Exploring Florida Wildlife and Cuisine

Collier-Seminole State Park, Naples, Fla., March 30 -- Saturday morning we left the Keys behind, with some regrets, but looking forward to new adventures: the Everglades, possibly alligator sightings, possibly alligator tastings (we tasting them, not the other way around), and exploring Naples and the Gulf side of Florida.

It took a bit to find the correct road to get us out to U.S. 41, the Tamiami Trail highway, which travels through the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve/Swamp just north of Everglades National Park. But we finally found the way, driving out through nurseries, produce stands, cornfields. The produce here is already being marketed, apparently.

There was a waterway along most of our route and driving past the Big Cypress Visitor Center I spotted my first two alligators in the water. After that I saw gators regularly, either in the water or along the banks. Seeing my first was very exciting -- especially in the wild -- but after awhile it became almost routine and not as thrilling.

Because I am so high up while driving the motorhome it gives me a great vantage point. Jeff, on the other hand, was following in the Saturn and couldn’t see the water well enough to spot any alligators. So once we got parked in the state park (a trick itself, threading between trees that practically touch us on both sides), we went back east.

We stopped at the Fakahatchee Strand State Park Boardwalk and immediately spotted an alligator in the water there. We walked in a ways but the mosquitoes were biting me viciously so we beat a hasty retreat, but not so hasty that we missed another gator. It was soaking in one of the algae-covered streams. I pointed it out to some other people who were just ahead of us and had missed it. We also told them, and several other people, about the gator under the bridge at the entry. We will go back, armed with heavy-duty mosquito repellent, and see what else is there. It is a boardwalk out into the Cypress swaps, including signs explaining some of the plant- and animal/bird-life. There are Florida Panthers, manatees and Black Bears here, in addition to the alligators, though we haven’t seen any of the former, nor do we realistically expect to.

Alligators are a kind of dark charcoal gray color and big and slow-moving and, according to my sources, very dumb. But they can also be formidable killers so Charlie will not accompany us on any of our wanderings into the Everglades. He’ll have to stay home in the air-conditioned motorhome, poor thing.

Sunday we drove down to Everglades City and ended up taking the boat tour of the Ten Thousand Islands, much of which is part of Everglades National Park. We didn’t have enough luck to see any Manatees but we did see a number of bottle-nosed dolphins. Our tour guide-skipper got a pair to chase our wake and so we had a delightful encounter with dolphins close-up. We also saw many cormorants, egrets, herons, and osprey, including a nest with chicks.

After the tour we stopped at Miller’s World Famous Oyster House and Jeff finally got to have alligator tail. It was small popcorn-type pieces deep-fried. Surprisingly good. We also tried hush puppies (pretty yummy) and I had fried sweet potatoes, which were mashed sweet potatoes formed into patties and then deep-fried. We finished it off with a piece of Key Lime pie. Very southern and Florida from start to finish.

On the way back to the campground we stopped again at the Fakahatchee Boardwalk and this time, armed with sufficient mosquito repellent, ventured to the end of the boardwalk which offered views of the lush vegetation and baby alligators. This area seems very tropical with heavy undergrowth among the cypress and palms. Many of the taller trees have bromeliads and air-plants growing out of them. Birds with exotic songs, woodpeckers drilling into the trees fill the air with sound and huge butterflies floated by. Seemed like another world and I expected to see a parrot or macaw or something similar up in the treetops but birds I did see were rather plain brown and gray. Still, it was a beautiful day out in the Gulf and then in the swamps.

TravelinLady

Of Conchs and Keys

Marathon, Grassy Key, Fla., March 28 -- The Florida Keys are shockingly beautiful but are definitely a major tourist area, at least this time of year. The truly breathaking aquamarine waters surround you as you drive down Highway 1, the Overseas Highway. Where clouds hide the sun momentarily there is an added dimension to the water and it turns a deeper, turquoise color. In the evening the water is golden where the sun is still hitting it, but deep jade green in other places. This is one of those places that I am so glad I took the time to see.

It is not just a series of 1,700 islands, many of which are interconnected by long bridges or causeways as I imagined. In fact, there are really only a couple of long bridges between Key Largo and Key West, the longest being seven miles. I had visions of driving over huge expanses of water but that is not the case. There are so many little islands and hammocks that much of the time you are actually driving over dry land. It feels more substantial and stable than driving through the many swamps and waterways of Louisiana.

