We had booked our trip for Arkansas many months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we still had our vacation time approved, it wasn't until the last minute that we knew whether we were going to be able to travel or not (either of our employers could have cancelled vacations if the surge happened). Even when we knew we could go, we had to contend with the shelter-in-place orders of several different states on the way to (and including) Arkansas.
Day 1 - We left early Thursday 4/10 and drove 14 hours to my mom's house in Arizona. There was some weather between Bakersfield and Barstow that added a couple of hours to our initial drive and we arrived around 7 pm. We had a nice visit that evening and breakfast in the morning. We left around 9 am and headed to our next stop, Sante Fe, NM.
Day 2 - After about 8 hours of driving, we arrived at the KOA campground in Sante Fe, NM. The NM COVID orders allowed RV camping (only self-contained, as the shower and bathroom facilities were closed). The hosts were very pleasant and there was a nice fenced dog run where our two boys could run.
Day 3 - On Saturday we left early (around 6 am) and started the long 10 hour drive to Oklahoma City, OK. We were familiar with this particular route on I40 from our trip in 2018. It is long, straight, flat, and very windy. After a long, uneventful day, we arrived at the KOA campground in the east side of OKC. Again, the facility was experiencing similar COVID orders and there were very few RVs camping. We had a nice rest and let the dogs run in a fenced area. However - during the evening we experienced a very sever thunderstorm passing through the area.
Day 4 - Sunday presented a shorter leg of our trip, but a second thunderstorm system was following the one from the night before. Looking at the weather app's radar, another storm from the south was going to join this one about the time we would arrive in Arkansas. We made haste and left early, trying to stay ahead of the storm. We were nearly to Conway, AR when our first rain started. Our route took us north from here and we missed most of the storm during the drive. We had booked a couple of nights at the Ozark RV Park in Mountain View, AR. The storm finally hit that night and it had lost much of its intensity. This was the last weather we had during our trip. The RV Park was very pleasant and had very few RVs camping.
Day 5 - On Monday, we drove on Highway 66 west toward Highway 65. We looked around Clinton, AR, and headed north to St. Joe (to look at some properties. We moved our reservation for this night to the Gilbert RV park near the Buffalo River National Park. We were one of three RVs camping that night.
Day 6 - We headed north on Highway 65 on Tuesday, heading through Berryville and had a reservation at the KOA in Eureka Springs, AR. This area normally was a bustling resort town, but due to COVID it was nearly deserted. The RV park was nice and the dogs got another change to run around in a fenced area.
Day 7 - On Wednesday, we headed around the north side of Beaver Lake, through Rogers, Bentonville, and Fayetteville. We had reservations at the Hog Valley RV and Treehouse Resort. This was a relatively new RV park and there was active construction. However, the hosts were very nice and we had a nice stay.
Days 8 - 11 - On Thursday, we made the decision to head home a little early. We have viewed several different properties throughout the Ozarks (at least from the roads) and got a real feel for the different areas in which we would like to see more properties in the upcoming months. Rather than stay a few more nights, we hit the road. We headed back to the KOA in OKC, then to the KOA in Sante Fe, then back to my mom's house. We drove 12 hours on Sunday and returned home later that evening.
Thoughts from our trip:
1) We definitely know we would like to buy raw land and build the house to our own specifications
2) We like the St. Joe area and other areas close to the Buffalo or White Rivers
3) There was a very nice Mercedes Dealership in Bentonville (we had our brakes and tires checked for the long trip home).
4) Finding a good place to stop and get diesel or have lunch (our own food in our RV) is not easy in the Desert areas (New Mexico, Arizona, California). Finding fuel is easy, but we like to use a phone app to pay (don't trust the card readers at the pumps). The truck stops seem to be the best places (logistically), like Love's or Pilot/Flying J. However, the app doesn't let the user pay for diesel at the automobile pumps (have to use the Truck lanes). Love's only allows commercial drivers to pay with the app. We usually looked for a Shell, Chevron, or Exxon (apps that work very well).
5) Fuel prices outside of California were amazingly low. In Oklahoma and Arkansas, gas was about $1.30 a gallon and diesel was as low as $1.80 a gallon.
