Spring Training 2022 - Day 20

 Well, we had our first experience today of what the spring training delay has had on the local economy.  We also got our first refund for canceled spring training game tickets.

Our plan was to go out for breakfast at Lenny's, a favorite dining place for Philadelphia Phillies fans in town for spring training.  This time of year, during spring training, the place would be packed with lots of people outside waiting for a table.  Even realizing that spring training hasn't yet started due to the current labor dispute between the billionaires (owners) and the players (millionaires), we still felt Lenny's as a spring training institution would prevail. Alas, when we arrived there this morning it was closed.  The sign said we are closed on Monday and Tuesday.  And they had limited hours posted or Wednesday - Sunday.

It is sad commentary for the current situation, but it is reality. Maybe soon things will be resolved between the owners and players but not for any other reason than money.  Fan support doesn't seem to have a seat at the table.  In the long run, this lack of customer consideration in my opinion, will have a significant negative impact on the future of the sport.

Anyway, we ended up at the local Cracker Barrel for an excellent breakfast then went back to the RV.  We were planning to do a few things locally but decided to just relax instead.  A weak cold front came through and the skies turned cloudy, it cooled down a little and we even had a few sprinkles.

We move tomorrow to our site at Bay Bayou RV Resort about 30 minutes north of here.  We are not sure what the future hold for baseball while we are here but there are lots of other things to do   After all, we are on vacation. We remain flexible.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 19

 My chore after breakfast today was to wash the RV.  Some parks have mobile RV wash service vendors who come to your site and wash/detail your RV.  For a price of course.  Not so here, most of the parks in the area are really "snowbird 'communities" with little short-term RV traffic.  Some parks also restrict washing your own rig.  You can do that here so I washed ours.  It took some time, but it is done.

That was about it for the day, except dealing with the loss of my Outlook contacts and address book.  Still troubleshooting it but it appears syncing Outlook with OneDrive is the issue due to limited Internet at the park and through my Verizon iPhone hotspot.

Before dinner we watched a 2-DVD Eagles Farewell Tour Concert from Australia.  Memories from the 70s.

Dinner in the RV tonight.  We are planning on going out to breakfast tomorrow at Lenny's a favorite spring training restaurant in Clearwater with a Philadelphia flair.  Speaking of Spring Training, things are not looking very positive at the moment, but we will see how it all plays out.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 18

We're here.  After sleeping in, it was time to do some arrival chores.  Laundry first.  The park has the usual laundry facilities at RV parks.  Depending on park size, there is either one or two laundry locations with anywhere from 2- 7 washers and dryer (sometimes more).   Most are coin operated (quarters) and seem expensive.  There are usually one or two out of order and seldom are always being used regardless of time of day.  This park was no exception. Another thing you see at warm weather parks are clotheslines for drying.  They have one here and it was full.  It is certainly one way to save some money for regular residents, many seniors on limited incomes.

In between helping Judy with the laundry, I got the truck washed and made a grocery run.

The traffic in the area is heavy, especially where we are staying in Largo.  The main street has three lanes in each direction.  The only way you can cross the street from the park is at a red-light intersection then make a U-Turn.

All-in-all it turned into a busy day.  So, for dinner we ordered a pizza for delivery and cooled down in the RV.  Weather was "hot" - low 80's, some humidity and clear skies.  It was quiet sleeping.  Not a lot of action at a senior 55+ RV park after 9:00 pm.

More "relaxation" tomorrow. 

Spring Training 2022 - Day 17

 We left the RV park about 9:30 am, heading east again on I-10 for a while, then south on I-75 towards Tampa.  It was not a bad ride until we approached the Tampa area.  There was lots of traffic we navigated our way through and arrived at the Yankee Traveller RVV Resort in Largo, just south of Clearwater about 3:00 pm.

The park is essentially in the middle of town and has been here a long time.  It is a senior park, open only to people 55 years and older.  It is essentially a "snowbird" park with mostly permanent park model RVs essentially trailers that look like little houses and don't go anywhere.  Besides the seasonal people, who probably rent or own their unit and leave it in place year-round, there are a few spots for short term travelers, like us.  It is a fairly typical community down here.  Relatively inexpensive living for retired seniors, widows and other older singles. It is a secure environment, plenty of activities and opportunities to associate with others in similar situations.

