Bill and Eileen's Travels: 10/01/2017

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Waco Texas (10/21-10/24) Magnolia Farms

On Saturday 10/21 we headed East from Van Horn on our way to Waco. We had a stop in Junction Tx. We met some nice people who were working here and had a relaxing night basically in the middle of Texas on the edge of the Hill Country.

Sunday we headed to Waco on some of the back roads. I passed the time by counting deer stands along the way. We drove through the center of great looking hunting properties. A nice ride. We found a church with a 6:00 pm mass then relaxed in the RV.

Monday morning we visited Magnolia Farms Silo's. This is the business created by Chip and Joanna Gains from HGTV's Fixer Upper Program. It is located in downtown Waco and it is pretty impressive. The place was packed with visitors. The main area is two large showrooms packed with decorating ideas and gifts for the tourists and home. The grounds also included a bakery, a play area, and a small nursery of plants and flowers.

We were told that Chip Gains was doing a promotional thing at a local Supply store so we decided to go and see him. The promotional thing was for Kilz a paint primer. Chip talked before the Kilz representative. He gave the crowd some background of how they got into the Fixer Upper show and gave us some insight into why they have decided to leave the show after five years. We are seldom groupies of anything but we both really like the show and in the short time we got to see and talk to Chip he seems to be totally as you would think he is. A nice, a little crazy, family man. He told me that the decision to stop the show is one of the hardest he ever made. We were lucky to be close to the front of the line for pictures and I even got Chip's book for free. A cool day.

After our photo shoot with Chip we visited Waco Mammoth National Monument. This is a very unique paleontological site because it is under roof and you can actually view the fossils in situ. The fossils include camels, and a Columbian Mammoth which is a larger mammoth than the Woolly Mammoth. A very cool place.

Our visit to Waco was a fun time. It was really cool to meet and talk to Chip Gaines and see the business they have created in Waco. Now on to Memphis.

The Silo's at Magnolia Farms!

Lots to buy!

Main Entrance

I recommend the Orange Cranberry Biscuit! Yummy!!

Emma told us about Chip's promotional appearance!

The bakery complete with a long line. You should see the bathroom in here, really cool!

Waiting in the bakery line!

Lots of Goodies!

Waiting in the wings!

Just a regular guy!

Our buddy Chip!

She didn't buy much!

Click on the picture and read about the site!

The males had larger tusks!

This is a big male just passing through!

Our guide and the rest of the tour group!

Remains of a female!

Dig site!

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Van Horn, Texas/Guadalupe Mountains Nation Park (10/19-10/21)

We arrived in Van Horn on the 19th and spent the afternoon catching up on our chores. This campground used to be a KOA but now it's a Good Sam. It has a restaurant that I tried the second morning there. The pancakes and bacon were very good but when I went to pay the waitress was surprised by a mouse in the cash register. It seems he had been eating the five dollar bills.

Next morning we headed north in Texas to the NP. The drive was flat and very pretty. After about 55 miles we started to head up into the mountains. We passed some historic ranches and a lot of pretty scenery.

The visitors center is rather small but the people were very nice and accommodating. This is mainly a hiking park that is located near one of the original stage coach stops that carried passengers and mail through this area.

We visited a farm area that is now a museum and took a short hike up the valley to see some of the views. We also took a short walk to the remains of the stagecoach stop. We lucked out with a beautiful day. This park is actually very close to Carlsbad Caverns in southern New Mexico were we visited last year. It's a little out of the way but filled with natural beauty. Worth the trek.

After we visited the farmhouse we had a small picnic at the trailhead. It was a great day. We needed the exercise.

More camera magic of the valley to the NP!

Historical Marker we came upon on our ride. One of many ranches in this valley!

On the edge of the NP!

Saw this little guy on the road into the NP!

This mountain is named "NIPPLE MOUNTAIN" Can't imagine why!

On the trail!

I'm the one on the right!

We stopped when it started to get steep!

Eileen is the one on the left!

Beauty in beauty!

Another odd looking bug we saw at the ranch!

They were truck/wagon farmers peddling their fruit in Van Horn 60 miles away!

Comfortable farm and schoolhouse. Plenty of water from their well!

This is a Stellar Jay. The picture didn't catch the beautiful color.

Info on the stagecoach. Click on it to read it.

This is all that remains of the station!

There is beauty in death.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

10/3/2017 - 10/19/2017

Today is 10/19/2017. It's obvious that the day to day post is not working on this trip. We are in Van Horn, Texas on our way East and I haven't even posted the San Francisco visit. The issues are bad internet and laziness. It has been difficult to post the pictures because I am trying to post to many and some of the internet connections don't allow me to download the pictures.

I've decided to write the narrative up to today and put the pictures in later. We boogied from Sedona to San Francisco with stops in Needles, Ca, Yermo, Ca, and Coalinga, Ca. Much of this trip is dust and sand along with the thousands of acres of fruit trees, nut trees, and cattle holding pens. It appears that the drought in this part of California is still pretty severe. Water is a real issue to all of these people who grow our foods.

We arrived at San Francisco RV in Pacifica on Friday 10/6. Jen and family joined us for dinner at our favorite Chinese place in Pacifica. Next day we met all met in SF visiting The museum of Science, Art, and Human Perception a Exploratorium. This was really a unique place for all of us. We also met my niece Sadie and her son Emerson for a nice dinner in SF. Sunday was a barbeque at Jen's house. Fun for all. Monday we met again in the city for dinner and observed Jen's music practice at the Saint Francis Yacht Club. Tuesday night Seth and family joined us in Pacifica and we made a second visit to Tan's Chinese Restaurant. We certainly got our fill of Chinese this trip.

All good things must end. Wednesday morning 10/11 we headed back toward Bakersfield on our way East. We stayed at Orange Grove RV Park, a place we first visited in 2008. They have made improvements and it's a well laid out campground. The oranges are growing right beside our RV. Fun place.

Our next stop was Banning, Ca. There are Premium Outlets here, we enjoyed a full day of shopping the next day. We boogied through Brenda, Arizona and then on 10/15 we arrived in Casa Grande, AZ. Our nephew Cory teaches school here. In the afternoon Corey and I ripped up one of the local golf courses then we all had a nice dinner. We always enjoy stopping to see Corey. He has made a good life for himself here.

Our next stop was Tucson, Az. We had a 10:00 am appointment at La Mesa RV to have our main slide repaired. Fortunately it was not a major issue so we were out of there by 1:00 o'clock. The next day we visited the Pima Aviation and Space Museum. I guess I enjoyed this more than Eileen. It's really a cool place with over 80 acres of military and commercial aircraft. It is totally amazing the number of different tankers, fighters, helicopters etc. that there are. A fun place to visit.

Yesterday we boogied to Las Cruces, NM. We have stayed at this KOA a number of times. They have pull in sites where you have a view of the city. We turn out the lights in the bus and look at the beauty of the city. The mountains are also provide a beautiful view. We tried the La Posta Mexican restaurant in Mesilla, NM (nearby) for the third time and even thought it is a famous place we continue to be unimpressed. That was our last visit to that restaurant.

Today we boogied to Van Horn, Texas. We will drive north from here tomorrow to visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Van Horn is the closest we could get without going to the park to a first come first served campground. We didn't want to take the chance of not getting a spot.

This trip has been less eventful than others. Our highlight was having all of the family together. It's hard to get everyone together and marvelous that we had the chance. We really miss our far away family.

I will try to get some pictures posted as soon as I have good internet. "Life is good". We love our new home on wheels.