Young Snowbirds» travel

New Orleans Café du Monde and French Market

Darlene — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:48:26 +0000

Day two in “The Big Easy” (one of New Orleans other names) started off by actually getting on the shuttle bus from the RV park this time relatively early in the morning. I think we got on the 9:30am, first one out. We headed straight for Café du Monde’s famous coffee stand at 800 Decatur Street.

Sidebar anecdote: funny thing, on my first trip here I was expecting to hear French spoken quite commonly. Many of the street have French names and of course there’s the French Quarter. Nope – not even a little bit. In fact, names I’d expect to be pronounced in a more French way were completely murdered, in my opinion. Decatur is one of those. I expected it to sound more like “deck-a-tour” and when I said it that way they looked at me like I had two heads. They said it “dee-katter”. One of the odd things I noticed anyway. So don’t try and use your French here, it’s long gone.

Café au lait and Beignet

Anyway, established some time in 1862 Café du Monde has been serving café au lait and their famous beignet donuts for 150 years. Taken right from their site, here is the history of this coffee stand:

The Original Cafe Du Monde Coffee Stand was established in 1862 in the New Orleans French Market. The Cafe is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It closes only on Christmas Day and on the day an occasional Hurricane passes too close to New Orleans.

The Original Cafe du Monde is a traditional coffee shop. Its menu consists of dark roasted Coffee and Chicory, Beignets, White and Chocolate Milk, and fresh squeezed Orange Juice. The coffee is served Black or Au Lait. Au Lait means that it is mixed half and half with hot milk. Beignets are square French -style doughnuts, lavishly covered with powdered sugar. In 1988 Iced Coffee was introduced to the cafe. Soft drinks also made their debut that year.

This is the sight you’ll see as you approach the sidewalk café. What appears to be a long line up gets quickly cleared by an anxious server yelling “No line, no line! Find a table and sit down!” So you do and often it’s to share with another couple, which we did, or join a partly empty table. No space is wasted here and quick turn over is their goal – get you in, get you served, get you out – so they can serve more people I’m guessing and make more tips.

I’m sure I saw the lady in the photo below 5 years ago too, and in the TV show The Treme which we actually stepped into the set of by accident one other day (more on that later). She’s the one that ushered us in hurriedly. I learned later that they take the customer’s order, go to the back to get it, and PAY for it themselves. Then they have to collect from the customer to cover what they paid and hopefully get a tip. I hope they pay less than we would if we walked up to the window, but it makes sense then why they want you in and out so fast. The more served per hour, the more tips they can make.

Cafe Du Monde Beignets

Here we see people of all ages and backgrounds enjoying their beignets. I have to admit I did have some, while Rob abstained. But the Cafe Du Monde chicory coffee is out of this world! I love the little girl with powdered sugar all over her face. She was watching me take her photo, but didn’t seem to mind.

In the photos below you can see the staff, busily serving their tables. After they collected a plate of beignets and poured the coffees, they’d go pay the cashier waiting for them at the end of the line. I watched for a while and it’s a steady stream of coffee and donuts coming out. You’ll also notice the staff counting their money, I saw that quite often too. I’m sure they wanna make sure they are making more than they’re paying for the coffee.

Then of course there’s Cafe Du Monde take out, so here are three tips on taking stuff home with you.

order any canned coffee and/or souvenirs from your server when you order your coffee and beignets.
do NOT buy the canned coffee from any of the stores down the street or in the French Market. A can of coffee is $5.45 in the café and you’ll find it as high as $9 a few steps away. We ended up paying about $8 a can just because we didn’t want to get back in the take out line at the café.
go to the Café du Monde gift shop at 813 Decatur Street literally across the street. They have the same prices as the café and can ship stuff if you need that service. See photo of the sign below so you know what to look for.

New Orleans French Market

A short stroll north up Decatur street and you get to the French Market. As the sign below indicates it was here well before the café, and is the oldest city market in America. It has changed quite a bit since my fist visit in January 2005. The junk and tent stalls have been replaced with permanent stalls with secure windows and doors and the vendors have gone from dollar store nick nacks to really nice hand made crafts, food items, art, produce and more. A place locals and tourists alike visit.

This happy guy’s name is Oscar. He makes resin jewelry that is very colorful, just like him. I talked to him for a while and listened to his story of Katrina and how his life has been different since that day. He talked about how hard it was to come back and for him there were no customers, no tourists, so his market had disappeared here. He told me he lived in another city, I can’t remember where now, and started coming back on weekends once the market reopened and finally moved back home. But it was a tough go for him and many other locals.

I talked to two other ladies as we ate lunch and they live in East New Orleans and said many things are still not opened like stores, schools, clinics. They have to travel farther now to find those things. All of the people I talked to were super nice and seemed eager to talk about their experience to someone that was really listening. I feel for the people of New Orleans who, in many ways, have been treated like second class citizens in their country. I bought a couple books on the disaster, one on a group that rescued stranded pets after they had been left behind by their owners. The sad thing was the city told the people to leave them behind, that they’d only be gone a day or two at most. 2-3 weeks later many of those pets were still tied up to leashes, left in homes with 8′ of water, or left to wander the streets to find food. Some were found still treading water as they were tied to something and couldn’t get away. I don’t want to get on a rant, but this was a disaster of mammoth proportions that was utterly and completely preventable and it’s shameful how the government on all levels (municipal, state and federal) responded. (stepping off my soap box now).

Anyhow, continuing on - we had what was probably our best meal in New Orleans at a place in the French Market that I’d found out about on the internet (what a great resource hey?!).

