Waiting For Summer To Arrive

We've been home about 5 weeks now, and once again it seems that we got back before the weather turns nice. The heat has been coming on almost every day since we got back. But July will be bringing nice weather , and we shouldn't have anything to complain about for the next 3 or 4 months. We'll be heading over to the east side of the state on the 27th, to meet up with some of our RV'ing friends for a few days. Should be plenty of sunshine there!
Got the motorhome out of the shop on Monday so it should be all ready for the next year of adventures. We had a couple of issues fixed, got the oil changed, and had an inspection done at freightliner to keep the warranty in order.
We have replaced the Chevrolet Cobalt we were towing with a Honda CRV. The Cobalt was mortally wounded on our trip home last month. We were talking about upgrading anyway, and this pushed the process along. The Cobalt will be undergoing an engine transplant next month, then it will be heading to Austin for Kristin to use when she goes back to school to get her Masters degree.
Last week Patrice and Paul were here, and we spent 7 days at Depoe Bay, Oregon. The weather wasn't the best, but there were a couple sunny days. Pretty area with a lot to see. We were about 10 miles from the beach where the dock from the tsunami in Japan washed up. We saw that, toured a couple of light houses, an airplane museum, and the Tilamook Cheese factory. Also ate too much, and gained a few pounds. We are looking into spending next years joint vacation in New Braunfels, Texas. That is between Austin and San Antonio, and we're looking at the first week in April.
On the home front, the decision has been made to put our house on the market. It's become a bit of a burden with us being gone so much. We'll see what happens. We have some travel plans that should be done sooner than later.  We're also in the process of purchasing a "short sale" house in our neighborhood
that's a lot smaller. If that deal works out, we'll clean it up and rent it out for a year or two. Then if we decide to live in it, we'll do a remodel. It has lots of potential, and about a 50/50 chance of becoming a reality. We started the process around the end of August.

view from the deck at Condo

The guys

Sunset from the deck

Patrice & Joyce watching for whales

Company on our deck

Oregon Coast

Now we're all up to date again. There's been a lot going on around here in the past 5 weeks, and there's no sign of things slowing down soon.  Later,,,,,,,,,Ernie

Home

I left off on Monday morning in Cody, Wyoming. Joyce met Margie for lunch in the afternoon, and I played the local 18 hole golf course, Monday evening Harry and  Margie came by the RV park for a visit.
Tuesday morning we said our goodbye's to Ken and Paula, and hit the road. We pulled into Bozeman, Montana in the afternoon, where Joyce went to check things out, as she had lived there in the 70's.
Wednesday found us in Cour D' Alene, Idaho. The overnight temperatures have been in the near freezing range, but the daytime temp's have been quite comfy.
Thursday afternoon we arrived at the Mulliken's in Moses Lake, Washington. We parked the motorhome in their driveway and hooked up some power and water. Bill and MaryAnn came over in the evening, and Mike grilled flank steaks, then we settled in for a few games of Fast Track.
Friday morning we took the grand tour of Moses Lake, and in the evening met up with Bill and MaryAnn for dinner. After dinner we went to the Johnson's for a little Hand and Foot card game.
Saturday morning we headed west, and arrived safely in West Seattle in the early afternoon. We spent the remainder of the day unpacking the coach.
Sunday morning was spent washing the motorhome, then about noon we headed to Stanwood to Keith and Sheila's to store the coach. When we left Stanwood that afternoon, we made it about 3 miles when the oil light came on in the car. When we pulled over to check it out, oil was running out from under the car. Keith came to our rescue, and we towed the car back to their place and pushed it into the shop. The lower housing has been damaged from scraping or hitting something. We will pursue this matter later in the week! Josh came by to take us home, but before leaving we had a very good steak dinner. We feel very fortunate to have had this failure where we did. It could have happened anywhere between Texas and home. We've been talking about replacing the tow car before our next trip anyway, and this will now force our hand.
Monday (today) was spent doing yard cleanup for me, and house cleanup for Joyce. Tomorrow will be a continuation of today, and by the end of the week everything should be back to normal
In about 2 1/2 weeks, we head to the Oregon Coast for a week with Patrice and Paul (Joyce's sister and brother in law). We'll be traveling by car, and staying in a condo.
That puts this winter's adventure to bed, but standby for future updates.      Ernie

Cody Wyoming & Yellowstone Park

For Kristin

We arrived in Cody Saturday afternoon to overcast skies and strong winds. Met our friends from Arizona, Ken and Paula, then proceded to get setup on our site. It began to snow as I was unhooking the car! Fortunately it was just a brief flurry.
Saturday evening we took a 30 mile drive to the east gate of Yellowstone. Along the way we saw many deer, mountain goats, a moose, and a grizzly bear, When we returned, we went to the lodge at the RV park and hung out in the lounge for an hour or so. Sunday morning was bright and sunny (and cold), with just a skiff of snow coating the trees. A herd of about 10 deer walked right thru our site on their way to the river. We took a drive with Ken and Paula into the park where we saw many deer, buffalo, mountain goats, and several grizzly bears. We had a picnic lunch by frozen Yellowstone Lake, then headed back to Cody in the afternoon.
In the evening, we went into town and met Joyce's cousin Margie for dinner at The Irma Restaurant (Buffalo Bill Cody's original hotel/restaurant dating from the early 1900's).  We returned to the motorhome in time for Joyce to catch the finale of The Amazing Race.
It's now Monday morning, and it looks chilly out (frost on the car), but it's blue skies and sunshine, and no wind. We will be heading in to town this morning to look around a little. Then Joyce and Margie will hookup this afternoon . Ken and Paula are working today, so we probably won't see much of them until later.
Tomorrow we will be heading west, and our projection is to be in Moses Lake on Thursday.


