2019 SouthWest: San Antonio - The Missions

We are staying at the Alamo KOA, partly due to wanting full services to de-winterize, and partly due to its convenient location to downtown. We were very fortunate to get in for 4 nights, considering we were arriving when the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is town, one of the largest events in Texas.  Being such a popular show, the vast majority staying here are participants in the rodeo, all massive rigs, either motor coaches, or camper/horse trailer combos, which we have never seen the likes of before.

We purchased an all day transit pass (for a shockingly low amount of $2.75), a great way for visitors to check out the city. Today was a bit overcast, with that annoying spitting rain, so we decided it would best to make the circuit and see the Spanish Missions.  The San Antonio ‘Viva’ metro bus service offers a dedicated bus route that only stops at cultural destinations, including the Missions...what a fantastic idea.

We started at The Alamo, which is in the centre of the city, and then headed south on the bus to the other missions.

The Alamo

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2019 SouthWest: Gruene Hall

Seeing a write-up about Gruene TX in our local paper struck us that it would be our kind type of place to check out. We are attracted to smaller places, that are quirky and historical, and Gruene ticked all those boxes.  Plus, it seemed to be a place that would capture the essence of Texas.

‘Gruene’ (pronounced ‘Green’ by the locals) is a former 1800’s German settlement, which is now a historic district within the city of New Braunfels, just east of San Antonio. This area is now on the US National Register of Historic Places.

This link provides an overview of Gruene’s history and how the buidings were saved from demolition due to the initiative of an architectural student...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruene,_New_Braunfels,_Texas

Gruene’s central attraction is its 1878 circa, wood 6,000 sq.ft. dance hall, ‘Gruene Hall’ is the oldest dance hall in Texas. In the mid-1970’s it was revived back to be a popular music venue, drawing crowds from all over to hear country and blue-grass.
Here is their web site: http://gruenehall.com

After settling into our hotel, we headed over to Greune Hall to catch some live music and absorb the ambiance of this authentic historical place.

the benches get cleared away to make the huge dance floor

While having drinks and listening to the music, we had nice chats with a friendly Texan couple, Janelle and Oscar, and then another local man. We are discovering that Texans are friendly and love to chat...just like we do. They made our visit to the Hall extra special.

Also of interest to us was checking out the mid-1800’s wood homes and buildings, including it’s original water tower.  Most of Gruene’s buildings have been preserved and have been turned back into thriving businesses.

barrels are for more than just whiskey

the Gruene founder's mill office

Texas floor mat in the general store

the Gruene family home,  now an inn

the town's iconic water tower

Our visit to Gruene was a memorable way to start our visit in Texas and our journey into the SouthWest.

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2019 SouthWest: drive, eat, sleep,...repeat

This is our first retirement extended road trip with our camper, to explore the South West,..a longtime dream of ours. We spent months researching sites to see and things to do, and in the last couple of weeks, we poured over weather radar forecasts to try to predict the best driving weather window, hoping to avoid driving through snow storms or freezing rain.

WELL,..we hit the jackpot! With no snow, and only some freezing drizzle to deal with, we took the plunge on Feb. 4th, leaving behind the chilly -11C/12F temperatures. After crossing the border at the Thousand Island bridge into NY state, south on the I-81, the temperature had already risen to 13C/55F.  Further down into Pennsylvannia, it rose to 18C/64F, with full sun all the way. What a bonus, within hours of leaving, it was like an Ottawa April spring day. We immediately shucked off our winter layers and were pumping gas in rolled up T-shirts!

jackpot day!

Our goal is to make it from point A to B, taking multiple interstates to reach Texas, where we will start using our camper. Our first night was in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the city now made famous due to ‘The Office’ TV series, and we were thrilled to discover an all-night marathon of the show on our hotel TV...so apropos.

Based on our research on the average temperatures for the states we were planning on driving through, we did not expect to be able to start camping until Texas, but with the crazy unseasonably warm temperatures, we did an about change in plan and booked a few nights in campgrounds.