Meals From The Heart

Meals from the Heart advertises low sodium, low fat and no transfat – fabulous! In a city full of rich, heavy foods this was a great find! We totally loved the food and have recommended it to others already, and they loved it too. If you are looking for a nice light, clean meal – this is the place to go. They also do catering and bulk orders – take home a couple dozen crab cakes today!

Rob's grilled salmon, brown rice and veggies

I had the crab cakes with lemon remoulade sauce, and fresh organic greens - yummy!

Chef Averill Lazard who created our fabulous meals at Meals from the Heart

Day 85 – Dolphin Connection dolphin tour

Darlene — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:01:48 +0000

I was searching the internet for dolphin tours in the Portland area, and somehow I came across The Dolphin Connection. A husband and wife team, Irv and Sonya Strong, that have been taking people out to MEET the dolphins for something like 16 years. They know many of them by sight and have named them – and the dolphins know their boat and their sounds too. They are located in Ingleside on the Bay, TX – basically around the corner of the bay from our RV park.

Their blog says they have their business up for sale and this might be the last year for them doing this, so I booked us in. We were supposed to go on the Monday but it was way too windy and in the little boat they use, we’d have been tossed around the waves in an undesirable manner. So we waited a day and headed out Tuesday.

Sonya met as at the dock and right away we were loaded up on the boat and off we went. No formalities, no waivers to sign, no payments first – just hop in and off we went. I opted for a life jacket (with my paranoia of water) while Rob opted for none. It was just us two and them – perfect.

Dolphin Connection - Sonya and Irv

See Dolphins or It’s Free

They talked about the dolphins and that their usual schedule has been a bit “off” lately, so we were sure if we’d see any today or not. They guarantee an encounter with them or you don’t have to pay – hence why no prepayment was done before we boarded the boat – sweet. Personally I’d rather pay and see them, then go out and see nothing for free.

Irv took us around the bay, looking in the spots where the dolphins usually hang out at this time of day. They have patterns and tend to hang out in groups he said, but their pattern wasn’t following the usual routine in the last couple weeks so they were having a hard time predicting where and when to find them. It’s a big ocean – lots of water to cover in a small boat.

We eventually did find one guy, but he wouldn’t come close enough for Sonya to touch him, he was playing coy with us. But Irv did show us a cool trick where he speeds up the boat and the dolphin basically body surfs inside the wake. We watched him do it for a while. Not sure if it’s playing to them, they’re very playful animals, or an easy effortless way for him to get from point A to point B. It’s like a kid putting on roller skates and bumper riding, same concept.

Riding the wake of the boat

We did see a couple more but nothing close enough for us to touch. They just were not in the mood today and we didn’t find the big group Irv was looking for. We still had a great trip though and as was indicated we were not required to pay, but voluntary donations towards gas were welcomed. We left them some money anyway.

Also saw lots of pelicans, of course

Saw quite a few really large cargo ships too.

We said our goodbyes and thanked them for the ride and I took a few photos on the beach before we headed out. I’m really hoping they hang in there for another year so we can go back in 2011 and give it another go with them. Yup, that’s my intention – they will be there and we’ll go again and see the whole herd/tribe/gang – whatever it is you call a group of dolphins.

Texas sunset

Fish bones on the beach, left by the fisherman that cleaned and filleted them here

I thought it was pretty, even with the fish carcass

If you’re in the Corpus Christi or Portland Texas area, I highly recommend doing this dolphin tour. It’s only $25 per person and you get a small personalized tour with people who know and love the dolphins.

Day 75 – Nuevo Progreso, Mexico

Darlene — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:16:24 +0000

We were originally going to take a few days and drive our RV to South Padre Island (Brownsville) and park out on the beach, with a side trip to Mexico. Time became a factor however, so when we learned a van full of people from Sea Breeze RV Park were doing a day trip, we decided to join them. Mr. Ed was driving but only had room for one more in his van, so we took our car too and arranged to meet them all for lunch once we got there.

It’s about a 3-3.5 hour drive from Portland, TX to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico. We were told not to go to Matamoros (on the other side from Brownsville) because it was too dangerous, but now we wonder if it really is, or was it just other people’s perception. Consider the source we learned. (upon a Google search, Matamoros may indeed by unsafe and not recommended – but do your own research).

Crossing The Mexico Border

Border crossing into Mexico cost a quarter and there was no customs to go through really – a bit odd we thought. Once you cross over, you’re hit with people trying to entice you to go to their pharmacy or dentist’s office. Apparently those are the two main reasons Texans drive to Nuevo Progreso – to buy pills or get their teeth fixed at discount rates, a fraction the cost in the US.

Dentists are plentiful here

Safe Food Does Not Come Cheap

The town isn’t much to see and our group usually eats at one of two “safe” places. I had a margarita and held the table while Rob attempted to round up the rest of the group who had lost one person, then all scattered to go look for her. The meal was okay, but I had to ask for hotter salsa and the two platters and two drinks we had cost us over $35US. This is Mexico! I was expecting maybe $10 for lunch including drinks. We only brought about $180 cash with us (didn’t want to use credit cards for safety issues, and most it’s all street vendors anyway) so lunch took a big chunk of that.

Shopping In Mexico

I bought a dolphin pendant and earrings and when the next stall over had the same thing for less money, I went back and asked for at least $2 back or a full refund and I’ll buy it from the other guy. He had told me that his father made all his items and he was the only one that would have one like it. Yeah right! Believe nothing you hear and shop around is my advice. I also bought a belt, a gift for my sister’s birthday, and a cool tin mirror for our dining room at home. Rob bought a hat and a lime squeezer (it had a similar price issue – $5 on the street, $2 IN the store).

