TOO FAR, TOO LONG, TOO MUCH

I traveled frequently for work for the last 15 years of my career and also traveled for pleasure (as we still do) and I have had just about enough experience in the air with the increased and intense security since 9/11, delayed and cancelled flights, uncomfortable seats, awful food, and at times, lousy service.   This is not a complaint and bitch blog but a description of my most recent trip in the great, silver cocoon in the sky.  It was a trip, or rather trips, from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to London and return.  When I traveled even more often than now, I often said I would take more time on one end or the other to enjoy where I was, an extra day or week just to explore the surroundings.  I rarely did, was eager to get there, get the work done and get home.

1.  PVR to MEX - Thursday morning, January 14 -  Wife Susie drives me to PV through the jungle and early morning traffic, about 45 minutes, and the airport looks deserted and empty.  Few morning flights leaving and even fewer arriving at that hour, around 8:30 AM.  Aeromexico is on time and we arrive in Mexico City, Benito Juarez Airport, in plenty of time to make my connection to DFW.
But wait!  If you've been in that terminal the airport is divided between two very large terminals, one for domestic and one international although the international also serves some domestic flights.  But, I must find and take the tram from domestic around to the other side of the airport to the international terminal.  Remember too that Mexico City is the 10th largest city in the world with over 19 million people and at least half of them are at the airport on any given day.

2. MEX to DFW - American Airlines, Boeing 737, easy peasy and in less than three hours, we touch down.  First order of business is to clear immigration and customs, a breeze with Global Pass and if you don't have one, it's worth the effort and investment.  Oh yes, leaving Mexico, they take your visa so just remember to get another one when you return.  Have about an hour to wait for the next flight and Terminal D at DFW is as good as it gets there.  But think of the time spent waiting in airports, waiting to leave, changing planes, waiting to check in with an already printed boarding pass, waiting for baggage, waiting for a shuttle, the waiting game.  At least I am looking forward to a Business Class seat on the next flight, remembering the comfort and convenience of the last one.

3. DFW to LHR -  American # 51, an overnight flight leaving around 5 PM, scheduled or estimated time of arrival about 8 AM the next morning London time.  Boarding I notice the Boeing 777 is the 200 series, not the 300 and this one's configuration in business is 2-3-2 and at least I had an aisle seat.
I had ordered my dinner ahead online from their menu of entrees although they had trouble finding it and they were late in finally getting it to me.  Nothing complicated, just some snafu in the galley area.
We were about an hour late leaving, and so also about an hour late arriving, not much sleep, a few hours after dinner and before breakfast and landing.  Even with a seat that reclines fully,  I am not all that comfortable as the seats aren't designed well for someone over six feet long, or tall.  I am not overweight but still, the seat/bed with pillow and blanket isn't all that great, really.  We arrive, have to clear immigration and customs again and that takes another hour.  So, an hour late, another hour and there is an hour's drive to get me to my ultimate destination in the city.   A driver is waiting for me at the exit and that's a big plus.

I arrive Friday morning, work most of the day Friday, all day Saturday and Sunday, and get ready for the return trip that begins at 6 AM Monday morning.  Driver is there on time and off we go, to Heathrow, ho, ho, ho.  Oh yes, I had a voice mail message saying the flight is delayed by two hours but I did not get it in time to postpone the pickup although I suppose I could have told the driver to come back later but hey, I am up packed and outside, so what's a couple more hours in the shopping mall at Heathrow?  Boring, that's what, although I have plenty to read and write.   I will make these next three segments brief and to the point, if there is one.

4.  LHR to DFW - American #80.  The reason for the delay is that the arriving plane coming in from New York was late and this is the plane we're using to get to DFW.  OK, enough said.  Some people began worrying about connections but I knew I had plenty of time even with the delayed arrival.  The airlines are fairly good about rebooking on the next available flights.  I have done that before.  It's a daytime flight, goes by quickly enough although I am in main cabin extra, not business as it was overbooked and I was only in line for a requested upgrade and it did not come through.  Damn and it was the 300 series with the 1-2-1 seating.   Caught a couple of naps anyway as I was in a bulkhead seat with plenty of leg room.  Arrived and Global Pass got me through immigration and customs without even stopping except to insert passport into kiosk and get a pass with picture and details printed.  Zoomed through in minutes, no lines.

