2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 155

Day 155, Sunday, March 22, 2026 - Foscue Creek Campground, Demopolis, AL - 155.7 Miles, 6,266.3 Miles for the Trip.

62°F overnight, 64°F for my morning walk, 82 °F at noon on the road , & and the high for the day was 85°F.

Since today was a relatively short drive, I didn't get out of the park until 10:00. Not quite as short as expected - on the I 10 causeway which I was only on for 6.3 miles, an accident closed one lane causing a long back up. Most of the trip was on US 43. I arrived at Foscue Creek around 1:30.

I'm in site 6, a back in site on concrete with a deck, fire ring, charcoal grill, picnic table and a double hanger as well as a fish cleaning table. Needed 1" side to side adjustment. Full hookup for $16.00 per night, half price with the National Senior Card discount. Since I'm only here for 2 nights and the tongue is level without unhooking, I left the truck connected.

Site 6

I checked AT&T & Verizon, AT&T shows 6.73Mbps down & .42Mbps up while Verizon sohws 122.60Mbpsw down & 11.32Mbps up. I'm going with Verizon.

I spent the afternoon sitting outside in the shade of the trailer reading. 

Dinner was a chicken cheeseburger and Bush beans.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 154

Day 154, Saturday, March 21, 2026 - Meaher State Park, Spanish Fort, AL, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 6,110.6 Miles for the Trip.

56°F overnight, 61°F for my morning walk, 70 °F at noon, & and the high for the day was 73°F.

During my walk I stopped by the entrance station and asked if I had been given the veteran's 15% discount when I made the on line reservation. I wasn't, so he added it (well, it subtracted) to my reservation. He also did it for my February 2027 2 week reservation so I will see a nice refund on my credit card. Evidently there is a check box that I didn't see that lets you do it on line.

After breakfast I sat outside and read. The noise from I 10 isn't all that bad once you get used to it. 

A little after lunch I took a small load to the laundry. 3 washers at $1.50 and 3 dryers at $1.00. While there were a couple of folks doing wash, I was able to get a machine, and when the washer was done, a dryer. No folding table, but by the time my clothes came out of the dryer it wasn't busy so I folded my stuff on top on one of the dryers.

After putting the clothes away I did some more reading & called Karin in Takoma Park & the Guidos in Binghamton. I usually make the calls on Sunday, but I'll be on the road tomorrow. Since I'm leaving in the morning I dumped the tanks at the sewer connection here on my site.

Dinner was an Amy's Chile Relleno Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 153

Day 153, Friday, March 20, 2026 - Meaher State Park, Spanish Fort, AL, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 6,110.6 Miles for the Trip.

52°F overnight, 58°F for my morning walk, 71 °F at noon, & and the high for the day was 72°F.

I thought about changing my reservation for site 29 next February to somewhere in the middle of the campground to avoid the I 10 noise, but during my walk is wasn't any quieter anywhere else in the campground. As you move away from I 10 you get closer to US 90, both heavy traffic roads.

After my morning walk and breakfast I had a visit from Mike, another Escape 21 owner. We sat around talking for much of the morning. Around lunch time I headed to Publix for milk and other stuff. A bit more expensive than most of the other grocery stores I've been to lately, but well stocked. I even found Thomas's Corn-Toaster-Cakes, something I've been missing since early in the trip.

The wind wasn't too bad so I spent most of the afternoon outside reading. This was one of the times I wish my awning was working. Too much sun so I sat in my chair that has a built in sunshade and turned it as the day progressed. I finished Dana Stabenow's Restless in the Grave, and am currently reading The Black Bird Oracle, #5 in the All Souls series by Deborah Harkness, an interesting series that take witches & werewolves as normal everyday parts of modern day life.

Around 4:00 I headed to the bathroom for a shower. I rated them a C the last time I was here stating they had plenty of hot water, but a cold room. This time the room was OK, but the water (a non adjustable push button) was cold enough to shock you. After the 15th 20 second push it warmed enough to be able to stand in it to rinse, but overall it was terrible. If there is anything I hate more than a cold room it is a cold shower. As to the description, three showers, one disabled, a small drying area with a towel rack & bench, a shower curtain between it & the shower and a 4" lip that doesn't quite keep the drying area floor dry. Overall it drops down to a D.