Day 17 Pictures - Yankee Traveler RV Resort

We are staying here for 4 nights then moving to our regular RV park in Oldsmar, about 30 minutes north of here.  We have nothing planned other than to relax a little and tidy up things in the RV. - and laundry.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 16

 It was a fairly easy 200- mile drive today from Milton to the Tallahassee East RV Park about 25 miles east of the city.  It was foggy overnight and there was still a little drizzle when we left about 9:30 am. There is not much between here and there, except good road on I-10E though mostly rural pine and oak scrub woodlands on both sides of the road.

The RV Park here is an older park, not a destination resort but an O.K. overnight stop.  We arrived about 2:00 pm local, losing an hour as we travelled into the eastern Time Zone near Tallahassee.

We travel to Largo, FL, just south of Clearwater tomorrow.  We will be there for 4 nights before moving to Bay Bayou RV Resort on March 1st.  Hopefully, the baseball issues will be resolved by this weekend and spring training can start. We'll see and make the best of whatever happens.

The weather is great about 80 degrees and sunny and looks good for tomorrow.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 15

 Travelled through 4 states (LA, AL, MS and FL) today, including two major cities (Baton Rouge, LA and Mobile, AL) and a number of smaller urban areas along I-10 heading east along the coast.

There was lots of traffic, mostly overcast skies and a moderate cross wind, but we arrived without incident around 4:00 pm at Avalon Landing RV Park in Milton, FL, just east of Pensacola.  We have stayed here several times in the past.  It close to all the Pensacola attractions but it was just an overnight stop this trip and we didn't un-hook the truck. 

It was a light dinner after a big lunch in the RV at the Mississippi Welcome Center Rest Stop. and early to bed after a long drive.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 14

After sleeping in, we decided to do a few things while we are here today.

Our first stop was the nearby Camping World for some RV supplies.  We then travelled to the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette to review the history of the early French settlers (Acadians) who were forcibly removed by the British from Nova Scotia and the surrounding areas of Canada beginning in 1775.  Over the subsequent years many settled in Louisiana (New France).   Today, the French Canadian/American cultural heritage in Louisiana is personified by the Cajuns who retain their distinct and unique way of life. The cultural center traces their history and how that has resulted in who they are today.

We visited the cultural center several years ago and it was worth a return visit.  It is a unit of the National Park Service, Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve. The other 5 sites in the Preserve include a Prairie Cultural Center in central Louisiana, a wetlands Acadian cultural center in the delta area, a preserve of 26,000 acres of marsh, swamp and hardwoods, a New Orleans French Quarter visitors center, and the Battle of New Orleans site (Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery).

Day 14 Pictures - Acadian Cultural Center

After visiting the cultural center, we had a late lunch/early dinner at a favorite Cajun restaurant (Prejean's) we have visited every time we have stayed in the area.

Day 14 Pictures - Prejan's

We then stopped at the local Walmart for a few supplies than back to the RV Park for the night. Milton, FL (Pensacola area) tomorrow.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 13

 It was a relatively short drive, mileage-wise (197 miles), from East of Houston to our next stop a little way east of Lafayette, Louisiana.  As it turned out, it was a fairly difficult drive.

It had rained overnight, and it was still raining a little when we got on the road around 9:30 am.  There was lots of road construction with narrow lane compressions, lots of trucks speeding by with little room to spare and a pretty good crosswind from the south at 10-20 mph. We also had two congested urban transits at Beaumont, TX and Lake Charles, LA along the way.

We are staying at a large full-service RV Park, the Cajun Palms RV Resort.  There are not a lot of people here right now, but we suspect during the summer it is very busy.  There is a large pool, things for the kids to do and plenty of local attractions nearby.

After resting a little, we went to dinner at an excellent Cajun restaurant next to the RV park.  It was then early to bed after a long day.

The plan for tomorrow is relaxation and maybe a little sightseeing and more Cajun food. 

Spring Training 2022 - Day 12

 We got on the road from Fredericksburg about 9:30 am and headed east through the Texas Hill Country towards Austin.  When we left town there were still a lot of people on the street, a lot of them waiting outside several breakfast restaurants in town. 

The area is also noted for their wineries and have marketed a "wine trail" of member wineries.  I have no idea how good their wines might be, but they are apparently very popular with the locals.  In talking with the guy parked next to us at the RV park, he said many of the wineries will not offer wine tastings unless you are a wine club member. Seems like a strange way to do business - how do you know if you want to join their wine club unless you can taste their wines?

