Extreme recycling

March 2, 2012—I’m not a tree-hugger, but I believe in recycling whenever it is reasonable and possible. At home we recycle our newspapers and aluminum cans, and glassware, faithfully putting them out in their blue bins by the curb.

As we were driving down the highway yesterday, we saw recycling done to the extreme: An entrepreneur apparently bought a number of old railroad box cars and turned them into apartments! The name of his venture: Railcar Apartments.

We had to take a picture of them.

Our RV resort is in a very rural area, near a huge lake where fishing and water sports abound. I’d love to fish in that lake, but it didn’t make sense to buy a license for a couple hours of fishing. Instead, we opted to try our luck in the small lake and the pond on the resort property, where we don’t need a license.

We stopped at a local convenience store/tool store/barbecue hut/bait shop called Smokey Joe’s to buy some bait. A local woman told us what was biting down by the dam. When we told her we would only be fishing in the RV park’s ponds, she laughed. “There ain’t no fish in those ponds…except maybe some catfish.”

We decided to try anyway. Catfish would be good.

The nightcrawler I pulled out of the bait box at first did not want to cooperate. It seemed to sense it was going to go for a swim. I prevailed, though, and got it on the hook and cast into the pond.

Something took most of my bait within a couple of minutes. The excitement of that nibble quickly ebbed, though. We think the “fish” might actually have been a turtle.

After drowning a few more worms (and having no more nibbles), we decided that local lady was probably right: There aren’t any fish in these ponds. No wonder you don’t need a license!

Ah, well.

We’ll be home in a few days. Maybe we’ll finally do some fishing there.

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

Diamond Jim

March 1, 2012—Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, or so they say. Me? The only diamonds I have (and want) are those on my engagement and wedding rings. I’ve never been “into” jewelry. Nevertheless, the opportunity to dig for diamonds was too good to pass up.

Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park is dedicated to public diamond mining. The diamond-mining area is 37 1/2acres, which are plowed periodically to help bring the diamonds to the surface. The diamonds themselves were formed about 100 million years ago; they lie on the surface of an ancient volcanic crater.

Three colors of diamonds are found in the park: white, brown, and yellow, in that order. Along with diamonds rock hounds find semi-precious stones, such as lamproite, amethyst, banded agate, jasper, pendot, garnet, quartz, calcite, barite, and hematite.

The first diamonds were found by a local farmer who owned the land, which is near Mufreesboro, Ark. Although there were some commercial ventures to mine the gems, they were not profitable. The site became an Arkansas state park in 1972.

Driving to the park took about an hour down winding two-lane highways and through gorgeous scenery. (Every day more flowers appear.) We brought our own shovel and bucket, but we rented screens to sift the dirt.

There are three ways to find diamonds:

• Walking up and down the rows of plowed fields. If the field is newly plowed or if a heavy rain just occurred, this is apparently a good way to find them.
• Dry sifting. You can dig up areas, put the dirt into a sifter, and see what kinds of gems might be left behind.
• Wet sifting. In this method, you use two sifters (one finer than the other). You put dirt in the larger-meshed sifter and dissolve it in water. Then you put the remains in the smaller sifter, get rid of the rest of the dirt, and spread it out to dry. Once it is dry, you may find something valuable.

Jim opted for the wet sifting. I opted to walk up and down the plowed fields. I also sat on the ground and played in the dirt, breaking apart clumps to see if I could find anything.

I didn’t. At least, not any diamonds. I found some pretty agate, but that’s not really what I wanted.

Diamond Jim didn’t find anything either, at least at first blush. The park allows you to take home up to five gallons of dirt. We took home the washings. We’ll spread them out to dry thoroughly and then try to identify the pebbles.

A man and woman who are veteran rock hounds were helping novices like us use the equipment and identify the stones. The lady especially was good at this; she did not espy anything worthwhile in our cache. (Although her hunt didn’t turn up anything worthwhile, in the years she has gone to the park, she has found 11 diamonds.)

It’s a lot of work, mining diamonds. We would do it again, though. It was a lot of fun. However, I think I’ll keep writing to earn extra cash. I wouldn’t count on a mining venture to pay off.

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

There's Hope in Arkansas

February 29, 2012—A place called Hope is about 45 minutes from where we are staying. It is a small town whose main claim to fame is being the boyhood home of President Bill Clinton.

