The 2006 Cross-Country Loop
1. Westbound: Florida to Oregon
April 5 - Key Biscayne, FL to O'Leno State Park, High Springs, FL
75F - 86F - 65F
It's been two years since my last major camping trip. The Westy still looks like new, thanks to friend Win who waxed and polished it for me. I'm older, more decrepit, balder, and heavier, but still willing to trade my Sleep Comfort bed for the inflatable L.L.Bean pad and sleeping bag, the comforts of home for unpredictable bathhouses along the way, and the certainty of beautiful Spring weather in southern Florida for whatever the weather gods may have in store for me as I head northwest to Oregon.
Today's drive was uneventful -- north through central Florida. Wanting to avoid the interstates and turnpike as much as possible, I traveled on US27 to near Clermont and then cut over on the Florida Turnpike to I-75. That brought me to the O'Leno State Park near High Springs, FL. I'm not sure that it makes sense to avoid the superslabs in Florida - the US highways seem to be quite crowded and essentially are merely connectors between construction sites. It's amazing to see how many housing developments are under construction -- I guess Florida is preparing for the onrush of baby boomers who will soon be retiring.
O'Leno is one of the early Florida state parks. It is well maintained and the bathhouse is as clean and modern as can be. The sites are spacious, freshly raked, without any of the junk that one finds so often. It's pleasantly warm after sunset (65F), but there are enough mosquitos to making eating indoors advisable.
Dinner tonight will be the usual "first night out" fare: beef tartare prepared by Antje just before departure.
Was on the road for 7 1/4 hours and drove 385 miles. Bought gas at $2.695 gal.
April 6 - O'Leno State Park, FL to Clarkco State Park/Quitman, MS
59F - 88F - 75F
Went to bed quite early, 9 PM. It had been a long day, no worthwhile TV reception, and I couldn't persuade the laptop to play a DVD. Slept well until 7:30 AM. Outside temperature of 48F, 56 F in the van. Not exactly the kind of temperature that makes me hop out of bed. Turned on the heat and stayed under cover until the cabin temperature had reached 65F.
Went to the superbly clean and comfortable bathhouse. Each shower stall was equipped with its own heat lamp and the hot water was plentiful. My kind of bathhouse!
For diet reasons, breakfast consisted solely of orange juice and Carnation Instant. Was on the road by 9 AM.
Driving was uneventful. I-75 to I-10, I-10 to Tallahassee, county roads to Dothan, and then US 86 west to Mississippi. US 86 rolls through northern Alabama, pretty at times, but mostly not scenic. Occasionally it would widen into a four lane highway. This feature seemed to be much appreciated by the lumber trucks who seemed to make a habit of racing each other, blocking both lanes, and barely exceeding 40 MPH.
After what seemed like a very long time made it to US 45 North. This super-modern highway took me to SR 145 and the Clarkco State Park near Quitman.
$13 got me a paved (but not level) site with water, electricity, and sewer. Drove 495 miles today, was on the road for 9 hours, and bought gasoline in Alabama for $2.659/gal.
Spent the evening watching a couple of episodes of "24", Season 3. Sound asleep by 11 PM.
April 7, Clarkco State Park/Quitman, MS to Mission Tejas State Historical Park, TX.
68F - 88F - 80F
The sun decided against an early morning appearance. Heavy clouds covered the sky and the weather forecasters predicted storms and misery and major fronts moving through from Texas.
My plan was to drive a route that would keep me dry, and it worked. Headed north on US 45 to Meridian, then west on I-20 to Shreveport, then US 79 and Texas Farm roads to Rusk, and then short hops on US 69 and SR 21 to the Mission Tejas state park. The sun has come out. it's quite warm, and the smell of Texas pines is very noticeable.
Unfortunately, the park is way out in the boonies and I can't get a signal on my cellphone. The campsites are rather close to each other ... I've enjoyed better settings in Texas parks.
