From the Vine Came the Grapes, From the Grapes Came the Wine

La Vina Winery
4201 NM–28
Anthony, NM 88021 (just outside El Paso, TX)
GPS: 31.96938, -106.651428

Travel Day 7 – Ft Stockton, TX to El Paso, TX

Today's travel covered 258 miles which we did in 7:20. We pulled out at 0900 but stopped almost immediately for breakfast while still in Ft Stockton at the Ft Stockton Steakhouse. This time I had the Chorizo & Egg and Michelle had an omelet.

Ft Stockton Steakhouse

Our travel direction was WNW until just before Ft Hancock, then NW along Mexican border to El Paso. That black line on the map is the US/Mexico border. Today we crossed into the Mountain Time zone. We'll stay in this time zone until October.

El Paso, TX of song and story fame was a grubby, lawless border town with mexican music, pretty senoritas, and gunfights. I'm sure some of that is preserved somewhere as "Historic El Paso". But now El Paso is a sprawling metropolis with big buildings, freeways, and traffic jams like every other big city; and a terrifying driving experience for RVers like us who have become used to the slower pace of senior living in the country. It is still a border town, squeezed between Mexico on the south and New Mexico on the north and west. El Paso suburbs are in a different state and a different nation. What a nightmare that must be.

Our overnight stop this time was in Anthony, NM; one of those New Mexico suburbs, at La Vina Winery, another Harvest Host site. After we left the highway and got on to the back roads approaching the winery, I was struck by what I will call "agricultural wealth". Mile after mile of meticulously manicured vineyards and pecan orchards (read no weeds) spotted with very expensive homes. Also visible were elaborate irrigation systems. I'm pretty sure the water source is the Rio Grande which runs south through this region before it turns southeast and becomes the dividing line between the US and Mexico.

We arrived at La Vina Winery about 1530 Mountain Time, stopped in the store to introduce ourselves and get directions to our parking location.

Then we set up for the night.

Our setup at La Vina Winery

After getting setup, we returned to the store and did a wine tasting. Each of us got five samples, with crackers and a free wine glass (glass not plastic) for $5. Of course we bought a couple bottles. I just had to copy this information from the Wine Tasting list. This is to impress you with our wine sophistication and my ability to create a table in a blog post. Are you impressed?

	Type	Name	Description
Bob	Off Dry	Viognier	French variety. Mineral and white peaches hints.
Bob	Dry Red	Sangiovese	Earthy spicy black cherry flavor. Origins in Northern Italy.
Bob	Dry Red	Dolcetto	Lighter bodied red wine with hints of cherry. Pairs with pizza or spicy dishes.
Bob	Dry Red	Primitivo	This zinfandel clone is fruity with medium tannin, spice, and pepper flavors.
Bob	Semi–sweet	Oro Loco	"Crazy Gold" Muscat blend with lovely citrus notes. Great for a picnic.
Michelle	Semi–sweet	Rojo Loco	"Crazy Red" blend of Ruby Cabernet and Zinfandel – some liken it to Sangria.
Michelle	Semi–sweet	White Riesling	Hints of strawberry and rasberry – perfect with bread and sharp cheese.
Michelle	Semi–sweet	Gewurztraminer	Fragerant white wine, pear and peach flavors with honeysuckle hints.
Michelle	Sweet	La Dolce Vina	Sparkling Muscat with spectacular citrus and floral notes.
Michelle	Sweet	Late Harvest Viognier	Apricot and honey characters and sweet mouthfeel balanced with soft acidity.

A young man came into the store. One look and you knew he was a GI; the walk and the haircut give it away every time. We got into a conversation and learned his name was Matt. He is a soldier stationed at Ft Bliss. He came to the winery to buy some wine to send to his mother and sister for Mother's Day. We chatted while the winery clerk packed up his selection for shipping. He knew nothing about wine; neither do I. So I treated him to a wine tasting. He is unhappy in his job and with the anti–education attitude of his fellow soldiers. Nearing the end of his enlistment, he plans to leave the service return home to Sacramento, CA and finish college, then maybe rejoin the military. We wished him well.

Soon the winery store closed and all the customers and workers were gone. We enjoyed a quiet evening alone in the parking lot.

Seems like a good time to honor all those insects who died to make our trip possible

As it got dark, we could see in the distance the lights of the traffic on I-10 and the glow in the sky from the city of El Paso. Another day in the books.

Another day in Texas

Parkview RV Park
735 S. Hwy 285
Ft Stockton, TX 79735
GPS: 30.879035, -102.868372

Travel Day 6 – San Antonio, TX to Ft Stockton, TX

Our route today covered 336 miles which we did in nine hours. Leaving San Antonio we started the day travelling through Texas Hill Country.

