Texas bound

Internet was next to useless on Sunday hence no update as promised. Better late than never I guess.

Sunday we went to Old Town where we wandered around looking at the shops not in—except to buy a novel. Spider Woman's Daughter, a mystery/crime novel by Anne Hellerman, daughter of Tony Hellerman who died some years ago. He wrote detective novels set in the south west, mostly within and involving the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. Anne, an author in her own right, has continued in her fathers style using many of the same characters. This is her first in her series.

A bit later we came across Hacienda Del Rio, a very nice looking restaurant kitty corner from the square with outside patio seating by the street. We were lucky to get a table, there being only two vacant. Tia settled happily on the floor beside us. The food was essentially New Mexican and absolutely delicious. We whiled away an hour or so then returned to the car. Of course we had forgotten the camera.

We then asked the GPS to find a grocery store and detoured there to stock up a few things. Next door was a Liquor Store Art went there while Gillian went for the groceries. No Scotch Whisky at the liquor store, so he wandered into the grocery store. Better luck here, though no bargains. With prices comparable to Canada for blended whiskys, taking into account the exchange rate they were terrible! The only reasonably priced one was a liter and a half of Clan McGreggor at $18.00 US. Having tried that one once in Mexico Art knew it was no bargain even at that price! He settled on a 750 ml bottle of J&B. Should do better in Mexico.

Back at the rig we watched the weather network to check out the situation is Southeast Texas. It looked like the worst was over. We sent an email to an RV Park in San Antonio that we knew and prepared to head out in the morning. It was going to be a couple of long days.

Monday morning Art climbed out of bed at 7:30 hoping to get a reasonable start. Of course Tia needs to get her morning meds an hour before her breakfast so 9:00 would be the absolute best we would be able to do. Art called the RV park in San Antonio and was told that there had been no flooding there, they had booked us in for Tuesday afternoon and if we were going to be delayed just give them a call. He explained about the windshield problem and having to wait an unknown time and was told that it would be no problem. She would put us in a space we wouldn't have to move from

Well we were on the road by 9:25. We had last fueled up almost 500 Km ago and hoped to only stop once for fuel before Sa\n Antonio. It would be close—we don't like to push it too closely. Of course the first 5 or 10 miles out of Albuquerque (east bound on the I-40) is mostly up hill. I doubt we got into top gear more than a couple of times for a while.

We were taking a slightly different route this time. Though the GPS came up with first choice route being south on the 25 then east, all on freeways, it looked a long way round and in fact its alternate choice was a good hour shorter! The alternate (East on the 40 first) was similar to what we had done a couple of times before, this time it took us farther east before turning south. Previous trips we had gone via Roswell (UFOs) Carlsbad (caverns) and down the Pecos Valley to I-10 then east to San Antonio. Before we started to visit San Antonio, and crossing at Laredo, we had carried on south from Fort Stockton, through Del Rio and crossed into Mexico at Eagle Pass.

Today we carried on past Santa Rosa and turned southeast on the 84 to Clovis and the Texas border.

At Clovis, New Mexico we stopped for fuel, 845 kilometers (528 miles) since fueling in Bluff, Utah. We took on 55 US gallons, (209 litres) 9.5 mpg (US gallons) A touch under 12 using Imperial Measure.

After fueling (didn't time it, but it's always at least 20 minutes) we pulled alongside a semi, one of dozens lined up, angle parked for a snooze or lunch break. We did lunch, no time for a snooze, infact Art had filled his large travel mug with coffee to keep him awake for the rest of the day.

One hour and 5 minuets after stopping we were back on the road at 2:05 ten minutes later we crossed the State Line into Texas. We lost an hour at the state line, we were now on Central Time. Sometime in the next 5 or 6 hours we had to find a place to stop for the night. Preferably cheap or free, after 4 days at Albuquerque Central KOA.

Along the way we agreed that this was a much more pleasant route than the one we usually took down the Pecos to Fort Stockton.It  must be cotton picking time here. Lots of cotton fields, some very large, some quite small, some all white and others harvested and some already turned over and bare ready for planting.

In one town we passed a large building signed as the area's Coop Gin. We though we'd rather me members of a Gin Coop.

Eventually I-20 appeared. The road atlas showed a rest area 15 or 20 miles along towards Abilene. It was getting late, the sun going down quickly. We were heading almost due East and had a rising full moon in front of us and the setting sun behind. In fact Art had to adjust the right hand side mirror down and out a bit to avoid being blinded by the sun.

Just about dark, at 7:05 PM we arrived at the Rest Area (Exit 257), got parked, took Tia out for a much needed run, a drink dinner and soon after, bed.

725 kilometers, seven and a half hours driving time. (454 miles) average speed: 60 MPH We weren't dawdling! But yes, it was mostly flat. Mostly cruised at just above 65

One of our longest and tiring runs is in Mexico, from Mazatlan to San Carlos, 780 kilometers in 12 hours and 20 minutes including a very fast 50 minute fuel and lunch stop and eleven toll booths.

In the morning we hit the road with no worry about making San Antonio, or more accurately, Elmendorf, a few miles to the south. 5 hours later we stopped at the Valero fuel station nearby to fill the tank--it was pretty low. Gillian took Tia and walked over to the RV Park office to check in. She must have thought that Art had stopped for a nap. After all, it was about 3:00PM!

The guy filling the pick up truck ahead of him warned that it was the slowest pump he has ever seen! When Art was paying the bill ($157.44 for 69.7 gallons) half an hour later the clerk apologised for the slow pump—the tech was coming in the morning.

3:30 PM we were parked, leveled, slides out water and power connected.

3:50 PM Art's cell phone rang—it was the ICBC adjuster! Things were coming together!

We'll likely be here a week or so but it's a nice park. http://brauniglakervresort.com/