The official name of the place is Mission Tejas State Historical Park. True, there was a mission to the Tejas Indians somewhere in the area. The mission building is what somebody in recent history imagined the mission may have looked like. It's a fake!
Was on the road for 8 1/4 hours, drove 486 miles. Bought 29.3 gal of gas for $75.
It's still quite warm outside just before sunset. But it is supposed to cool of a lot later. The nighttime temperature was 58F.
April 8, Mission Tejas to Lake Georgetown/Cedar Breaks Park, TX.
65F - 85F - 75F
I had planned that today would be a "take it easy" day, starting with sleeping in until 8 AM, enjoying a leisurely breakfast of English muffins, coffee, and orange juice, and then taking less-traveled highways (mostly US 79) to Georgetown.
It was still cloudy and cool when I hit the road at 9:30 AM, but the sun came out mid-day and the thermometer climbed into the mid-eighties. Driving was uneventful, the scenery occasionally pretty but mostly the usual rural stuff. Approaching Austin traffic and construction work got to be heavy, so decided against a detour to the Texas Capital and proceeded directly to Cedar Breaks Park. Well, not exactly directly - my mapping program was completely off and it took me quite a while and a few detours before I found the poorly marked road to the park.
The park itself is run by the Corps of Engineers and is very attractive. The sites are well separated, most have sheltered picnic tables and grilles, and the grounds are spotless. The water level of the lake seems to be very low.
Enjoyed the warm afternoon to do some housekeeping chores around the van and sitting outdoors with nothing to do but reading and writing. Have planned a big filet for dinner. Evening entertainment will be a few more "24" episodes, I need to finish season 3 before I get to the west coast.
Drove all of 255 miles today, was on the road for 5 1/2 hours. Bought gasoline at $2.689/gal. Interestingly, I get much better mileage with Texas and Louisiana gasoline than with Florida's. Averaged 16.7 mpg on both of the last two tanks, despite strong headwinds and high speed travel.
April 9, Lake Georgetown to South Llano River State Park/Junction, TX
49F - 95F - 75F
Woke up at 7 AM and the thermometer showed 49F outside and 57F inside the cabin. Reason enough to turn up the thermostat and go back to sleep for another two hours.
Made Eggbeater scrambled eggs for breakfast. The mix already came with chives and cheddar cheese and I added some diced ham. Delicious and healthy. This Eggbeater stuff is good, no cholesterol.
Was on the road by 11 o'clock and spent the day crisscrossing the Texas Hill Country in search of scenic beauty. Didn't find much.
Specifically, took SR 29 to Burnett and Llano. Just before getting to Llano and well past Buchanan Dam is a turnout on the southern side of the road from where one can watch a huge eagle nest some 100 yards away. Lots of birdwatchers, lots of tele lenses, no eagles.
SR 16 from Llano to Fredericksburg was probably the prettiest road I drove today. There actually were a few wildflowers growing in the wild. Fredericksburg itself represents, I guess, the way Texans think a Bavarian village looks like. Lots of tourists, lots of German restaurants, and lots of Christmas decorations.
Was not overwhelmed by the architectural beauty of Johnson City. Blanco looked sort of cute in a primitive way, but Boerne more than the others reflects its German heritage. They had some sort of folk festival going on and Main Street became Hauptstrasse for a while.
All in all, The Hill Country disappoints. It is being developed and building projects abound. Project houses are advertised as ranging from $750,000 to $2 Million with lot sizes up to 10 acres. Well, compared to much of the rest of Texas, scenery is more pleasing on the eye. But if I had to pick a favorite area, it would be the pine forests of northeast Texas for sure.
During my 1999-1 trip I had discovered the South Llano River State Park near Junction, TX and remembered it as a good place to spend the night. It was $11/night then, now it is $17. Still very peaceful and pleasant, and the bathhouse offers an excellent shower.
Am spending the early evening sitting outside, enjoying a gin & tonic, and looking forward to grilling a couple of hot dogs before watching a couple of "24" episodes on DVD.
