The Full Time Dream! - Page 9

chockwald · 03-13-2012, 12:35 PM

Left Padre Island yesterday after dumping 8 days worth of effluent from our tanks.....very happy to have been able to make it 8 days this time. We then drove over to a local do it yourself car/truck wash and washed a week's worth of salt and sand off the TBird, Newell and trailer. Humidity was at 93%. Still no Spring Break crowds. We drove 133 miles east on 35 to Palacios, TX. This is a very quaint little fishing village.....they have a large shrimp fleet here. We are staying in Bayside RV Park right on the shores of Matagorda Bay. This is a Passport America park....the discount does not apply to waterfront sites, where we are, but if you stay in the middle row, or fence row it is $10-15 per night. The waterfront row is $35. Nice park, friendly staff, and we recommend it. We had to drop the trailer as none of the pull through sites was available, but the trailer is only 50' from us.

Elaine and I have been using small walkie talkies when parking, and backing lately, and, WOW, has that improved the communication....the hand signals were just not working....

!! Plus, Elaine has become a parking/backing expert and gives great verbal directions!

Heading to Galveston today.....humidity currently at 100%....had to run A/C all night, but that's what it's for right? Hoping humidity goes down and sun comes out so we can do more dry camping, and use those solar panels for their intended purpose.

chockwald · 03-13-2012, 12:37 PM

Left Padre Island yesterday after dumping 8 days worth of effluent from our tanks.....very happy to have been able to make it 8 days this time. We then drove over to a local do it yourself car/truck wash and washed a week's worth of salt and sand off the TBird, Newell and trailer. Humidity was at 93%. Still no Spring Break crowds. We drove 133 miles east on 35 to Palacios, TX. This is a very quaint little fishing village.....they have a large shrimp fleet here. We are staying in Bayside RV Park right on the shores of Matagorda Bay. This is a Passport America park....the discount does not apply to waterfront sites, where we are, but if you stay in the middle row, or fence row it is $10-15 per night. The waterfront row is $35. Nice park, friendly staff, and we recommend it. We had to drop the trailer as none of the pull through sites was available, but the trailer is only 50' from us.

Elaine and I have been using small walkie talkies when parking, and backing lately, and, WOW, has that improved the communication....the hand signals were just not working....

!! Plus, Elaine has become a parking/backing expert and gives great verbal directions!

Heading to Galveston today.....humidity currently at 100%....had to run A/C all night, but that's what it's for right? Hoping humidity goes down and sun comes out so we can do more dry camping, and use those solar panels for their intended purpose.

folivier · 03-13-2012, 01:37 PM

" Hoping humidity goes down"
Yeah, that'll happen! Dude you're heading right into more humidity. Some days I think we get over 100%!!

chockwald · 03-13-2012, 11:37 PM

It was 100% this morning....down to 88% as I write. What I have a hard time getting used to is the small difference between high and low....today 73 high, low to be 68....WOW!

folivier · 03-14-2012, 12:35 AM

Yeah, that's why we use our air conditioners year round. Not as much for the temp as for the humidity. In summer our highs will be in 90's and lows in 80's. Not much relief.

chockwald · 03-14-2012, 10:22 PM

Moved on from Galveston Island this morning taking the Galveston/Bolivar FREE ferry over to Bolivar Penninsula and up Texas 87 to I-10. We are now in Duson, LA at Frog City RV Park. Humidity is down in the 50's here!

folivier · 03-14-2012, 11:52 PM

If you go through New Orleans heading east DO NOT take the Huey Long Bridge over the Mississippi river. Very narrow and has a wiggle in the middle (they built the bridge from each side and didn't quite meet in the middle!) Better route is the GNO bridge (Hwy 90), or take LA 20 north of Thibodaux and cross there and get on I-10. Or take Hwy 90 to Boutte and get on I-310, cross the river there and get on I-10.

chockwald · 03-16-2012, 01:22 AM

Good advice Forest.....90 was not a good experience.....very rough in places, and some of the bridges we just bounced across....the T-Bird actually moved physically to the left inside the trailer from all the rough and bouncy road. Will take 20 across to I-10.

