On the way to West Texas...

We awoke to a dense forest of fog our last morning in Galveston. Couldn’t see a hundred feet away, very eery. Everything outside was covered, not in dew, but big dripping beads of sweat! It subsided as soon as we crossed the bridge to the mainland. 

Google maps told us the quickest route to San Antonio was to go straight through the heart of downtown Houston. Thank heaven we invested in a cell-enabled iPad with GPS...I have no idea how anyone could navigate the tangled maze of interchanges in both these cities! Even with highway signage and a detailed map, it was imperative to know which lane to be in to either not miss an exit or inadvertently be pushed off an exit without meaning to! Google maps navigation system shows us what lane to be in amidst these six+ lane freeways! I still have absolutely no clue how anyone could have traveled these roads as a tourist with just a paper map...

Heading westward, the landscape grew visibly drier and we saw our first patches of cactus. The Mexican influence also became much more pronounced with signs for Tex-Mex restaurants and everything in duel languages. 

Knowing we wouldn’t get into San Antonio until around dinner time and without easy access to trailer parking in the city at night, we opted to hit the big shopping mall north of the city so I could indulge my inner fashionista after so much grotting in the wilds. I asked the roaming security truck if it was okay for us to park overnight and got the friendliest reception. When the security guard found out we were from Canada, he wanted to make sure that we were getting a warm welcome from everyone down south and we assured him we were. 

Later that night I talked to another security guard who again confirmed we were free to park in the lot overnight, but then ominously asked if we had “self-protection”. Thinking of the bear spray we keep above the bed, I said, “uh, yeah” and then realized he was probably asking if we had a gun! 

The next day was dedicated to downtown San Antonio. Like Chicago, another urban center that has done their planning right! Lots of parkland, plaques with historical information everywhere, and smart use of the landscape. They’ve created a gorgeous sunken Japanese garden from an abandoned limestone quarry and made the most epic pedestrian experience along the Riverwalk. 

We only saw a small section of the Riverwalk - an ingeniously planed thoroughfare one story below the road network on the banks of the San Antonio River - lined with shops and restaurants. What makes it especially inviting is that every section is unique. Each pathway, each bridge and underpass is different, some featuring mini waterfalls and spillways. So many of the old trees have been kept in place and built around so they shade the way. Kinda like Venice with greenery and lacking crowds. 

I insisted we enjoy Texas BBQ for lunch. Texans take BBQ VERY seriously! While researching for the trip, I happened upon Texas Monthly magazine’s publication of the Top 50 BBQ joints in the state. It takes 16 professional “tasters” eight months to cover the state and savour almost 400 smokehouses to update the list every five years. 

Receiving the honour means big business. If you’re on TripAdvisor or Google reviews of any of these Top 50 places, you’ll see many comments from people saying they’re visiting just because of the designation, along with their judgements and recommendations. 

San Antonio has one Top 50 just off the Riverwalk, but it was way in the northern section I was unwilling to trudge to in the 26 degree heat. So we just hunkered down at “The County Line” next to the Hard Rock Cafe...typical tourist fare, I know. But it was still impressive. $20 got us a half rack of pork ribs, a decent piece of beef brisket and two housemade sausages, all slow-roasted to tenderness and slathered in sauce, plus really good ‘slaw and potato salad. Plenty for the two of us! 

Now we’re about an hour west of the city to head back into the wilderness westwards. 

Welcome to the Lone Star State!

We had an appropriately wild west introduction to Texas. A few miles across the state line we stopped at the Visitor Information Center to pick up maps and brochures. Just as we were getting out of the truck, we heard wailing sirens, squealing tires and someone blasting their horn. Then a black car came screaming through the rest area parking lot at 80-90 mph with police in hot pursuit, and flew back onto the highway on the other end of the rest area. It’s a miracle no one was killed! 

About 30 minutes down the freeway we encountered bumper to bumper traffic and then saw the black car, damaged at the back, surrounded by cops with a shirtless young man on his knees and handcuffed. Gotcha! 

Heading towards Houston, the landscape was covered with huge refinery complexes - pipes and tubes and towers everywhere. We were in oil country! 

Skipped Houston and turned south to Galveston Island, a large barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico. The forecast called for clear skies and mid-20s temperatures, and we were looking forward to the beach. Though not as clear and pristine as Destin FL, the beach here is still very nice with fine light brown sand that stretches for miles. After 4 nights boondocking at casinos, Coco was happy to have a large grass campsite to run around. 