However, sometimes where one key starts and another ends isn’t clear. There are places where the keys are separated by channels, but sometimes they just seem to change name in mid-land. I don’t know if all the Keys are named, but we came up with a couple of suggestions: Monk Key, Don Key, and maybe Hokey Po Key.

We stopped at a little roadside parkway to let Charlie have an introduction to the Keys and look at the water. A grizzled older man in a beat-up pickup was parked looking out at the water, watching the birds. He pointed out a bird he was watching and explained to us that frigate birds, large birds the size of seagulls or crows with scissor-tails, follow large fish and eat whatever they leave when they devour prey. He noted that this is the time when lemon sharks and another type of shark come into the shallows to spawn. He thought the bird he was watching was following a shark and was looking for shark leftovers. The old man and the sea.

Speaking of, this is Hemingway country. He first moved here in 1928, I think when the only way to get here was by railroad (Henry Flagler of St. Augustine fame built it) or boat. While he lived here he wrote part of A Farewell to Arms, and all of Death in the Afternoon, The Green Hills of Africa, and a short story, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber. His only novel set in the United States, To Have and Have Not, is thought to be based on people whom he knew in Key West and was written after he left Key West. His home in Key West is a major tourist attraction.

Other notables who lived here include the artist Winslow Homer, who came here in the winter around the turn of the Century and painted tropical water colors. Harry Truman had a Little White House in Key West and there is a major road named after him. Tennessee Williams moved here at the age of 30 and later bought a home here.

It is also Jimmy Buffet country -- much of his music seems to speak to this area -- the Keys and the Caribbean. He actually moved here in 1972 when he was in his mid-20s and shortly thereafter recorded his first successful album, A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean. In fact, Key West proved to be the “biggest influence in his musical career, the town that would provide the catalyst for "Margaritaville," the town that continues to play a large role in his life,” according to his biography on his Margaritaville web page. It goes without saying, the first Margaritaville shops and restaurants/bars is in Key West.

While St. Augustine had the oldest or the first of many things (besides Margaritaville), Key West has the “southern most” of many things. It is the farthest south you can drive and still be in the U.S., about 23.5 degrees north latitude (23rd parallel). The Bahamas are just a bit east of here, Cuba just south. The Keys are very warm and very tropical. Today in Key West it was 81 and a low of 72, tomorrow it is supposed to be 81 and 70, same for Sunday and Monday, though it could rain Sunday and Monday.

We stopped at a funky little placed on Vaca Key, I think, in Marathon called Herbie’s and had conch fritters for lunch today. It’s been there serving up Conch fritters and other island specialities for 35 years -- about the same time Jimmy Buffett discovered the Keys. Then later we stopped at the Parrotdise on Little Torch Key for some really delicious jerked chicken wings and I had a rum punch to wash them down. Yum!

This would be a beautiful place to spend a week or two or longer and do some kayaking or sailing. So maybe one of these days I’ll come back this way, though probably without the Mo -- it’s way too far to drive twice. But again, I’m so glad I made the effort to discover this little piece of paradise (or Parrotdise).

TravelinLady

Florida Discoveries Continue to Surprise

Hobe Sound, Fla., March 25 -- Monday morning we left the Jacksonville/St. Augustine campground -- we were there a full week, the longest stop we’ve taken on the journey so far -- and are currently in Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Florida’s state parks are really quite nice, although this one isn’t as nice as the Suwanee River park we stayed in earlier. This one has been hit by several hurricanes and, according to the Ranger, will be scheduled for reconstruction/rebuilding next year.

The funniest thing happened as I was finishing up with my check-in. A woman came in behind me with a German accent. I turned around to look at her and it was Monika Feigel, the woman I had met last fall in the rv park in Portland. She came here with her two dogs last May and bought a small class c motorhome. She has been traveling throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico since then and is heading back to Germany in mid-April. I knew we were both in Louisiana at the same time from an Easter greeting she sent but how amazing that she is staying at the same Florida state park we are for a couple of days. I hope to get some time to visit with her. These weird coincidences are often more than a coincidence and I think it’s wise to follow up on them.

Another strange kind of coincidence: A few weeks ago I was bemoaning the fact that we were too early to see the cactus blooming in Arizona. Last fall that happened with the leaves in New England, but I realized when I returned to the Northwest that the leaves last fall there were also incredibly beautiful. We took a long walk yesterday and discovered -- cactus in bloom. All the prickly pear cactus is blooming. So I didn’t completely miss the cactus after all. Maybe God is trying to show me that surprises and delights can be found anywhere and at any time, sometimes the last place we expect to find it.

