Travel Log

June - 2006

Summary - February of 2006, I moved from my mountain home near Edgewood, NM. My plan was to hang out at Hidden Valley RV Park, a few miles from home until I sold my properties. Since this was my 5th RV the life style was not new, but living for months at a time was an added dimension. As escrow closed on my properties, the good people at Chisolm RV in Albuquerque assisted in sitting up my dingy. Debbie, the Service Manager also helped in ordering the see through covers for the front. Camping World opened a new outlet on the west side of Albuquerque. Tire covers, a folding picnic table, and several other essentials were soon added.

Borrowing ideas from Charles and Jan Sikes, (bother and sister-in-law who traveled for years in their RV) I quickly began traveling further and further from my base station.

June 23 - 25, 2006 - Steven, my 17 year old Grandson and I went on a sight seeing drive from Albuquerque to Silverton, CO., via Hwy. 550. The drive from Albuquerque to Durango offers little, unless you get off on desert vistas. From Durango to Silverton is just over 60 miles. We drove over Coal and Molas Passes, and viewed some of the prettiest mountains one could ever want to see. Check out Special Places Link for pictures. The Alpen Rose RV Park on the north side of Durango is nice as well.

July 5 - July 8, 2006 - Left on a long planned motorcycle / camping trip to Colorado. The best laid plans of mice and men can easily go astray - or as in the case of my Colorado Camping Trip - changed by mother nature. The first change was a switch from my motor cycle to my car. Massive down pours along my route had washed mud and rocks across the road. Two near crashes convinced me of the folly of two wheels.

Some time ago I went through a valley in Carson National Forest in the northern part of New Mexico. Specifically, the valley begins about 15 miles west of Taos, NM, on Hwy.64, and ends just east of Tierra Amarilla, NM. The 40 to 45 mile drive terminates close to Hopewell Lake, which is noted for fishing and camping. Within a half hour of my arrival it began raining heavy. As I passed guys and gals huddled next to their motor cycles it became obvious my new choice of transportation had been for the better.

Moderate to heavy rain accompanied me to Pagosa Springs, CO, a very pretty town on the southern border of Colorado. The sleepy town of times gone by exists on the east side, and contrasts sharply with the modern shopping centers, and homes to the west. There are eight lakes in the town and the homes surrounding them are costly and beautiful. The next morning it began raining about three AM and showed no signs of letting up. My weather research showed Durango, about sixty miles to the west, to be much clearer so a new destination was established. At long last I located a super campsite near the small lake on Molas Pass, just north of Durango, CO. What a beautiful place. Just as I finished driving the last tent stake I heard a boom and turned to see a massive black cloud coming over the mountain to the west. In moments rain began, but not before I was able to grab the tent and toss it in the back of my car.

Friday was another rain day, with little to offer. Saturday was spent returning to my Select Comfort Bed in my wonderful home. While it is true, I did not get to do the things I wanted on this trip, check out my picture updates. The trip had it's own special moments.

July 13, 2006 - July 19, 2006 - Moved to Chociti Lake, midway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM. While it was only about seventy miles to the lake, this was my longest trip to date with my Dingy in tow. Since I wanted to test out several aspects of my motor home I really put the pedal to the metal. I was extremely pleased with Easy Rider's performance.

Loop A, at Chociti Lake is the only area on the west side of the lake which offers electric (30 amp only) and water hookups. They have a dump site as you enter the loop. The sites are on the top of a mesa with views of the lake and/or Town of Chociti. The lake is "low wake" and perfectly suited for small boats and sailing vessels. Views of the lake and surrounding area are good, but trees of any size do not exist at the sites. The rangers and hosts have been super, and I have hopes the fishing will be as good as some of the pictures they have posted at the check in station. Six dollars a night for Golden Age.

Fishing is pretty good. So far the area they call the "Rock Quarry" seems to be the best and the catfish went for the Chicken Liver with Garlic quite well. Some people tell me it stinks a lot, but since my proboscis does not function well it was no problem. This malady served me well through hundreds of death investigations and I guess it still has benefits. Regardless, I am looking forward to Blacken Catfish as taught to me by Charles and Jan Sikes. One must give credit to great chefs.

July 19 - August 4, 2006 - Moved back to Hidden Valley RV Park, Tijeras, NM, due to health concerns. Had stent installed to help with cardio discomfort. My goodness, my medical folks are miracle workers. Back to running again in no time.