6) KOA parks were surprisingly nice places, as long as you aren't in the city.
7) During the entire trip, we practiced social distancing, wore masks when around others, and washed our hand prolifically. Other travelers didn't seem to practice these measures as well. The gas stations had the appropriate shielding and masks for employees but the travel centers had many travelers not using precautions.
8) For the very first time, we spent 10 nights and 11 days completely self contained. We slept, showered, toileted, and ate in our RV. It was good to "shelter" in our second home away from the masses.
Friday, April 24, 2020
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
February 2020 - San Simeon State Park
In February we took our first RV trip with just our two boys (Poodles Dexter and Atticus). We booked a spot in the San Simeon State park near Highway 1 on the coast. It was a parking spot with no hookups (or dump site) but it was very level and private. The only issue we had was the "quiet" hours were before 10am and after 8pm. Without electrical hookups, and needing the generator for coffee, it wasn't possible to brew in the morning. To avoid caffeine withdrawal, we brewed a pot the night before and heated in a pot over the gas stove (cowboy style). We parked in a lookout over the ocean and made our breakfast. Overall a nice trip.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Kitchen Remodel 2019
We decided in late 2018 that it was finally time to remodel our kitchen, laundry room, and 3rd bath (the wing of the house off the garage).
We started by asking friends/colleagues about contractors they would recommend. Our first contractor was recommended by a work friend. Contractor #1 met with us and discussed our desires. He left after measuring and stated he would get us a quote soon. A few weeks went by (this is around December 2018) and no work. We reached out but could not get in touch. We then started looking at some of the larger kitchen/bath remodel companies in the greater Sacramento area. We engaged two separate companies. One got back to us quickly but the price was very (VERY) high, in our opinion. The 2nd never finished giving us a quote for the entire job. This was in late-January 2018, early February 2019. Contractor #1 got back to us at this time, stating he had been sick. So - we continued working to get a quote. By March, nothing. We were very frustrated and on a whim, we stopped by The Home Depot and found they had the same quality of cabinets we had been looking for. The designer had many awards so we thought "Why not try them?". We also stopped by Lowe's just or comparison. Both of these box stores created similar quotes, but Home Depot had access to a contractor and Lowe's said we had to find our own. We went with Home Depot.
The design process went very well. However, we found that the price was going to be close to the very high quote we had received from the other remodel company. We then understood that the quality of cabinets, finishes, and appliances desired would be a higher cost than we anticipated. We met with the contractor and the designer on multiple occasions to finalize the design and by May 2019 we ordered our cabinets.
In mid-July, the cabinets arrived and took up our entire garage space. The contractor came by and inspected, finding that a few cabinets needed to be replaced before we started. This took a while and we didn't actually start the demolition until the first week of September. With our older home (circa 1962) we expected the job would require electrical and plumbing updates. Ultimately, the construction needed to take the space down to the studs. The construction was substantially completed in mid-November, but not finished. Throughout the construction, we had to order replacement cabinet pieces and our refrigerator cabinet facing was the longest delay. When we took over the space mid-November we still had a few panels that were ordered. The replacements came in late December, checked in early January - and were not correct. Needed to be re-ordered. The correct pieces finally came in late February and were installed in early March.
The process from inception to finish took more than a year and was not without hiccups. However - the finished product is very pleasing and we are glad we went with high-end finishes and appliances. Below is a slideshow of our construction progress from pre-construction to completion.
Kitchen Remodel Slideshow
We started by asking friends/colleagues about contractors they would recommend. Our first contractor was recommended by a work friend. Contractor #1 met with us and discussed our desires. He left after measuring and stated he would get us a quote soon. A few weeks went by (this is around December 2018) and no work. We reached out but could not get in touch. We then started looking at some of the larger kitchen/bath remodel companies in the greater Sacramento area. We engaged two separate companies. One got back to us quickly but the price was very (VERY) high, in our opinion. The 2nd never finished giving us a quote for the entire job. This was in late-January 2018, early February 2019. Contractor #1 got back to us at this time, stating he had been sick. So - we continued working to get a quote. By March, nothing. We were very frustrated and on a whim, we stopped by The Home Depot and found they had the same quality of cabinets we had been looking for. The designer had many awards so we thought "Why not try them?". We also stopped by Lowe's just or comparison. Both of these box stores created similar quotes, but Home Depot had access to a contractor and Lowe's said we had to find our own. We went with Home Depot.
