It's Been A Good Six Months, Texas - (Ft. Davis, TX)

Well, as of tomorrow, we have been Texans for a half year.  But now it's time to move on from the Lone Star State to the Land of Enchantment.

We certainly have enjoyed all the Texan hospitality during our extended visit.  Next time we make it back we hope to spend more time exploring and less time parked in one place.  We've got lots to see yet in this massive state.

But farewell for now, Texas!  Nowhere else have we seen so many proud state flags flying high along with the stars & stripes.  Heritage, pride and patriotism are alive and well deep in the heart of Texas.  We were privileged to be a part of it for a short time.  :)

Tomorrow we are moving on to New Mexico.  We will be paying a visit to Carlsbad Caverns as we spend a few days in the southeast part of the state.  And we will check out some other natural attractions in the area.

We spent a lot of today contemplating a route after that.  It was a pretty morning, so we sat outside in the loungers under the awning.

Then the clouds rolled in and it cooled off.  Back inside.  :)

Then back outside as the sun and blue skies returned.  Of course it rained on our rig while the sun shined all around.  I was getting sunburned on one side as rain drops were hitting the other.  :)

Then a thunderstorm was on the verge of unleashing on us.  Back inside.  Linda had to come up with an alternate plan for the chicken I was going to grill.  :)

Whew!  That was the worst storm we've had here, but at least there was no hail.

Folks in Carlsbad tell us it's been beautiful there for a week.  Well, our arrival should take care of that.  :)

Look out New Mexico, here we come for a month or so!  We're looking forward to visiting as many beautiful locations as we can.  A month won't be enough, we know that.  But we will see how our meandering goes this time and we will return another day.

Well, that's about it.  Nothing too strenuous for us today.  The new Toshiba laptop performed admirably and the screen was MUCH easier to work with outside than the old Compaq.  So far, so good.  :)

Guess we better rest up for travel day.  The next Journal entry will be from a new state for the Cambridge.  We're ready to be "enchanted"!  :) 

Comments

[Mike & Pat McFall]

Enjoy your comments each morning. Glad you enjoyed Texas. We are in Mission getting ready to leave tomorrow, headed to our place in the Black Hills of SD. We bought a lot here right across the street from the bentsen State Park,,,. & other HDT'ers have bought here!

You will enjoy the caverns in NM.
If your looking for a REAL nice place to spend some time, don't overlook the Black Hills and Custer State Park in SD. We volunteered there for 9 summers until we re-retired from that 4 years ago. However we couldn't leave the hills. So we bought a couple acres up there and made our own private rv park. So come and visit us, we'll show you around and we have a dozen NEAT hikes within a short drive. One includes Harney Peak, a 6 mile hike to the top and back. people from all over the world come to hike it, because it is the HIGHEST point East of the Rockies in the US all the way to the Alps!!!(7262 ft) You can view all kinds of hiking and the Hills on our webshots...
Also if you can promote our PressurePro web site we would appreciate it.
www.PressureProSyatem.com You can get to our webshots from it..

Thanks and have FUN!! We'll keep 'watchin" ya!
Mike McFall

[Judy(the Other)]

Only a month?!? New Mexico is one of my favorite places to spend time. I'd go Carlsbad to Ruidoso to get cool. (Of course we've been hovering on high 90s for a month) Alamogordo can be interesting if you like history of space. Lincoln has Billy the Kid history. Then to the ABQ area-find a place to stay and explore the Turquoise Trail. I'd skip ABQ-it's another big city-has some interesting things but the freeways and box stores have taken some of the charm.
For me, the next stop would be Las Vegas NM. Great example of a southwestern town with a plaza and shops. Also an old Harvey House-the La Castaneda, beautiful Mission Revival architecture. In process of restoration I believe.
Well, I'm sure that's more than a month.
I understand the Bosque del Apache is great for birds.
More to do than your time allows-Enjoy!!

[Judy]

Looking forward to meeting you both. I hope that you will like "The Land of Enchantment" as much as we do.
Have a safe trip into our state and enjoy.
southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs

[Judy Healy]

Now you're headed to my hometown, Carlsbad. I was born and raised there, left as soon as I graduated in 1967...yikes! My father was a potash mine foreman and his office was 850 feet underground. He took me on an underground tour when I turned 18. I can't imagine doing that day in and day out. It's not as dangerous at the coal mines but it's still creepy to me. Because he was a boss, he had a golf cart we rode in underground and the first thing he said to me, was "When I say duck, don't go what?" Those ceilings were very low in several places and I learned real quick to pay close attention;) Fortunately I still have my head;)
The potash mines are between Hobbs and Carlsbad right off the highway. You can't tell by looking across the flat dry area but there are still hundreds of miners working there underground.
My grandfather and uncle owned the McKay Tile and Terrazzo Company and did almost all the tile and terrazzo in that part of the country, including the Carlsbad Caverns buildings, the high school (very unique architecture, sits on top of a hill overlooking Carlsbad and has some beautiful tile murals my uncle designed and installed on the outside), the Eddy County Courthouse and jail and on and on.
I have only been back a couple of times in the last
40 years and hardly recognized it so can't give you much current information but I've heard it's very RV friendly and enjoyable. When I lived there, I felt like like I was on the edge of the earth and I couldn't wait to see the rest of the world. I still have that feeling (even after living in England and the West Coast) which is why we'll be out there RV'ing in about another year.
I think some of us never lose our "wanderlust" and I hope I never do.
Enjoy.

[Mike & Pat McFall]

WOW!!! You do have a following!! I have had 2 contacts on our web site already. PLUS I made a typo on the web site address. It is: http://www.PressureProSystem.com

Thanks Robbie for letting me know!!!
Mike

http://community.webshots.com/user/patmcfall

[maryann]

If you are near the White Sands area,be sure to stop at one of the pistachio
stores for some pistachio brittle..we have ordered more each time we run out..yummmm

[Bob2K]

Howard and Linda, I'm glad you enjoyed Texas, it's a very good place to visit. I look forward to your journals just like a child looks forward to Santa. Keep up the good work and take a lot of pictures in NM. Happy Trails. Bob Wiggs

[Tom and Pam Atkinson]

We love New Mexico....we were stationed in Alamogordo in the mid 90's and it still has a very special place in our heart. In fact, we just went back for a visit to see old friends in March and are still struck by the beauty in the middle of the desert. Cloudcroft and Ruidoso are as pretty as it gets. White Sands is spectacular and, if you get north of Carrizozo on that deserted stretch of highway 54, the vistas are incomparable. And, of course, there's the beauty of Santa Fe and Angel Fire further north. You will fall in love with it. It is truly the Land of Enchantment. Enjoy!!!

[Judy Healy]

Hope you get the chance to try some sopapillas....the Cortez Cafe used to have them.
The real sopapillas are deep fried fluffy pillow like desserts that are hollow in the center. They're brought out fresh and hot and just so you look like you're seasoned at this, bite off a corner and then pour a little honey inside. YUMMMMM
They are not the miserable excuse I've seen in most places that are cold, flat and crunchy with a ton of cinnamon and sugar poured on top of them.
And here I sit in Seattle with no sopapillas within at least 1000 miles.

[Sue]

Absolutely love your sense of humor ~ great writing!!!