This is another lovely area with white sand beaches along the Intercoastal Waterway. We were going to do some kayaking but I am too exhausted and the thought of tangling with alligators is daunting, to say the least. It would be great to see a manatee but I guess that isn't guaranteed anyway.

Last night as I was trying to fall asleep -- after having had too much caffeine too late in the day -- I started feeling some anxiety about this traveling. It was a suffocating feeling, like I was buried so deep in Florida I was having a hard time getting out. I tried to tell myself its okay and that I need to finish this trip. I need to see those places I’ve thought about: Savannah, Ga., the Carolinas, Kentucky and Tennessee. This is most likely the last time I’ll have the chance to do it. Last fall I turned tail and ran back home early. If I hadn’t done that, I would be finished with all of this and on my way home now. Sometimes traveling seems more like torture than adventure to me.

Possibly part of that anxiety was worry about my daughter who left yesterday for two weeks in Costa Rica and Panama. I know she will be fine but having her out-of-country worries me. Still, it’s one of those things I can’t do anything about so I need to let it go. In addition I find myself dwelling on what I will do when I do return to the Northwest. I need to work harder at living today and not worrying about next week or next month.

Also, I am frankly quite exhausted with all the traveling. One week between Orange Park and St. Augustine was our longest stay but I went into Orange Park almost every day to do things with my friend Kathleen and we also drove to St. Augustine almost every day to visit the beaches and explore the city. I think because I am writing posts for two blogs as well as articles for The Oregonian every three weeks I am trying to make sure I do all the “important” things in the places I visit. So we have been total tourists and taken very little time to just sit, to read, to reflect; truthfully the only writing I am doing is for the blogs and articles.

Our previous stays have been anywhere from one night to four or five nights -- an average of less than three nights per stop. That’s a lot of hooking and unhooking, a lot of driving.

It’s all part of a balancing act: how do you spend the time experiencing a place fully and still have time to process what you see and do and learn, how it affects you personally? Also part of the mix is traveling with a partner this time which requires a different kind of balancing: how do I do what I want to do, need to do, and still allow Jeff to experience what he wants, have the down time he needs? We are at risk of wearing ourselves out sometimes. I spent much of today exhausted and only half present to what we were doing. Thankfully it was mostly a pretty low-key day.

We will be in the Keys for two nights after this stop. But to get there we will have to drive through the Miami area which looks similar to driving through Southern California. I would like to stay longer in the Keys but because we couldn’t get a State Park reservation -- too bad I didn’t know I needed to do this months ago -- we will stay in a private rv park. They are VERY expensive in the Keys so two nights is about all I’m comfortable paying for. Even with a 50 percent discount this will be $35+ per night compared to $16 for the state parks or nothing for my Thousand Trails. We will spend a few days in the Thousand Trails in Orlando where I may see my friends, Russ and Carol, from Maine. I think we will be there at almost the same time.

So almost seven weeks after leaving Portland I am feeling tired and a bit stretched, but I have many miles to go before I am back home again. I know there are still many wonderful things to see and do and experience. And I keep reminding myself this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I need to see it through, for myself, for Jeff -- Charlie could care less -- and for all my family and friends and readers who are following along.

TravelinLady

Oldest City Explorations

St. Augustine, Fla., March 21 -- This is it. This is where it all started. Texas and California can brag all they want about being big and important. Virginia and Massachusetts can be proud of their long history. But right here, in 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon first set foot on what later became the U.S. He accompanied Columbus in his second voyage and from Puerto Rico set out to find the Fountain of Youth. He landed in what is now St. Augustine and claimed that land and all the land attached to it for Spain. So that would mean the entire continents of North and South America were at one point considered Spanish territory. At least by the Spaniards. There is a cross of stones set into the ground near what was thought to be the Fountain of Youth which was laid by de Leon and his men when they first landed.

Fifty-two years later the first European city in the country was founded here by the Spanish when Juan Menendez de Aviles arrived in 1565 w almost 50 years before the first English settlers landed at Jamestown and the Pilgrims came to Plymouth Rock. Older than San Diego and the California missions, older than San Antonio -- St. Augustine is the oldest city in the country.

