Tag: Craft Brewery Page 1 of 3

Craft breweries we’ve visited.

Slowing Down

On 1st April 2023

In Campgrounds, Texas 2023

If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.
Mary Engelbreit

Our last night in Tennessee was at Roan Mountain State Park. From here we headed towards the Blue Ridge Parkway. This National Parkway, is noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is 469 miles, is the longest linear park in the US. From the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, through Virginia to the Shenandoah National Park Skyline drive. The Parkway follows the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Some call it “America’s favorite drive”. The Parkway experience is a slow-paced and relaxing drive on the ridge of the of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Speed Limit is 35 miles/hour (55 km/hour) and we averaged 25m/h (40km/hr). It was time to take a step back and slow down for a few days.

We picked up the parkway around mile marker 308, the Lineville area. Most of the tourist areas were closed, however the views along the parkway were breathtaking and vast. You can definitely see how the Blue Ridge got its’ name as the blue haze hung over the mountains.

Along the way at mile marker 200 we stopped for two nights and stayed at Fancy Gap KOA in Fancy Gap, Virginia. (Hot showers and WIFI!) When exploring the very small community I found the most amazing bakery and café. I finally found a BROWNIE!! Man, oh man it was good 😊.

At mile marker 176 we stopped at the Mabry Mill. Interesting fact that this mill is one of the most photographed mills in the US. Apparently, some other states have claimed this picture as theirs.

At mile marker 115 we stopped and stayed at the Explore Park in Roanoke, Virginia. Here we found the Twin Creek Brew Pub, our 31^st craft Brewery of the trip. The one thing that we have noticed at a lot of the breweries here in the US is that they are using a Canadian Malt in their brew. I knew there is a reason I liked the beer here!

Now to continue with the everything is deep fried down here theme we tried the deep-fried mushrooms. Not something that needs to be tried again, if you get my drift.

Finally, mile marker 0, the most northern end/start of the Blue Ridge Parkway, followed by the most southerly end of the Shenandoah Skyline Drive. At least this time the 105 miles of the Shenandoah drive was open.

So, some math for you 308 + 105= 413 / 25 miles/hour = 16.5 hours, we took four days to drive it. Like I said; time to slow down a little, and enjoy the drive.

There is 64…..

On 29th March 2023

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
Carl Sagan

We only have 10 days left, as our goal is to be in Canada for Easter. From Nashville to Ottawa is 1600 km or 1000 miles; approximately 20 hours of driving left.

Believe it or not after 88 days on the road we still have some adventure left in us. There are a few more places I want to see before we go home. Now, one thing we have wanted to do is stop at a Buc-ees.

What is a Buc-ees you ask? Well, it is a gas station and country store on steroids. Buc-ees is an EXPEIRENCE! We lucked out today as there was one off the I40 at Crossville, TN. Not sure if its the biggest one, but one thing for sure it was BIG! It had Texas BBQ, smoked meat and brisket take-out; all in the centre of the store. A gift store, a bakery, a beef jerky section with at least 10 different kinds of beef jerky. Fudge and convection store, convenience store, sporting goods, clothing and fuel.

Did I mention that there were 64 pumps. Yes, I said 64. 4 individual rows of 16 pumps, and most of them were full. We spent over an hour shopping and trying different samples of food. It was so much fun.

I am not sure if it is sad that we enjoyed this stop at a gas station so much or inspiring that we still manage to find adventure in all that we do.

We stopped for a night on the outskirts of Knoxville TN. At a craft brewery “The Crafty Bastard” another Harvest Host. This one had to be my favorite as there were 4 other RV’s there to spend the night also. We all sat together; enjoyed a beer, had supper, and exchanged stories of our travels. Imagine sitting at a table with people from Alaska, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. None of us had met before, the only thing in common was travelling however, the conversations flowed effortlessly.

Killing Time

On 24th March 2023

In Campgrounds, Texas 2023

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.
Michael Altshuler

One of the most common questions I get is “What do you do when Steve is working?” Well, I definitely learned ways to kill time. One of my favorites is walking around and meeting people; whether it is in a campground, city or a town. I definitely manage to get my steps in. I learn a lot of trivia and I also meet some amazing people.

Today our stop is Memphis, Tennessee. Home of Rock and Roll; Rhythm and Blues; Elvis Presley and BB King to mention only a few of the musicians who recorded records here. Of course Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion being one of the most popular attractions to see. Our original plan was to stop at the Bass Pro Shop because they have WIFI and Steve could have his meeting. Well, that did not work out as it was directly under an overpass!

However, there was a tourist information center about half a mile away so after talking to Vivian, I got permission for him to stay in the parking lot past the allotted time restraints. I know that being pleasant and helpful is part of their jobs at tourist information centres but I have to say that Vivian and, I believe Marcie, were beyond helpful. They were definitely brilliant at their jobs. Now, on the list of things they suggested was to visit the Pyramid.

