Ship A Hoy

After three weeks back in the cold, damp, snowy weather - the time has come to escape! Monday Dec 20th we left Ottawa and the cold 22 degree F weather. That night, six hundred miles south (Fredericksburgh Virginia) we were still in 20 degree weather? How wrong is that?? Tuesday night found us a further 450 miles south in Savannah, Georgia and it was a pleasant 54 degrees. Wednesday we finally hit the warm stuff and the truck's A/C got pressed into service. Jen flies into Ft. Lauderdale tonight and Friday we board the ms. Westerdam for a Christmas cruise in the Carribean. Will update when we return .

Merry Christmas to all!!

Home (Temporarily)

We left Fort Myers and put our 5th wheel in storage in North Fort Myers on Monday, November 29 and arrived home around 10 pm on Wednesday, December 1st. The first two days of driving were very good so we drove well into the evening. The last day was rainy and windy in Virginia and Pennsylvania and then snowy and windy in New York State. Paul finally had to abandon his shorts and sandals!! Here at home it is cold but we don't have any snow that has stayed on the ground.

We will leave Ottawa on December 20 and head back to Florida with Amy to board the cruise ship on Dec. 24. Jenn will fly from Newark on Dec. 23 - hopefully the weather will cooperate. After only 2 days home we are looking forward to being warm again!!

The blog entries will resume after Jan 1st, when we pick up the Titaium and head for Texas.

Here are a few final pictures from Ft. Myers. http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/Fin

Week 4 - Florida

Monday we went up to visit our friends Suren & Junko who spend their winters at Maple Leaf Estates in Port Charlotte – about 50 miles to the north. We had an enjoyable lunch and visit with them. On our way home we stopped at the Miramar Outlet mall to finish some Christmas shopping.

Tuesday we spent the day at the beach. In the evening, we got together with our friends to celebrate Gilles’ birthday. The meal featured “Moose” which Richard and Gaetane had hunted this past hunting season. What a treat.

Wednesday we did some cooking in preparation for tomorrow’s community Thanksgiving dinner. Jennifer arrived at Ft. Myers airport shortly after eleven pm.

Thursday we all got up early and headed to the beach. Jennifer really enjoyed being in the sun and playing in the surf. We then headed back to Indian Creek for the Thanksgiving feast. We all had more than enough to eat. After dinner we drove out to Lover’s Key Beach for a short walk (since it was closing). Then we stopped in the tourist market area of Ft. Myers Beach.

Friday actually started with rain showers – first time since we’ve been here. But like all Caribbean islands, the sun finally broke through and we gathered up our gear for some more beach. For dinner, we visited the Parrot’s Key for a great seafood dinner.


Unfortunately the RV park’s wireless service (Tengo Internet) has decided to take Thanksgiving off, so we have been without service since Wednesday. Glad to see Tengo living up to their reputation.

Whenever we do get access, I will update the blog and post the pictures that go with this week and last week’s events. To see the photos click on : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/Week4

Where did week three go??

Well I can’t believe it has been over a week since our last update. Not that we are enjoying ourselves!!

Last Saturday we went down to the beach for the Sand Sculpting Competition. It is an annual competition featuring mainly American sculptors with a few Canadians and Europeans thrown in for good measure. The event also featured a mini-bazzar of vendors selling food and wares. What a pleasant way to spend a few hours.

Sunday we attended church – with and added bonus of a pancake breakfast following the service. In the afternoon we headed back to the beach sand sculpting - but we brought our chairs and swimsuits this time.

Monday was another beach day – we met our friends down by the beach. Supper was another visit to the Schnitzel house with our four friends.

Tuesday was another day like Monday – getting repetitive isn’t it. After dinner we dropped into the local Outlet Mall for a few bargains.

Wednesday was supposed to be a cloudy / rainy day – so Paul headed off to Costco to get new tires and Jane came along for some shopping at the mall. We decided to have lunch at Bob Evans. We had to get back to Indian Creek for the Chili Cook-off contest – which was followed by a Chili dinner. We had a good evening with our friends. But eating chili in 85 degree weather somehow doesn’t fit – thank god for A/C.

Thursday was a quiet day at Lover’s Key Beach. We decided to treat ourselves to a seafood dinner that night and headed out the Parrot Key restaurant. What a treasure. We ate dinner on the dock watching the boats and various marine life. This place had live music and lots of people.

Friday we headed up to the Fort Myers RV show with Richard & Gaetane. Getting there was half the fun as their GPS (Charlotte) took a brain lapse. Nonetheless we got there laughing and toured some really BIG rigs. Always fun to dream. Made a quick stop at Camping World to pick up a water softener for Texas, and then we booted it back to Indian Creek for the month’s second ‘Happy Hour”. Free keg of beer, wine, limited food and a DJ – all for $9.00 a person. What a deal!

Saturday actually got out the clubs and four of us went Golfing!! Jane & Gaetane went to the outlet mall and to the pool. We teed off around 1:15 pm on a course that was not crowded. Thank goodness we had carts, because it did get a tad warm. But darkness comes early here as it does in the north – so chipping onto the 17th green was a challenge. We abandoned the 18th since we were now in total darkness. When we got back, the girls had prepared appetizers. We followed up this course with a call to the local pizzeria who delivers to the park.. This is what is missing at our summer digs at McGowan Lake!!

Yesterday after church (no pancakes this week ) , we headed to Sanibel Island for their
Taste of the Islands festival. We sampled food from several merchants and listened to some really good Jazz musicians. It got really hot, so we left the park and headed to the nearby Lighthouse beach where we planted our chairs for a few hours. Unfortunately the clouds rolled in so we didn’t spend much time in the water. We also saw people setting up for a beach wedding – this area seems to be a popular place for weddings.

Last night we met up with our four friends and headed out to the Pink Cadillac for a quick dinner. Are you getting the hint that my BBQ is not getting a lot of service this month??

Oh well, it’s sunny again and we need to go.

Week Two in Fort Myers

Well the uninvited guest from McGowan has been dealt with, and Jane is much happier. We can now return to using our oven for a bread box.

Last Sunday we went to the “Taste of the Town” which was held in a downtown Ft Myers waterside park. The sun was shining and the place was filled with locals and tourists enjoying the food and the music This annual event is a fund-raiser for the Ft. Myers Junior League. The best food we tasted was a decadent cake from the Bubble Room Restaurant on Captiva Island. It was funny to see every second person carrying pieces or whole cakes from this small stand. We were glad we got there early because they sold out by mid-afternoon. What a nice way to spend the afternoon…. And the parking was free.

Monday night we joined two couples we have met (Gilles & Marion, and Richard & Gaetane) for a dinner at the local Schnitzel house. Great food and a fun evening.

Tuesday Paul washed the roof of our trailer – nice to get all the summer goop off. Then we were back to Lover’s Key Beach for another hard day at work.

Wednesday Paul washed the sides of the trailer – now all that’s left is waxing. Wednesday was also Gaetane’s birthday, so we all went out to Terra Nostra, an Italian seafood restaurant – and celebrated the event.

Thursday Jane finally found the aqua-fit class. Then we took Gilles & Marion with us to the beach. When we returned to the resort, we all got together for an impromptu happy hour.

Friday Jane was back at aqua-fit. Paul went our shopping for tires, and started visiting RV storage places. He did find a good spot, so our Titanium will have a safe parking spot.

We don’t want to brag but this is probably the nicest stretch of beautiful weather that we have had on vacation in many years. The locals are complaining about how badly they need rain but we obviously are enjoying it.

We finally managed to get our act together and downloaded our pictures of our trip.
See our pictures at : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/FloridaTripNovember2010

McGowan's illegal alien

Thursday was an overcast / rainy day, so we explored the shopping areas, made a trip to Camping World, and found a neat fruit stand that sells key lime & chocolat ice cream cones - I settled for the vanilla and orange. On the way home we tried out a Five Guys Burgers & Fries - and we voted this "a must return to" restaurant. Since they are building lots of them in this area, it won't be too difficult to do.