Was on the road for 7 1/2 hours and drove 286 miles. Bought gasoline for $2.659/gal and averaged 15.9 mpg on the last tank.
A breeze has come up, the temperature has dropped to a comfortable and very dry 85F. Life is good.
April 10, Junction to El Paso, TX
mostlythen
,
at night
59F - 95F - 80F
The day started for me at 8 AM, when I woke up. Sunshine and 59F outside. Enough reason to turn on the cabin heat and sleep for another 30 minutes. Was on the road by 9:30 and it had warmed up to 72F.
Next came 450 miles and 8 hours of I-10. Rolling hills, shrubs, dirt roads going off to seemingly nowhere, trucks moving at 85 mph in the left lane, 84.95 mph in the right line.
After what seemed like an eternity, made it to El Paso. The old Wal-Mart off I-10 served to help me restock the pantry and buy a few RV things.
Then off to visit with usenet newsgroup RORT correspondent Max. He is a man of many talents, interests, and perspectives - a joy to have dinner with. Unfortunately, his charmingly vivacious wife couldn't join us --- she's one of those rare individuals that one feels instantly comfortable with, like we had know each other for years rather than hours. They have grandchildren in southern Florida, and I hope very much that they'll come and visit with us when they go to see them.
Max is just a couple of years my senior and impressed me no ends when he started talking about trading in his travel trailer and switching to a camper van like my Westy. Here I am, thinking that I am getting too old to be a gypsy, and then there is Max, for whom van camping becomes more attractive than pulling a trailer than contains all the comforts that us older folks seem to want to have.
Max lives outside the old El Paso limits in an area that was part of Fort Bliss. Nearby is a brand-new Wal-Mart, and I thought it might be fun to do what every RVer is supposed to do from time to time: Spend the night at Camp Wal-Mart. I admit to feeling a bit uneasy about it at first, but found a quiet spot on the perimeter and settled in for the night. After doing the stuff one does standing up (like brushing teeth) I lowered the roof to be less conspicuous, locked the doors, and went to sleep.
April 11, El Paso, TX to Saddle Mountain RV Park, Tonopah, AZ
then mostly
60F - 95F - 70F
There was a bit of rain during the night --- that doesn't happen very often in El Paso. Otherwise the night was uneventful, nobody bothered me at Camp Wally World. Was on the road by 8:45 AM, headed for the old town of Mesilla, NM about which the guidebook reports:
Mesilla had its official beginning in 1850, when some residents of a nearby community that had become part of the United States by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo elected to move to the town in order to retain Mexican citizenship. They received a Mexican land grant in 1853, but in 1854 the Gadsden Purchase transferred nearly 30,000 square miles west of the Rio Grande River to the United States.
The combination of excellent farmland and strategic location spurred Mesilla's growth. By the time the Butterfield Trail Overland mail route established a major stage stop in 1858, Mesilla was the largest town in the southern part of New Mexico Territory, which then included present-day Arizona. By contrast, El Paso, Texas, and neighboring Las Cruces were mere hamlets. Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced in Mesilla, a former territorial capital.
La Mesilla State Monument consists of the plaza and surrounding buildings, which have been restored to their 19th-century appearance and now house shops and businesses.
Worth a visit.
Then back to I-10. While the landscape changes to take on more of a desert look, there isn't all that much difference between I-10 in western Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. On previous trips I had taken side roads like NM 9 and found considerable scenic beauty along the way, I guess there is something destructive about interstates?
And yet, there is occasional eye candy, like this view from an Arizona rest area:
After 495 miles and 8 1/2 hours of driving, found the Saddle Mountain RV Park in Tonopah, AZ. $23 got me a full hook-up site without picnic table. The park is only about 1/3 full, I guess that many of the winter residents have left already. There are about 200 sites, each just wide enough to extend an awning without touching the neighbor's RV. I can't understand how people could enjoy a winter living like that.
