Rio Grande River near Mission, Texas
March 19, 2018
Every RV park has something that makes it unique. That uniqueness can be either good or bad. We arrived at Bentsen Palm, our winter home in Mission, Texas, on December 15th. It is just outside of town, in a farming area bordering Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and the Rio Grande River. As we neared the RV Park, we were surprised by the number of Border Patrol vehicles driving by. Later we discovered that the levy used by the Border Patrol Agency to guard the border was right behind the RV park. The RV sites had concrete pads with bushes separating each site. Our site was in the back of the facility near the workout room and the woodshop.
Every RV park has something that makes it unique. That uniqueness can be either good or bad. We arrived at Bentsen Palm, our winter home in Mission, Texas, on December 15th. It is just outside of town, in a farming area bordering Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and the Rio Grande River. As we neared the RV Park, we were surprised by the number of Border Patrol vehicles driving by. Later we discovered that the levy used by the Border Patrol Agency to guard the border was right behind the RV park. The RV sites had concrete pads with bushes separating each site. Our site was in the back of the facility near the workout room and the woodshop.
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Behind us were fields with grazing cattle. It certainly appeared that our new home was going to be different than our winters in Florida.
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The weather was rather chilly and rainy, but we were finding lots to do. Believe it or not, we took beginning line dancing and two-step dancing classes. Mike learned how to make a segmented bowl out of cherry and maple woods.
Francie discovered a Costco near us along with some of her favorite stores. We found a place to take our recyclables and wandered through the McAllen library which was in a former Walmart. It was the first library we have been in that had an abundance of space!
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Like all of Texas that welcomes the “Winter Texans,” Mexico was also very welcoming. We crossed the Rio Grande at Nuevo Progresso. This little town thrives because people cross the border for their dental work, prescription drugs, and souvenir shopping.
Christmas was celebrated with our son Jim. Christmas Eve we walked to the state park and took a trolley tour and watched birds. It was certainly something none of us had done before.
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Phyllis Alden
1928-2018
A few days into the New Year, Mike’s mother went into the hospital and he flew to Lansing, MI to be with her. After two weeks in the hospital, it became apparent that hospice was the next step. Though she was not in any pain, the pneumonia, the cause for the hospitalization, had taken a toll on her already problematic heart. Her courage and affable nature were a hallmark of how she lived her life, and that is also how she chose to live the last days of her life.
Mike was able to spend several weeks with her and his dad before his sister Patt came. He knew when he left that it was the last time he would see his mother alive. After a few days of being back in Texas, we received a call saying his mom had died. The next day we left the RV and drove to Lansing, MI. The month of February was a whirlwind as we helped Mike’s dad sell his house and move into an apartment.
Mike was able to spend several weeks with her and his dad before his sister Patt came. He knew when he left that it was the last time he would see his mother alive. After a few days of being back in Texas, we received a call saying his mom had died. The next day we left the RV and drove to Lansing, MI. The month of February was a whirlwind as we helped Mike’s dad sell his house and move into an apartment.
Arriving back in Mission, we tried to do as much as possible with the time we had left in Texas. We crossed into Mexico several times, rode our bikes in the state park and went to several of the restaurants that had been recommended to us. Mike was in heaven since his favorite food is Mexican. He also used the wood shop to make a couple of items for the motor home. Near the end of our stay, our neighbor took us on a bike ride on the levy showing us the wall near the border and the Rio Grande.
Montezuma Cypress - over 900 years old!
Sand Castle Art - Padre Island, Texas
We also began the planning it takes to begin our travels. During the summer months, RV parks fill up quickly with vacationers. During the winter RV parks also fill up quickly in warm parts of the country where all of us retirees flock. After multiple days, we had reservations from the end of April as we head toward California all the way through next winter in Florida. And after sitting for 3 months, the RV needed attention in preparation to be on the road. By St. Patrick’s Day we were set to leave the next day.
Many of the people we had met in our RV travels spend the winter in Arizona. We decided to make a bee line across Texas because Francie was flying to the Midwest from Phoenix. On the way we stopped to visit RV friends in Tucson. We only had a couple of days to explore, but it certainly is a place we would like to return to someday. We visited Mission San Xavier del Bac., a National Historic Landmark which was founded in1692. We have seen a number of very impressive churches during our travels and this one is no exception.
Our next stop was Saguaro National Park, home to many of the giant saguaro cactus, the universal symbol of the American West.
Currently we are in Phoenix in the city proper. It certainly is different being in a big city and all of the noises that accompany it. When we arrived, we were excited to see that the RV Park has a fitness room and a bike path behind it. After a couple of days of getting our bearings, Francie flew out to the Midwest for a week while Mike worked on chores that didn’t get completed over the winter. As Francie passed through to Indiana, she stopped to see our first granddaughter Macy Jane Sheridan who was born on March 10th.
Arizona Capital Building & Museum
USS Arizona Memorial on Capital Grounds
April 14, 2018
When Francie returned, we began to explore the sprawling metropolis of Phoenix. The capital building was one of our first stops. The old capital building which is a museum connects to the new capital building. We enjoyed walking the grounds viewing statues and memorials celebrating Arizona’s history and people.
When Francie returned, we began to explore the sprawling metropolis of Phoenix. The capital building was one of our first stops. The old capital building which is a museum connects to the new capital building. We enjoyed walking the grounds viewing statues and memorials celebrating Arizona’s history and people.
Early on several mornings, we ventured into the nearby mountains to go hiking.
Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin West
One evening we took a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West. It is the international headquarters for the Frank Lloyd Foundation and the School of Architecture. Our docent was very knowledgeable and kept us informed and entertained for over an hour and a half. Just as we expected, the buildings and grounds were stunning.
The old adage, “Be careful what you wish for,” has certainly come true for us. When it was cold and dreary in Texas, we wished for warmth and sun. Now we look forward to the days that are cloudy and only in the high 80’s or low 90’s. We even experienced our first 100 degree day. We are leaving Phoenix on April 20 for Williams, AZ to spend time exploring the Grand Canyon. We were shocked to see that the temperatures are in the mid 60’s during the day, and 30’s at night. Again- be careful what you wish for.
Desert Blooms
The unplanned experiences are what make traveling exciting. Francie discovered that in North Mountain View, a place that we had hiked, Bob Mendel, a singer songwriter was performing on a Saturday morning. The crowd was small but that didn’t seem to matter to him. He is a little younger than us with a long gray pony tail and a captivating smile. He didn’t hawk CD’s and didn’t have a tip jar; this very talented man just loves to play guitar and sing. The following Saturday morning we listened to him perform at a coffee shop near us. He recognized us from the week before. We again told him how much we liked his music. Bob seemed pleased and reiterated that he doesn’t have CDs but had recorded many of his songs. We gave him out Boat/RV card with our contact information and he promised to send us some of his recording
We will be on the move again soon. When we sent out our last journal we asked to hear from you, the reader. We were thrilled to hear from so many old friends as well as new friends we have met in the last 8 years. Thank you for letting us in on your lives!