The design process went very well. However, we found that the price was going to be close to the very high quote we had received from the other remodel company. We then understood that the quality of cabinets, finishes, and appliances desired would be a higher cost than we anticipated. We met with the contractor and the designer on multiple occasions to finalize the design and by May 2019 we ordered our cabinets.
In mid-July, the cabinets arrived and took up our entire garage space. The contractor came by and inspected, finding that a few cabinets needed to be replaced before we started. This took a while and we didn't actually start the demolition until the first week of September. With our older home (circa 1962) we expected the job would require electrical and plumbing updates. Ultimately, the construction needed to take the space down to the studs. The construction was substantially completed in mid-November, but not finished. Throughout the construction, we had to order replacement cabinet pieces and our refrigerator cabinet facing was the longest delay. When we took over the space mid-November we still had a few panels that were ordered. The replacements came in late December, checked in early January - and were not correct. Needed to be re-ordered. The correct pieces finally came in late February and were installed in early March.
The process from inception to finish took more than a year and was not without hiccups. However - the finished product is very pleasing and we are glad we went with high-end finishes and appliances. Below is a slideshow of our construction progress from pre-construction to completion.
Kitchen Remodel Slideshow
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Dee Dee (DeDe)
December 30, 2019 we said a surprise goodbye to our little girl, Dee Dee. She was 9 years old (way to young) and died from advanced, undetected cancer. While we had just a brief moment with her (less than 6 months) - she became part of our pack/family and we miss her dearly. She was a sweet, loving, little girl and we will miss her.
Tribute Video for Dee Dee
Tribute Video for Dee Dee
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Lula Mae
In July we said goodbye to our little girl, Lula Mae. Nearly 14 1/2 years with us, and such a wonderful life we had with her. She will be dearly missed. She passed in her daddy's arms at home and will always be with us in spirit.
Lula's Memorial Video
Lula's Memorial Video
Sunday, July 14, 2019
2019 - July
It's hard to believe it has been so long since we have updated our blog. Life has been very busy over the last 9 months. Where to begin.....
Prior to our October trip last year, Holly's mom had a recurrence of cancer from 9 years previous. It was a very tough road but we're pleased to say that she has beat it again! It was a long winter and spring, but she got through it. During the ordeal we all decided it would be best to move them closer to us in the event either parent was sick again. So in the late spring we helped them find and buy a home and are now in the process of selling their old home.
In November we decided to finally work on remodeling our kitchen. After many months, several different contractors, and a lot of leg work, we are finally approaching the delivery of our cabinets which will be followed by the demolition and complete remodel of our kitchen, mud room, and 3rd bathroom. Fun times ahead!
After our October trip, and due to the aforementioned issues, we took a few months off from traveling. It wasn't until March that we were able to get back on the road, and we were so glad to get out there again.
2019 - March - Still Water Cove, California
In late March we headed up the California Coast to visit a location that had personal historic significance for us. 46 years ago, Holly's oldest brother died in his early 20's while diving. It was at this Still Water Cove location that the tragedy had occurred. As an homage to he brother, we decided to visit this place for the first time. We booked an RV site (no hookups) at the Stillwater Cove Regional Park. The location is 26 miles north of Bodega Bay up Highway 1. It takes nearly an hour to traverse the steep and winding road, there is no cell signal or services, but the views were spectacular.
The park was all but deserted and very quiet. Even thought Highway 1 was relatively close, there was little traffic at night to cause much noise. As we were boon-docking, we had to conserve water and run our generator when time to cook. Our spot was fairly level too!
There was a nearby trail that took us under the highway and right to the beach area. This is the area we are told her brother was last seen.
