Apricity West 2

April 22 and 23, 2022, Friday and Saturday

Just relaxed to the rhythm of the surf and the power of the wind today. This is Beach Weekend so action and people are plentiful on the Seawall. Ate lunch at Sonny’s - the Texas shrimp and homemade tartar sauce are delicious. Started the process of “picking up” today as we leave tomorrow morning for Cleveland, Texas. 

April 24, 2022, Sunday 

Farewell to the salty wind, churning surf, and ocean sand. Hooked up Gracie and headed north to Cleveland just a couple of hours up the road.

 

Houston

Joan (88) and Bill (91) Spik are dear friends of Rich’s from Dream Catcher in Deming, NM. They went off the road 2 years ago and moved their trailer onto their daughter’s property in the country. They have 4 sons along with Dora and have been married for 70 years. Bill (13th of 14 children) retired from the Navy (3 of his sons served as well) and was then called upon for his electronics expertise, taking the family from Virginia to Hawaii to Indonesia and more. Joan, who grew up on a farm and worked a family vegetable stand when she was 10 years old, became a neonatal unit healthcare coordinator.  

Dora operates a mattress store in town and her husband, Randy, delivers those that are sold. He also DJ’s since his retirement from the Navy and US Postal Service. But his passion is for the American Legion where he wears several hats to bolster its support for the military veterans who served during wartime, as well as those who did not. He can grill a mean steak and Cajun sausage as well. They served a delicious meal followed by Blue Bell ice cream, the best in the country according to Rich. 

They built this beautiful stone house on plush green acres of land shaded by oak, cypress, and pine trees. We haven’t seen this much green in a long time!

When they built the home, they dug out a pond which is stocked with perch and abounds with turtles. Squirrels dart in and out of the many well stocked bird feeders. Swallows and blue birds swoop in and out of their nests delivering food, while cardinals, wrens, mockingbirds, and others provide sweet melodious songs for our listening pleasure. 

Four chickens in a spacious coop provide fresh eggs for both households. Two pug/terriers, Precious and Peter, and pug, Roxy, are their well behaved dogs. A bobcat has recently been sited along the wood-line by Joan. 

Joan and Bill are blessed to have this space to settle with Dora and Randy watching over them. Good people! So glad to meet them. 

 

April 25, 2022, Monday

On the road for six hours today from Cleveland to Monroe, LA. Had my first Whataburger which was good. It rained for part of the drive rinsing off the ocean sand which was still clinging to the rig, the car and the bikes. 

 

April 26, 2022, Tuesday

Started out at 7am - destination Attalla, AL. Rich woke up with laryngitis today. He is sure it will be gone tomorrow when we stop at Debby and Ted Dutton’s in Parrottville, TN for one night...  

 

Welcome to Mississippi! Chattanooga that is…

Dora told us to be sure to stop at Buc-ee’s for a great experience. She said the food is good too, but you have to experience it. We saw the signs, but we were taking a different route, so no go this time around. 

What is a Kolache?

The Czech pastry that took Texas by storm!

Set up at Pineview RV Park - two ponds, playground, pet walk area - nice park. 

 

Picked up Chester’s Chicken to bring home for dinner. They have Liver and Gizzards which I haven’t had in a long time. As we sat outside, a Goodyear Blimp passed over, low flying. Did NOT get a picture in time.

 

April 27, 2022, Wednesday

Driving out this morning toward the highway we spotted the blimp tethered at the air field.  

Well, Rich can hardly talk, his throat is congested and eyes are watering! Dang it! I did not know that laryngitis is contagious, but according to Google it is. So I had to make the call to Debby that we should wait to see them in Lee upon their return for the summer. She asked if he did a Covid test. Since he did not have a temp and his throat wasn’t sore, we did not suspect Covid, but he will take the test when we get settled for the day. It turns out she, Ted, and Randy actually got it on New Year’s Eve and she had a sinus headache as a symptom. No one got really sick. We were so looking forward to visiting them again this year - BooHoo... 

 

Drove by Kingsport, TN where my son, Randy, played with the Mets Minor League team for a year. Bob and I had a lot of fun making trips down to watch him pitch - great memories...💕

We decided to push through to Virginia and put up in Staunton at Walnut Hill RV Park after a long, demanding day of driving 11 hours. The number of 18 wheelers on the road is incredible, added to that the strong winds later in the day made it a white knuckle ride some of the time that I was driving.

Our shortest trip so far was 2 hours from Galveston to Cleveland on Sunday; our longest ride was today. 

 

April 28, 2022, Thursday

Rich tested negative for Covid and feels better today after a good night's sleep. We got on the road at 7:30 am and the traffic is already heavy with trucks and commuters. The Diesel fuel prices have been hovering just above $5/gallon, but if you want to explore, you deal with it. It is what it is! Check that - when we got to Pennsylvania and gassed up, the Sunoco sign said 5.69, but we had no choice. The first pump he tried wouldn’t let him pump, so we moved to another and it registered at 6.369 - could NOT believe it. 

I think he couldn’t pump at first because they were changing the price! It seems that New England prices are notably higher than the rest of the country we have traveled - including California which was 5.05! 

Pilot Truck stop - all lined up at pumps - $ cha-ching $

The green landscape is beautiful with rolling hills divided into lots with fences and tree lines, dotted with pink blossoms of Dogwoods. Historic attractions along the way are inviting, but we are on a mission - getting home. 

We will arrive in Glens Falls tomorrow where Rich’s kids live. Then to Lee on Monday to see my family…