Dick’s Travel Blog

OK things are looking up. Its Easter Saturday and just returned from a meeting. Everyone is well here except the Mexicans who you can’t understand anyway. I left the Campground in Texas on Tuesday morning after spending a quiet but productive (business) weekend. It was real windy for several days with sustained winds at 45-55 mph. The travel though New Mexico was boring except I got stopped twice by the Highway Patrol. (And I don’t even have the Vette). The first time happened when I came alongside his car tooling along at 60 mph with a 65 mph speed limit. He waves for me to pass him so I do, When I do he turns on the lights and I pull over. I go to open the door and say (nicely) what did I do officer? He says my leveler jacks on the left side of the Coach are not up all the way and he wanted to let me know. I now knew what the sound was that I heard miles back pulling out of a gas station. I put them up all the way and thanked him profusely.  The second time occurred later that afternoon when I was pulling out of a gas station. To digress a moment, you will read “pulling out of a gas station”  or some derivation of same very often. The reason is that a 8 miles or so per gal with a 75 gal tank, I pull INTO gas stations alot! Jeez it’s expensive. 3.25 here in Casa Grande. Anyway, as I pulled out a Highway Patrol car lights up and I pull over again. I opened the door (same routine..What did I do Officer?) He says my retractable steps did not retract. They should have, and have since,  but they hadn’t then. I thanked him profusely and asked “Aren’t you the same officer that stopped me this morning?” He said “yep!. So I now have a Guardian Angel, without wings, but with a uniform and badge. God does have a sense of humor.

Spent the next night at a truck stop in Eloy, AZ because, you guessed it, I needed gas.  Next day I found a nice campground called Leisure Valley (very original) nice place for $187/wk includes Wireless, Cable, Elec, and Water and more conversation that you thought you ever could stand. These RV people are as nice as golfers only not dressed as well. My Harley attracts a lot of attention especially the lift. Many guys have bikes they want to bring around but need to tow the car. With the type of lift I have you can do both.

My refrigerator went on the fritz. It was freezing everything. I brought it to a dealer the Norcold people recommended. It wasn’t the problem they expected but he spent a few hours tinkering and adjusting and walla..It works and best yet he didn’t charge me. Said he doesn’t get reimbursed for adjustments. So I said charge me then. He said no it was under warranty. Nice folks. He came out alright though. While I waited for him to fix it I did some work (had my laptop) but mostly just browsed his showroom finding things I didn’t know I absolutely needed. Total cost $110.  Still got off cheap.

Went for a 4 hr bike ride today to the Sonoran Desert monument. About 60 miles from here. It is booked as a pristine desert botanical garden of vast acreage. My take is that if it has more than 2 cacti, they call it a garden. I did find a Harrah’s casino and the Ak-Cin Indian reservation (BTW reservation is not politically correct. Its a Government Center) I will return next week to Harrah’s and the Government casino and take some of their money.

I plan to stay here for a week then visit with my nephew and next weekend I am staying at his cabin in a State Park about 2 hrs north of Phoenix for a week or so. Before I leave I will visit a customer at Arizona Heart Hospital and also pick up a foam mattress. The one I have is not comfortable.  Oh yea, I have problems with my backup camera, seems to have a loose wire or something. Wonder how much this will cost.

Meanwhile click to view  http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Early%20Phoenix.exe

I’ll keep you posted. Pun intended! 

Easter Sunday I took a long ride to the Indian Casino “Wild Horse Pass”. Never saw any wild horses but did catch a glimpse of an Indian riding away with my money. To illustrate the struggles that take place between me and my self…  Before I left St Pete I made a commitment to conserve money when I could. Like finding the cheapest gas. Cooking instead of eating at truck stops or restaurants. Not using electricity (generator needs gas), water instead of soda. Stay at Walmart instead of a Campground that charges..and on and on. For the most part I have done at least I’ve been conscious of it. Then I go to the casino and blow a couple of hundred bucks playing blackjack all the time watching  the Golf Tournament on the big screen. Oh well! More to follow…… I added a few photos to the slide show. I took them during the ride to the casino…

Been a long but nice time since Jekyll. I drove to Atlanta to see a customer (Morehouse College) a prestigious Black college with a real nice campus. Saw a few friends and had dinner with Val. He sends his best to all. He hasn’t changed much except that he is a much “bigger” man than we knew. Over dinner he kept me updated about why he left several groups of “friends”. They had varying unacceptable traits which he doesn’t like in people. All in all we can be assured he hasn’t changed much and therefore is safe.