There are signs at this beach declaring it the "Most Dangerous Beach in California". There are rip tides, Great White Sharks, and lots of hidden rocks. It was a trip of reflection as well as relaxation.
2019 - April - Yosemite
Last year our planned trip to Yosemite was thwarted due to the Yosemite fires and associated smoke. We decided to try again. We also decided to join the Thousand Trail club for RV parks. It is a membership-based club with which membership includes the RV reservation at the many sites associated with Thousand Trails. We will trial it for the year we paid, then see if it is worth the money.
We booked the Yosemite Lakes RV Campground in Groveland, CA. In the member area, it is a first-come basis for the RV spots. We found a decent spot the first night and changed to a little better spot the next day (a little closer to the creek). There was no cell signal but there was wifi at the clubhouse for a quick check-in with the world (and Holly's parents).
Prior to our October trip last year, Holly's mom had a recurrence of cancer from 9 years previous. It was a very tough road but we're pleased to say that she has beat it again! It was a long winter and spring, but she got through it. During the ordeal we all decided it would be best to move them closer to us in the event either parent was sick again. So in the late spring we helped them find and buy a home and are now in the process of selling their old home.
In November we decided to finally work on remodeling our kitchen. After many months, several different contractors, and a lot of leg work, we are finally approaching the delivery of our cabinets which will be followed by the demolition and complete remodel of our kitchen, mud room, and 3rd bathroom. Fun times ahead!
After our October trip, and due to the aforementioned issues, we took a few months off from traveling. It wasn't until March that we were able to get back on the road, and we were so glad to get out there again.
2019 - March - Still Water Cove, California
In late March we headed up the California Coast to visit a location that had personal historic significance for us. 46 years ago, Holly's oldest brother died in his early 20's while diving. It was at this Still Water Cove location that the tragedy had occurred. As an homage to he brother, we decided to visit this place for the first time. We booked an RV site (no hookups) at the Stillwater Cove Regional Park. The location is 26 miles north of Bodega Bay up Highway 1. It takes nearly an hour to traverse the steep and winding road, there is no cell signal or services, but the views were spectacular.
The park was all but deserted and very quiet. Even thought Highway 1 was relatively close, there was little traffic at night to cause much noise. As we were boon-docking, we had to conserve water and run our generator when time to cook. Our spot was fairly level too!
There was a nearby trail that took us under the highway and right to the beach area. This is the area we are told her brother was last seen.
There are signs at this beach declaring it the "Most Dangerous Beach in California". There are rip tides, Great White Sharks, and lots of hidden rocks. It was a trip of reflection as well as relaxation.
2019 - April - Yosemite
Last year our planned trip to Yosemite was thwarted due to the Yosemite fires and associated smoke. We decided to try again. We also decided to join the Thousand Trail club for RV parks. It is a membership-based club with which membership includes the RV reservation at the many sites associated with Thousand Trails. We will trial it for the year we paid, then see if it is worth the money.
We booked the Yosemite Lakes RV Campground in Groveland, CA. In the member area, it is a first-come basis for the RV spots. We found a decent spot the first night and changed to a little better spot the next day (a little closer to the creek). There was no cell signal but there was wifi at the clubhouse for a quick check-in with the world (and Holly's parents).
The sites had full hookups at our two locations. We made camp and relaxed the first evening. We broke camp early the next morning and headed into the Yosemite Valley for a dog-friendly hike at the Lower Yosemite Falls.
Overall a very relaxing trip! It has been many years since either of us has visited. It was a bonus because it was early in the season and not too crowded.
2019 - June - Sunflower RV Resort, Emmigrant Gap, CA
We took May off (due to the aforementioned Parent move) and were back at it in June. We knew that with our impending kitchen remodel we wouldn't be on the road in July and August. We booked another Thousand Trails location just an hour up I80 from Roseville.
The location was far enough from the freeway to be peaceful and quiet. It was relatively busy, however. We did find a spot that ended up being one of the best in the area! We had a relatively unobstructed view of the lake from inside our RV. There were nice trails to hike with the dogs and the weather was perfect! I had to use level blocks on one side, but the spot was otherwise very nice. There was electricity and water but no sewer. Fortunately, there is a convenient dump station as you leave the area. One note (and this was a first for us) - they ask for proof of registration and insurance on all vehicles staying at the property...so be prepared. Also - the manager's office is quite a hike from the RV spots.
