Sunday, January 31, 2010

Ocala Rv Show - Florida Horse Park


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What a show. 400 units and I think we went through all of them. Lots of big toys but very few good quality rvs and any with energy saving concepts. The only folding units we saw were Chalet and one small Trailmanor. We found a Shadow Cruiser dealer who had two rvs in the show. One is a 20ft with a walk-around bed and a sofa slideout with a huge bath.

Lots of disappointments. Here you have an industry that is struggling to say the least and there are rvs in an rv show that have such blatant cosmetic defects you wonder what is under all of that bling. We walked into a Bounder Classic that had the vinyl bathroom flooring curling up on all four sides no caulking or seals around the bathroom or kitchen countertops. I did read this morning on my RvTravel.com page that BigFoot may be making a comeback out of bankruptcy.

We found two companies that do rv collision repair. We will stop by tomorrow to get an estimate on the leak repair. We are in a park right next door to one of them so we can save some time tomorrow driving to Naples. We could have boondocked at the horse park. Rain is forecast for the whole week but next week is sunshine. Who knows, the weather can always change and it might for the better.

Here's a motorhome wanabee trying out the driver's seat of a Winnebago Via. Very nice motorhome for two people.

My final point is; this is Florida. Where is the sunshine and the warm air? Today it actually got colder as the day went on and it is now 9C.

Rving Nightmare - Fate or Just Bad Luck

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We made it to Ocala yesterday afternoon. We stopped by Starbucks to check our mail and to get a Google map of where we wanted to go. I found a Walmart Supercenter and gave them a call. The woman said there was no problem and to come by. I told her I would check in at the service desk when I got there. When we arrived, I told the woman I had called and she said to park wherever as long as it was out of the way. She looked at me like, "why are you asking me if you can spend the night?".

Going back to Friday, we pulled in to Pensacola after driving in torrential downpours all day. It had also rained the night before. It never let up. We stopped at the Florida Visitor's Center and found there was a state park not far away. As we got closer we passed a Walmart and we decided to stay there. Talk about a streak of good luck. We got set up, the rain still pounding, and I threw myself on the bed like always. Holy S---! Water! Water! The whole front window of the trailer had water pouring in. Leaking like a sieve we grabbed towels, moved the mattress (fortunately it didn't get wet) and began searching for some answers. The Shadow Cruiser is notorious for front window leaks. We sealed ours before and had never had a problem. Last year I discovered a leak and thought I had found the problem. Well, I guess it has been leaking all along and from the window not from what I thought was the source. The front middle cap of the trailer is like a sponge.

We ran into Walmart and bought a blue tarp. We strapped it in place over the front. Problem fixed. Although we are looking to upgrade I can't just pass this on to someone else. We are going to get some estimates and see what this will cost. Maybe in Mexico we can get it done at a better price. Anyway, yesterday morning it had dried on the outside and we sealed it again. I checked all the running lights, etc. Good thing we made the decision not to go to the state park. We would have had a bigger problem with no tarp on hand. I usually keep one in the trailer storage but had used it for something at home and forgot to replace it.

As we headed out, I saw one of the tires was going flat on the trailer. Is this fate or just bad luck? I had stepped in dog poop at the casino the night before and Juan said that it was good luck. I am beginning to wonder about that. Fortunately, Walmart has a tire and automotive. We drove up and I asked the guy if he could fix a flat. He said he had to check with his manager. No go. It's a trailer and there is too much liability in case they break something. ?????? So we moved back to the parking lot, jacked up the trailer and took off the tire ourselves. The service person looked at the tire and said that he couldn't find anything. I asked him to check the valve stem. Sure enough, a bad valve stem. They replaced it at no charge and we were on our way.

The rest of the day I was pretty bummed out. I hope we don't have more heavy rains. It sprinkled and misted most of the day and the area around the window is dry, so far. We can't stay in an rv resort with a blue tarp over the front of our trailer.

