Feb.15th
Sunday the 15th, 3C and hazy
Gas now advertised at $1.75/gal.
Grocery shopping at 8am. Where? Where else - WalMart Super Center, Al’s favourite store in the US. Prices of fresh produce and vegetables are certainly higher than back home. Today is Sunday meaning you can’t buy beer or wine in Arkansas. No matter, it’s only 150 miles to the Texas state line. We’re stocking up as tonight will be our first in the RV.
No post to the blog as the laptop is acting up, shutting down unexpectedly (power supply or the 12v converter) or the screen messes up (video card). I’ve ruled out the former; nothing I can do to ‘test’ the latter. Something is perhaps overheating. My patience is waning for sure.
Gypsy’s panting in the back. Have no idea what is upsetting her. Until today she’s been a happy camper so to speak.
From the highway Al spots a campground advertising propane, so we detour to fill up. I learn that the seedpods I collected earlier at a rest stop are from the sweet gum tree, one of the first to leaf out. If you look closely, you can see the large buds that will soon produce very large leaves.
Just a few miles north of Hope I spot a long hillside covered in daffodils. It is not unusual to see clumps of them in the ditches. Shortly after a very large highway sign announcing that this is the birthplace of Bill Clinton.
We stop for lunch at a local smokehouse, rated #1 barbeque in Arkansas and featured on the Food channel. Al has a burger; I order a half chicken with 2 sides only I don’t know what sides are. Silly me. Anyway I get turnip greens (very yummy, but probably canned) and corn bread that is not so yummy. BTW Gypsy & Leila disagree. Forgot to take a photo.
As we approach the state line, I notice that there are two Texarcana’s, one in Arkansas, another in Texas. The state has some interesting place names incorporating the letters ‘ark’ such as Arkadelphia. This county is also dry, but a few yards into the next one on F.M. 3129 & just outside the city limits pop. 52 (that’s what the sign said) is a liquor store. Interestingly enough it seems to be closed; the grocery store however is doing a great business.
Today’s National Public Radio offering – a book called ‘Manifold Destiny, A Guide to Cooking on Your Car’s Engine’. I kid you not. Just remember to double tin foil wrap.
Today’s journey ends at www.campingfriend.com/twinoaksrvpark 5 min north of Nacogdoches, advertised as the oldest town in Texas. The Texas info centre suggested this as an interim stop. I have no idea of what the web site says, but suffice it to say that it is a very small campground (would you believe ~12 sites) in the middle of a horse farm complete with pond. No fish apparently, but I did count over 20 turtles. We spoke with the owner who would gladly give us a horse or two. Several years ago they would sell for over $2,000, but now he can’t even give them away. Apparently the food bill is mounting, but at least the horses are aging so not so many babies.
Gas now advertised at $1.75/gal.
Grocery shopping at 8am. Where? Where else - WalMart Super Center, Al’s favourite store in the US. Prices of fresh produce and vegetables are certainly higher than back home. Today is Sunday meaning you can’t buy beer or wine in Arkansas. No matter, it’s only 150 miles to the Texas state line. We’re stocking up as tonight will be our first in the RV.
No post to the blog as the laptop is acting up, shutting down unexpectedly (power supply or the 12v converter) or the screen messes up (video card). I’ve ruled out the former; nothing I can do to ‘test’ the latter. Something is perhaps overheating. My patience is waning for sure.
Gypsy’s panting in the back. Have no idea what is upsetting her. Until today she’s been a happy camper so to speak.
From the highway Al spots a campground advertising propane, so we detour to fill up. I learn that the seedpods I collected earlier at a rest stop are from the sweet gum tree, one of the first to leaf out. If you look closely, you can see the large buds that will soon produce very large leaves.
Just a few miles north of Hope I spot a long hillside covered in daffodils. It is not unusual to see clumps of them in the ditches. Shortly after a very large highway sign announcing that this is the birthplace of Bill Clinton.
We stop for lunch at a local smokehouse, rated #1 barbeque in Arkansas and featured on the Food channel. Al has a burger; I order a half chicken with 2 sides only I don’t know what sides are. Silly me. Anyway I get turnip greens (very yummy, but probably canned) and corn bread that is not so yummy. BTW Gypsy & Leila disagree. Forgot to take a photo.
As we approach the state line, I notice that there are two Texarcana’s, one in Arkansas, another in Texas. The state has some interesting place names incorporating the letters ‘ark’ such as Arkadelphia. This county is also dry, but a few yards into the next one on F.M. 3129 & just outside the city limits pop. 52 (that’s what the sign said) is a liquor store. Interestingly enough it seems to be closed; the grocery store however is doing a great business.
Today’s National Public Radio offering – a book called ‘Manifold Destiny, A Guide to Cooking on Your Car’s Engine’. I kid you not. Just remember to double tin foil wrap.
Today’s journey ends at www.campingfriend.com/twinoaksrvpark 5 min north of Nacogdoches, advertised as the oldest town in Texas. The Texas info centre suggested this as an interim stop. I have no idea of what the web site says, but suffice it to say that it is a very small campground (would you believe ~12 sites) in the middle of a horse farm complete with pond. No fish apparently, but I did count over 20 turtles. We spoke with the owner who would gladly give us a horse or two. Several years ago they would sell for over $2,000, but now he can’t even give them away. Apparently the food bill is mounting, but at least the horses are aging so not so many babies.
posted by Pat @ 10:42 AM
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