Travels with the Eh Team

Uh oh the Bitcon’s have reached Houston! Could this be a problem? We don’t think so. 

Today’s drive to Houston was a quick 1 hour 15 minute drive on Interstate 45, passing through a quickly changing landscape of coastal marshes to densely populated urban areas.We passed by the historical site of the San Jacinto Battleground. Apparently the Battle of Jacinto took place there in 1836. What was the Battle of Jacinto? Well, it was the battle that gave Texas its independence from Mexico, that’s what it was. I knew nothing about this bit of history but I suppose it is very important to Texans today! Imagine if the battle had been lost! They’d all be Mexicans. 

Our next adventure is about to begin, a 3 night stay in Kevin and Ann Churchill’s driveway, where will try moochdocking for the first time!

Day 1 in Houston! 

After a fabulous dinner provided by the Churchill’s and a good night’s sleep we were excited to visit the NASA Johnson Space Centre. Ann and Kevin live only 10 minutes by foot from the Space Centre. How great is that! 

Visiting the Space Center is the # 1 tourist attraction in Houston, so I was expecting it to be super busy, filled with school groups and a bit Disneyesque. I guess one shouldn’t be so cynical, because yes, there were school groups, but as far as being like Disneyland, I was way off! What a super fantastic place (not that Disney isn’t, don’t get me wrong😂). We explored all the different areas of the museum then took a very interesting tour of the Astronaut training facility. Super cool. 

Our adventure at the Space Center took all day, so being a bit exhausted, once back in Serenity Bob, I whipped up a quick dinner, Andrew opened a bottle of wine and we settled in for the night. Minutes later, there was knock on the door, Kevin inviting us in for pie and wine! 3 hours later, we were back in the van. The Churchill’s are such wonderful hosts! 

Day 2 Houston

The sun was shining when we got up, so we decided a cycling day was in order. We had researched some bike trails and settled on the Braeburn Bayou Bike trail. So off we went. The trail was a 30 minute drive away and by the time we actually found the trailhead the weather had changed drastically. 

We opted to leave our bikes on the van, bundle up and walk the Braeburn Bayou. It turns out it was a bit of a rough area, although the paved trail was nice. We looked and looked but didn’t ever see a bayou, just a cement canal. We walked and walked, looking for a coffee shop to warm up and get a coffee and wee treat. No luck.. we eventually made our way back to where we parked Serenity Bob and just across the street was a quaint little place called McDonalds! We don’t mind MacDonalds coffee. Before heading back to Nassau Bay and the Churchill’s we gave Serenity Bob a good wash. He really deserved it. Ann and Kevin once again invited us in, for desert and coffee and an offer of a hot shower! I took them up on that! We do have a shower onboard Serenity Bob, but my sweet husband converted it into a closet for all my must have ( but mostly never worn) clothes! More on that later!

We left Houston bright and early at 10 am, our early plans being diverted by offer of breakfast with Ann and Kevin. They are aficionados when it comes to hot cereal. The only brand they will serve is Red River Cereal. Do you remember it? It’s Canadian.  The Red River Cereal is a porridge, or hot cereal, made with a blend of cracked wheat, rye, and brown flaxseed that was first created in 1924 in Manitoba, Canada and patented in 1929.[1] In July 2022, Arva Flour Mill announced it had acquired the brand from a subsidiary of Smuckers.

And that, my friends is your little interesting fact of the day!

The journey from the Texas capital city of Austin, to Galveston Island took us through the heart of Texas. The route lead us southeast across the rolling hills of central Texas, where we saw historic ranches, and huge open ranges. We buzzed through Houston using Interstate 10 with its maze of overpasses and made it to Galveston in about a 3 1/2 hours.

Heading southwards the Gulf Coast the landscape becomes a mosaic of wetlands and bayous and before you know it you’re crossing the infamous Galveston Causeway.
The causeway was built in 1912 and served both train and automobile traffic. In 1939 a new causeway designed strictly for auto traffic was opened. We made our way across the causeway, marveling at the scenery unfolding in front of us.

Yet another KOA, our campsites of choice, was our final destination for the day. Kampgrounds of America rarely disappoint! Especially if they are listed as a Holiday or Resort. The park was quite away to the south of the Island, in fact about 30 miles from the city. 

