Florida - last day of trip

10/4/2008 Florida
The trip through Florida takes all day. We leave Pensacola around 10:50 AM, sunny and hot, and got to our final destination around 10:45 PM. Passing through FL we drive east along I-10, I-215 and then south on I-95. Along the way we pass a number of different eco systems. First the area in west FL is similar to the Mobile, AL area. Temperature 80 degrees. The Gulf makes it a tropic zone.

We pass by the Pensacola Naval Air Station, home of the Blue Angles. Didn't see any of them, but we did see three large cargo planes go overhead. Beyond Pensacola and the Naval Air Station is Eglin Air Force base which runs about 40 miles along I-10. Huge base, but we do not see much evidence of Air Force activity.

As we pass by Eglin Air Force Base, our course takes us by Fort Walton Beach, where my Grandfather once lived, and I visited at one time. An hour later, as we cross the Chattahoochee and Apalachicola rivers we change from central time to eastern time zone, and what was 2 p.m. is now 3 p.m; loosing an hour just like that.

Shortly after loosing an hour we drive through Tallahassee, Florida's capital. After Tallahassee, we drive through an area where we see very few, if any, palm trees and the "woods" contain more hardwoods and is more dense than we have normally seen. More and more the oak trees begin to have spanish moss. About an hour out of Tallahassee we cross the Suwannee river. Yes the same Suwannee river from the song - it said so on a sign at the bridge.

Along this section of I-10 there are ranches and farms; regular farms with corn, sugar cane and cotton and also a number of pine tree farms, but few towns. At one of the ranches we see a small herd of Long Horn cattle -- and so far from Texas, they must be on vacation also. The closer we get to Jacksonville, the more palm trees we see, with more evidence of towns and people. The Monticello area seems to be horse country with lots of ranches.

I-95 is familiar to us and we are back on a road we have driven a number of times in the past and welcome the familiarity. It also means we are only about three hours from the house. Those last three hours seem to go quickly, but we are getting tired and are glad when we take our exit off of I-95 and onto SR-512 east. 10 more minutes and we are unhooking the car and entering the code to open the security gate to get to the house. Yeah, we're here. We park the motor home for the night at the community center and we'll worry about unload it in the morning.

We left Calif. on Tues. at 2 p.m. and arrived in Sebastian on Sat., Oct. 4 at 10:45 p.m. It was a long eventful drive. The highways and byways we drove through had some spectacular countryside and we have had a lot of fun.

Next a summary of our trip.

Texas, MS, AL, and FL

10/3/2008 TX, MS, AL, FL
After leaving the "picnic" area east of Houston, TX we are fairly close the Gulf of Mexico, We have passed a couple of refineries, but in Beaumont, TX there are several. You would think the gas would be cheaper around here, not so much.
Again, we are going through construction, adding more lanes or fixing the ones damaged from the hurricanes, not sure which. We pass about 10 miles of road work where the lanes are very narrow. On the shoulder, oh wait, there is no shoulder it is a cement wall. Since the motor home is taking up almost the entire lane, Carmen is a nervous since the only thing she can see of the road is the cement barrier. So I'm driving in the left lane as much as possible.

By 10:30am we are in LA. We cross the Mississippi river and almost miss it. There were no signs or we missed it, but it is a rather quick crossing. I think we were to busy looking at the big river boat gambling boats. Either way, we didn't even know we crossed the Mississippi river until afterwards.

The area along I-10 in Louisiana has a number of sugar cane crops, each many acres in size. Reminds me of the corn and soy crops we have seen along our journey. It is interesting, that where oil is drilled for fuel, sugar cane is also used for the same thing.

All through LA you can plainly see evidence of the hurricanes that have hit the area recently. Around Baton Rouge a number of tree crews are trimming and cutting the trees along I-10 that have been broken or downed. And while traveling through Baton Rouge, we see many blue tarps on roof tops. In Baton Rouge we take I-12, choosing not to stay on I-10 and go through New Orleans. But we still skirt Lake Pontchartrain and we see a number of dikes and dams all of which look okay. Shortly afterwards, we are again back on I-10.