August 5 - August 21 - After getting my release from the medical folks I finally left Tijeras, NM. Arrived in Santa Rosa, NM, about noon and checked into the Santa Rosa RV Campground. Scouted the area and found the USA Corp. of Engineers had built another pretty park at Santa Rosa Lake about seven miles north of town. Also looked at three other RV Parks in Santa Rosa. Mine was by far the best. Several small lakes in and around town. The water is very clear and believe it or not this is a major scuba training area. Who would have thought it! If one is into criminals, Billy The Kid was supposed to have lived in the area. Since my past career included plenty of psychopathic murders learning about another one did not interest me.

Stopped at Fort Amarillo RV Resort. Naturally, it is in Amarillo, TX. Very nice park. Heated indoor pool, workout facilities, WIFI, cable, hot tubs, and lots of other amenities. Checked out Palo Duro Canyon. I can see why my relatives only moved there when they were being chased by the soldiers. I don't think very many people would move there by choice.

My time in Edmond and Oklahoma City was over before I knew it. The weather was very hot (over 100 degrees almost everyday), but I still had a lot of fun. I sailed day and night (mostly at night) almost every day. Swam several times, and visited with my son and grandchildren every day. This was the most time I had spent with Tony in nineteen years, and more than I had ever spent with the grandchildren. My fault. I had missed a lot.

August 21 - September 21, 2006 - Back in New Mexico, and back at work for a bit. Several work related matters needing attention. The cool mountains certainly feel good. I guess I will always have some mountain man in me regardless of where I travel. Stayed at Hidden Valley RV Park until I got medications eliminated. Doing 100% better and ready for some traveling. Doctors seem great at fixing broken things, but horrible habit of giving out drugs, drugs, and more drugs. Not my thing.

September 21 - October 5, 2006 - Moved to Chociti Lake, between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM, to try and catch a few more fish before heading south for the winter. Very few campers in the area and great time just wandering the country side around the lake. Chociti Golf Course is just three miles away. It is supposed to be super so looking forward to checking it out. While at the park the power blew up. Seems someone installed a large aluminum power line in the 70's. Bad idea. Had to move to the east side of the lake. Not as many amenities, and way over crowded.

October 6 - October 17, 2006 - At Casey's Socorro RV Park, Socorro, NM. Not a bad place. If you need to leave your RV they only charge a dollar a day while empty. Left my RV for a few days to visit with Tony and Grandchildren. After returning to Socorro, played a few times at New Mexico Tech's fabulous golf course. Fifty miles west, on Hwy. 60 is the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Loved the place. On the way to the observatory drove up Water Canyon Road and hiked for miles in the Magdalena Mountains. Streams and tall pines. Very pretty.

October 17 - October 31, 2006 - At RJ's RV Park, Truth or Consequences, NM. A pretty nice over 55 adult park. Every evening the ladies gather in the Rec. Hall and play cards, and the guys play pool. Charles and Robin, the managers, are very nice people and lend much to the relaxed atmosphere. Sometimes the getting there is better than the arrival, which was my experience on my day trip to Silver City, NM. Highway 152 provided a wonderful means of going through a portion of the Gila National Forest, and over Emory Pass. It is only 75 miles from Truth or Consequences to Silver City, but make sure you plan for at least a three hour drive. Thirty of those miles will be at speeds of 15 to 30 mph. Regardless of how long it takes, you will love it. For some reason I had imagined Silver City to be a small mining town. It is quite large and the open pit mines are huge with waste tailings hundreds of feet high and miles long. Makes one wonder how politicians keep a straight face when they say they won't let a oil pump scar the landscape. Hey, Senator Bingham! I believe you brag about Silver City being your home town. Sorry about my disgusting side bar, and back to fun. My next stop was Deming, and Las Cruces, NM. It had been decades since visiting either town. I was amazed at their growth, and also convinced quite a large number of our new record population of 300 million, both legal and illegal, have been steadily moving to southern New Mexico. Could this be true for much of the south west I planned to tour this winter?