Atlanta was as beautiful as when I left and the increased traffic gave me considerably more time to enjoy the sites. I found out on Sat that one of the tornado’s that hit Atlanta wiped out an area near a Walmart where I parked the Coach for a couple of days.

It was freaking cold in Atlanta and I woke up to flurries on Sunday morning at 28%.

I rallied to purchase a couple of small space heaters for the Coach since I use Propane to heat and sometimes it gets low. The heater(s) will work with the generator or off power when I’m plugged in at a campground. It will save a lot of propane which is about $4 a gallon and I have a 10 gal tank @ 90 lbs.

My customer  became ill and I wasn’t able to see them and I left Atlanta on Tuesday morning heading for Vicksburg. The drive through Alabama was pretty but nondescript and I spent the night in Shreveport, LA at a Truck Stop. Next day on to Vicksburg.

I had the most rewarding time in Vicksburg. I’m not a Civil war buff but I felt that as long as I was seeing the country I should stop at some of its famous spots. And just like me I decided to do it right and hired a guide who rode in the Coach while he gave me the low down on the various spots in the National Military Park at Vicksburg. Vicksburg was an extremely important campaign in the war in that the South controlled the Mississippi River and received their supplies via the river. It was considered impossible to take Vicksburg from the river due to the miles of Canon lining the river. We (the North) attacked from the river and were successful in opening the river to traffic but still not to men. The battle was fought on land from the top of the hill overlooking Vicksburg. General Grant faced Pemberton and its generally considered to be one of the most brilliant campaigns ever executed. It had all elements of warfare. Attack from the Sea (river), subterfuge, men advancing from flanks, and artillery.

When I finished the guided tour of the Park I could almost hear and feel the men who fought and died there.

This link has some nice pics,   http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Vicksburg_Show.exe

After Vicksburg on through Texas, and thru Texas, and thru Texas. What a lonely barren place sprinkled with civilization (well how about people). I considered staying a few days in Tyler Texas where I have the UT Medical Center as a new client. I would have had to spend the weekend and decided to move on. I’m in Van Horn, TX about 100 miles from El Paso and a hour or so from Carlsbad NM but due to my breathing problem I’ll pass on the Caverns. I rode the Harley a couple of time around here but its windy (real windy) for 2 days now 45-55 mph sustained winds. I passed my first site of Windmill Generators and now know why they are here.

Take care and hope all is well. 

High everyone. Its been real hectic getting back on the road but I’m loving it.

This is the entrance to Jekyll which is one of three islands: St Simon, Sea Island. Jekyll is the least populated and developed of all with a great campground (it was full so I stayed a ways away). The Convention or whatever you call it was held on Jekyll. I was a little disappointed in that I expected more of a spiritual event but it really was just a weekend get away with speakers and an Ice cream social. I went to hear Clancy speak and wasn’t disappointed. He’s very funny and gets a few real solid principles across like sponsorship.

Ray G is really trying to become active in AA events and we think we will run the Event next year. It really needs a lot of organization. I had lunch with the gang (see pics).

I had to ride my Harley from my campsite about 20 miles from the Hotel and it was F’n freezing the first night riding back. The second and third were progressively better.

I left Brunswick (the town Jekyll is in) on Thursday and headed to Atlanta where I am at the moment. Not much to share but am thinking (not too hard ) about contacting Val and going to a meeting with him maybe tomorrow (Monday) night.

I will be visiting a customer (Morehouse College) a very upscale Black College just in Southern Atlanta near Turner Stadium.

I’ve uploaded a bunch of photos with captions which might be informative to all. I’ll be leaving here hopefully Tuesday afternoon and head for Dallas. I’m planning on stopping in Vicksburg to get a feel for the Civil War stuff. I’m not a buff but would like to see from a historical point.

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Jeykll_For_Web.exe

Miss you all, pray for me, and keep Nancy A in your prays. I understand she’s been accepted for a Kidney and Liver transplant pending insurance approval which is forthcoming. While she waits for a donor she wears a beeper and has to have dialysis thrice weekly. Ironic that Dialysis was her nursing duties. Take care