Hello to all, we have a lot of catching up to do on our blog. We left the Rio Grande Valley March 30th. A very different place, hard to get used to some of its’ “attributes”. For instance the wind – OMG does it blow! – makes it hard to play golf. We did play golf at a couple of nice courses and got our games back on track. For Mary, personally, if she never eats Mexican Food or BBQ again, it will be too soon. Tom on the other had could eat it daily.
The good side of staying at Llano Grande for five months was no snow and all the nice people we met. Tom was able to play pool and start a small computer service. Mary learned how to make jewelry in a lapidary class as well as a beading class. She then found a place in McAllen where she learned to loom, knit and crochet. She is presently make hats for babies and homeless people who will be dropped off at shelters along the way.
We were three miles from Mexico so we visited Progress Nuevo a few times. Going to Mexico with all the vendors is best defined, “shopping for what you did not know you needed and then buy it”. Good thing storage is limited in our RV.
We made some nice, hopefully lasting friendships but we were ready to leave and explore new frontiers. I
Our first stop was the San Antonia area. We stayed in San Marcos, half-way between San Antonia & Austin. We visited Lyndon Johnson’s Library and ranch. The hill country is gorgeous! We visited the German community of Fredericksburg on a very crowded Saturday. Mary was so pumped to enjoy a dish of Sauerbraten. Alas after finally finding a parking place and a German Pub, no Sauerbraten on the menu – bummer. The ride to get there was once again through the hill country with spectacular views. In San Antonio we visited the Alamo, did the river walk boat ride and met our new-found friends for dinner before we all took off in separate directions for the summer.
Our next stop was New Orleans where we camped out on Lake Ponchartrain. The shuttle took us to the French Quarter where we met Allison, (Tom’s daughter) and her friend for lunch. French Quarter Fest was in full swing with all the different music venues. We had a short but nice visit. We left Sunday morning for Vicksburg, MS, spending a couple of days there getting caught up on laundry etc., then moving on to Little Rock ,AR.
We needed to have minor repairs done on our RV at Mayflower RV/Auto Center in Sherwood, AR. These people were great and the hospitality was warm and welcoming during our three-day stay. We took in the Bill Clinton Presidential Library, trolley car tour of the area and some great fried oysters and catfish.
We moved on to Branson, MO. where we are now. A white knuckle ride to say the least pulling our 8 ton 5th wheel through the two lane roads of the Ozark Mountains. A very beautiful area but “hilly” is putting it mildly. Branson area is also very hilly and getting to our RV park was another white knuckle challenge. It is also very beautiful here away from the “strip” where there are lots of entertainment venues. Downtown is full of shops and eateries. Tee shirts and lapel pins purchased to mark another destination visited. We are T-Shirt rich! Today friends we met this winter who live here in MO., are meeting us for a show and dinner. We will leave Tues. morning heading to Kansas City and a Royals ballgame.
To this point, we have seen some beautiful places and met many nice folks. We are happy with our decision to “roam” and experience a new lifestyle.
Hi Tom & Mary. Love seeing your updates on your blog. I’m so glad you had a great winter in Texas. We miss you but are very happy you are enjoying your adventures!