Back at the trailer I read for a bit, then made dinner.

I had a large lunch so dinner was just snacks.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 152

Day 152, Thursday, March 19, 2026 - Meaher State Park, Spanish Fort, AL - 185.8 Miles, 6,110.6 Miles for the Trip.

42°F overnight, 72°F for my Afternoon walk, 68 °F at noon, & and the high for the day was 72°F.

Other than the first couple on miles which were on narrow Louisiana parish roads, the trip was on I 12 & I 10. The traffic was heavy around Biloxi and Mobile. I stopped for gas at Loves #846 ($3.34) & a Berryland Camper store where I paid way too much for a Camco LP adapter hose. I arrived at the park at 2:10.

I'm in site 25, a full hookup back in site looking out over the bay. The site is on asphalt, with a picnic table & charcoal grill and is close to the bathrooms. I'm here for 3 nights with a base charge of $46.00 per night. With reservation fee & taxes it comes to $51.55 per night. While there are some pine trees on the north side of the site, little shade. There is traffic noise from the I 10 causeway to the south and if you are on the northern side of the park, traffic noise from US 90. When sitting outside at site 25 the noise from I 10, even though it is all the way across the bay, is loud. There is something to be said about the fact that sound travels easier over water. It is louder than the traffic noise along side I 10 out west where it is a 10th of the distance away. 

The I 10 Causway

Site 25

After setting up I walked around the park checking out the new section. It was just being finished the last time I was here. The new bathrooms are 10 individual rooms with disabled showers, a toilet & sink. The entire building is raised on 10' pilings.

I checked out both Verizon & AT&T. Verizon is 33.84Mbps down & 35.18Mbps up, while AT&T is 24.24Mbps down & 3.71Mbps up. 

After setting up I sat outside for a bit reading.

Dinner was Chef Ramsay's Lemon Caper Chicken.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 151

Day 151, Wednesday, March 18, 2026 - Tickfaw State Park, Springfield, LA, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 5,924.8 Miles for the Trip.

42°F overnight, 50°F for my morning walk, 58 °F at noon, & and the high for the day was 65°F.

Not quite as cold last night, but there is little sun this morning. 

The water level in the tent loop has gone down enough that they reopened the road. Some sites are still pretty wet, but many are usable, They have a bunch of prefab tents on platforms that are well above the ground. 

I sat out for a couple of minutes after my walk (still in my quilted jacket) then gave up and went into the trailer for breakfast. I am currently listening to Larry McMurtry's By Sorrow's River, the second of the Barrybander series. I read the first but the second was only available at the NYPL as an audio book. While there are a few books that are better in the audio version, this, like most is better read. In any case I have 10 and 1/2 hours to go. I'll listen on my way to Meaher State Park tomorrow.

After breakfast I read on line for a bit, did an update to the Fiberglass Rally Map, and read Dana Stabenow's Restless in the Grave (Shugak #19). I know I said I was done with the series, but an unread one appeared in Book Bub for $1.99 and I couldn't pass it by.

Still only 58°F at noon & gloomy, so I'm reading in the trailer. I made a bag of microwave popcorn as an afternoon snack. While I didn't burn it, it still set off the smoke alarm.

The sun poked through a couple of times during the afternoon, but for the most part is was heavy clouds. 

Dinner was a Healthy Choice Sweet & Sour Chicken Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 150

Day 150, Tuesday, March 17, 2026 - Tickfaw State Park, Springfield, LA, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 5,924.8 Miles for the Trip.

36°F overnight, 41°F for my morning walk, 51 °F at noon, & and the high for the day was56°F.

Almost like home with almost freezing night time temperatures. Actually, I looked up Oswego and it is 21°F and snowing with wind chill in the teens.

During my walk I discovered a older Class A parked in the road. I don't know if something broke or what, but there are wheel chocks set & the steps are out. Some cones set up from both directions. There is still a way out of the park since the water is down below the road at the other end of the electric loop. In fact Site 27, which was completely flooded is still wet around the pavement, but at least the asphalt is dry. I walked around the non electric tent sites and many of them have pads and tables still in the water. 