  

The Park entrance

Picnic at frozen Yellowstone Lake

                                                             Bighorn Sheep              

Wyoming

Arrived in Casper, Wyoming yesterday afternoon. We will be heading to Cody today where we will be spending 3 nights. We will be staying where Ken & Paula ( Arizona Friends) are working for the summer. We'll also be visiting Joyce's cousin Margie and family who live in Cody.
We will be getting back to Seattle on Friday or Saturday. That will depend on what other diversions come up along the way. We'll probably be spending the last night in the Moses Lake area to hang out with Mike and Joyce (Sr.).
The weather is overcast with highs in the mid 50's, and a chance of showers. The ever optimistic Joyce  (Jr) says we better get used to it, as this will be our summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Ernie
P.S. My golf clubs have seen no action for 2 weeks now. 

The Road Thru Colorado

Tuesday afternoon we ended up in Logan, New Mexico.  Not much happening in Logan, but it was nice and quiet.  We headed out Wednesday morning, and are currently in Colorado Springs. We've decided to stay here 2 nights to check out the area. From here we will be headed to Wyoming and will be staying in the Cody area for 2 or 3 nights. Joyce has a cousin there, and we know some people from Shiprock RV in Arizona who are working for the summer near Yellowstone.
So, that will probably be getting us home on Saturday, the 12th of May. We're hoping for spring to have arrived, and temperatures to at least be near 70. That shouldn't be too much to ask (I Hope).
We'll update again from Wyoming,,,,,,,,,,,Ernie

4 Days In Austin

Picking up where we left off, on Thursday Joyce and I revisited the Salt Lick BBQ. In my opinion, it was excellent. The brisket was moist with good smoke, and the ribs were very good with the mustard based sweet sauce, which is all they offer. Similar to what we found in South Carolina. Thursday evening we had dinner at  Kristin and Cody's place. Excellent steaks on the grill.
Friday we went to Franklin's for what is billed as the best BBQ in Austin. Kristin got there at 8:45 in the morning for the 11:00 door opening. She was 2nd in line. We got there about 9:30, and there were approximately 50-75 people in line. Joyce and Kristin thought the food was excellent. I thought it was good, but not as good as The Salt Lick.Friday evening we had dinner at the Hyde Park Bar and Grill.
Saturday we had brunch at Cody and Kristin's, then went antique store shopping. After that we went to a local Draft House for a beer, then to a Tex-Mex restaurant for dinner. And then back to Kristin's for dessert.

Sunday we went to the Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center, then to a very nice restaurant where we met Cody's parents. All went well. We said our goodbyes after dinner and returned to the Colorado River RV Park and Resort. Monday morning we headed nort by northwest, and are currently in Big Spring, Texas. Tomorrow we should end up somewhere near Tucumcari, New Mexico...........Ernie

Howdy from Austin, Texas

We left Shiprock in Apache Junction on Monday the 23rd about 8:00 a.m.  About 25 miles down the road the windshield in the motorhome received a blow from a flying rock, and we now have a crack about 3 feet long. We notified the insurance company, and were hoping to get it replaced in Austin, but were told it would take several days for the glass to arrive. So, we'll wait until we get home to schedule the replacement.
We stayed in Las Cruces, New Mexico the first night, and in Ozona, Texas on Tuesday. We would have had a short run (200 miles) to our destination in Austin, but then*#^%#!*%!    Upon our 2:00 arrival we were informed that they had us coming in next week, and the park was full!! They recommended a park  about 20 miles away, so here we are. It's called the Colorado River RV Park and Resort, No idea where the "resort" is, but to call this rustic would be an understatement. We looked around for other parks, but no success. We're only sleeping here anyway.
Last night we met Kristin and Cody for dinner in Austin at the Hula Hut. He seems like a nice guy, and we approve. We will be meeting them at their place later this evening for dinner. We'll find out if he knows how to operate a grill.
For the rest of the day, we will be checking out some of the RV parks around Kerrville as a possible winter destination should we get tired of the perfect winter weather in the Phoenix area. While we're out today, we will be stopping for lunch at The Salt Lick BBQ. It's at or near the top of my BBQ joint list. Only eaten there once, and hoping it's as good the 2nd time. I also have Smitty's and Kreutz's in Lockhart on my "need to try" list, as they are only about a half hour away. I'd like to try Cooper's again, as I was dissapointed by it 2 years ago. 4 BBQ joints in 5 days, not sure I can talk Joyce into that!
So, we're off and running. We'll update before we leave here, or at least add pictures.       Ernie