That's it for now!! We plan a trip back to Arkansas sometime in September.....more "Retirement Tour Research"
Sunday, October 28, 2018
October 2018 - Arkansas Trip
In October, 2018 - we took our longest RV trip to date. We had talked about visiting the "Hill Country" in Texas (Fredericksburg, Austin, etc.) and I've visited Northwest Arkansas on a few occasions by myself. So we decided to make it in one trip.
Day 1 - Roseville, CA to Blythe, CA - 626 miles; 9 hours driving
We were ready to go when we went to bed at home Thursday October 4. Our goal was to be on the road by 5am on Friday and we made it. With stops for fuel and let the dogs relieve themselves, we had about 11 hours on the road. We checked into our hotel in Blythe around 4pm and settled in for the night. The hotel (Clarion Inn) was barely passable for us, but we were able to park our RV right outside our door to give us a little more peace of mind. On the long drive days, Holly and I agreed to share the driving load somewhat. We started with me driving 3 hours and then she would drive for 1 hour. This worked well, giving me a much needed break from the wheel.
Day 2 - Blythe, CA to El Paso, TX - 586 miles; 8 hours driving
We hit the road early again, waking up around 3:30 am and on the road by 4 am. After another 10 hours on the road, we pulled into our hotel in El Paso by around 2 pm. We settled into our hotel, had dinner and went to bed early. The dogs traveled fabulously.
Day 3 - El Paso, TX to Fredericksburg, TX - 494 miles, 7 hours driving
We left early again, plus had the extra hour from transitioning from Pacific Time to Mountain Time. We left around 4 am Mountain time and arrived in Fredericksburg around 1pm. We had booked the Chalet at Barons Creekside. My dad and stepmom drove in from Houston earlier that day and we began our 2 day visit with them. My dad and I drove into Fredericksburg and ordered food to go from a local bar & grill. We were there on Sunday, the last day of a big Oktoberfest festival in Fredericksburg (a predominantly German-heritage town).
Day 4 - Fredericksburg, TX to Austin, TX - 78 miles; 1.5 hours driving
After checking out, we made the relatively short drive to Austin. On the way, we stopped at the Becker Vineyards tasting room just outside of Fredericksburg. After sampling some wines, we continued on to La Hacienda RV Resort. We had booked a cottage for my parents and an adjacent RV spot to the cottage. The resort was packed for October. The weather was a little rainy (scattered thunderstorms). Interestingly, the week after we left there was more rain and flooding that we missed. We went to dinner at a nearby restaurant (mediocre food) and then visited into the evening.
Day 5 - Austin, TX to Mt Pleasant, TX - 314 miles; 5 hours driving
We had breakfast together, checked out, said our goodbyes and headed out. There was a line of thunderstorms coming our was running all the way up through Dallas. We decided to detour in Waco and take a more easterly route to try to outrun the storms. It added about 45 minutes more to the drive but we were spared the downpours near Dallas. We arrived at the KOA site in Mt Pleasant around 2pm, checked in and settled in for the night. There was a nice fenced dog run to exercise the dogs and the location was very pleasant.
Day 6 - Mt Pleasant, TX to Russellville, AR - 234 miles; 4.5 hours driving
We had a more leisurely morning, stopped by the store to buy provisions, and took the northern route through the Ozarks. It was slow-going, but beautiful scenery. We were able to really get a sense of the Ozarks and the back-roads of Arkansas. We arrived at Lake Dardanelle State Park around 4pm (Central Time). The weather was sunny and calm. We couldn't have asked for better weather. There was a hiking trail and we exercised the dogs.