On a later walk the Bounder was in a site next to where it was parked in the road. Maybe the owner didn't want to back in in the dark. Many of the sites (including mine) have a fairly steep drop off if you leave the asphalt. I also took a photo of the 2016 flood high water mark at the bathrooms.

A Tent Site

The Class A in the Road

The High Water Mark

Site 27

After breakfast I did some reading on line, but at only 52°F at 12:30 and a light wind, it was cool enough that I stayed inside to read. If it makes it to 60°F and the wind goes away, I might try sitting on the deck since it is one of the few of the trip.

Well, it didn't warm up all that much but the wind died down so I sat outside wearing my photo vest and read. 

Dinner was a Boston Market Chicken Pot Pie cooked in the toaster oven.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 149

Day 149, Monday, March 16, 2026 - Tickfaw State Park, Springfield, LA - 239.8 Miles, 5,924.8 Miles for the Trip.

47°F overnight, 52 °F at noon on the road, 63°F for my afternoon walk & and the high for the day was 64°F.

Another thunderstorm along with a tornado watch just after dark. A narrow band that was perpendicular to us so it went through quickly. No hail, but short bursts of heavy rain.

It cooled off overnight, down to 47°F as I packed up the trailer at 9:00AM. 

With a short hop at the beginning and a longer one at the end, most of the drive was on I 10. It has been a long time since I drove I 10 through Louisiana, and I have to say it has improved. Still sections with construction & narrow barriers, but the buckboard bouncing is mostly gone. Gas was running around $3.49 on most of the trip, but when my tank reached one half I found a Loves in Port Allen, LA that was only $2.89 with the member discount of $.10 per gallon. A very busy station. 

I reached Tickfaw State Park at 2:15, and was assigned site 8. I walked around the electric loop and some of the sites were underwater. The pavement at my original site (29) was dry, but looked like an island. Some were worse:

Site 8

Enjoying ther Flood

Site 27

Site 29

Site 8 has a deck, pole with hook, picnic table, charcoal grill & fire pit. I raised the driver's side of the trailer 3/4" and the tongue 1/4". A full hook up site although the sewer connection was so far behind the trailer that it is useless. The site is on asphalt at $23.90 per night with taxes. The 30 amp receptacle was badly burned so I used me 50 to 30 amp adapter to connect the power cord. I stayed hooked up even though I am here for 3 days since I don't need anything in the way of supplies.

The bathrooms & laundry are on pilings about 10' above the ground. Along the building bottom (at the top of the pilings) is a sign noting the high water mark of the 2016 flood.

After a walk around the loop I sat inside the trailer. It is a bit cool at 65°F on my deck and would be fine in the sun without the wind, but it is still windy so sitting out is out. Tomorrow morning doesn't look good; 33°F the predicted morning temperature. It won't get into the 70's until after I leave on Thursday.

Dinner was a Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 148

Day 148, Sunday, March 15, 2026 - Village Creek State Park, Lumberton, TX, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 5,685 Miles for the Trip.

65°F overnight, 66°F for my morning walk, 73°F at noon, and the high for the day was 76°F.

While the train noise was pretty much limited to their horns, they did run throughout the night. I heard the horns at 4:00AM & 5:00AM both nights. Far enough away that they didn't bother me, but noticeable.

After my walk & breakfast I sat outside and read. For the first time in a long while the humidity was over 60%. I got a call from Tickfaw State Park (my next stop) asking if I minded them changing my site due to flooding of roads & sites. Of course I said go ahead. Can't wait to see what the place looks like. Here the park was about 3/4 full for the weekend with a few leaving today. 

Around 2:00 I headed to HEB. Different from all the other HEB's I've been to. They have always been bigger than Walmart with a mix of groceries & stuff. This one is a grocery store only. I picked up a few things, but was not able to get a grill adapter hose to go to my 5 pound tank. My old hose started to leak. I still have my double hose, but I prefer a single one unless I want to use both the grill & the stove.

Back at the trailer it was more reading. I finished The Talisman by Stephen King & Peter Straub. Not bad; I put a hold at the NYPL for the second part. I started The Wandering Hill by Larry McMurtry.

