We arrived today at Enchanted Trails RV Park here in Albuquerque where we will stay for the next month. It is good to be back and to relax for a while with no sightseeing. While we have really enjoyed our travels, it will be nice to just stay put for a time. We are looking forward to getting our green chili fix while we are here and having some meals at our favorite places. So far things look pretty much the same as when we left town, but I'm sure we'll discover some changes once we drive around a bit.
The plan for the next month is to just relax, make a few reservations for the month of December and consider where our travels will take us next spring. Starting in October, we plan to spend a month and a half in Texas, then probably a month in the Tucson, Phoenix, Mesa area, and the first couple of weeks of January in southern California maybe in San Diego and then in Indio at an FMCA rally before we head to Yuma, AZ where we will spend mid January to mid April. This will be our first time to be snowbirds and we are anxious to find out what it will be like. It will also be nice to have warmer weather though I expect we will have some fairly cold nights but no snow. The RV Park where we will be staying is one of the smaller ones but does have all kinds of activities we can participate in, if we so desire. I hope to do some quilting with some other women while Ron hopes to do a bit of golfing. Who knows what else we will find ourselves involved in.
I expect to only do a blog about once a week for the next month unless there is something really exciting or interesting to report. So keep watching for further developments.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Getting Closer to Home Base
Monday, August 24, 2015
Amarillo, TX
Our drive to Amarillo includes these two sights along I-40 and just a few miles east of town. It is called the "leaning water tower" and was named after a ranching family from the area and is really only leaning 10 degrees.
We also pass this large cross in Groom which is the "Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ" and is 190 feet high and weighs 2.5 million pounds visible 20 miles away. We made a quick stop here several years ago and when I say quick, I mean just that. It was 28 degrees outside and the wind was blowing like mad making for a very quick look before driving on.
We arrive in Amarillo, a town settled in 1887 as cattle raisers, buffalo hunters and pioneers pushed west across the Texas panhandle. The name means "yellow" in Spanish and comes from the gold-colored soil along Amarillo Creek. We are staying for two days at a very nice campground on the west side of town and just off I-40 so it is a popular overnight place. We stayed here for the first time in 207 when it first opened and again in 2011. The sites are large with long pull thrus and concrete pads to park on. Everything is very level. Hooray for that as so many times it is difficult to really be level. I am disappointed that we have not met more RVillage people in our travels but it seems most have just left where we are or we are only overnight somewhere and people are just not interested in connecting.
We just relax at the campground today while I enjoy catching up on some scrapbooking, washing and some reading while Ron enjoys his TV and computer. The temperature is in the low 80's so is very comfortable.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
This afternoon we take a drive back toward town to drive on Route 66 but first stop just down the road from the campground and on the frontage road at the famous "Cadilac Ranch" which we have passed numerous times in our travels through Amarillo. Today, however, is the first time we have gotten out to really look and photograph the cars. It seems a group of ex-hippies called The Ant Farm and a local eccentric art fancier billionaire owned a Cadillac dealership in town, owned this property and wanted to put up some public art which would baffle the locals. The result is these 10 Cadillacs half buried (nose down) and at the same angle as the Cheops Pyramids in Giza. This site is known as the "Hood Ornament of Route 66", is open to the public and you are allowed to bring your own paint to paint the cars. For more information check out the internet site at Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, TX.
Arriving in town we drive to Historic Route 66 for me to take in a few antique stores which line the streets in this old part of town. There are also numerous funky restaurants and quaint antique, craft and specialty shops.Downtown we find this old courthouse built in 1932 in the neo classical style, this old theater building and the Santa Fe Building built from 1928 -1930 as the regional headquarters for the Santa Fe Railway and recently renovated as well as a long stretch of cobble stoned streets.
Leaving downtown we go to the Polk Street Historic District where we find some very large old mansions some with separate garage buildings with second stories where we assume the "staff" probably lived at one time. Ron also spied this coal shoot on the back of one of the garages.