October 31, - November 2, 2006 - At Lifestyle RV Resort, Willcox, AZ. Charles and Jan Sikes spent several days here some time ago and suggested several places to visit. As I crossed the Arizona border, and got close to Bowie, AZ, I was amazed to see huge Pecan and Walnut groves, along with grape vineyards in the middle of a desert environment. It just goes to show what imagination, knowledge, and hard work can do even in a desert. There are many places to check in this area. I choose Fort Bowie and Chiricahua National Monument, both of which are mentioned in detail in Special Places link on this home page. A word of caution. Get in shape before trying either location. Fort Bowie is just over a five mile hike, half up the mountain and then back down. It is the easiest, hence you may want to consider going there first.

November 2, - November 4, 2006 - At Benson I-10 RV Park, Benson, AZ. Another great location with lots to check out. I chose Tombstone, Bisbee, Naco, and Cochise Stronghold. Tombstone was cute, but basically a tourist attraction. Bisbee was very interesting, with lots of great looking buildings, but also a tourist attraction. Naco, is a small town about three miles south of Bisbee with a great golf course/RV Park. The companion town across the border is a real mess. Cochise Stronghold really consisted of one heck of a five mile hike up mountain sides, and canyons. Tradition has this as the location where Cochise is buried. I am not sure of that, but I am sure one more trip up that canyon could result in another body being left there.

November 4, - November 12, 2006 - At Beaudry RV Resort, Tucson, AZ. This is one cool place. I have my own private Jacuzzi. There is also a great fitness center, beautiful pool, and many other touches that add to ones comfort. This is kind of rags to riches stories and since I love the riches, this is my kind of place. Checked all of Tucson and found the northern part was obviously the best place to live. Hiked 7.2 miles up to Seven Falls which is in a box canyon on Mt. Lemmon. Not for the faint of heart. Later some locals told me several people die on that trip each year. Wish I had known in advance, and having made the almost fifteen miles in and out I kind of wonder why more people don't make it. Visited with friends I had met at Chociti Lake in New Mexico.

November 12, - January 11, 2007 - Canyon Vistas RV Resort, Gold Canyon, AZ. This is located in the east side of the greater Phoenix, AZ, area. The minute I saw the resort I knew I wanted to stay a while. The Superstition Mountains are just north of the park. Everything is nearly new, and maintained just about perfectly. Pool, sauna, billiards, fitness center, library, television room, computer center, and a host of other services. My goodness one could get spoiled. Trained for three days in the fitness center and then made a run at Superstition Mountain. Topped Peralta Trail and the climbed to the next summit. Climbed over a saddle and visited Geronimo's Cave. Started early and ended late and the next morning my muscles sent a message to my brain that a law suit was pending.

Lots of golf courses. Some such as, The Legends, are just fantastic. For those who want a real bargain go east of Apache Junction, AZ, about eleven miles to Queen Valley. It is not a competition level course, but very nice none-the-less, $20, including cart.

With hundreds of thousands of acres for hiking, biking, boating, four wheeling, and just about any other outdoor, and indoor, activity one can imagine, the Phoenix area is hard to leave during the winter. Not sure the same could be said for the summer.

Over the Christmas Holidays I took my dingy and visited family in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The total drive was about 2,700 miles. Had a great time, and really appreciated the hospitality of everyone. Met some new friends along the way.

After getting back to Gold Canyon I attended a social at the Rv Resort. The Canadian based band sang "God Bless America Again". If you have not heard it, the lyrics suggest we are basically a ruined nation. I told them they needed to walk in my footsteps, and perhaps see some other countries. My travels have convinced me we remain the best country in the world. Our people are second to none. I admitted to the band that I remained confused about how we went to Vietnam and won every battle, yet lost the war. I then stated the same thing seems to be happening again. Perhaps the problem is not on the battlefield. Must have hit a discordant note. They no longer wanted to talk with me.

January 11, - January 19, 2007 - Pulled off the road just west of Yuma, AZ, and spent the night. My first time Boon Docking in Easy Rider. Far different experience than with my other motor homes. Love the 12 volt converters. Watched television as though I had 110 electric and enjoyed an evening of reading. Drove west over the mountains east of San Diego and stopped in El Cajon, CA., on the east side of San Diego. During the drive the weather continued to deteriorate. Wind, rain, and snow. Easy Rider ran perfectly, but I was wondering if I had left paradise for the pits. A quick check of the weather channel and it was obvious San Diego's weather was not going to be good for the next few days, but far better than most of the country.