Friday we went to a craft fair at Shell Point retirement residence - not your typical residence, more like a Hilton residence. Think we went just to get in the guarded gates to see the grounds and facility. Back at Indian Creek we attended the first "Happy Hour Friday" 4 to 7 pm at one of the halls on site. A nine dollar ticket got you all the beer, wine you wanted and some food - plus a live DJ for dancing. We met up with Gilles and Marion and had a good time.

Today was beautiful and sunny - but a bit colder (still in shorts). At breakfast when we went to get our toast we realized that our suspicions were correct - we had smuggled in a 4-legged visitor from McGowan Lake. Think one of Earl's friends wanted a ride south. Our bread was half eaten, and the trail was left behind. As we watched TV after the happy hour, Jane commented that she heards noises in the ceiling but I didn't want to believe her. I guess she is right again. Well traps have been set, and I will have to go underneath to find the entrance/exit holes. What fun. Meantime I'm just waiting to hear the traps snap!!

One of the joys of travelling with a librarian is that Jane is a voracious collector of all types of local flyers, newspapers, brochures etc. Her side of the truck is chuck full of information. But one of the blessings is finding out about local events. Tonight we made our way to a local church that was hosting an "All you can eat Shrimp Dinner" which included homemade beans, cole slaw, corn bread and a mountain of shrimps. Also included were two drinks (beer, wine, soft drink) and an ice cream sundae - all for the princely sum of $15.00 each.

After dinner we walked the Fort Myer Beach tourist area - saw a bride step out of a limo and head to a beach restaurant to party with her guests. This area is still off season so the maitre d's were trying to encourage us to try their restaurants - but we will have to return on an empty stomach.

Glad we get an extra hour of sleep tonight so we can do more exploring tomorrow.

Crispy Critters

After two days at Lover's Key Beach, we look like the typical sun burned northerners. Even Jane who does not usually burn, forgot how hot the sun can really be - haven't seen such a red face in quite a while. Not sure where this beach got it's name, but we did meet a young couple on the beach tram who are planning their spring wedding at this beach. How appropriate.

Nonetheless, we had two great days at the beach - helped us to rest and catch up. The forecast for the next two days is scattered showers, so looks like we will start to check out the Outlet malls.

We are starting to meet folks in the park (usually at the pool in the late afternoon). This park has limited events and activites (compared to Texas) so we have to plug in and not miss an event. Tomorrow Jane will check out the craft fair.

Fort Myers Beach

We arrived at Indian Creek RV Resort in Fort Myers Beach shortly after 3pm. We were promply shown our site, and I must say we are rather pleased with our November home. It took a few tries to perfectly position the trailer (something difficult to do with the narrow streets and the permanent homes surrounding us on 4 sides). But we got hooked up and started unpacking the inside of the rig. We then set out for the pool to cool down - it was 85 degrees when we arrived.

No BBQ tonight. We opted for a grocery store barbequed chicken. Jane is really impressed with these US grocery stores. You don't need to bring in your cloth bag, and you get multiple plastic bags with every order. After just a few days, I think we have enough plastic bags to last us the month on garbage duty.

It will be nice to wake up tomorrow and not have to travel. Think we will grab some chairs and head for the beach.

Ocala, Florida

What a difference in temp from Savannah, Georgia to Ocala, Florida! Don't want to make any of you feel bad (nah) but we had to turn on the A/C in the truck coming into Florida. Right now it's still 86 degrees at 8:30 pm - guess we won't need to shut the vents tonight.

We are staying at the Ocala RV Camp Resort - right off I-75. A convenient location and lots of level sites. We got here early enought to explore Ocala - but there really is not much to speak about. Guess it's one of those 'been there'....

Met some fellow Titanium owners at the Florida welcome center. Sheldon & Janet from Port Perry (#380). Nice couple, had a brief chat before we headed off our seperate ways.

Tomorrow we will be in Fort Myers - our November home. It will be good to set up a home base to explore from.

Georgia on my mind

After a short drive (compared to the first two days) we decided to explore Savannah Georgia.

We booked into the Hardeeville RV park at the south carolina / georgia border shortly after 2pm and finally opened up the Titanium. It is a nice passport america park, somewhat off the beaten path, with friendly management and level sites. After we got all hooked up, we changed into shorts and headed for Historic Savannah. We took a 90 minute trolley tour of the historic old town and we were impressed by what we saw. Certainly is a city we want to further explore on another trip.

Just talked to Amy - it appears that snow has made an appearance in Ottawa! Yuck - but makes it even better to be here in the south.

Tomorrow we are off to Florida - not sure where we will stop.

Anyone for a Latta?

Tonight we find ourselves in Latta, South Carolina - about 30 miles south of Pedro's South of the Border Tacky shopping mecca (for those of you who have passed it on the highway to Florida). We put in just over 500 miles today - and would have gotten further if it wasn't for a stop at "Carolina Premium Outlet Mall". Oh well, I drive and Jane directs.... LOL

Tomorrow we either explore Savanah, Georgia - or we forge onto Florida and find a new area to investigate.

Stay tuned.

Hello Shippensburg, PA

The end of day one finds us in Shippensburg PA - about 30 miles south of Carlisle, or 484 miles from Ottawa. Had to fight the strong winds up north (not so good on gas mileage) but fortunately it was sunny and clear most of the day.

We took a room at the local Best Western, and after a swim and hot tub session - who remembers the hours on the road? The Titanium looks majestic in the parking lot LOL.

Tomorrow we are off to South Carolina..... somewhere.

All shined up and ready to go!

Well the time has come to follow the canada geese!

The Titanium is sitting out front of the house all hitched up and ready to go south. Early today we washed the trailer - looks really clean and shiny. Then we spent the day loading up the last minute dry goods and clothes we will need for the next month.

Early tomorrow morning, we will head for the thousand islands border crossing and see how far down I-81 we will get. Our goal is to be in Fort Myers by Monday, so we have lots of time to get there.

As we get internet access, we will keep you posted.

Summer Season had ended!

On Friday the 24th we headed up to the lake to close up the Ti. We were lucky to have the fluke 30 degree celcius weather, so instead of worrying about heating the trailer fot the night - all we had to do was open the windows and let the warm air inside. What a treat to sit out on our deck in the sun, enjoying munchies and drinks.

On Saturday we did get down to serious business as we rolled up the hoses and winterized the plumbing systems. Since we are not leaving until about October 27th, two containers of RV propylene glycol are cheap insurance.

The truck has already been in to check the brakes - which surprisingly are still new after 92K. The pads are still 9mm and rotors look new. Got to love the GMC tow mode for keeping my foot off the brakes.

The Titanium will go in to Malmberg Truck & Trailer on Oct 5th to lift the driver's side where the wheels have rubbed on the floor of the trailer. After that we're good to go since the interior of the trailer was cleaned & vacuumed. We have re-stocked the dry goods so we will be ready to roll.

Time to plan our route to Fort Myers, Florida!!

Summer at the Lake

After the Kingston rally, we headed back to Maberly and parked our Titanium at it's summer home. The weather this summer has been absolutely fantastic for camping, so we spent most weekends (which most weeks usually stretched from Friday to Tuesday) at McGowan Lake. We would barely have time to get home each week for laundry and mail - and oh yes the weekly grass cutting. Labour Day weekend is the last big weekend at the campground, although the season officially ends Oct 1st.

Now that September has rolled around, it's time to start the 'preparing for departure list'. The truck is due for new brakes, the trailer needs raising, and the house needs prep for our departure.

We will be leaving at the end of October when we are heading for Fort Myers, Florida where we will spend November. The blog will become more active when we take to the road again.