What we never expected is the history and architecture here. Really enjoyed exploring the historical downtown district which is peppered with plaques explaining the significance of the buildings and sites. We learned about how the 1900 hurricane decimated the island and is still the largest natural disaster in US history. 

Obviously hurricane-proofing is a big thing here. All the coastal homes site atop 12-15 ft tall stilts, featuring metal roofs and storm shutters. We didn’t see a lot of Harvey damage in these homes -  only a few getting roof repairs.

We met our first fellow BCers! Noticed the license plate as they pulled up at the neighbouring campsite and turns out they are from Armstrong! It’s their first winter south and they’re Florida-bound. I didn’t have the heart to tell them they’d hate it ;-) Well, that’s not fair...FL is pretty cool. But between the ticks, alligators, humidity, high prices and flatness, we’re happy to be heading westward! Onward to San Antonio tomorrow...

Musings over the Bayou

Heading towards southwest Louisiana we crossed a massive bridge over a flat plain of water and patches of aquatic trees. Google informed us it was a “girder bridge” over the Atchafalaya Basin, just under 100,000 feet long. I can’t even imagine the cost of the infrastructure needed to tame this land, nor can I imagine what it would have been like to be an early settler among the swamps, bugs and bayous. 

We noticed many RV parks next to the highway - ugly flat patches devoid of trees but full of large trailers and fifth wheels closely packed together. It seems hard to imagine any traveller would want to stay at such a place so we pondered if these were parks for the “homeless” - the many people who can’t afford a home but can get cheap electric and water services at these noisy sites. Sad to think about...

Our destination for the day was Lake Charles, LA, and as I read the visitor guide I was informed we needed to try out a local speciality called boudin (very French - pronounced BOO-dah). We pulled off the highway at a shop that proclaimed it was rated #1 in the state for boudin. 

Not being local, it was a confusing mess trying to figure out what and how to order. I surveyed the refrigerated section and pondered buying some alligator, then settled on seasoned rabbit steaks. Finally figuring out where to find this mystical boudin, I ordered three links. 

It is a pork and rice seasoned mix encased in real intestine, boiled and served warm so you can just basically squeeze the mix into your mouth. Reminded me of English white pudding, sort of the same idea made with oats, but more spicy. Quite yummy once you get over the off-putting texture...like raw ground beef. 

The guide also informed me to the subtle yet distinct differences between “creole” vs “cajun”. Apparently Creole refers to the French and Spanish aristocracy that settled here and their language, culture and cuisine, while Cajuns were French Canadians displaced by the war of 1812. Probably some of you smarties already knew this, but I didn’t! 

Lake Charles itself is a small resort town situated on the shores of a, you guessed it, lake. It used to be a thriving community with lumber and mining industries, but a fire in 1910 destroyed most of the downtown and work went elsewhere. Most of the buildings in downtown are vacant and boarded up, though there are fantastic mansions along the shoreline and two huge posh casino resorts. 

We enjoyed a fascinating self-guided walking tour of the historic district thanks to an app created by the visitors center. We learned about distinctive Lake Charles-style columns (square and tapered vs typical round Grecian columns) while viewing homes built before the Civil War. Many featured two stories of wrap-around porches and made us wistfully want a home with a covered porch and swing (for sure I’m putting a swing up in our patio at home!). Some are in pretty rough shape and some have been faithfully restored, depending on the owners I suppose. 

Along the way, we were greeted by a local fisherman selling shrimp he’d caught that morning out of the back of his truck - five dollars a pound for huge prawns! He had stopped in the driveway of a house next to one featured on our tour, and the home’s owners were quite fascinated to learn why someone from BC was all the way in Lake Charles. The home was built in 1837! “Southern hospitality” is a truism - the husband said “Oh, bring your camper here and we can chat more.”

But our afternoon plans consisted of beach. With temperatures reaching 25 degrees and blue skies, it’s idyllic to sit on the sand, blog and start a new novel. And we are the only ones here! 

Tonight will be our last casino boondocking night as we have reservations at Galveston Island State Park in Texas starting tomorrow. My first order of business will be a shower! Learned a vital lesson - always enjoy a shower at a serviced campsite when you get the chance. I skipped having one at our second to last park because I figured I’d have one at Davis Bayou. Consequently their hot water pump was kaput! So it’s been a while and I can assure you it’s a good thing you are all miles from me!  