Anyway, the route east was along mostly two-lane roads through towns to Austin. There, we had to transition to another route SE to I-10 west of Houston.  There was some GPS/route sign confusion, but we navigated through heavy traffic and headed SE, joining I-10E about 60 miles away.  I-10 was no bargain, with lots of construction, heavy traffic and the usual collection of tucks, weavers and speeders.  We tried to stay out of everyone's way and stopped at a great gas/food stop, Buc-EE's, about 60 miles west of our stop tonight in East Houston (Baytown).  We bought some BBQ for dinner and made it to our RV Park for the night around 4:00 pm.  It was a fairly tough driving day with lots of traffic, construction and urban driving on narrow lanes.

Anyway, we are here.  Louisiana tomorrow (Cajun country - Beaux Bridge) for 2 nights.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 11

 We got a little bit of a late start today for no apparent reason.  After gas and coffee, we were on the road by 10:30 am heading east.  It was another day of West Texas, pretty much the same open spaces with a town now-and-then.  We had a little quartering head wind in the morning, but nothing significant.  Traffic was pretty light and spaced out well.  After stopping for lunch at a nice rest stop, the wind died down and we arrived in Fredericksburg, TX about 3:30 PM.

Fredericksburg is a major tourist destination within range of Austin, Dallas and San Antonio.  The place was packed with people as we drove into town.  It is a neat place. It is in the Texas hill country with a German heritage that has been emphasized as part of the tourist attraction.  The area is also known for their wine growing that has additionally become a popular attraction.   And the LBJ homestead is just down the road and a popular place to visit by many. There is also an excellent Museum of WWII in the Pacific in town.   Fredericksburg is the hometown of Admiral Chester Nimitz and a world class museum featuring his exploits and the war in the Pacific during WWII has been established.  We have stayed here before, visited the museum and tasted the excellent local food.  We can appreciate why people come here to visit.

We are staying at The Lady Bird Memorial Park just south of town.  It is a 330-acre complex with 60 RV sites, a golf course, playgrounds and picnic sites.  It is very impressive and an ambitious project for any city to undertake and manage.  It looks like the local city government is doing it very well.

It was hamburgers in the RV tonight and early to bed.  We are now in the Central Time Zone and getting the trip timing adjusted accordingly.  Just East of Houston tomorrow.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 10

 Not a lot to report today.  It was another fairly long drive over open spaces.  We left Las Cruces after a short stop for supplies at an adjacent Walmart. Las Cruces is about 40 miles from El Paso, TX. We stopped for gas and truck stop mochas just as we crossed over into Texas.  Gas is now $3.30 a gallon - What a deal!

Travel through El Paso went well.  It was probably the first time in the last 5 years travelling through here there was no road construction.  The area has turned into a major urban complex with lots of traffic, elevated freeway overpasses and the trucks not slowing down for anyone.

The rest of the drive was pretty routine.  The weather cooperated again - clear skies and no wind.  We arrived at the Fort Stockton RV Park around 4:00 pm.  We have stayed here many times.  Nothing fancy but a good place to stay along the way. The town is also noted for the silhouette signs on the ridge lines entering and leaving town. 

We had a late lunch on the road, so we had just had a snack for dinner and early to bed.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 9

 It was another easy drive today to Las Cruces, NM.  This stretch of “drive over” country is notorious for blowing wind and dust storms.  There are high wind warning signs along the way with flashing lights if a hazard is present.  Signs tell you pull of the road, shut down the engine and turn of car lights.  Thankfully, none of that today.  It was mostly clear skies and no wind.  We arrived in Las Cruces about 3:30 pm.

After hooking up at the RV park we always stay at in Las Cruces, we had a water pump check valve issue that caused a small water overflow issue at our site.  I was able to fix the issue then we went out to dinner at another favorite place, La Posta de Mesilla, a great Mexican restaurant just down the road from the RV Park.  It turned out to be a late dinner but worth the wait.  The Marguita's were excellent.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 8

 Since we stayed here another day we had to move to another site.  The RV park is filling up for the upcoming Presidents Day holiday weekend and the pull-through site we were in was reserved for someone else.  so, we moved to a back-in site this morning.  Not a big deal, since we were unhooked anyway and planning on sightseeing today.