For everyone else we arrived in Thibodaux around 2:30pm.....spent a couple of hours on the way down at Avery Island. Very interesting place, and guess what....it is not a literal island. It is the largest of 5 salt domes in Louisiana, and since it is elevated above the surrounding Bayou it is called an island. Great place to visit....especially if you love Tabasco sauce.....once we exited our coach we could smell Tabasco in the air the entire time.

We are enjoying staying on Forest's property, and he has very nice neighbors. His neighbor, Darrell, has a small soccer pitch on the back of his property, so I feel right at home.....lol. Discovered when I was dropping the trailer that I had not raised the landing gear far enough yesterday in Galveston when we hooked the trailer back up, so I'll have to track down a replacement and install it before we leave.....nothing worse than self induced mechanicals.

Watching a little March Madness on DirecTV now.....

chockwald · 03-16-2012, 08:57 PM

The front landing gear, or jack, if you will, only cost $25 to replace. Forest steered me to Southern Trailer Works out on 308 about 5 miles from here....we went there this morning, and they had exactly what I needed. Took about 5 minutes to put in the new jack.

chockwald · 03-17-2012, 01:52 AM

Spent the afternoon with Tuga Gaidry and Matt Russo talking Newell's and life. What a great afternoon.....thanks guys for dropping by. Got the bent tongue jack replaced.....here's a picture of the repaired jack.

express1 · 03-17-2012, 03:53 PM

Clarke & Elaine, we also had a good time, but as always the visits are just to short. Maybe we will get together again before ya'll leave.

I did send the info on Connie's music.
thanks again,
matt

chockwald · 03-18-2012, 03:23 AM

Spent this morning cleaning my radiator, and engine compartment, and the other half of the coach (back and passenger side). I did the roof, driver's side, and front yesterday. This afternoon Elaine and I went over to Nicholls State University just a few miles from Forest's home to attend Swamp Stomp which features Zydeco music. We spent about 5 hours there enjoying the music of several bands, and the nice breeze....very nice day to be outside. We will probably go back tomorrow to hear a couple more bands, then off to New Orleans for the day on Monday, and then up to Baton Rouge on Tuesday. Had crawfish for the first time today at Bubba's II just up the street. Life is good!

tuga · 03-18-2012, 02:43 PM

Clarke,

On your visit to the Big Easy, be sure to ride down St. Charles Ave either in the T Bird or on the "street car". St. Charles Ave. ends at Lee Circle and from Lee Circle you are close to the D Day Museum and the Aquarium. The French Quarter is across Canal Street; it has some really neat places and sites!

Enjoy!

chockwald · 03-18-2012, 05:05 PM

Good information Tuga.....we will follow your advice!

ccjohnson · 03-20-2012, 12:00 AM

In response to the walkie talkie post:
Fran & I use our cell phones when backing the coach into the garage. It is very helpful fitting 42'6" into 43'3" space!

chockwald · 03-20-2012, 12:15 AM

It also helps the marriage to last longer.

chockwald · 03-20-2012, 01:20 AM

Drove into NO today.........walked Bourbon Street, took trolley down St. Charles, toured the National WW II Museum, ate a Higgens Club.....nice day.

Flydrifter · 03-20-2012, 10:33 PM

Check out Gasbuddy.com, it will give you all the gas and fuel prices ina city and the stations which they are at. I have the app on my iPhone, and it includes the map feature, can save you big time.

Ray
1996 Newell, #420
Tulsa, OK

chockwald · 03-20-2012, 11:18 PM

Thanks Ray, I have that app on my phone and it is invaluable....have used several times recently.

Clarke

chockwald · 03-23-2012, 02:58 PM

Getting ready to roll the wheels again.....heading over to the Civic Center to the RV Dump station to dump, then back to hookup the trailer. The last thing is the mail delivery....waiting for a Priority Mail envelope that should come today......otherwise we are here for another day. From here we will roll up to Baton Rouge to site see, and fuel up.....found a station selling diesel for $3.76.