Day 4 - From Aliens to Gherkins

We made it - 0615 start.

Travel Tip of the Day: Early trips and long miles are worth it when Gherkins wait on the other end.

AT the risk of being accused of having a "Texan Attitude," I must say, "Y'all within a mile of crossing into TX it got pretty. Green fields, wild flowers, blooming cacti and oil wells."

Flat - but colorful!

 

Yes, Michael did pull the Beast and the Caboose off the road to take cactus pictures. COLOR, y'all!

We arrived in time for lunch with Jamin and Jared.  Josiah had some coaching sessions set up with employees from Chick Fil A (CFA). CFA has a goal of high performance teams vs. the  typical managerial chain. Josiah has written a curriculum which he uses to equip employees as they develop a vision for leadership, for the company, and for their lives. It's good stuff. If I were still training women's ministry leadership teams I'd steal it. ::snort::  I'm proud of the team he has built. He's worked himself out of a job and will be looking to do the same in other spots, "soon."  He joined us after his meetings.

We headed over to Josiah's apartment. Basketball was the agenda for the day.   Everyone headed to our "campsite" at Lake Nasworthy. The Fam camp is full of full-time RVers...but they now have electric/water sites for $15 a night - basically a parking lot - and we parked there. Beats $300 a night of past visits. LOL  Unfortunately, with a site in Siberia, we don't receive wifi in the Caboose. It's the small things....happy to be up early and sitting in the laundry room to post a couple of blog posts. Seems to take an hour to publish one post - I may get behind. LOL

We walked along the lake. We'd hoped our grand dog Cody, would take to Yuuki. Unfortunately, both dogs seem to have a "thing" about the other receiving affection. sigh.



 

A big fish jumped, we were distracted and Cody jumped in. He loves the water. Yuuki loves the water from the front of a kayak.

 

More basketball

 I found Arielle sitting at the top of this play structure. She remembers it being a "rocket ship" or a "Disney castle."  I suspected she was thinking of her upcoming graduation, move and friends of the past that aren't here this visit. We miss Emma.  I ventured over for a photo and asked her - sure enough - remembering. So am I.

Day 3 - The Quirkiest Town in America

Travel Tip of the Day - To prepare for grooming at campgrounds: take a cookie sheet, nail it to the wall, now apply your makeup.

We are getting travel days down to a fine art.  I wake up early. I take Yuuki for a 40 - 60 min walk. I wake everyone else up and we head for the shower house. We grab a "road breakfast,"  button up The Caboose and take off.

Arielle specifically told Yuuki she could not have the seat by the window - 100 miles later Yuuki had the seat AND the blanket.

 

Eventually, they shared.

We stop for lunch at a Pilot or Flying J. Michael fills up while I run the kids through the restroom and get seated at Denny's. We order. I get Yuuki and walk around with her - good for both of us - until the food arrives. I've been getting 10 - 13K steps a day - even with sitting for 10 - 12 hours in the van. Denny's makes a special veggie skillet for Arielle and me - we just had to figure out what to ask for.  Today, we extended beyond both sides of the RV parking space. LOL

 

We saw a lot of this.....

 

Until we saw this - proof that Walmart is an alien tool

 

At the campground, Yuuki vows to protect us from all aliens until Michael returns.

 Yes, we are spending the night in America's Quirkiest Town - Roswell, New Mexico. We arrived, set up in TEN MINUTES, and then walked around town and enjoyed the sights.

 

INTERNATIONAL UFO Museum and Research Center - unfortunately, it was closed. I really wanted to check this out.

 

This business sign cracked me up.

Zander, Nolan, Arielle, "Bob", Me and Stacia and "Larry"

 

 Another Christian Store

Weather Balloon Pilots...

 Funny to see the town war between Southwest and Alien themed decor - they go so well together

 

Primitive Baptists meet at the UFO center

 

 

We finished the night with evening snacks, tea and UNO.....and a bit of "minor surgery" for Nolan.

 

Stacia hid in her bunk and yelled out helpful statements such as, "Is it bleeding yet?" and "Are you done stabbing Nolan yet?"

 

 

tomorrow we'll get an 0600 start and arrive in San Angelo. 

Day 2 - Edwards AFB, CA - Holbrook, AZ

We started the day in our $5 budget RV spot at Edwards AFB.....

 

Some roads really do lead nowhere - and this is one them at EAFB

 

Yuuki enjoys a seat to herself while the kids watch Frozen

 

The highlight of the day was a whole BUS LOAD of Japanese Senior Citizen tourists we ran into in a desolated spot in AZ. I wanted to tell them all America is not like THIS. To be honest - America IS beautiful, but we've seen a whole lot of ugly today.  It was hot, run down, dusty....and they were SO impressed with the trailer and the big trucks. "Sagoi, Sagoi....Oki".....and Michael sat at the wheel and had many photos taken.

 

 

We stopped for the night in Holbrook, AZ.  Odd RV park - looks like they leveled 1/2 of a trailer park and built an RV park..... Arielle and I quickly spotted "Creepy man" as we headed to the showerhouse. He has no tent or RV....just pulled his car off across from us and sits......

 

I thought it would be nice to bring the fruit "bowl" into the trailer....nope...going to need to find something smaller when we move in. LOL

 

Chilling.....

 

In her space bubble

Valet Parking - for a TRAILER

Our adventure began in Roseville at Sutter Medical Center.  Travel Tip of the day: "Valet Parking" does not include 31 foot trailer pulled by 15 passenger vans.

We were early and still had time to drive around the medical complex a few times; then the general area. We settled on the back row of parking in a ginormous gym. Wow - this place was huge. It was very busy too for a Monday mid-day.  Michael walked to his appointment and the rest of us settled for about an hour long wait. It was 1115.

I realized this would be the perfect time to make some lunch so we could hit the road without delay after the appointment. 

After lunch the kids elected to remain in the van, "where it was warm,"  and read. Yuuki and I got in a quick mile. We expected Michael back at any time.

Hour two the kids came out of the van and displayed their exceptional inventiveness.


Various versions of Follow the Leader on the curb

Curb Gliding

I shudder to think what would have happened with another hour. We hit the hwy around 1330 - such as it is. We drove until nearly 2300 and ended up here....the overflow parking for Edwards AFB Fam Camp. It's not too bad....we have no electric - but we have lights, a bit of water, left the caboose connected to the trailer for a quick departure in the a.m.

Yes it IS a fam camp - see the red through the trees - Burger King

As it is nearing midnight, we won't get an early start tomorrow - making for another late night - but each day is a day closer to the Texan Gherkins.