Monday ; McAllen, Alamo, and La Feria
Cloudy and cold with a bit of intermittent drizzle.
Late this morning we headed west on Expressway 83 / Interstate 2 to McAllen, to SAS Shoes, to exchange the sandals I bought on Black Friday for a different size. Then we drove up and down N.10th St. checking out three barbecue restaurants. We chose Lone Star BBQ for lunch. It was very good, although not cheap.
Next was Wal-Mart in Alamo. After Wal-Martin', while I loaded our purchases into the truck, Joanne quickly shopped for an item at Dollar Tree, then we refilled with diesel at Murphy U.S.A. Fuel Bar. Back to La Feria where we refilled our five gallon water jug before returning "home" to Kenwood RV Resort. As usual, we spent the late part of the afternoon in the swimming pool and hot tub with Bill and Lynne.
Tuesday ; Brownsville and Harlingen
Cloudy, chilly, drizzle ... again.
I began to feel ill this morning, and it worsened as the day progressed. As I type this at midnight, I'm fairly certain I have a cold ... again !
We got up earlier than usual so that we could leave at 9:45 AM with Bill and Lynne, in their car, to the Mexico border crossing at Brownsville, for a tour of the historic site of Fort Brown. There was nothing there, except for a National Park Ranger who met us there at 11 AM, beside the dual campuses of University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Texas Southernmost College, on the banks of the Rio Grande River, at the southernmost point of the United States. The site of the fort is now an abandoned golf course. The park ranger met us there ( by pre-arrangement by Bill ) to give us a history lesson on Fort Brown, significant in the Texas - Mexico war of the mid 1800's. History lessons on old forts is not really my "cup of tea", especially when nothing remains except an abandoned golf course.
Afterwards we drove to the north side of Brownsville to Palo Alto National Park, another Texas-Mexico war site. This site, staffed by the ranger who met us at Fort Brown, has a Visitor Center with some interesting historical displays. We watched a video on the Texas-Mexico war, then had our picnic lunch on the outdoor patio. BRRRRR !
On the way back home we stopped in Harlingen to buy some dog food at PetsMart. Once back home I went to bed and slept for the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening.
Wednesday ; Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas, Mexico ... and Weslaco, Texas
Cloudy and mild.
Left home at 11 AM, in our truck, with Bill and Lynne, for a day in Mexico. After crossing the border we walked through Nuevo Progreso to El Salon, the beauty salon where
I noticed men having pedicures on our previous two visits to Nuevo Progreso. I had my hair cut and my beard trimmed by Andres, then had a pedicure done by Lizeth. WOW ! ! ! It was GREAT ! ! ! First pedicure of my life. Won't be the last ! While that was going on Bill got a haircut. Joanne and Lynne went browsing.
We had lunch at Red Snapper. Good, but ... not as good as Arturro's. We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around town, browsing, and ... buying chocolate bars. HA HA HA ! Bill and Lynne bought Mexican chocolate and candy filled Christmas stockings for their grandchildren. Apparently ... Santa bought four ... count 'em, FOUR ... boxes of Nugs Crujientes chocolate bars for Joanne ! HA HA HA !
On the way back home we stopped at the farmer's market in Weslaco to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables. Once back home at Kenwood RV Resort we went to the swimming pool and hot tub with Bill and Lynne until it was time for supper and Survivor.
Thursday ; La Feria, McAllen, and Hidalgo
Sunny ... finally ... and mild. Day three of my cold. Not feeling well !
I had a lazy morning and afternoon, doing some simple chores, reading and napping. Joanne was busy, doing laundry in the morning and giving Bo a bath in the afternoon. Late in the afternoon we drove into La Feria to buy some milk at the grocery store in town, and then we went to Family Dollar to check out an advertised special. Yes, yes,
I wanted it, so ... Santa will be bringing it to me for Christmas.
At suppertime we headed east on Expressway 83 / Interstate 2 to McAllen. First stop was H-E-B to buy some bolillos ( sandwich buns ). Then we went for dinner at Furr's Fresh Buffet, a large Texas based chain restaurant. It was very good. Not cheap. After supper we drove south to Hidalgo, a border crossing town at the "upper" / west end of the Rio Grande Valley, to attend their annual "Festival Of Lights". As we arrived in Hidalgo we saw a panaderia that was open late, so ... HA HA HA ... of course we stocked up on pan dulce.
For Joanne, Hidalgo's Festival Of Lights was the highlight of our month in the Rio Grande Valley. We watched a local high school's Grupo Folklorico perform Mexican folk dances and "Christmas ballet". Then we took a tram tour of the astounding Christmas light displays all around Hidalgo, estimated to be over three million Christmas lights ! It was great ! However ... by the time the tram tour ended at 9 PM, I was feeling very worn out and ill. We arrived back home at Kenwood RV Resort about 10 PM.
Friday ; Edinburg
Sunny and warm.
Today we prepared for departure tomorrow. I settled our electricity billing at the park office. We mounted Elsie the camper back onto Lanoire the truck. I made a series of phone calls to doctors back in British Columbia. None of those calls went well. Very frustrating.
Late in the afternoon we left Kenwood RV Resort, heading west on Expressway 83 / Interstate 2, then north on Hwy. 281 to Edinburg. We stopped at H-E-B to buy some groceries, then bought some chicken for dinner across the street at Church's Chicken. Our plan was to have supper in the camper once we were in the parking lot of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley campus Performing Arts Complex where we were going to attend a Mariachi Orchestra Concert. Didn't make it ! ! ! How disappointing !
Before we reached the cross street leading to the University we encountered road closures due to a parade. We tried to found our way around the road closures / detours, but we just got entangled in traffic gridlock. In the dark. In an unfamiliar area. After half an hour or so we gave up. < sigh > We found our way back to the parking lot of H-E-B.
I raised the camper's TV antenna, plugged the TV into the inverter, and we ate our chicken dinners while watching Amazing Race.
We arrived back home at Kenwood RV Resort at 9 PM.
Saturday ; La Feria to San Antonio, Texas
Sunny and warm.
This morning we prepared for departure, said our "goodbyes" to Bill, Lynne, and Windsor, and departed Kenwood RV Resort at 11 AM. We headed west on Expressway 83 / Interstate 2 to Edinburg, then north on Hwy. 281 / Interstate 69C. We stopped for lunch at a highway rest area. Hwy. 281 / Interstate 69C ended / merged with Interstate 37. We arrived at San Antonio a few minutes after dark and found our way to a
Wal-Mart where we boondocked overnight. After supper in the camper we went
Wal-Martin'. On a Saturday night. With the entire population of San Antonio out Christmas shopping. At this Wal-Mart ! < sigh >
DSK
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