MARDI GRAS !!!!!

Following our drive across the state of Texas, and wading though bayou country, we arrived in New Orleans ready for Mardi Gras.  Camped in town at the French Quarter RV Resort, and what a resort....even parked our Vista on brick pavers, and relaxed in the Spa after a long day.  With Marc & Susie we dined on gumbo, crawfish, po'boys, as well as fine dining.  But best of all was when it was time for the action to begin!

You wouldn't believe how competitive we became catching beads from the parades and the balcony activists stirring up the crowds.  Morey having located U-M classic beads, soon found his neck sagging from all of the secured strings!  Party Time!!

We did mix in historical and Katrina tours.  What a great town to have had to deal with the ravages of Katrina.  We left with deep respect for the people in their rebuilding from the many disasters (twice burned down in the 1700 and 1800s, and the many hurricane hits).

Down in the Bayou.....

We drove out of Texas (boy was it a BIG state) and into Bayou country.   We've had a great time driving through the marshlands and bayous.  Actually got out our "Birds of the Eastern United States" book and identified many birds as we walked one of the nature trails near the gulf.  Fascinating.  Even stopped at a very local cafe and had our first and terrific shrimp Po'boy.

Our friends, Marc & Susie, joined us for our Bayou tour and we're now together in New Orleans.  More great eating starts tonight!!  Saw lots of alligators, birds, and cypress trees.  Also many plantations along the Bayou Teche.

Across Texas to San Antonio

Stopped for an overnight at Seminole Canyon State Park, where 4,000 year old pictographs were discovered in canyon overhangs.  Home Depot should sell such long lasting paint!  Spent the night and then drove the BORING route to San Antonio.  We miss the mountains and the oceans of the West.

"Camped" at an RV park only 4 miles and an easy bus ride from downtown.  We enjoyed strolling along River Walk in San Antonio, checking out the restaurants and the shops.  Then to the Alamo, where Texas lost that battle but later won their independence from Mexico, prior to joining the USA 10 years later.

Big Bend National Park

The canyons, the plants, the birds, and the incredible night sky....We have enjoyed our stay here at Big Bend.

Drove in from Terlingua, a frontier town, at the border with the park.  The night before we ate at the La Kiva, a cave/restaurant!  Sunk half way into the ground and very rustic.  Other than they were out of fried pickels and all BBQ (slow this time of year!); we settled for sharing a 16oz T-bone.  All proteined up for the next few days of hiking and biking.

First drove to Santa Elena Canyon where we hiked in for about a 1/2 mile.  Water is too low for rafting this time of year, but you can just imagine the rafts running through a narrow slot less than 50 feet wide and canyon walls 2,000 feet high, traveling through white water much of the way.

Then set up camp at Rio Grande Village.  A great campsite just adjacent to the nature walk and a hike up a trail to the top of the local mesa.  Great vistas!  In the next couple of days we biked to Boquilles Canyon and again hiked for a great Rio Grande River lookout.  Also hiked to the Hot Springs (total 10 miles) up and over the canyons.  Perfect 105 degree water temp in a 1930s built stone pool.

It got REALLY cold at 3am !!

While camped at Balmorhea SP, we experienced an experience!  As mentioned in our prior blog, temps dropped from 80 to 45 in minutes...wind kicked up, sand blew -- blocking the setting sun.  Overnight forecast was for 15 degree.  We were prepared (again) for the cold, but we were "dry camping", no electrical hookup; operating off of our batteries.

Well.............. Morey woke up at 3am feeling very cold.  He got up and checked; inside temp was 52 and dropping!! With our furnace running almost continuously, sometime around  2am, our batteries must have died, therefore no blower for our furnace, NO HEAT.  Aha!  Morey started up the generator; but after 5 minutes it stopped.  What to do?  With Ruthie directing in the bitter cold in her nightgown, we moved our RV to an electrical site and plugged in, then started up our furnace.  Saved for the night!

And the generator-- turns out when Morey changed the oil a few days ago, he didnt run it to work in the new oil.  So when the generator started up in the night, oil was low and it shut down.  Fixed today and all is ok.

Ruthie swims with dolphins?...errrrrr....ducks!

Here at Balmorhea State Park in west Texas.  How could we not jump into the constant 74 degree spring fed waters of a gigantic swimming pool.  Built by the CCC, this pool (or should we say lake) is big!  Even has rocks, sand, fish, and ducks to snorkel with, while swimming around the water.  So Morey & Ruthie jumped in and swam, seeing a different environment than when in St. John.

And as I'm typing this blog, the wind kicked up into the 40mph area and we watching blowing sand and tumbleweeds....true Texas!!  This after a high today of almost 80 degrees, and a low tonight of 22.  Note picture of Morey holding a typical Texas tumbleweed!  {picture taken this morning before the wind kicked up.}

Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns

Tonight we’re in the middle of nowhere Texas --- Balmorhea, to be exact. But a beautiful place to camp. There’s actually a swimming pool fed by a natural hot springs, the size of a small lake that the CCC built in the 30s that has sand, rocks, fish, and people swimming. Must be THE place to be in the summer here in West Texas.

Earlier today we toured Carlsbad Caverns. Walked down the “natural” entrance for 1.25 miles, took the Ranger led Kings Palace tour, then the self guided tour of the great room. Absolutely amazing !!

Day before, we camped at Guadalupe Mountains and took a 7 mile hike to the Pratt cabin ranch. A nice walk through the canyon, continually crossing the dry stream before getting to Pratt’s little piece of paradise.

 
 

Ruthie wins BIG at BINGO !!

By the third night at our "RV Resort" in Benson AZ, it was time to try our hand at BINGO at "The Barn".  We dressed warm for the frigid temps and hiked over to try our luck.  We learned you need a dobber (or something like that) to mark the cards; the friendly RVers were happy to share one with us for our first experience.  Ruthie won on filling the entire card, but had to share it with two others who also yelled BINGO in unison. 

So what do you do with the winnings??  Why, go to THE THING in nowhere Arizona, and shop the chatzkas. Although Ruthie is saving her money for a future expense.

New low temperature record..

Dropped to 5 degrees last night, but with good planning, no frozen pipes.  Pulled in slide-outs, disconnected hoses, kept furnace at 70 all night (if you know us, we cooked), left hot water heater on high, sealed up curtains, and watched our "basement" temp drop to 28.  Warm enough to avoid problems.

Too cold to do much of anything today, except do laundry and compare notes with other RVers with many experiencing frozen pipes.  Tonight Bingo!   CAN'T wait to get moving again.  Tomorrow we drive to Las Cruces, NM and one more cold night. 

Hunkered down in Benson, Arizona

We know you won't give us any sympathy, but we're hanging out for a few days at an RV "Resort" while we wait for temperatures to raise.  Last night it was 23, and the same is expected for tonight.  El Paso, where we plan to arrive in a couple of days is currently at zero!  Good News --  by Saturday temps are back in the 60s!  {Don't want the holding tanks to freeze}

In the cold yesterday, we drove to Bisbee and took the Queen Mine tour deep into the depths where in addition to copper and silver, over $5 billion of gold (at todays prices) was mined.  Next on to Tombstone, "The town that wouldn't die".  The "shootout at the OK corral" recreation was postponed due to the cold?  Oh well, we were ready to get moving anyway.