The Pyramid is 321 Feet tall (98m, about 32 stories) and the base sides are 591 feet. It measures to be the sixth largest pyramid in the world! It is even taller than the Statue of Liberty. Apparently, Memphis was looking for a landmark that would set them apart. It was supposed to rival the Statue of Liberty, and the St. Louis Arch. It is the cities most unique landmark. Built in 1991, it originally was used for entertainment events, including home of the NBA Grizzles for a few years (2001-2004), before it became the worlds largest Bass Pro Shop in 2015.

Inside this Bass Pro was amazing; I mean amazing! It was more than a store, it was an adventure. It houses America’s tallest free-standing elevator (28 stories). At the top there is an observation deck; which allows its spectators a 360 view of Memphis and the Mississippi river. Unfortunately for me because of weather the deck was closed. The restaurant that is up there was open, however it was full. This is all good as I have an extreme fear of heights 😊. It also includes a 103-room hotel with treehouse cabins, three different restaurants. Not to mention the cypress swamp with its alligator pools and duck aviaries. It contains 600,000 gallons of water teeming with over 1,800 fish and even some ducks, but no alligators. See, killing time is easy, and so much fun sometimes!

We did explore a little bit of Memphis together as we checked out Beale Street, ate at Sugar Grits Café, tried a moon pie which is on the list of things to eat in Tennessee. (Don’t have to have another one 😊)

We also found Ghost River Brewing and managed to survive the night at T.O. Fuller State Park during the storm. What a relief it was not to hear the air raid sirens during the night. Apparently, the tornado hit down just 2 hours south of us. Thank you lord, for keeping us safe.

The Oval Office

On 23rd March 2023

Travel makes you realize that no matter how much you know, there’s always more to learn.
Nyssa P Chopra

I have never been one for politics, especially American politics. And I definitely don’t talk politics while travelling. However, after seeing a PBS show on the William J. Clinton Presidential Centre and Park, I thought it might be interesting to check it out when we were driving through Little Rock, Arkansas.

Apparently, some of the past presidents have created a presidential library’s that are open to the pubic. One of the reasons I wanted to see this one is that apparently there is a full-scale exact replica of the Oval Office and furnishings as they appeared during Clinton’s administration. After seeing so many movies with the Oval Office in it, I thought why not?? It even had a replica of the Cabinet Room too. On display were many of the gifts that were given to the Clintons from other heads of state. There were a lot of impressive items here.

It took us over three hours to see the whole museum including the exhibit for women. I thought it was extremely well done and yes, it showed both the positive and negative things that happened during his 8 years in office. Not that I would go out of my way to see them but it might be interesting to see some of the other presidential libraries around the US.

After a beer at our 25^th craft brewery (Lost Forty) we found ourselves a sweet treat at Kilwins’ Chocolate and Ice C ream store in downtown Little Rock. This is my first Kilwins’ chocolate store. Apparently, it is a franchise with over 150 stores in 26 different states. Who knew? I am not sure how I missed them before now, but it was definitely a great treat. What’s not to like about a company with values such as “treat others as you want to be treated”. Let me tell you the staff was phenomenal. Their tag line “Sweet in every sense since 1947.” Is so true; the product, the flavour, the aroma of chocolate and the staff were oh, so sweet.

Chocolate Gravy and Possum Pie

On 20th March 2023

We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.
Katie Thurmes

Arkansas was never on our Roadtrippers plan for this trip. So, I had no pre- plans or ideas of what to expect or what to do and eat. When I did my brief research on what to eat in Arkansas, I found an article on what one should try while in the state; duck gumbo, cheese dip, Grapette soda, muscadines (type of grapes), deep-fried pickles, smoked meat, BBQ, tamales, watermelon, chocolate gravy, possum pie and last but not least the water from the hot springs.

As for the deep-fried Pickles, every state says that they created them, so not on my must try list. Now, the watermelon and muscadines were out of season. I tried very hard to find the chocolate gravy; which apparently is a chocolate type sauce made with flour and used as a breakfast treat on pancakes and such. I Also had no luck finding possum pie which apparently is like a chocolate mouse type pie dessert. I believe it is similar to the Mississippi mud pie. The one thing I could find is the water from the Hot Springs, found in the Hot Springs National Park…

Since the early 1800’s, these Hot Springs have been used by people seeking out the healing powers and properties of the springs. Known by some as the place “where crutches are thrown away”. In 1832 the US congress declared the Hot Springs in Arkansas as a protected area to ensure that everyone could have access to the health and healing benefits of the hot springs. By the 1900’s the Hot Springs was among the most visited health and wellness resort areas in the US. It wasn’t until 1921 it became a national park.