Rob's new hat

Remember I mentioned the group ate only at the “safe” places? They only eat where they know for sure no one’s ever gotten sick, and they don’t stray off the main street or go further than the 3-4 blocks from the border where the vendors are all set up (it’s not safe either apparently). Lastly they head out of town by about 4pm and most other visitors seem to follow suit as by 6pm the vendors were tearing down and the once packed and crowded streets were now empty.

this guy was dancing and singing at the corner where you enter the country

This is what we saw when we went OFF the main street

Fresh Corn and Unpasteurized Honey

I was hungry so I bought a corn on the cob (with hot pepper sprinkled on it) from a street vendor cooking it on the corner. Rob bought some honey that actually had bits of the honeycomb still in it – also from a street vendor. Guess what – I ate the corn and it was delicious – AND I didn’t get sick or die! The honey is also fab, BTW, no label, just honey.

These guys were walking down the street and stopped off for a beer

I bought my corn from a stand like this one

Rob Crosses Border 4 Times

So here’s where the story get interesting. We were almost out of cash and wanted to stay and eat dinner so we walked back to the square by the border crossing, but the only ATM in town was not working (probably out of money). We were told there is another one just on the other side, so Rob said he’d walk over and back to get some cash. I figured he’d be like 10 minutes.

I sat here on the patio/park and waited for Rob to get cash

Came around selling stuff while I waited

Another walking vendor - I kinda wanted one of these though. Was tempted.

Coming up on 30 minutes I was thinking about how to do this if he wasn’t allowed to come back in again. We hadn’t thought of that, we had no way to communicate (he had not phone with him) and the sun was setting fast. I did not want to be sitting there by myself after dark with my large expensive (=target) camera and backpack, not to mention we still had to pick up the mirror 2.5 blocks back into town.

I was just formulating a plan in my head of how I could rush back and get the mirror, then somehow get it and the 20 lb backpack across the border by myself, when finally Rob reappeared. He ended up driving a few miles back to a gas station to get money. You’d think they’d want to make it a little easier to get and spend money in this place!

So at about 6pm we were going back into town while all the other visitors were streaming out. We’d had chips and salsa at a little restaurant, called Ay Jalisco, earlier and wanted to go back there to eat dinner. We picked up the mirror on the way in case the store closed too.

Ay Jalisco Restaurant in Nuevo Mexico

Ay Jalisco was great – all locals eating there now and a three man band played on the stage. Dinner was less expensive than lunch and way more authentic Mexican food. We’re in Mexico for crying out loud – should be the real thing everywhere. I felt the other place we ate lunch at caters so much to the 70+ snow bird crowd that it is over Americanized for my tastes. I prefer to eat there the locals do, where I can’t read the menu and just point at what the person next to you is having and say “quiero eso” meaning “I want that”. Just avoid lettuce and anything washed with a skin on and you’ll be fine. The travelers rule is: boil it, peel it or leave it!

We left about 7:30pm or so and there wasn’t a single other Caucasian in sight by that time. We walked the three blocks and crossed the border safely just fine – paying our quarter to get out again. So our Nuevo Progreso experience was okay but I think knowing the sources now maybe next year we’ll see if the crime is down in Matamoros and take a chance there. There more of a real town and not just one that sprang up to sell tourists dentistry and trinkets.

Travel Tips For Traveling in Third World Countries

I thought I’d write a little side bar of my own personal tips for traveling in foreign or third world countries.

by all means GO to these places! do not be afraid of places different than your own country. Even if the country you visit is very poor, or not developed – it does not mean it is unsafe. All it means is that it’s different, that’s all.
in Mexico there are wonderful things to find and experience. I personally love the Spanish language and am working on learning more of it so I can converse with people here and in South America when I return there also. Make an effort to learn at least a few words before you travel to a foreign country. Get a pocket dictionary or iPhone translator app, they will help immensely. In many tourist areas people speak enough English to get by, especially in restaurants, etc. But I find that any time you make an effort to speak their language the people will be much more willing to help you and often puts a smile on their face cause you’ve just murdered a word, but they truly appreciate the effort. We learned about 6-8 Thai phrases when we went there and it always brought smiles, or laughter in some cases, to their faces.
experience the local food! We often eat from street vendors or find places where the tourists DON’T go to eat. We’ll ask a local for a recommended place to eat and we’re almost never disappointed. Be cautious about street vendors and if it looks unclean or unsanitary, use common sense and don’t eat it. If it has tap water in it or on it also use caution (see not below). But if it looks and smells good, and seems sanitary – it probably tastes fantastic so go ahead and try it!
find local artisans and craftsmen: Mexico is abundant with little shops and street stalls selling all kinds of wares. Go further afield from the tourist areas and find a local market, you may be pleasantly surprised. I found a great silversmith in this town and bought a couple things. His prices were reasonable, and his quality was exceptional. Much better than the junk you find for $1 in the busy areas.
don’t drink the tap water, always boil it or get bottled
that also means no ice or Popsicle unless you know it was from clean bottled water or bagged ice
avoid things washed in water like salad, and not cooked or peeled
don’t brush your teeth with tap water either, use a little bottled in a glass
avoid looking like a victim – walk with your eyes up and make eye contact with people
take off all or any flashy jewelry that will call attention to you and make you a target
carry your purse over one shoulder and under a jacket if you are wearing one
men put your wallet in your front pocket, it’s harder to pick that way
stay in a group or with someone if possible
use a money belt if you really want – I never have
be alert to your surroundings and what’s going on around you
be wary of people asking about you, your camera or belongings, where you’re from, where you’re staying, are you alone, etc. Don’t give them any info and even if you are alone don’t ever say so. Say your friend is in the nearest shop and you have to go meet him/her and leave. If you feel followed call police.
do go off the tourist path but follow the rules above and use common sense (no dark alleys)
do talk to the local people, they’re just foreign and likely poor – not criminals
do bargain with vendors but show compassion – the lady you bargain down for that “good deal” likely only makes a few cents on it. So do you really need the extra couple bucks you saved more than she does?
carry small pocket change, there’s always desperate people asking for help
the kid asking for money is really cute but give him some change and watch 10 more just like him magically appear from mid air.