Returning toward the campground, we spy a Famous Dave's Barbeque along I-40 which called us to stop for supper. If you like barbeque, then a stop at Famous Dave's is a must. We have Good Sam chapter members to thank for introducing us to this place. They can be found in numerous states though to my knowledge we do not have one in New Mexico.
Leave tomorrow morning for Albuquerque where we will remain for the next month. Lots of catching up to do with friends, shopping, RV modifications and doctor appointments before we head to Texas.
Amarillo, TX
Our drive to Amarillo includes these two sights along I-40 and just a few miles east of town. It is called the "leaning water tower" and was named after a ranching family from the area and is really only leaning 10 degrees.
We also pass this large cross in Groom which is the "Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ" and is 190 feet high and weighs 2.5 million pounds visible 20 miles away. We made a quick stop here several years ago and when I say quick, I mean just that. It was 28 degrees outside and the wind was blowing like mad making for a very quick look before driving on.
We arrive in Amarillo, a town settled in 1887 as cattle raisers, buffalo hunters and pioneers pushed west across the Texas panhandle. The name means "yellow" in Spanish and comes from the gold-colored soil along Amarillo Creek. We are staying for two days at a very nice campground on the west side of town and just off I-40 so it is a popular overnight place. We stayed here for the first time in 207 when it first opened and again in 2011. The sites are large with long pull thrus and concrete pads to park on. Everything is very level. Hooray for that as so many times it is difficult to really be level. I am disappointed that we have not met more RVillage people in our travels but it seems most have just left where we are or we are only overnight somewhere and people are just not interested in connecting.
We just relax at the campground today while I enjoy catching up on some scrapbooking, washing and some reading while Ron enjoys his TV and computer. The temperature is in the low 80's so is very comfortable.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
This afternoon we take a drive back toward town to drive on Route 66 but first stop just down the road from the campground and on the frontage road at the famous "Cadilac Ranch" which we have passed numerous times in our travels through Amarillo. Today, however, is the first time we have gotten out to really look and photograph the cars. It seems a group of ex-hippies called The Ant Farm and a local eccentric art fancier billionaire owned a Cadillac dealership in town, owned this property and wanted to put up some public art which would baffle the locals. The result is these 10 Cadillacs half buried (nose down) and at the same angle as the Cheops Pyramids in Giza. This site is known as the "Hood Ornament of Route 66", is open to the public and you are allowed to bring your own paint to paint the cars. For more information check out the internet site at Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, TX.
Arriving in town we drive to Historic Route 66 for me to take in a few antique stores which line the streets in this old part of town. There are also numerous funky restaurants and quaint antique, craft and specialty shops.Downtown we find this old courthouse built in 1932 in the neo classical style, this old theater building and the Santa Fe Building built from 1928 -1930 as the regional headquarters for the Santa Fe Railway and recently renovated as well as a long stretch of cobble stoned streets.
Leaving downtown we go to the Polk Street Historic District where we find some very large old mansions some with separate garage buildings with second stories where we assume the "staff" probably lived at one time. Ron also spied this coal shoot on the back of one of the garages.
Returning toward the campground, we spy a Famous Dave's Barbeque along I-40 which called us to stop for supper. If you like barbeque, then a stop at Famous Dave's is a must. We have Good Sam chapter members to thank for introducing us to this place. They can be found in numerous states though to my knowledge we do not have one in New Mexico.
Leave tomorrow morning for Albuquerque where we will remain for the next month. Lots of catching up to do with friends, shopping, RV modifications and doctor appointments before we head to Texas.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Oklahoma City, OK
We arrived in Oklahoma City on Thursday, August 20 and have just enjoyed spending time together without doing anything. The weather here has been nice but storms were predicted but so far have not appeared. Thank goodness. Oklahoma has so many tornadoes and I just don't really like to be in the area. Ron was able to find a cover for our water heater at a local RV repair shop so that problem is solved. Though it is white in color, at least the area is now covered.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Oklahoma City National Memorial
Today we take a drive downtown to the Oklahoma City National Memorial which I can only say is thought provoking. It is a beautiful site with the outdoor symbolic memorial and a museum. The Memorial honors those who were killed, those who survived and those who lives where changed forever. It is a sight that changed our world forever as well.
