The Other Side of Texas

Our month-long stay at Betty’s RV Park in Abbeville, LA was a lot of fun, and we hated to say farewell to all the people with whom we shared our first Mardi Gras celebration. We departed on Feb. 21 among a group of friends hugging, saying goodbye and safe travels, and trading calling cards with a promise to stay in touch.

When we reached the eastern border of Texas we were reminded of just how far it is across this great state - 880 miles!

Our first stop was the Escapees RV Club’s Headquarters, Rainbow’s End, in Livingston, TX. We stayed on Dennis & Carol Hill’s lot while they are in Arizona, and had a nice chat with neighbors Beth & Wayne Roberts. – Thanks again, Carol & Dennis!

It was a brief 2-night stay and we departed early on Monday morning for an appointment at West RV to solve the mystery of the wiring from the motorhome to the towed car (toad). They found a couple of problems, both in the car and the cable, solved them both in about an hour, and the charge was for less than an hour’s labor. We always recommend West to other RVers, and this visit reinforced our faith in them.

Our next stop was Spring Branch, TX to visit Pete & Jo Peters, who own a beautiful home there with a nice deck and rocking chairs, but it was too cold for us to sit outside.

They have two RV spots, one for their rig…

…and one for guests, where Larry & Marilyn Forbes parked as they got there a few days ahead of us.

We got the “overflow” parking at a neighbor’s place. Still a nice spot with full hookups, and the price was right! Thanks again, Jo & Pete!

We shared happy hour inside with the (electric) fireplace roaring and comfy chairs for everyone. I think the cat had the best seat in the house, though.

We had burgers at a local place the first night, along with Harrell and Tommie Sue Hicks, whom we hadn’t seen for a few years…

…then we and the Peters and Forbes had a nice “down home” dinner at the Antler Café the next night.

Our brief stay was over too soon, and we continued on our way across Texas, staying at a Passport America park in Ft. Stockton. The Forbes met us there, and as we drove toward a Mexican restaurant for dinner, Robert & Diana Knight caught up with us. So it was six for dinner at Alfredo’s with good food and lots of great conversation and laughs.

We were on the road again the next day, this time crossing the western border of Texas and continuing on to Deming, NM and meeting up with the Forbes again. It was so cold, I bundled up to try to stay warm. The dash heater on our coach couldn’t keep up with the cold air all around, and even though the air coming out of the dash vents was warm, it mixed with colder air a foot or so away and I was still freezing! Don had to capture my “snow bunny” look!

We and the Forbes took a day to drive south from Deming to Columbus, NM and Las Palomas, MX for a great Mexican lunch and to bring back a few liters (one each) of liquor. When we left on Feb. 28 the weather started warming up as we moved further away from the cold front that was moving east. It was nice to be more comfortable and to see desert mountains and cactus again.

Although Arizona isn’t our “home” we do have a fondness for the desert weather and ambiance. And those great southwest sunsets, of which I plan to capture more pictures soon.

It’s always nice to return to our RV lot at Cochise Terrace Resort in Benson, and we’re happy to see everything looking good after our long absence.

We departed from here last year on April 28, and returned exactly 10 months later on February 28. We drove over 11,000 miles and spent an overall average of $3.97 per gallon of diesel, which is a tad bit high because of 3 months in Canada where we paid over $5 per gallon. We’re sure happy to see fuel prices drop under $3.00/gallon and hope it stays that way! Am I dreaming?