4th Annual Titanium Rally

After spending the latter part of April and most of May at our seasonal campsite (McGowan Lake in Maberly, Ontario) - we hitched up and headed down the road to the fourth annual Titanium Rally which is held at Rideau Acres Campground in Kingston, Ontario.

The rally was held from May 27th to June 2nd. It really is fun to be amongst all our Titanium friends, sharing our experiences of the last year and making new friends. Highlights of this year's rally was the Thousand Islands boat cruise (including Bolt Castle), and the day visit to the vineyards in Picton, Ontario. This is a fun week that always goes by too quickly.

See our pictures at : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/t10

Back in Ottawa

We arrived home last night around 8pm. The Ti is parked out in the street but it is raining this morning so we will catch up on other things – like laundry.

We did have a good trip home. Took us eight days and we did find some really neat campgrounds along the way. Although the further north you get the harder it is to find open campgrounds.

We stayed one night in Morry's yard - along with four other couples!! Kind of a mini rally wouldn't you say?

Anyhow I got a fix to my roof - had a screw starting to work its way through the roof liner. Had both my tip-outs (Slides) adjusted, cause they started to come in and out in an uneven / crooked way. Wanted my trailer raised, but they couldn't get that done. I would have had to wait till Monday to get it done by a trailer repair shop that Eric uses - Jane and I didn't want to spend four more days in Hanover, so we opted to come back at a later date.

I did purchase a new set of Hi-Spec zero offset rims. This is the offset that Dexter axles specify are needed to match their axles. For some reason Glendale went with a +10 offset, and Titanium trailers are experiencing a higher axle breakdown than other trailers. Too bad Glendale is bankrupt, so there is no recourse for this repair. So I rode home on my shiny new rims, but a bit poorer. Hopefully this is now one less thing to worry about.

If the sun comes out tomorrow, maybe I can wash the bugs off the front nose of the trailer. Our return trip was 2,580 miles – so I do have quite a collection of splats.

Once it is cleaned and emptied, I will take it back to its summer home at McGowan Lake.

Northern Bound

Monday was another beautiful day in the Ozark mountains. We started the day at the factory discount outlet mall then we moved to Branson Landing – a newly developed area by the lake. It is several blocks long with shops on the lower level, and either condos or hotels on the upper levels. A nice place to stroll, take a free trolley shuttle and enjoy a lunch of Ben & Jerry’s in the sunshine.

Diana Lynn did manage to get us tickets to the Clay Cooper show – a mixture of country, dancing, comedy, rock & roll, rope tricks and acoustic drums. An enjoyable evening.

Tuesday we pulled out of Branson around 8:30 am and made it to a suburb of Indianapolis for the night. We spied a sign for a Camping World right off the interstate in Missouri so we stopped for a few last minute trailer supplies. Jane found us a pull-through site at the Heartland Resort in Greenfield, Indiana. We pulled in around 9:00pm and setup for the night. The next morning we realized what a nice campground it was!! It even had a par 3 golf course, a private fishing lake, an indoor pool, etc. Too bad we couldn’t use the facilities.

Wednesday we left Indianapolis and arrived at Port Huron, Michigan where we found a spot at the Lakeport State Park. Using the self check-in system, we choose a site and set up for the night. We were surprised that most of the private campgrounds in Michigan do not open until later in the month – lucky for us the state parks are open. Mind you there is only one other RV in this section of the park. Just us and the wildlife!!

We headed to town for supper, then we sat outside the local McDonalds using their free WiFi.

See our pictures at : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/

Thursday morning we headed to Morry’s for some trailer maintenance. As usual, Morry’s is an interesting place. We are camping here in his yard with four other couples. What a great place to meet other Titanium owners. Hopefully we will be on our way home tomorrow.

Ozark Country

We arrived Saturday at the Ozark Country Campground in Branson, Missouri about mid afternoon. It is a newer campground with nice sites, so we settled in and Paul had no trouble unhitching. It is a Passport America campground that we would definitely recommend.

If we had checked the topological maps, we would have realized that Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The whole village is on rather steep hills – think I should trade my truck for a mountain goat while I’m here! Getting here on US 65 through Arkansas was a test of our GMC diesel’s capabilities – it never missed a beat going uphill, and the engine really held it back on the steep downhills. The road was too curvy for Jane to read so she slept and enjoyed the scenery.

After a dinner of ribs & catfish at Shorty Small’s restaurant, we headed to the Caravelle Theater to see the Rankin Brothers perform. A super high-energy performance of songs from the 50’s to the 80’s. See our pictures at : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/

On Sunday we found the one Catholic Church in Branson and were surprised to learn that only 5% of the population in this area is Catholic. After church we drove to Table Rock Dam and Table Rock State Park and Marina. The state park has full hook-ups for RV’s complete with concrete pads for the rig plus a small patio – a very nice facility. Late in the afternoon, we headed over to Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede dinner show. It was great fun – especially eating with no utensils!!

We learned today that we won’t be seeing the Denny Yeary show – the free tickets we won at the Neil Diamond Tribute in Harlingen. Denny’s show doesn’t start until April 19 and Diana Lynn was unable to substitute other tickets for us since we are only here until Tuesday morning. So tomorrow we will hit the outlet mall for our last U.S. shopping trip and then we will find a show for tomorrow night. There are plenty of choices – it just depends what type of show we would like to see.

On the Road Home.

Thursday after numerous goodbyes from our neighbors, we pulled out of Fun N Sun and pointed the Kralik-Mobile north. We had to fight strong head winds which meant more stops for diesel which has risen in price – but at least we are paying with a dollar that is at par or better some days. Our plan is to arrive in Branson Missouri by Saturday – so this means taking a new route north. We headed north on US 77 then US 79 thereby bypassing Houston. We made it all the way to Franklin, Texas (population 2,000) – but they did have an RV park (42 sites) and after 400 miles we were glad to rest in a safe place. Since there was nothing to see in the area, we didn’t bother to unhitch. Fortunately we had food that we could cook for dinner – since there was no local restaurant.

Today we hit the road early and crossed into Arkansas at a place named Texarkana – kind of a fitting name for the border town. We found a really nice rest area around noon to stop and picnic in the sunshine. The terrain in northern Texas is rolling hills, lots of trees and farms. Quite different from the windy, dusty Rio Grande Valley.

We arrived in Little Rock Arkansas around 6:30 pm and drove to the Downtown Riverside RV Park. This is a small park right on the bank of the Arkansas River with a beautiful view of the Little Rock skyline and the Clinton Presidential library. We had planned to unhitch and venture out for dinner. Jane had picked up a library shelf of tour books at the Arkansas welcome center – so she had lots of exploring to do. Unfortunately Murphy was at work, and Paul couldn’t release the hitch due to the pitch of the campsite, so we resigned ourselves to viewing Little Rock from our campground. Here’s a picture of the skyline at night : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/


Tomorrow we are off to Branson, Missouri. Let’s hope Paul has better luck with the hitch at the next RV park.

Easter at Fun N Sun

Easter Sunday started out cloudy but the sun came out by mid-afternoon – in time for our Easter Happy hour with our friends Doug , Leo and Jeannine. Snacks were followed by a BBQ dinner of Tony Roma Ribs and Chicken. Jeannine supplied a rice dish and a delicious cheese cake. Doug provided the wine (since he had to drink it before heading home across the border!). In all it was a great feast – none of us even went to the Sunday evening ice cream social!

Monday we made our last trip to Nuevo Progresso, Mexico with our friends Patty and Tall Paul. Last call for Tequila and shopping. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed lunch at the Arizona Restaurant – perched high above the Mexican border crossing.