Day 7 - Lake Dardanelle State Park. - No driving
We spent another relaxing day, enjoying the weather and the lake. We finally shook off the "jet lag" of the long drives and time changes and really began to relax. There were a lot of boaters at this lake. Apparently, it is one of the best fishing lakes around. In fact, when we left the next day - we counted more than 100 boat trailers parked as there was a fishing tournament underway. At the RV park, we noticed a lot of different types of RV's. From B and C class to the huge A class and a lot of travel trailers. However - there was one type that just didn't look right. It was the type of RV that you put in the bed of a truck (seen lots of them on the road). However - there was no truck! Sort of looks like a disembodied RV.
Day 8 - Russellville, AR to Cotter, AR - 116 miles; 2.5 hours driving
We took our time in the morning, having only about 3 hours on the road to Cotter. We took the scenic route, and while it was very scenic - the road was not friendly to RV's. Thankfully, our Mercedes Chassis could handle the steep inclines/declines and hairpin turns. Anything larger would have been a no-go. That is one of the main gripes I have with Google Maps. It may show the "fastest" route, but doesn't take into consideration the size of the vehicle on the road. After about an hour of white-knuckle driving through the mountains we were on a more suitable highway. We arrived at Denton Ferry RV site, on the bank of the White River. The location was beautiful, but we were losing our sunny days, giving way to rain showers.
Day 9 - Cotter, AR to Tulsa, OK - 219 miles; 4 hours driving
Now - I must note, we were booked for 2 nights in Cotter and would have been here all day 9 and leave day 10. However, the rain was increasing and there was no sign of slowing. Additionally, more weather was forming through the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma, including freezing weather in Amarillo (where we were going to stay Day 10). So - we got online and cancelled our hotel in Amarillo, booked a night in Tulsa, and headed out around 11 am to leave Arkansas. We arrived in Tulsa in the mid-afternoon and were booked at the Double Tree hotel (uptown). The hotel was in a business park in uptown Tulsa. The problem was, there was a parking garage into which we were too tall to fit. We were able to utilize a valet parking lot, which helped a lot. We had dinner at the hotel and settled in.
Day 10 - Tulsa, OK to Albuquerque, NM - 647 miles; 9.25 hours driving
This was probably the longest and most unpleasant leg of our journey. Going across western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle proved to be near-freezing temperatures and up to 30 mph winds. We were glad we made the change as the temperature that night was to be around 24 degrees in Amarillo. It was around 36 degrees in the afternoon. We arrived in Albuquerque in the late afternoon, found a good parking spot (Homewood Suites - uptown), went to BJ's restaurant for dinner, and got some rest.
Day 11 - Albuquerque, NM to Williams, AZ - 359 miles; 5 hours driving
We went shopping in the morning, re-supplying at the Sam's Club before heading out. The drive was uneventful, except for a fuel stop in New Mexico that felt unsafe. There were several locals going car-to-car looking for hand-outs at the fuel station. We fueled up and drove to a nearby hotel parking lot to eat our lunch. The locals then followed us so we moved down the road a few miles to eat.
We arrived at my mom's house in Williams in the mid-afternoon and began our visit. The temperature was dropping and while it wasn't technically freezing, there were snow flurries that day/night. Our Rig held up nicely in the colder weather.
Day 12 - Williams, AZ to Kingman, AZ - 114 miles; 1.75 hours driving
The next day, we had breakfast with my parents and visited. In the afternoon we went to a late lunch at Bearazona, a really nice park that had local animals (bears, panthers, otters, etc.). It continued to snow without sticking to the ground. We began to worry about ice in the morning for our long drive home. So we decided that afternoon to head down the mountain and spend the night at a lower elevation in Kingman. We found a hotel and settled in. One more night on the road.
Day 13 - Kingman, AZ to Home! 629 miles; 9.5 hours driving
Our last day on the road was uneventful. There was no wind to speak of in the desert that morning. We took I40 to highway 58, to highway 99. In Stockton, we moved over to I5 to have a little better road to drive on. We arrived home that evening.
Overall, it was a wonderful trip. We saw a lot and really got to know our RV very well. 13 days and 4,200 miles on this trip. We learned a few things. First, our RV (which we love) is great for trips where we only stay a day or two at a location. If we were staying in one place for more than a few days, perhaps a larger RV would work better with a towed vehicle. Second, we learned how difficult it is with three dogs in wet weather. Taking them out for bathroom duties and then back in was an ordeal, to assure they didn't track water and/or mud into the Rig. Finally - we learned to be flexible with our plans. Leaving earlier than expected saved us some weather issues. We were also prepared to extend our trip if needed, as we had a few days left of our time off from work by the time we arrived home.
