Tom Sawyer RV Park - West Memphis, AR

Thursday, November 29, 2012
Hope Village Inn and RV park Hope, AR 32 degrees and sunny. Right next to interstatr thirty, and we did not have any traffic noise.  A long drive today two hundred and forty-five miles to Tom Sawyer RV Park, Buster moving at nine o’clock today. Buster stopped at flying J to take a drink before parking.

Buster at Hope, AR

Tom Sawyer RV Park - West Memphis, AR 58 degrees and sunny. Since we left the ranch on the eighth we have been east of the Pecos River and now buster is parked on the west bank of the Mississippi River. In 08 we stayed in Memphis down from the Elvis Presley house. This year I wanted to be on the river. And there is no chance of flooding this time of year.

Buster parked at Tom Sawyer RV Park - West Memphis

After dinner Bonnie and I drove into Memphis to see the Christmas lights at Graceland
(Elvis’s house) well that was an experience. Interstate fifty-five makes a quick right after crossing the river and we went straight not realizing this at the time as we were talking and looking around at the sights before us. After a while of driving I pulled over to re program the GPS we did get there (Graceland). The lights were nice but no pictures today because we did not stop.

 

 

 

 

Hope Village Inn and RV park Hope, AR

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Palestine, TX 28 degrees and partly sunny. The goal today is Arkansas, Texarkana, Arkansas, finally done with Texas for this trip. A nice travel day for Buster, for me not so much as my plans went out the window. The address for the Walmart diesel I had programed into Garmin was no good. Trying to find a spot to sit Buster and do any research was also difficult to find. Finally I used the points of interest (POI) and found Walmart a mile and a half a way. Diesel was $3.689 a gallon I drained the gift card again.

Buster at Palestine, TX

Same problem with the campground I selected, then I went to the GPS coordinates and still did not like the location. I really wanted was my computer and map to research, but they were packed away in the cabinet. Did another POI search for campgrounds and found one thirty one miles further as it was only after one o’clock why not go another thirty miles today. It will shorten the next day’s travel, which was planed as a long day’s travel, all across Arkansas.

SR 155

Hope Village Inn and RV park Hope, AR 58 degrees and sunny, part of a motel but we are only overnighting here not squatting for a while. Buster had a sunny days travel over hilly country on mostly four lane roads with light traffic. Two hundred and eight miles today starting about nine-thirty today.

Hwy 155 RV Park Palestine, TX

Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX 52 degrees and mostly cloudy to clearing.

Walmart Gas

On the road again, traveling today headed northeast for the day’s drive. Cloudy and windy for the morning as Bonnie and I got started about nine o’clock, early for us. With the clouds and driving east I did not need the sunglasses. Two hundred miles for Buster over mostly skinny roads. It is tight for Buster and the little bugs zooming around .

Hwy 155 RV Park Palestine, TX

Hwy 155 RV Park Palestine, TX 60 degrees and partly sunny, two hundred miles today for buster. Stopped at Walmart in Palestine for Buster’s diesel $3.659 a gallon best price I paid since January in Arizona.

Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX = last day

Monday, November 26, 2012
Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX 56 degrees and partly cloudy to clearing 82 degrees and partly sunny.

I was up and out early to give the dog's the first out today. Then there was the dogs breakfast to fix, I have learned and worked on the breakfast while they were out and the breakfast was ready when I let them in.

Buster and Silver Sally at Sunset RV Resort

Bonnie and I took the dogs to th dog park today, they were getting cabin fever, we thru the toss toy but not much as they are older now with hip problems.

Thinking back to Thursday when I talked of the dew being heavy, in Mew Mexico I would have thought there was a rain over night with that much water in the car.

Carole Jackie and Avery came back this afternoon we left early to let them settle in after their trip and get ready for the week.

Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX - sat & sun

Saturday, November 24, 2012
Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX 47 degrees and mostly sunny to 64 degrees and partly sunny.

I was up and out early to give the dog's the first out today. Then there was the dogs breakfast to fix, I have learned and worked on the breakfast while they were out and the breakfast was ready when I let them in.