Anyway, life goes on and this isn't the first rv to develop a bad leak. We will enjoy the show today and head to Naples tomorrow arriving early and resting until Tuesday when my brother gives a a marathon adventure of the Everglades and the Audobon conservancy along with all of his other hidden treasures.

I will post pictures of the last couple of days when we have a good signal. We were lucky to be here at a Walmart and get the local town hall wifi. Life isn't so bad.

Wade, you're right. It the movie was Duplicity.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Crossing Into Mississippi

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We've hit rain since yesterday and more heavy winds. Driving is slow but we are making progress. The rv show is on now and lasts until Sunday. I know we will be there tomorrow.

Last night we stayed in Lake Charles at the Isle of Capri Casino. I checked the Casino Camping webpage and found several there including the spot that Kevin recommended. It was a free site and we each gambled on five dollars a piece including drinks. We had more fun than you can imagine. We played slots for three hours.

Our site was amazingly quiet and it got a bit cold. I had the furnace running and we started to watch a movie with Julia Roberts. I can't remember the name right now but she is a mole for a company and keeps running into the same spy.

I have lots to tell. We came across to rv finds at our stay at Baffin Bay. We found a 1994 Hi-Lo fifth wheel in excellent condition and a Shadow Cruiser fifth wheel. Neither are made anymore.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Across The Border And Into Texas

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We took off this morning about 7:30. Getting into Monterrey we hit very heavy traffic. New bridge construction on the main avenue through town that is also the truck route. Once we got past that it was smooth sailing.

Arriving to the border around 11:15 we got in line and it moved pretty quick. Dark clouds had been rolling in all morning with heavy winds, enough for us to think about staying in the RGV instead of moving across Texas. We finally advanced to the U.S. check and everything came to a screeching halt. We were fine on the passports and the permits but the trailer had to be checked. They separated us and questioned us for quite some time. I really got the treatment by three guards all at the same time. Obviously they were trying to see if I would slip up on something. They had us pull under the canopy and the wait began. They decided to do a complete interior inspection of both the truck and the trailer.

Later, they said it was time for an x-ray of the trailer. We followed the guard over to the canopy that houses the equipment, I pulled in and we were asked to get out and take a seat. They passed the x-ray past the trailer, the guard left and came back with a very friendly, "you're good to go".

We headed off for Harlingen to get some free Texas maps. Based on the time, we weren't getting to our planned destination of Beaumont, Tx. We picked up the maps, headed over to the HEB for a roasted chicken and a salad, ate in the trailer and off we went up hwy 77 towards Kingsville. We were checking the campgrounds book and found this place, Kaufer-Hubert Memorial Park which sits right on the edge of Baffin Bay. We have great wi-fi and we found a spot right away. Not bad for a family park that allows six month stays. Good enough for tonight.

I am sipping on a cold Michelob Ultra and listening to Astrud Gilberto's Finest Hour and have a great conversation with my SO over today's adventure. Man it feels good to be on the road. I couldn't be happier.

John says in the comments above to check out the Ocala area. I did that in March when I was traveling alone. I love the area and we hope to stay there for a couple of days to explore. The area is beautiful, filled with pines and that quiet forest air. From that trip, my favorite stay was at Lake Waldena Resort in Silver Springs which is about five miles outside Ocala. If we can't stay at the Florida Horse Park we will head out to the lake.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Florida Here We Come!

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Tomorrow we take off for Florida. We will be crossing the gulf coast staying near Beaumont, Tx the first night. Then on to Summerdale, Al to stay at the Escapees Rainbow Park. From there it is on to Ocala, Fl for the SuperRv Show.

Today I made some small repairs on the trailer. The kitchen vent cover blew off long ago and I cover up the inside. It never did work right anyway but I decided it was time to replace it. It was covered on the outside all along so don't think I left it like it appears in the picture.


Here's the replacement. Well, half of it. The new replacement didn't fit right so it is the original inside part and the new outside cover.


The license plate/rear light broke last year. I put the license plate on the bottom frame but I was afraid that I would damage the plate on a tope.