This year Jane decided to photograph the plants in our park – at least the plants don’t move or run away like last year’s bird photos. Click here to see the Easter, Mexico and plant pictures : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/


The rest of the week was spent soaking up the rays, enjoying the pool and saying goodbye to our friends. Interspersed with these activities was Jane’s last shopping trip and Paul’s magician trick of packing up the trailer for travel. It is amazing how much extra stuff we accumulated in three months. All is ready for departure.

Things are really getting quiet around here!

Last Saturday we did go to the beach at South Padre Island. It was an absolutely beautiful beach day so we set up our chairs and umbrella next to the truck. It was really interesting to see the beach fill up with mainly Mexican American extended families. They arrived in small convoys of vehicles, and set up mini tent cities complete with lawn equipment and all sorts of BBQ gear. This is the beginning of ‘Semena Santa,’ or Holy Week which is really a big holiday week for Mexicans on both sides of the border. To see our beach pictures click here : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/

Sunday we went to church for Palm Sunday service. There is a whole new meaning for fresh palms here, when they just stripped them off the trees in the church yard and proceeded to bless them!! The service was also filled with a surprise! Fr. Isaac has two parishes, both are housed in small church buildings which are located about a mile apart in San Benito. So, guess what! The Palm Sunday service started at our usual church – then instead of walking into the church to continue the service – the entire congregation, flanked by the Knights of Columbus and the police department vehicles – walked the mile down the highway to the second parish. Needless to say, it was almost noon by the time we got to sit down for breakfast at our favorite restaurant… LOL.

Paul washed the trailer on Monday. It was a perfect day for that activity and the pool was always nearby. We were late planning dinner, so we opted for Bayou Pappy’s Louisiana cooking - nice spicy Cajun cuisine.

Tuesday Paul started waxing the trailer. This usually reminds us how big this RV really is!! After lunch, we headed for our last trip to the Outlet Mall which was filled with people on break for Semana Santa. As usual there were deals to be had especially since Tuesday is Seniors Day. On the way home, we stopped at Big John’s BBQ for pulled pork and hamburgers.

Wednesday morning we headed for an info fair for those wanting to become permanent residents. Since that does not apply for us, it was a short visit. Jane went back to her Toys for Tots volunteer activity and Paul went to Brownsville to get a copy of Microsoft Streets & Trips – which he is using to plan the return trip home.

The last dance of the season was Wednesday night. The Cruisers provided the music and most of our park friends who like to dance attended. We left when they turned out the lights – which is early in these parts! You’ve got to remember we are in a senior’s park, so 10:35pm is lights out at the dance. :-)

March 29th was a full moon here in Texas and they call it the windy moon because of the strong March winds. Well March certainly went out like a lion here with gusts of wind over 40 mph. We really thought we were going to loose our awning despite all the straps and braces that Paul has used to protect it. Fortunately it is still attached to the trailer but Paul plans to retract it soon in preparation of the trip north.

On Thursday, Paul finished waxing the trailer while Jane chatted with a neighbor. Again we enjoyed cooling off in the pool. After supper, we then headed off to Holy Thursday church service. No more surprises by Fr. Issac.

On Friday, we planned another trip back to South Padre Island but the clouds never broke until late afternoon. Instead we cleaned the trailer in preparation for Easter weekend and our trip home. After a late afternoon swim, we headed to Brownsville to shop. We were amazed how crowded the mall was – mainly with Mexicans who had come across the border to shop. It really felt like shopping in the malls at home during the weekend before Christmas. We bought what we needed as quickly as possible and headed back to the RV.

Saturday was another cloudy day so we made our last trip to the Don Wes flea market. Less than half of the usual vendors were present. Even the bathing suit lady was packing up to return home to the south shore of Montreal so Jane had to come home empty-handed. Fortunately the fruit and veggie vendors were still there so we bought 25 pounds of 1015 onions to bring home. More onions for McGowan summer BBQ's.

Our New Brunswick friends, Harold and Marilyn joined us for a BBQ dinner – and guess what, we finally got to test out our air conditioner. It got really hot and muggy, so after happy hour, we got comfortable inside the RV for dinner.

Next week is our last week here, so we have to start thinking about packing up... YUK!

The Americans are Leaving Town

The weather this week has finally cooperated. Our trips to the pool deck have increased to twice daily.

This week we have seen a constant flow of trailers heading north. Many of the mid-western folks are heading home to get ready for planting season on their farms, and others want to be home for Easter Sunday. The population in the park has already dropped from 1100 to 752 as of last night. But I’m hearing that in the next three days there will really be a mass exodus.

Only folks left here will be the 300 year round residents, and all the Canadians who are waiting until after Easter to travel!!

Many activities wound up in the park this past week. Each day one could find small ‘pot luck’ farewell dinners / lunches in several areas of the park. Reminds us of our summer season at McGowan Lake when September rolls around and we say goodbye for the winter. Here it’s bye for the summer and see you in November.

With all the eating, our diets have to wait another week… 

Last night we got out our jeans and Texas gear and strolled over to the dance hall for the final Texas Country Band dance for this season. Since it was the only dance this week, we decided to try it at least once this season. Our ‘waltzing around Texas’ needs some serious help if we want to keep up with these folks. Oh well there is always line dancing classes next year.

Today we will be heading for South Padre Island – since it is forecasted to be in the mid 80’s and sunny. We will have to pass on the Onion Festival today in Weslaco – but a hot day at the beach rules over a festival in the onion field.

Luau and St. Patty’s Parties

This week has been a really busy one with RV Park sponsored events and local street gatherings. It is getting closer to the end of the month of March, and many of the northern folks who farm – are packing up and heading home to start the planting season. Each day brings more empty lots – can’t wait until the end of the month when the only ones left here will be permanent residents and Canadians who are waiting till mid April to start the treck north.

Last Friday night our Titanium friend Doug’s wife flew in for her March break vacation. So early Saturday morning, they were touring the park. Saturday was a beautiful hot day. After the arts & crafts show in the rec hall, they headed off to Padre Island, and Jane & I headed to the Don Wes flea market. I ordered a sun screen for the awning, and of course, Jane visited her favorite bathing suit vendor. Then we headed to Nuevo Progresso, Mexico (a short 15 minute drive from Don Wes). We were running short of Tequila, so what better place to stock up than Mexico. After that it was back home and over to the pool.

Sunday morning was our usual church and Mexican breakfast at different restaurant. There is no shortage of new places to try! In the afternoon, we had Doug & Sue over for happy hour and BBQ. We managed to eat in time to attend the evening ice cream social – who needs to plan dessert when there is ice cream being served in the rec hall. After the social, Patty & (Tall) Paul joined us back at the trailer and the six of us had an enjoyable evening.

Monday’s big event was the Luau Party and Dance. Being elected Luau King and Queen is apparently the highlight of the RV season (we’re still learning….LOL). People had spent Sunday and Monday decorating their tables with all sorts of lighting and other effects. See pictures to understand. We were sitting with the 2002 Luau King and Queen – a couple in their late 80’s who have been married close to 70 years. We certainly enjoyed getting to know them and their friends who have been here close to 20 years. The park Hula Dances and Warriors were fun to watch along with the other Luau festivities. This was followed by a dance where the Cruisers band played.

Tuesday was a cloudy, rainy day. Fortunately we had booked a tour of the Hidalgo Pump house built in 1909 which is about 45 minutes west of here. The Old Hidalgo Pumphouse museum tells the story of irrigation that changed the Rio Grande Valley from a no man’s land to a major agricultural region in the 20th century. We also enjoyed a trolley ride through the historic town but the rain prevented us from going to the river bank to see the modern day electric pumps. We also missed touring the world birding centre that is located there but we know we can return next year on a sunny day.