College football and that’s about all we did today. I did more computer work for the continuing trip east. I make a condensed list of the campgrounds and places we expect to stop at like where I will fuel Buster and grocery for Bonnie and I. I make a calendar month planner to see where our plan is going.


Sunday, November 25, 2012

Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX 37 degrees and mostly cloudy to clearing 76 degrees mostly sunny and windy. The wind gusts are not as sharp in the as in New Mexico.

I was up and out early to give the dog's the first out today. Then there was the dogs breakfast to fix, I have learned and worked on the breakfast while they were out and the breakfast was ready when I let them in.

NFL football today with the dogs.

Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX - plans

Friday, November 23, 2012
Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX 50 degrees and partly cloudy to clearing 71 degrees and cloudy. The dew this morning was not as heavy as yesterday.

I was up and out early to give the dog's the first out today. Then there was the dogs breakfast to fix four eye’s watching very intently.

Bonnie and I went over after stopping at the grocery store, we were no where near a big box store today. Then to give the dogs another out/ I am working on a change to our trip plan as we have a couple of new ideas. I am planning to go thru Memphis, TN to see the Elvis Presley mansion at night lite up for Christmas.

Buster's States Visited Map

There is a need to up date our Buster's States Visited map and Kentucky is the plan. To close the hole there and satisfy my daughter Christine. We also will visit the Escapees Raccoon Valley RV Park north of Knoxville, TN.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to ecerone

Wednesday & Thursday
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX 51 degrees and mostly sunny 78 degrees and mostly sunny.

The dog day’s of November are here. Bonnie and I are dog sitting while Carole Jackie and Avery are traveling. They left early this morning so the dog’ were out early with them. Bonnie and I went over mid morning to let them out next.

The Big boy's

Thursday, November 22, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone

Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX 46 degrees and mostly cloudy to clearing 80 degrees and partly sunny. Heavy do this morning, first one I have seen in a long time.4

SHHH Lucy is sleeping

I was up and out early to give the dog’s the first out today. THEN there was the dogs breakfast. I came back to Buster for most of the morning then Bonnie and I went over and cooked and had dinner there with the big boys.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX 41 degrees and mostly sunny 80 degrees and sunny.

Bonnie and I stopped in at Carole’s after school visiting for a while. Real nice day to be outside, exciting day.

Some pictures of Avery goofing around.

 

Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX -

Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX 38 degrees and mostly sunny to 74 degrees and mostly sunny.

Bonnie and I rested in the morning and later in the early afternoon we went to the H E B grocery store getting the fixings for thanksgiving. We met Carole Jackie and Avery at the park in Bee Cave after shopping. Avery’s neighbor came also with them riding bicycles while we played Mexican Train. We will be dog and cat sitting over the holiday weekend as they are going on a trip.

Some more pictures from Saturday

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Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX - Natural Bridge Caverns

Saturday, November 17, 2012
Sunset RV Resort - Austin, TX 31 degrees and partly cloudy to clearing 69 degrees and mostly sunny.

The Bridge is behind the tree

Bonnie and I got up latter today taking it east after yesterday’s run for Buster’s tires. Carole called saying today "Natural Bridge Caverns" (26515 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd, San Antonio, TX 78266) is the day’s plan and what a day.

Our tour going down

We came down here

Avery and our guides

We all took the Discovery Tour (Tour duration about seventy-five minutes with a walking distance of three quarters of a mile length going down and back up one hundred and eighty feet. Inside the cave it is seventy degrees and ninety nine percent humidity (warm) and you are working hard on the climbing out.



There is a nice paved walkway with hand rails and benches to sit and rest. We had a great tour guide who did a great job with questions.

Carole & Bonnie

Carole and Avery did the Canopy Challenge & Zip Lines after the Discovery Tour to fill out the afternoon. From Carole’s house about a seventy-five mile trip each way.

Carole

Avery

Avery

Avery & Carole

Bonnie Jackie & Avery

 

Friday, November 16, 2012

Pace Bend RV Park - Austin, TX 53 degrees and partly cloudy to clearing 68 degrees and mostly sunny.