Unlike our Canadian Hot Springs in Banff, here they developed and built huge bath houses with individual bath tubs and stalls. There is only one such bath house in operation today. Now, I did not come here to have a bath, I came here to drink the spring water. There were a few areas that people could go and fill there bottles from the taps. The water from the tap was hot enough to make tea. The best part is that it was free! I am not a huge fan of hot drinks; so how was one to enjoy this hot spring water cold.

Of course, Superior Bathhouse Brewery. It is the only brewery in a national park and is the world’s first brewery to utilize thermal spring water as the main ingredient. Best of all it is served cold! Now I was tempted to try the beer bath; which is 18 x 4-ounce samples of their beer, which is equivalent to 4 pints. However, after that much beer I would be extremely wobbly on my feet and I did not want to be the one who needed to find those thrown away crutches because I was too drunk to walk.

March Madness

On 19th March 2023

In Campgrounds, Texas 2023

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.
Samuel Johnson

I think I have mentioned that there were very few places we booked ahead of time. In general, it has worked out extremely well for us. We were hoping to be able to stay in Hot Springs National Park for a couple of nights, however there was no room at the park. But we did find a couple of nights at the Degray Lake Resort State Park. This is officially our first stay in an Arkansas Park. This park was located in the Ouachita Mountains (more like rolling hills😊) All the sites had shade and were nestled in the tall pines. It was a fabulous park.

Our first stop on our way to the park was Slate Rock Brewing in Amity, Arkansas. Our first Arkansas craft beer came with some great entertainment. The atmosphere here was exciting with the talk about the upcoming Razorback game. I loved being emersed in the middle of this. I wish we could have stayed here for the game as it looked like such a fun spot.

Now I don’t know if any of you follow basketball but it was March Madness time. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament; second round. The 8^th ranked Arkansas Razorbacks were playing the number one seed Kansas. Now I don’t watch basketball, especially college ball, but what a fun experience to be in the state today.

The normally quiet campground was a buzz with campers watching the game. We didn’t need to have the game on to know what was happening. Before you knew it, I was checking the scores and following the game. The Razorbacks were behind by 8 at half time when I checked, so I decided not to watch it.

As the cheers started flowing through the campground in the second half I had to keep checking to score. As the Razorbacks mounted a great comeback, I found myself pacing the campsite. Really what madness is this?

And I want to know how long it actually took to watch the last three seconds of the game. As I was biting my nails a huge cheer filled the campground. I knew at that time that the Razorbacks had upset Kanas 😊.

As you can see by the pictures, we finally got a chance to try horseback riding. The price was right, and there was no time like the present to give it a try. I truly think horses are absolutely beautiful animals. However, I have always had a fear of riding them. It took Steve a little bit of persuading, but I gave it a try. I think when I go back home, I might have to take some lessons.

Umm, maybe this March Madness is more than basketball.

Duck Fries and Deep Fried…

On 17th March 2023

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter.
Izaak Walton

We officially leave Texas today and cross the state line into Arkansas. There is a little town right on the border called Texarkana. I mean literally on the border. The state line goes right down the middle of town. The iconic courthouse and post office building straddles the state line. Half of the building is in Texas and the other half in Arkansas. As is Stateline Avenue which runs through town and has half of the businesses in one state and the other half in the other state.

I know this did not seem like much but it sure made for some fun videos and pictures. We did manage to find a brewery on the Texas side, Pecan Point Brewery. Here we enjoyed our last Texas craft beer and a plate of duck fries. (Potatoes fried in duck fat – interesting flavour!)

Our first stop in Arkansas (okay the second) is the Coulter Farmstead in Washington, Arkansas. While driving through the town we found a Jonquil Festival held in Historic Washington State Park. What is a Jonquil you ask; well, it is a small yellow flower from the daffodil family. Looks exactly like a daffodil only a lot smaller. The small county fair was a lot of fun with food trucks, various venders, and live music. The other bonus is that we had a chance to explore the historic park that offers insight into nineteenth century living and the Civil War.

Unfortunately for us the 1832 Williams Tavern had closed for the day. Not all is lost, as there were carnival vendors & food trucks. Did you know they deep fry almost everything in the south? I mean everything. After some convincing from the locals, we tried deep-fried Oreos. Have to say they were like a stuffed donut; they were actually not bad.

The Coulter Farmstead (1861) and Wolff Mercantile (1871), is located on the edge of the state park. The site offered beautiful renovated historic cabins as bed and breakfast type lodging. For us in the RV it offered electric hook up and access to the grounds. It was a treat to meet and feed the goats and Theodore their miniature highland type cow.

The shopping at the Wolff Mercantile was a unique experience. To top it off, the owners, Justice and Katie, were an absolutely lovely couple. I think they are the friendliest people we have meet so far this trip. This peaceful and beautiful spot was the perfect place to spend the night. I would have to say that this hidden gem is definitely a place I could come back too.