Starting at a campground outside of Chattanooga TN for one night, then we booked a couple more nights at Roosevelt State Park MS. To be able to get a head start sleeping and living out of our camper, instead of hotels, is such a treat! It sure felt great being back in the Alto that first night.

February???

getting rid of some serious road grime

Roosevelt State Park is a very impressive and beautifully maintained park, but being their shoulder season, there was only a couple of trailers other than ourselves. As we were setting up a lovely couple from Pennsylvannia popped by who were on their way home from Arizona and New Mexico, and they had lots of great tips on what to see there. They also gave rave reviews about Texas state parks.

certainly would have liked to stay here longer

When we arrived at this park it was in the high 21C/70F’s, but a cold front was sweeping low across Arizona and Texas, so the overnight temperature dropped down to 0C/32F, a tad too chilly for camping. We made another about turn and decided not to camp the second night, and instead, drove to Tyler Texas.

Then we headed to New Braunfels, even closer to our destination of San Antonio. After this cold front goes through the temperatures are slowly going to rise back to somewhat seasonal.

All in all, we consider ourselves very lucky to have been able to camp two nights that we had not planned on.

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Brake Controller Replacement

I suspected this one was about to happen. Since I replaced the brake assemblies at the start of the season, and perhaps even before that, the braking of the Alto just seemed to be a bit off. I first thought the brake shoes needed further adjusting, but that made no difference. The magnets were buzzing, so they were getting power, and given the adjustment attention the shoes were getting, the next possible cause was the controller.

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2018 Trip 9: an Ottawa Valley get away

We were off to a new destination this year for the closing weekend. Our regular spot had decided to convert their overnight sites into seasonal sites, which was not overly surprising and we guessed something was up given the mass cancellation they did in the spring. A little search for a similar campground turned up the Opeongo Mountain Resort, situated on Lake Clear.

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Weboost Cellular Amplifier

Cellular signal boosters are a popular accessory for full timers and those looking to improve the odds of having service, when out in the boonies somewhere. Weboost is a popular choice, and it is the brand I went with.

There are three main components, the two antennas and the signal amplifier. Mounting the amplifier and indoor antenna is pretty straight forward, it’s just a matter of finding your preferred location and then sourcing the power. How to elevate and attach the exterior antenna to the Alto is the creative part. Drawing from the solutions already done by my fellow Alto owners, I crafted my own little version.

The extendable paint pole easily solves the elevation part, but the attachment took a little more thought. I was hoping for something easy, with minimal parts to deal with. The photos show my take on the external antenna.

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2018 Trip 8: and then the power went out

Dale’s annual girls weekend at Bonnechere, so Barley and I once again are sherpas for her kayak and gear, along with a mountain of food. Cooler temps were forecast, so we switched our site to an electrical...why not be comfortable?

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Turn Signal Retrofit

I have always thought the rear stop/turn signals were a little inadequate. One 4 inch LED to perform these functions just did not seem visible enough...especially given the numerous distracted drivers out there now. I'm a big fan of a yellow light for turn signals, as it is far easier to notice than when just red is used. Our Santa Fe uses only red indicators as well, and quite frankly, I think they suck.

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2018 Trip 7: just a little road trip

Green Lakes SP, NY

Our first foray into the world of post Labour Day mid week retirement camping. When we made our reservations, the site selection was almost absurd...so many to choose from. It was a bit strange heading out late on a Monday afternoon, but the feeling soon passed.

A quick overnight in Ogdensburg has become the norm when we head  towards the Adirondacks, but it just simply a practical move. Gets all the logistics of crossing the border and groceries out of the way, enabling us to head out first thing in the morning.

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2018 Trip 6: back to the The County

Ten days in “The County”, always a treat when that happens. We have been staying here in one manner or another for decades. We have seen the area grow from a quiet rural feeling destination, to one that is now, for better or worse, more vibrant and bustling. Regardless of your perspective on the changes, it remains a great area to explore and then relax.

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