We have spent several days in town exploring the history: the old fort made of coquina, a limestone from seashells that was used in the early years for much of the construction; the old houses and jails and the archeological displays at the Fountain of Youth. Later history includes the development of some amazing hotels and churches by Henry Flagler, who made his money in oil and then spent much of it down here in Florida developing resorts and building railroads. He was the first to connect the Florida Keys by railroad, which was later converted to a highway. There are lots of things to see here, most of which cost plenty of money.

The beaches are free, however, and we have enjoyed those, especially since Charlie is allowed on them, though not off-leash. The weather has been beautiful much of the time, sunny and in the 70s mostly.

St. Augustine was kind of a pleasant surprise. I came to this area mostly to see my friend Kathleen and attend church with her during Holy Week. It is fascinating to think as I sit through the Catholic services here that three hours later my friends in Portland will be doing many of the same rituals: washing the feet on Holy Thursday, venerating the Cross on Good Friday and reading the Passion of Christ, welcoming new Catholics into the community at the Easter Vigil and celebrating the Risen Lord on Easter morning. It was nice to be in church in Florida and think about all my friends and community who would be celebrating in a few hours, and to pray for them all and in communion with them all. I spoke to my friend Barb about it and she said it was like a wave of prayers and rituals coming across the country. Coming across the world, really, because the West Coast and Hawaii are among the last places to celebrate Easter because of the time differences.

There is a comfort in knowing I can walk into any Catholic Church and no matter what language they are celebrating Mass in, I will know what is happening and be able to participate. When I was in Mexico this winter much of the Mass was in Spanish but it was still clear what was happening. Some of the local customs might be a little different but at the heart the Mass is still the same everywhere. I think in the U.S. even the readings are the same. It is just one of the many things that tie us together in ways we don’t often think about.

So as I explore this oldest city in the U.S., this once very Catholic city founded by the Spanish and ministered to by Jesuits, I feel a very strong connection to St. Ignatius and my friends there.

TravelinLady

Florida Goal: Achieved

St. Augustine, Fla, March 18 -- We are here! We pulled into this really quirky little marina, rv park and fishing resort yesterday afternoon. The marina, rv park and fishing resort I tried to get into does not accept reservations, it’s first come, first served. So we were able to get reservations here at Pacetti’s, and when I called Whitey’s yesterday they had no room for us. Whitey’s is much closer to Orange Park but this is within about 35- or 40-minutes.

Last night I drove into Orange Park, where my dear and darlin’ friend Kathleen and her husband Jim live. Since it was St. Patrick’s Day and Kathleen is about as Irish as you can get (right up there with my other dear and darlin’ friend Katie), she had fixed corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread. It was yummy.

They have a very comfortable and lovely home that backs onto the 18th green of a golf course. They have been in Florida as permanent residents for a bit over three years now. It was so lovely to see them and catch up. Jeff decided to stay back with Charlie and missed out on some great food and conversation but today we’ll meet them and go into Jacksonville to an art museum and then to lunch along the St. John’s River.

After arriving here and getting set up -- it was only a couple of hours’ drive from the fabulous State Park on the famous Suwanee River where we had stayed the night before -- we had some time so drove to the coast. We are maybe half-an-hour from St. Augustine.

This is the Atlantic side so we got to take our initiation walk in the Atlantic Ocean. White, soft sand and lots of people. I think this is much nicer beach than along the Gulf of Mexico. It’s more like what we expect from a beach: breakers coming in and going out, like the ocean breathing. The beach slopes slowly into the water so you can walk quite a ways out. The water is much warmer than in Oregon, as was the sun yesterday. Dogs are allowed on leash at this beach so Charlie will join us next time we go -- possibly Saturday as thunderstorms are predicted after today.

Thunderstorms notwithstanding, I like Florida alot. We enjoyed our drive through the Panhandle. As I said, the State Park we stayed in was amazing: 50 amp electric service, sewers, brand new restrooms with showers. It is easily the nicest place we have stayed our entire trip, and all for $16.32 a night. I wish we could have stayed longer. Except there was no wifi, and cell service was a bit sketchy. Florida is apparently noted for their State Park System. Note to Kristin: they told me you could easily get a full-time job in the Florida parks.