I bought the replacement in San Antonio before Christmas and finally got around to putting it on. It was an easy fix and took just a few minutes.


I paid all the taxes for the year today too. Property tax, car, truck and trailer tags. I got the house ready and did some cleaning. We packed our stuff and I hooked up the trailer and tested the lights and connections. We hope to pull out before 7 a.m.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Chihuahua

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Some cool videos of Chihuahua I thought I would share with you. These are being shown on Televisa to celebrate the Bicentenario 2010.

Basaseachi

Divisadero

CHIHUAHUA ESTRELLAS DEL BICENTENARIO 2010

Saturday, January 23, 2010

What A Difference A Hotel Makes


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Here I am at the airport in Oaxaca having a couple of quesadillas waiting for our plane to arrive. What a great two weeks it has been.

Yesterday, I finished at 2 p.m. and decided to change hotels one more time. I found myself at home at the Holiday Inn Express near the zocalo. What a difference. A wonderful experience from the checkin to leaving today. Everyone is so friendly, helpful and just plain nice. The room is to die for. You can always count on Holiday Inns in Mexico. The curtains black out the room so you can have a nice nap, the shower head provides a fantastic massage, the bed is the best and you get tons of pillows all marked; soft, medium and hard. The breakfast they provide in the package is fresh, hot, and delicious.




Last night I went for a walk in the zocalo. You can't stay away from the place. There is so much activity. People in mass coming together to enjoy thelive music, the wonderful winter weather that has been over 27C the last week. Vendors selling ice cream, candy, cotton candy, balloons and toys for the kids. Shoe shiners convincing customers they need a their shoes polished and old-timers sharing stories. What a life Mexicans have.

Just leaving the hotel walking towards the zocalo.

Getting closer you can see the crowds start to form.

More and more people congregating.


I am so happy I came. I have a great job and a good life. Now to the house for a few days rest and off we go for a month across the southern U.S. Yippie!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Finished With Work In Oaxaca


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Today is Friday and the course was a success. The teachers are taking the final exam right now. We just finished taking our group photo here on the school campus.

I am changing hotels again and I will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express. It is much nicer, quieter and closer to the center of town. Tonight I can go out for dinner and walk around and then tomorrow I may just head up to Monte Alban and spend the morning. My flight doesn't leave until four in the afternoon.

I can't wait to get home and start packing for our great rv adventure across the southeastern United States. We will take a month to go from home to Naples, stopping on our way in Ocala next weekend for the "rv super show".

Stayed tuned for that. We are in the search mode for a new rv.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Sunday In The Zocalo - Oaxaca

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I moved to a new hotel on Saturday. It is much nicer and I am enjoying it much more. I can walk to the zocalo in about 10 minutes. Today I got up early and went running in the park. Lots of people out exercising. It was great!

I came back to the hotel, had breakfast and went back to my room to read the paper and enjoy my Rv.Travel newsletter. I am very disappointed by the state park closings in Arizona. Such a shame to see such beautiful parks go to waste.

Before I left the Los Olivos Spa, I had my chakra balanced and an excellent foot massage. I must have started to fall asleep, I could hear myself snoring. The spa is very nice and I encourage anyone visiting Oaxaca to take advantage of their services.

Well, there was a hummingbird there!


Spa Los Olivos


Spa Los Olivos


The park where I go running.


Entrance to the Hotel Fortin Plaza


A view of the city from my room.


If it weren't for the people in the pictures, these could be from a hundred years ago.


A Different Region A Different Culture

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Living in the north of Mexico life is very different. We are used to hard work, paying our taxes and supporting other states. Nuevo Leon being one of the richest states, pays the most taxes which are sent to the federal government and redistributed to the states depending on need.

People here in Oaxaca are just not very "servicial". Being a state that relies mostly on tourism, their ability to provide customer service is very poor.

I just had breakfast buffet here at the Hotel Fortin Plaza. I asked the waiter if he could find me a newspaper. He came back and said they hadn't arrived yet. Please. 10 a.m. in the morning and there is no newspaper? I thanked him and then walked out to the front of the hotel and bought one for five pesos. Had he done that, I would have given him a pretty good tip. He wouldn't have had to do it on his own, just told me they sell them in front and I would have given the money to buy it.