The Outside Symbolic Memorial encompasses the following:
1. Gates of Time which frame the area that was destroyed (see pictures below showing the wall at each end of the Reflecting Pool).
2. A Reflecting Pool which was once a street and is now a shallow pool of gently flowing water.
Next to the wall on the right in the second photo is where the Survivor Wall is located (mentioned in # 6 below).
3. A Field of Empty Chairs (one for each person who died in the building and arranged in 9 rows, one for each floor of the building and a chair for each person who died on that floor). Each bronze chair has an enclosed glass below the seat with the name of the person who died etched into the glass. At night this area under the seat is lighted.
4. A Survivor Tree (a 90 year old elm) which survived the fire and blast with a wall around it which says, "The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us." The Building behind the tree was the Journal Building which now houses the Museum.
5. The Fence which was put up to protect the site initially, but now is where people have left over 80,000 items as tokens of love and hope. Many of the items are now preserved in archives.
6. Survivor Wall which is the only remaining wall from the Murrah Building and includes the names of individuals who survived, many with serious injuries. More than 600 names are inscribed on salvaged pieces of granite.
7. Children's Area which is a wall of hand painted tiles that were sent to the city in 1995 by children.
8. Rescuer's Orchard which is a grove of trees that surround the Survivor Tree (can be seen in the photos of the Survivor Tree).
The Museum is very beautifully done and is field with many artifacts, stories, pictures, and news reports told in chronological order including a tape recording of a proceeding that was taking place in the Murrah Building when the bomb went off. Also included is information and pictures about how evidence was gathered and other information about the capture and trial of the individuals responsible. There are pictures of individuals telling their stories and a gallery of pictures of each of the persons who died along with some object of the individual such as a toy or picture or other memorabilia. Very touching and very sad. There were quite a few people in the Museum and it was probably the most quiet Museum I have ever been in with everyone reflecting on what had happened here.
Following is a quote from the Museum brochure which says it all about the Memorial. "We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this Memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity."
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Oklahoma City National Memorial
Today we take a drive downtown to the Oklahoma City National Memorial which I can only say is thought provoking. It is a beautiful site with the outdoor symbolic memorial and a museum. The Memorial honors those who were killed, those who survived and those who lives where changed forever. It is a sight that changed our world forever as well.
The Outside Symbolic Memorial encompasses the following:
1. Gates of Time which frame the area that was destroyed (see pictures below showing the wall at each end of the Reflecting Pool).
2. A Reflecting Pool which was once a street and is now a shallow pool of gently flowing water.
Next to the wall on the right in the second photo is where the Survivor Wall is located (mentioned in # 6 below).
3. A Field of Empty Chairs (one for each person who died in the building and arranged in 9 rows, one for each floor of the building and a chair for each person who died on that floor). Each bronze chair has an enclosed glass below the seat with the name of the person who died etched into the glass. At night this area under the seat is lighted.
4. A Survivor Tree (a 90 year old elm) which survived the fire and blast with a wall around it which says, "The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us." The Building behind the tree was the Journal Building which now houses the Museum.
5. The Fence which was put up to protect the site initially, but now is where people have left over 80,000 items as tokens of love and hope. Many of the items are now preserved in archives.
6. Survivor Wall which is the only remaining wall from the Murrah Building and includes the names of individuals who survived, many with serious injuries. More than 600 names are inscribed on salvaged pieces of granite.
7. Children's Area which is a wall of hand painted tiles that were sent to the city in 1995 by children.
8. Rescuer's Orchard which is a grove of trees that surround the Survivor Tree (can be seen in the photos of the Survivor Tree).
The Museum is very beautifully done and is field with many artifacts, stories, pictures, and news reports told in chronological order including a tape recording of a proceeding that was taking place in the Murrah Building when the bomb went off. Also included is information and pictures about how evidence was gathered and other information about the capture and trial of the individuals responsible. There are pictures of individuals telling their stories and a gallery of pictures of each of the persons who died along with some object of the individual such as a toy or picture or other memorabilia. Very touching and very sad. There were quite a few people in the Museum and it was probably the most quiet Museum I have ever been in with everyone reflecting on what had happened here.