5.  DFW to MEX -Another American flight, on time and we're outta there.  Arriving in Mexico City and looking down at the city lights, you know it's the 10th largest city in the world.  Huuuge!
Get another visa form, get through customs and because it's too late (9:00 PM) to make a connection to the next and last segment, I have to spend the night and as near to the airport as convenient.  Reserve a room at the Ramada, find the door where the shuttle stops and check in there around 10 PM.  Get about 7 hours of sleep, enough to take care of any jet lag which I don't usually have coming west, but do suffer some going east.  Shuttle is waiting at 5:30 AM to take me across the street which means five blocks down, a U-Turn and five blocks back. 

6. MEX to PVR - Find the line for check in to get boarding pass, only kiosks, no counters or agents, but that goes well.  Stop at duty free, get some French perfume for wife's birthday which is today,  January 19.   7 AM Aeromexico, terrific airplane, 737-800 series, have a three seat configuration all to myself, plane boards and leaves on time and we arrive PVR about 20 minutes early.  The flight over the mountains and a short way out over the ocean before a 180 turn and landing was all good.
Susie is waiting and we go to Punta Mita and the St Regis for a birthday brunch on the beach.
Spectacular finish to a long trip, much too far, too long and almost too much.  It will be awhile before I do that again, if ever.  Thanks!

Northern CA to Mexico (with stops along the way)

We launched forth from Grass Valley, stopping in Pleasanton, CA (Fairgrounds) for a week to visit family and recover from a miserable sinus infection.  Then headed south, stopping for a few days in Paso Robles (Wine Country RV Resort, recommended) and Ventura, park next to Emma Woods which had been evacuated due to high surf.  But, we were fine and began to load up with groceries and supplies for heading even farther south.

Crossed the border at Lukeville on 14 December and drove to Puerto Penasco to visit friends who were camped at Playa Bonita, nice park on the beach there by a hotel.  Then as we went on, planning to pick up our permits and visas at Pitiquito, near Carboca, discovered they could not issue car permits without a tourist visa and we had neglected to get those in Lukeville.   Don't need them if you aren't going too far below the border but our destination was about 1000 miles south.  So, at Santa Ana, near Magdalena de Kino, we went north to Nogales, about an hour the wrong direction, got both our visas and vehicle permits, spent the night there at Fiesta Inn and headed out the next morning, back the way we had come

By that next late afternoon we were in Navajoa and took a wonderful (although not such good roads) detour to Huatabampo and Hutabampito.  Camped for two nights on the beach at El Mirador, terrific family run place, same family for 30 years, good restaurant and while there were two German vans there when we arrived, they left the next morning and we were the only ones there.  Here is a picture of the sunrise on 18 December 2015:

From here it was on south via toll roads to Mazatlan where I encountered a bit of a disaster by trying to make a U-Turn at the end of a dead end street and I managed to crush a poor guy's old Nissan on his left side and left some scratches and dings on both RV and Toad.  Nothing that can't be fixed and we settled with him for some USD rather than go through all the insurance forms, deductibles, etc. and will get ours touched up later, after this winter trip.    I had missed the turn for the Punto Cerritos RV park about 50 yards earlier and the park was fine, not too far off the main highway and close to a Pemex station down the road a little farther.

The next leg was Mazatlan to Lo de Marcos and all was fine except going through the middle of Tepic, a BIG mistake having missed another turn.   Dyna Quest (Dinah or Dineh, still looking to name her) performed great with the exception of a Turbo issue which I hope to get fixed this week from a Caterpillar dealer in P.V. and the electric steps that stopped working.  Had those fixed this past Thursday by a terrific, local electrician whom we met in San Pancho while staying at Casa Colima.  Seems someone had wrapped the bottom step with a thick piece of plastic carpet and that wedged the steps shut so they would not open.  Regardless, the electrician had to reset the motor and sensors but had it all done in an hour.  Not typical Mexico.