On the 12th I drove to Mission Beach and froze while walking the beach. Had to do it since it had been years since I had listened to the surf. On the 13th I scouted much of San Diego, and the adjacent town, to include Tijuana, Mexico. Met a lot of nice people, but standing in the cold for three hours to get back to my country seemed a bit much. Even though my stay has been short in California I think it is safe to say it is a place where you pay a lot for less. So far I am not convinced cleanliness is one of the attributes of many of the people. Another first. I went grocery shopping in a major chain store where all the signs were in spanish and not one employee I spoke with understood english. It is apparent the Washington DC Befogs are impressed with their border policy, but one has to wonder why!

On the 14th I spent most of the day driving north toward Los Angeles, and then back to Mission Bay along the Coastal Highway. The ocean and beaches remain as before. Beautiful! At the same time, slowly but surely I am beginning to understand why so have left the Golden State. Being a student of human behavior I keep looking for the source of their fear. It is incredibly obvious in the eyes of those you see along the beach, in restaurants, grocery stores, and the massive lines of humanity at the border. Having been in several communist countries I am shocked at the similarity, but have no other way to describe it.

Spent the 15th, through 18th touring the ships in Dan Diego Harbor. What a fantastic experience! Tons of fun walking the Old Town Area, and downtown streets. Skipped the trapped animal parks. Never could get into that sort of thing. Also wandered up and down every beach I could find, north and south of San Diego.

January 19 - January 21, 2007 - Left San Diego and met three couples on the way to Quartzsite. They invited me to come along and share in their knowledge of the area. Spent two delightful days with my new friends and saw more shops than I could ever imagine existing. Quartzsite's reputation as the biggest Rv Rally is well founded. I am not sure how many thousands of motor homes were in the area, but one has to see it to believe it.

January 21 - January 30, 2007 - Due to bad weather to the north, south, and west, decided to return to Canyon Vista RV Resort, in Golf Canyon, AZ, to let mother nature settle down. Got to know a great deal more about Phoenix, Mesa, Apache Junction, and Gold Canyon, AZ. Played more golf at Queen Valley and Apache Golf Courses. Also, yanked my boot straps up and hiked the Bluff Springs Trail on The Superstition Mountains. Several thousand feet up in a short distance. Made me glad I work out daily.

February 1 - February 9, 2007 - Again waiting for the weather to improve, but this time in Benson, AZ. Made a day trip back to Tucson to looked for the Crested Saguaro. Articles I read stated about one out of every two hundred thousand Saguaros mutate by fanning out instead of growing the typical arms. Visited with friends and had a great day.

About twelve miles north of Benson a family by the name of Gammons have built Gammons Gulch. Their new, Old West Town. It is quite interesting. Over thirty thousand antiques, and great care at replicating old west buildings. The guided tour was great. Gammons Gulch is about 12 miles north of Benson on Pomerene Road. Check it out at <http://www.gammonsgulch.com>.

Benson, AZ, is an old railroad supply point and great for playing with my metal detector. For those planning on traveling to Southeastern Arizona it is not necessary to wonder about the availability of RV Parks. You can find plenty of them in every small and large town, and many in the desert where there is no town. Also, during the winter months millions of birds migrate to Southeastern Arizona, to include vast numbers of Hummingbirds.

February 10 - February 16, 2007 - Stayed in Deming, NM. Most would think staying a week in Deming, NM, would be quite boring. Far from the truth. Twenty-nine miles south of Deming is Columbus, NM. This is the site of the first invasion of the United States. Granted, there have been several invasions since then, including the air space over Hawaii in 1941, the criminals on 9-11, and the present day criminal invasion from our open borders. To our credit General Black Jack Pershing did something about the 1916 invasion, as did our progenitors in 1941, and our military of today is responding exceptionally to 9-11. one the other hand, shame is the only way to describe our present lack of responsibility for the ongoing invasion of our borders.

In Columbus, NM, there is a very cool museum with all kinds of exhibits and plenty of written information. Also, there is a visitor center, with in-door and out-door exhibits, video, and plenty of historical brochures and other data. Plan on spending at least one day to find out about this most interesting part of American History.

Three miles further south is the Mexican town of Los Palomos, which is where Pancho Villa marshaled his forces for the invasion of Columbus, NM. Now it is a typical border town, with one exception. One of the local families has exhibited a great deal of business sense. A short walk across the border is The Pink Store. Yes, the building is large, and yes it is pink. You can't miss it! Great food, good shopping, and well presented.