Following is a quote from the Museum brochure which says it all about the Memorial. "We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this Memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity."
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Fort Smith and Van Buren. AR Sites
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith, AR is located along the Arkansas River. In 1817 Major Stephen H. Long selected the site at the confluence of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers as the location of the region's first fort and named it after Gen. Thomas Smith. When natural gas was discovered in a nearby area, a large and diverse manufacturing industry developed and Ft. Smith remains one of Arkansas's leading manufacturing towns today.
Today we return to Miss Laura's Visitor Center to take the guided tour of the former bordello. It is a beautifully restored three floor house located just feet from the railroad tracks and off the waterfront.and contains period pieces only two of which are original to the house. It has had numerous lives over the years and was selected in 1973 for the National Register of Historic Places. Today the house sits a few feet south of its original location as the result of a tornado that moved the entire building.
In 1903 Laura Ziegler bought the River Front Hotel and opened a brothel with money she borrowed from a respectable local banker and was able to repay him within 17 months. In 1910 times had changed and the community wanted to rid itself of the permissiveness that existed. A freak fire burned all the other brothels but Miss Laura's and the incident became known as "the night of the lingerie parade" as the ladies and their customers fled the houses. Miss Laura sold the house in 1911 and disappeared from town.
Entry Hall
Miss Laura's Bedroom
Entertaining Room
One of the "Girls" Rooms
One of the two pieces of furniture original to the house
We stop at a couple of antique stores and take some pictures of the old historic downtown
before stopping at the Fort Smith National Historic Site which is the remains of two military posts which were built to keep peace on the frontier. In the 19th century, Fort Smith was the major point of departure for pioneers, peacekeepers and outlaws via horse, steamboat and rail.
This US Marshall Mural picture is for you, Kent. Unfortunately, the Museum is still struggling to get started but thought you might enjoy this picture.
The Fort Smith Museum of History is in an old building and is a chronological history of the city with some well displayed and explained artifacts. We also found a Trolley Museum and this old church with just the very front of it remaining. Interesting. Not sure why it was left and not totally torn down.
In addition, there were some beautiful old homes.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Van Buren, AR
It is raining like mad, but we decide to drive north of Fort Smith to take in the town of Van Buren where everyone has been telling us there are numerous antique stores on the main street. We found only one "antique store" and decided that people here consider antique stores to be old buildings which have been restored and not stores selling antiques. People here have also told us that the six block historic restored downtown was covered with dirt and used in the movie called "The Blue and Gray". It includes old fashioned lamps and period storefronts. Van Buren was settled 1818 and was a steamboat landing, stage stop for the Butterfield Line from St. Louis to California, a main artery for commerce and the border between the Cherokee and Choctaw tribes.
After a short drive around, we park the car and walk in the drizzle along the streets taking in the buildings.
One of the buildings which is so interesting in looks is this old bank building called the Crawford County Bank which was listed as the epitome of Victorian elegance when it opened in 1889. Entering in, we are greeted by the owner who is in the process of turning the building into a museum. She gave us some history, told us she heard it had marble walls at one time and invited us to to enter the old safe. She is in the process of collecting pictures and other artifacts to make this old building interesting.
In addition, we found this old school house,
an Anheuser- Busch store,
the King Opera House built in 1891
and other old buildings including another bank (notice the date).
Not a great deal to see but we always find something interesting. There were a couple of places with wall murals with pictures of the community, but unfortunately they were in poor condition and not worth photographing.
Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith, AR is located along the Arkansas River. In 1817 Major Stephen H. Long selected the site at the confluence of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers as the location of the region's first fort and named it after Gen. Thomas Smith. When natural gas was discovered in a nearby area, a large and diverse manufacturing industry developed and Ft. Smith remains one of Arkansas's leading manufacturing towns today.