Day 1 - Roseville, CA to Blythe, CA - 626 miles; 9 hours driving
We were ready to go when we went to bed at home Thursday October 4. Our goal was to be on the road by 5am on Friday and we made it. With stops for fuel and let the dogs relieve themselves, we had about 11 hours on the road. We checked into our hotel in Blythe around 4pm and settled in for the night. The hotel (Clarion Inn) was barely passable for us, but we were able to park our RV right outside our door to give us a little more peace of mind. On the long drive days, Holly and I agreed to share the driving load somewhat. We started with me driving 3 hours and then she would drive for 1 hour. This worked well, giving me a much needed break from the wheel.Day 2 - Blythe, CA to El Paso, TX - 586 miles; 8 hours driving
We hit the road early again, waking up around 3:30 am and on the road by 4 am. After another 10 hours on the road, we pulled into our hotel in El Paso by around 2 pm. We settled into our hotel, had dinner and went to bed early. The dogs traveled fabulously.Day 3 - El Paso, TX to Fredericksburg, TX - 494 miles, 7 hours driving
We left early again, plus had the extra hour from transitioning from Pacific Time to Mountain Time. We left around 4 am Mountain time and arrived in Fredericksburg around 1pm. We had booked the Chalet at Barons Creekside. My dad and stepmom drove in from Houston earlier that day and we began our 2 day visit with them. My dad and I drove into Fredericksburg and ordered food to go from a local bar & grill. We were there on Sunday, the last day of a big Oktoberfest festival in Fredericksburg (a predominantly German-heritage town).
Day 4 - Fredericksburg, TX to Austin, TX - 78 miles; 1.5 hours driving
After checking out, we made the relatively short drive to Austin. On the way, we stopped at the Becker Vineyards tasting room just outside of Fredericksburg. After sampling some wines, we continued on to La Hacienda RV Resort. We had booked a cottage for my parents and an adjacent RV spot to the cottage. The resort was packed for October. The weather was a little rainy (scattered thunderstorms). Interestingly, the week after we left there was more rain and flooding that we missed. We went to dinner at a nearby restaurant (mediocre food) and then visited into the evening.Day 5 - Austin, TX to Mt Pleasant, TX - 314 miles; 5 hours driving
We had breakfast together, checked out, said our goodbyes and headed out. There was a line of thunderstorms coming our was running all the way up through Dallas. We decided to detour in Waco and take a more easterly route to try to outrun the storms. It added about 45 minutes more to the drive but we were spared the downpours near Dallas. We arrived at the KOA site in Mt Pleasant around 2pm, checked in and settled in for the night. There was a nice fenced dog run to exercise the dogs and the location was very pleasant.
Day 6 - Mt Pleasant, TX to Russellville, AR - 234 miles; 4.5 hours driving
We had a more leisurely morning, stopped by the store to buy provisions, and took the northern route through the Ozarks. It was slow-going, but beautiful scenery. We were able to really get a sense of the Ozarks and the back-roads of Arkansas. We arrived at Lake Dardanelle State Park around 4pm (Central Time). The weather was sunny and calm. We couldn't have asked for better weather. There was a hiking trail and we exercised the dogs.Day 7 - Lake Dardanelle State Park. - No drivingWe spent another relaxing day, enjoying the weather and the lake. We finally shook off the "jet lag" of the long drives and time changes and really began to relax. There were a lot of boaters at this lake. Apparently, it is one of the best fishing lakes around. In fact, when we left the next day - we counted more than 100 boat trailers parked as there was a fishing tournament underway. At the RV park, we noticed a lot of different types of RV's. From B and C class to the huge A class and a lot of travel trailers. However - there was one type that just didn't look right. It was the type of RV that you put in the bed of a truck (seen lots of them on the road). However - there was no truck! Sort of looks like a disembodied RV.Day 8 - Russellville, AR to Cotter, AR - 116 miles; 2.5 hours driving
We took our time in the morning, having only about 3 hours on the road to Cotter. We took the scenic route, and while it was very scenic - the road was not friendly to RV's. Thankfully, our Mercedes Chassis could handle the steep inclines/declines and hairpin turns. Anything larger would have been a no-go. That is one of the main gripes I have with Google Maps. It may show the "fastest" route, but doesn't take into consideration the size of the vehicle on the road. After about an hour of white-knuckle driving through the mountains we were on a more suitable highway. We arrived at Denton Ferry RV site, on the bank of the White River. The location was beautiful, but we were losing our sunny days, giving way to rain showers.
