Tuesday Mar 5th - Street Party at Rincon

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Tuesday Mar 5th - STREET PARTY

COUPLE OF COWBOYS AT THE STREET PARTY

Day of the the rv park appreciation day party. Yup party time.. A good old street party, with a keg, lunch provided, and the "60's Garage Band" performing all the old r and r faves. We danced, ate and generally had a great time. Then we adjourned back to the house (mobile home) of some folks we met and carried on partying.....a good time was had by all. ( A little too good!!)

DANCING IN THE STREET- SOUNDS LIKE A SONG??

POOL AT OUR RESORT - NICE

OUR RIG .. LOVING IT!!

HAPPY??? ME?? I GUESS SO!!!

MAR 4 2013 - SETTLING IN TO TUCSON ARIZONA

MAR 4 2013 - SETTLING IN TO TUCSON ARIZONA
(Rincon County East RV Resort)

SIDE VIEW FROM SITE 298

FULL SIDE VIEW OF CONDO

Well we weren't too happy with the site (13) they plonked us in last night ...so this morning we wandered the rv sites and had an idea about what would suit us! All we wanted was not to look out of our picture back window at a shed! Had a word at the site office and then headed off to check out a couple of locations they suggested. Rich, the camp manager. had one of his favourite sites on the list and voila... here we are, site #298 - beautiful mountain views out back and to the side, nice neighbours on the passenger side and better email service to boot (we must be closer to the tower) so we spent the morning un-camping and re-camping getting the condo right up close to our concrete pad patio. Weather just gorgeous at 74f and brilliant sun no clouds. Grocery shopping this aft and finished off the day with a great BBQ pork ribs and a $6.95 excellent Merlot, by Blackstone.

HAPPY TO BE RE-CAMPED INTO SITE 298

VIEW ACROSS THE BACK OF CONDO

We certainly are feeling lucky, spoiled and very grateful this evening. Thinking much about friends and family and hoping all is well with you.

VIEW FROM BACK WIMDOW

VIEW FROM SIDE WINDOW

MAR 3RD - VAN HORN, TEXAS TO TUCSON ARIZ.

MAR 3RD  2013 - VAN HORN TO TUCSON

FLAT FLAT FLAT WITH NO CIVILIZATION IN SIGHT

LONG drive today.  It is now 1.45 pm and we started out at 8.30am. However the local time has just changed so we are only 12:45 local time. The drive has been much like yesterday, although much more arid and no greenery in site, other than when we drove past cities like El Paso and Las Cruces. We made a few phone calls to get in touch with family and friends along the way. The scenery is indescribable. Breathtaking just doesn't seem adequate.

WONDERING... OVER, THROUGH OR AROUND????

As we continued the drive the landscape changed so subtly. In west Texas it had become increasingly barren, the straggly oak trees gave way to mesquite brush and nothing grew taller than five feet. 

EL PASO, TEXAS FROM THE ROAD

FINALLY OUT OF TEXAS!!!

Then we crossed into New Mexico and the landscape became like a Lunar surface. Dirt, rocks, red mountains in the far distance, some 50 miles away and in-between flat, flat high plains of dirt. Now the brush seldom more than 3 ft high, arid landscape that looked like it hasn't seen water in a thousand years......yet occasional dry creeks and substantial traces of former rivers. Eerie, bizarre and amazing all at the same time. No longer did it look like cowboy country but just uninhabited and uninhabitable desert and we wondered why did Mexico fight so hard  (and in the end lose) to keep it. Land for sale at about $150 an acre but without water what would anyone do with it!!!!

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

 And so into Arizona, the valleys and mountains start to look like valleys and mountains, not really lush fertile valleys but some evidence of a shade of green in the undergrowth rather than just dirt. We saw sagebrush and our first tumbleweeds ...some 3 ft diameter and just rolling across the highway.....

Arrived at the RV resort in Tuscon after 435 miles (700km) drive tired but happy to be here.

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THE CONDO IN NEW MEXICO!!

 SOME SIGHTS FROM THE ROAD THROUGH NEW MEXICO AND INTO ARIZONA

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BIGGEST PLANT WE SAW

GHOST TOWN ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

JUST ARRIVED IN ARIZONA

VERY CLOSE TO TUCSON NOW!!!!

 

MAR 2 2013 - Kerrville-Van Horn Texas

MAR 2 2013 - Kerrville-Van Horn Texas 

Derek and I met 45 years ago today in Merseyside!! Look how far we've come!!!

First sight of the 'wild west' - wonders were yet to come

We are starting to ooh and aah!! Just a small slice of the whole view!!

Endless beautiful, awesome sights.

Wow wow what a day's drive. We had no idea what we were in for and really words are not enough. We left Kerrville a little late at 10.15am as we decided to have breakfast at the resort's cafe. It took longer than we expected as every meal was made to order, in order!!! We jumped on I10 heading west. After an hour of scrub-land and the odd cactus, we entered a world only the dreams of young children are made of. A barren, yet amazingly beautiful landscape of red mountains and valleys. Mile after mile of John Wayne country. We were both in awe of the strange majesty of the land. Not a cloud in the sky. Literally hundreds of miles with no end in sight. We drove through flatlands and mountain passes oohing and aaahing. The pictures we took could not come near to portraying the real thing. Also, because they are taken through the truck's tinted windows as we were moving, the qaulity leaves something to the imagination. The temperature went from 30f overnight to over 80f during the day. Texas really is such a varied State. Lakes, mountains, big modern cities and the Wild West!! An entire day driving and all we saw was Wild West. Vegetation does not grow tall in this desert like environment and is made up mostly of some dusty low lying scrub bushes and various forms of cacti some looking like mini palms. Very important not to let the gas tank get too low as we went over 100km without seeing any gas stations. We arrived at Van Horn KOA at 4.30pm after our 600km drive. We switch drivers very 2 hours. Camped in a valley surrounded by mountains. KOA is very basic site and advertised free wifi not working very well. No need to unhitch the rig overnight. Wondering what tomorrow will bring. 

SMALL WORKING OIL RIG IN THE FOREGROUND

MORE VIEWS... VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC! NO

SEE FAINT OUTLINE OF WIND FARM IN BACKGROUND

SEARCHING THE LANDSCAPE FOR JOHN WAYNE!!

WE FOUND SOME SIGNS OF LIFE

AND MORE......

AND MORE.....

EVEN MORE..... TOTALLY DESERTED

ARRIVED AT VAN HORN KOA..

VIEW INCLUDING FAKE CACTUS!!

WELCOME TO VAN HORN.. SET UP & SETTLED!! CHEERS!!

DIRT AND MOUNTAINS (CORNER OF OUR RIG)

ANOTHER VIEW FROM CAMPSITE!