Hello all,
We are on the ocean. Report on http://biod.info/2009na
Also in English.
See you ;-)

What an adventure! Thanks for the pictures!

How exciting!

Hello, Lex & Rita - thanx for the lovely photos. Wishing you smooth sailing, and looking forward to reading about all your adventures in NA. Take care, L 'n D

We are in Jacksonville.
The ferry is scheduled to arrive monday april 20.
Time till on the road upto 5 days (worst case scenario).
Rita is only allowed to stay till july 14, "thanks" to a mistake by the immigration officer.
The correction is a very bureaucratic, absolutely non-flexible procedure :-((

Hi: Lex and Rita...And Hope you two have a great time in North America.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Oh, no! That's terrible! After all your effort to get here...

That immigration officer should want you to stay (and spend money) 'til October!! What were they thinking?

Can you go to Canada on July 14th?

Yes, we can ;-)
But then we 'll miss the Oregon Gathering.
We made an appointment via the web (unlucky the ones without a laptop) for april 21 with the immigration officer in Jacksonville. We 've already been at the office, but were send away to do the webprocedure :-(((

Oh brother...

Oh, my, Lex! "Taco Hell!"

Hi Lex and Rita,

You mentioned on your trip log that you were not able to finish what was on your plate when you dined.

Fred and I share a meal quite often because portion sizes are just too big. You might have been dining at too nice a place to do that, but you can always ask your server. Most family restaurants will bring you a second plate and some even break the order into two portions before it arrives at the table.

So, before you place your order take note of the platters of food being delivered to the people around you. It will be a good clue if the portion size is too much to finish off. Then the problem is agreeing on what to order.

We do the same thing at fast food places. Fred orders one of the "meal deals" and I just get a burger (or whatever). I have never paid $3.40 for water. At fast food places I ask for water and they give me a different paper cup and I get my water at the pop place. Then I eat a few of his fries and we have plenty of food.

Stop at a WalMart and get a 24 pack of water bottles. Wherever you dine you can ask for water (it will come with ice) which will be the local water.

Have fun.

Nancy

Happy & safe travels Lex.

Mike

Thanks for the advice Nancy.
I bought a bottle of water for in the train in Penn Station.
We 're at JT's now :-)
I noticed about the free water :-)

We received your materials . Thank you very much :-)

Lex & Rita,

I'm so excited. I hadn't realized that you would be at the Oregon Gathering. I look forward to meeting you and seeing your Biod in person. Happy travels

It did cost us 2 days and $ 200 to get the rig on the road eventually.
Now in Tallahassie ( Big Oaks) testing things and getting propane.
The electrics seem to work as expected :-)

Cool! Your rig looks great here

And a Volvo wagon to boot!

Glad you're on the road now,

Raya

(Towing with a Volvo 245)

Hi: Lex& Rita...So all is safely LANDED!!! Now to clear up the mess at IMMIGRATION and all will be well. If your path finds you near the Great Lakes Region let us know and we would love to meet you. We are 1-3 hours from the U.S.A. in East(New York) or West(Michigan) directions!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Thanks Alf. It is noted. :-)

We are in Mobile now, ShadyAcres RV Park.

Click to view attachment

Tomorrow to New Orleans, the KOA campground.

Lex & Rita,
Well on your way! Have a wonderful time. So glad you've worked everything out.
Sherry
PS The Volvo looks great... We tow with a Vovo XC90 or Dodge Ram half-ton 4x4

For those of you who have been following Lex & Rita's weblog, you know Skip and I met them in New Orleans a few days ago. We were there on vacation, which coincided perfectly with the early stages of their journey across North America this spring and summer.

Skip and I are now back home, and L & R headed out yesterday to Natchez, Mississippi and points beyond. It was great to meet them, after being acquainted through this website for several years. We showed them a couple of our favorite things about New Orleans, and now I know what the Crescent City area's KOA is like.

Plus (big plus!) we were able to have a look around their Biod trailer. So similar, yet so different!

For those of you who have not yet checked out Lex & Rita's weblog, you should give it a look. He's posting great photos (except perhaps for the one of me! ha!), and even translates the descriptions into English for us!

I think they are also interested in taking the "scenic routes" in their travels, so if anyone has a particular favorite - please post it!

Welkommen.

As to the food, ask for "senior meals" They are generally cheaper and smaller.

The mansions are antebellum, that is 'before the (civil) war'. Antibellum would be against war.

