We said our goodbyes and headed out at about 8:30 this morning. It was a long, boring day of travel with nobody to talk to but ourselves today! I wish we had gone with the others - they were going to Hot Springs, AR for a couple of days before moving on.
We drove 526.9 miles today. It was still windy, although not as bad as yesterday. It was cloudy and a raining a bit when we left but it cleared up around noon and was quite nice for most of the afternoon. By the time we stopped for the day, it was cloudy again but fairly warm.
We pulled into a rest area near Effingham, IL and found a level spot and parked for the night.
I've been checking on campgrounds in Shipshewana and have discovered that the one we planned to go to doesn't open until April 1st! Great - now I don't know what we're going to do. I guess I'll have to do some more research to see if I can't find one close by that is open.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sat., March 27, 2010
Today was just a day of travel with Jack was our navigator and Reg as our leader. We just followed along, stopping when they did! It was very relaxing travelling at only 60 mph. (Noel usually has to keep up with the big trucks just to prove that he can!)
We were running with a tail wind for the most part. We stopped for a short break about mid-morning and the wind was blowing from the side so hard that all three motor homes were rocking like we were boats in the sea!!! It continued like that for about 10 miles after we left the rest area and we talked about finding a place to pull over and wait it out but luckily, the road turned (or the wind did) and we were back to travelling with a tail wind.
The tail wind ended up saving us all some money!! We stopped for fuel at a Flying J just west of Oklahoma City and we found that we'd all gotten better than average fuel mileage!!
I messed up giving Noel directions when we left the Flying J and we wound up having to find a place to turn around before we caught up to the others about 10 miles down the road! I teased Noel that it gave him a chance to drive fast for a while!
We stopped for the day at a Wal-Mart in Salisaw, OK. 412.9 miles today.
We had a bit of a challenge wiggling our way through the parking lot and finding an empty spot big enough for us and the other 2 motor homes. Of course, as soon as we got parked, all three of us ladies headed for the Wal-Mart. Between the 3 of us, we probably spent more than what a campground would have cost!
We all got together in our coach to each our left-overs and to visit one last time for this season. Tomorrow, we'll head in different directions.
We were running with a tail wind for the most part. We stopped for a short break about mid-morning and the wind was blowing from the side so hard that all three motor homes were rocking like we were boats in the sea!!! It continued like that for about 10 miles after we left the rest area and we talked about finding a place to pull over and wait it out but luckily, the road turned (or the wind did) and we were back to travelling with a tail wind.
The tail wind ended up saving us all some money!! We stopped for fuel at a Flying J just west of Oklahoma City and we found that we'd all gotten better than average fuel mileage!!
I messed up giving Noel directions when we left the Flying J and we wound up having to find a place to turn around before we caught up to the others about 10 miles down the road! I teased Noel that it gave him a chance to drive fast for a while!
We stopped for the day at a Wal-Mart in Salisaw, OK. 412.9 miles today.
We had a bit of a challenge wiggling our way through the parking lot and finding an empty spot big enough for us and the other 2 motor homes. Of course, as soon as we got parked, all three of us ladies headed for the Wal-Mart. Between the 3 of us, we probably spent more than what a campground would have cost!
We all got together in our coach to each our left-overs and to visit one last time for this season. Tomorrow, we'll head in different directions.
Fri., March 26, 2010
Today was a travel day. We took our time packing up and getting ready to leave and didn't head out until 9:30.We headed west on I-40 through New Mexico and into Texas.
We stopped for the day at about 2:30 at the Big Texan Restaurant in Amarillo, TX.
We just relaxed for the rest of the afternoon while waiting until dinner time. It was only 300 miles today.
At 6:00, we went into the restaurant and met up with our friends Jack & Doreen and Reg & Patsy. (They were staying at a campground just down the road.)
We had a great dinner and all of us took home left-overs!
We decided we'd all travel together tomorrow so made plans of when & where to meet.
Wed., March 24 & Thurs., March 25, 2010
Wednesday - We spent most of the day at the FMCA Convention. I went to the OnRoad Quilters get-together 1st thing and donated the 3 kids quilts I had made this winter. Approx. 40 quilts & afghans were donated to the Linus Project of New Mexico by the OnRoad Quilters. They'll be distributed to children in need throughout the state. After that, I met Noel and we went through the indoor vendors to see if there was anything new in the RV world. In the afternoon, we went to the Great Lakes Area Gathering where we got together with other Chapters in the Great Lakes area to visit and exchange ideas for rallies, etc. We went back to the Route 66 Casino for dinner again, this time with Peter & Neida.