Dinner was a griller chicken cheeseburger & a salad.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 147

Day 147, Saturday, March 14, 2026 - Village Creek State Park, Lumberton, TX, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 5,685 Miles for the Trip.

55°F overnight, 61°F for my morning walk, 70°F at noon, and the high for the day was 76°F.

I checked the internet speed for AT&T & Verizon. AT&T shows 61.93Mbps down & 3.64Mbps up while Verizon is at 53.62Mbps down & .39Mbps up. As usual, when I have AT&T available I use it.

After breakfast I headed to the Fast Laundromat. $3.75 to wash in a 3X front loader & $.25 per 6 minutes to dry. Not too busy, a couple of folding tables & carts, and a well worn bathroom. 

Back at the trailer I read some more, then headed for a shower. 2 stalls, 1 disabled. Both have the 3" solid ball type shower head that produces a large, fine spray. The showerhead aims at the drying area and soaks most of the floor. A bench in the drying area & 1 hook. No shower curtain and no soap dish. Plenty of adjustable hot, soft water. Overall, a C.

Back at the trailer it was more sitting outside reading until dinner. Had a visitor:

Dinner was a pork chop & creamed spinach. The pork chops were from Walmart, and I should have known better - the toughest ones I've had in a long time.

After putting the clothes away I sat outside and read. 

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 146

Day 146, Friday, March 13, 2026 - Village Creek State Park, Lumberton, TX, - 241.3 Miles, 5,685 Miles for the Trip.

44°F overnight, 68°F at noon on the road, and the high for the day was 74°F.

Well, I survived driving through Houston. I've seen photos of "the largest number of lanes in the US" at Katy, just before Houston, and while I drove through it I only counted 7 on my side of I 10. Fairly heavy traffic at noon, but only one actual stop in lane. Lots of slow downs.

I arrived at the park around 2:30, signed in and found site 20. A back in, water & electric site on asphalt with a tent pad, grill/fire ring with benches, general purpose hook, and a picnic table. $20.00 per night including a $4.00 per night individual person charge. I'm here for 3 nights. The park is within horn distance of a railroad with lots of crossings, so lots of tooting. Otherwise, other than the typical kid noise, the park is quiet. Bathrooms are a short walk away.

Site 20

By the way, it was interesting making the reservation for this park. There is also a Village Creek State Park in Wynne, Arkansas. I've stayed there a bunch of times and when I looked it up to make the reservation for the one here in Texas my browser sent me there. I didn't pay attention, and made the reservation there. The problem is it is 700 miles from Palmetto State Park where I was last night to Village Creek State Park in Arkansas, far more than I'm willing to drive in a day. Eventually, I figured out what I did & fixed it well before the trip.

After setting up I headed to Walmart which is a little over 6 miles from the campground. Still lots of traffic, but I did manage to buy everything I needed plus lots of stuff I probably didn't really need. There is an advantage of traveling in a small trailer with a relatively small refrigerator - you do have to limit yourself. In any case I was back at the trailer at 4:30 and tossed a Better Goods Mushroom & Truffle pizza in the oven. I really like this pizza. The first one I had was a Safeway brand made in Italy but Walmart has copied it well, The only problem is the truffle part is mostly oil which makes it a bit too greasy for me. My solution is to blot the thing with a paper towel before cooking. 

Dinner was half of the pizza (although I cooked the whole thing). It made it back from Walmart still half frozen so I cooked it for a little less time than normal.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 145

Day 145, Thursday, March 12, 2026 - Palmetto State Park, Gonzales, TX, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 5,443.7 Miles for the Trip.

50°F overnight, 50°F for my morning walk, 57°F at noon, and the high for the day was 65°F.

While it stayed warm for most of the night, by 6:00AM it was down to 50°F. It didn't warm up all that much throughout the day. After breakfast I spent some time on the internet reading. AT&T shows 53.05Mbps down & 2.69Mbps up, but often hangs up for longer than the speed indicates when opening a page. The Starlink Mini probably would not be any better since there is heavy tree cover in all directions from my site. Verizon is working with my phone for internet radio, but I didn't fire up the modem to check it.