I need laundry done today. The hotel doesn't have laundry service on sunday. I asked if they could recommend a laundry that is open on sunday and the answer was no. I looked in the telephone book and found one myself. Thanks anyway.

The list goes on. Everyone here says the government is abusive. Last night in the zocalo I was asked to take a survey about the high taxes in Mexico. I took the survey but pissed off the guy with the microphone when I told him that 50% of Mexicans pay no taxes and that the property tax in Mexico is too low. In Mexico we pay less than .25% and in the great state of Texas we pay 2.78%. Big difference.

Everyone I talk to here; taxi drivers, shoe shiners, teachers, people in the park, etc., they all say the government is a problem. They fail to see that the government is a reflection of its population. Case in point: I ask them if they pay mordida to transito. "oh si, claro". I then give them an example of wine. Wine in tetra that sells for 25 pesos and a bottle French Châteauneuf-du-Pape selling for 500 dollars. What are they both called; wine! A 20 peso bribe and a politician who abuses 100 million pesos; corruption! Same label, different price but they are both corruption.

I had a young guy in the gym tell me I needed to read Marx. He said how was it possible that Carlos Slim, telecommunications magnate, could have so much money. I told him in a free society he had a right to earn as much as he wanted. He told me I was crazy and that we should take some of Carlos Slim's money away from him and give it to the poor. I then asked him how he would feel if he started a business and made good money and we decided to take it away from him. Frustrated, he had no answer and stormed out of the gym. I hope he thinks about it.

My bottom line here is, you get what you pay for. We need to rethink what the Mexican Revolution "didn't" do for us. It left us in a gaping social and economic hole that we cannot seem to crawl out of. Mexico big business is unions and union leaders. Here are the big four: the teachers' union, Pemex, CFE, and IMSS. They have the majority of public servants and the majority of the money but have provided nothing but over-exagerated pensions that only accomodate their own.

How can you pay someone 130% of their salary as a pension? You do the numbers. It doesn't work. If people want to know what has wrecked the IMSS social medicine system, and why there are no medicines on the shelves I suggest they ask their employees.

I'm finished for today.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Oaxaca - Meeting Up With Friends

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What a surprise. I found out this week that John and Angela were here in Oaxaca. I got ahold of them and we made arrangements for dinner last night. We met at the Casa de la Abuela and had dinner outside along the Zocalo watching hundreds of tourists and locals eating, playing, walking, listening to live music. I had a couple of quesadillas and a vodka or two. They told me all about their adventures since they had left our house in early December. Wow, they have been everywhere from Monterrey to Yucatan to Oaxaca and are now heading to Mazatalan and up the west coast.

I had gotten to the plaza early and had my shoes shined while I waited. I took a few pictures before it got dark.


After dinner we strolled around the plaza. Although we have seen many places like the zocalo en Oaxaca, it fails to amaze me how many people venture out at night in Mexico. In the U.S. it seems no goes out after dark for fear of something. No, here people are out and about. Who would know there is a crisis of any kind.


I also took a picture of the Los Olivos Spa where I am staying. The food has improved considerably and the vegetarian menu is quite good. I may have a massage on Saturday and have my chakra put in check too!


Since I am here this weekend I will venture out and see some of the sights and take some pictures.

Monday, January 11, 2010

This Hotel Is A Trip

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It must be 5C outside and the room was ice cold. I was thinking how I was going to get warm. I asked the front desk if they had portable heaters and the answer was a big no. I was getting desperate as the sun was going down. I walked down the street to the Chedraui and came across a small space heater on sale for 225 pesos down from 345. Wow, what deal. I brought it back to my room and bingo, my feet are warm and I am snuggled in my bed having a cocktail. Let's hope I don't burn down the house.

