Housecleaning... Yuukk

Yesterday (Sunday) we went grocery shopping. First we tried the Winn-Dixie, bought a few items, and weren't happy with the cost. Next we went to Walmart, and there we found the items and prices we are used to. We were also able to stock up on our favourite $2.77 wines.

After putting away the groceries we started house cleaning, scrubbing and vacuuming our old Georgeie Boy. For dinner we had BBQ'd pork, beans and salad. Tried to go light, but ended up stuffed.

This morning we had breakfast and then took the van to Houma, a bayou town about an hour southwest of New Orleans. We took a tour of this quaint but growing town, did a little shopping, then stopped for lunch. Because we had Ben with us, we wanted a place with outside seating and take out food. We picked Boudreau & Thibodeau's, a very popular Cajun place. You can see it at: http://www.bntcajuncookin.com/default.aspx . We had the sampler appetizer, Fried crawfish, crawfish etouffee, and fried pickles. It was very good, and we had a nice outdoor meal.

On our way out of Houma we stopped at a seafood place and bought a pint of fresh shucked oysters and a pound and a half of fresh shrimp. These made a great dinner for us later this evening. Tomorrow we head towards Tuscaloosa.

French Quarter, part 2

We woke up early on Saturday morning, had breakfast, and caught the 10 a.m. shuttle to the French Quarter. We wandered through the French Market, looking at all the overpriced junky "tzotkes", then walked along the riverfront admiring the mighty Mississippi.

We checked out a few restaurants around Bourbon and Royal streets, but couldn't face paying $58 ++ for a mediocre looking buffet brunch, or $18 for a shrimp omelet. We decided that since we'd had a great dinner on Frenchmens St. we'd give it a try for lunch. We chose Mona's Cafe, a Lebanese place. We thought we'd have a light lunch, so we ordered the appetizer combo. We were served humus, baba ganoush, a yogurt salad, a green salad (parsley?), lots of warm pita bread, falafels, kibbe (spiced ground lamb balls deep fried in a falafel coating), and stuffed grape leaves. We accompanied it with iced teas. The food was great, and we ended up totally stuffed! Total price: $22.

After lunch we waddled our way back into the French Quarter where we admired the buildings, and checked out some of the bars that were now opening for the day. We stopped into one bar for a couple of beers and enjoyed a band playing zydeko music. We then wandered around some more, sat by the river and watched the barges going by, and then went to meet the shuttle bus back to our RV park.

For dinner we BBQ'd some rib eyes, and Marlene made sweet potato fries, collard greens, and a cucumber and pepper salad. It was all delicious, and we accompanied it with a bottle of our cheap California Shiraz. While cooking on the BBQ some new neighbours appeared and introduced themselves. They are from Lethbridge, AB. It's unusual to find western Canadians in RV's here. Most Canadians here are from Ontario or Quebec. They had just come from a trip across Canada to Nova Scotia, then down the east coast to Florida, now stopping into New Orleans on their way to Parker, AZ.

It seemed like a good night for Marlene and I to party, so we fired up the stereo and danced into the night.

Pictures above are some of the buildings in the French Quarter, our Lebanese lunch and the zydeko band (sorry about the blurry image).

We reach the "Big Easy"

We left St. Louis early, and made our way south on the I-55 towards Memphis. We fought our way through heavy traffic and over nasty roads, crossing from Missouri to Arkansas, to Tennessee and finally to Mississippi, where we reached our stop for the night at the Walmart in Senatobia, MS. Although this is a small town, the Walmart was VERY busy, and we had a hard time finding a spot to squeeze our 60 ft. into. What are all these people doing at Walmart on a weekday afternoon?

We did a bit of shopping here, finding prices about the same as back in Edmonton. No liquor at this Walmart, either.

After a relatively quiet night we packed up early and hit the road south towards our next stop in McComb, Mississippi. Just another long stretch of interstate, although Ben liked the new look of the surroundings with lots of trees (still changing colours). The Walmart at McComb was also really busy, and we ended up staying in the middle of the parking lot, not our usual choice. Our sleep was disturbed by the noise of street sweepers cleaning the parking lot all night.

We packed up and left McComb early and went to Hammond, Louisiana, where we gave the rig a much needed bath. We just love the service at Blue Beacon truck washes. Every one we've been to offers a good wash with really friendly, attentive service. From Hammond we entered bayou country, traveling miles on the elevated roadway over the swamp. We were able to see many "camps", the Louisiana version of a weekend cottage, built on stilts along the swamp. People use these places on weekends and holidays, enjoying fishing and hunting. Some live there year round. Most are accessible only by boat.

Finally we sighted New Orleans on the horizon. We approached steadily in a river of traffic, following our GPS into a WRONG TURN. Marlene says I should have followed my instincts not the GPS. Anyway, we had to find a place to get turned around, and that meant threading our way through a residential area, and right into a high school marching band parade! Nice of them to have a parade just for us. We eventually made it to Ponchartrain Landing RV park, right on the shore of Lake Ponchartrain. It's a nice place, well run and with good amenities, one of which is a shuttle bus to the French Quarter.