Several state parks are near Deming, NM. It took a week to see them and some were left out. For a later trip I suppose.

February 17 - April 1, 2007 - Taking some time off the road to handle personal and professional business. Bought a home in Cedar Crest, NM. Sold my motor home, and placed my full time traveling on hold.

April 1 - May 25, 2007 - Climbed the South Crest of the Sandia Mountains. Approximately 8.2 miles, with a three thousand foot elevation change. Working out daily at the health club and visiting with friends. Enjoying playing with my new home. Life is good!

May 25 - May 29, 2007 - Edmond, OK, to attend Steve, my oldest Grandson's Graduation. Went sailing, played golf, partied with family and friends, spent two nights camping in the cabin of the sailboat with Jeffery, another Grandson. We are both the adventure some type. Waving clapping against the hull and a small chain tapping against the mast of an adjacent boat with a pirate flag flying in a cool breeze. Can't get much better than that.

May 29 - June 9, 2007 - Back at work and play in Cedar Crest, NM.

June 9 - June 12, 2007 - Edmond, OK. Tony found a really great 21 foot Sea Ray we bought together. What a super fun machine. Wake boarding and riding a tube at speeds way past common sense. Got to do that many times more.

June 12, 2007 - Back in New Mexico, but severe case of boat fever. Found a 19.5 foot Astroglass Pro Bass Fishing boat for use locally. Worked at fixing it up and playing in between. Loads of real estate, and tons of fun hiking, biking, boating, fishing, and visiting with friends. Caught several nice size catfish at Chociti Lake, about 25 miles north of Albuquerque.

July 28, 2007 - Drove to Durango, CO, to meet friends, and learn how to fly fish. Rained out the fly fishing, but the parade in Durango was great, and the company was a lot of fun.

July thru August, 2007 - Many motorcycles rides, mostly in the mountains of New Mexico. Coffee at Dawn is a local hang out for weekend bikers in Cedar Crest. I spent many Sunday morning visiting with friends there, and at The Mineshaft Tavern in Madrid, NM. Golfing was great this year. My golfing friends and I explored several of the local courses, PAA-KO, being perhaps the best. PAA-KO is located in the mountains about ten minutes north of Cedar Crest, NM, and offers long fairways, difficult sand traps, and huge greens with more undulations than one can describe. It's tough, but worth the effort.

Got in one last trip to Edmond, OK, for boating, skiing, before the cool weather.

September, 2007 - Camped out with about forty-five members of my singles group in the Jemez Mountains north of Albuquerque. Hiked for miles in the tall, cool pines, watched skinny dippers at the various hot springs, most of he time wanting to chat, "put it on", and slept under the stars. Drove to Tucson, AZ, visited with friends, and then to Coronado National Forest. As one enters this area there are warning signs about illegals and drug smugglers at both the east and west entrances. Walked the mountains, and valleys. The signs were correct. That night I entertained a few drug smugglers, captured the attention of other criminals invading my country, and then departed just before day light since I was out numbered.

October thru November, 2007 - I worked long and hard hours at the office. During a brief respite I visited the Solo Club in Albuquerque, NM. What a wonderful group of people. One of the ladies was an excellent dancer, and very attractive.

December, 2007 thru January 2, 2008 - Went back to the Tucson area. On the way stopped off and hiked the ruins of Ft. Bowie, and the old Butterfield Stage Coach Route through Apache Pass. Went to my first ever hockey game. My first impression of hockey, and hockey fans was mixed. It seems some come to see the game, which is fast, fun, and very entertaining. Others come to act out, and or watch those making fools of themselves. One should embrace diversity I am told and as long as they are not power spitting on me, who am I to care. On December 26th, drove to Dolores, CO., and spent a few days with a friend. Had a great visit. Came back on the 30th and my son and four grandsons arrived. December 31, January 1, and 2nd, skied just about anything that Sandia Peak Ski Area had to offer. What an great time. All four grandchildren learned to ski.

January, 3rd, 2008 thru 31st, 2008- Back at work, and hoping to travel again soon. On January 15, 2008, I had the pleasure of dining with Helen James. It had taken 65 years, but at last I discovered what it was like to live. Shortly thereafter we fell deeply in love. How this happened we are not sure, but we certainly did not challenge the moment.