So, here we are at La Parota, new friends and neighbors, and our lot is away from the beach but only about 50 yards and the village is yet to be explored fully.  We did venture down to the small market yesterday and there is a much larger one on Thursdays in La Penita.  We're between La Penita and Sayulita and Puerto Vallarta is about 35 miles south.   That brings us up to today, 10 January 2016.
Happy New Year!

Our 6th RV (see previous post, short history of 5 RV's)

So, here we are about to pick up Number 6.  We talked about 5th wheels, we talked about Airstreams, never quite succumbed to either of those, have stayed with self-propelled RV's.  You can make a case for what you like and why.  Quick review in order of succession - 1975 GMC Transmode converted by a CA cabinet maker to a more classic motorhome; 1995 36' Barth, aircraft aluminum on a Spartan Mountain Master chassis with a Cummins 300; 2005 Roadtrek SS Sprinter with Mercedes diesel; 2006 39' Tiffin Allegro Bus on Freightliner chassis, 350 Cummins, 6 spd Allison, 3 slideouts; 2005 Newell, 47' w. four slideouts, Detroit diesel 515, all the bells and whistles imaginable; and drum roll please,  here comes a 2006 Dynaquest 320 with a 300 Cat diesel, 2 slideouts.  Why this Super C?

First, we wanted something smaller, easier to get into many of our favorite places including Mexico which is one reason for the 06 year, before diesel switched to low-sulphur fuel which is still unavailable in most places in MX.  Size also dictates where we can go in the States, such as state parks and numerous out of the way campgrounds.  We had seen a few of the Super C's both on the road and in the RV parks and we like the look.  Tested out a few, looked at the market, the reviews and this has the basics and is not all-electric which the Newell was and did best on 50 amp.  Don't count on that south of the border.  We are headed there in a few weeks for a few months.

We'll give you a report soon on the performance aspects on this Dynaquest also on a Freightliner chassis.  It's compact yet looks comfortable. Granted, it doesn't have a dishwasher nor a stacked washer/dryer nor a sub-Zero refrigerator freezer but it has what we need to go glamping.  My co-pilot seems comfortable driving it as she did all of the others except the GMC which tended to wander a bit and we did not go to the anti-sway bar up front which would have helped.

Our permanent home base in Santa Fe, NM is adjacent to the Trailer Ranch RV park there so we've had the opportunity for on site reviews and reports and people tend to like what they have which is a good thing.  Not one that we've talked to in the past 20 years didn't have something go wrong that needed to be repaired or replaced.  Some had more than others and I am not here to brand bash or
promote either so we'll leave it at that for now.

We are en route to pick up No. 6 in Grass Valley, CA and just may paint that in a big way on the side or back, NASCAR style.  Now if we can just find a sponsor.  We will then mosey down the CA coast and cross over into Mexico around the middle of December with our 2010 Ford Edge as the toad .  Stay tuned for the next installment.

KEY WEST to MIAMI, OK

We arrived in Key West on December 1, 2014, and spent the month of December camped at Boyds on Stock Island just 5 miles from Mile 0 downtown KW.  Convenient but crowded, great weather of course.  January 1 we moved up the road to MM 14.5 to Bluewater Key RV Resort,  well landscaped lots with Tiki Huts all owned by individuals who rent them out when they aren't using them and some rent seasonally.  Ocean on one side, deep canal on the other with docks on both sides.  Expensive but worth it in some ways.  We left BWK on February 15, enjoyed the scenic drive up the keys and across Rt. 41 to Naples.  Camped at Marco Island KOA, convenient for an overnight stop, or longer if you desire.

Then Tuesday,  2/17, we pushed north and around the corner of the panhandle to Carabelle Beach where we spent the next two days and nights.  There is also a newer campground a little farther west on Route 98 that looks very nice.  Great little restaurant in Carabelle called The Fisherman's Wife.  Also visited St. George Island where we have a friend with a wonderful beach house, bay on one side, Gulf on the other.  State park at the end of the island there in the Gulf.

Thursday, drove to Baton Rouge, another KOA, conveniently located off I-10 and back on the next morning to Destiny Dalls RV park that sits between Lewisville and Denton.  Terrible and extensive construction and traffic along I-35 E north and south, avoid it if you can.  Two nights there, visited friends in Dallas and the Geo. W. Bush library and museum on the SMU campus. 