Thursday - We went back to the FMCA convention. This time, I helped to hang the quilts for display for the day then went to a seminar about Blogging. (I'll try to use some of the new things I learned to make my blog more interesting!) After that I met up with Noel and we went through the coach exhibits. We didn't see any new motor homes that looked interesting so we went home for lunch. Noel had a nap and I worked on another quilt until mid-afternoon, when we went back to FMCA 
to go through the indoor vendors again to see if we'd missed anything then I helped to take down and fold the quilts. After dinner, we went back to FMCA to the Balloon Fiesta Park to watch the evening entertainment (Flying J Wranglers) and the Balloon Glow. The Balloon Glow was kind of disappointing as there was only 1 balloon because of the wind.
to go through the indoor vendors again to see if we'd missed anything then I helped to take down and fold the quilts. After dinner, we went back to FMCA to the Balloon Fiesta Park to watch the evening entertainment (Flying J Wranglers) and the Balloon Glow. The Balloon Glow was kind of disappointing as there was only 1 balloon because of the wind. Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tues., March 23, 2010
Noel woke me up before 6:00 a.m. this morning so that we could catch the Rail Runner Express train to Santa Fe. He thought we had to catch the train at 7:23 but we didn't have to be there until 7:38 so we had a bit of a wait in the cold early morning!
The ride north to Santa Fe was exciting. We haven't been on a train since we did the Agawa Canyon ride at least 10 years ago. The train travelled through several Pueblos (Indian Reservations) and as we got closer to Santa Fe, it went between the south bound & north bound lanes of Interstate 25! The scenery was beautiful.
We arrived at the historic Santa Fe depot just before 9:00 a.m. and realized that we didn't know which way to go!! Both of us needed a bathroom & a hot coffee so we found a coffee shop to one side of the depot and filled our needs as we read the tour guide.
We discovered that there is a free shuttle to the Plaza but when we got the shuttle stop, found that we had missed it and had to wait about 3/4 of an hour for the next one! We did a bit of window shopping in the Sanbuco Market since none of the stores were open yet but at least it was warm inside.
We finally made it to the Plaza and started exploring. Only a few stores were open even though it was now almost 10:00 a.m. so we browsed in the ones that were open & window shopped the ones that weren't. The Plaza is a market place for Indian artisans and there were several there braving the cold & trying to sell their jewellery, etc.
We found the historic La Fonda hotel and warmed up there while we browsed through some of their shops. After that, we walked about 1 block over to the historic Loretto Chapel. Be sure to check it out at www.lorettochapel.com. It really is interesting. We did some more browsing through stores and then decided we had to warm up so went to the Plaza Cafe for lunch.
With our bellies full and our fingers warm, I dragged Noel across the road to the New Mexico History Museum. We both enjoyed it very much. One exhibit was of fashions through out the years in New Mexico. They had wedding dresses from as far back as the mid 1700's & 1800's. It really was interesting. The rest of the museum was about New Mexico's history starting with the Pueblo Indians, the Spanish and on up to modern times. We were also able to see the 400 year old Palace of the Governors, parts of which were built over an ancient indian pueblo. While we were inside, it was snowing outside!
We caught the shuttle back to the train depot and since we were about 3/4 of an hour early, we went back to the Sanbuco Market where Noel sat on a bench and I browsed through some of the shops. No one in Santa Fe got rich off of us! The merchandise was beautiful but very expensive.
We left Santa Fe on the 4:10 p.m. train and arrived back in Albuquerque around 5:30. We had to rush back home to the campground to be in time for a seminar on RV insurance that was put on by our friend's Jack & Doreen.
After the seminar, we all went to the Route 66 Casino for a delicious & cheap buffet dinner. By 10:00 when we got home, we fell into bed and slept well after our long day and all the walking.
The ride north to Santa Fe was exciting. We haven't been on a train since we did the Agawa Canyon ride at least 10 years ago. The train travelled through several Pueblos (Indian Reservations) and as we got closer to Santa Fe, it went between the south bound & north bound lanes of Interstate 25! The scenery was beautiful.
We arrived at the historic Santa Fe depot just before 9:00 a.m. and realized that we didn't know which way to go!! Both of us needed a bathroom & a hot coffee so we found a coffee shop to one side of the depot and filled our needs as we read the tour guide.
We discovered that there is a free shuttle to the Plaza but when we got the shuttle stop, found that we had missed it and had to wait about 3/4 of an hour for the next one! We did a bit of window shopping in the Sanbuco Market since none of the stores were open yet but at least it was warm inside.
We finally made it to the Plaza and started exploring. Only a few stores were open even though it was now almost 10:00 a.m. so we browsed in the ones that were open & window shopped the ones that weren't. The Plaza is a market place for Indian artisans and there were several there braving the cold & trying to sell their jewellery, etc.
We found the historic La Fonda hotel and warmed up there while we browsed through some of their shops. After that, we walked about 1 block over to the historic Loretto Chapel. Be sure to check it out at www.lorettochapel.com. It really is interesting. We did some more browsing through stores and then decided we had to warm up so went to the Plaza Cafe for lunch.