We toured Clinton’s first boyhood home, which was actually his grandparents’ house. It is a modest house across the street from the railroad tracks. His grandparents helped raise him while his mother, who was widowed when she was six months’ pregnant with the future president, went back to school to become a nurse anesthetist. (He grandmother was also a nurse.)

Bill Clinton's first boyhood home in Hope, Ark.

Clinton's second boyhood home in Hope.

The second house he lived in, after his mother remarried, was also modest. It is not open to the public.

Today we spent taking a driving tour of Texarkana, city that spans two states. The state line actually goes down the middle of the post office building. The chamber of commerce provides a CD that describes several highlights in the city. Trust me: It was not difficult to drive and park, to tour the various sites. Texarkana has a total population of about 60,000. The downtown is NOT bustling; it has boarded up storefronts like many other cities its size. So, parking was no problem.

Jim straddles two states--Arkansas and Texas.

Taking the tour was a pleasant diversion. We learned tidbits, such as: Did you know that Ross Perot was from Texarkana? He and his sister provided major funding to refurbish the local theater. We went into the box office and asked if we could see the theater. The lady provided us with a private (free) tour. The ceilings are pieces of artwork. The theater is beautiful.

Another tidbit: Did you know that Scott Joplin was from Texarkana? His compositions did not get much acclaim until the movie The Sting featured his rag music.

Mural of Scott Joplin

Ace of Spades house in Texarkana--an interesting old house 

Later this afternoon, we drove over the dam that forms a huge lake, Milwood Lake, which is adjacent to the RV park where we are staying. The countryside is absolutely beautiful. Trees are in bloom; so are early spring flowers. The countryside changes from flat farmland to rolling hills, all a brilliant green. We saw fields with donkeys, horses, cows, and sheep grazing lazily. Water, in creeks, rivers, and lakes, is abundant. This is not what I envisioned Texarkana to look like. It’s hard to believe that just a couple hundred miles to the west lakes are receding because of draught.

Would I want to live in this area of the country? Probably not. I’m not enamored with Texarkana, and although the countryside is beautiful, it is very rural—too rural for my taste. However, we are going to come back to Arkansas and spend more time in other parts of the state, including the Ozarks. From what we have read, it is a very economical place to retire, with a temperate climate, and it is sort of in the middle of the country, ideal as a central point for travel.

Tomorrow we intend to hunt for diamonds. Oh, yeah…Arkansas has a diamond field open to the public!

Until later,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

Green, green

February 27, 2012—Spring is springing up all over…in east Texas and Arkansas. The trees are budding; some are flowering. I even saw wild flowers blooming! And the grass is green. It is so refreshing after spending so much time in Arizona and New Mexico where brown is the going color. I missed my green!

I also missed humidity—not that I’m fond of the almost 100% humidity we have at home. But, it is nice not having to rub in medicated lotion after each hand washing. (I never have to use lotion at home.)

For the next five nights, we are staying at an RV resort outside of Texarkana, Arkansas. There are very few people here. And it is very secluded and serene, with woods surrounding it. We haven’t seen the deer that populated our last resort outside of San Antonio (herds of deer, almost tame!), but I’m sure there are critters around.

This resort looks to be pretty nice. We’ll explore more tomorrow, including checking out the onsite golf course. Golf? What’s that? It’s been so long since we’ve had a club in our hands that I think we might have forgotten how to hit the ball. We’ll see.

The resort is also close to Hope, Ark., home of Bill Clinton. We may go there, too.

I think this time will be spent mostly just relaxing—not a bad thing to do, since we’ve been so active the last several weeks.

More to come,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

Walking San Antonio

February 23, 2012—My feet hurt! Today we walked—a lot. Fortunately, San Antonio is pretty flat, so we didn’t have to struggle with altitude as we walked its streets to see its history up close.

It is an interesting city. One section, King Williams, was founded by Germans who successfully established and ran commercial businesses in the city in the 19^th century. The houses range from mansions to little gingerbread cottages. The architecture is not at all what you would expect in a southwestern state. We decided just to drive around this section of the city instead of hoofing it. We saved that for later.