Tuesday evening there was a Saint Patrick’s Day eve party which we passed on knowing that there was a Saint Patrick’s Day party on Wednesday evening. Wednesday morning Paul drove Doug and Sue to Harlingen to catch their tour bus to Mexico. He then went golfing, back to the Don-Wes flea market, farther west to the Camping World in Mission and then to several store looking for a green shirt to wear to the dance. While he was gone, Jane went to Toys for Tots and then enjoyed the park’s Saint Patrick’s Day parade – few decorated golf carts. The dance wasn’t too well attended but we enjoyed the Agency band – complete with the guitar player from Newfoundland.

On Thursday afternoon we went to a pot luck lunch / dinner in the rec hall for Father Isaac, the priest the Catholic church we attend. About 60 Winter Texans from the park hosted to the party to thank the priest for making us feel welcome here.

Later this afternoon, we will go to the Canadian pot luck supper. Next week we will have to start diets if we want to be able to fit into our clothes.

To see our pictures click here : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/

Week of March 7th

After Sunday church and breakfast at another Mexican restaurant, we tagged up with our friend Doug and headed to Hidalgo for an afternoon at Borderfest. The highlight of our day was seeing Charro for the second year in a row – yes the “cuchi – cuchi” girl is still going strong at age 59. We tried a few snacks from the food court, looked at the Australian exhibit and then headed back to the park for the evening’s ice cream social.

Monday morning we headed off in two directions – Jane to Stretch class and then Aquacise in the pool and Paul to the computer club meeting. Late in the afternoon, we headed to the Dance Hall for the State Fair – the first time that it has been held in the park. Each state set up displays with tourist literature and “give-aways” as well as draws for various prizes. Quebec, Ontario and Canada each had a table so the Canadian snowbirds were well represented. Bo Rivers, a singer who does lots of Willie Nelson and Roy Orbison songs, was the evening entertainer - http://boriversmusic.com/
We really like him and hope to get to see him again next year.

Tuesday was a busy day. Jane started her day with a “Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast” then we were off to the U.S. Border patrol station for a tour / indoctrination. A bit Rah Rah, but it was very interesting to see how the resources are deployed to stop illegal immigration and drug smuggling from Mexico to Texas. After a quick stop at our favorite HEB grocery store, we headed back to the RV Park for a 3 pm “Cajun Gumbo” feast and pot luck. The food was delicious and it was fun to meet some new people on the other side of the park. Unfortunately during the festivities, word came that one of our friend’s mom had passed away in the local hospital.

On Wednesday morning, Paul went golfing and Jane to Toys for Tots and then to Aquacise class in the pool. We were thrilled that the Texas hot weather arrived and it finally hit 94 degrees!! What a glorious day. At noon, Jane went to a ladies style (fashion) show and luncheon in the dance hall while Paul headed to the pool to cool off. Late in the afternoon we went back to the pool for another swim – it is a good thing that Jane has a large supply of bathing suits. Although it was tropical heat during the day and evening, it cooled down at night so we slept comfortably with the windows and vents open.

We awoke Thursday to heavy thick fog. When the fog started to lift, Paul took advantage of the overcast sky to wash the trailer – First time since we’ve been in the park! The sun broke thru before Paul was finished, so it was off to the pool to cool off when the job was done. Today’s a bit cooler than yesterday – but mid 70’s and sunshine are great.

To see our pictures click here : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/

Into March Already

Monday morning started with Paul going to his computer club meeting and Jane off to Stretch class. Jane then joined Paul at the computer club since the guest speaker’s topic was E-Books. Patty (our friend from the cruise) was speaking and demonstrating her Kindle. Very interesting way to carry and read books…… hmmm do I sense a potential gift here? – so I can lessen the weight in the trailer of course!!

The rest of the day we spent by the pool and then finally decided to go out for a quick Mexican dinner – since we had not stocked the fridge yet!

Tuesday Paul puttered around the trailer, putting the awning back up with all the straps and clamps needed to withstand the Texas winds which do gust up to 40 miles per hour. Jane skipped water aerobics since the pool heater was not working. But later in the afternoon, we both went for a dip which cooled us off nicely. That night we took our friend Doug out to dinner at the Longhorn Cattle Company. Yesterday (Monday) was his birthday, so we treated him to dinner, and the restaurant even provided a free dessert – but we spared him the pleasure of the singing waiters and wearing the longhorns.

After dinner we came back to Fun N Sun for the Las Vegas night. Doug was the big winner with two prizes, Jane didn’t win, and I used my dollar to buy an ice cream bar – so at least I got to eat my winnings.

Wednesday morning Paul skipped golf (40 degrees at 6:30am was not motivating) Jane went quickly to her Toys for Tots and then we both headed off with Doug to Victoria Palms RV Park for the 11:00 am Titanium Luncheon. About 140 people attended the luncheon. The food and conversation were excellent. We were glad to see our friends that we only get to meet at rallies and luncheons – and we made some new friends. We even met a couple from Silver Lake, On – they live right on Hwy 7, and have had a 2001 Titanium for sale all last summer. We have driven past this unit and it was fun to meet the owners. Apparently they had bought a new unit from Winter’s in Napanee, and he refused to take their 2001 unit as a trade. Hmm, does that make you want to buy there??

Wednesday night we were back at Fun N Sun for a dance featuring the Agency Band. It is really fun to have live bands playing several times a week here at the park. Our dancing may not be getting better, but we are having fun faking it… LOL

Thursday morning we went to the Koffee Klatch – to hear what’s new in the park for the upcoming week. This was followed by health exhibition and screening sponsored by the Valley Baptist Hospital. We both got our blood pressure read, cholesterol, and then we waited for an ABI test (Ankle/Brachial Index – which is a simple comparison of the blood pressure readings of the arms and legs, using a Doppler instead of a stethoscope. This is an accurate indicator of common circulatory problems in the extremities). Paul passed with flying colors, but not so for Jane – which may not be surprising with her arthritic knees and joints.

In the afternoon, we headed to Hildaglo – to Borderfest. This is the festival held by the border towns of Hildago Tx, and Reynosa, Mx. A real cultural experience – this year’s theme is Australia with animals and exhibits from down under. We enjoyed seeing these exhibits – especially the baby kangaroos. It was not as much fun as last year – probably the cold weather put a damper on staying out in the evening and not all the musical groups were playing. We plan to head back again on Sunday and will remember to take our camera with us.

Friday was overcast and dull. Paul finally washed the truck and we just took it easy during the day. Kind of a retired day. After supper we headed over to Harlingen to the Christian Fellowship Church for a Neil Diamond tribute. This act is from Branson which has been touring the RGV. The show was excellent – and we even got birthday cupcakes after the show to celebrate the star’s wife’s 50 birthday. During the door prize draws, Jane won free tickets to a show in Branson. Guess we will have to head that way either going home or coming down next fall. Yes we are coming back. We have put a deposit on our friend’s lot (Greg & Linda) – since they bought a manufactured home. Greg gave us first dibs on the site which Linda has landscaped. Guess I’ll have to hire her as my Mexican gardener!

Today started with an exhibition of all the arts and crafts and hobby groups at Fun N Sun. It is really amazing to see all the talent in the park, and to realize how many activities we can choose from to fill our leisure time. Our friend Doug took excellent pictures of all the tables, so I’ll “borrow” his link to let you see the pictures.

To see Doug's pictures click here : http://picasaweb.google.com/collindo99/20100306001/

This afternoon, we are off to Brownsville – to visit a flea market we have not yet seen. Then it will be back to BBQ a steak and accompaniments.

Caribbean Cruising

Saturday Feb 20 – we left San Benito and drove 6 1/2 hours to Galveston. We checked into the Grace Manor bed & breakfast – an early 1900 building in the historic area of Galveston. Our friends (Pat & Paul- also known as "Tall Paul" due to his 6'7" frame) from Fun N Sun were also staying at this B&B, so after a great meal at Gumbo Bar & Grill, we got together for a nightcap.