What do Oil, Chili and Fruitcake have in common?

On 15th March 2023

In Campgrounds, Texas 2023

Don’t count the days, make the days count.
Mohammad Ali

Day 74 of our journey; it is truly the beginning of our drive “north” to home. From Waco we are heading diagonally to the most northeast point in Texas. We decided to break up the 6 hours of driving with a few stops.

Do you pay attention to the bill boards on the side of the road that are advertising businesses? Well, for whatever reason today was the day we paid attention. There must have been at least 10 billboard signs telling us to stop at the historic Collin Street Bakery. Even though it was not on our direct route we did find ourselves taking the quick detour to Corsicana Texas, to check out the bakery.

Stop 1: What we learned along the way today is that Corsicana, Texas with a population of 25,000 is known as being one of the first oil discoveries west of the Mississippi. In 1894, while drilling for water, they struck oil. It then become Texas’s first oil boom town. It is also known for being home of the original Wolf Brand Chili. The recipe was developed in 1895 and sold in Corsicana during the oil boom. Till this date 128 years later they are still using the original recipe. No, I did not try the canned chili!

Now, to the reason for our stop; the bakery. Opened in 1896, this 127-year-old family-owned and operated bakery is home to the world famous, one of a kind, Deluxe Fruitcake. Really? Apparently, world famous, who knew? The company must be doing well as there is a news report about how one of their employees embezzled 17 million over 9 years. Imagine $17 million, selling fruit cakes. (That’s a lot of cakes) I am not a fan of fruitcake, however all their other baked goods looked amazing! 😊

So, to answer the question above, Oil, Chili and Fruitcake all started out in Corsicana Texas!

Stop 2: As we have mentioned before one of the biggest challenges, we have had on this trip is to find WIFI. Our campground for tonight Lake Tawakoni State Park (our last Texas state Park.). It did not have any, this meant we had to stop along the way for Steve’s meeting. A quick stop in a little town called Wills Point, served this purpose. A Very small town!

Stop 3 of this drive, we decided to stop in the town of Pittsburgh, Texas that is. What a quaint little town. We checked out the feed and seed shop which was actually had the Anvil Brewery in the back (of course it did 😊).

Final Stop, Wright Patman Lake. This Corps of Engineers campground was our home for the last two nights in Texas. ☹. This park was absolutely gorgeous; the flowers were in bloom and the sunset on the lake was lovely. Bonus – they had WIFI!

Magnolia

On 13th March 2023

Everyone has a story worth telling.
Joanna Gaines

Have you ever seen the show Fixer Upper? I am sure you have heard about Chip and Joanna Gaines and the Magnolia brand. After seeing a show on the Magnolia Silo project, I was definitely curious to check out Waco, Texas.

Our first stop was the Waco Mammoth National Monument located just outside of the city. Here they found bones for a group of female Columbian Mammoths and their young. Apparently one of the largest groupings of fossils found together. Interestingly enough we did not think the mammoths ranged so far south. This site is co-managed through the National Park Service, Baylor University and the city of Waco. It was quite interesting from an archeological standpoint and well worth the price of admission.

However, the main attraction for me was the Silos which are located in downtown Waco. There is a small brick building on the corner of the property; now the bakery. Apparently, this was a flower shop where Chip used to buy Joanna flowers when they were dating. Joanna always wanted to purchase this building and turn it into her office. When it came up for sale the Silos were also included in the price. It amazes me what they created out of these rundown abandoned silos. Their investment has helped rejuvenate some of the downtown area. They have created an incredible family friendly space for kids to play and people to eat, shop or just relax.

We decided to try some of Joanna’s baked goods at the Silos Baking Co. I am not sure if it is this busy all the time or if it is so busy because of spring break. It was definitely worth the wait though. Other than the wait I was really impressed with the quality, quantity and price of the treats as they were comparable to any specialty coffee shop.

In exploring Waco, I managed to find a chocolate shop that was open today “Splendid Oaks Chocolate” Lovely little spot 😊 and in true Jo and Steve fashion we did find a couple of breweries to check out. We had lunch and a beer at Southern Roots Brewing; ranch dip with pizza who knew? Met a couple of fellow RVers from California at Bare Arms Brewing, Nancy & Charlie, who are planning a trip to Nova Scotia for the fall of this year. We hope to meet up with them while they are here.

Did you know that Waco is the home of Dr. Pepper. This sweet cherry & caramel flavoured soda drink was created by a pharmacist named Charles Alderton in 1885. Apparently it predated Coca-Cola by a year. I really wanted to go to the museum, however the line up for tickets was over 30 minutes long as was the line up to get a soda. So, walking around the outside would have to do. I so wanted to try a Dr. Pepper though. I did learn that the numbers 10, 2 and 4 on the label refer to times in the day that our blood sugars may drop…..you guessed it, time for a Dr. pepper to perk you up!