Today we return to Miss Laura's Visitor Center to take the guided tour of the former bordello. It is a beautifully restored three floor house located just feet from the railroad tracks and off the waterfront.and contains period pieces only two of which are original to the house. It has had numerous lives over the years and was selected in 1973 for the National Register of Historic Places. Today the house sits a few feet south of its original location as the result of a tornado that moved the entire building.
In 1903 Laura Ziegler bought the River Front Hotel and opened a brothel with money she borrowed from a respectable local banker and was able to repay him within 17 months. In 1910 times had changed and the community wanted to rid itself of the permissiveness that existed. A freak fire burned all the other brothels but Miss Laura's and the incident became known as "the night of the lingerie parade" as the ladies and their customers fled the houses. Miss Laura sold the house in 1911 and disappeared from town.
Entry Hall
We stop at a couple of antique stores and take some pictures of the old historic downtown
before stopping at the Fort Smith National Historic Site which is the remains of two military posts which were built to keep peace on the frontier. In the 19th century, Fort Smith was the major point of departure for pioneers, peacekeepers and outlaws via horse, steamboat and rail.
This US Marshall Mural picture is for you, Kent. Unfortunately, the Museum is still struggling to get started but thought you might enjoy this picture.
The Fort Smith Museum of History is in an old building and is a chronological history of the city with some well displayed and explained artifacts. We also found a Trolley Museum and this old church with just the very front of it remaining. Interesting. Not sure why it was left and not totally torn down.
In addition, there were some beautiful old homes.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Van Buren, AR
It is raining like mad, but we decide to drive north of Fort Smith to take in the town of Van Buren where everyone has been telling us there are numerous antique stores on the main street. We found only one "antique store" and decided that people here consider antique stores to be old buildings which have been restored and not stores selling antiques. People here have also told us that the six block historic restored downtown was covered with dirt and used in the movie called "The Blue and Gray". It includes old fashioned lamps and period storefronts. Van Buren was settled 1818 and was a steamboat landing, stage stop for the Butterfield Line from St. Louis to California, a main artery for commerce and the border between the Cherokee and Choctaw tribes.
After a short drive around, we park the car and walk in the drizzle along the streets taking in the buildings.
One of the buildings which is so interesting in looks is this old bank building called the Crawford County Bank which was listed as the epitome of Victorian elegance when it opened in 1889. Entering in, we are greeted by the owner who is in the process of turning the building into a museum. She gave us some history, told us she heard it had marble walls at one time and invited us to to enter the old safe. She is in the process of collecting pictures and other artifacts to make this old building interesting.
In addition, we found this old school house,
an Anheuser- Busch store,
the King Opera House built in 1891
and other old buildings including another bank (notice the date).
Not a great deal to see but we always find something interesting. There were a couple of places with wall murals with pictures of the community, but unfortunately they were in poor condition and not worth photographing.
Monday, August 17, 2015
Arrival at Fort Smith, AR
We arrive at Fort Smith after a short and uneventful, almost trip across I-40 from Little Rock. Stop for gas along the way to find that we have lost the cover over our water heater. It was there this morning when we stopped at the dump station on the way out of the campground. Unfortunately, there is no RV or camping supply store here in Fort Smith so will have to wait until we get to Oklahoma City in a few days. If it isn't one thing, it is another when it comes to RV's. We already have a list of things we want to get done when we get to Albuquerque, but hopefully we can get this latest little problem solved before we get there.
Looking forward to seeing the sites here tomorrow. Found the historic downtown and an old brothel (Miss Laura's) that is now the Visitor's Center. More tomorrow on this after we take the guided tour. It looks to be an interesting place from what we saw. The slogan at Miss Laura's Visitor Center is "Our Brorthel
Still Takes Care of Visitors." Thought that was a cute way to put it.
Looking forward to seeing the sites here tomorrow. Found the historic downtown and an old brothel (Miss Laura's) that is now the Visitor's Center. More tomorrow on this after we take the guided tour. It looks to be an interesting place from what we saw. The slogan at Miss Laura's Visitor Center is "Our Brorthel
Still Takes Care of Visitors." Thought that was a cute way to put it.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Little Rock, Arkansas
On Friday, August 14, 2015 we arrived here in Little Rock at the Downtown Riverside RV Park which is actually located in North Little Rock across the river from the city of Little Rock. Our campground is right on the Arkansas River and we do have a view of the river out the passenger side window.