With our bellies full and our fingers warm, I dragged Noel across the road to the New Mexico History Museum. We both enjoyed it very much. One exhibit was of fashions through out the years in New Mexico. They had wedding dresses from as far back as the mid 1700's & 1800's. It really was interesting. The rest of the museum was about New Mexico's history starting with the Pueblo Indians, the Spanish and on up to modern times. We were also able to see the 400 year old Palace of the Governors, parts of which were built over an ancient indian pueblo. While we were inside, it was snowing outside!
We caught the shuttle back to the train depot and since we were about 3/4 of an hour early, we went back to the Sanbuco Market where Noel sat on a bench and I browsed through some of the shops. No one in Santa Fe got rich off of us! The merchandise was beautiful but very expensive.
We left Santa Fe on the 4:10 p.m. train and arrived back in Albuquerque around 5:30. We had to rush back home to the campground to be in time for a seminar on RV insurance that was put on by our friend's Jack & Doreen.
After the seminar, we all went to the Route 66 Casino for a delicious & cheap buffet dinner. By 10:00 when we got home, we fell into bed and slept well after our long day and all the walking.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Mon., March 22, 2010
Another beautiful day. It got all the way up to 70F.
Today was the 1st day of the FMCA Convention so we went to help out our friends, Les & Sue at the Chapter Fair. Les is the President & Sue is the Newsletter Editor of the Ontario Rovers Chapter(they took over from me a few years ago). The Chapter Fair is where all the Chapters put on a display to try to entice new members!! We had a few people from Ontario come by to talk to us.
After that, I dragged Noel off sightseeing again. This time we went to the Coronado State Monument. It was the location of a 15th century pueblo and it was very interesting.
After that, I actually got to go shopping at Jackalope. It's a cool store with all kinds of neat southwest & Mexican "stuff"!
Tonight we'll just relax and rest our feet. Tomorrow, we're taking the RailRunner train to Sante Fe to do some exploring!
Sun., March 21, 2010
No snow this morning!!! The weather today was absolutely beautiful. Didn't even need a jacket.
I dragged Noel to the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History. He wasn't impressed. To quote him, "I wouldn't put any of that so called art in my house!" He did enjoy the history part though.
We had lunch in a little, tiny cafe in Old Town Albuquerque. Noel ordered a Philly Steak Sandwich and it turned out to be a Philly Steak Quesadilla! Noel does not like anything remotely Mexican so he gave me a dirty look when it was served but he said it was good!
After that, we went to a BBQ at a friend's house. This couple are in our ConVerted Coach Chapter and we've gotten to know them over the years at all the rallies. We didn't know that they lived in this area though. They have a lovely Sante Fe style house and the view from their patio is beautiful. We were up in Rio Rancho/Bernalillo which is about 12 miles north of Albuquerque and it was amazing - we could see Albuqueque in the valley.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sat., March 20, 2010
We woke up to about 3" of snow on the ground and it was still snowing!! We put on the local TV to find check out the forecast and found out that Interstate 40 was closed from Albuquerque east all the way into Texas and had been since the middle of the night! Interstate 25 north from Albuquerque was closed in several places all the way to Santa Fe! Noel had turned on the "floor heat" last night so we were toasty warm inside as we watched the snow flakes fall!
The sun finally broke through the clouds around 9:30 and the snow stopped. Within an hour, the roads in the park were bare so we ventured out.
We headed to the Balloon Fiesta Park where FMCA's headquarters are to pick up our convention information package then went to the Balloon Museum. Albuqueque is home to the largest Balloon Festival each year and we found the museum to be very interesting with informtion about balloon travel from it's beginning in the early 1700's to the present. There were displays about hot air balloons and gas balloons, the use of balloons during WWII and weather balloons.
The CVC rally is officially over but Peter & Neida had arranged for a group dinner in the clubhouse again. Tonight, it was Paella - a New Mexico specialty featuring vegetables mixed with all kinds of seafood and chicken. It was delicious!
CVC Rally - March 17 - 19, 2010
We were kept very busy with Chapter activities during the rally. We had catered breakfasts and dinners each day. Noel wasn't too pleased with the menu as it was mostly New Mexico dishes but I found them to be delicious!
One day, the ladies were kept busy with a small quilt show followed by a luncheon at a popular restaurant in Old Town followed by shopping in Old Town. The guys went with Peter to the local race track, lunch and a bit of touring around Albuquerque.
Over the 3 days, we had a variety of seminars dealing with Fire & Safety, Inverters & Batteries, Health Issues, Cooking & Grilling, Gas Ballooning, etc.
One morning, we all went to the Unser Museum. It is about the Unser racing family and was very interesting. Some of the group met Al Unser but we missed him.
We had beautiful weather for the first couple of days. We were even able to sit out in the sun in the afternoon. However, on the last day of the rally, the weather turned on us!! It started out clear and cold but the clouds soon rolled in and the winds started to really blow. First, we had a dust storm, then it started to rain, then it snowed and even some freezing rain!! It seemed to be all over when we went to bed although the temerature had dropped considerably.
One day, the ladies were kept busy with a small quilt show followed by a luncheon at a popular restaurant in Old Town followed by shopping in Old Town. The guys went with Peter to the local race track, lunch and a bit of touring around Albuquerque.
Over the 3 days, we had a variety of seminars dealing with Fire & Safety, Inverters & Batteries, Health Issues, Cooking & Grilling, Gas Ballooning, etc.
One morning, we all went to the Unser Museum. It is about the Unser racing family and was very interesting. Some of the group met Al Unser but we missed him.
We had beautiful weather for the first couple of days. We were even able to sit out in the sun in the afternoon. However, on the last day of the rally, the weather turned on us!! It started out clear and cold but the clouds soon rolled in and the winds started to really blow. First, we had a dust storm, then it started to rain, then it snowed and even some freezing rain!! It seemed to be all over when we went to bed although the temerature had dropped considerably.
Mon., March 16, 2010
Monday was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. I managed to get some pictures of our coach parked at Peter & Neida's. They live very close to the mountains. I tried to get a picture of the mountains with the snow on them, but as they are in the east, the sun was just too bright.We left there about mid-morning and moved over to the Enchanted Trails RV Resort on the west side of Albuquerque. The view from here, looking down into Albuquerque in the valley and then across to the mountains to the east is beautiful. I'll try to get some pictures of that before we leave.
We'll be busy for the next 3 days with the ConVerted Coach Chapter Rally.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Mon., March 15, 2010
Travelled from Flagstaff, AZ to Albuquerque, NM today. As you can see, the skies were pretty with the big fluffy clouds. There was very little wind and it was quite warm.
We arrived at our friends in Albuquerque around 3:00. They live very close to the mountains and I will try to get some pictures before we leave to go to the campground for the rally.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sun., March 14, 2010
Leaving Quartzite. North of Phoenix.
Rest Area - Scenic Look-out north of Phoenix.
Sun., March 14, 2010
Moving day!! We woke up to a bright, sunny day. Our thermometer said it was nice and warm - boy did it lie!!! We put our shorts on and went out to finish packing up. We nearly froze our buns off by the time we got the pick-up loaded in the trailer and said our goodbyes to our friends!
We left the Magic Circle at 9:00 a.m. and stopped on our way out to dump the holding tank and to fill the fresh water tank. Our next stop was in Quartzsite to fill all the propane tanks. We were on on our way by 10:00 a.m.
We headed east to Phoenix then north to Flagstaff. We stopped about 1/2 way between Phoenix & Flagstaff at a scenic lookout - rest area and had lunch and stretched our legs while enjoying the last of our warm weather and the view.
As we got closer to Flagstaff, there was little patches of snow, then bigger patches of snow, then completely covered with snow!! Our sun disappeared behind the clouds and it even tried to snow a bit!!
We arrived at Black Bart's RV Park in Flagstaff at about 4:00 p.m. We have 50 amp service so we'll have the electric heaters going tonight!!
We settled in and had a drink then went to the steakhouse for dinner. The singing waiters & waitresses were great and the food was excellent.
We're headed to Albuquerque tomorrow and we're hoping we leave the snow and cold behind!
We left the Magic Circle at 9:00 a.m. and stopped on our way out to dump the holding tank and to fill the fresh water tank. Our next stop was in Quartzsite to fill all the propane tanks. We were on on our way by 10:00 a.m.
We headed east to Phoenix then north to Flagstaff. We stopped about 1/2 way between Phoenix & Flagstaff at a scenic lookout - rest area and had lunch and stretched our legs while enjoying the last of our warm weather and the view.
As we got closer to Flagstaff, there was little patches of snow, then bigger patches of snow, then completely covered with snow!! Our sun disappeared behind the clouds and it even tried to snow a bit!!
We arrived at Black Bart's RV Park in Flagstaff at about 4:00 p.m. We have 50 amp service so we'll have the electric heaters going tonight!!
We settled in and had a drink then went to the steakhouse for dinner. The singing waiters & waitresses were great and the food was excellent.
We're headed to Albuquerque tomorrow and we're hoping we leave the snow and cold behind!
Fri., March 12, 2010
Went on our last bike ride of the season today. Headed south into the KOFA Wildlife Refuge to Queen Canyon. It's a beautiful ride and it was sunny & warm enough to finally ride without our jackets!!
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