We also finally found a Rudy’s BBQ on this stop. Steve has talked about finding a Rudy’s BBQ for the last 73 days! Now according to Steve, this is Texas Best BBQ. According to me it is another meal I don’t have to cook!

Do You Believe?

On 4th March 2023

In Places We've Been, Texas 2023

The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.
Gustave Flaubert

Another thing on Steve’s bucket list was to visit Roswell, located in southeastern N.M. This is the site of the famous intergalactic event known as the Roswell Incident. I am so glad to say this definitely met his expectations. Whether you believe in UFO’s or not it is definitely a place to go.

We got coffee from the McDonald’s that was shaped like a space ship. We enjoyed walking around town and seeing all the alien paraphernalia and of course taking many pictures 😊. However, the highlight of the day was visiting the International UFO Museum & R esearch Center. It was fascinating to learn facts about the mysterious crash of 1947. It even showcased other extraterrestrial events from different times and from all over the world. All in all, well worth the price of admission. I am not sure but it may have made a believer out of me!

Our time in New Mexico is almost over. It saddens me, as I really enjoyed this state. I feel there is so much more to see and do and eat. Did you know that apparently it is the only place in the world can you get a green chili burger (using Hatch Chilis) at a McDonald’s? Well, according to the bill boards it’s the only place. Not that we stop at McDonald’s very often but just saying…

Our next stop was in a little town called Portales. Here we found another brewery, if course. Now I know we have stopped at a lot of breweries on this trip. However, what you may not know is that they have some of the best food we have enjoyed. Today is no different and while the beer at the Roosevelt Brew i n g C o m p a n y was excellent, the food was even better. I tried their green chili burger (with chilis from Hatch NM of course). This was hands down the best burger I have ever had and I did not have to go to McDonald’s 😊

On a Whim

On 3rd March 2023

So much of who we are is where we have been.
William Langewiesche

One thing I love about New Mexico is that all the small businesses help to support each other. So, on the advice & recommendation from Tularosa Winery (last nights Harvest Host) We decided to check out McGinn’s Pistachioland, in Alamogordo N.M., home of the world’s largest Pistachio. It is over 30 feet tall, used over 5 yards of concrete in the making and it took 35 gallons of paint to paint it 😊. It as definitely a tourist thing to do.

Here we learned about the pistachio farming business which we found has a few similarities to pecan farming. However, a couple of interesting facts. Pistachios are not native to America as they come from Central Asia and Iran. The trees planted here are grafted with I believe a mesquite tree. This enables them to survive the climates here. There are actually male and female trees. (So, you need both to grow pistachios). Lastly the red dye used on imported nuts was used to cover the blemishes on them. So, pistachios coming from USA will not have the dye. We sampled pistachios roasted, toasted, candied, seasoned, sugar coated and cocoa coated. We tried them in a brittle and a bark. (For the record no comparison to my Almond bark) They even made a wine that used pistachio; not a combo that I would try again, but heck don’t listen to me I am not a wine connoisseur. 😊

Further up he road, on a whim we stopped at a historical marker along the route. It happened to be about Billy the Kid. We figured since we have been tracking some of his moves through N.M. why not head off our path to the historical town called Lincoln, NM to check out what he did here.

In 1869, just four years after the civil war, the town and the county changed its name for the late president Abraham Lincoln. Some of its historical relevance surrounds the participation of William H Bonnie (Billy the Kid) in the old west conflict in this area. They have tried to keep the town as a historical monument and a living museum with some of the buildings being the original structures that were around during this period.

Apparently, Billy was captured here and held in the Lincoln County Courthouse awaiting his execution. However, on April 28, 1881, Billy made his famous escape, shooting Deputy J.W. Bell on the interior staircase and Deputy Bob Olinger from the northeast window of the second floor. Now you explain to me how a prisoner got a gun! While taking the walking tour through the town, in true Jo and Steve fashion we found a brewery in one of the historical buildings. The Bonita Valley Brewing Company, with dualling pistols in the logo. The owner is a historian and we learned more about this area and Billy the Kid. It pays sometimes to simply take that turn in the road!

A Town Too Tough To Die

On 26th February 2023

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
Thomas Jefferson

One last stop in Arizona that has been highly recommended by a lot of fellow travelers is Bisbee. The bonus to this idea is that we have to drive through Tombstone. Now, Tombstone was not on our radar this trip as we were there 20 years ago however, rumor has it that there is a brewery there. (Of course, I knew that as we drank their beer during the Superbowl party!)

Legendary Tombstone Arizona; where history really happened! Known as the town too tough to die. We were on the same streets that Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday walked over 140 years ago. We watched the actors dressed in period clothes interact with each other on the street. Unfortunately, we missed the gunfight show at the O.K. Corral and decided not to take the historic stagecoach ride through the town.