Sunday morning started with a home cooked gourmet breakfast which was preceded by champagne mimosas. What a luxurious way to start the day. Before we checked out Pat used her laptop to check on our cruise – only to find out that the ship, Voyageur of the Seas, had not arrived in port, but was stuck in the fog out in Galveston harbour. Our thoughts of an early check in went out the window. After much delay and confusion at the port caused by two ships disembarking and embarking passengers, we did board around 7:30pm – and the ship did leave port around 3 am. This ten hour delay the captain was able to make up during our two days at sea.

Our first two days were spent at sea. Paul made friends with a deck chair by the pool and they got along spectacularly. Jane kept up her busy pace by attending the shopping show, exploring the ship and joining Paul by the pool – or more like the hot tub.

Wednesday morning we arrived at Roatan, Honduras. Since it was formerly a British Colony, all the residents speak English – which made getting around very easy. We headed off to a small resort in Half Moon Bay – with a rented van and driver. "Tall Paul" & Pat had been there before and we all enjoyed the day by the water.

Thursday morning we arrived in Costa Maya, Mexico. What a paradise! Again the four of us headed to the boardwalk area. Sheryl’s sister in law Diana had recommended a spot, and we spent the day at the Coco Corona Sports Bar & Cantina. They provided a table & chairs, plus four lawn chairs right on the white sand beach. As long as we consumed their food & drink (6 beer on ice plus 4 tequila shooters for $10.00) – the chairs were ours for the day.

Friday morning we arrived in Cozumel, Mexico. Jane had planned this as our shopping stop, so along with the passengers from 7 other cruise ships, we all hit the pavement of this little town. After a busy morning of walking for miles, we returned to the ship for a late lunch followed by Jane relaxing on the pool deck. Paul had to make a quick return trip to the shopping mecca to scoop up a deal.

Saturday was spent at sea as we headed back to Galveston. Unfortunately the winds were very strong and the seas were rough – so the captain closed the upper decks to all passengers. It was a shame to loose the tanning time, but it was not safe to be up there.

Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas was an impressive ship. We enjoyed our stateroom, the on board ice skating rink which featured a show, the daily evening entertainment, the casino, the dining rooms, and yes …… too much food! Our evening dining table mates were from Arkansas. Jim & Nancy were an interesting couple who have done a lot of cruising. At one point last year they went on seven back to back cruises. I don’t own that many outfits!! If Jane had this much trouble packing for our one week cruise – there is no way she would have survived packing for seven weeks. LOL.

Sunday we disembarked and headed back to San Benito, arriving at Fun N Sun by 5:30 pm. – in time for the evening ice cream social!!!

Today, Monday was a beautiful warm day at Fun N Sun, so we spent the day by the pool and just slowly getting back into the swing of things at the park. By tomorrow we will be back at all our activities.

To see our pictures click here : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/

Jenn's Visit

Jennifer arrived in the wee hours of Saturday – thanks to a flight delay in Houston. But we were up early for breakfast, followed by a quick trip to the Don Wes flea market – to visit the bathing suit lady (who remembered Jenn from last year!). The sun stayed out for this year’s Fun N Sun Mardi gras parade, so we enjoyed all the floats and decorated golf carts. We collected enough beads to open our own Mardi Gras store. Although it cooled down a bit, we went for a swim – just to test out the new suits. Paul cranked up the BBQ and we had a feast of fresh veggies and chicken while watching the Olympics on our Canadian satellite dish.

Sunday morning we headed off to the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan Del Valle. We truly enjoy the mariachi band that plays at the 9:00 service. Breakfast was enjoyed by all at a local Mexican eatery. Paul & Jenn had their ‘divorced eggs’ while Jane had Mexican eggs. On our way back home, we stopped briefly at the Outlet mall for a quick power shopping trip. But the beautiful sun convinced us to head for the pool which we really enjoyed. Sunday night’s “Ice cream social” was followed by a Valentine’s Dance but we opted to watch the Olympics.

Monday was a cold cloudy day so we headed to Nuevo Progresso in Mexico following exercise class. We had lunch at the Red Snapper, shopped, and came home with some tequila. Monday night we attended the dinner show at Fun N Sun which featured The Redhead Express – a musical family with 7 children.

Tuesday we headed to South Padre Island. Unfortunately the weather got a bit cooler, so there was no sunbathing or swimming in the ocean. We did take time to drive along the shore and pick up a few shells. For dinner we went to Louie’s Backyard – a huge place with a multitude of dining options. Since it was Fat Tuesday, the upstairs Sports Bar was even busier than usual but the food and drinks were great. On our way home we stopped to shop and Jenn purchased a pair of running shoes.

Wednesday morning Paul went golfing with the men’s league, Jane was off to her Toys for Tots project, and Jenn went to exercise class. By 10:30 we all reunited and had light lunch, and then it was time to head off to the airport for Jenn’s flight home. It was a short visit, but we managed to pack a lot of things into a few days.

In the afternoon, our Titanium friends Bill & Margaret came by – Margaret & Jane visited while Bill, Doug & Paul were busy jacking up the trailer and testing the play on the wheel hubs. Wednesday night’s dance featured Walter Plante who sings and plays the keyboard – a real one man show.

Today it rained….. and rained so our lot is once again a mud field and our external carpet is floating. Oh well, it gave us some time to find our suitcases, and begin packing for next week’s cruise. Tomorrow afternoon we will attend the Canadian Club’s BBQ / Social. Then Saturday we are off to Galveston so that we can board the Royal Caribbean’s Voyageur of the Seas on Sunday for a 7 day cruise of the Western Caribbean. We will report back early in March once we return to Fun N Sun and our lap top.

To see our pictures click here : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/

Bike Riding at Fun N Sun

We had a quiet weekend, deciding to pass on the Rodeo. Instead on Saturday morning we went to the health fair at the Harlingen hospital – there are lots of health care providers looking for business in this part of Texas. Then it was off to the Harlingen street market which was filled with “antiques and collectibles” although we have to admit that there was not much in either category that interested us.

On Sunday we tried a different Mexican restaurant in San Benito for breakfast – it was very good. We spent the afternoon around Fun N Sun and had an early supper so that we could watch the Super Bowl. It was amazing how quiet the park was and how empty the Ice Cream Social was although the Activity Office had claimed there was no interest in an organized Super Bowl party.

Monday afternoon turned into a beautiful sunny day. It was fun to see people out walking again and enjoying the pool. While Paul, Greg and Linda were riding their bikes in the park, the Valley Morning Times newspaper snapped their picture. Tuesday’s front page featured their picture under the caption “Enjoying the weather… while it lasts”. The clip read “Residents of Fun N Sun RV Resort in San Benito, ride bicycles Monday when the day’s high temperature reached 79 degrees. Temperatures are only expected to be in the mid-50’s today, with the mercury dropping to 37 tonight. The forecast for Wednesday and Thursday is a high of 53 and a low of 47 at night, with a chance for rain.”

Unfortunately the forecasters have been correct and we are now back to heavy sweatshirts and rain jackets. Of course, we know most of you are buried under lots of snow!!!

Since our Tuesday trip to the Pump House was cancelled, we headed off to Donna and had lunch at the Garcia’s sisters. This is a well known local eatery that is housed in a plain building with no signage. The sisters make a fixed amount of hamburger and once it is gone, that’s it for the day. The burgers are the size of the cook’s hand – which is the size of a baseball glove. A real cultural experience. After lunch we headed off to the outlet mall for some shopping. Sarah Getto was the evening’s entertainment – she is a 26 year old singer who plays the piano and fiddle despite being blind since birth. She has a beautiful voice and she gave a great concert.

