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We took off this morning about 7:30. Getting into Monterrey we hit very heavy traffic. New bridge construction on the main avenue through town that is also the truck route. Once we got past that it was smooth sailing.
Arriving to the border around 11:15 we got in line and it moved pretty quick. Dark clouds had been rolling in all morning with heavy winds, enough for us to think about staying in the RGV instead of moving across Texas. We finally advanced to the U.S. check and everything came to a screeching halt. We were fine on the passports and the permits but the trailer had to be checked. They separated us and questioned us for quite some time. I really got the treatment by three guards all at the same time. Obviously they were trying to see if I would slip up on something. They had us pull under the canopy and the wait began. They decided to do a complete interior inspection of both the truck and the trailer.
Later, they said it was time for an x-ray of the trailer. We followed the guard over to the canopy that houses the equipment, I pulled in and we were asked to get out and take a seat. They passed the x-ray past the trailer, the guard left and came back with a very friendly, "you're good to go".
We headed off for Harlingen to get some free Texas maps. Based on the time, we weren't getting to our planned destination of Beaumont, Tx. We picked up the maps, headed over to the HEB for a roasted chicken and a salad, ate in the trailer and off we went up hwy 77 towards Kingsville. We were checking the campgrounds book and found this place, Kaufer-Hubert Memorial Park which sits right on the edge of Baffin Bay. We have great wi-fi and we found a spot right away. Not bad for a family park that allows six month stays. Good enough for tonight.
I am sipping on a cold Michelob Ultra and listening to Astrud Gilberto's Finest Hour and have a great conversation with my SO over today's adventure. Man it feels good to be on the road. I couldn't be happier.
John says in the comments above to check out the Ocala area. I did that in March when I was traveling alone. I love the area and we hope to stay there for a couple of days to explore. The area is beautiful, filled with pines and that quiet forest air. From that trip, my favorite stay was at Lake Waldena Resort in Silver Springs which is about five miles outside Ocala. If we can't stay at the Florida Horse Park we will head out to the lake.
Arriving to the border around 11:15 we got in line and it moved pretty quick. Dark clouds had been rolling in all morning with heavy winds, enough for us to think about staying in the RGV instead of moving across Texas. We finally advanced to the U.S. check and everything came to a screeching halt. We were fine on the passports and the permits but the trailer had to be checked. They separated us and questioned us for quite some time. I really got the treatment by three guards all at the same time. Obviously they were trying to see if I would slip up on something. They had us pull under the canopy and the wait began. They decided to do a complete interior inspection of both the truck and the trailer.
Later, they said it was time for an x-ray of the trailer. We followed the guard over to the canopy that houses the equipment, I pulled in and we were asked to get out and take a seat. They passed the x-ray past the trailer, the guard left and came back with a very friendly, "you're good to go".
We headed off for Harlingen to get some free Texas maps. Based on the time, we weren't getting to our planned destination of Beaumont, Tx. We picked up the maps, headed over to the HEB for a roasted chicken and a salad, ate in the trailer and off we went up hwy 77 towards Kingsville. We were checking the campgrounds book and found this place, Kaufer-Hubert Memorial Park which sits right on the edge of Baffin Bay. We have great wi-fi and we found a spot right away. Not bad for a family park that allows six month stays. Good enough for tonight.
I am sipping on a cold Michelob Ultra and listening to Astrud Gilberto's Finest Hour and have a great conversation with my SO over today's adventure. Man it feels good to be on the road. I couldn't be happier.
John says in the comments above to check out the Ocala area. I did that in March when I was traveling alone. I love the area and we hope to stay there for a couple of days to explore. The area is beautiful, filled with pines and that quiet forest air. From that trip, my favorite stay was at Lake Waldena Resort in Silver Springs which is about five miles outside Ocala. If we can't stay at the Florida Horse Park we will head out to the lake.
Too bad about the delay Chris. We got the X-Ray treatment as well in March. Hope they catch some "real" bad guys. Hi to SO!
ReplyDeletePJ & Claudia are with the hoity toities in Pallmul. I'm sure they will love it!
Just saw a new TV show Live for the Moment and thought that you might be in FL during a space shuttle launch. A sight to behold for sure and there aren't many left. Food for thought.
ReplyDeleteWe got the third degree one time coming across that same border, although we weren't pulling a trailer at the time. We had been shopping and had the back of our pickup full of pottery and other things. It was our first time going to Mexico and every friend and family member wanted us to bring something back for them. The border guards did not believe us when we told them it was all for gifts.
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