Our winter trip for 2016/17

Although most of our blog followers know that we did considerable travelling during the calendar year  2016 a sort preamble of how we ended up in Texas might be of interest.


From Jan to early April we spent most of the 2016 winter in Yuma and other areas of AZ. Then in June  8th I had a hernia operation which cut my Ball season short so we travelled to BC, mostly to Vancouver Island where we spent 6 years , in the late 80's, on our posting to Comox BC, hence we have many friends in around the area. This trip chewed up about another two weeks of travel.


Also in July our son, wife and 4 Kids ( 13, 9 and the twins 7 ) planned a trip Eastward across Canada using our 40 ft MH for the month of July and August. Their destination was NFLD and back home by the end of August. I said; Not a chance but give it a shot.  I then told Carroll to be prepared for a phone call, text or an email around the end of August for us to fly to the Maritimes to pick up our MH.


On the 23 or 24 of August we got the call , suggesting that if we weren't busy would we like to fly to the Maritimes and pick up the MH and possible visit our friends in the Maritimes and NFLD.
Our son decided that driving from NS to Okotoks by the end of August was a bit of a stretch and they had to be back to work in Sept 1.  So on the 29 th we flew to NS to retrieve the MH. We spent 56 days travelling throughout Maritimes, then 10 days in NFLD and returning home thru Ontario where we spent two weeks visiting with our "Outlaws and In-Laws ". This trip took another 56 days.
 
So when you do the Math we were away from home or on the road for 180 days in  the calendar year 2016. 


Needless to say we were a little road worthy and even suggested the we might spend the 2017 winter at home. In fact by the end of Nov we did not have any real plans to travel anywhere. When we mentioned it to our boys they both said: Yea, 1 frigging snow fake in Dec and you guys will like you where shot from a cannon.


Nov had  beautiful weather so maybe winter would pass us by and if this is winter we kind of like it.  Then in Dec the temp drop below zero ( way below zero ) and the snow came and I had to shove snow. I said to Carroll;  lets get on the GD computer and find a place without snow and some warm weather.


It did not take long to find an RV resort in Weslaco, TX , 7 miles from the MX border. The weather is usually in the mid 70's. The accommodation was a large semi-mobile home for 1400.00 a month. Bingo; that is our home for Jan to March. On 30 Dec we are GONE!


30 Dec 16
We left home around 7 AM and took the back way on Hwy 41 thru Elkwater and crossing into the US at Wild Horse. The US Customs was fairly casual and they  bide us a good winter in TX. Our next stop was Harve , 1 hour south of the border where we filled up with "cheaper " gas than the Canadian version. We had clear sailing to Billings, MT although I dropped the speed to 100 KMH when there was  snow on the road.


As we left Billings, MT around 1 PM , it  was beginning  to snow but he had planned to stop in Sheridan, WY, ( 2 hours from Billings )and if it was still daylight we would carry on to Buffalo, WY . However it started to snow quite heavy and when we got to Sheridan at 4:30 the road were snow covered and the traffic had slowed to about 80 KMH. We said this is enough for us so we headed to the nearest motel with a hot tub and wifi.


We chose a Super 8 ( it won't happen again ). I negotiated a 15.00 discount because I laid the Veteran "card" on him and then I ask for a King bed which he agreed to as they were not full. They did have a Continental Breakfast ; if you are happy with rotten coffee and day old muffins. Otherwise the room was great, the TV worked, they had WiFi, and the hot tub was inviting. Cheers