Galveston didn’t escape the “ hard freeze “ warning and once again we had some frozen lines. Not as bad a in Austin, but annoying enough to put both of us in a bit of a funk. That lasted til after breakfast.😂

Over coffee we made a decision to head into the city and check out the historic old city despite the weather. The wind was howling and the rain was freezing on its way down. It felt like tiny needles piercing our faces. We persevered, started walking the Freedom Walk route with an idea that we would get a nice coffee along the way. Little did we know, it was MLK day and there wasn’t a store, coffee shop, or museum open.  Brrrr! After about an hour, we ditched all plans, headed back to Serenity Bob and high tailed it out of Galveston, back long the costal highway towards the KOA. 

The area between the city and Jamaica Beach, where we were glamping is dotted with summer homes. All built on stilts, they stand as a testament to Galveston’s resilience in the face of hurricanes, and floods. At first, they looked awkward and ridiculous to us, but over time we got used to the look and they seemed quite normal by the time we left the area.

The weather improved as the days passed, letting us explore the beautiful pristine beaches lining the coast. It was still very windy so our beach time was limited to quick walks. Our dogs even enjoyed a few beach walks! Jack, being blind, was confused as to where he was but we could tell he loved the sand under his feet. He likes to swim and actually made his way to the  toward the ocean on his own. He wasn’t prepared though, for the high waves! 

A trip to Galveston is not complete without a lunch at The Spot. This restaurant sits across from the beach and has a terrific view of the Gulf of Mexico and Galveston’s version of Coney Island, the Fun Pier.

On our last morning in Galveston, we revisited the historic Strand district. This time with more success! We completed the Freedom Walk with its colourful murals, its historical markers that told the story of Galveston’s role in the fight for equality. It was in Galveston in 1866, that General Order No. 3 was read, it was the official announcement of the emancipation of slaves in Texas. That announcement came 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. No social media back then! Our next stop on our whirlwind visit, was breakfast at Star Drugs, a nostalgic pharmacy turned soda fountain, where locals and visitors alike indulge in sweet, all day breakfasts, or even top shelf grilled cheese sandwiches. It is the oldest Drug store in Texas, and the first in Galveston to desegregate.

 We had great plans to enjoy the music scene in Austin while we were here. Our schedule allowed us 4 days in Austin, however after waking to freezing temperatures and a forecast of even lower temperatures to come we decided to move on. (Yes, as mentioned before, RVers have to be able to change plans on the fly to avoid damages and uncomfortable situations!

Where  else in the Lone Star State could we go to avoid the below freezing temperatures. Somewhere where there is no “hard freeze” warning.  Galveston!  
We really liked the KOA in Austin and if we can, we will try to come back this way and stay again.
The journey from Austin to Galveston offers up a blend of interesting facts and even some quirky info that of course I’m going to offer up! The landscape of central Texas is hilly, with some forests and a few charming towns such as Fredericksburg. As we ventured southward the terrain gradually flattened as we approached the Gulf Coast.

Here’s my quirky fact of the day, the Texas BBQ was birthed in Lockhart TX and evolved from the smoked meats of the German and Czech immigrants in who poured into the area in the 1800’s.

A quick update on our last few days! We have arrived safely in Austin Texas after overnighting in Fort Stockton. Our ancient pups are handling the trip well. Sleeping 18 hours a day, waking to eat and do their business.

We had a bit of a scare at the Rv park in Fort Stockton. Ruby, our very gentle deaf 18 year old Sharpei/beagle was the victim of an unprovoked attack by 2 other dogs. A young pit bull and a very aggressive chihuahua. The little one was off leash and charged across the parking lot and latched onto Ruby’s back leg, snarling. The pit bull was on leash but so strong that when he lunged at Ruby he dragged his owner across the gravel on her knees. He grabbed hold of Ruby at her rump and flipped her over. Luckily the owner’s partner came running and dragged the dog off our poor old Ruby. She suffered a few puncture wounds on her butt and legs but is ok. It happened fast and could have been much worse.

That aside, things are still great! Our little house on wheels is performing well, keeping us warm, as temperatures dip to record lows, as they are all across North America. The water pipes at the KOA froze last night but Serenity Bob braved the sub zero dip like the true Canadian he is.

We began the next leg of this journey early! Up at 6 am and on the road by 6:45.