February thru March, 2008 - Tons of fun getting to know each other and trying to make the real estate business make sense. The latter was not much fun, but greatly offset by the former. On March 9, Helen flew to Satellite Beach, Florida, and spent two weeks assisting her daughter and son-in-law. I joined her and we watched the night launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor. It was almost worth the effort of dragging ourselves out of a comfortable bed at 2 AM for the spectacular seconds before the shuttle ascended into the clouds. In the future we plan to arrange our travels to include a night launch without clouds. While in the Orlando area we visited Sea World, enjoyed a wonderful boat ride with Lisa, walked the beach, and swam. I took lessons on how to cast a net, as the dolphins circled the boat. No wild life was injured to include the manatees that frequent the area.

April thru May, 2008 - We joined our households in April and being the daring souls we are, married on May 20, 2008, in Pagosa Springs, CO. Our special, private moment, surrounded by dozens of snow capped peaks, was in one of the most romantic setting Colorado has to offer. Following the death of his wife George Carlin wrote that life did not consist of the breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away. We are still cherishing those breath taking moments each day. We took a fairly long motorcycle ride to Santa Fe, NM, and a few points east. Helen has since advised the rear seat on the motorcycle is quite inadequate. After a little over a hundred miles we stopped at Big Lots to buy a pillow. Tough lady, but the pain on her face told the tale of the tail.

June to present, 2008 - The first weekend we drove to Colorado Springs, CO, and visited with Cathy, Gordon, Alex, and Charlie. Our trip was great, the company wonderful and our bowling demonstration - well left a lot to be desired. While in the area we visited the Garden of the Gods, and Ruby Mountain just outside of Buena Vista, CO. Tired, head scraped, and road weary, we arrived home to continue our projects at both homes.

March, 2009 - Our friend, and local contact in the RV World, Danny Hamilton, called and stated he had "The" RV for us at his showroom. He was right and despite the fact we had planned on waiting until August or September of 2009, Danny had found us the RV floorplan, and price we felt was worth changing those plans.

May, 2009 - At long last Helen checked into the hospital and a few days later she was home with a new left knee. Excellent medical skills by Dr. Wascher, and her devotion to her rehabilitation paid big dividends. In a very weeks she was back to dancing, and hiking. A surprise visit from all the kids played a major role!

June, 2009 - Our first shake down trip in our new RV. Spent three nights at Chociti Lake. All worked out pretty well, but the fishing was terrible.

July, 2009 - Our second shake trip. This time to Colorado for almost two weeks. Colorado Springs, and surrounding areas was delightful as always. Helen was lucky in the Casinos in Cripple Creek, CO., and Seven Falls at night was excellent. We began exploring Boon docking in our RV and found we liked it a lot. Allowed us to get off the beaten path, and the limited service offered by so many of the RV Parks. $20 to $40 to park and plug ones RV seemed stupid to us, especially since most of those parks are located adjacent a major highway with trucks rumbling all night long. One can get that at most road side motels. Had a great time with Cathy & Gordon, and family. Must come back as soon as possible.

September 11th, 2009 - Left our home in Cedar Crest, NM, on the way to Florida, with many stops planned. First stop was Tucumcari, NM, where we visited the Dinosaur Museum. Busted our bubble on the Jurassic Park Movie. The actual raptors are not much larger than some dogs. Hollywood? Boon docked at an excellent rest stop about 60 miles east of Amarillo. Huge facility. Arrived at Cedar Valley RV Park west of Guthrie, OK. Golf courses on both sides of park. Visited Tony and Dianna Sikes and family. Wonderful time. The antique shops in Guthrie was super, and the Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City was an excellent choice. Unfortunately, it rained for almost ten days straight limiting our boating plans. Helen had her first sailing experience and advised she enjoyed it immensely since she did not have to handle the riggings.

September 22nd, 2009 - Surrendered to the weather and went south. Stopped at Ft. Sill, OK., one of my old duty stations. Lawton, OK, was a maze of traffic, and overall a major disappointment. Continued on our way to Abilene, TX, to visit with family. Amazed at the growth of Abilene, TX, where I had attended High School and some college. Still a pretty town, but with all the recent rain, perhaps it was at it's best. Had a lot of fun with my sister Mary Ann. She never ages. What a lucky lady.

September 26th, 2009 - Left for Brownwood, Texas, and the adjacent lake.

More to follow as the adventure continues.