I’m sure that’s not all the travel tips for traveling in third world countries, but those are some of the rules I follow and I’ve never had any problems in any of the places I’ve visited including: Peru, New York City, New Orleans (one of the most unsafe cities in the US), and Asia.

Our day trip to Nuevo Progresso Mexico was very low key. We had a couple of meals, one that we thought was overpriced but “safe” while the other was authentic Mexican and thoroughly enjoyed. Next time, we’ll go by ourselves, and to another town in Mexico. All in all, our border crossing into Mexico was a fun filled day.

Be safe and happy travels!

Spanish Mission of Goliad

Rob — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:05 +0000

The Presidio La Bahia in Goliad is known as the birthplace of Texas independence. With a presidio comes a chapel and of course a mission. As with the Spanish Missions of San Antonio, the Mission Espiritu Santo is also located on the San Antonio river. It was the first large cattle ranch in Texas supplying the needs of the Spanish settlements as far away as Louisiana.

Spanish Mission Espiritu Santu in Goliad

This is file #1111 entered into this blog if you're keeping track

THIS was on the mission! Explain why a mission has a skull and crossbones on it? I can’t.

Presidio La Bahia

Last stop before heading back was Presidio La Bahia, “the Fort of the Bay”. Established in 1721 and moved to its present location in 1749, this fort is the most fought over in Texas history having seen 6 National revolutions / wars of independence. Spanish, Mexican and Texas soldiers have all garrisoned its walls.

Soldiers here fought with the Spanish army against the British during the American Revolution, making Goliad the only community west of the Mississippi to participate in that war. The cattle industry has its roots here too, as the soldiers oversaw herds from the two nearby missions (Espiritu Santo and Rosario).

The Texas revolution from Mexico started here as well. The first declaration of Texas Independence was declared at the Presidio December 20, 1835 and the first flag of Texas was flown. Might it have looked like this? I wondered if this is where the lone star originated?

Presidio La Bahia Chapel

The chapel at the Presidio, “Our lady of Loreto”, is the oldest building in the compound in continuous use since the 1700’s. It is one of the oldest churches in America. Restored in the 1960’s it is considered one of the most authentic restoration projects in the US.

During our stay at the Sea Breeze RV Park in Portland Texas, we learned how important Texas history is to Texans. Their state constitution is unique and from a Canadian’s point of view, Texas state patriotism rivals that of the entire United States. Independence happened twice in this America, once in Texas and once for the US as a whole. Goliad is the central point of that history and it’s Spanish mission, presidio and court house reflect that history. These photographs of the Spanish Mission and the Presidio are part of Dar’s tip to Goliad.

Day 55 San Antonio

Darlene — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:48:03 +0000

This is actually the second part of our time in San Antonio Texas, the first part is the second half of the Riverwalk. Are you completely confused?

Instead of posting them in order, we decided to keep all the Riverwalk photos together, even thought we did it two different days. This is the rest of what we saw on both of those days.

The famous Jackalope

Rob’s comment: So here’s the thing. When we were at the Grand Canyon, Dar took some photos of deer alongside the roadway in front of the Bright Angel Lodge. A friend on Facebook, Dallas Huybregts asked if we had seen any Jackelopes yet and if maybe the deer were actually Jackelopes. I honestly wasn’t quite sure they were deer because of their big ears and I wondered if maybe they were Jackelopes. I’d only ever heard of them, never seen one. I googled it and found the answer. The deer were indeed NOT Jacekopes. Then, in San Antonio, we stumbled up on this one.

Crockett building – named after, you guessed it – Davey Crockett. Did you know Davey Crockett fought at The Alamo? Whether or not he was killed in the fight is actually unknown. Some accounts say he was killed in the great battle, others say he was taken hostage by the Mexicans and executed. No one knows for sure, but at least he’s got a building named in his honor.

The courthouse - later I'd learn about the significance of these ornate courthouses in Texas.

Courthouse detail

San Fernando Cathedral

The Fairmount hotel - the one that moved 5 blocks!

This is the historic Fairmount Hotel that in April 1985 went into the Guinness World Record books as the largest structure ever moved on wheels. We HAD to go see it with our own eyes to believe it. Sure enough, in the basement they’ve got newspaper clippings and stories about the move and the controversy surrounding it all. You can read more about this on the Fairmount’s web site.

Take a look at my shot above, then look at the “Quick facts” page on their web site. See a similarity? Funny, hey?!

Inside the hotel.

The inside courtyard

Besides being famous for moving down the street, the hotel also has a famous concierge – Luke Tips. He’s had stories written about him and is always there to greet guests with a tail wag and he’ll gladly accept a tummy rub.

Luke Tips, lying by the piano

We didn’t see any of the rooms but it seems pretty opulent and very high class. A very nice place to stay if you ever visit this fair city.

The RED trolley, we took these all over the downtown area. $4 for an all day pass, off and on and we found parking that was FREE with purchase of a trolley pass. If you want to find it, the parking lot is on the other side of the freeway from downtown – park over by the Park and Ride station, you should be able to find that on a map. Otherwise parking downtown is $10 a day or more. We know cause we paid that much the first day, took the trolley all the way around, and noticed the park and ride station and sign while we waited for the trolley to continue.