Texas Hill Country

The Texas Hill Country is a twenty-five county region of Central Texas and South Texas featuring karst topography and tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite.

The area is also unique for its fusion of Spanish and German influences in food, beer, architecture, and music that form a distinctively "Texan" culture separate from the state's Southern and Southwestern influences. For example, the accordion was popularized in Tejano music in the 19th century due to cultural exposure to German settlers.

In recent years, the region has emerged as the center of the Texas wine industry. Three American Viticultural Areas are located in the areas: Texas Hill Country AVA, Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country AVA, and Bell Mountain AVA.

The Hill Country is also known for its tourism. In 2008, The New York Times listed the Hill Country in an article about North American vacation destinations. Hill Country has also made Texas second to Florida as the most popular retirement destination in the United States. The region has attracted Baby Boomers as they near retirement age.

Frederick Day, a demographer with Texas State University, said that the Hill Country life-style reminds one of the small towns of the recent past. "Like old America . . . the cost of living is pretty low. To people who have spent their work life in Houston or Dallas, the Hill Country is very attractive." Wikipedia

Tall rugged hills

Proceeding west the landscape changed to west Texas desert. Raw and unforgiving.

Our day ended in Ft Stockton, TX

A statue of Paisano Pete greet visitors at the entrance to Historic Ft Stockton

Fort Stockton is a city in Pecos County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat of Pecos County, located on Interstate Highway 10, U.S. Highways 67, 285, and 385, and the Santa Fe Railroad, 329 miles northwest of San Antonio and 240 miles east of El Paso. The population was 8,535 at the 2010 census.

Fort Stockton (named Camp Stockton until 1860) grew up around Comanche Springs, one of the largest sources of spring water in Texas, and near the military fort founded in 1859 and named for Robert Field Stockton. Comanche Springs was a favorite rest stop on the Great Comanche Trail to Chihuahua, the San Antonio-El Paso Road, and the Butterfield Overland Mail Route.Wikipedia

Parkview RV Park, our stop for the night, was really bad news. This is a Passport America park. The whole park was run down and the bathrooms were filthy. When I logged into the Passport America to rate this park, I found that they do not offer an opportunity to do ratings on their parks. Buyer beware. More on bathrooms in a later post.

Parkview RV Park, Ft Stockton, TX

I needed a shower. Gritting my teeth, I used theirs.

Every day can't end gloriously.

San Antonio Revisited

Braunig Lake RV Resort
13550 Donop Rd
Elmendorf, TX 78112 (San Antonio suburb)
GPS: 29.285599, -98.394054

Braunig Lake RV Resort, 13550 Donop Rd, Elmendorf, TX 78112, GPS: 29.285599, -98.394054

Today was a planned tourist day. For both of us it has been over 50 years since we were part of the San Antonio "Sea of Blue". That is Air Force recruits at Lackland AFB. San Antonio has changed a lot since that time, as have we, plus as recruits we didn't get to see much of the town anyway.

Our first stop was breakfast. Our usual question is "Where do the locals eat?" To that the RV Park manager sent us to the Family Mexican Restaurant not far from the park.

Family Mexican Restaurant, 14180 Hwy181 South, San Antonio, TX 78223, GPS: 29.280447, -98.332653

A roadside hangout fixing up traditional Mexican favorites in down-to-earth environs

For breakfast, I had Migas – Diced corn tortillas, mixed with eggs, onions, tomatoes, hot peppers, and cheese. Served with potatoes, beans, tortillas.

Migas

Michelle had Chorizo & Egg. That is a favorite of our friend Jim Leibold, so we thought of him as she enjoyed it. How do you toast someone at breakfast?

Chorizo & Egg

Our first tourist stop of the day was the Texas Air Museum. This is a Harvest Host site and we had intended to overnight there. Even though that didn't work out, we still wanted to see the place. We spent a couple hours looking through exhibits and memorabilia from the early days of military aviation. Since San Antonio was central to Army Air Corps and early Air Force history, they have a lot of stuff donated by retirees and descendants who had selected San Antonio as their retirement location.

Texas Air Museum, 1234 99th St, San Antonio TX 78214, GPS: 29.340199, -98.475836

A military aviation history buff could spend a couple days prowling through here. While we visited, we met Ked and Lee, two of the volunteer caretakers, and enjoyed conversation about old airplanes and the old Air Force.

Alas however, this museum desperately needs some tender loving care and a major infusion of cash to make it a real tourist attraction. Good luck to them.