Our first stop today was the Institute of Texan Cultures, where we had a pleasant surprise. Admission was free today because this afternoon naturalization of about 180 people from 50 different countries was to occur on the site. What a place to become a U.S. citizen! We were invited to stay for the celebration, but it did not fit our schedule. (Too much to see and do!)

Institute of Texan Cultures

The Institute is a museum celebrating the many cultures found in Texas—some of which I had never heard of. (Have you ever heard of the Wends? Me, neither. They were from Lusatia, an area in Germany comprising parts of Saxony and Prussia. They had their own language and fled Germany to Texas because of oppression.)

After touring the museum, we took the tour bus to an area of the city called Market Square, supposedly the oldest and largest market in the country. I doubt it. We were sorely disappointed. Aside from some restaurants, all we found were look-alike shops, most of which sold Mexican imports and Texan memorabilia. The market had two sections—the original and a “new” section built about 20 years ago. The new section was labeled “farmers’ market,” so we assumed we would find greens, fruits, vegetables, and perhaps even meats, in addition to home-baked goods, candies, etc. Nope. None of those things, just more of the same that we found in the “original” market.

We decided not to lunch in the overpriced restaurants that attract the tourists. Instead, we walked the sidewalks toward the downtown area, believing we would eventually come upon a “local” restaurant. We did. It was a small Mexican restaurant, run by Mexican Americans, and whose clientele was Mexican Americans. I ordered the cheese enchilada special—two cheese enchiladas, Mexican rice, refried beans, a bit of salad with guacamole, and iced tea. All of this for $4.75. It also came with homemade corn tortillas. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a tortilla that good! Our advice: Always look for hole-in-the-wall local restaurants. We’ve rarely been disappointed in the fare.

After lunch, we walked (and walked and walked) to another old section of the city called La Villita (little village). When the Alamo was under attack, Santa Ana was headquartered here. Today the buildings house artisan shops.

Finally we reached Hemisfair Park, the park site of the 1968 Hemisfair (world’s fair). A few buildings remain; none are open. As we walked through the park on the way to the Tower of the Americas (like the Seattle Space Needle), we spied a bicycle rack—not just an ordinary rack, though. In San Antonio it is possible to rent a bicycle for $10 for 24 hours. Using a credit card, you “purchase” your rental, ride to your destination, and park the bike in these special racks. When you are ready to go to your next destination, you merely take an available bike and keep doing this until your 24 hours are up (or you finally get to your destination). Interesting concept.

Our final destination of the day was to ride up to the observation deck of the Tower of the Americas. It is 750 feet high—as high as we went deep when we were at Carlsbad Caverns. The views were excellent.

It was a busy day. I like San Antonio; it reminds me, in a way, of modern-day Indianapolis, which has done similar things to its downtown area and its canals. San Antonio is the second-biggest city in Texas—much larger than I would prefer living in, but it is a nice, clean city that knows how to attract tourists and keep people in its downtown area. Jacksonville could learn from it.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we are going to the Johnson Ranch in the Hill Country.

Until later,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

Davey, Davey Crockett...

February 22, 2012—When I was about 10 or 11 years old, Davey Crockett (King of the Wild Frontier) was one of the top children’s TV programs. My brother John and I watched it religiously, and afterwards, in our play, we re-enacted the episodes. Yes, I admit, I was a tomboy, and as such, I had to have a coonskin cap. Johnny and I would put on those caps, take out of toy rifles, and set out to hunt Indians and trap bear. What fun! (Do kids do those things today? If they don’t they don’t know what they are missing.)

Today, we visited the Alamo, where Davey Crockett, Jim Bowie and 146 (or so) others sacrificed their lives in a battle in February 1836 against the Mexican leader Santa Ana. In their quest for independence, Texas volunteers captured the Alamo, one of five mission/forts in San Antonio area, from the Mexicans. Santa Ana was determined to recapture it and teach the Texans a lesson. He succeeded. No one survived the 13-day siege.

The Alamo

Although I lived in Texas for two years, I had never traveled the 90 miles or so from my house to San Antonio to see the Alamo. It had always been on my “to do” list. My friends told me, “The Alamo is nothing, but you’ll love the River Walk.” They were right.