The beer at the Tombstone Brewing Company, was really good. However, I have to admit I really wanted the metal sign for Steve’s garage but at 40$ each, a picture would have to do. After a few beers we headed down Main Street to Big Nose Kate’s S aloon; where they still wear period costumes from the 1800’s. Gosh, it must be hard to breathe in those corsets! We were here 20 years ago with the kids. We actually have a picture of me sitting on a piano wearing a red boa. Believe it or not they still have the same piano and the painting of a naked lady that was there 20 years ago. Difference is I am not getting on top of this piano to repeat that photo op!

We have driven through a lot of old towns on this trip that have been abandoned. It was so nice to see that they have kept the old historic town alive. Just like the painting and piano, there has not been much change to the town in over 20 years, heck 100 years, but hey that is its’ charm. It is definitely a town that refuses to die.

Old Bisbee, the mile high city, is set amid the Mule Mountains. It is an old copper mining town, known for its large staircases that were originally ladders in the 1800’s and were used to get the miners from the bottom of the mine to their homes in the mountains. We only took one staircase of 186 steps; as it was on the way to the Old Bisbee Brewing Company 😊.

We did check out some of their Artisans shops, and tried a few local treats at the Bisbee Coffee Company café. We found the old town had a European feel as the houses were nestled in the rocks and the downtown streets were very twisty, curvy, full of turns and extremely narrow. They actually had a few cobblestone streets. Our originally plan was to stay the night here, but I really wanted to head to New Mexico so, off we went on the historic route 80 to Rodeo, New Mexico.

The Turn Around Point

On 24th February 2023

Always concentrate on how far you have come, rather than how far you have left to go. The difference in how easy it seems will amaze you.
Heidi Johnsen

We have officially hit our turn around point and it is time to head east 😢.

So, we are heading to Quartzsite, Arizona; this has always been on Steve’s bucket list. This area is extremely well known in the RV world for their RV rallies but we were there a month after the big event. We did drive through it, and decided not to stay. It was sad for me that this was such a disappointment for Steve.

After a brief stay in Bouse, Arizona, (45 minutes from Quartzite) we took a side trip to Lake Havasu City. This little day trip was another suggestion by our new California friends. The lure of the city is London Bridge. Yes, I said the London Bridge. This original London Bridge was completed in London England in 1831. It was then sold by the City of London in April 1968. For a price tag of $2.46 million at that time. It was purchased by Robert P McCulloch, who founded Lake Havasu, and wanted the bridge to attract tourists to the area. To see this area today he definitely managed to attract tourists here!

It was definitely a lot of fun being a “Tourist” and walk the London bridge. So, in good British style we stopped at a local pub for a beer. The Barley Bros. Restaurant and Brewery. Nice beers and we really enjoyed their tostado nachos!

After leaving Lake Havasu City we drove through another absolutely gorgeous range of mountains. The one thing that still amazes me today is the amount of mountains down here. I do not know why I ever thought Arizona was flat!

Our final stop for the night was in Morristown, on the west side of Phoenix at another Harvest Host; Dillion’s Western Trails Ranch & BBQ. Here we were fully immersed in the Cowboy culture; hat’s boots and spurs. We also got to see a rodeo roping completion. For the record I am not a fan of the stress put on the small bulls but to be immersed in the middle of this culture was mind boggling. The good food (Kanas Style BBQ) and live music was another bonus. I tried their “Big Mac” – who knew that macaroni and cheese on top of a char broiled burger would be so good.

It’s a Date

On 18th February 2023

I like to challenge myself and I like to try new things.
Jessica Lucas

For anyone of you who know me, you know I love to bake and create flavour combinations with CHOCOLATE. So, one day I found a recipe that combined chocolate, spices and dates. I found an Anna Olson’s cooking video that made a chocolate spiced date cake, that used Medjool dates from Yuma. After watching the video and making the cake I so wanted to go to a date farm in Yuma.

Originally, we did not think we would travel this far west. However, in the continuous search for warm weather we eventually made it here.

Our time in Yuma was pleasant and warm. In looking for a Saturday farmers market we came across this massive outdoor market. It was as big as shopping mall, but under tents! There must have been over 100 vendors, food, electronics, appliances and even had a quilting shop. It was interesting to see what some people try to sell.

Now to the best part…Martha’s Gardens Date Farm. Unfortunately, there were no tours on Saturday, however the knowledgeable staff and a movie taught us all about date farming. We even had a chance to see and feel a seed pod that they opened for us. It was amazing the amount of water each plant needed and that it takes almost eight years before they produce enough dates to harvest.

Everything here at Martha’s was done by hand. (Planting, pruning, harvesting, sorting, and packaging.) They even collect the pollen from one plant and pollenate the other by hand with a drip bottle. They were not leaving anything to chance. Now, apparently it is the home of the world’s best date shake…. Yep, I agree! However, I have only ever had this one.