As it turned out, today wasn't a better day than yesterday for sightseeing.  It started out clear and breezy, but as the day developed and the cold front arrived, it became very windy, cloudy and cool.   I'd say the temperature was in the high 40s/low 50s most of the day with a pretty good wind chill.

Nevertheless, we headed into town to watch the O.K. Corral Gunfight reenactment.  We arrived at the venue around noon and first watched a historama presentation about the history of Tombstone that was included in the gunfight ticket.  Kind of hard to describe, but it was a rotating display of models of people, buildings and terrain features with moving parts and flashing lights.  Also, every now-and-then a movie screen descended and showed films and pictures of Tombstone events.  It was narrated by Vincent Price, an old movie actor and personality some older people may remember.  Judy described it as having the largest number of adjectives in any historical presentation we have ever seen.

The gunfight reenactment location is in the historical district.  You enter into a gift shop where you also purchase tickets. The gift shop has many different kinds of cowboy hats and souvenirs of all types with the O.K. Corral logo.  You could also buy a stuffed rattlesnake and Indian jewelry and baskets.   I was going to ask if they had any scalps, but was restrained by Judy from doing so.

When it is time for the gun fight show you walk outside past several exhibits and reproductions of buildings near the site of the gunfight.  There are five of these buildings:  The Cowboy Bunkhouse, The original Corral Office, the Prostitutes Crib, C.S. Fly's Photo Studio, and Fly's Boarding House. Next you walk bya reproduction of the gunfight site.  There are mannequins representing each of the gunfight participants, their reported positions during the fight and reproductions of what they were wearing.  Each figure was also identified by name.

Next you go into the gunfight stage.  It is an enclosed area with bleacher seats and a town front stage as a background.  The presentation starts with some background interaction between the protagonists, The cowboys, the Clantons and Mc Laurys and law enforcement - Morgan, Virgil, and Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.  The presentation was well acted and pretty much historically accurate. The presentation location however is not exactly at the same place as the gunfight but close. The gunfight actually took place at a vacant lot near the old O.K. Corral.

Here is more information about the gunfight:

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral - Wikipedia

The presentation was well done, a little hokey, but O.K.  The ambiance, not so much, it was windy, cold and we even experienced a few raindrops as the cold front arrived. 

We then headed backed to Big Nose Kate's for a late lunch/early dinner.  It was another great meal, they even had live music and we topped it off with excellent Bloody Mary's for dessert.  On the way back to the truck we stopped for a hot mocha at Undertakers Coffee Shoppe to warm up a little.  It was then back to the RV to defrost and relax. By sunset the weather had moved through, the skies cleared, and the wind died down a lot.  We even had a dim rainbow and an excellent Arizona sunset.

It is off to Las Cruces, NM tomorrow.  The weather and wind forecast look good.

Day 8 Pictures-Tombstone 

Spring Training 2022 - Day 7

Since we decided to stay her another day to wait out the cold front/high wind passage, it was a good opportunity to do laundry, a necessary chore while on the road.  After sleeping in and a leisurely breakfast, we did the laundry at the resort coin laundry. That was pretty much it for the day for us. I did have to adjust our RV park reservations with the one-day enroute delay and that also took some time.

It was not a good sightseeing day anyway.  It was clear but very windy.  So, it was relaxing, an early dinner in the RV then retiring for the evening. 

Spring Training 2022 - Day 6

 It was an easy drive today from Phoenix to Tombstone, AZ.  No wind, and not a lot of traffic.

We arrived at Tombstone about 30 miles south of I-10 a little way east of Tucson around 3:30 pm. It is a small historical silver mining boom town founded in the late 19th Century.  The town was formed in 1879 and featured the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral with Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and others.  The town is now a tourist destination with gunfight reenactments 3 times a day, 7 days a week, period shops, western theme saloons and restaurants.  Also featured are nightly ghost tours, museums, mine shaft tours, and a cowboy zip line.  Truly something for everyone.  The core downtown district is closed to vehicles and includes 3 blocks on each side of the major town street.

We decided to go into town for dinner.  (The RV park where are staying is 2 miles north of town).  We went to Big Nose Kate's Saloon and Restaurant.  It is on the site of the old Grand Hotel, once considered one of the largest and elegant hotels in the area.  It is now the center of attraction in the town for drinking and dining, heavily decorated in the period style.