Our route to Fort Stockton took us through El Paso, and Las Cruces. We were excited as  we departed Tucson, with the beautiful sunrise, over the Sonoran Desert. On to new territory! 

Fort Stockton seemed like an interesting place to stay over night. This historic American fort is  where the Cavalry, made up mostly of freed slaves protected the San Antonio to El Paso mail run, freight wagons, cattle drives and emigrants. The soldiers were known as “Buffalo 

Soldiers” by the Apache, Comanche and Sioux warriors, apparently because of their black skin and curly hair. Interesting fact.

Las Cruces New Mexico, another favourite place. Unfortunately we are just driving through this year. It was here a couple of years ago that we rode our bikes along the Rio Grande, and found the world’ s biggest Chili Pepper! Fun fun fun. 

We crossed the Rio Grande at Las Cruces and an hour later we were passing through the 🎵west Texan town of El Paso🎵 on the Interstate 10. It’s a good thing Andrew was driving, the crazy overpasses and bridge system scared the dickens outta me! 

Continuing eastwards the landscape changes to desert, with lots of mesas and rugged plateaus. Fort Stockton comes into view just off the Interstate. It’s a very small city and actually not as interesting as we had hoped. Not to worry though, it was only an overnight stop. 

This is the third year in a row that we have chosen the South Tucson KOA Rv park. We love the amenities, and the people at this KOA.  We have talked about trying a different park in a different part of Tucson, but we like the certainty we have that it’s our style and in our comfort zone. We can walk, or cycle the Tucson Loop which is a 131 mile network of paved pathways throughout the city. The Loop is free from traffic and beautifully maintained. Last year we enjoyed 3 weeks at the park, cycling, ubering into the city for special events. Events such as  live music at the Monterey Court or dinner at Tucson famous El Charro Cafe, the oldest Mexican, founded in 1922, by Monica Flin. It’s rumoured she invented the chimichanga!

We also love that it’s not a far drive to Sabino Canyon where there is some super great hiking.

This year our stay in Tucson was just three days. That limited what we could do. We were fortunate enough though, that of the 3 days, one of them  was warm enough to cycle. On our way into Tucson we stopped at our favourite sporting goods store store REI, an outdoors Co-op, to pick up new cycling helmets because, yes, we forgot to pack ours! 

We cycled the loop along the Julian Wash and connected up with the Santa Cruz River pathway to our favourite area of Tucson called the Mercado. Of course we stopped for a latte and a very yummy biscuit, before heading back. The Santa Cruz River pathway winds it’s way through several delightful little parks. The Carmelin Castro Itom Usim Children’s Park is one of  my favourites, with sculptures and artworks throughout.

We also made it a priority to go to the infamous Monterey Court, to have dinner and enjoy live entertainment by one of our favoured Tucson singer/ songwriter Mark Insley and his Band Broken Angels. Monterey Court is a small music/restaurant venue in a restored 1950’s motor court. The Ronstadt family (yes Linda Ronstadt) along with other local artists  created this intimate venue to be used by up and coming as well as established musicians to showcase their work. So cool. 

After a pleasant two days in Las Vegas, where we dewinterized Serenity Bob, and gave our  ancient pups a break from riding in the back of the van, we were on the road once again. 

While in Las Vegas we took in the spectacular show, Postcards from Earth, at the Sphere. The Sphere is a humongous structure, 360 feet tall, that hosts concerts, immersive experiences and groundbreaking shows. It was something else! 

Our 9 hour drive from Las Vegas to Tucson, was a bit of a surprise. You can’t always depend on Apple Maps as we discovered about 4 hours into our drive. The route was great but 

Apple’s estimated time was way off. Oh well, when you’re travelling with your house on your back that is complete with bathroom and a stocked fridge it’s not quite so bad. The route took us across the Nevada/Arizona border, through Kingman, the heart of Route 66, and onto Wickenburg through the Hualapai Mountains, and into the Sonoran Desert. Wickenburg is full of western charm and offers visitors a taste of Arizonza’s cowboy culture.

After a short while, we could feel pull of Phoenix on the horizon. Surprise Arizona, on the outskirts of Phoenix, is where urban development meets the vastness of the desert.

We bypassed Phoenix using the 202 Loop and cruised along to Highway 10 East toward Tucson.