I'm told this is Texas weather. 82°F yesterday but it doesn't feel like it is going to break 60°F today (it did - the high was 65°F). My weather app says 88°F for Sunday, although I'll be long gone by then.

I headed for the showers. 2 in the men's bathroom, one disabled equipped. I used the standard one. A bench and 4 hooks in the drying area, separated from the shower by a shower curtain. The drying room floor is 1/2" higher than the shower floor but some water gets under the shower curtain wetting the first foot of the floor. A 1" high pressure, low volume shower head with dual handles for the water. You only need the hot one since the fine spray cools off by the time it hits you. I never opened the cold water handle. A soap dish in the shower. Not the cleanest I've been in, but overall not too bad - a B that would do better with a standard shower head.

More outside reading trying to stay in the sun.

Dinner was an Amy's Enchilada with Spanish Rice & Beans Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 144

Day 144, Wednesday, March 11, 2026 - Palmetto State Park, Gonzales, TX - 0187.4 Miles, 5,443.7 Miles for the Trip.

51°F overnight, 80°F at noon on the road, and the high for the day was 82°F. Still 80°F at 6:00.

A rather exciting night. First a tornado watch, then a tornado warning, then watching a lot of red on my radar app heading right at us. It slide by just to the west but dumped nickel sized hail, shut down my Starlink Mini, and heavy rain off & on until 11:00. I thought the wind knocked over the Mini tripod, but it was still standing in the morning. I guess the heavy rain shut it down. 

I met the campground owners on the way out and gave them the check for the two days & bag of pecans. Again greeted by name and welcomed back for next year.

I had a choice of taking I 10 through San Antonio or a bunch of state & farm roads that added about 45 minutes to the trip. I opted for the later, and drove through downtown Fredericksburg, an interesting town. 

I arrived at Palmetto State Park around 2:00. I'm in site 4, a back in water & electric site on asphalt with a fire ring, charcoal grill, hook & picnic table. I'm here for 2 nights at $21.00 per night including a $3.00 per night entry fee.

Site 4

After setting up I fired up the AC since it was 80°F in the trailer, got out my camp chair and sat outside and read. I finished Spoils of the Dead by Dana Stabenow and started Stephen King & Pete3r Straub's The Talisman. Since it is a 1984 copyright, I probably already read it, but it isn't in my database of read books so it was before 2000 which means I probably won't remember any of it.

Dinner was a chicken burger & a salad.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 143

Day 143, Tuesday, March 10, 2026 - Pecan Valley RV Park & Farm, Junction, TX , Day 2 - 0 Miles, 5,256.3 Miles for the Trip.

63°F overnight, 66°F for my morning walk, 72°F at noon, and the high for the day was 83°F.

A very warm night; the electric heater never came on. Heavy clouds this morning, breaking up to partly cloudy by noon. During my walk I saw the park's herd of deer as well as chickens & goats. 

After breakfast I sat outside and read. I finished The Camp Bird Cafe by Chinle Miller. The writing is as bad as ever; no idea why I keep reading the series other than they are free from Amazon Prime. Anyhow, I started Spoils of the Dead by Dana Stabenow. Not one of the Shugak series, but about Alaska.

Around 1:00 the inside temperature hit 79°F so I closed up the windows, shut off the MAXX fan and fired up the AC set at 76°F. Quite a bit of wind, but still comfortable sitting outside. My weather app just let me know we are under a tornado watch until 10:00.

While sitting outside and on a walk I took a few photos of the livestock:

North Llano River

Still 83°F at 5:00.

Dinner was a Scott & Jon's Shrimp Alfredo Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 142

Day 142, Monday, March 9, 2026 - Pecan Valley RV Park & Farm, Junction, TX - 186.1 Miles, 5,256.3 Miles for the Trip.

56°F overnight, 71°F at noon on the road, 74°F for an afternoon walk at Pecan Valley, and the high for the day was 74°F.