After crossing into Mississippi and east of Biloxi, we come to two 10+ mile sections of I-10 that is over water, bayou and swamp containing cypress trees and oak trees covered with spanish moss. It is neat to see the road sitting 20 feet above the water and looking out into the bayou and small rivers. Carmen tried taking several pictures into the bayou, but trees kept jumping in front of her, besides it is hard to get a good picture through the trees while driving 60 mph.

While we were driving hrough Mississippi or Alabama, not sure which, Carmen took a picture of a flat delta area and in the background is an oil rig for the water that is being built. You can see the scaffolding around the super structure. Anyway I thought it was neat.

We cross into Alabama, passing through Mobile. In the port is the battleship Alabama. They have a museum at the site which also contains several aircraft and a submarine, completely out of the water. We definitely have to go back there. The ride through Alabama quickly.

We cross into Florida about an hour or so after entering AL. In Florida around Pensacola we pull into an RV camp ground for a good shower and good night sleep.

Still in Texas

10/2/2008 TX still
Today, as we leave Van Horn, it is sunny and cool, and we are still in Texas and still on I-10. I go out to start the car before we tow it and the car does start. The only thing is the fuse, which is about 1 1/4" wide, actually comes apart when I pull it out. Boy is that cheap. I get some electrical tape and tape the fuse back together. I also try it to make sure it still works, it does. Whew. We do not need any more problems.

After leaving, the first thing we see are a couple of deer. The second thing we see is the speed limit, still 80mph; to bad we're not in a car. Image doing 80, legally!

I am pretty tired, not having slept very well last night so Carmen is driving. About a half hour from Fort Stockton the land becomes flat again. It has been rocky and mountainous, now flat and you can see for miles.

We stop for lunch at a picnic area and it happens to have potable water and a dump station which we use both. While we are there, we try to use the wireless connection available at the rest area. But, unfortunately we keep loosing the connection and can not stay connected for very long. While Carmen was trying to answer an email, I took a picture of her, at the picnic table. As you can see the roof is held up by two wagon wheels. This was one of the better looking picnic areas we have come across.

Before we get to Fort Stockton, a semi-tractor trailer truck passes us and throws a rock back and it strikes the windshield. Sure enough there is a small bulls eye crack in the new windshield. Yes, the one we just had replaced and was installed only a week earlier and is only on the road for the third day. Again we'll have to call the insurance company.

Along the road we see oil rigs, mesas on both sides of the road, ranches, and some farms, goats, beef cattle and pecan trees. About 3 hours later, we're back in steep, but short, hills and looks like the quintessential Texas hill country scenery. A few miles down the road, about an hour later, we again have a 5 mile 8% grade decline then two miles fairly flat, and another 7% 4 mile downgrade.

We get gas before getting to San Antonio. The temperature is 96 degrees. Can you say hot? We get to San Antonio around 5:30PM. We are expecting some traffic, but the traffic coming out of the city is bumper to bumper. Thankfully we are headed into the city. By the time we get through San Antonio, the traffic heading East is not too bad and we do not run into any delays.

Just after San Antonio, Sequin actually, we pass a ranch with buffalo, cattle, and horses. So far today we have seen horses, cattle, buffalo, deer, sheep, goats and ostriches (on a ranch of course). We have also seen a number of hunting blinds. Actually, they are small huts atop a large tripod about 10 feet above the ground.

We decide to not stop at a rest stop before Houston, TX (9:30 pm) to avoid the morning traffic and to drive through tonight and stop at a rest area on the other side of Houston. Good luck with that! The drive through Houston takes us about an hour and by the time we get to the rest area, it is full. Off we go to the next one, trying several truck stops along the way, all full. We finally stop at around midnight in a "picnic area" and find the last space (a tractor-trailer must have just left) because it was big enough for us to fit.

Between all of the construction we drove through today, I immediately go to sleep. Carmen on the other hand is up for several hours, feeling she is still riding. It has been a very long day.