The Majestic Theatre

San Antonio has several old theaters, we managed to see 2 or 3 of them. Not much to see in the day and with vehicles parked on the street in front of them, hard to get a good shot. Here’s a few of the Majestic theater in downtown San Antonio.

Inside the Majestic

Lobby of the Majestic

Lots of neat architecture and old buildings in San Antonio. WARNING: In fact, if you don’t like old things, I’d suggest you not come to Texas at all. There are lots of old things here! Right Glennis?! ;-)

I had to do some research on the flag shown above on the left. The right one of course is the Texas flag. Never before in any state, have I seen so many state flags flying – many times instead of the national flag! I discovered the other one is an old Confederate flag, before they redesigned it as the Navy Jack. I don’t remember seeing the American flag on this building as well – it might have been though. Interesting!

More American iconic symbols - the eagle

I just thought this scene above was humorous with the photo of the old city and the people waiting for the bus. Did you know that Texas ranks the highest for obesity rates in the country!? After seeing how everyone here eats, it’s no wonder. LOTS of fried foods!

An old elevator, it just caught my eye as interesting in this empty building.

San Antonio Riverwalk

Darlene — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:42:53 +0000

We knew nothing about San Antonio when we got here other than we know we wanted to see the Alamo and that was about it. We kept hearing from people on Facebook saying we had to see the “San Antonio Riverwalk“. So we figured we’d get to it and see the river, big deal. We couldn’t figure out what the big fuss was about over a walk in a river valley, we have a river at home too.

That was until we actually saw it!

The Riverwalk

Built in the 1940’s the Riverwalk is an amazing system of canals, waterways, walkways, bridges, cafes, shops, restaurants and fountains. The river was prone to flooding and near the turn of the century (1900) the city wanted to drain it and reroute the river out of the downtown section. The conservation society put forth a plan to put in flood gates, a dam and to control the river rather than remove it. They were successful and built a little mini city, one level under the main city streets and sidewalks.

For hours we walked around on the ground level, waiting forever for shuttle buses and getting sore feet. We saw a few sites in the city and finally decided to find the “entrance” to the Riverwalk as marked on our map, and have lunch. What we didn’t know then, we realized later when we took the tour boat – we were above Riverwalk pretty much the entire time we were walking up there! All we had to do was look down and find a staircase to get to it. Doh!

Rob’s comment: the entire time we were walking through San Antonio, I completely doubted the existence of any such river. There wasn’t one to be found. We had no idea we were walking on the roofs of the stores.

So we actually did Riverwalk in two parts. The first day was when we went to the Alamo. After leaving there, we did our walking tour and ended up at the shopping center, which has a courtyard facing the river on 3 levels. From there we took the river walk boat ride.
The tour was the best thing we could have done.

Riverwalk Boat Ride

Peruvian band at shopping center on Riverwalk San Antonio

Tour boat at shopping center on Riverwalk

where we got on the river walk boat ride, I thought the light was stunning

Our boat ride tour guide was young but very informative. He pointed out historic and important landmarks and buildings, including one old hotel that was picked up and moved 6 blocks to a new location! We didn’t actually believe him at the time, but upon searching Google discovered he was indeed telling the truth, and we went another day to check that out.

We learned about the flood control system and at one point passed through a gate that would slam shut in 2 seconds if need be to keep out threatening flood waters. He also told us about the history of the riverwalk, why it was created, etc. All in all a very good trip – worth spending a few bucks on. If you get to San Antonio – take the river boat tour!

Here are some random things we saw along the river on our tour.

Art deco style building similar to the Empire State Building in NYC. They are taking off the big radio tower and replacing it with a big American flag.

You can see the sidewalk is right along the river and walking bridges over at regular intervals.

I just liked the light on this one

Hotel room right on the river - nice view hey?

Notice the canopies are Texas flag motif? Flags and stars here everywhere

A couple days later we went back and did a walking version of the Riverwalk by day. I had a coupon and menu from the Iron Cactus restaurant and we had eaten there on the first night after the boat tour. We enjoyed it so much we went back again for lunch.

These guys were outside the restaurant when we came out. I herded them back into the water and away from the building.

Of course I happened to find a photo shoot in progress.

Don't know what his shots looked like, this is what I got over his shoulder.

One of the many places to eat on the river. This one had ponchos on all the chairs for patrons to wear if it is chilly.

We will be back to San Antonio again and we’ll go to the Riverwalk first! We recommend the riverwalk boat ride for anyone who wants to learn about San Antonio while seeing it from a different perspective. Make sure you do both though… take the tour, then take the tour.

Days 49-51 – Drama upon arriving in San Antonio, Texas

Darlene — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:55:45 +0000

So, I’ve been to Texas only once before and that was Austin. Which, I’ve learned really isn’t at all like the rest of Texas – now I know why. Austin is like Edmonton actually, no one is from Texas there, and no one speaks with an accent.

Things Are Different In Texas

Once we crossed over into Texas (the real Texas) we started noticing little things that were different like road signs, ads on TV, etc. Guns are a big thing down here. Everyone’s got some and they know how to use them – at least if they take all the shooting classes available on TV they certainly do. There’s also a lot of border patrol going on to make sure no illegal immigrants are getting through from the Mexican side. They also display their state flag and the Lone Star everywhere! More state loyalty than I’ve seen anywhere else. Rob wrote a little travel though on Texans being VERY serious about being Texan.

Here’s a few examples of road signs and Texas patriotism. Notice the “no guns” sign on the bridge”.

I had researched a few RV parks in San Antonio and because we pushed extra hard yesterday I was looking forward to an extra day before I went to my Photoshop seminar in the city. I had planned on using it to catch up on my homework for my Editorial class and some blog photos. NOT!

