Day 1- Part II- Hurricane Watch

Today we left Port Lavaca at 8:00 AM.  Thus began Day 1 of Part II of our Journey!  There really is not a lot to write about today as we were ever vigilant of Hurricane Isaac and the havoc he might cause us in our travel path.  Our goal was to reach Texarkana, Arkansas, which we did.  What should have been an 8 hour drive, turned into a 9 hour drive due to weather and a couple of stops for gas and potty breaks.  We actually did not run into any bad weather until Lufkin. Texas.  Even then, the weather was not horrific, just a steady rain and a little wind.  Nothing torrential or blow-us-off- the- road wind gusts.  When we arrived at our RV park for the night, (more on that later), it was raining moderately, and we had to wait in the truck for the rain to become less intense to set up the RV for the night.  Now, all is quiet and the rain and clouds are gone and it appears the bad weather is headed to Little Rock, AR..  Tomorrow the weather should be good for travel and we are glad that Isaac is no longer a threat to our travel plans. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost so much in the aftermath of this storm............may God provide them with comfort and peace to get them through this difficult time.

The state of Texas is BIG - that goes without saying, and the terrain is ever changing as we travel the highways and by-ways of this great state.  Today we traveled through the area of Texas referred to as the Piney Woods.  This area gets its' name from the many forests that encompass this area.  We passed through Big Thicket National Preserve,  Davy Crockett National Forest, Sam Houston National Forest and the Angelina National Forest.  These forests are known for their thick, abundant pine trees.  (The density of them reminded us of the density of the trees in the Redwood Forest in California, on the the first leg of our journey in the spring.) While passing through this area, we also passed by the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation.

Nacogdoches, a rather quaint town that we passed through, and the home of Stephen F. Austin State University, was founded in 1779.  The city made history in February 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster distributed debris over much of the area.  Today the area is known world-wide for having the largest azalea gardens in the state.

Literature promoting the area states that Nacogdoches is the oldest town in Texas.  Evidence of settlement on the same site, dates back 10,000 years.  It is near or on the site of Nevantin, the primary village of the Nacogdoche tribe of Caddo Indians. Thomas Jefferson Rusk, was one of the most prominent early Nacogdoches Anglo settlers.  A veteran of the Texas Revolution, hero of San Jacinto, he signed the Texas Declaration of Independence and was secretary of war during the Republic of Texas.

The RV Park we are staying at this evening is interesting.  It is an older park that is part of a Senior Living Facility here in Texarkana, AR.  It has 30 RV sites and offers all the emenities of the more modern parks except that we couldn't get the cable TV to work, so we had to set up our satellite dish. We hope we can sleep tonight, as the park is located east of town and close to the railroad tracks!  I should say I hope I can sleep tonight, Jim sleeps through anything!........It might be a Kindle kind of night! (Grin)

Tomorrow we hope to meet with some friends of ours in Little Rock, AR. for a late breakfast or early lunch, depending on what time we leave the RV Park.  Our plan is to make it to Lawrenceburg, TN tomorrow and spend a couple of nights there before moving on to Chattanooga, TN. and then to Lexington, N.C. to visit our Son and his family! 

Thank you all for your continued prayers for safe travels, and your support!

Til next time................

Shake Down (Austin)

This weekend we went to Austin to attend a Casita Rally and to visit with our Grandchildren before we headed out on our big trip next week! (Happy Birthday Jacob!) This was our "shake-down" cruise to make sure things on the RV were still running well and that we didn't have any issues.   It was also an opportunity to meet new Casita friends and visit with others we have met at various Casita Rallies in the past.  There are between 35-40 Casitas here, and it is always nice to not be the smallest RV in the park for a change!  (We are not alone! )

As we have mentioned many times before, it's not about the journey so much as it is the people you meet along the way.  It just never ceases to amaze me the number of people that are always interested in seeing our "Turtle" wherever we may be .(They really want to know how we fit two adults, one Samoyed and a Border Collie in that little RV! LOL)  In this case however, it's all about the way we have made modifications to the Casita to make our life easier while out on the road.  We always learn something new, and Jim being the McGyver that he is, has really done a great job of utilizing the space in the "Turtle", and  is always willing to share his "expertise" with others.

 Our "neighbors" this weekend were Brice and Signy from Clear Lake, and we have enjoyed spending time with them and sharing our "knowledge" .  Likewise, we learned some new techniques and tricks of the trade from them!   They have only had their Casita since May!   We look forward to meeting up with them and their sweet dog "Spunkie" again soon!

The weather has been wonderful, although a little hot,  but not as hot as last year when we were at this rally!  The dogs remain in the RV during the heat of the day, but in the morning and evening, they are happy to be outside in their exercise pen getting attention by those passing by.........

"Speedy" has been on his best behavior, and it appears he enjoys the camping scene as well, so I think we can honestly say we are ready to head out on our next leg of our big adventure! 

We plan to leave on the 30th, so save the blogspot to your favorites, and share the journey with us!

Til next time............

The Journey Continues - Part II

Greetings Friends, Family and Followers!

Well, the time is getting closer for us to begin Part II of our Journey!  We will be departing Port Lavaca the latter part of this month, and will begin this leg of our journey by heading to North Carolina to visit with our son Jason and his family!  We haven't visited with them since Christmas 2010, so you know we are long overdue!  Can't wait to hug the little ones!

From North Carolina we will follow the Atlantic coastline to discover lighthouses we haven't yet visited, and to visit with Jim's relatives along the way in New Jersey.  We aren't sure how far north we will go - a lot depends on the weather and time.  We will just play it by ear and see what the good Lord lays before us.  We do plan on visiting Niagara Falls and possibly visiting Lake Champlain -  the Great Lakes are a wonderful place to visit!  Again, we will play our travels by ear and let you know as we move along, what our next destination will be!  It should be beautiful in New England the latter part of our trip, as the fall colors will be in full force!  I grew up in New York and I can honestly say that fall was my favorite season of the year! 

Since we have been home from the first leg of our trip, we have been busy with doctor appointments, home repairs, yard work, and just taking it easy.  Speedy II has acclimated well to his new home and as you can see from the picture below, he is enjoying his new lifestyle!

Keep checking the blog as we get closer to the end of the month - you don't want to miss a day of our next big adventure!