On Wednesday morning Paul went golfing and Jane went to “Toys for Tots”. Wednesday evening was a 50’s & 60’s dance which was sponsored by the Fun N Sun group named “The CRABS” also known as Conservative Retired Adult Bikers. The evening started with hot dogs and root beer floats. We brought our own beer too! The live band “The Cruisers” played, and we had a great evening. Paul even came in second place in the yoyo competition. Jane tried the hula hoop, but no luck.

Thursday was a rainy day. Paul started his day at the local GMC dealership to get the oil changed on the truck. Good thing he brought a book, three hours later (and this was his third trip) it was completed. Ya gotta love the slower pace down here. mañana rules!

Today we are off to a nine year old’s birthday party at a local pizza restaurant. Later this evening Jennifer arrives and we are looking forward to her visit.

To see a picture click here : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/

It's February Already

On Tuesday February 2, we went to South Padre Island for the Snowbird show (sponsored by the Canadian Snowbird Association). The show was interesting, especially the talk by one of the CSA directors. We went to Pier 19 for lunch but didn’t get much a view from their waterfront dining room since the fog was quite thick. One the way home we did some exploring taking roads through citrus groves and pasture land although we saw very few cattle. While Paul was forced to slow down on one dirt road to allow a dog to get out of the road, I noticed two donkeys standing at the side of the road. Although they moved much more slowly than birds, I still had trouble getting a good photo from the truck window.

Wednesday’s heavy rain cancelled Paul’s weekly golf game but I was still able to get to Toys for Tots. In the afternoon we drove west to an RV park in Pharr to attend a benefit show for childhood cancer. The performers were Bernie and Red, a Canadian couple from Vancouver who are stand-up comedians and musicians. We thoroughly enjoyed their performance and would definitely try to see them again next year. Their jokes about traveling in their RV were certainly appreciated by the audience who could definitely relate to their tales.

Thursday afternoon we had a surprise visit from Jeannine and Leo, a couple we met last year from outside of Sudbury. They were at Fun N Sun for only two nights while they secured the insurance for their truck and 5th wheel that they needed to head to Mexico for several months. 8 of us went out to dinner to catch up and their news and to wish them well on their trip.

Our friend Doug arrived at Fun N Sun with his Titanium this afternoon although he has to stay in an overflow site until his site dries out enough for him to drive on it. The park maintenance was kept busy all day today delivering a crushed stone / sand mixture to the wettest spots in the park – including our parking spot next to our 5th wheel. Once the wind picks up again, things will dry out and the newcomers will be able to get settled.

We introduced Doug to a new vegetable when he came for dinner – jicama or Mexican potato or Mexican turnip. It is similar to a turnip but with a taste more like an apple or pear. We served it raw with chili powder and salt but understand it can also be cooked. We understand the Mexicans serve a lot of cactus so that will have to be our next culinary adventure.

As we are watching the weather tonight (Friday February 5), the rain we received this week seems pale in comparison with the snow storms / blizzards in eastern Canada and the U.S. Today was sunny with very little wind so it was great to be outside and to be able to get back into the pool.

This weekend there is a rodeo in the neighbouring town of Los Fresnos but we have not yet decided whether we will go or whether we will stay here and relax – and watch the super bowl game.

To see some pictures click here : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/

Basketball & Kites

Friday was forecasted to be rainy – but all we got was sun rays. After a bike ride, we did head to the mall to check out the sales. At 4:30 pm we boarded a charter bus that took us over to McAllen for the Viper’s Basketball game. Vipers are the NBA farm team for the Houston Rockets. Included in our tour package was a meal stop at the Outback Restaurant, tickets to the game, and a Winter Texan Club T-shirt. The game was fun – the vipers won, and the fan entertainment off the court was enjoyable. It was a real treat to be driven back home after the game – although it was pretty quiet on the bus.

Saturday was a slower day. It started with a garage sale at the park – not too many bargains. We ate dinner in, and called it an early evening.

Today (Sunday) we headed off to South Padre Island for the 10th annual kite festival. It is held on the beach and it was well attended. After a few hours, we left and made our way to “The Margaritaville of South Padre Island” – or the Palm St. Pier Bar & Grill. We had a “Steamer Pot” for two – king crab, shrimp, clams, red potatoes & corn – served in a Bud Lite Bucket. (See our pictures) – It was great, oh yea, we finished with a Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake. Then we headed back to Fun N Sun for the Sunday evening ice cream social and entertainment by Freddie & Shelia Pelletier, a Canadian group from Birch Hills Saskatchewan.

Think we need to hit the gym tomorrow……. :-)

To see some pictures click here : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/

Week Three News

Last Thursday we went to another Winter Texas Expo and Health Fair in Pharr, Texas. We were amazed at the number of health care providers there are in the RGV and we were also amazed at how our blood pressure readings varied as we went from booth to booth. This show was a bit disappointing – no freebies - so we left and headed west to Camping World for more supplies. I was also disappointed to find that a specialty shoe store I had found did not have size sandals I needed. So we headed back east towards Donna, for lunch at a hamburger place that was written up in one of the Winter Texan newspapers. That too was a bust – we couldn’t find the restaurant since the paper gave out the wrong address, and the burger pit does not have a sign. It wouldn’t have mattered, we were later told by a friend at Fun N Sun that you have to be there by 11:00 a.m. because they close up once they run out of meat. By this time it was 1:00 p.m. so we headed to Harlingen to a dairy bar that serves hamburgers and great banana splits. After a quick trip to the mall, it was back for a swim and a BBQ.

Saturday we went to the Customer Appreciation Day at Ron Hoover RV dealership. I fell in love with the 43 foot motor home but not even the sale price of $302,000 could entice us to make an offer. We then headed to Nuevo Progresso, Mexico to buy some Tequila – our first bottles of the season. Back at the park, neither of us felt like cooking after our late afternoon swim so we tried the nearby Longhorn Cattle Company – lots of meat and Texas style beans on their menu. It won’t be a restaurant that we will take Jenn to when she visits.

The Cowboy and Hobo show featuring Cactus Willie, Boxcar Bob and the Drifter was Sunday night’s free entertainment. We had thoroughly enjoyed their performance at the Chicken House Opry in Misson last March and they didn’t disappoint us this second time.

Monday, the 25th of January was the most beautiful weather we have had in the RGV – 76 degrees and almost no wind. Calm gentle breezes don’t happen very often so we took full advantage of it with several trips to the pool. I also enjoyed being able to read outside without being blown away. Fortunately we had not planned any field trips to take us out of the park. It is too bad that the winter returned again the next day.

The San Benito Chamber of Commerce sponsored Welcome Back Winter Texans on Tuesday January 26. The local merchants had displays set up and gave away a number of door prizes. There are actually more merchants than we realized – there are actually two independent pharmacies plus Walmart in this small town. The entertainer, Will Yancy, was warmly received by the capacity crowd.

The Wednesday evening dance was the exact opposite with only 60 people attending. We had a good time visiting with friends we made from Illinois but we did feel sorry for the entertainer, Ron O’Neil – party of one.

Thursday was a slower day. Despite the wind, we have enjoyed the pool and Paul played golf. However, he did purchase a larger set of awning “deflappers” to try to keep the awning attached to the trailer. The forecast for tomorrow is for rain and cooler weather on Friday so we will probably head to the mall.

Week Two Update

Last Friday morning, we went to the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Showgrounds in Mercedes, TX – which was hosting a RV show featuring vendors and dealers. The sun was shining and it was a fun outing and credit cards stayed in our pocket. In the afternoon we came back to Fun N Sun to attend the Canadian social, which turned out to be a full pot-luck dinner. It was fun to see a few people we had met last year.

Saturday morning started with the ususal pancake breakfast – and yes Jane was up early to make sure she snagged one of the home made cinnamon buns. Later in the day we headed to San Benito ( a real small town in the valley). The advertised open air market was sparsly populated, and it is really sad to see the small downtown area with mainly empty and boarded up stores. The effects of the recession are really vivid in a town that was already one of the poorest in the valley.