Tombstone, in 1881 was a true boom town.  It had a population of around 5,000 inhabitants, supported 110 saloons and 14, 24- hour gambling halls.  Big Nose Kate was allegedly one of the first female "entertainers" in Tombstone and reportedly established a great professional relationship with many of the miners and fortune seekers.  Some also say she was also Doc Holliday's girlfriend.

We had a great meal, enjoyed the ambiance and returned to the RV for the evening.

Our plan was to stay 2 nights, but based on a high wind forecast enroute to Las Cruces, NM on Wednesday, we decided to stay another night and leave here on Thursday.

Day 6 Pictures

Spring Training 2022 - Day 5

 No big plans for today.  We slept in, had a leisurely breakfast, relaxed and enjoyed the 80-degree weather.

Watched the Super Bowl, had a Costco bag meal for dinner with Tequila on the side.

Tombstone AZ tomorrow for two nights.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 4

We got a little bit of a late start after getting our last CA gas for a while and a truck stop mocha.  We were on the road by 10:00 am however, East on I-10, mostly just us and the trucks again.  There is a long 12- mile uphill grade out of the Coachella Valley then a series of up-an-down grades into the desert after crossing into Arizona at Blythe on the Colorado River.  And, the price of gas dropped a $1.00 a gallon across the border.  It was still high at $3.60 a gallon. Hard to believe we feel good about gas at that price. 

We had about a :30-minute delay enroute due to a lane closer for a big rig accident cleanup.  Weather was pretty good, a little wind at the higher elevations but mostly clear and easy driving.  Lunch at a rest stop, between the trucks.

We arrived at the Pueblo El Mirage RV Resort about 4:30 pm.  We have stayed here many times.  It is a high-end snowbird park with RV sites, park model small houses and larger almost full-size fixed foundation houses.  An 18-hole golf course is imbedded within the resort and there is a full menu of lifestyle amenities and activities.

We are just here for two nights however and no big plans other than relax and watch the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 3

 We slept in today.

We have stayed at this park, Emerald Desert RV Resort, many times before and done a lot of things in the area.  This trip, not so much.

Today was an R&R day, catching up on some things we needed to do in the RV, doing some grocery shopping and just relaxing a little.

That is what we did, finishing up the day with Tequila shooters and another dinner in the RV. 

Back on the road tomorrow.  Phoenix is our next stop for two nights at another familiar RV resort.  Weather still looks good ahead.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 2

 We got an early start today, over the Tejon Pass.  No weather issues, just a lot of trucks and cars going faster than we were.

There was a little wind through the high desert, past Edwards AFB then south on US 395 to I-15.  Before turning South, we stopped for lunch at Kramer Junction where we joined 395. After joining I-15 there is a long 12-mile fairly steep downgrade before I-215 then I-10E.  This is a challenging portion of the drive.  Apparently, CHP has given up on any kind of traffic enforcement. Everyone was speeding, weaving in-and-out and cutting you off to gain a car length.  We tried to stay out of everyone's way and get in the right lane for the next exit.

After we got on I-10, there was road construction and a couple of accidents that slowed traffic to a halt.  I am not sure how the people who live here deal with all this day-to-day.  Anyway, we had some more wind after things opened up a little and when we descended into the Coachella Valley to Palm Desert.

Despite it all we arrived safely at Emerald Desert RV Resort in Palm Desert about 4;00 PM.  It was an early dinner in the RV and straight to bed after a fairly difficult drive.  

We are here for two nights.

Spring Training 2022 - Day 1

 Well, here we go again.  We are not sure there will be spring training as we have known it, but we are heading East anyway, see how it all works out and do other things along the way and back.

We got an early Day 1 start (for us), leaving home around 9:30 am, travelling down Highway 99 to Bakersfield to the River Run RV Park where we normally stay the first night.  Depending on the weather, it is a decision point on whether to take the Tejon Pass route to Tehachapi or through LA over the Grapevine.  The LA route is a shorter distance, but with more traffic, delays, and road hassle, it is a longer trip.  We usually go over Tejon and through the high desert, joining I-10 at San Bernadino.  It is our preferred route.

Our next stop is Palm Desert at the Emerald Desert RV Resort just off of I-10.  We are planning to spend two nights there, enjoying some sun and temperatures forecast in the 80s.  It is a very nice park, close to a lot of things, and a comfortable stop along the way.