The panhandle was slightly rolling hills and lots of pine trees everywhere. The freeway was very well maintained. Very few swamps up here, though I know things look different farther south. Diesel is very expensive here. Seems like every time we drive into a new state the price jumps 10- to 20-cents a gallon. Jim and Kathleen say fuel is cheaper in Georgia and South Carolina, our next destinations. But for now we will try to stretch what we have for the next three weeks or so. I have decided to drive more slowly to conserve fuel and it seems to be working. I keep the speed between 55 and 58 or so. It takes longer but if I can get an extra 100 miles to a tank it will mitigate the increased cost somewhat. Maybe the fewer stops to refuel will help offset the slower travel time. Hey, it could happen!

Much of this week will be consumed by Holy Week and then Easter activities. I’ll join Kathleen for these and it will be like old times. She and I used to sing in the choir together at St. Ignatius, back in my alto days. So we were always standing next to each other for the Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil liturgies. She has this beautiful, soft voice that is wonderful to listen to, besides being a very prayerful, very special person full of spunk and humor. Jeff may join Jim in watching March Madness basketball.

When I’m away from my son and daughter for holidays and special times as I am now, I often spend time being thankful for them in my life. I love my kids so much. I think about it sometimes, how powerful this love I feel for them is. I want what is best for them. I want to do whatever I can to protect them from pain, to hide them from hurt. Over my nearly 30 years of motherhood, there have been times that I placed myself in danger or jeopardy to try to shield them from harm. Even now that they are adults, still I find it hard to let go of them and trust them and the world to keep them safe.

Undoubtedly there have been times when I have protected them too much and, in doing so, have prevented them from experiencing painful but necessary lessons. This desire to keep them safe can, in fact, keep them from growing and becoming the whole person each of them needs to be to reach their true God-given potential. In my need to try to control what onslaughts affect my son and daughter I could very well be handicapping them.

As much as I love my own son and daughter -- and so far beyond it is incomprehensible -- is how much God loves each of us. Yet God did not step in to protect His precious Son, Jesus, from experiencing horrible pain, humiliation and death. God did not throw up roadblocks to stop or forestall Jesus’ suffering. This was something Jesus needed to do to fulfill his own God-given potential: that of being fully human, of dying and rising so that we all might join with him and our Heavenly Father.

This in no way shows any lack of love or caring by God for Jesus. Rather it shows how very much God loves each of us. It took tremendous strength to allow His Son to be sacrificed in such a way.

During this Holy Week as I reflect on this great love God showed for all of us, sometimes it makes me want to tremble, tremble, tremble with awe and humility and thankfulness. It makes me want to turn my worries, my prayers, my cares, and my children over to God and allow God to make of them whatever God wills. Searching for the trust and faith to do just that as I travel across these many roads and places.

TravelinLady

Friendly Louisiana Faces

Gibson, La., March 10 -- Seems like it took forever to get across Texas but on Saturday afternoon we finally drove past milepost 880 and left Texas behind. Louisiana seemed none too friendly at first. We found no room at the inn the first two places we stopped. But the ladies at the second place took the time to call a couple of other rv parks down the road and found us a funky little, unkempt place called Quiet Oaks. We were directed to drive across the grass and park there. Only later while walking Charlie did I realize how many swampy places there were in that “lawn.”

This was one of those “trailer park” kinds of places with old travel trailers and a few single-wide mobile homes set on concrete blocks and tied down to rings in the ground, presumably to keep them from blowing over in hurricanes. We see a lot of these kinds of places down here, or little shacks set on concrete footings with no foundations.

We spent Sunday morning catching up on laundry and then decided to drive to Natchez, Miss. I hadn’t checked my book “1000 Places to See Before You Die” for awhile and wanted to see if there was anything in these three southern states. Other than New Orleans, there was nothing for Louisiana, nothing for Alabama, but the book highly recommended Natchez, Miss. I scoped it out on the map and we decided it wasn’t too far. Nine hours and a speeding ticket later we were back at the rv park near Kinder, La.

Natchez is the oldest civilized settlement on the Mississippi River and at one time the fourth-wealthiest city in America. Cotton and sugarcane were raised on huge plantations and made many planters very wealthy. Hundreds of beautiful old antebellum mansions dot the city and surrounding area. Even more fun: starting in March (the 8th this year) and running through mid-April (the 12th this year) the city hosts its Spring Pilgrimage which provides tours of many of these Historical Register homes, with owners or other volunteers dressed in period costume. This event was begun in 1932 and is accompanied by local pageants reenacting the history of the area. We didn’t want to pay for the tours but we wandered around downtown and looked at a number of the homes, some of which were built in the early part of the 18th Century, all built before the Civil War.