I found out what was wrong with the food in the restaurant. It is all vegetarian and made out of soy. Sorry, but I have had good soy and bad soy products and these are awful. A bus load of French arrived about two hours ago. They aren't very happy either. So now I have everything fixed and made just like home. Good thing I brought the coffeemaker. BTW, this place charges 968 pesos a night. What a rip.

I found a gym down the street that charges 150 a week. I start there tomorrow at 6 a.m.

Oaxaca - A Ghost In My Room

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I arrived in Oaxaca about 7:30 last night. It is colder than a (insert whatever you want). I have had the misfortune of being put in an old hotel that is paid for by the education department. I am being paid well so I guess I need to put up or shut up.

I brought my own coffeemaker, coffee mug and my own cocktail glass along with a laundry list of other travel goods. I know my job well and when I need to come prepared.

I have cable TV and excellent wifi which is the bare minimum I couldn't live without. Last night I went to bed and I know myself very well. Many of you know I do not use locks much less a chain on my door. When I woke up this morning the chain was latched on the inside of my door. This isn't the first time I have encountered a ghost in my room. Several years ago at an embassy event in Guadalajara, I decided to stay an extra night at the Louisiana hotel. In the middle of the night someone was jumping up and down on the corner of my bed. Several times I turned on the light, checked the room and went back to bed. It continued for quite awhile until I sat up in my bed and yelled, "ya basta". The jumping stopped.

More on Oaxaca and my bad treatment later today.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

In Transit - Mexico City


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In D.F. airport on my way to Oaxaca.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

San Antonio Rv Show - Or No Show!

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The last three months you have heard me talk about the rv show in San Antonio. I couldn't wait to get there and we had planned this trip very well. After returning from San Miguel de Allende I decided to check the rv show website again. To my dismay, the show was cancelled. Yes cancelled. How do you cancel an rv show and it is still advertised all over the internet?

We went anyway as I had a 2007 Trailmanor lined up to look at. The weather, just like everywhere else was colder than a well-digger's you know what in April. We pressed on though, and drove all the way to Seguin, Tx to see the rv. It is a bank repo. The exterior is in excellent shape and the interior was a little rough but easily repaired and fixed up. We had two Trailmanors in the past and loved them both. We felt at the time though, that the setup was a pain in the butt, which in reality it isn't much different than any other rv. Now we are revisiting the purchase of one as it is low-profile, lightweight and you save a ton on gasoline. We can fit just about anywhere and worrying about low-lying trees etc. is no longer a problem. I need to make an offer but I hate to insult the dealer although he did say it was a repo. I also need to check with the aduana to see what the import tax would be.

We had scheduled other dealer visits but the cold and wind kept us from doing very much. I did have the chance to get some trees cut down in the backyard of our rental property and Monday is a special pickup of rubbish, limbs, trees, etc. and there is no limit to what they will except, sorry, no hazardous materials.

We had a good time visiting with friends, shopping at the rv store for things we need to spruce up our Shadow Cruiser to prepare it for sale this next month. I dread the fact that we may be rv-less for a while. It is my refuge from reality and it takes us everywhere we want to escape to.

Things change just like life and we all go on.

Tomorrow I head to Oaxaca for two weeks of work and some sightseeing. I hope to find some new things to share and I apologize for not having any pictures of the wind and cold in San Antonio! hahahaha.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

La Gruta Thermal Waters - San Migeul de Allende

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Last week we seemed to tire of the cold weather that was hanging over San Miguel de Allende. We invited P.J. and Claudia (DutchDuoWildlife) to go to the thermal baths at La Gruta. This resort is located just 20 minutes from the La Siesta and is a real treat. We didn't get too many pictures of the pools and caves but we sure did have a good time. I was afraid the camera would end up in the water, I suffer from severe clumsiness.

You pay 80 pesos to enter the place. You can rent a locker to put your stuff, and the 50 peso charge is refunded when you turn in the key. There are dressing rooms for men and women and very nice bathrooms.