Driving through Texas

10/1/2008 AZ, NM, TX
This morning we are up at 7:30 (the sun is just coming up) and I am preparing to leave. The temperature is 78 degrees. Since we are towing our car, I have to start it up and let it run for several minutes, put it in Drive, then put it in Neutral. After that I have to pull a 30 amp fuse from the fuse box under the hood. This morning when I tried to start the car for towing, the car will not start. At first I thought it might be the battery that is dead (oh no not another one) but it turns out that the 30 amp fuse I have to remove to tow the car is burnt out. So I use another 30 amp from the fuse box to start the car and after running the car for several minutes (since the car has to run for about 3 - 5 minutes then move the shifter from drive to neutral) put the fuse back in it's rightful place.

We stop at one of the truck stops to see if they carry the 30 amp fuse I need - no such luck. So, we look up an auto parts store on the GPS and select one not to far from I-10. When we get to the exit, of course the construction that is going on, just happens to have our exit and the next three exits closed. So much for easy. I select another store, this time looking up NAPA and find one in Benson, AZ elevation 3540 ft. The exit is open, yeah. The town has a number of adobe buildings reminiscent of a late 1800's town, nice. Getting to the NAPA store is easy and we get another 30 amp fuse (I also get a second one just in case) and after testing the fuse, we are on our way.

In the area known as Texas Canyon the elevation is 4975 ft. The area has very large boulders which are mountains but very different.

Around 10:15 we pass a town called Wilcox, 3,733 population, small cow town to major cattle shipping center. It harbored fugitive gunslingers and was homeland of Apache and Chiricahua Indians, Cochise and Geronimo led raids in the area.

Town of Bowie is Ft. Bowie and Maverick Mt. elevation 6091 (Indian Country), we see lots of pecan groves.

In New Mexico, which we are in for only about 2 hours (120 miles or so) we are in a lot of construction and the roads are rough. We are on a flat plateau with grass land and mountains far away, it is real windy, we see Pyramid Mts. with elevation of 6000 ft. The temp. is 80 degrees. Lordsburg, NM elevation 4237. We pass over the Continental Divide (summit elevation 4,585 feet), through barren desert and irrigated farm lands with vast pecan groves.

In Deming NM elevation 4325 ft. they grow cotton and Chilies in the valley. Off to our right we see Black Mt. elevation 5375 ft.

Around 3:15 pm we can see Akela, Mexico about 25 miles away over the Portrillo Mts. At 4:30 on the left side of Rt.10 we can see the Roseledo Mts. elevation 5890 ft.

We cross the Rio Grande and stop at the Texas information center for what else, maps and information and of course the all important bathroom leak. When we are heading back to the motor home, Carmen sees something hanging from the car. Wouldn't you know, it is the cable that makes the tail lights operational on the car. The cable has been dragging on the road, apparently for a number of miles, and the cable is almost all worn through in several areas and the plug, that should be connected to the motor home is completely gone! What else will happen? Now we can not drive at night!

Fortunately for us, from the Information Center Carmen sees a Camping World on the other side of the highway. We get there just in the nick of time, they are closing in 15 minutes. We find the right cable and test it before we buy, just in case, and it works. Yeah! So we are both legal again and can drive with the car at night. What else will happen?

We opt not to head up to Carlsbad, NM this trip and will have to do that another time. So we continue and all along this section of I-10 from El Paso for the next 55 miles we are driving along the Mexican border. We are riding along a high ridge and looking down the valley, you can see the lights of both the US and Mexican towns along the boarder. We also pass a US Customs Inspection Station. We do not get stopped this time, but a bus that just passed us does. Everyone on board is checked, probably for drivers licenses or passports.

By the way the legal speed limit is 80 mph, that is right 80 mph. I just may move to Texas.

6:30 p.m. we decide to stop at the Golden Corral Restaurant for dinner it has been a trying day and we are in El Paso, leaving rest. it is dark and 77 degrees.

We cross time zones going from Mountain to Central time, losing an hour! Shortly there after, we stop for the night at a rest area in Van Horn. Phew, that time zone change really exhausts you. New time is 10:39 p.m.