Day 9 - Cotter, AR to Tulsa, OK - 219 miles; 4 hours driving
Now - I must note, we were booked for 2 nights in Cotter and would have been here all day 9 and leave day 10. However, the rain was increasing and there was no sign of slowing. Additionally, more weather was forming through the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma, including freezing weather in Amarillo (where we were going to stay Day 10). So - we got online and cancelled our hotel in Amarillo, booked a night in Tulsa, and headed out around 11 am to leave Arkansas. We arrived in Tulsa in the mid-afternoon and were booked at the Double Tree hotel (uptown). The hotel was in a business park in uptown Tulsa. The problem was, there was a parking garage into which we were too tall to fit. We were able to utilize a valet parking lot, which helped a lot. We had dinner at the hotel and settled in.
Day 10 - Tulsa, OK to Albuquerque, NM - 647 miles; 9.25 hours driving
This was probably the longest and most unpleasant leg of our journey. Going across western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle proved to be near-freezing temperatures and up to 30 mph winds. We were glad we made the change as the temperature that night was to be around 24 degrees in Amarillo. It was around 36 degrees in the afternoon. We arrived in Albuquerque in the late afternoon, found a good parking spot (Homewood Suites - uptown), went to BJ's restaurant for dinner, and got some rest.
Day 11 - Albuquerque, NM to Williams, AZ - 359 miles; 5 hours driving
We went shopping in the morning, re-supplying at the Sam's Club before heading out. The drive was uneventful, except for a fuel stop in New Mexico that felt unsafe. There were several locals going car-to-car looking for hand-outs at the fuel station. We fueled up and drove to a nearby hotel parking lot to eat our lunch. The locals then followed us so we moved down the road a few miles to eat.
We arrived at my mom's house in Williams in the mid-afternoon and began our visit. The temperature was dropping and while it wasn't technically freezing, there were snow flurries that day/night. Our Rig held up nicely in the colder weather.
Day 12 - Williams, AZ to Kingman, AZ - 114 miles; 1.75 hours driving
The next day, we had breakfast with my parents and visited. In the afternoon we went to a late lunch at Bearazona, a really nice park that had local animals (bears, panthers, otters, etc.). It continued to snow without sticking to the ground. We began to worry about ice in the morning for our long drive home. So we decided that afternoon to head down the mountain and spend the night at a lower elevation in Kingman. We found a hotel and settled in. One more night on the road.
Day 13 - Kingman, AZ to Home! 629 miles; 9.5 hours driving
Our last day on the road was uneventful. There was no wind to speak of in the desert that morning. We took I40 to highway 58, to highway 99. In Stockton, we moved over to I5 to have a little better road to drive on. We arrived home that evening.
Overall, it was a wonderful trip. We saw a lot and really got to know our RV very well. 13 days and 4,200 miles on this trip. We learned a few things. First, our RV (which we love) is great for trips where we only stay a day or two at a location. If we were staying in one place for more than a few days, perhaps a larger RV would work better with a towed vehicle. Second, we learned how difficult it is with three dogs in wet weather. Taking them out for bathroom duties and then back in was an ordeal, to assure they didn't track water and/or mud into the Rig. Finally - we learned to be flexible with our plans. Leaving earlier than expected saved us some weather issues. We were also prepared to extend our trip if needed, as we had a few days left of our time off from work by the time we arrived home.
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