Of course we have the shower in our camper but it’s pretty cramped, a real rigamarole to maneuver one’s body around and clean up the water afterwards. Works when necessary but I’m always like...”ah, I can sponge-bath ONE more day!” Or as I like to look at it, I’m being very light on the environment right now! Other than gas, our carbon footprint is more like a toe dip. And it’s all good :-)

Giving thanks in Baton Rouge

Thanksgiving in the US is a BIG DEAL! The busiest travel days, the craziest shopping days. We managed, ironically, to enjoy one of our most relaxing days yet! 

We knew from previous experience that campgrounds in warm weather climes need to be booked well in advance of the Thanksgiving weekend. Even though we started searching in late October predicting where we might be, we were SOL. So it’s Walmarts and casino parking lot surfing for us from Nov 22-26. 

Stayed at a Walmart in Baton Rouge, Louisiana last night and picking up their Black Friday flyer noticed that the wireless speaker we JUST bought was going to be 50% off. Talking to customer service this morning: 

Me: “So it says in the flyer that these deals come out at 6 PM. Can you let me know if this store has any?”

WM: “Oh, yeah, we got ‘em.”

Me: “So best to come here at 6 and go the electronics department?”

WM: “Oh, no, those deals are throughout the store. Speakers might be in the frozen section. You need to check out the balloons - they’re already up showing where certain deals will be.” 

Me: “Okay, got it - yes, I see the signs. So come back at 6?”

The three ladies behind the customer service counter looked at me like I had two heads.

WM: “Well, you ain’t going to get one then. People start lining up at 1 and just mill around what they want until they’re released. And then it’s just a free-for-all!”

At this point, picturing myself having to stand around for 4+ hours to battle people for $40 back on my speaker, I figured I’d count myself out of Black Friday. 

Instead we drove downtown to stroll Louisiana’s state capitol area, blissfully quiet with all the stores and offices closed. We took in the exquisite architecture, the historical markers, the beautiful parklands and Mississippi River without seeing more than a dozen people. 

The Old State Capitol looks like a castle - a hybrid between real European castles and Excalibur in Las Vegas - complete with huge stained glass windows and the original cast iron fence from 1850. When a new building was needed they went even grander with a 27-story tower (the highest state capitol building in the US to this day) intricately carved like Egyptian tombs. Coco got lots of exercise at City Park, practically devoid of human life on the holiday. 

Driving south to our night stop at L’Auberge Casino, we passed the grounds of Louisiana State University. The football stadium is IMMENSE!!! It’s insane...it looked like it would hold twice the people of BC Place. Though I have no interest in watching team sports and don’t even understand football, it does make me think it would be an interesting experience to take in a US college football game. The sheer energy of the crowd would be amazing. Too bad it couldn’t be channelled into something more productive....oh, there I go again with my pontificating! Well, it’s my blog and I’ll write what I want to!

Going to head into the casino soon to see if they have any turkey dinner on offer ;-)

What makes a beach?

We’ve had the good fortune to have visited many of the world’s top beaches over the years, from Thailand to Vietnam, Australia, Brazil to Barcelona, the Caribbean, and both coasts of North America. For sheer beauty, Florida’s Emerald Coast ranks among the best of them. 

It’s simply stunning, with fine crystal white sand that squeaks when you walk on it and ultra clear green water. No rocks, no seaweed. The water gently laps the shore at a perfect temperature. The beach is backed by dunes covered with green scrub bushes and grasses. 

However, sadly, it seems to miss something...soul, I’d say. There are very few people on the beach and even those on it don’t seem to be having any fun. They glumly walk along heads down or sit in chairs. No laughter, no volleyball, playing children or dogs. Maybe it’s the time of year. This is the state park beach after all, so it’s just campers like us. 

And like we’ve experienced at all Florida state parks, there are a litany of rules to ensure no one has fun. Signs admonishing “NO DOGS, NO GLASS, NO ALCOHOL...but enjoy yourselves!”. The sign at the children’s playground literally was 3 feet long with rules. “Don’t shove, don’t throw wood chips, don’t stand on the slide” etc etc, and there wasn’t even a slide! 