I see you go not too far from Carlsbad and the Carlsbad caverns. I reccommend them:

http://www.nps.gov/cave

For music, you may pick up a copy of my favorite, Spike Jones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvt4b_qwC_Q

(I had no idea there was a video) He is probably not available in Europe.

If that don't keep you awake on long drives, nothing will. He, he.

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, be sure to see the Loretto Chapel with the spiral staircase assembled without nails. The legend is St Joseph built it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretto_Chapel

In Utah, I hope you will visit Bryce Canyon, which is not a canyon but a cliff. It is beautiful. The columns are called 'hoodoos'.
http://www.nps.gov/brca

You plan to go through Seattle, Washington (state). We live just southeast of Seattle and you would be welcome to drop anchor here at the house for a few days. I am told I am a good tour guide...

Roger

Hi Roger,
Thank you for correcting a stupid mistake.
And for your recommandations.
And for your invitation. It is noted. :-)

Lex

Hi Lex& Rita...Thankyou sooooo much for the great pictures...we are following your travel adventure!!! You seem to have your share of problems and MIRACLES!!!! I thought it was just us that this happened to!!!
My favorite saying when traveling is " For every mile of road there are two miles of ditches". Keep SAFE.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Just a reminder, Lex, that you will soon be traveling in higher altitudes for a week or two. (Santa Fe I believe is 7000 feet above sea level.) It usually takes several days for your body to become accustomed to the high altitude and you probably won't feel as peppy as you hoped for. So relax, keep well-hydrated (with water), don't over-exert and enjoy. Your vehicle may seem a little less powerful, too, but that's normal and also nothing to worry about.

You probably know all this already because of your extensive travels. When we have visitors from Texas or the west coast, they always wonder why they feel tired when they first get here, so that's why I'm reminding!

We all want your trip to be the "Trip of a Lifetime!"

I for one (of many I'm sure) am really, really enjoying reading your Blog, Lex & Rita! In some cases I'm able to relive some long ago memories. My father was career Army and as I child I saw some of the same places you've seen recently. Thank you so very much for posting the wonderful pictures and all the great stories.

Hi George,
We are both in good health in Taos.
The temp is very nice.
Tomorrow we 'll head for Durango.

Lex & Rita - Greetings from Nevada, USA! We want to add our appreciation for the delightful stories and wonderful photographs we find as we read your Blog. We wish you continued safe journeys and many more memorable experiences. L 'n D

In a few days we will be less then 200 mls from Salt Lake City.
Is Salt Lake City worth the drive?

Hi Lex,

Is your question really 400 miles, 200 up and 200 back down? Or, are you thinking of skipping hot Las Vegas?

I'll send you a private message.

Nancy

Hi Nancy,

Yes. No.

Lex

No----Unless you are deeply interested in genealogy. The LDS (Mormon) Church, headquartered there, has one of the world's finest repositories of genealogical records at their Family History Center. (Note: many of their records can be accessed free on the internet.)

Salt Lake City has many other interesting and beautiful things and buildings, but primarily considering your limited schedule, S.L.C. wouldn't be high on my list for a detour.

Thanks. We skip this detour.
We are in Moab (KOA).
Probably saturday return to Blandings (we can't stay here: memorial day, kampground fully booked).
And then route 95.

Hi: Lex& Rita... Love the pic's of your trip!!! We have a bit of the same landscape in the Badlands of Alberta, Canada complete with cacti and sage brush.
Looks like you encountered a couple of Mennonite Women on your hike to the Arches. We also have many Mennonite families living close to us. Some of them travel from Mexico to work in the fruit orchards and vegetable farms nearby.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Hi Alf,
Cacti on that latitude? Wow :-)
Mennonites, that is what Nancy suggested also.

Lex, thank you for continung to post your adventures and great photographs. I have been following your blog with interest.

I was interested in reading your European observations on American traffic. Here in Florida one can also legally pass on the right (provided one is not exceeding the speed limit) if traffic to the left is moving slower. Nevertheless I miss the predictability and orderliness of traffic and discipline of moving over after one has passed, as on the Autobahn for example (at least - when I was last there about ten years ago). My motto now is; ALWAYS expect the unexpected!

Anyway; safe travels to you both. I hope you contine to have a great trip.

Tomorrow we 'll move to Torrey to sightsee Capitol Reef NP.
Campground http://www.thousandlakesrvpark.com

Then to Bryce.
We selected campground: Bryce Canyon Pines. Any comment?

I am looking for campgrounds for Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.
Any suggestions?
If yes, how about reservations?

Thanks.

PS. We prefer campgrounds with electrics and wifi.