So, for those that know Steve, he’s always on the lookout for deals. They had 5 kg (11 lb) boxes of dates for $35. That was a deal he just couldn’t pass up! Needless to say we now have a freezer full of dates as we are slowly eating our way through them…

We next checked out the downtown Yuma; here we learned a little bit about their history and local prisons. We did not go to the historic Prison State Park, but did check out the Prison Hill Brewery. (Advice from our California friends). Steve had the highly recommended “What’s Your Poblano Man Burger (very spicy!).

Our last night here was at Garden Oasis RV Park. Not the type of park we usually look for as it was mostly seasonal residents. However, it had a place for us and a POOL! It was truly a little oasis.

Advice from the Locals

On 11th February 2023

Adventures are the best way to learn.
Anonymous

So, on advice of a local (Terry), we changed our planned route and checked out the city of Las Cruces (population 109,934) second largest city in New Mexico..

On our way to the city we noticed the highways were lined with these perfectly spaced trees (30-50 feet apart) making for beautiful unique views. We learned later today that these were Pecan Trees for which the area is quite well known!

We also checked out their very large Saturday morning Farmers Market. (180 Venders). It was here that we learned about Pecan farming from Kristen of Worthington Pecan Farms. Pecans are apparently the only native nut to America. It was fascinating to learn that New Mexico is one of the top three producers of Pecans in the world. Also, that this county (Dona Ana) is the number one producer in New Mexico.

She informed us on how they are harvested as they literally shake the trees to knock the pecans off, then they gather and separate them. Also unique to pecan farming is that there really is no you “have” to harvest by a certain date. Which she stated takes a lot of pressure off. We tried pecans roasted, toasted, spiced, baked in cookies, made into jam, pressed into oil and my favorite; ground into chocolate. A big thank you to Kristen.

Now, every trip to a farmers market isn’t complete until you visit a food truck. Today we tried Barbacoa Tortas and Burritos. (Mexican Pulled Beef mixed with green chiles). Yummy. Next, and Steve’s favorite, was Osito’s Biscochitos booth. Biscochito being the official state cookie of New Mexico. I much preferred the Mexican wedding cookie.

Our next stop (on the advice from the radio announcer) was Mesilla historic district. And yet again another famous Billy the Kid jail. I believe this one he broke out of. 😊

Next up Hatch, the Chili capital of New Mexico. They love their chili’s! 50 lbs bags. Really! We compromised and bought a small bag of Taco Chile spices. Now, to cool things down we stopped at the Ice Box Brewery. They had just opened today. We had a great talk to the owners who gave us some more places to visit in New Mexico!

Melt Down

On 10th February 2023

Travel teaches tolerance, patience, acceptance, and how to live in the moment. There is no greater gift.
@worldlyroamer

Old El Paso – no not the salsa! It’s our day trip into the historic district of old El Pasco. San Elizario. We arrived in this district around 10:00 am. The place was deserted; no one told us it was a ghost town. So, we walked around and checked out the local mission. (This was part of the Mission Trail after all). Then at 11 am we saw a sign of life as a local business put their open sign out! This little bar was a biker’s bar called Shooters. (Not Hooters 😊). It was Taco Thursday! Tacos were $1 each, the beer was cold and cheap too.

Now apparently since the San Elizario Mission is one of the last missions on the trail, all the shops don’t open until noon. It was a fun afternoon wandering around the historic town. Definitely a slower pace then the big city. We visited the only jail in the old west that Billy the Kid actually broke into. (Anything for a bit of history). We laughed whole heartedly at the shrieks of school kids on their field trip, when the jail guard tried (successfully) to scare them.

We found a local Mexican bakery (Sorpresa Bakery) and tried almost one of everything he made. Some things I would definitely buy again while others were a definite acquired taste. I did realize though I really need to take Spanish lessons!

Now our third morning in Hueco Tanks Park, Jo (I), had had enough. Frozen water lines, cold weather….Melt Down Time!!! And I am not talking about the hose having to melt/thaw so we could put it away. 😊

El Paso (population 800,000) is a one of the biggest cities we have seen in a long time. So, against our better judgement, we are heading to the big city. Here we found a Home Depot to buy some Reflecitix. (Something to keep the cold out was a must).

Then we found an outlet shopping centre on the west side of the city for retail therapy and a hair cut. Now, I was NOT going back to Hueco Tanks. New Mexico here we come!

