

Ocala, and I wish we had more time to stay...

My Aunt Dorothy and Cuzin Cathy

Well, here we are in Ocala, FL and it’s Thursday morning, Jan 20.  As the Midwest is shroud under a winter spell of cold, sleet and snow, Ocala was 72, sunny and mild.  It was so nice here the last couple of days that Nancy and me decided to spend two days with my Aunt Dorothy (Mother’s oldest Sister) and my cousin (Aunt Dotty’s daughter).  We parked the Monaco at a Target only about a mile from their homes, so it was most convenient back and forth.

The fire place

We didn’t do any exploring, other than spending time at my Aunt’s & Cousin’ beautiful homes.  We enjoyed a pleasant linner (lunch/dinner) at my Aunt’s house on the day of our arrival, Tuesday, and then breakfast at Scrambles, a breakfast/lunch only café in Ocala, and then a late afternoon linner at a nice Mexican restaurant.

Cuzin Cathy

Our time at each of their homes was a most relaxing and enjoyable time for having a few “toddy’s” (pomegranate martini) around an open hearth fire place in Cousin Cathy’s backyard.  I stoked the fire with some seasoned red oak as we did a lot of tongue-wagging (her two black Scotty’s did the tail wagging) to catch up on all the goings-on since we last met (about two years).

Cathy's humble abode...

Well, we plan to have a little breakfast now and a cupajoe and head for Mobile, AL.  We haven’t decided on a place to stay yet, but the navigator will work that out on the way there.  We’ll good weather from here to Tallahassee, but will run into some rain when we get to Mobile later this afternoon. So, till then, hang in there for those that in the middle of winter still, as it’ll only be another 6 weeks till…well, you know.

Cathy

What a nice time we had with my relatives.  They were most hospitable, and I need to mention that my Aunt has supplied us with enough food to last for two weeks.  She cooked enough food for an army, and it is much much better than army food...yummy, pasta fagioli soup.  Thank you both for a very nice relaxing time.

High Point, NC...visiting relatives

So, here we are in High Point, NC.   We arrived yesterday eving around 4 and checked into Oak Hollow Family Campground.  The temperature was about 45 but it fell quickly as the sun fell behind the hill behind our motor home.  When we woke up this morning I went outside and snapped off a few pics.  Above is a frozen Oak Hollow Lake.  We are parked about 50 yards from the bank, and I caught this pic as the sun was popping up from the eastern horizon.  Well, so much for leaving the cold temps in Virginia Beach. 


As you can see, we had lots of room to back up into a space.  There was only one other motor home in the campground.  Note the snow in the woods.  Brrrr!



After we disconnected the Honda yesterday, we drove over to a retirement community to visit with one of Nancy's relatives.  Edith Rose Dozier is Nancy's Mother's first cousin.  She will be 88 real soon and is very witty and full of stories from the past of her family.  Also show in the pic is Nancy's cousin, who is Edith's daughter, Paula Snipes.  We had dinner with them (and Paula's husband Gary which I didn't get a pic of) there in the community (Gleneagles) and then we had an enjoyable two hours of reminiscing and listening to many stories of a lot of old relatives.  I wish I had recorded the evening.  She is just amazing and certainly a grand lady and a true Southern Belle!



We got up this morning, had a bowl of bran flakes and a 'nanner and attended church services with my beautiful baby Sister Kim Miller, her husband Craig, and her three neat children Kacy, McKenzie (sp?) and Ben.  We met them at the Thomasville Church of Christ and afterwards, had lunch with them and reminisced for a couple of hours.  Our visit ended with a brief visit to their beautiful house which had some neat improvements since we last visited. 

Well, here we are back at the motor home, and I just finished watching "Da Bearswhoop upon the Seahawks.  I loved it!  Then, I got to watch "Da Jets whoop up on the Pats.  Liked that too!  And it's time for a sign-off now.  We'll pack up and head for Savannah tomorrow, hopefully, on our way to Ocala to see my Aunt Dorothy and cousin Cathy (her daughter).

Till the next time, Joe & Nancy

Final Preparations and Checkout Day at the Office

The above photo was taken on the back of the Grand Canyon RR last May.  It was a gorgeous day on the train and at the south rim of the canyon.  It was really windy that day, I mean really windy, so much so that we dared not get to close to the edge.  In fact, I lost my favorite Titlelist ball cap :-( to the canyon.  We plan to go back on this trip and take some hikes down to the river. 

We got just about everything loaded up in the motor home, as I have been home all week, so I had some time on my hands.  I will adjust the mirrors and put a fresh coat of Rain-X on the windshield and we'll just about be ready to fire up the diesel and roll out Saturday morning, 1/15.  till next time, Joe & Nancy

I Am Over This Cold Weather...

I spent two hours at my dentist today.  I had two crowns installed.  My dentist has one these fancy-shmansky machines that takes a couple of computer digital photos of before and after of your teeth, that is before they are whittled down to nubs, and then one after of the nubs.  Then computer runs a program into a little crown-milling machine and presto!  A new crown (two in my case, which took more time because only one can be milled at a time).  I get two more in July when we return from our RV journey. 

I just can't get used to this burrrr cold weather, especially when it's being pushed by 25-35 MPH winds.  One would think, Virginia Beach, it doesn't get "that" cold there, does it?  Trust me, it does.  Today's high, 37, tomorrow predicted to be 34.  Enough already!

Saturday, Nancy and I will point the Monaco in a southerly direction and just keep driving until we find temps above 60.  We're getting the MH ready and filling our closet and drawers and linens and towels and toiletries for the next 6 months.  I winterized, by draining all the water out of the tanks and lines.  In addition, I have kept bay heaters and cabin heaters going non-stop for a month now.  Don't want to take any chances with freezing anything up. 

Well, think I'll sign off for this Wednesday night as my upper gum near the new crowns is experiencing a little post-novacaine-puncture syndrome.  Until next time, which will probably be after we're in High Point Saturday night, keep warm and stay close to the fire.

RVing Beach Bum Joe