After Wildflower

Well, the Nussbaumers stopped Saturday evening at the Fort Stockton RV Park (TX) after leaving Buckhorn (Wildflower Scramble), to make it a short day. The WiFi here is strong, reasonably fast, but I have to keep reconnecting every few minutes. Not a bad park otherwise, though.

We'll be heading for Carlsbad (White's City RV Park) later this morning. If you missed the Wildflower Scramble, be sure to go next year -- it was great.

P.S. Sure enough, I had to reconnect to post this message.

Larry we stopped at Commanche Land RV Park in Fort Stckton.  A very  basic RVPark. $18 a night for good 50 amp.  We will be heading to Whites today too but not  too early.
Betty

We are at the SKP Ranch in Lakewood, and trying to ride out the wind....I hope everyone got settled before this wind kicked up.

We had a wild hair to head for the Caverns, but I think we are just pooped puppies and are convalescing between wind gusts.....I was also going to try to go to Walmart and strap a new ladder to the back of the Honda but thought better of that idea...

We will not leave until Wed for Santa Fe, so if a mini Rally at some good food place fires up in Carlsbad, we have wheels, will travel!

Everyone in the rest stop enjoyed the Brewers' horn as they went by on I-10 yesterday...they all thought it was friends of theirs!!

Kim,

Good to hear from you. We and the Brewers are almost side by side, one empty site between us, at White's City RV Park. It's nothing special but full (50 amp) hookups and WiFi, sites close together. Lots of heavy smoke in several directions from here, especially north -- probably some hefty grass fires, but there's no cable TV and no on-air TV for news. Winds have been intermittently very strong here, with an occasional die-down.

skyking4ar2 said:

We are at the SKP Ranch in Lakewood, and trying to ride out the wind....I hope everyone got settled before this wind kicked up.
We had a wild hair to head for the Caverns, but I think we are just pooped puppies and are convalescing between wind gusts.....We will not leave until Wed for Santa Fe, so if a mini Rally at some good food place fires up in Carlsbad, we have wheels, will travel!
Everyone in the rest stop enjoyed the Brewers' horn as they went by on I-10 yesterday...they all thought it was friends of theirs!!

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Kim,
So true when we hear a greeting honk, we always wonder who we know.  The wind did not kick up here  at White's RV Park until late afternoon but the gusts have been up to 34 MPH.  We braved a trip to the Carlsbad visitor center to scope out the tours and times for Monday 4/25.  We will leave this campground by car and hit the visitor center  at 8:30am on Monday .  We purchased tickets for the 10 am tour of Kings Palace, 829 feet below the surface.  We got 50% off tour with our  Golden Age Passes so the cost was only $4 each.  Monday is the last day of National Park Pass week with Free admission for those not holding a pass.  Having  time in the visitor center gave me an opportunity to purchase a new  T-shirt with  bats.  This makes 127 in my collection.  I got one at Luckenbach if you recall. The RV Park is just before the 5 mile road into Carlsbad Caverns.  When we arrived the  gift shop, the general store and motel,  the signs had indicated as a check-in place were all closed.  So we found a spot and paid at the local Roadway Motel. I hope it is not a scam.

Then Terry spent several hours on our roof  trying to quiet the clanking sound of the AC and Fan.  Several tools and  ty-raps later we have quiet AC but we are not going to ever turn it off and on as it may tweak it enough to start the horrible twanking sound again.  We are parked  next to  Larry and Mary Ann.  Phoned Don and Mary Ann N. who toured the Caverns today.  So many places so little time!  I am cooking in tonight but will eat out tomorrow at  a yet unknown local restaurant.
Betty
Betty 

We had water leaks at both ends, but got 'em fixed.

We will not make the tour tomorrow, expecting a fire fight at work, but if you find a fun place to eat, we would surely drive down.

Here's what your fires looked like from 30 miles north.

And here's what that fire looked like from south of the caverns on the road to Rattlesnake Springs. 

The Cavern headquarters are further to the right on that ridgeline.

Tonight that smoke is over the town of Carlsbad and treating us to an ash bath!

We're leaving for Albuquerque as early in the AM as we can manage to try to get there before the predicted strong winds kick up.  Wish us luck with that!

Y'all have fun in Carlsbad!

Don

Have a good trip, Don. Sorry we didn't have a chance to get with you here -- perhaps down the road a piece.

Larry

Mary Ann and I were thinking we'd see you after we spotted your rig at White City when we went into the Caverns, but every time we went by, even when the Brewers joined you, there were no cars with your rig(s), so we motored on.

We get to Denver now and then.  Maybe we can get together up there for a mini-rally!

Safe Travels.

Don

Hi,
And here we are, trapped in a "Yogi Bear" park (Burleson - Just S. of Fort worth); thank god the kids left yesterday. I'm about to get on a plane to the Frozen Northlands and Tara will be trapped here since she doesn't want to drive to DFW.
Thankfully, Moab is coming and if its anything near as good as Wildflower we'll come back strong.
Happy Travels,
Ernie

Larry N. said:

Lots of heavy smoke in several directions from here, especially north -- probably some hefty grass fires, but there's no cable TV and no on-air TV for news. Winds have been intermittently very strong here, with an occasional die-down.

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We learned today from Rangers at Carlsbad that the fire is the Lincoln National Forest.  Heavy smell of smoke in the  air today. There are 10.000 acres burning.  You can read about it here. http://www.kasa.com/dpps/weather/wildfires/last-chance-fire-grows-in-guadalupes_3787617

Thanks for the link, Betty. Over 10,000 acres -- bad news.

Betty Brewer said:

...  Having  time in the visitor center gave me an opportunity to purchase a new  T-shirt with  bats.  This makes 127 in my collection.  ...

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???  Is that 127 T-shirts or 127 bat items?

Saw the smoke to the north at Carlsbad as we passed through Van Horn.  The fire in the Ft. Davis area is still going strong, and we could see the smoke close to a nearby ridge, pouring over the top.  As we passed I could see but just a portion of a valley beyond that looked filled with smoke.  Thought El Paso/Juarez was on fire, too, but turned out to be dust storms.  Head winds all the way.  That 10 mpg we made going east we lost today and went to 6 mpg.  Guess it evens out around 8  ;D

Got to Deming and may have to stay another day if the winds keep up.  Still another day to go though, so to move on is tempting.  We'll see! 

Daisy

    Daisy:  YOu don't have any appointments.  Take your time.

We will be on our way from the SKP Ranch to Santa Fe tomorrow. We don't have any appointments so it may be the next day. Or the next.

Joe and Kathy Akins are cooking salmon on a plank for us tonight in Artesia.

This is the rally that never ends!!!

Ron from Big D said:

    Daisy:  YOu don't have any appointments.  Take your time.

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Ah, but we do Ron.  Our son and wife are arriving this weekend and a grandson-in-law will be here Thurs.  A full house for sure and no food to feed the masses as yet. 

We did get home today about noon, and all is well.  MH is unloaded, [a record for us] and half the laundry is done.  Want to get everything in order again before the troops arrive and hope to get a little rest before too. 

Daisy