A warmer night with heavy clouds at 7:00AM. After breakfast I finished packing up the trailer, read for a bit, and was out of the park around 9:30. Stopped at a Loves in Sonora ($2.89 with $.10/Gallon discount) and arrived at the park at 1:30. Greeted by name as I arrived and escorted to site 5, a full hookup pull through on gravel with a picnic table & fire ring (although there is a burn ban so no fires). $50.00 per night for 2 nights. 1" side to side correction and I had to raise the tongue 1/2". I didn't unhook since there isn't really anywhere to go. Pecan Vally is about 7 miles from Junction, and there isn't all that much in Junction anyway. I bought my usual bag of candied pecans & they arrived at my site before I finished hooking up the utilities. The chickens & goats are wandering the RV park.

Site 5

The Guidos made our reservations for the Algonac rally in Algonac State Park in MI in September, and I made the reservations for the Dalewood Conservation campground in St Thomas, Ontario, our one night stop between the Algonac Rally & the Niagara Wine rally in Niagara Falls, Ontario. $76.00 per night Canadian which worked out to $56.20 US.

While there is a strong AT&T signal (4 bars) here at the park, it is unbearably slow so I dug out the Starlink Mini. The Mini shows 63.77Mbps down & 19.83Mbps up. While AT&T shows 104.34Mbps down & 24.27Mbps up, I don't believe it. It was so slow that I kept timing out on pages when making the reservations in Canada. I don't know if AT&T cheats on speed tests by Speedtest or not, but both tests were done with Speedtest on my laptop & no matter what it says, the Mini is much faster.

Maybe it was just a problem connecting to Canada, or temporary since now AT&T is working as expected.

I spent the afternoon sitting outside reading. I finished Dana Stabenow's Not The Ones Dead last night and started The Camp Bird Cafe by Chinie Miller. Miller's Bud Shumway series is not the best written one I've followed, but it is about an area of the west that I've visited and enjoy reading about.

Dinner was a Healthy Choice Sweet & Sour Chicken Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 141

Day 141, Sunday, March 8, 2026 - Fort Stockton RV Park, Fort Stockton, TX, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 5,070.2 Miles for the Trip.

46°F overnight, 52 for my morning walk, 74°F at noon, and the high for the day was 76°F.

For those that can't abide traffic noise, you need to look elsewhere. I 10 is not too far from the park, and while there isn't direct noise, there is a constant background hum & tire noise. With the windows closed it almost goes away; putting some low level music on the radio covers it.

I slept in a little extra this morning since my internal clock is messed up. Both crossing a time zone and daylight savings time didn't help with a normal sleep, although my sleep is usually anything but normal anyway.

After my morning walk up & down the rows of sites I made breakfast, sat outside and did some reading, then a little after lunch headed to Loves to fill up ($3.09 with $.10 discount) and Walmart to replace my hummingbird feeder, a bottle of Windex, and, of course, some food.

Back at the trailer I did some more sitting outside watching the RV arrive & read. Around 4:30 I headed to the showers. I used the individual room showers in the back of the park. Six stations, each with a sink, toilet & shower. While there is a shower curtain, some water gets under it and wets the closest 1/4 of the floor. Still plenty of room to get dry. Lost of shelves in the shower with adjustable hot water and a standard shower head. Only one hook in the drying area but a bench that you can use for your stuff. Overall, a B+.

I hooked up the trailer to save doing it in the morning & will disconnect the water after dinner. I also added a bit of air to the trailer tires with the Viair compressor.

Dinner was a Chef Ramsey Alfredo Lasagna with Chicken, the first time I've had it. Like all the Chef Ramsey meals, pretty good.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 140

Day 140, Saturday, March 7, 2026 - Fort Stockton RV Park, Fort Stockton, TX - 262.9 Miles, 5,070.2 Miles for the Trip.

47°F overnight, 55°F at noon while on the road, and the high for the day was 66°F.

I finished packing up the trailer by 9:00, headed to the dump station, and was out of the park by 9:20. A long drive, mostly on I 10 with a stop at a very busy Loves in Van Horn, TX ($2.89 with a $.10 member discount). 

I'm in site 7, a pull through full hookup site on gravel needing 1 1/2" correction side to side and raising the tongue 1". Basically a parking lot with services - no shade or fire ring. They do have showers at both ends of the park. I didn't unhook since I don't plan on going anywhere, but I may change my mind and go out for dinner tomorrow. Here for 2 nights at $45.00 per night with a $5.00 vet discount.

