Another Great Stay - Generator Repairs - Hill Country

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We had a few things to do in Uvalde and we wanted to continue to see the town.  It's a very nice place and the people are more than friendly.  At the Walmart the next morning I wanted to fire up the generator and use the coffeemaker.  We had the stove top percolator ready but we used to the other.  I know a good Walmart guest doesn't use a generator but it would have been for only a few minutes before I'd put it away.  No other rvs or semis on the lot and no cars on our side.  Getting it out of the SUV and hooked up took less than a minute.  I gave it one pull and nothing.  A little choke and then pulled and the cord broke.  Oh, brother.  That was our first order of business for the day.  We found a lawn mower repair and Mario said he'd have it ready by noon.  Sure enough, it was.

We went hiking at Cook's Slough.  A nice nature walk.  The slough (nobody here is sure how to pronounce it and we asked many) is a natural water purification system or natural shallow lake system.  There are four stages from sediment settling to mild chlorination to remove bacterias.  The water returns to the Edwards Aquifer which supplies water to a major part of central Texas including Austin and San Antonio. 

We took a nap here before they closed the gate.  We should have waited to see if they'd lock us in.  It would have been a nice place to spend the night.

Over to the town square and there is a huge memorial to the 19 students who were killed in the Rob Elementary School shooting two years ago.  So sad to see all those photos of innocent children and the two teachers.  

We walked over to a big rv park just to check prices.  The receptionist was nice but a bit of a snob.  "$40 for all sites, no discounts".  Good, we don't like rv parks much anyway.

We stopped by the Chamber of Commerce and a man was locking things up just as I pulled on the door.  He opened the door and insisted we come in.  He told us all about Uvalde and we asked if we could stay in their parking lot.  He went crazy and said by all means you are more than welcome to stay here as long as you want.  Well, he carried on for a bit and touched on the massacre and his family and the fact that he had gone to the elementary many years before.

Out in the parking lot, there was a runoff for mayor so the two were dueling it out talking to voters.  We met one of the new to be mayors and he was born in Coahuila state.  I guess wanting to exercise his hopeful position he said to be sure and hook up to one of the many outlets located on the light poles and we did.  

We had a nice happy hour and watched a movie with Raymond Burr and Angela Landsbury, dinner and off to bed.  Yesterday we headed out early, fuel is still around $2.59.  We were having such good laughs in the car that we got lost.  The GPS was on but I had inadvertently put the wrong city in.  It wasn't long (well actually it was 😀) before I discovered the mistake.  I thought I had entered Big Lake but it was changed to Lake City!  Well, I don't go back for anything or anybody.  I changed course and we headed to South Llano River and another Passport America rv park that was too good to turn down for the price.  

Waking up this morning it was -3C and the park was covered in frost.  It was warm inside the rv with the electric blanket and heater.  So much so that I overslept until almost 6:30.  Juan had an issue with his laptop and Microsoft Office.  He contacted our tech guy at home and tapped into the laptop and fixed a couple of drivers for Office and Juan was back in business.  

The drive today was through the northwestern side of hill country and it was a beautiful drive.  The winds had died down quite a bit from the previous day so it was a more relaxing drive.

Slaten Community Park 

We're currently in the town of Slaton, Tx. a town settled by German immigrants.  There are 5800 residents and the town was named after a famous Lubbock rancher and banker who promoted the continuation of the railroads heading west.  Today the town is pretty much abandoned and the streets and buildings in disrepair.  The median income is around $25,000.  While we were taking a quick nap an alert came through our phones that two minors had just been kidnapped.  We're spending the night in the city park that has seven rv hookups with electric at no charge to the public.  It looks like it will be a quiet night.

This morning we headed north again towards Tucumcari.  We should be there Thursday early and stay two nights.  We'll be at the Ute Lake State Park in New Mexico.  $14 a night with electric.  

Rain, Cold, And Fog

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We left McAllen Sunday (yesterday).  No rain when we left but it was 9C.  We stopped for a taco at the local Laredo Taco.  One Texas size taco is enough for me.  We headed on the back roads through Webb, Starr, and La Salle County.  The rain wasn't hard but it was steady.  We stopped for gas in Hebbronville, $2.49 a gallon.  An hour later in the middle of nowhere was a station for $2.39.  Either way, it's still less than half of what we pay in Mexico.  It turns out our gas mileage wasn't off it was just that we hadn't pulled the trailer for a year and I forgot how much more it uses.

The La Salle County rest stop on I-35 (we were on it for 11 miles), is a great place to stop but would be very noisy for an overnight.  They have good facilities and beautiful gardens.

We arrived to Uvalde and spent the night at the Walmart Supercenter.  Nice place, no other rvs and it was very quiet.  We looked for the manager and asked about overnighting and she said there was no problem just park out of the main flow of Walmart shoppers.

Juan fixed burgers on brioche for dinner with a great salad.  We started a Netflix movie but after 20 minutes it was putting us to sleep so we watched rv nomad videos.  The batteries are doing well and of course we put on the Heater Buddy.  It was nice and toasty all night, no need for the electric blanket.

This morning I wanted to use the generator to make a pot of coffee.  That didn't go well at all.  I gave the cord three pulls and half the cord ended up in my hand.  There is a Honda parts dealer 6 miles from the Walmart and a generator repair shop also nearby.  We're staying here another night to see the sights today so it's not an issue.  I'll give them a call in a few minutes, it's still before 8 a.m.

I found a county fairgrounds in Big Lake, Tx,, full hookups for $15 and also a city park in Stanton with 7 rv slots no charge.  Stanton is pretty far for us.  We'll see how tomorrow goes.  Not wanting to sit in the car every day we are going to take our time and stop whenever we want or see something of interest.

They Said, "Go West"

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Some things always amaze me. We had a two-day delay on this trip.  The weather, a clacking pulley, and bad tensioner belt.  All fixed.  The toilet water leak seems to be fixed but we haven't turned the water back on yet 😉  I repaired the wall in the bathroom after years of looking at it all torn up.  It turned out really well and I'm proud of the work.   The SUV drove beautifully only because after 20 years of ownership we had the rear end raised.  What a difference in everything.  Funny thing is, this is our last trip with Fufi.  

I cautiously drove south and then north to Cadereyta and on to the autopista to Reynosa.  Before getting on the toll road we stopped for a technical stop only to be followed after by a transito.  He took out after me but when he got close enough I guess he saw our Mexican plates and made a U-turn.  

The highway was just great. After the toll road, we hit three checkpoints in a row, all 1 km apart: FGR, military, and then Guardia Nacional.  On the outskirts of Reynosa, we took the exit to Hwy 2 to Anzalduas.  It was a thirty-minute wait, but we had no issues whatsoever.  Immigration was a breeze and then to the RV park.  We're staying at Casa Del Valle in Alamo.  We used it on several occasions and one time with Croft and Norma.  We hope Croft will fly down soon and spend some time in Mexico!!!

We'll be here for two nights and then on to Uvalde, Tx, Big Spring, Tx and then to Tucumcari to start Route 66.  We have no idea how far we will get or what we will see although we have a ton of recommendations and our own research.

It's happy hour here and then off to a well-deserved dinner at Olive Garden.  

As Juan always says, "La Vida Es Bella" and I always say, "I'm just happy that I'm here today".