Availing ourselves of the shuttle, we waited til the 7:45 run, and went to the French Quarter. Bourbon St. was crowded, but a lot of the places were quite empty inside. Our plan was to go to Frenchmens St., just outside the French Quarter. It's where locals prefer to go for food and music, away from most of the tourists. We decided to dine at Praline Connection, a very nice little restaurant serving Cajun food. Most of the clientele appeared to by African American locals, and they were all eating lots and having a good time. We ordered file' gumbo and a plate of fried chicken livers with sweet green chili sauce, and corn bread. We accompanied the food with a local dark beer. All of it was great. The service was perfect, the food tasty and the price reasonable. Total bill $35.

After dinner we wandered the street, listening in to an eclectic mix of music. One band was even playing on the balcony above. After wandering Frenchmens, we walked back into the French Quarter, enjoying looking through gates and windows of the rundown looking buildings to see fine homes inside. Thirsty after all our walking we stopped into a club to enjoy some blues music. No cover charge, but beer was $6.25 a bottle!

After rehydrating ourselves we walked some more, then found a taxi and headed back to the motorhome. The pictures above are our dinner, band on balcony, the blues band we enjoyed, a fishing "camp", and me with "voodoo Santa".

Day of the meat fest

We woke early this morning after a quiet night in the Harrah's parking lot, and after a breakfast of pancakes I got the van off the trailer, cleaned the road grime off the windows and got it ready to go into downtown St. Louis.

We loaded up Ben, and hit the I70 towards the Gateway Arch. After finding parking, we walked along the riverfront, where we saw loaded barges making their way down the Mississippi, and saw a monument to Lewis and Clark, who began and ended their 2 1/2 year exploration to the west here in St. Louis.

As we approached the Arch we were stunned by the size of the monument. Built in 1963, 64 and 65, it towers over 600 ft. high, and is made of huge panels of stainless steel flawlessly welded together. It's a true engineering marvel. There is a tram that goes to the top, but we decided not to brave the line-ups and the heavy security checks to see it. Also, Ben would not be allowed.

After admiring the arch, and the neighboring old courthouse, we checked out the riverboats that take cruises along the river. Then, hunger getting the best of us we got back to the car and went in search of BBQ.

We'd done our research, and found out that one of the best BBQ shacks in town was Roper's Ribs, a Mom and Pop shop that has received numerous awards for its food. Our trusty GPS got us there, and we found ourselves in a somewhat rundown neighborhood. We were the only white faces in sight. Inside the little joint we were greeted by Denise Roper who made us welcome. She asked where we were from, and when we told her, and explained what we are doing, she said she was jealous. We ordered the traveler's special sampler, with baby back ribs, beef ribs, a pound of pulled pork, homemade beans and coleslaw, fries, buns, bread and soft drinks. Total price $34 plus tax. We waited about 30 minutes for the food to be prepared, then rushed back to our motorhome to feast. And what a feast it was... too much to eat in one sitting, and just fabulous flavors. We highly recommend Roper's Ribs if you're in St. Louis.

After stuffing ourselves (and Ben) we loaded the van on the trailer and vegged out. Tomorrow we head south towards Memphis. The pictures above are the arch, the welds on the arch, the barges, the Lewis and Clark monument, the old courthouse, the riverboat pier, Denise Roper at work, and Marlene in front of Roper's memory wall, and of course, the food.

We see the flood damage

At Sioux City we bought some groceries and most importantly BOOZE at Walmart. Nice to get our favourite California red wine for $2.77, and a huge bottle of bourbon for $18.

Our drive to Kansas City was one long battle with gusting cross-winds. Why can we never seem to get a tail wind? Along the way we witnessed the destruction caused by the flooding of the Missouri river this summer. All along the interstate highway the ditches are lined with uprooted trees, piles of mud and driftwood, and assorted flotsam and jetsam. A lot of the farm fields have had their top soil washed to one end or the other, and a lot of granaries are collapsed. All the businesses in the Nebraska City are closed. The amount of damage is staggering.

We also continued to see dozens of dead deer and other animals along the road. Very sad.

At Kansas City we navigated our way to the Ameristar Casino, our port for the night. We had a nice spot in the commercial vehicle parking lot. The surrounding trees were full of thousands of small birds (starlings?) making a lot of racket. Marlene created a fine meal of curried chicken, with new potatoes and broccoli, accompanied by a bottle of our cheap Shiraz. It was great. (see pic)

This morning we rose early, and hit the road for St. Louis. We made a stop in Higginsville to fill up with gas and water and dump our sewer tanks. Why do the gas pumps here only allow you to pump $75 at a time, requiring three authorizations to fill the tank. Very slow process. At least the gas here was only $3.09 a gallon, reducing our fuel costs to 50 cents a mile.