Site 7

I do miss the on site restaurant. Although it was nothing special, it was convenient. I also mentioned that they no longer have the most comfortable laundry room chairs I've ever found. Someone broke the last one so they are back to standard folding chairs.

By the time I got set up there wasn't much left of the day so I read for a bit in the trailer then made dinner.

Last night I finished Dana Stabenow's No Fixed Line, and started #23, Not The Ones Dead, the last in  series.

Dinner was a Chef Ramsay Chicken Pot Pie. The last time I had one I cooked it in the oven & it was OK. This time I followed the microwave instructions, and I liked it better. The crust in the oven cooked one was tough. Not a lot of chicken at least compared to the Boston Market version which is my favorite, but a nice selection of vegetables.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 139

Day 139, Friday, March 6, 2026 - Hueco Tanks State Park, El Paso, TX, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 4,807.3 Miles for the Trip.

52°F overnight, 61°F when I walked to the tour starting point, 74°F at noon, and the high for the day was 74°F, 67°F at 4:00.

I decided to walk to the tour start so by the time I got there I had done 1/2 of my daily walk. By the time I finished the tour and got back to the trailer I had done almost 4 miles. Most of the hike was on gravel paths, but there was some rock crawling and head ducking sections. Some photos from the tour:

More at today's LakeshoreImages page.

It was almost 1:00 by the time I got back to the trailer. Quite a bit of wind. I sat outside and it was too cool with the wind when in the shade, but too hot in the sun. Eventually, I moved into the trailer and started on this page. Still cool enough that the AC was not necessary. In fact, it got cool enough that by 4:00 I shut off the MAXX fan and just left a window & the fan cover cracked open. The wind also calmed down, but the entire site is in the shade so it feels cool at 67°F.

Dinner was one of my frozen leftovers - My chicken chili.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 137

 Day 137, Wednesday, March 4, 2026 - City of Rocks State Park, Faywood, NM, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 4,629.5 Miles for the Trip.

42°F overnight, 55°F for my morning walk, 72°F at noon, and the high for the day was 73°F.

Not as windy as yesterday, but fairly heavy clouds making it feel cool sitting outside.

Last night I finished C. J. Cherryh's Downbelow Station (The Company Wars #1), and started Dana Stabenow's Shugak #17 A Night Too Dark. I have 2 more of the Shugak books downloaded which will finish the series for me.

I attempted to reserve a couple of sites at Longbeach Conservation Area in Wellfleet, Ontario for a one night stop over on our way to the Algonac Rally in September. It seems that every year the site forgets my password and requests a new one. This time it failed to email me the new password link, would not let me change the dates on the reservation page, then told me my zip code & phone number were in the wrong format. Eventually, I logged on through my Apple credentials and managed to secure the sites for both of us. Since I was not able to talk to anyone and only was able to leave voice mail for the Bolerama reservations this July, I sure hope it worked. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent reading. I thought about a shower, but is is a longer walk than I'd like in shower shoes on gravel & shorts in the cool wind. On top of that, looking at the last time I used the showers here they were lukewarm, and the water so soft that it took forever to rinse. I'll hold off until tomorrow, hoping that the showers at Hueco Tanks are OK.

Here is a "Golden Hour" photo of the rocks on the hill behind my trailer.

I'm running on Verizon since I put the Starlink Mini antenna back in the trailer to save packing it up in tomorrow's cold morning predicted 42°F. Same with the water hose. I will use the electric overnight for heat...

Dinner was a Scott & Jon's Shrimp Scampi Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 136

Day 136, Tuesday, March 3, 2026 - City of Rocks State Park, Faywood, NM, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 4,629.5 Miles for the Trip.

52°F overnight, 61°F for my morning walk, 72°F at noon, and the high for the day was 73°F.

It is still fairly windy so sitting outside in the shade is too cool & in the sun too hot. I did sit out and read for a bit hiding under the shade of my chair.

Eventually the wind got strong enough that I headed inside. My weather app said 30MPH gusts. Not shaking the trailer, but not comfortable sitting.