Today we have seen horses, cattle, sheep, goats, llama, deer and buffalo. The scenery has been pretty fantastic, also.

Bob wrote most of this blog today but I wanted to add things like time, places, temperature and elevations.

From California To Arizona

9/30/2008 Heading for Florida
As I mentioned, yesterday we had the windshield replaced in the motor home. The technician that replaced it said that the company (Galaxy Glass of Lewiston, Maine) did not prepare the glass correctly nor did they install the windshield properly. That explains why Galaxy Glass had to come twice, once to install it and again because it leaked. Besides that, the RV dealer we had it at, as well as myself later, tried to stop the leaks again. And because Galaxy Glass did not install the windshield correctly, the rubber molding came off while we were driving and I had to tape it to the window and sides of the motor home. The resulting noise and aggravation and poor workmanship requires that I mention to people to use a glass dealer other than Galaxy Glass in Lewiston, Maine. They do horrible, horrible work. If at all possible use a different company.

Today, Tuesday, we planned on leaving between 9:00 and 10:00am. However when we go to leave, the motor home will not start, the battery is dead. We tried to charge it but it will not hold a charge. So we (Carmen) call an auto service that handles AAA (after spending some time talking to the insurance company we have for things like this and get nowhere - they'll pay $50.00 towards the call and that is it) and they called AAA get the okay for the service call then come out to Carmen's brothers house. After testing the battery we find out that it has a dead cell and needs to be replaced. By the time we have the new battery installed, tested both running and shut off, and checking to make sure there is no drain on the battery, it is 2:00 PM. So with a new battery ($125.00) and over four hours late we are on the road.

Our route today will take us west on 18, south on 15 (through the Cajon Pass), south on 215, east on 210, then east on 10. The Cajon Pass is about 12 miles long, curvy, has a 6% downgrade and goes from about 4300 feet down to about 1000 feet in that span. Hold on!

At the bottom of the "hill" (as people around here call it) is San Bernardino and we pass several very large pumpkin patches. Fortunately you can not land in one of the fields if you are out of control, then they would have to call it squash! LOL. Hope I'm not the only one laughing at my joke.

Anyway, we pass Palm Springs where there are many, many wind mills of all kinds and sizes. They cover the hills and valley on both sides of I-10. When we get to the city of Indio (still in CA) we are at an altitude of 16 feet below sea level. Imagine that today so far we climbed to about 4300 feet then descend to 16 feet below sea level - that's traveling. (The Salton Sea (dry of course) is just to our south and is 235 feet below sea level - that's low.) Indio also happens to be the capital of the nation for distribution of dates, grapes and melons.

During all of our remaining trip through California, we are traveling through the Mojave desert. At one point we climb to an elevation of 1500 feet on an incline that was 10 miles long. Whew, tired just talking about it. There are several dark clouds in the sky, but it does not seem to be raining down. We do however see a rainbow in the clouds, very unusual and of course we have a picture of it. We are also going by Joshua Tree NP which is just to the north of us.

We arrive in Arizona around 6:30PM and around a town names Quartzite there is another incline of several miles. Only when we get to the top, you can see the highway continuing for miles and miles. The highway and on both sides of I-10 is as flat as can be for at least 10 miles in every direction before coming to another hill or mountain. Since it is at night, you can see a long line of vehicle lights all strung out for 10 miles. Way Cool.

By the time we get to Phoenix, sorry about using the song lyrics - but I can't help myself, it is dark. I-10 heading into Phoenix is 6 lanes and an HOV lane - they must expect a lot of traffic. Fortunately for us it is clear sailing. About an hour after leaving Phoenix, we stop for the night at a rest area.

From just before Phoenix, AZ and for miles onward we pass through the Sonora desert, Apache and Chiricahua country, National Monuments, old forts and the country side looks like we are in an old western. We do not take the 3:10 to Yuma nor do we go to Tombstone, maybe on or next trip!

From Indio, CA to our rest area outside of Casa Grande, AZ we have gone up hill all day long, beginning at 16 feet below sea level up to 1,340 feet. Talk about up hill all the way, no wonder I'm so tired.