Along the I 10, we passed the city of Casa Grande, famous for it’s 14th century pre Columbian buildings of the Salgado Indians,  Picacho Peak State Park, and Rooster Cogburn’s Ostrich Farm.  We haven’t ever stopped at the Ostrich Farm but it looks like great family fun! Finally, many hours later we arrived in Tucson! The sunset along the way was incredible, with the mountains glowing pink. It was then I remembered just how beautiful the sunsets are over the Arizona desert!  

Our next day was a long one. In order to avoid staying in Jackpot, (yes we’re gun shy now) we opted for a longer drive. Usually we try to keep our drive time to about 6 hours, adding another hour or so for fuel and coffee stops. This was more like 8 1/2 hours drive time, with about 11/2 hours for fuelling up. The route is really quite mundane, the scenery didn’t change much as we made our way across the Nevada desert. We broke up the monotony, by listening to road tunes and sharing the driving. It was the first time in 4 years that I have taken a turn behind the wheel! I have to say I quite enjoyed piloting the little beast! I even took us through the only mountain pass on the route. The Humboldt Forest pass is winding and steep. I think I only gave my copilot one little scare.

It’s along this route that we started to see signs of the historic Oregon Trail and Pony Express. The road connects today’s travellers with the pioneers and prospectors who once braved this unforgiving land. The halfway mark is Ely, pronounced Ellie, by the locals, was once a bustling copper mining hub. They have preserved their history with interesting and colourful murals in the Old town, and through the historic Ely Renaissance Village.

As we made our way from Ely to Las Vegas the skies were was clear and the sun started to shine! It was fun to watch the temperature gauge move from single digit to double digits. Even though we were on a “no fun stops” agenda, I did manage to persuade Andrew to stop at the Pony Express rest stop for our annual smooch in front of the iconic Pony Express sculpture! Vegas was in our sights and we spotted the city from miles away just at sunset. We arrive at our reserved RV park ready for a dinner out, some dazzling lights, and of course some people watching in Sin City, Nevada.

Our first stop along the way was in Pendleton Oregon. According to the Oregon Encyclopedia (apparently that is a real thing), Pendleton’s motto is “The Real West” and it prides itself on it’s agriculture and ranching past. Its rodeo, one of the 10th largest in the world, is called the Pendleton Roundup. Not sure if it can compare to the Calgary Stampede Rodeo, but then I might be a little bit biased! 

From Pendleton we made our way to Twin Falls Idaho. The landscape coming into Twin Falls was absolutely spectacular. Twin Falls is located on a broad plain at the south rim of the Snake River Canyon. Here’s an little trivia that might help if you are competing in a trivia contest. It was here, in Twin Falls, in 1974, that daredevil Evil Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon on a steam powered rocket. The attempt failed because of a design flaw in his mechanical parachute.

January 4 2024

This time we will be taking 3 months to explore and experience the local jazz, blues, and country music of Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. We’re looking forward to sampling the great local cuisine, and touring New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville Muscle Shoals, Graceland, and so much more! 

We will also be following the US Civil Rights Trail and visiting such places as Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham. Then it’ll be off to wander the beaches and historic streets of Charleston North Carolina and Savannah Georgia, before heading back west toward Arizona, California and Baja California for some more adventures with our siblings.

Today we worked our way through Washington and Oregon. It was a pretty grey and dismal day but still the scenery was stunning. At least there wasn’t any snow!

Speaking of snow, I probably should be humbly apologizing to all those Snowbirds before me, for rolling my eyes all those years ago when my parents talked of their “snowbird” friends. I distinctly remember thinking never,ever, am I going to refer to myself as a Snowbird. Fast forward 20 years and I’m perfectly happy to be labelled a Snowbird! Funny how things change. 

Although we are travelling with our little house on our backs, we will enjoy the comforts of hotels until we reach Las Vegas, Nevada. Last year, in Jackpot Nevada, our hot water system, even though it was fully winterized with RV antifreeze, froze and cracked. An important lesson was learned after an expensive and time consuming repair. We’ve now learned to alter our route on the fly, to take account of any sub zero temperates. So until Las Vegas, because it’s too cold for this Princess to sleep in her Glamper, it’s Motel 6 or Super 8’s for us! I need hot water and a warm bed. Once in Las Vegas, where the temperatures will be above zero, I will gladly glamp!