I ran some speed tests on the internet here at the park. AT&T, while it shows one bar on my phone or modem does not do a connection to the internet. Verizon looks OK at 82.67Mbps down & 11.74Mbps up. Starlink came in the winner at 127.64Mbps down & 16.64Mbps up. 

Dinner was an Amy's Enchilada with Spanish Rice & Beans Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 135

Day 135, Monday, March 2, 2026 - City of Rocks State Park, Faywood, NM - 185.6 Miles, 4,629.5 Miles for the Trip.

49°F overnight, 59°F for my morning walk, 84°F at noon on the road, and the high for the day at City of Rocks was 83°F.

I climbed out of bed after my 7:00 eye drops (I usually go back to sleep for an hour or so) and called the Long Beach Conservation area in Wainfleet, Ontario to make reservations for the Guidos & me for the July Bolerama rally (today is the first day for reservations). I didn't get to talk to anyone but left a message. I hope we get the sites we asked for since some of them are pretty bad. All are either dry or 15 amp electric sites, with a few sharing a single 15 amp receptacle. I couldn't get back to sleep so I started an early day with lots of on line reading.

After packing up I headed out of Roper Lake at 10:00. The plan was to go through Silver City, NM to get to the City of Rocks State Park, but my GPS kept insisting that I go to Lordsburg to Deming to City of Rocks. I thought I fooled it, but soon discovered that I was 12 miles from Lordsburg so I followed the GPS.

I'm in site E6, an electric & water site since my favorite dry site #1 was already booked. Needed 2 1/2" side to side & 1/2" raise on the tongue. I don't plan on going anywhere so I left the truck attached. The site has a fire ring/grill & a picnic table with a large shade structure covering it. The site is fine gravel. Three nights at $35.00 per night plus a $10.00 reservation fee.

Site E6

I thought about setting out the hummingbird feeder and discovered that I left it at Roper Lake. Could be worse - after setting up I discovered a Jackery 100 watt solar panel against the wall around the picnic table. I told the hosts but they don't have a way to contact the previous folks in the site so it depends on how far they get before they find it missing to determine if it is worth coming back for it. I did discover that it makes a great wind screen for the grill, but I'll leave it in case the owner comes back for it.

City of Rocks is a pretty park. Here is a quick photo of some of the rocks. I'll probably do some more over the next two days.

Dinner was a grilled cheese brat & a salad.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 134

Day 134, Sunday, March 1, 2026 - Roper Lake State Park, Stafford, AZ , Day 2 - 0 Miles, 4,443.9 Miles for the Trip.

51°F overnight, 61°F for my morning walk, 80°F at noon, and the high for the day was 87°F.

A warm night although it cooled off towards morning. After my walk & breakfast I read on line for a bit. I set up my Starlink Mini since, while AT&T looked fast, at times it slowed to a crawl, and Verizon kept dropping my internet radio stations. Starlink - 195Mbps down & 67Mbps up. A first for me - I set it up, went to the alignment section of the app and it said it was perfect. Good guess!

A little before noon I headed to the Station Laundromat in Stafford, about a 6 mile drive. Clean, only 3X and up front loader washers and large dryers. $7.00 for a load in a 3X washer & $.25 per 4 minutes to dry. 40 minutes dried the washer load. Very little seating; I dug out one of my camp chairs and sat outside under the open roof. On the way back I stopped at a Walmart for milk & stuff. 

Back at the trailer I put the food away as well as the washing, then did my monthly update on my retirement & banking spreadsheets. After that it was sitting outside in the shade reading. While the hummingbird feeder is down a 1/2", I haven't seen one.

Around 4:30 I headed to the bathroom for a shower. 2 stalls, one disabled. I used the one with a 5" entry lip. A shelf well out of the way of the shower but both shower & drying area are the same room & level - no shower curtain. A low volume 3" shower head with adjustable water, plenty of hot water. Only one hook in the room. 3/4 of the floor gets wet but clothes on the bench stay dry. Overall, a B-.

Back at the trailer the sun was down enough to enjoy sitting out & reading until dinner.

Dinner was a Healthy Choice Sweet Sesame Chicken Bowl.

Until Next Time -