It's strictly dry camping but on your way south towards Las Vegas you find Valley of Fire State Park. It's a nice spot.

Now if you are headed to Death Valley by any chance and are going through Pahrump, north west of Las Vegas, one of the absolutely nicest campgrounds ever is Terrible's Lakeside Casino and RV park. There is a Terrible's in downtown Pahrump but don't confuse it with the Terrible's Lakeside Casino and RV Park. This RV park is very popular so if you would be considering it, call ahead and make a reservation. It's just one of the nicest prettiest RV parks.

Hi,

We too are enjoying your posts. And seconding the recommendation above, a few years back we enjoyed a"desert" experience, dry-camping at Valley of Fire State Park.

In Las Vegas we were happy at the KOA, right beside the Circus Circus Hotel, walking/moving-sidewalk distance from "The Strip" where most of the action takes place. Granted, KOA is basically a landscaped parking lot but it is well-kept and there is a nice pool and other amenities.

If anything has changed since our visit, someone please correct this.

Des & Diane

Hey Lex,

I would go to Circus, Circus KOA too. But.....a few months ago I looked at the neighborhood on google earth and there were many buildings that had been demolished near by. I don't know when the google earth picture was taken. So....there could be construction going on next door.

But you aren't going to sleep in LV anyway. It will probably be too hot and too noisy. We will find you asleep perched against a slot machine or on an indoor park bench.

Basically you just want a place to park your rig while you are in Las Vegas, right?

The Valley of Fire is really neat, but I wouldn't want to rough it out there in the heat in June.

By the way, I really liked your commercial camp site at Thousand Lakes. Do you know the campsite number that was?

Nancy

Somebody recommended a campground outside Las vegas, but I forgot. :-(

But you are right, just want a place as quiet as possible, but close enough.

We are on site 7 on 1000 Lakes. 1,3,5,7,9,11,13 are the same.

Lex,

Just looked at the price of staying at Circus, Circus KOA and I think I would go back to Sams Town and pay half the rate. Sams Town is on Boulder and is in Las Vegas but one needs to take the shuttle from Sams Town Casino (leaves about every 1/2 hour) to get down to the strip.

When we pulled in to Sams Town in Las Vegas the guy looked at our tiny rig and put us in a very quiet, secluded area. Tried to find our campsite number but don't have it. We didn't have to park with all those monster rigs. The place we were located was behind the washroom (clean) and there were only about 5 spaces. It was private and quiet. They probably don't have many small trailers that will fit in that area. Only one other trailer was back there with us.

I doubt you will have picnic table or space for outdoor sitting wherever you stay in Las Vegas. They do want you to be in the Casino, you know.

Circus, Circus KOA would be very, very convenient. Just now some Las Vegas motel rooms cost less!

If you don't have air conditioning in your trailer don't sign up for too many nights. You just might want to get out of town if the heat or noise is bad.

Nancy

You 're right, Nancy.
The Rodeway Inn: $ 39 / night :-) Incl. airco and breakfast (we didn't like that sweet 'breakfast').

In Jacksonville we got a senior discount and paid $ 33 :-)

We 'll probably book the Rodeway Inn.
They 've got parking space for the rig :-)

We are near Bryce Canyon NP now.
It is raining ;-)

A picture of the rig along the Fremont River, Capitol Reef NP:

Click to view attachment

More pictures on my blog.

You asked on your blog, I believe at Arches NP about some ladies in "costumes". At first I was thinking maybe Mennonite style dresses but on second look, could someone be in period dress (if it were at Capitol Reef, dress of the early Morman settlers but not sure about this idea at Arches). Another possibility (not sure how sound it would be) could be a current dress style of a off shoot Morman sect. I have read of plural marriage sects in the area around AZ & Utah border. No can say, for sure.

Hi Adrian,
We (Nancy & me) searched the internet and found : http://quakerjane.com/spirit.friends/plain_dress-caps.html
So I still think it is Mennonite.


New question.
As first time tourists in this country we like to visit Hollywood.
Can somebody recommend a campground, suitable to visit Hollywood?

My research turned up this:
Link to: Walnut RV Park
It is highly rated by AAA, (but they say it has only 15 RV spaces in their 2006 Campbook) it might be difficult to get reservations.

Their website has a quote that says it all:
"RV Camping in Southern California in a convenient Los Angeles location is almost non existent."

Link to reviews of this campground
This website says it has 112 spaces, (with an incorrectly marked map) and a satellite view of the correct address shows it having more than 15 spaces, next to a Manufactured Home Community.