Once again we fought strong, gusty crosswinds. By the time we reached our parking spot at Harrah's Casino St. Louis my hands were sore. We had a bite of lunch (left over pasta) and went to check out the casino. It was surprisingly busy for a Monday afternoon. (see pic)

Tomorrow afternoon we'll take the van off the trailer and go to see the Gateway Arch, then try some St. Louis style ribs. Stay tuned.

Back on the road again

Hi everyone, it's been a long time since we posted here, mostly because it wasn't very interesting. We spent the summer in Edmonton doing countertops, and we also sold the jet car operation to a fellow from Texas. Just made a deal to sell our place in Edmonton, too.

Now it's winter, and we're heading south. We left on Wednesday, destination Saskatoon. We got a late departure because we had to thaw the water lines in the motorhome so we could fill with water! Along the way we encountered quite a bit of snow and ice on the road. Also passed by the Afghan town, Kandahar (see pic). Arrived in Saskatoon after dark, filled up with gas at the Flying J truck stop, and decided to overnight there. Was about minus 12 at night, and the furnaces ran constantly. Luckily the water system did not freeze up.

We left Saskatoon early, and headed out on the 425 mile drive to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Road was in bad shape, with lots of frost heaves and pot holes, but not much snow around. Still kinda cold. We overnighted at the Walmart Supercenter in Portage.

We were going to leave Portage early, but when we went to check our propane level, the compartment wouldn't open. After a lot of messing around while lying on the cold pavement, finally got the door open. The latch had disintegrated inside because it's made of cheap pot metal. Now I'll have to make a part to fit. After our late departure, we then ran into a rememberance day parade in a small Manitoba town, finally getting close to the US border crossing about 2 hours late, only to find a HUGE line-up of cars waiting to cross. Seemed everyone in Manitoba was heading south. We waited 2 1/2 hours to cross, and endured an agricultural inspection where they seized our rice (new rule since July, no rice from South East Asia), and one can of dog food made in Canada. We stopped in to a truck stop in Grand Forks, North Dakota for gas and propane, and also took the opportunity to dump our tanks and fill with water. Nice to find gas for only 85 cents a litre instead of the $1.20 in Saskatchewan! Our original destination for the day was Wahpeton, North Dakota, but it was already dark when we reached Fargo, so we stayed at the Walmart there. It was really busy, packed with holiday weekend shoppers, and we had trouble finding a parking spot. We went in to buy a few groceries, but grabbed what we needed and ran away from the madding crowd! Spent a restless night due to the trucks left running all night.

Saturday morning we left at about 7:15 and hit Interstate 29, headed to Sioux City, Iowa. We fought 50 mph winds all the way, but finally made it to Sioux City and filled up with cheap gas before parking at the Walmart. Shopped here, and the crowds were a lot lighter. Marlene made a nice Bavarian supper of bratwurst, sauerkraut, potato salad and beer ($10.97 for 24 cans!). It was a nice, relaxed meal.

A side note, we saw several dozen deer, innumerable wolves, raccoons, skunks, porcupines, rabbits, and other unidentified squashed animals dead at the side of the road. Who needs to go hunting, just pick them up off the shoulder and take them home! Tomorrow we head to Kansas City, Missouri. Stay tuned...

We prepare to return to Arizona

Hi everyone! Today we're packing up to return to Arizona. We'll be kind of sad to leave Lake Elsinore, it's such a lovely place. Marlene especially likes the humidity here. We hope to spend tomorrow night in the desert near Quartzite, then Phoenix at a casino on Friday, arriving in Tucson on Saturday afternoon.

In Tucson we'll prepare for our trip back to Edmonton, where we'll probably stay til October (weather permitting).

We're really going to miss the cheap food and liquor here in the US. Last night we ate a 2.5 pound corned beef brisket (total price just $2.46). Who could believe you could buy a nice corned beef for just 99 cents a pound? It was so good, we went back to Vons (Safeway) and bought another one! The accompanying cabbage was just 45 cents.

Tonight we had oven baked chicken, with potatoes and fresh salad greens. We bought the chicken at Vons too... four leg/thigh quarters for just $3.33, so tonight we had 1/2 the chicken for just $1.66. The bag of fresh salad greens cost a buck at the $1 store, as did the 5 pound bag of potatoes. Accompanied by Busch Ice Beer ($14 for 30 cans) it was a great meal, and really cheap. Don't know how we'll deal with $13 chickens and $14 corned beef briskets in Edmonton!!

Our plans are evolving all the time. We have the jet car up for sale because bookings were not up to the level we had set. Getting some interest from prospective buyers, but not enough yet. In Tucson we'll also sell the Tracker, since we won't be needing it once we head back to Canada.

Yesterday we took Ben to the groomers for a full beauty treatment. You can see how good he looks in the picture above. Stay tuned for more of our travels....

Pictures above are the second corned beef we bought, and Ben.