We stayed the night just inside the New Mexico border in Anthony at the Public House 28 Brewery. While trying a few of their brews we met some nice people from Washington state who invited us to visit them. Then we met Terry; a local high school teacher who convinced Steve to change his plans and check out some different areas of New Mexico. Stay tuned…

A Diamond in the Rough

On 28th January 2023

In Places We've Been, Texas 2023

Spontaneity is what travel is all about.
Zach Anner

These couple of days are travel days. From Fredericksburg to Stillwell, Texas is approximately 400 miles. Straight west on the I – 10. Did you know there interstates here in Texas are 80 miles/hour (130km/hour)? And people are getting stopped for speeding!

We detoured for a quick stop at South Llano River State Park. There we had lunch and dipped our toes in the river.

Drove through Bakersfield, TX and were amazed by the number of windmills – apparently Texas has the largest installed capacity of wind energy in the US at 37,422 megawatts. Who Knew?

We stayed overnight in Fort Stockton at a Harvest Host brewery, The Old ’76. However, it was closed but he still let us stay there anyway.

On a whim we decided to stop in the little town of Marathon. Population 365. It had a hotel, a coffee shop, a high-end artisans’ stores, a small garage, a convenience store and a Texas BBQ and Brewery. The Brick Vault (est 1886). According to the locals it is the best BBQ in Texas. This time we would have to agree! As the waitress said “we are the diamond in the rough!

NEWS FLASH! – Jo Drove the camper – for 29 miles. The road was straight, flat and no one else was on it 😊 This was the longest 29 miles Steve has experienced on this trip. Not that he had concerns about Jo’s driving but he didn’t know how to keep from being bored!

Finally, Stillwell RV Park. Which is a glorified way of saying gravel pit camping. However, electricity water and laundry facilities were a must before we spend a week in Big Bend National Park.

Hill Country

On 25th January 2023

In Places We've Been, Texas 2023

Jobs fill your pocket; Adventures fill your soul.
Jaime Lyn Beatty

Okay, Texas Hill Country is code for Wine Country. Who knew that Texas made wine? Apparently there are over 225 Wineries in this area. Another interesting fact is that this area has a huge German heritage & influence.

Now our first goal in Fredericksburg was, yep you guessed it, Beer! German beer and a pretzel to be exact. Remember the German influence? We checked out the oldest brew pub in Texas! Whatever tagline you need 😊. The Fredericksburg Brewing Company. We tried their Not So Dumb Blonde, the Honey Cream Ale and the Harper IPA.

We walked around the historic downtown area and tried some wine filled chocolate. Really! Who would put wine in Chocolate?!

Then off to Luckenbach, Texas. Population 3! Remember the Willie Nelson Song “Basics of Love”? This little side trip was a lot of fun for sure.

Our stay for tonight was another Harvest Host; Long Horn Cellars.

Bucket Lists

On 21st January 2023

In Places We've Been, Texas 2023

The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul.
Robert Wyland

We started the day very early at the Goose Island State Park. Not by Choice! At 5 am Airboats started on the bay! Man, they are LOUD!!! We left the park by 6;45, earliest start since New Years Day.

Now another thing on Steve’s Bucket List was to drive on the Padre Island Beach. (I know weird right?) Also, this gave us one more chance to walk the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico before we head inland.

Padre Island National Seashore is located south of Corpus Christie. This is the world’s longest undeveloped stretch of barrier island. The park is 70 miles of sand and shell beaches; sand dunes and grasslands. It is also the prime nesting area for the endangered Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles. We did not see any turtles; however, we did get to see some of the many migrating birds to this area.

On another note, there is a huge beach clean up initiative that was started by Captain Billy L Sandifer. So of course, we tried to do our part. Every little bit helps.

On our way inland, Steve (out of the corner of his eye) spotted a picture of wheat on a sign…..Yep you guessed it again; he found another brewery, (he is like a dog seeing a squirrel) Rail Road Brewery. Of course, we turned around, and stopped for lunch and a beer.

Oh, what to do?

On 20th January 2023

In Campgrounds, Places We've Been, Texas 2023

Don’t cry over the past, it’s gone. Don’t stress about the future, it hasn’t arrived. Live in the present and make it beautiful.
unknown

Galveston, Oh Galveston…., You should be happy you can’t hear us sing that song! We are staying at Galveston Island State Park and as we had no plans for here, we checked out the top things to do. Five of them were related to ghost walks and haunted houses; NOPE!!

Awe look, one of them is the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier. “Coney Island South” Unfortunately it was closed but Jo was so up for the Roller Coaster and Funnel Cakes and we did visit the site anyway.

We enjoyed walking the beach and watching the surfers for awhile on this beautiful day. Okay, what else is on that list besides museums? Yep, you guessed it; a Brewery!

So off we go to Galveston Island Brewery to try their flagship beer “Tiki Wheat”. Which, we’re told, is the number one beer on the island. We also tried the Tangerine Tiki, Mardis Gras Blonde, and Math is Hard IPA.

One more stroll on the beach as the sun was setting was the perfect way to end the day.

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