Buster arrived at Youngblood Automotive & Tire - Round Rock, Texas for the tire change a forty mile trip this morning. Youngblood installed six new BF Goodrich tires on Buster. Bonnie and I had breakfast and did some shopping at Walmart while Buster had his shoes changed. We traveled back south to Sunset RV Resort (an Escapees discount park) on Hamilton Pool Road in Austin it is closer to Carole’s home for the remainder of our stay here in Austin. Eighty miles round trip for Buster today.

Buster's new right front tire

Bonnie and I met Carole and Avery and a neighbor mother with two children at "Water Loo" a local burger place that cater’s to kid’s and there is a large play structure out back for the boy’s to play and run around. It was nice seeing Avery interacting with his neighbor friend.

Avery is on the right

 

Thursday, November 15, 2012
Pace Bend RV Park - Austin, TX 37 degrees and partly cloudy to clearing 65 degrees and partly sunny.

I was Looking at one of the records I keep and noticed that Bonnie and I have only been in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas this year.

Well we get ready to move early for the trip to the tire dealer for Buster’s "new shoes" installed tomorrow. Then on Saturday we will change RV parks (to Sunset R V Resort) and move closer to town and Carole’s home by nine miles one way.

Avery to the Right of the door

We picked Avery up at school and took him to martial arts class then on home Carole arrived home shortly after us. Early home to buster as we depart for a early appointment for Buster’s tire change in the morning.

Avery is at the far end

 

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Pace Bend RV Park - Austin, TX 49 degrees and partly cloudy to clearing 70 degrees and mostly sunny.

Well I called the one tire place I have been e-mailing to go a head and get Buster’s tires changed Friday morning. They have BF Goodrich tires available that were made in the month of October this year. That means they (the tires) have a full life ahead of them.

 

We picked Avery up after school as they had business appointments. Carole brought home some books from the library for Avery, here he is checking them out before dinner.

 

Pace Bend RV Park - Austin, TX - researching tires

Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Pace Bend RV Park - Austin, TX 39 degrees and cloudy to clearing 57 degrees and partly sunny.

More telephone and computer time researching places and tires for Buster. I received a good price in an e-mail and had the need to physically see the location as I have grown a little weary of if they can handle "truck tires" that Buster uses. Bonnie and I drove silver Sally there, forty miles one way to checkout the place. We did only a drive by today and found there was two motorhomes there and trucks being serviced. So now I know they have a good price and can handle Buster’s size vehicle, that relieves me to now know the plan is coming together.

We went with Jackie to get Avery from school today and tomorrow we will pick him up from school. After dinner we played a round of Mexican Train.

Pace Bend RV Park - Austin, TX

Monday, November 12, 2012
Pace Bend RV Park - Austin, TX 48 degrees and cloudy to clearing 57 degrees and partly sunny with some.

Avery

I have to work on getting Buster a full set of new tires today or while we are here in Austin. The tire size buster uses is a truck tire and all the online sites I try will not go that high. I have to use the telephone or e-mail. Both e-mails I sent out today were not returned until late in the day. Even one Rv dealer does not handle that size tire. I received some shocking prices for tires.

We were over after school to see Avery Carole and Jackie and had dinner with them.

Pace Bend RV Park - Austin, TX - jetpack

Sunday, November 11, 2012
Pace Bend RV Park - Austin, TX 69 degrees and mostly cloudy to clearing 77 degrees and partly sunny with some wind gusts. Busters trip here to Austin was four hundred and sixty-two miles over three days keeping a average travel plan.

I purchased a Verizon "Jetpack" wireless 4G air-card that can connect up to five computers to the internet. Works great here with 4G service. We will see how the "Jetpack" wireless 4G air-card operates in other 3G areas.

Carole drove us all in the van to Fredericksburg to see the National Museum of the Pacific War on the way there we stopped at Wildseed Farm and walked around there. Avery enjoyed both. At the Wildseed Farm there were three cats wandering around and Avery wanted to pet them all at different times.

Avery learned about the second world war and was able to see some of the equipment used at that time. The National Museum of the Pacific War is a good two to four hour tour or longer if you want to take longer. The museum brings forth the seventy-five years before the war explaining Japans needs and intentions.
 

