Travelogue

It's that time of year when things have really slowed down at Sandpipers and we long for news from our absent friends.

Send in your adventures and I'll share them here.

First up, Jon & Donna, from Monday, May 11:

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Hi Everybody,

Thought we'd provide an update of our travel since we left last Friday afternoon . We spent Friday night at Falcon Dam State Park after driving only a few hours - very warm there. We had no hookups, but it was very peaceful and serene. Saturday we traveled a few hundred miles and stayed at a picnic site about 1/2 mile off Highway 90 overlooking the junction of the Pecos and Rio Grande Rivers. Gorgeous views and a very quiet spot. There was a sign that said "No Overnight Camping", but I pointed out to Donna we were not camping, just catching a few hours sleep in our vehicle.

Sunday noon brought us to the entrance to Big Bend National Park (this is a REALLY BIG PARK). It was 49 miles from the entrance to the campground. They did have a small RV section, but it was pretty full and was just a parking lot. So we headed for the more rustic area about a mile away. Here we parked under some trees to shield us from the hot sun. We expected the temperatures to reach the high 90's and then be cool in the evenings.

They ended up having an unseasonably warm hot spell - temps during the day reaching 110 and more and most nights not getting below 78 or so.

Generator hours in this campground (it had no hookups) were from 8 am til 8 pm, so the nights were spent with windows open and fans running - thank goodness for our inverter and large battery bank. It was still too warm for Donna, so each night we put a big bag of ice in front of the fan blowing on her - voila, poor man's air conditioning.

Days found us driving and hiking (yes, hiking in the heat!) through most parts of this 800,000 acre park. Was it hot? Did we sweat? Yes to both.

But what a great adventure and breathtaking views and vistas. Evenings found us seeking comfort in the air conditioning as our genset purred happily along until quiet time set in.

Now we are in the Fort Davis area - historical spot for old fort and settlement, but more importantly, the McDonald Observatory. With telescopes of 30 inches, 82 inches, 107 inches and the big whopper at 433 inches, this is one of the world's leading centers for astronomical research.

We plan to spend all of Saturday there and then move on toward Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico tomorrow. More news as we travel..

Hugs,
Jon and Donna