The pools are like swimming pools but hot water fills them and they are refreshed every two to three hours (they have a schedule). You want to be there for the refresh. The water comes gushing out of a wide pipe in the cave. Yes a cave! As you pass from the first pool, you enter a long tunnel, all filled with hot water, that leads to a cave at the end. The bottom half of the cave is a round swimming pool with a rock dome on top. Hidden in the dome are a few glass squares that let in a small amount of light. Steam rises around you and the tranquility is very relaxing.

You pass from pool to pool, swimming, floating around, having conversations with others and pretty much being a good walrus. We laid out in the sun off and on and as I laid there I thought of all the people in the northern part of the continent that might be envious.


There is a great restaurant right near the pools. We were surprised to find the prices so reasonable. We each ordered a large Mexican breakfast and had several refills of very good coffee. You can see my huevos rancheros in the photo below.


I really recommend this place if you like to relax.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Real de Catorce - What A Blast!

Very long post. Grab a drink or a coffee.

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Before I write about Real de Catorce, I want to say thanks to all the wonderful rvers we met at La Siesta RV Park in SMA. We had more fun than you could shake a stick at and I hope we are all in contact. As I said before we left, what happened in La Siesta stays in La Siesta! It was way too much fun and we had more side trips (more on those later), dinners together and happy hours that I think I may have used up much of my retirement lifetime in less than two weeks.

A special thanks to Croft and Norma as they are really great hosts and should you ever be in an rv park with them, don't waste any time. Elect them as the camp hosts for the duration, it will be well worth it.

Okay, so we left SMA around 11 a.m. on Saturday. The goodbyes where hard and I was a bit choked up as we pulled out. What a way to start our retirement, with a group of Canucks and Dutchmen! We took the road to Los Rodriguez and caught up with Hwy 57 heading north. As we pulled into Matehuala we almost turned into the Las Palmas Hotel across from the Walmart but decided we would continue on to Real de Catorce. We had been warned about the cobblestone road from Cedral to the top but we marched on. As we got closer to the exit for Real de Catorce, clouds began to thicken and hang low and raindrops hit the windshield. Onward Ho! Sure enough, ye of little faith, the turn off for Real de Catorce proved to be just that, cobblestone. All 24 kms of it. We continued on, up we climbed, shaking and vibrating. We had ample opportunity to turn back but being stubborn we refused to do it. We passed Potrero, La Luz and trudged on to the tunnel. It took us over an hour as you can only drive about 25 kms per hour. No problem, we were already there. As we got closer to the top, traffic came to a standstill. There was a pullout next to us and we considered spending the night there. We asked others who had gotten out of their cars if they knew what was ahead. We were assured that there was ample parking and room for the trailer.



The line began to move very slowly and before we knew it we were in front of the tunnel. We were told that we wouldn't fit and needed to pull over. There is a small plaza in front of the tunnel entrance and we parked there for the night. What a blast we had! First off, we love to boondock. The sound of the inverter feeding off of our battery power running the furnace, laptop, lights, etc. is sweet music to my ears. We set up for dinner, a great leftover lasagna that P.J. made for the New Year's Eve party. I am glad we took some to go and we ate that along with a great soup and brocolli.



I hooked up the laptop so we could have a drink and watch a movie. WARNING: If you are a pet lover, don't watch Marley and Me unless you are locked in a sound proof closet by yourself. It is a real tear jerker. The ending will literally rip your heart out. After a half a box of Kleenex, we changed movies for something much lighter.

Off to bed with the furnace roaring, can you imagine, here we are in hot and sunny Mexico and it was 5C. The rain was soft but didn't let up. I dreamt that the trailer had a bad leak and they had to tear the roof off. I woke up from that and the next thing I knew I was thrown into another dream. It was quiet all night, no one would attempt the road at night especially in the rain.

Morning came at 6:30. I made coffee in the French press. All systems were working perfectly and it was a pleasure to wake up, no traffic no noise and we had security all night right in front of the tunnel.