Heart Of Texas RV Park Brady, TX

Saturday, November 10, 2012
Heart Of Texas RV Park Brady, Texas 69 degrees and mostly cloudy.

This morning we had breakfast at Mc Donald’s and could not connect to their wifi, in Austin I will go to the Verizon store and the telephones will be fixed in a minute.

Buster continued southeast on US 87 and then onto state road 71 most of the way to Austin. The shoulder of the road was getting smaller as we traveled, from a full lane wide, in this area slow vehicles would pull over to allow faster traffic to pass, to only a half of a lane wide to no shoulder, "or skinny roads". Buster traveled one hundred thirty miles today with some wind gusts blowing at Buster sideways.

Pace Bend RV Park - Austin, TX 80 degrees and sunny. Lake Travis (Pedernales area) here for a week. Nineteen miles further to Carole’s house mostly on state road 71. Four hundred and sixty-two miles of travel for Buster from Lakewood to Austin.

I went to the Verizon store to clear up the telephone problems, even tho we had entered the Verizon 4G area it was not showing on our telephones. Their time working to correct these problems on two telephones was about one minute thirty-eight seconds. Including the software update needed on Bonnie’s telephone, ok the down load took some time after that.

Carole

By five o’clock we were at our daughter Carole’s house and getting a grandson fix as Carole and Jackie went our to eat for Carole’s birthday she got back in town on Friday after working in Miami, FL for ten days.

Texas RV Park Big Spring, TX - on the road

Friday, November 9, 2012
Texas RV Park Big Spring, Texas 52 degrees and mostly sunny and windy. I drove back about a mile to fuel Buster at Walmart as diesel $3.859 there and Buster was down to half a tank. I fueled here the last May on the return to the ranch from our first trip to Austin, TX. There was wifi here but I read the password wrong, I thought that a two was a z. I tried too hard and ended up messing up the computer needing a system restore which took the whole day and could not tether to the telephone.

Buster in Big Spring

Buster traveled southeast on US 87 from Big Spring to Brady, TX. US 87 is four lane highway from Big Spring to Eden, TX then a standard two lane highway. Leaving Big Spring there are these fields of windmill electric generators spinning generating electric.

Yellow 15 amp wire to power Buster last night

86 degrees sunny and windy here in Brady Texas at Heart Of Texas RV Park a Passport America park. Weather reports is a big storm moving down and east from the northwest bringing a cold and windy weather to New Mexico starting Friday. Nothing but a place to park here in Brady with full hook ups and fifty amp electric service for Buster. No wifi service here and barely 3 G service for the telephone. Even got the telephone where they will not pickup the wifi. I forgot to take pictures here.

Texas RV Park - Big Spring Texas - on the road

Thursday, November 8, 2012

The Original Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 42 degrees and mostly sunny.

Buster is on the road just before ten today headed southeast to Austin. We left our site just after nine but putting air in the tires and paying the electric and getting hug’s and greeting’s from members took time.

Buster's left front tire

One hundred twenty-six miles later Buster came up lame on the left front. The tire blew out just west of Andrews, Texas traveling east on state road 176. There is some damage to the inside wheel well area and the left fuel filler took some of the tire coming off. The compartment door behind the tire is bent also. I drove Silver Sally on into Andrews and found a tire shop to get Buster some road service. It is warm here about 88 degrees and sunny.


Texas RV Park Big Spring Texas, about 80 degrees and sunny. Buster arrived just before dark finding a full park or "no sites available". Inquiring about what is available in the area, nothing as the oil field workers are taking up the sites in most RV parks. I was able to talk them into letting Buster park there, then I was offered a fifteen amp electric so it all worked out. We did not need water as Buster left the ranch with a full water tank (one hundred gallons). Bonnie and I went into Big Spring for dinner, not dirtying the kitchen tonight. Lower elevation (2,500 feet) eight hundred feet lower than at the ranch in Lakewood, NM.

New tire

One hundred and ninety-five miles today for Buster mostly on state road 176 in New Mexico and Texas.