Sunday started with an expedition to a new church. There are at least five catholic churches in this area. We enjoyed this new one better than the one we frequented last year. After a quick breakfast at El Galito, we headed for the Don West flea market. Jane reconnected with her favourite French Canadian bathing suit vendor – and yes another bathing suit was added to her collection. Paul picked up another set of awning straps to help make sure the awning stays on our site. The RGV winds have picked up considerably, so we are testing the limits of the hardware. Sunday afternoon we actually made it into the pool for a swim. Weather is improving!! Sunday night was time for the ice cream social – better known as “all you can eat for a buck”. The evening entertainer was not our cup of tea, so we bailed.

Monday we dropped into the Winter Texan appreciation day in Harlingen – a free T-Shirt and coupons for the local HEB grocery store were given out – and all the local health care providers were making their sales pitches. There is someone for all your needs. Monday night we attended the Dinner and Show at the Fun N Sun Dance Hall. From Branson MI, musician John Tweed & his Daughter gave a concert mixed with Broadway, Country, and Gospel. Really enjoyable. Got the CD in case you’re interested….. 

Tuesday we rendezvoused with our Titanium friends Jerome and Dara from North Carolina. We had a pleasant three hour lunch in Weslaco,Tx. Fun to see some of our Titanium friends. Last night we read that Glendale – the manufacturer of Titanium had filed for bankruptcy. Great – I have a GMC truck from a bankrupt car company, and now I have a trailer from a bankrupt RV company. As long as we don’t go bankrupt, we will be fine!! Tuesday evening’s entertainment was the Ball Ranch Family – singing country, western and gospel. Enjoyable – but no CD this time!

Wednesday morning saw Paul golfing 9 holes with about 90 to 100 golfers from the park. This will be a regular activity while Jane volunteers at the Toys for Tots group. The sun is shining beautifully so Jane made it to her first Aqua Fit class. Eighty degrees in the sun makes everything more enjoyable.

Tonight we are off to another 60’s dance at the Fun N Sun Dance Hall. A live band called the ‘Agency’ will provide the music.
Last week Paul hooked up our satellite dish thanks to getting the coordinates from new friends from New Brunswick – so it is sort of nice to keep tabs on the Canadian scene. Coverage of the Haiti crisis was certainly more in depth than what we found on the local news channels.

Have to go to the Activity office before it closes, so we can sign up for next week’s outings. Bye for now.

To see some pictures click here : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/

First Week Almost Done

January 14, 2010

We have had a busy time since our arrival at Fun N Sun, hence the delay in writing our next installment of the blog.

For those of you wondering, yes we made it to the pancake breakfast on Saturday the 9th, but not early enough to get a cinnamon bun. I guess a few minutes extra sleep is healthier for both of us. We bought some fruit and vegetables from the Veggie lady who comes to the park several times per week. We didn’t buy much at the craft sale because our rig is full enough and we had not yet unpacked.

Sunday morning we were off to the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan Del Valle, the shrine with the Mariachi band that we like last year. After a quick breakfast at a Mexican restaurant, we drove west to the Camping World to buy a patio rug to make us feel like we have a patio on our grassy site. We then spent an enjoyable afternoon with Ontario friends who hosted a group of us to an authentic down east fish and chips dinner. They had brought 7 pounds of haddock and lots of scallops in their RV’s freezer, but the fish and seafood had been caught by Judy’s cousins in Nova Scotia. After this feast, we had to pass on the usual Sunday evening Ice Cream social but did listen the singer who is from the RGV.

Monday’s Gospel music festival was well attended and it was nice to see that the proceeds were going to 4 local charities. We really enjoyed Tuesday’s entertainment – Tammy and Jay from Branson, Missouri, who winter in Texas. We had seen them perform at the Chicken House Opry last year and were glad to see them again.

Tuesday’s cloudy, rainy weather gave us the opportunity to head to the outlet mall – a mere 20 minute drive from Fun N Sun.

On Wednesday morning, I was off to Toys for Tots – a volunteer group making stuffed toys that are distributed by the fire department and rescue squad. Wednesday evening’s entertainment was a 50’s & 60’s dance with a local band who we remembered from last year. Today I enjoyed a “Ladies Afternoon Out” which included lunch, a Tupperware demo and a beauty products demo – not too stressful.

Those of you who followed our travels last year will notice no mention yet of Aquacise or swimming. The “freeze warnings” have disappeared, and the temperature has gone over 65 degrees but as I headed to find a bathing suit, it started to rain. A neighbour from Canada lent Paul a nice bike, but his daily bike ride through the park was also cut short by the rain. Fortunately there is a stretching class twice a week that I have attended and an exercise room that I will have to visit soon – especially since they are once again selling hot lunches three times a week. We have found the desserts a bit too tempting….

Tomorrow afternoon is the Canadian social which we plan to attend.

To see how we set up our site go to : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/setup

Arrived at Fun N Sun, San Benito, Texas

At noon today, we arrived in San Benito and pulled into Fun N Sun - our home for the next three months. Actually no sun greeted us and the temp is only 37 degrees. They are calling for below freezing temps for tonight. Glad we have two full propane tanks and our electric fireplace. They say it will go back to 70 degrees next week. Let's hope they are right.

We were greeted with the social calander for January and are glad to see the pancake breakfast will be served Saturday at 7:30 am - so much for sleeping in, cause around here if you snooze, you loose!!!

It is nice to be set up and finally back to living in our Titanium - but must admit last night at the Hampton Inn sure was nice and warm.

Look at our campsite last night in Corpus Christi and our real site at Fun N Sun today. http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/arrived

Almost there

Thursday night (Jan 7th) finds us bunking down in Corpus Christi Texas. With the arctic blast coming into the area, yesterday we made a run from Madison Georgia to Lafayette Louisiana.... a distance of over 700 miles.

The freezing weather has had strange effects. The homes and businesses are not built for the cold. We stopped at a Flying J in Alabama - only to find the restaurant closed due to broken water pipes. These folks just can't handle the cold.

Today's drive was a reasonable ten hours. Jane pleaded for one more night of luxury and with the low temp tonight of 29 degrees Farhenheit, she won the case over freezing water hoses. I think a warm indoor pool also helped her case.........LOL

Tomorrow we will arrive at Fun N Sun by early afternoon, so we will set up for the next three months - hopefully of warm weather.

Texas 2010 – Here we come!!

After a New Year’s turkey dinner with family (where two year old Kasey stole the show) we took down the Christmas tree and packed away most of the decorations and leftover Christmas goodies. Our next job was to remember what we need to take for the next four months in Texas and pack it away in the truck.

On Sunday January 3, we left Ottawa at 7:40 a.m. The roads were snow covered and slippery all the way to New Jersey. We were amazed to see the number of 5th wheels and motor homes on the road – and we were thankful ours is safely parked in South Carolina. We couldn’t believe the driver of a motor home who was towing a Mazda Miata convertible without any kind of protective cover. The Miata was covered in snow and ice and we suspect its convertible top won’t work the way it should once they arrive at their destination.

Despite the snow and wind, we had a good trip and arrived at Jenn’s in New Jersey in good time. The truck looks like something out of the ice age. We switched into her car and headed to central New Jersey for dinner with friends.

Monday morning we left NJ and drove to Fayetteville NC. Still cold here. We chose a Comfort Inn because it advertised a free carwash for guests – hummm, too bad they don’t know how to run a carwash when it gets to freezing temperatures. So no car wash and poor truck really looks sad.

On Tuesday, and two carwashes later we finally recognized it. Picked up our Titanium and headed west to Madison GA. where we camped at a Wingate Motel……….. with a lovely hot tub. Camping can wait – until it gets above freezing and snow is out of the forecast.

Check out our pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/Jan10