Have been buying gasoline at $2.75 in Texas and Arizona. Mileage has fluctuated between 16 and 14 mpg.
April 12, Tonopah, AZ to Lost Hills RV Park, Lost Hills, CA
72F - 86F - 75F
The camper next to my site must be working the night shift somewhere - he came home at 5:30 AM, his Ford F250 Diesel engine saw to it that I noticed.
It was 49F outdoors and 10 degrees warmer inside. Turned up the heat, rolled over, and slept until 7:30.
Was rolling by 8:45 AM. Beautiful sunshine, 72F. I-10 was, well, I-10. Deserted countryside until Quartzsite, the place where full-timing RVers gather from January until early April. Their Mecca!
Then the stunningly beautiful drive into California through the mountain passes, then fertile valleys, then desert, and then the canyons and mountains west of Palm Springs. Mountains still covered with snow.
Next came Los Angeles area traffic. High speed all the way, rarely at less than 70 mph. I just followed the instructions of my GPS mapping program and somehow managed to transition from I-10 to I-210 to I-5. Exiting the area via the Tejon Pass was a spectacular drive, but a very different experience from what I had enjoyed there in my Austin Healy MK1800 back in 1966.
Once out of the mountains, I-5 becomes a challenge -- a challenge to stay awake. I was ready to call it quits when I stopped at the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation area, a public Kern county facility. They wanted $23/night for an unimproved site without hook-ups, and $32/night for an improved site. No way! Continued on to Lost Hills, where there had been a KOA campground. It wasn't anymore, now it's the Lost Hills Campground and a hook-up site costs $28/night. Seeing how there didn't seem to be any campgrounds for at least another 80 miles, I paid and settled in.
Drove 475 miles, was on the road for 7 1/2 hours. Bought gasoline in AZ for $2.759/gal.
April 13, Lost Hills to Redding RV Park, Redding, CA
49F - 82F - 70F
Up at 7:30. Sunny but cold. Toasted muffins for breakfast, on the road by 9:00 AM. There is little scenic beauty alongside I-5. The San Joaquin seems to go on and on, green farmland and fruit trees framed by the distant High Sierra Mountains to the east and the Coast Ranges mountains to the west. The Sacramento Valley north of Sacramento is considerably narrower and snow capped mountains make for pretty scenery.
Although it was only 3 PM when I arrived in Redding, decided to spend the night here rather than at the higher altitudes further north. Also, the Redding RV Park offers free WiFi and cable TV. $27 got me a narrow but level paved spot with full hookups.
Was on the road for only six hours today, but drove 405 miles. Bought gasoline at $2.899/gal. Averaged 16.5 mpg on the last two tanks.
April 14, Redding, CA to Portland, OR
49F - 82F - 51F
It got cold during the night - 49F. As usual, waited with getting out of bed until the heater had warmed the van to better than 65F. A good breakfast, then departure at 9:00 AM. Outside temperature all of 56F.
Bought gas in Redding and paid $2.999/gal - the most I've ever paid. An hour later, while crossing the mountains, I saw regular advertised at $3.299/gal.
I-5 took me on a very attractive drive through the Shasta National Forest, with great views of snow covered mountains. As the road climbed to 4,000' the temperature actually warmed up a bit.
All this changed once I entered Oregon. Intermittent rain changed to a steady downpour once north of Salem, and the traffic was unpleasant. Oregon drivers seem to drive in the left lane exclusively. Using the right lane is risky - if one needs to get into the left lane to pass a slow moving truck, Oregonians apparently rather risk a collision than showing common courtesy and allow a merge.
Made it to Portland by 5 PM. Was on the road for 7 1/2 hours and drove 430 miles.
- - - - - -
So far I've traveled 4,150 miles on this trip, and the Westy odometer now stands at 190,611 miles. Was on the road for 75 hours, spent $700 on gasoline for 255 gallons, and $140 on campground fees. Enjoyed sunshine and warm temperatures everywhere except in Oregon.