The Next Step

Its been a year since we bought our first travel trailer, a 26 ft. Rockwood bumper pull. Our intent all along was to use it for a year or so and decide what we liked about it and what we would want in another trailer. We pulled it quite a bit with a 2001 Toyota Tundra with the 4.7L engine. After waiting for years for Toyota to introduce their long awaited Hino diesel powered Tundra, we determined in was time for more power in the pulling end of our rig and Toyota wasn't going to be the answer. Even though I loved the Tundra and seldom had any trouble with it, we eventually sold it and bought a Ford Power Stroke diesel F250.

The Ford's previous owner had used it for towing a 5th wheel trailer, so it was already wired for lights and brakes, and the rails for the hitch itself were still installed. Those facts made it easy to consider a 5th wheel trailer, so when we found one that met our requirements (a couple feet longer, an additonal or larger slide out, and a rear living area), we decided to take a look at it. We took a day and drove the 4 hours to Wichita Falls, TX. After looking it over closely and some negotiating, the seller agreed to include the slider type hitch he used. We had a deal! Later that day we pulled the the four pins holding the hitch in his truck, moved it over to our truck and took home a 2008 KZ Spree 285.

It pulled like a dream, but it will be a couple months before we get to use it in earnest. However, we may sneak off to Palo Duro Canyon for a day or two in the near future to try it out. I'll keep you posted.

Palo Duro Canyon Revisited

We finally had a free weekend, so we decided to make a short trip to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Just the two of us. The weather looked promising with high temperatures forecast to be in the 80's (the last time we camped here was in July and the daytime highs topped 100).
We weren't disappointed. No wind, no rain, and great temperatures. The only "issue" was a young couple tent camping in the site next to us. They had an awesome radio in their truck, and they shared it....a lot. A loud radio, however, couldn't discourage the deer and turkeys who frequented the area. Eventually the radio was turned down and the evening was crystal clear. Perfect for grilling burgers.

Saturday morning we fired up the Keurig, brewed a couple cups of coffee (man, I love that coffee maker!) and after a chilly half mile walk around the campground, we cooked breakfast, cleaned up the dishes and wondered what we were going to do with the rest of the day. Deciding that since we had lived in Amarillo for almost 20 years, and had never been to The Lighthouse, that would be a great place to hike to. We got started about 10:00 am. Well, it got real warm real quick and at the one mile point of a six mile hike we decided it was time to turn back.

As if we hadn't had enough, we hiked a little around our campsite.

How hot has it been in the Texas Panhandle?

So hot that even the cactus is dying!

This old power pole was spotted behind our campsite.

It seems that electricity was smaller back then!

The deer just really don't mind humans being around at all.

We loved watching a beautiful moon rise over a canyon rim.

Fully rested and mentally prepared, the following day we tried it again.
We set out at 8:00 am, took twice as much water and had a great hike. There was no one else on the trail for the first hour or so. In fact it wasn't until we needed to "pause for a cause" that we met another hiker. I was supposed to be the lookout and it wasn't until Betty had her pants around her ankles that he turned the corner in the trail and with his head down, walked right up to us before looking up! "Oh, uh, sorry" he mumbled as he did an about face. Oh well. I'm pretty sure it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before.

When we returned to camp we got an added bonus! The kids with the awesome radio had departed, so we had a peaceful lunch before packing up to head home.

Not what we expected..

But, after the long trip to South Carolina, it was determined that our beloved Toyota Tundra was not cut out for pulling the trailer.  Waiting for Toyota to introduce a diesel truck was not an option.  It has been in discussion for several years, with nothing in sight.  We think that until that it happens, this will do. 

After selling everything from a used bathtub to an airplane on Craigslist, it was time to buy from Craigslist.  It was a good experience.  We looked at several trucks, but when this one listed and we saw it, it was ours within 24 hours.

Yes, this is the one.

Radio

CD Player

4 Wheel Drive

Power Points

Cup Holders

Small Storage

AC/ Heater

Edge

Not really sure what this does,

but something to do with improving performance

 and miles per gallon.

Seats

Comfy Seats

More Seats

More leg room

 Nice Mirrors

 Front Grille Guard

Standard Wheels

Trailer Hitch

Running Boards

AND 5th Wheel Ready

I must admit that I am liking the King Ranch package!