We discovered that if you use Passport at this Park, they assign you to a site without a sewer and you are located in back in sites and either along the back wall or you are up front and personal with the RV's coming in. This is the first time we have used Passport and had less than full hookups if they were available. Guess it is Little Rock's way of saying if you want better service you have to pay for it even though full service is only $20 a night. We are not complaining as they do have a dump station and we did dump before setting up and will dump again before we leave on Monday.
We have not done any site seeing until today so have enjoyed watching the river and boats and barges going down the river. It has been nice to just relax and do nothing but read and watch TV. We have seen one big barge and each evening have seen a dinner cruise boat floating along. The Coast Guard has a building on the property here and the Sheriff and Fire Departments both have boats tied up next to piers next to our Park.
Early yesterday evening we watched the Fire Department take out their boat. Not sure if something was going on down river or it was just an exercise. They were in no hurry when they left nor when they returned an hour or so later.
We have noticed that there are about six bridges which cross the river all within about a mile. Albuquerque could take lessons from Little Rock.
The Clinton Pedestrian Bridge is lit at night and changes color from white to blue to red as the three spans cross the river. Other bridges down river also change from white to blue to red. Really a pretty sight. Here is the bridge though we could not get a good shot when it was lit up. This looks like it might have been a railroad bridge at one time, but has been adapted for pedestrians to cross to the Clinton Presidential Library which you can do from our campground.
Today, Sunday, we took a drive around town observing the many old commercial buildings and old homes then left for our favorite two stores - Walmart and Camping World which are located fairly close by. Having the river as a landmark has made it fairly easy to find our way though I have to admit that using the GPS in Ron's cell phone is usually how we go anywhere anymore. It has been a life saver as we have gotten lost a few times in the past.
Capitol Building
Old Catholic Church
The Gazette Building - notice the bay style windows
Old Pulaski County Building
We will leave here tomorrow for Fort Smith where we will remain for three days at the Elks Lodge.
We discovered that if you use Passport at this Park, they assign you to a site without a sewer and you are located in back in sites and either along the back wall or you are up front and personal with the RV's coming in. This is the first time we have used Passport and had less than full hookups if they were available. Guess it is Little Rock's way of saying if you want better service you have to pay for it even though full service is only $20 a night. We are not complaining as they do have a dump station and we did dump before setting up and will dump again before we leave on Monday.
We have not done any site seeing until today so have enjoyed watching the river and boats and barges going down the river. It has been nice to just relax and do nothing but read and watch TV. We have seen one big barge and each evening have seen a dinner cruise boat floating along. The Coast Guard has a building on the property here and the Sheriff and Fire Departments both have boats tied up next to piers next to our Park.
Early yesterday evening we watched the Fire Department take out their boat. Not sure if something was going on down river or it was just an exercise. They were in no hurry when they left nor when they returned an hour or so later.
We have noticed that there are about six bridges which cross the river all within about a mile. Albuquerque could take lessons from Little Rock.
The Clinton Pedestrian Bridge is lit at night and changes color from white to blue to red as the three spans cross the river. Other bridges down river also change from white to blue to red. Really a pretty sight. Here is the bridge though we could not get a good shot when it was lit up. This looks like it might have been a railroad bridge at one time, but has been adapted for pedestrians to cross to the Clinton Presidential Library which you can do from our campground.
Today, Sunday, we took a drive around town observing the many old commercial buildings and old homes then left for our favorite two stores - Walmart and Camping World which are located fairly close by. Having the river as a landmark has made it fairly easy to find our way though I have to admit that using the GPS in Ron's cell phone is usually how we go anywhere anymore. It has been a life saver as we have gotten lost a few times in the past.
Capitol Building
The Gazette Building - notice the bay style windows
Old Pulaski County Building
We will leave here tomorrow for Fort Smith where we will remain for three days at the Elks Lodge.
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