I use a site that has reviews from people who’ve actually stayed there to help pick which parks we stay in. I didn’t find Hidden Valley RV Park as an oversight because it isn’t actually listed in San Antonio, it’s in Von Ormy out in the southwest countryside of the city and I didn’t think to look for it there. So I used my gut and booked it on the phone. Their web site talks about the creek, rustic location, birds, in amongst the trees, etc. Sounded really quiet and quaint.

Hidden Valley RV Park in San Antonio

We arrived about 6pm and another RV had just pulled in before us. We should have taken a clue about the state of the “park” by the fact the check in area is a little 3 walled shack outside the lady’s house. She had given the other guy his choice of two stalls so we had to take whichever he didn’t use which was likely a back-in stall. We prefer pull through as you just drive in and leave the car dolly attached at the back. Back in is more work unhooking everything.

She didn’t take visa so I wrote her a check, which she wasn’t sure her bank could cash as it’s a Canadian one. Then we drove down the hill (which is quite steep and is a dirt road of partly mud and clay). It was raining a little bit so we wanted to get set up and have dinner as quickly as possible. The other guy had attempted to get into the pull through, which required entering the RV area (which is really a big open dirt field) and coming around from the back side. Only he went the wrong way around and ended up getting his rig stuck in the mud. We took the back-in stall.

We watched the drama unfold as we hooked up

They had to bring a small tractor down to pull the RV out of the muck. The tractor stopped at one point, the RV didn’t and CRUNCH! Ouch – we later ran into the same couple in town and found out they had over $3500 worth of damages on the back of their RV.

Rob’s comment: I learned from growing up in Saskatchewan, that when pulling a vehicle out, the vehicle being towed has to ride the break actually and be the one stopping the motion when finally pulled out. What we saw happen in front of us was classic “how not to tow a vehicle out of the mud”

After we got set up we tried to get internet, no luck. Teri, the park owner, said the router was 3 trailers over so maybe the ones in between were blocking the signal to us. We decided that if they other guy left in the morning, we’d move over and take the pull-through to have clearer internet access. We’d avoid the mud and go round the other way.

Where the other RV was stuck in the mud

Stalls at Hidden Valley RV - it's just an open field at the bottom of a dirt hill really. Only stalls for about 25 or so RV's many of which are there full time.

Stalls at Hidden Valley RV in the trees

In the morning Rob talked to another couple that were bugging out entirely. Apparently some heavy rain was coming and they didn’t want to get stuck there, not being able to get up that slippery hill. Good point! We had also learned that there were no bathrooms or showers here at all. One thing I hadn’t thought to ask for, as every park at least has them – what state they’re in is another thing – but no park we’ve stayed in so far has not had bathrooms.

So the combination of rain coming, possibility of getting stuck, iffy internet at best, and no showers prompted us to make the same decision. I called our second choice and they had a spot for us so we pulled anchor.

We ended up having to pay her cash (gave her $20 instead of the $14 we actually owed) because she said she couldn’t cash our check. We explained why we were leaving and thanked her.

Truth be told, Hidden Valley RV Park is not that bad of a place IF – and I say IF – it is not raining! If you want rustic, you’re literally in the forest. If you want quiet, you’re certainly away from it all. Yes it’s only a 25 minute drive right to the downtown area. The lady was super nice and we felt bad but as we are still relative RV newbies, we didn’t want to take a chance getting flooded out in the valley there, or stuck trying to get out once the water came.

Trepidatiously, we headed for Braunig Lake RV Park, crossing our fingers. Unfortunately we don’t have any photos of that park but it was much drier and solid internet and showers! We were very happy with our move. It’s a damn good thing we arrived a day early, otherwise we’d not have had time for moving – or Rob would have been doing it by himself while I was in class.

Photoshop Workshop With Ben Willmore

The class I attended on February 2nd was a Photoshop class by Ben Willmore. Ben travels around in an RV as well, photographs, and lectures. I talked to him about RVing and got a photo of us together. No this is NOT his RV. You can see Ben’s travels and photography at www.whereisben.com. He was very inspirational and I got lots of good tips and ideas.

Dar and Ben Willmore

Things To Do in San Antonio

Over the week we stayed in San Antonio, we spent a day visiting The Alamo and then discovered the Riverwalk. We ran out of light the first day after taking the riverwalk boat ride, so we went back a second time to walk it and get more photographs.

Day 42 – Moved Out of Phoenix and Into Tucson

Rob — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:05:42 +0000

After 30 days at Destiny RV park in Goodyear Arizona, we said good bye to our neighbors Bob and Joanna, packed up and began the short 2 hour trip to Tucson Arizona. One quick stop along the way at the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch to feed the Ostrich, deer, goats, mules and Lorikeets before pulling into the Whispering Palms RV Park, just off the I-10 and Prince Road.

Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch

Just south of Eloy Arizona, which is about half way to Tucson from Phoenix, and on a road running parallel to the I-10 we found a place Dar really wanted to go to, the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch.

We paid the $5 each for a cup of animal food which included a little cup of nectar for the Lorikeets and walked straight up to the Ostrich. I’d seem them from a distance when I was on safari in Africa, but this would be the first time I’d touched or fed one.

Dar wanted to get some ostrich photographs, so I distracted them with the little food pellets as she snapped away.

It was bound to happen, and I finally got bit. One big bugger decided that he wanted my whole hand and grabbed onto my finger. They’ve got no real teeth to speak of that I can tell, but their entire beaks clamp down and drag your skin off. My finger and thumb took the brunt of his “kiss”.

We noticed sore spots on their necks from where they were leaning their necks over the top of the fence and it was kinda sad to see.

Next to feed were the deer.