Cheaha Mountain Top to Poverty Point

As we left South Carolina we made a couple of stops for outlet shopping in Commerce, Alabama. The Lodge Cast Iron and Coleman stores helped lighten our wallets a little. We then made our way on to Cheaha State Park. On the map it looked like a short distance off the interstate, but in reality it is a long and winding road that leads to the highest point in the state. Forty-five minutes later we arrived at the top and checked in. We didn't get to spend a lot of time exploring there, as darkness was approaching, but there was plenty to see and do. We built a fire using the ample supply of dead wood around our campsite. I took a look at the restrooms, and they were adequate. Not great, but OK. There was a swimming pool and playground and a lot of other things to enjoy in warmer weather. Cost was $22 per night.

The next morning we were greeted by a fog so thick it restricted visibility to less than 100 ft., so we decided to wait a while before beginning the downhill trip. After waiting for 2 hours we decided to try our luck (even though it was still foggy). Within a quarter mile of leaving the park we were in the clear. We had been waiting in a cloud on the mountain top all that time.

Our late departure from Cheaha put us a little behind schedule. We made it on into Louisiana and decided to try our luck at a State Park with a discouraging name. On our way through there the previous week we had noticed the signs for Poverty Point Reservoir State Park. "What a sad name for a park" we remarked. Well, now it was time to find out. Were we ever surprised! This was by far the nicest park we had been in on this trip. All the roads and campsites were paved and level. The grassy areas around the campsites were mowed. The restrooms were fairly new, clean and it looked like someone took pride in them. There was a laundry room as well with washer and dryer facilities. A playground for kids had the usual playground equipment as well as a water fountain feature for kids (or adults) to play in. The fee for this park was $16 per night plus a one time "reservation" fee of $6. You pay the $6 whether you make a reservation or not, so perhaps it should be called an entrance fee.

Poverty Point National Monument
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)

The park is located just a couple miles north of Interstate 20 at Delhi, Louisiana. It is home to ancient earthworks and is a significant archeological site in North America. It was named after a nearby plantation in the early 20th century.

Sides

"P" day at Charlotte's preschool.  She brought her Pink Piggy Purse

and PawPaw!

A day trip to the Biltmore.  Absolutely unbelievable!

"The Girls"

Downtown Greenville offers a fun afternoon - a river runs through it.  This is a wonderful park in the middle of downtown Greenville!  We enjoyed a picnic and beautiful weather.

We celebrated Holly Grace's 9th birthday!

A sign?

Our first real roll is East to South Carolina.  Our first stop in each state is the Welcome Center!

Just so there is no mistake, there are a few signs to guide you along the way.  From the time we pulled off the Interstate until

we walked in the door there were no less than a hundred signs here.  And almost that many more to direct us back to the highway!

No pictures from East Monroe, LA.  It was undeserving.

But, Tannehill was a great Alabama State Historical Park.

This is the country store and the registration point for camping.

And the next morning...

beautiful snow, but not on the roads!  This is where we realized that snow and ice accumulates on the slide out.  We thought it best to remove it before we drove away with the slide out slid in. 

Croft State Park is just outside of Spartanburg, SC.  It offers hiking, boating, horseback trails, great camping and grandchildren!

They love water and fire! 

Slingshot Jack.  PawPaw helped make this slingshot.  It involved a trip to the medical supply.

Grilling burgers.  Yummy!

Come on in!

Would you like to look around? 

We are ready to roll.

And completing the ensemble are a few baskets.

They are strategically placed. 

Quilts are just a part of our lives, so they are on the couch and the bed.

This flannel quilt is keeping us warm at night.

The most important part of any camping trip is the checklist.

Checking it twice.

We have made our way to West Monroe, LA Pavillion RV Park.

The fun thing here is the free Internet service and cable TV. Unfortunately, our cable wire is not long enough.  Note to add longer wire to the list.  I guess that we will not find that at Walmart? 

Dinner tonight, grilled chicken.

Yummy.

This bookcase was Mickey's high school shop project several (that means more than a few, right?) years ago.  Following the original stain, it was distressed and painted black (back in the 'Spanish' era) and now white to match our trailer interior.  It is a perfect fit

with lots of history.

Our new Keurig makes us happy.  A cup of regular, then a cup of decaf.  Quick, easy and relatively no clean up.