The biggest attraction in downtown San Antonio is the River Walk, so we had to go there. Way back when, it was a couple Mexican restaurants on a dirty river. Years of hard work and a lot of money have made it into the centerpiece of downtown, maybe more that the Alamo.

Getting there involved big city driving and parking. Taking our truck downtown brought back not so fond memories of times and places past. However we made it and parked in the Market Street Garage.

The best way to see the River Walk is to take the boat ride, so we did. A fleet of tourist boats is operated by Rio San Antonio. There are numerous places to buy tickets ($6 per person) and board the boats. The tour lasts about 45 minutes.

See the San Antonio River Walk by boat

The River Walk is all restaurants, sidewalk cafes, and upscale shops. It is easily accessible from just about every street in downtown by descending a well marked flight of stairs.

Selecting a place for dinner was tough; there are so many choices. We finally settled on Landry's Seafood. It was just a short walk from where we had gotten on and off the tour boat.

Landry's Seafood, 517 N Presa St, San Antonio, TX 78205, GPS: 29.425833, -98.488845


Memories. Are humans the only creatures with memories? Our military years are so far back they blend with childhood. Seeing the uniforms we wore displayed on manikins in a museum is not a comforting sight. In my post military professional life, I had a full wardrobe of suits, business shirts, shoes, and a large collection of neckties. I left the house every day well dressed and was quite at ease going into expensive restaurants and ordering from complicated menus. All of that is behind. We roam the country in our RV and my wardrobe is shorts, jeans, and T–shirts. The most formal I can do now is a golf shirt and slacks. Going into Landry's where they had cloth tablecloths and napkins was uncomfortable. Do I miss the past? Sometimes. Would I go back? No. Life is a one way street and I think it is best that way.

Deep In The Heart of Texas

Braunig Lake RV Resort
13550 Donop RD
Elmendorf, TX 78112 (San Antonio)
GPS: 29.285599, -98.394054

Travel Day 4 – Lake Charles, LA to San Antonio, TX

Our refrigerator has a light that stays on when it has power and blinks in several different patterns to indicate different kinds of problems. Saturday when we got settled, I saw that it was blinking six times with a pause. I switched the unit over to gas but the blinking continued. The one rule for refrigerator problems is 'don't open the refrigerator'. The unit will stay cold for many hours without power if it remains closed. We obeyed that rule through Sunday. I made several attempts to identify the problem. I read the manual several times. It had answers for patterns of one, two, three, and four blinks but not for six. And the answers for three and four was "You can't fix this yourself, buddy, contact an authorized service technician." Have you ever noticed that is the answer for every technical problem on Sunday?

I slept fitfully, got up early, and searched the web for phone numbers for Norcold and a few "authorized service centers" along today's route. Then waited for the time Norcold would open. A telephone call to Norcold was successful but unsuccessful. That is I succeeded in reaching their Customer Service but they didn't have an answer for six blinks either. All I accomplished was to get a late start. Our pre–departure light check disclosed that our right rear brake light and turn signal was out.

This morning we were hungry, so I looked for a spot (using Scout and Yelp) for breakfast early and found one half a mile off I-10 one exit from our starting point. When we arrived there was no restaurant at the specified location and we were on a very narrow two lane road. We drove over 10 miles before finding a spot to turn around. Back to I-10 and a gas stop right at the entrance. There was our restaurant, right in the gas station.

After breakfast and on the road, I called Ron Hoover RV in Houston to see if we could get in without an appointment to have the refrigerator fixed and a new taillight bulb put in. They accommodated us. Driving through Houston, TX is an adventure. Doing it pulling the Cougar without a right turn signal is truly terrifying. The problem with the refrigerator turned out to be a broken wire. Hmmmm ... I–10 in Louisiana?

Our late start (0930), our misadventure getting lost, and our stop for repairs made the day which was the longest day by plan even longer – 382 miles and ten and a half hours. But we had to have one more incident. Moving briskly along I–10, we were apparently not brisk enough. An 18 wheeler passed us and blew a tire just as he was beside us. Have you ever watched a blowout happen just outside your car window? Alligators flying everywhere. We pulled over and checked our rig for damage from flying shrapnel. Fortunately there was none.

San Antonio has plenty of places for RVers to overnight. My three top choices were the Texas Air Museum (a Harvest Host location) and the military RV parks at Fort Sam Houston and Lackland AFB. By the time we were approaching San Antonio, all three were closed so I opted for a Passport America park. Braunig Lake RV Resort had spaces available and our arrival and setup was thankfully uneventful. This is a very nice RV Park.