The buses leave at 9:45 a.m. and we boarded and began our way through the tunnel. I believe, and so did others, that we could make it throught the tunnel with the Funfinder. It is a lower-profile trailer and only 7 feet wide. Maybe next time. The bus was packed as an autobus brings people up from the valley and they trade buses for one that can pass through the tunnel. All types of people on board, workers, tourists, pilgrims, and rvers. There was a class C parked in the parking lot too!

On the other side we found a parking lot and a short walk to the streets of Real de Catorce. A wonderful history and all the signs are in Spanish and English. Cruising the streets you can find trinkets, dulces, pictures of the past in Real de Catorce, and best of all great food.

We headed for the chuch and took some pictures inside. I purchased a candle, lit it, and left it in the church. I need all the help I can get. A couple we met on the bus said that they had been to the church 29 years ago on the 2nd of January. He had prayed for a job and two days later he was hired. Now he is retired and was making a pilgrimage back to the church to give thanks. Well, he was a bit overwhelmed as he beat his chest with his fist and he told us his story and we were happy for him no matter what his beliefs.




We found a great place to eat and ordered a quick breakfast. We just couldn't spend more time in R de C and the bus was going to head back through the tunnel at 11:45. After breakfast we passed a small house that sold gorditas. We bought 7 for 30 pesos and had them to go. I just finished eating two while writing this blog. Excellent!

Off we went back through the tunnel and to the rv.


There are three great places to boondock. The first is a pull out right as you get to the top. There is room on the road all the way up and down for a 40ft bus. Having a TOAD may present a problem but I am not a Class A driver. The pullout has room for three or four buses and the view is spectacular.


The second place is after passing the entrance gate that says BIENVENIDOS. To the left is a large parking area where the buses park. This will be our boondocking spot of choice on our next trip which we think we will stay three to four days.


The third is the parking lot on your right that has room for several rigs of all sizes. You can see this Class C from Durango here.

We headed down the mountain and took a short detour to Hwy 57. On our way to R de C, we passed through Matehuala versus going straight on towards Saltillo. There is an exit on both the north and southbound lanes of the 57 for R de C. This diagonal takes you directly to Cedral, a small town just south of the exit for R de C. It is an excellent road and a pleasant drive. We connected to Hwy 57 22 kms later and headed north to the exit for Linares (antes El Entronque de San Roberto). The drive saved us a lot of time and it winds over the mountains between Coahuila and Nuevo Leon and lands us about 98 kms south of our house and is a great detour from Saltillo and Monterrey. The views are breathtaking and as you pass km 28 there is a pullout that we have used for boondocking when the weather was too hot to stay at home and the water in the pool near boiling point.


BTW, we are home now and watching the local news. The new toll highway from Saltillo to Monterrey is such a hit that the lines at the toll booth are over one hour long.

Now preparing for our trip to the rv show in San Antonio on Wednesday.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Dinner at El Pegaso - Happy New Year!

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

First off, Happy New Year to everyone! It was one heck of a party. Eating, drinking and dancing! I have to say though that the retirement thing takes more work than I had expected. Whoever thought that planning was part of the program? If we don't plan propery, we can't seem to get everything done. Why with daily shopping, planning meals, get togethers, happy hour, etc. it never ends.

I am behind on the blog because of this great rv park we are at. I will be giving a review when we get home this week and we don't want to get kicked out so you'll just have to wait. Their internet signal isn't working so we are in the SUV right now picking up a signal from the Pollo Feliz!

Back to last Sunday and dinner out. We all decided to get together for dinner and we headed downtown in three taxis to the El Pegaso. Trust me, never recommend anything to anyone. It is never the same. When we were here in July we met a great couple on the street who told us about the place and we ended up having dinner with them. It was the best food in the world. Well, we get there and the place is packed. We made a 7:30 reservation but they waited until we came to set up the table. Drinks were on time and very good including the wine. Croft had sea bass on his mind but they were out. The first signal things were going downhill. But we had a great time anyway. We laughed, talked and thought we would get kicked out if we didn't settle down a bit. (rough crowd we are hanging out with).


Norma and Croft

Bruno and Micheline

P.J. and Claudia

Nancy and Terrie