The rules are only outnumbered by billboards for lawyers...which I’m assuming is in direct correlation. Again bemoaning our over-regulated society. But apparently, Galveston TX (aka Wild West) allows BOTH dogs and alcohol on the beach so we’re looking forward to that ;-) !!!

Peace in the Forest

We left Ocala National Forest to start the trek westward along the Florida panhandle. We needed to do a big shop and found the most epic boondocking parking lot ever outside Tallahassee, with a Walmart, Costco, Dollar Tree, Bass Pro Shop, McDonalds and two other restaurants. It even had a large enough grassy area we could throw the ball for Coco. Proved to be a popular rest spot, with about 10 other RVs hunkering down for the night including plates from Ontario and Nova Scotia. 

Now enjoying our second day at Wright Lake in Apalachicola National Forest. It’s a remote, quiet and peaceful little lake with only about 20 sites surrounded by tall thin pines. We did the 4.5 mile loop hike around the area, and in places the trees are perfectly aligned in rows...this must have been the site of early tree-planting programs. 

Met my first rattlesnake in the wild - a 14 inch pygmy rattler that shook its tail telling me that I was too close. Kept my distance! 

The peace is occasionally punctured by the drone of fighter jets playing war games overhead. I think we’re near the “Top Gun” Air Force Base, but not sure...and I can’t google it because we are so remote there is no cell service here. 

But it’s perfect...nothing to do but just relax, read, take in the nature. I find myself so much more present in these environments - stripped from the “to-do” lists, the pretence and appearances, the rush of having to be somewhere or do something. Andrew busies himself with trailer maintenance and firewood preparation, and Coco is flaked out in the shade. Ahhhh....think the afternoon’s itinerary will include lunch of Asian chicken salad, more progress on my book about the Irish Rebellion of 1916, and a glass of vino! 

Gators and Spiders and Bears - oh MY!

After a few weeks on the Atlantic Coast, I can say with some confidence that we prefer the Pacific. It’s gorgeous here, too, and we’re having a blast - don’t get me wrong - but for us, the Pacific Coast will be our “go-to” and it’s nice to now know that for certain after comparing the two. 

First off, there are just so many more things that can hurt you here. Not as bad as Australia, but you always have to be cautious around freshwater rivers and ponds for alligators. Coco would make a nice snack for one so every time she starts getting too close to the waterline I yank her away. We’ve only seen a few small ones, but the noise we heard in the bushes at Crooked River in Georgia sent chills down my spine. I think the guttural bellow made by the alien in “Predator” is modelled after a gator! 

And today we took a hike through the Ocala National Forest, dodging bear scat on the ground and the giant webs of the golden silk orb spiders above. CREEEEEPPPY! Not to mention the ticks we’ve had to pick off Coco, the noseeums that have left my legs bleeding, and mozzies carrying Zika. 

In Baja, the only thing we really have to be concerned about are scorpions, and they’re easy to avoid by wearing gloves while handling firewood. 

Then there is the geography and weather. It is so humid here, which makes for a lush green landscape but makes it much more uncomfortable at temperatures higher than 25 C. No mountains, no views, no hills to hike. I guess as BCers, we feel at home among the mountains and valleys.

As Louis sings, “it’s a wonderful world” and we are grateful we are getting to see so much of it. And that we didn’t get attacked by those huge disgusting spiders! 

Top FAQ with the O’Briens

We’ve been on the road for over a month now, and have met many people at all the campsites we’ve stayed. There is always the common chit-chat  - “Where you from? How long you staying?” - etc. 

#3 most common question we’re asked is about our trailer - what is it? Or, “I like your Casita” - another fibreglass model.

#2 is querying Coco’s breed. “JRT...am I right?”

But by far the most common question we get, usually prefaced by “I know it’s not of my business BUT...” is how we can afford to do this at our age. 

First off, we like to flatter ourselves that people think we are younger than we really are. Often it seems the people who think we shouldn’t be retired yet are the same age as Andrew. 

Then, we wonder if we should come up with a more dramatic, imaginative story to explain our lifestyle...lottery win, early Apple investor, or rogue trust fund baby. 

Everyone reading this knows the reality. What I just find a bit sad is...we are so uncommon. We shouldn’t be. There are tons of blogs I research written by middle-aged travellers, couples or singles who have chosen to disregard the common path. Our friends Amy and Matt enacted the SEaFO (sell everything and F off) plan much younger than us, coasting around the Caribbean this spring in a catamaran and now in a motorhome. 