After feeding a few of them, Dar noticed that their hooves were curling up and way too long for their feet. I’d never seen that before either and we both stopped for a moment to consider what it was that we were doing. We believe that we “vote” on things by how we spend our money. We buy pasture raised chickens and organic foods, knowing that our choices in the food we eat are actually voting for a methodology. One BIG reason we do not eat fast food is because for every burger eaten, it has to be replaced and in replacing it, another animal suffers.

As we stood there feeding the deer, noticing their hooves, we both got a little sick.

As we turned to the goats and the donkeys, here too we began to feel more like we were making sure the animals got enough to eat rather than enjoying our time with them.

Lastly, we entered the Lorikeets aviary where we watched the birds play follow the leader. That was pretty cool.

Overall, I’d say not to visit the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch, unless you feel strongly about feeding what seems to be some poorly fed animals.

Tucson Arizona

We pulled into Tucson and had a quick look at a couple of RV Parks just off the I-10 on Prince Road. We had nothing booked and were just flying by the seat of our pants here. Wanting a campsite for only 3 nights, we found that the rock and gem show was moving into town and the RV’ers had reserved all the spots.

We crossed under the I-10 to another area a few blocks away loaded with RV parks and found one able to accommodate us, called Whispering Palms RV Park.

We parked, got leveled, hooked up and then heard the train.

It was roughly 5:00 Monday night, so we thought we’d go for a drive downtown to scout out what we were going to be seeing over the next couple of days. The idea was that Darlene wanted to see museums and photo exhibits while I wanted to see the Biosphere 2 and Titan Missile Museum. Her sights were downtown Tucson, while mine were 30 minutes away in opposite directions.

Fourth Avenue Tucson

Stumbling upon fourth avenue in downtown Tucson was not an accident (see Fourth Avenue website for more info). We compared it to Whyte Ave on Edmonton’s south side or fourth avenue in Vancouver’s Kitsilano district in that it was a collection of whole food restaurants, head shops, alternative music and book stores and a very cool organic food co-op called “Food Conspiracy” where we stocked up on goods for the coming week. We immediately felt at home.

Fantastic Organic Food Co-op on Fourth Avenue in Downtown Tucson

We noted a few possible places to eat and one Guatemalan restaurant stood out above the rest. We popped our head into a couple of the shops while walking up and down both sides of the avenue and then headed back to our RV for the night.

Just as we closed the RV door behind us, we heard the second of many more trains go by. Not sure where the “Whispering” in “whispering palms” comes from exactly.

Images in this post are available for purchase on the Her View Photography online gallery at Zenfolio.com.

Day 19 – Route 88 The Apache Trail

Darlene — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:43:09 +0000

The Apache Trail, so named for the Apache’s that helped build it, is just east of Phoenix towards the Superstition Mountains. The mountains are volcanic creations, many 1000s of years old, with many peaks and valleys and canyons in the area. For us, from Goodyear, it was about an hour and a half drive to get there. Perfect for a day trip, or two day trips – so we thought. More on that later. The Apache Trail is officially known as Route 88 and runs eastward from Apache Junction through Tortilla Flat and on to Roosevelt Dam where it meets up with Route 188.

The Apache Trail is rich in history from the old west, a rugged time and characters to go with it. Many famous people have visited here and we can see why. The scenery was stunning, rivaling even that of Sedona. There’s a few must see things and we started with the Superstition Mountain Museum.

Superstition Mountain Museum

We paid the $5 each to go inside the museum and read about some of the history of the area, but if you visit here – just do a walk around outside on the grounds for free, and you’ll learn and see just as much and save $5.

The Elvis Chapel was our first thing to see at the museum. It is one of only two remaining buildings left from the Apache Movieland set which has all but burned to the ground and closed. The chapel and the barn are all that’s left of the sets which were made famous in many a western movie, and they’ve been moved here to the museum site. The chapel really isn’t much to see, except Elvis made a movie on the set so they named it after him. We had to go in the chapel first, as a real wedding was about to take place in 15 minutes.

Next was the barn which houses a stage coach, saloon set, interior of a house set, and a dress up photo studio where you can put on vintage looking clothes and have your portrait done IN the old west. I talked to the lady that does the photography, and she only charges $29 per group, not even per person! Hard to charge much for people doing it on a whim, but might make a great niche market for portraits on a higher end scale, perhaps? Marketed the right way and having the clients come there just for the photo shoot. Hmm . . .

We saw photos and boot prints of many of the actors that graced the sets of Movieland as well, including Jamie Farr, Victoria Principal, Kenny Rogers, Elvis and many more.

Out behind the barn was one of the few stamping machines left from the gold rush days. It was found and moved to this location by truck in pieces and reassembled. We thought it was for stamping imprints into gold bars or coins, but as we learned inside the museum (okay maybe it was worth the $5) they put the raw rock into it and the “stamps” (which are several 1000 pounds each) crush the rocks into a powder. The gold and silver then stick to the mercury on the conveyor belt so it separates them out. The flywheel that turns the whole unit is over 12,000 pounds! The men that worked these machines had to wear ear plugs made of bees wax, or risk deafness – and many lost literally life and limb under the giant stamps.

We did also learn about the Lost Dutchman gold mine. Nobody knows where it is located. There are several treasure maps to find it, but no one has been successful and there are many legends around it and how it was lost.

Leaving the superstition mountain museum, the next stop along the historic Route 88 was Goldfield Ghost town.

Images in this post are available for purchase on the Her View Photography online gallery at Zenfolio.com.

Page 2 – Apache Trail Goldfield Ghost Town

Day 8 – Death Valley California Part Two

Darlene — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:01:35 +0000

This morning we took our time getting up and doing some email, as we had to stick around until 10am to get propane. The little space heater did the job nicely last night and we were quite toasty warm, but we still need propane to cook.