On the road again Sunday morning to OKC where it's colder than I care to mention but it's 19 degrees this morning, Monday, Feb 23, and snow on the ground.  Camped at Twin Fountains RV park for this week while I work in Boston and Susie visits family, not much better weather there either.  Spoiled by two and a half months in south Florida!

Have an appointment for a week from today, Monday, March 2, at Camp Newell for some service and repairs.  Then it's back to Santa Fe.  Hooray!

SHORT HISTORY OF FIVE RV's

1.  1975 GMC Transmode.  This model was produced by General Motors and instead of fitted out as a 23' or 26' motorhome, the transmode was for commercial purposes such as a bookmobile, bloodmobile, mobile post office, etc.  The previous owner was a cabinet maker in Grass Valley, CA and we bought it from his widow for $11K in 2000.  I don't know who the first owner was.  The cabinet maker had done a decent job with all the woodwork but before we could even drive it home, we had to purchase new tires and the front end was rather loose and wandered a bit on the highway.
There were a few other issues with the Olds 454 front wheel drive and we put another $11K into making it road worthy once we had returned to the Bay Area where we lived at that time.  We enjoyed it for a couple of years, sold it to someone in New Mexico who was allegedly taking it to Michigan.

2. 1995 Barth.  We found this beauty sitting on an RV lot outside of Joplin, Missouri, a 36' baby Newell, with a 300 HP Cummins, 6 spd Allison, all aircraft aluminum construction (like Newell) and here's the best part.  It had only 18,000 miles on the odometer and 4 hours on the generator.  The gentleman from Tulsa, OK who owned it was in ill health, could no longer drive it and we were delighted with the purchase.  It was well designed, well-built, was on a Spartan Mountain Master chassis and from the front it looked like a fire truck.  Small wonder as many fire trucks had the same chassis.  No slides and limited storage but ran like a dream and we put a lot of miles on it through Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.   When we left for London, we put it in the barn for storage and it sat there for two years.  That's not good for any RV and when we returned we thought, erroneously, that we might be finished with RV's for awhile.  We put it on ebay with a fair reserve and it sold quickly to a man from Michigan who flew to Santa Fe and picked it up.  Sad to see it go but it went.

3.  2005 Roadtrek Sprnter on a Dodge chassis with that 5 cylinder Mercedes engine.   It was being sold by a fireman in Angel Fire, NM.  Decided to downsize to this 22' Class B and while economical, it was not practical.  Insufficient head room for my 6'2" frame and the bed was a sofa in the rear, facing forward that folded down automatically into a double bed without any room on either side.  It had all the necessary amenities but they seemed squeezed into small spaces and while we enjoyed the fuel mileage.  Comfortable to drive, easy to park and maneuver around almost anywhere as it was really just a van made into an RV, and a nice one at that.  Put it on ebay and it sold immediately as we were now veterans of buying high and selling low, thus selling quickly and easily.

4. 2006 Allegro Bus, 39' Cummins 8.9 L engine, turbo, (450 HP?) also an Allison 6 spd electronic transmission, three slides, very comfortable.  It was purchased privately on ebay from a private owner who had purchased it new.  Had 50K miles and was very clean but the owner was not entirely clean about some of the issues including a faulty inverter.  Various problems continued to appear, mostly minor but annoying and although we drove it to many places, including back to Mexico, we had longed for a Newell if we could find one that met our criteria and was within our budget.  We found one that exceeded both our criterian and our budget but we bought it anyway and that is Number 5.
We traded the Allegro Bus on the Newell in order to reduce the purchase price of the Newell.

5. 2005 Newell, 47', yes forty-seven feet as a few were ordered and made.  We picked it up at the factory in February 2014 and lived in it full time for 9 months before designing and building a manufactured home last Fall.  With four slides and all the bells and whistles of an '05 Newell including steerable tag axle, the Detroit 60 series 515 Turbo, the 6 spd Allison, stacked washer/dryer, Fisher-Paykel dishwasher, sub-zero refrigerator with two freezer drawers, desk with a file drawer, two flat screen TV's, power awnings and window shades and you get the picture.  It is coach # 729 and we love it.  At 56,000 pounds, my wife refers to the "law of tonnage" when on the highway.  We tow an F-150 pickup and carry everything we need in the basement compartments.  Love the air operated leveling system, mid-entry, inside and outside sewer controls, also air operated, one full bath with shower, plenty of closets and storage space inside.