We returned to Kinder via Baton Rouge and passed a number of old plantations and some cotton fields, including the home of Jefferson Davis.

The next morning we left Quiet Oaks (not a bit sadly) and headed to our next destination, Hideaway Ponds, which is maybe an hour Southwest of New Orleans. On Monday we went out to do a bit of shopping and find a bank so we could send a cashier’s check to the dinky little town that had issued the speeding ticket. We stopped at Coastal Commerce Bank in Houma (pronounced Hoe-ma) where the friendliest people in the world helped us. They were so sympathetic they didn’t charge the regular $10 fee for the certified check, one of them went out to her car to get us a map of New Orleans, the other went out to her car to get a set of beautiful Mardi Gras beads. They were amazingly friendly and went a long ways toward making up for the small-town cop in Woodworth.

Today, Tuesday, we drove into New Orleans to scope it out and decide what we might want to do tomorrow. It was supposed to rain and thunder-shower today and be nice tomorrow but it rained last night and this morning and was actually sunny and nice all day.

We drove through some beautiful areas on St. Charles Avenue, including past Tulane and Loyola Universities, the Garden District and through the French Quarter, out to Lake Pontchartraine. In many of the areas we saw today there were very few signs of hurricane or flood damage, but the closer we got to the Lake the more obvious was the aftermath. The marina we drove through had many boathouses where people were still clearing out mud and debris and doing a lot of construction and renovation.

Along St. Charles there are areas where hundreds or thousands of people have thrown Mardi Gras beads into the trees and on the telephone wires overhead. The Mardi Gras parades are on different routes, apparently, and at least one of them is on St. Charles Place. Some of the trees were festooned more than Christmas trees.

Driving into New Orleans -- we took the Huey P. Long Bridge; scary -- we drove past some interesting sites, most notably the drive-through daiquiri bars. Apparently frozen alcoholic drinks can be transported in cups as long as they don’t have straws and the driver (and passengers?) don’t imbibe while driving. Weird. So far we haven’t succumbed to the temptation of a drive-in daiquiri! Nor have we sampled crawfish. But we have a couple days left here.

TravelinLady

A Lovely Day in the Lone Star State

San Antonio, Tex., March 4 -- Wow! I’m impressed with San Antonio! What a great city. At least it was today. Sunny and about 70, not a cloud in the sky. All the people we have met have been friendly and accommodating.

We drove into the city about mid-morning and, after a brief unintended side trip because we couldn’t find the right exit, found the Alamo, or Mision San Antonio de Valero. I didn’t realize this was originally one of the Franciscan missions developed in the early 1700s. Apparently it wasn’t uncommon for military units to take over these old church buildings, many of which had been secularized by the Spanish late in the 1700s and the land given to the Indians.

Had we realized this was a church in its earlier life, we might not have been so surprised at how small it is, tucked away among newer, much larger buildings. The Texians and Tejanos, including names like Davy Crockett, James Bowie and the commander, William Travis, were fighting for independence from Mexico. Months earlier Texian troops had forced Mexican troops to surrender the Alamo to them.

The 13-day siege in which the Mexicans, led by General Santa Ana, eventually defeated the Texans climaxed with an assault the morning of March 6, 1836. It was interesting to note that we were there visiting 172 years later almost to the day. It is my understanding that all of the nearly 200 defenders were killed and their bodies burned, with only a few slaves, women and children surviving.
One of the tour guides we heard briefly said the most recent movie on the Alamo (I think it is “Alamo . . . The Price of Freedom”) was accurate as far as is known but there are many gaps in what actually occurred.

Charlie had been waiting patiently in the car in a shady spot in a parking lot ($2 for the whole day!!) so we picked him up and headed for the River Walk. We were puzzled as to where it was because it’s below street level. Some people at a bus stop kindly pointed it out to us.

What a wonderful place this is. It reminds me of Venice in a way, except the San Antonio River is much narrower and everyone speaks English. Bridges and roads cross over the top, water taxis and tour boats cruise up and down the river. Restaurants line the walkways along both sides with outdoor dining along the river, mariachi bands play, wonderful tropical plants create . Absolutely delightful!

We found a restaurant that would allow Charlie to come join us for lunch on the patio and we had a lovely, relaxed lunch. They served a hamburger called Charlie’s burger so we bought one for himself, minus the toppings. I had a margarita and barbecued brisket sandwich and Jeff had meatloaf. Reasonable prices and very good food. And atmosphere to die for.