What a disappointment the Alamo was! The section of the mission that survived the siege has been partially restored. Visitors can take photos of the outside of the building, but they are forbidden from taking any pictures inside the building! Another thing: Men are required to remove their hats. This is a big deal: Texans don’t remove their hats—ever! Not even in classrooms nor in restaurants. Jim forgot and was irked when an attendant reminded him.

The River Walk, the first in the nation to be created, was another story. My Texan friends were right: It was very nice. Lined with shops and overpriced restaurants the river winds throughout the city for a couple of miles. (The city is extending the walking trail.) As part of a tour package we purchased, we took a 30-minute narrated boat ride along the River Walk and learned the history of the various buildings and of the River Walk itself.

 

The tour package also included an IMAX movie on the fight for the Alamo, and a hop-on/hop off two-day tour of the city. We took the 60 minute narrated bus tour; tomorrow we are going back to visit some of the places on the tour, such as two of the remaining missions and a section of the city founded by Germans.

Speaking of Germans…over the years, a large number of Germans immigrated to Texas. The names of several towns bear witness to this—for example, Boerne and Fredericksburg. We passed through Boerne to reach our RV campsite, and yesterday we visited Fredericksburg.

We both loved Fredericksburg. It is a town of about 25,000 that has learned how to survive the influx of big box stores by capitalizing on its heritage. The downtown was filled with tourists who shopped in German-themed stores and ate in German-themed restaurants. This town was friendly, clean, and vibrant. It is located in the middle of the Texas Hill Country (absolutely gorgeous scenery). I could easily live there.

Fredericksburg is also home to the National Museum of the Pacific War, which we visited. It is a memorial to those who fought in the South Pacific, where my father fought. The museum comprises three locations: The first is in the Admiral Nimitz Museum, located in the hotel the Nimitz family owned and describes Admiral Nimitz’ life. (He was in charge of the Pacific naval theater.) The second location is in the Museum of the Pacific War. It is a typical museum, with interactive exhibits describing all facets of the Pacific war.

The third location lies a couple of blocks away from the other two. At this site, part of the Museum of the Pacific War, a guide takes visitors through a building that houses artifacts, including a real PT boat (the kind that John Kennedy commanded).

PT boat

As a Navy veteran, Jim really enjoyed the Nimitz museums.

Me? I’m not “into” war museums very much. I enjoy natural things, such as the Sonora Caverns, which we visited the day before. We had time, so when we saw the signs for Sonora Caverns we decided to stop. These caves, privately owned and operated, are living caves, as opposed to Carlsbad Caverns, which are “dead.” The formations were much more beautiful and reminded me of the Squire Boone Caverns in southern Indiana.

We’ve been busy! And we’re having a great time—so much that we decided to stay here a couple extra days. This RV park, part of our Thousand Trails membership, is on a lake (which, unfortunately has suffered from the prolonged Texas drought) and in a woods. Although we are disappointed in the lack of amenities (no cable, WIFI only in the club house, pool table and mini-golf course in less-than-pristine shape), it is located in the heart of the Hill Country, and that makes up for a lot.

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

A really BIG hole in the ground

February 19, 2012—If you want to see a really, really big hole in the ground—750 feet beneath the surface—visit Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.

We were among the first visitors to the caves this morning. To get there, you have to traverse a mountain; the caves are at an altitude of about 4,400 fit—not as high as we have been in the last couple of days, but high enough. (I don’t like driving on mountain roads.)

Once at the caves you have two choices: to enter through the natural entrance, which requires a downhill walk of about a mile or more, or the elevator, which takes you down 754 feet in a matter of about one minute. We opted for the elevator.

A number of tours are available. Most people (we included) opt for the self-guided tour of the big room. It takes about one and one-half hours to go about the mile and a half circle. The path is easy to walk and is even wheel-chair accessible in most areas. There are some areas, however, that require climbing an incline. Fortunately, occasional benches are provided for resting.

For size, the caverns cannot be matched. For formations, I rate Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and Squire Boone Caves in southern Indiana much higher. The difference, I believe, is caused by how they were formed, with the caves in Kentucky and Indiana basically being formed by water seeping through the soil, just as sink holes are formed. (Sink holes are essentially caves without a roof.)

 

Although the formations were not as glorious as in other caves, it was well worth the time to take the tour.

I’ve included a number of pictures that do not do the caves justice. It is very difficult to take good photos in a dark environment.

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda