CA to NY 4

Day 24 7/31/17

This is the best I could do for showing you the campground

in Anthony, TX. Study it carefully and note: There is

no green. There are no trees/vegatation. The BLUE dot is site G-4,

our 'home' for the night and the tiny black specs are the

stanchions for water, electrical and sewer.

Once again another day of spectacular sights there for my enjoyment, astonishment and a deeper love and respect for Nature as we sped from Benson, TX to Anthony, TX..

The mountainous green-tinted terrain got up close and personal.
They seem to be... 

...crumbling. Eons and eons of water and wind erosion is seen
here as literally crumbling the mountain side. This rugged landscape...

...turned into a green carpeted scene of vegetation with softer features
just a few miles further along.

And then, the reality of the environment is made clear. They take their
dust storms serious with instruction blinking billboard style: Get off the
road, turn off engine and turn off lights And then, I guess, you have to
"wait till the dust settles."

Looking at the surroundings, one understands
why these precautions should be taken. "It goes with the territory."

The cloud filled sky was spectacular as we drove along. It appeared as
though you could bring your hand up and grab one that drifted lazily
above you and just out of reach.

And this was the I-10 that we drove for up to 3½-4 hours each day. Boredom took a rear seat as I witnessed these changes. Exits are few and far between; even when you pass an exit and look down the road as far as the eye can see, there is no visible signs of habitation. The interstate continues to be a ribbon of asphalt undulating as far as the eye can see, then disappearing into the horizon. Once we reached the horizon, there was another horizon to reach. To our left and right all the way, the land was lacking any human or animal presence. Winnie continues to perform nicely under these somewhat extreme conditions. When I need to stop for fuel, there is no debate as to whether I should wait until the next exit where it may be cheaper. I can go 255 miles on a tankful and that is my signal to stop and refuel.

Chuck researched the area and found the Basilica of San Albino which we decided to visit. It was on the way just past the city of Las Cruces, in neighboring Mesilla, New Mexico.

It was the ending of the Spanish-American War that resulted in the
 banding together of a group of refugees who arrived west of the Rio
Bravo Grande del Norte to establish La Mesilla around 1850.
After establishing a central plaza, they constructed the Catholic Church
out of mud and logs; this primitive structure was named San Albino.

 

More research by Chuck brought us to La Posta de Mesilla for a delicious Mexican lunch. This link in red will show you the menu.

CHIMICHANGA: A flour tortilla, golden fried and filled with refritos or choice of chicken
or shredded beef, topped with melted cheddar cheese and your
choice of red or green chile. Served with refritos, rice and garnish.
There was enough to take for a meal tomorrow.

Finally, we arrived at Anthony, Texas and the El Paso/Anthony KOA. It was as expected. Hot temperatures and no shade. It is entirely paved with a small gravel covering. The satellite photo above is exactly how it is. We laughed, set up, accepted the 85+ temperature and got to our own individual projects with a couple of gin and tonics. Here's to you, Stella. A picture is worth a thousand words:

Empty except for a few long term fifth wheelers

AC working overtime once again.

Incredible mountain backdrop

As evening wore on, the sun set and a warm breeze picked up. I noticed the temperature outdoors was now cooler than inside the coach. It was time to open the roof vent, windows and turn off the AC. Chuck and I sat outdoors for the first time since he joined me in San Jose. We saw a lightning strike in the distance to our north. The sky closer to us gradually became darker and darker; the breeze turned into gusts and buffeted the RV. The clouds became more menacing and threatening. We could now see the mist that accompanied the low lying clouds indicating rain was pouring down somewhere to our north and on its way.

With lightning strikes occurring within the blackened mass, it was time for my camera to do some work. I knew it would only be a matter of time before I'd have to take cover within the RV. With camera set on the picnic table, I now proceed to take ten-second video clips in hopes to capture a lightning strike. Well, at least twenty attempts resulted in three or four video captures. I uploaded one to YouTube. The interesting thing is that not one drop reached us. The rest of the night we were gently rocked (buffeted) by the moderately gusting winds.  

Day 25 8/1/17

We awoke to a low lying cloud cover but no evidence of rain overnight.

This is about as close as I'll ever get to Mexico. Driving through El Paso
on I-10 gave graphic reminders of a problem we in New York are far removed. This is the border; on the other side...

...squalor and poverty.

Traffic of I-10 is heavy as usual. This is the first of three propellers
used in the construction of the wind turbines I've seen dotting the landscape.

Further along on the trip we encountered the second. The video clip gives a better idea of its length. The common GE 1.5 megawatt model consists of 116 ft. blades atop a 212 ft. tower for a total height of 328 feet. The blades sweep an area just under an acre. .

This was another first. Winnie was kept at 70 mph due to crosswinds and efficient fuel mileage considerations. P.S. 55-60 is said to be the most
efficient (for gas; don't know speed for diesel, but do know diesel is more
efficient) but at that speed...in Texas, you'll get nowhere fast. 70 mph actually decreased the efficiency. My usual 16-17 mpg has dropped to 13-14 because of the traffic and terrain.

We finally arrived at Fort Stockton after the four hour drive and went directly to the Annie Briggs Museum before it closed.  Chuck researched this and found it to be interesting.  If you cannot read the text on the wall placard about her, allow me: "Annie Briggs was a tough frontier woman who carved out a place for herself on her own terms. 

Seems to have been a real tough cookie.

Chuck once again researched and chose the Annie Briggs museum as our on-the-way stop. The link where you can view all 36 photos is HERE.  Another glimpse of our American past in this history abundant state. The entire Westward Movement is felt and more appreciated when time is taken to soak it all in.

I was most anxious to get to the campground. I had a bunch of photos and a short memory, so getting it all down in my blog was my first order of business...after setting up shop, that is. My days are flying by, Chuck is keeping me hopping while preserving his own sanity. I've gone places and seen things that I never would have had I been on my own.

Another one of those campgrounds where
the word shade has no meaning or existence.
The telephone pole was a help but would
have loved a tad more.

The view north....and

...the view south.

Opps, sorry. There was shade.

So pleased to be "sleeping around" this great country of ours because
that's the way a state gets to join my map of America.

The passenger side of my coach is also 'growing' with great memories. As
mentioned in an earlier blog, I'm disappointed about many KOAs not having decals or other types of 'stickers.' Oh well, life goes on.

Tonight's dinner: stuffed shells; this before fresh
mozzarella was place on top.

You had to be there; there's garlic toast, red wine and hearty appetites.

Tomorrow the big drive to Jim Hogg State Park. Should be interesting but with two of us driving, it shouldn't be so bad. See you there.