This park doesn’t offer delivery of the gas to your site, and we learned the most of the full timers or experienced RVers have an extra smaller tank they take up to get filled so they don’t have to break down camp and bring their whole rig. Unfortunately that was NOT the case for us! We did have to break it all down, unplug all the hook-ups, put away stuff that was on counters, etc and go to the front gate where the big tank is, and get in line to get gas. We were the only RV in line.

The guys filling the tanks were very nice and gave us some tips on things. He was surprised that I was concerned about adding extra weight to the rig. He said most of the women don’t seem to take notice of weight issues. Well, I’M different!

Oh yeah, it was also pouring rain by the time we got filled up. Remember, we are in the desert, and it’s quite unusual here to get any rain, never mind a downpour. I think one guy said it was the second time it has rained since October.

Back on the road by 11am, we stopped at the little café in Death Valley Junction again to get hot drinks and use the bathrooms. We’re getting to know the waitress there, Lisa and said we’d be back for dinner too.

Our first stop inside the Death Valley park was to climb up the winding road, with a 15% grade at the top, to Dante’s viewpoint. It was well worth it for the view, but it was hailing a little and very windy at the top so we didn’t stay long. The height of the viewpoint was over 5600 feet, down to the floor of the valley to Bad Water (-284 feet) – is apparently 3 times the depth of the Grand Canyon.

Does it look cold? It was! Below 0 for sure, and wickedly windy, even hailed a little.

The day before the ranger had recommended if we were going to the ghost town that we also stop in Beatty to get gas, as it is much cheaper there than in the park. It was 3 cents less than in Pahrump there so we didn’t think much of it at the time. Today we needed to just get a little gas to make sure we’d get back to Pahrump (there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING in between the two places) so we paid $3.96 a gallon, a full $1.31/gallon more than in town! Holy crap! We only got two gallons and paid almost $3 more.

Next stop was to be the Artist’s Pallet drive, but Dar opted to go to the farthest point on our list today and work our way back – so straight to the Bad Water we headed. We could see the rain and bad weather coming across the valley towards us. So in a place that only gets 2 inches of rain a year, sometimes none – we had to be there on a day it was raining, go figure.

an actual holly plant, how Christmassy!

Death Valley, or the moon?

impending rain storm in Death Valley

This is where Rob and Dar seem to have differing opinions and experiences. Rob was excited to be part of a noteworthy event like rain in the driest place in North America. Dar, who wanted to take photos, did not see the opportunity and did not share in his jubilation. By the time we got to Bad Water (the lowest point in the valley, 282 feet below sea level) it was blowing and raining. It wasn’t what Dar expected and she was not the least inspired to take any photos there, other than a few just to document we were there.

salt flats, 282 feet below sea level

see the little white sign up near the top of the hill? THAT is sea level to put it in perspective

Dar was expected miles upon miles of dried cracked earth and salt flats, what we saw looked like a plowed mud field with a dusting of snow on top (which was actually salt). So, Rob got to choose the next activity, which would likely be our last before sunset. He chose to go the Natural Bridge.

Getting there took almost as long on the road out there, as the hike up to it did. The road had more holes and ruts than I could count and if you wanted a vibrating massage you were in luck. Don’t drink anything before venturing down it as you’ll end up with a slightly shaken smoothie by the end.

The hike in to the bridge was a wide gravel path, all uphill, about a mile or so. We got to it and weren’t sure that was it, so we kept going a ways more. Alas though, the one arch across the canyon was the landmark we were seeking. It wasn’t what we expected either, seemed less grand than we’d hoped maybe. But we did get a couple minutes right at the site with no other people there, and did our own self-portrait and had time there alone. Not a minute after we starting walking down again, did people appear from both directions.

looks like a very old dried up waterfall area

did this with camera balanced on a rock with self-timer, not bad eh!?

This guy along the trail took this for us, think he had camera envy as he took 5 or 6 shots before handing it back.

As we returned from the bumpy road back to the main one, Dar spotted more salt flats off to the left side. She requested a stop and hopped out, almost to be blown away. The winds have significantly picked up to what could be called strong gusts. She finally got a few quick shots of the cracked dirt she was seeking, and just prior to her taking off in the wind, or her fingertips freezing off – she bolted back to the car.

salt flats that haven't been all trampled by people

As promised we made our way back to the café at Death Valley Junction. We had her special and mostly just wanted to talk and meet people. We learned more about Marta, and ended up buying the little booklet of her story, which was quite fascinating to us. We were sitting there reading the whole thing, so we thought for $10 we could support her, the community and the staff there. Dinner with the booklet was all of $39 including tax and tip.

3 minutes down the road after we’d left, Dar thought out loud “I should have taken her photo”, so we turned around and went back and did just that. We want to document the people we meet along the way, so might as well start here.

Death Valley Junction, Amargosa cafe - Lisa and Ruthie

Return drive was uneventful except for the wicked wind. We had to finish setting up the RV for the night, as we’d left in a hurry before without redoing the leveling, water, etc. Got that all done, Rob started on the blog installation and Dar was writing the text.

*** Things seen today: two humming birds right at camp, a sign that said “radiator water 1 mile”, rain, hail and sunshine (all within 60 miles of each other in 8 hours) and several people who are missing teeth.

Lessons learned:

how much our propane tanks holds and weighs, 15 gallons, 120 lbs full
that most other RVers have smaller tanks and just bring those over to get filled
that some RV parks bring the gas to you, and we’ll be looking for those ones in future
that when we think we’re almost out of gas, get some more
Rob learned where the empty line is on the tank

Images in this post are available for purchase on the Her View Photography online gallery at Zenfolio.com.