We continued along the walkway. We got some very amused looks from people and, as always, lots of comments about what a pretty dog Charlie is. He’s wearing his red Western bandanna so he looks very cool. He kept trying to drink the water out of the river and fountains. But we were the only “dog” along the way so I’m not sure it is typical for people to bring their dogs out on the River Walk. But he did fine and nobody got arrested.

It was actually primary day in Texas today. Bill Clinton was reported in San Antonio and we saw some media people and a small group of Obama supporters but most of the conversations that we overhead while in the city were about sports. I really didn’t hear anyone talking about politics.

After we drove back to the campground we walked down to the lake and Charlie went wading and, unexpectedly, swimming when the end dropped off. But it cooled him off. That was needed since he bolted from the car and chased the deer out of his “yard.” Now he is a very tuckered out puppy with a full tummy who is snoozing happily. Tomorrow we’ll see if we can find more fun. I truly do like San Antonio!

TravelinLady

Driftin’ Along With the Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds

Van Horn, Texas, March 1 -- We’ve seen a couple tumbleweeds the last couple days so I thought that would be kind of a fun title for today’s post. We left Benson early this morning -- just after 8. It’s amazing how much more quickly setup and takedown go when you have a partner. While I scurried around getting the Mo set to travel, Jeff walked Charlie, then helped me hook up the Saturn. We haven’t towed for several days -- since San Diego -- so it was good to get things all put together.

Jeff drove the first leg, through the rest of Arizona and then into New Mexico. We stopped for diesel in Deming, NM and then I took over the driving duties. I was very impressed with Las Cruces, NM, as seen from the freeway. It is nestled in a valley with some beautiful jagged peaks to the east -- I think the Organs Mountain -- and the Rio Grande River. The White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss Military Reservation are both quite close to the city, the name of which means “the crosses.” There are orchards and cultivated fields surrounding the city of about 76,000. This looks like a place I could happily live -- especially with its 350 days of sunshine a year -- and I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to explore the city.

Shortly after leaving Las Cruces we drove into Texas and El Paso. Now if you’re thinkin’ of that Marty Robbins Song, “Down in the West Texas town of El Paso . . . “ this is a completely different El Paso. It’s a big city that nearly 638,000 people call home. Since it’s right on the border, we hadn’t gone on down the road very far before we went through another Border Patrol inspection point. They pull everyone off the road and ask how many passengers and whether or not they are citizens. It’s almost like driving through a border crossing from Canada or Mexico into the U.S.

This is high desert country and the high today in El Paso was 80 degrees. As we were climbing a very long, very steep hill my warning light went on. Although I hadn’t been running the air conditioner, I was running the fan and had the temp on cold. I guess I need to be a bit more careful -- driving up steep hills at 70 mph running the fan in 80 degree weather seems to have put a bit too much stress on the engine. So I turned off the fan on the hills and dropped the speed back some and it cooled down to a more acceptable place. My poor Mo has been pretty trustworthy so I’d better be good to it. I’m glad we were almost through with the trip when it happened.

Tonight we are staying in a little bump in the road called Van Horn. This makes the third night in a row we’ve had wifi in the Mo, 50 amp electric and sewer hookup. I paid for the wifi in Benson so that upped the price some; it’s free here, making this a better deal even though the nightly cost was a bit more. It’s amazing how much more fun and productive it is to have wifi in the Mo. Today we wrote down all the things we wanted to Google to find out about. It’s so great to have the research materials so easily at hand.

Charlie had a bit of a rough day as he got thorns in his feet when we stopped at the rest stop and information office outside of El Paso. I’m not sure if they were Russian thistle thorns or some other kind of little burrs but they were very painful. Then at the fenced-in dog area at the Van Horn rv park the manager told me they had burrs in the grass so I put his little leather booties on. Worked like a charm and booties were full of little seeds or burrs. He was so cute, prancing around in his boots. I also found a red Western bandana that I put around his neck so he looks spiffy for being in Texas.

We drove nearly 400 miles today and will still have more than 400 miles to go tomorrow to get to our Thousand Trails Preserve west of San Antonio. I’ve booked us into that site for five nights, I think. That should give us time to explore a city I’ve always wanted to see. If not, we can probably stay longer. We are getting closer to Florida all the time.

TravelinLady