I know it’s not feasible for everyone...yet it is probably more attainable, at least for a period of time, than many think with some simple changes to lifestyle and expectations. We are big proponents of “do it while you’re young and have your health” because we’ve all heard too many tales of people who waited for retirement only to die of a heart attack two years later. 

(Oops, then again maybe I should shut up because we need all you hard-working middle-agers to stoke our national pension fund!!!)

I credit my dad Alex for instilling this spirit in me, and Andrew for having the property and financial management hutzpah to pull it off. So we’ll roll on as long as we can and want to. 

Beaches for the Dogs!

Amelia Island promotes itself as the “real Florida”, though geographically it is practically part of Georgia. Only a mile south of Cumberland Island in southern Georgia, it is the last of the barrier islands known as the Golden Isles. That said, it does have one quintessentially Floridian trait in abundance - beach! The entire eastern coast is a wide white sand 13-mile long public beach. 

(Actually two Florida traits - humidity! It’s not too bad during the day, but it’s wild how we awake each morning with everything covered in a thick dew. You can even leave dry towels out overnight and they’ll be wet in the morning!)

We are staying at Fort Clinch State Park at the northern end of the island, which I’m guessing puts us at the most north-eastern tip in the state. We are backed into the dunes of a beach renowned for finding sharks teeth (Andrew figured it must be the home of the shark dentist)...though I haven’t found anything other than a billion shells. 

Inexplicably, dogs aren’t allowed on this beach but are on the main public beaches further south so we’ve driven down there to spend the past few days. There are only about five people on the beach per square mile, so restricting access to four-leggers seems a bit silly...

Which brings me to my rant...I guess it’s a matter of a few bad apples, but it’s just so crazy that there are all these restrictive dog laws. Actually our experience in the US so far has been more positive than Canada - at least dogs are allowed on many restaurant patios and on leash in many parks. Thanks to websites like GoPetFriendly and BringFido for help with planning! But I would hope we could behave a bit more like Europe, where well-behaved dogs pretty much have the same freedom as children. 

Coco doesn’t run off, she doesn’t bark or grr at other people or dogs, she comes when called, she knows not to relieve herself around people. Heck, a lot of toddlers behave far worse! Why can’t we just trust owners to decide if their pet behaves well enough to be given some freedom? Again, because US/Canada laws are designed for the lowest common denominator. Which in my opinion, creates a public that rebels in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ditto for liquor laws. Makes me long for Mexico.

Anyhoo back on topic, it has been a glorious few days enjoying said beach and sunshine. Really - what else needs to be said? Runs and picnics on the beach, reading, basking in rays, a few cold pints at the local beachfront pub (that allows dogs!) - it’s a tough life! 

Sorry about the snow!

We’ve seen many Facebook posts from friends back in Ktown showing the snowfall. Sorry, y’all! We’re sitting inside the trailer right now with the AC on because it’s too hot outside! 

It’s been a relaxing three days at Crooked River State Park in southern Georgia. Nothing much to do around here ‘cept hike the trails, read, relax and cook over the fire at night. Interesting landscape with the forest floor covered in 4-foot palmettos and then towering pines with green only at the top. Been nice not to have to drive for three days, other than taking the kayaks to the boat ramp. 

As the name implies, this park sits on a marshy tidal river, and we took the kayaks out timed with the tides. It’s a very muddy river so not really much to see, but we did enjoy stopping to have a picnic lunch on one of the sandbars exposed at low tide. Got quite close to a group of dolphins hunting in the shallows. 

It was Coco’s first kayak outing since she was a puppy, and she didn’t seem to be enjoying it much. In fact, she bailed twice into the murky water and Andrew had to fish her out before she figured out she’d better just stay put or she’d never get home! Probably will just be a while before she gets her boat-legs back, as she fully has her road-legs back and is fine with swimming in the salt water. 

Poor thing is also being tormented at our campsite by hundreds of huge squirrels fattened on massive pinecones here. She keeps running after them and can’t figure out where they disappear to behind a tree - she doesn’t seem to get that they can climb! In all honesty, I shouldn’t say they “torment” her...I think she actually just wants to play. Some of them must be about four pounds! 

But further southwards tomorrow...just a few miles and we’re into Florida for a stay on a 13-mile stretch of white sand beach!