FIVE FOLLIES OF FLYING

Five Follies of Flying

1.    Standing in line -  Whether at check-in, security or boarding, is it necessary? There has to be some other way to move people more efficiently?  I haven’t counted how much time is used up standing in line and the only redeeming feature I have found is having an interesting conversation with someone while standing there.

2.    The two guys in the row ahead (or behind) who think they have to talk over the noise of the engines and annoy everyone within eight feet in every direction. -  Do they like the sound of their own voices or are they hearing impaired?   Give your fellow passengers cooped up in the steel cocoon a break and tone it down, please.

3.    Choppy air, least that’s what the captain calls it – It shakes you up and down, back and forth and it often requires the seat belt sign and return to your seat message just after you have gotten into the lavatory. 

4.    The disappearance of most amenities on domestic flights – They are often crowded, uncomfortable and the food (?) is lousy if it even exists.  I know it’s about keeping the flights as full as possible for the sake of revenue and some airlines have actually provided more space but at a higher price of course.  Snack boxes?  Are you serious?

5.    Narrow seats and fellow flyers who take up more than their fair share of space – They drape over the arm rest to the point of being selfish space hogs and this is unlikely to change as it would be an insult to have bigger seats for which these extra big people would have to pay more.

You can add your own to this list that I compiled recently while being stuck in 14C.  At least it was an aisle seat that I had because I paid extra to board early.  Ah, the joy of being on the road in our own space, at our own pace and, not up in the air!

ARRIVED KEY WEST 12/1

We left Oklahoma in "Big Blue" day after Thanksgiving and because of late departure, only made it to Denton, TX to a place called Destiny RV Resort, adequate, but construction made it difficult to find having missed the exit and ending up in a housing development.  GPS did not know, and did not care but after a couple of calls to the park, we made it, albeit in the dark.  Seems like we started and ended several days without the benefit of daytime hours.  Drove the next day via I-20, I-49 and I-10 to Biloxi, Mississippi and liked Mazalea RV Park.  Maybe it stands for Mississippi Azaleas but we weren't there long enough to find out. Just a good pull through parking spot, in and out.  The Newell performed brilliantly.

Traffic was horrendous on both Sat and Sun, the worst days of the year to be on the highways but we had a date with warmer temps and reservations in Key West.  Drove the next day from Biloxi, a lot of congestion, construction and accidents to slow travel time but made it to north of Orlando via the FL turnpike.   Stayed north in Orange Blossom KOA, very nice and pleasant, helpful owners. Monday we left early, hit the turnpike and headed south toward Miami and Homestead and not much traffic until around Miami and all moving along well.  Started down the Keys where it all slows down again as there is a lot of two lane roadway over bridges and islands.  There is a Newell approved tech in Marathon and we stopped in, met them as we have an awning sensor issue for the automatic wind retraction.   Seem like good folks and knowledgeable.  Chuck Clark will send a part down and we'll see if that will fix the issue.

It is now Tuesday morning, December 2,  9 AM Eastern Time and the temp reads 75 with a light breeze coming from I don't know which direction.  Regardless, we're glad to be parked here for the month of December, probably migrate north about 10 miles on January 1 for at least a couple more weeks, or more.  Couldn't get reservations for Boyds, where we are now, as we were here in March of last year and that was too late.  Have to make them a year ahead, at least.  We just reserved next year for three months, Jan-Feb-Mar.  Good to have plans even if they don't materialize for some reason yet unknown. 

Had a flat tire on the toad, also a wiring issue for the tail lights and connection to the coach.  And ran the battery down.   AAA took care of changing tire and a trickle charge overnight had the battery up and charged by morning.  Found diesel at 3.28 in a couple of places en route and that was a plus when compared to most others at 3.53.    If y'all are down this way, do let us know.  In the meantime, safe travels, happy holidays and follow my guru's saying:  "Tell the truth, be kind and remember to say thank you."