May 19, 2013 - Travel Day

BEGINNING MILEAGE 42451 After listening to a final weather report this morning we decided we need to head West towards New Mexico and Arizona instead of North through Oklahoma and Kansas, weather was showing big storms with possible tornados and hail and one night of Tornado warnings was enough for me not to mention Hail. We got on the road at 8:30 it was 77 degrees and very windy started off on I-35 back to Hwy 82 and traveled that to Hwy 287 and turned onto Hwy 218. We saw what looked like sand tornados off in the distance, alot of the...

May 19, 2013 - Albuquerque, NM to Amarillo, TX

We left Albuquerque at 7:55 this morning. Guess what? It wasn't windy!! We drove through Santa Rosa (couldn't find Budley), stopped for gas in Tucumcari and drove a few miles on the old Route 66. It was sad to see all the empty buildings where thriving businesses (hotels, restaurants, art galleries, etc.) used to be. I would guess 90% of the businesses are closed down. We stopped in Vega, just a few miles before Amarillo, TX for ice cream. btw.....did I tell you the wind had picked up again; dust-devils-a-plenty! I kept thinking all day...

May 16, 2013 - The Big Texan Steak Ranch

Up and on the road early. No problem getting up the hill and around the curves out of the canyon. Headed for Amarillo, Texas. Easy drive. Stayed on I-40 as Rte 66 disappears in this part of Texas. Stayed at the Amarillo Ranch RV Park. Interesting place. Lots of semi-permanent residents. Most of them seem to be transient workers associated with the oil or cattle industry. They buy RVs instead of staying in motels or hotels. Dinner out at The Big Texan Steak Ranch. The restaurant picked us up at our campsite in a limo-van and took us to the...

May 16, 2013 - Amarillo, TX

Back in Texas! Amarillo is a surprisingly large city, the 14th largest city in Texas at 191,000 people. The city is known as "The Yellow Rose of Texas", therefore taking its name from the Spanish word for yellow. I'm pretty sure the 'yellow rose' thing came long after the town was named, so I still don't know why the Spanish gave it that name. Amarillo has one of the largest meat packing industries in the United States. Pantex, the only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility in the country, is also a major employer. There are...

Apr 17, 2013 - "Hiking Is Fun"-keep saying that so you dont notice 40 mph wind and 5 degree temp

We bid farewell to Crosbyton after a quiet night in their free RV park. Heading north it was mile after mile of ranches and tiny towns on plains that seemed to stretch forever – BOOOORING!. We had pretty much made our minds up on Texas and this drive wasn’t changing it. After a couple of wrong turns we found ourselves in Turkey, Texas and it lived up to its name – not much happenin’ in Turkey, Texas..............today or any day from what we could see!! It had the mandatory beat up mechanics shop with broken down rusty old jalopies hanging...

Apr 4, 2013 - Albuquerque To Amarillo

I am sure there are many words that can describe the Balloon Museum but one for sure is colorful. The docent had not come in yet so I had to self guide (read lots of placards). There were some interactive exhibits - one was fun - you stepped into a gondola and faced a screen, pulled cords in the basket that simulated ascending and descending. I read about the scientific uses for balloons from weather forecasting to a Navy program called Stratolab . Just behind this beautiful building is Fiesta Balloon Park where the big balloon launching...

Apr 4, 2013 - On The Road (Amarillo, Texas)

We were on the road at 8:30 this morning, heading north from Alamogordo, NM on Hwy 54. The road was ok but the best road we had was under construction. At least the signs warned of the 45 mph speed limit being rigidly enforced with speeding fines doubled. This was over a 15 mile stretch of brand new, smooth, blacktop highway, four lanes wide, with new guard rails, etc. The normal, rough, narrow, broken pavement, highway had a speed limit of 55 in most places. It all makes no sense to me but we still made good time, stopping only once for...

Mar 22, 2013 - Amarillo, TX

We traveled I-40 to Amarillo, TX traveling through grain farming and cattle ranching country and very flat countryside as we saw in Mathis and Corpus Christi. Our point of destination was Overnite RV Park at $29/night. We originally planned to stay three nights. This RV park is on the flight path of Rick Husband Int'l Airport and Bell Helicopter. I only mention this because Bell Helicopter makes a flight vehicle that looks like an airplane until it turns the engines up and then sounds and acts like a helicopter with short distance landing...

Mar 20, 2013 - Fort Amarillo RV Resort

290 mile run today to reach Amarillo. Land has flattened out somewhat but all that did was allow the wind to really pick up speed. Wasn't too bad going east as wind was almost behind us westward people likely had a rough ride. Did some more minor sou-vie stops for Randi, a small vase impregnated with horse hair who would have thought. Lots of vacant/deserted towns along the route, don't know how the few people who are out here survive. Amarillo in the morning didn't i hear that in a song a long time ago. Watching a big storm north of us...

Mar 18, 2013 - Amarillo Tonight

We left early again this morning for two reasons, beat the forecasted winds and yes, we lose another hour today when we go into Central Time. At least, we can set the clocks and watches and we'll be able to leave them there for a few weeks. We had an uneventful drive, with a couple of rest breaks, the usual border patrol check near White Sands National Monument, and soon we were at I-40 in Santa Rosa. We stopped and had lunch there. From there, it was an easy enough run to Amarillo. The wind was mostly favorable to us except for an...

Nov 4, 2012 - Texas smectis

Well, we rolled into Amarillo at about 5:30 there time. It was almost dark. What a difference a few miles make. At least there is no Oleander smell in the air. It was all over in California. We feel better about the time we are making. It helps to just be in more than one state. Needles was not a bad town. I had heard otherwise. The KOA we stayed at was ok. All gravel and oleander trees. They smell and were full of doves. There were quail running around with their top knots running in single file. Cute. Rt 66 is really a big deal out here....

Oct 25, 2012 - Amarillo, Texas, Mixed Bag sort of Day

With our fridge apparently working just as it should, we departed Elk City at 8:45 this morning. Marilyn had decided to drive her car again today. The wind was howling out of the north and the temperature was falling into the mid forties. We fought the wind for three hours and arrived in Amarillo at Oasis RV Resort right at 12:00 noon. We had been told by the gentleman we spoke with when we tried to make reservations, that we should just come on in, select a spot to park, and then come check in. The last time we were here was in 2009 and...