Merry Christmas from Alabama

You just don’t know what might pop up along the road.  For instance, on one of our overnight stops in a WalMart in Louisiana, we noticed on our walk back from dinner at Wendy’s that there was commotion and bright lights at the front of the store.  Curiosity and caution made us check it out. If we hadn’t been in this place at this time we would have missed this unique Santa transport provided by Coca Cola….Not the traditional Santa sleigh, right?.  In this photo, Santa is talking to children in front of the folks you see standing.  --  Nice surprise!
So anyway, our last stop was when we were having Ferd spruced up in Texas. A little poorer, but ready to move on, we quickly found the shortest route to Gulf Shores, Alabama.. Now we have a comfortable spot for Christmas and New Years at the Gulf State Park.  This park has 496 sites that are mostly occupied with long term, snowbirds, for the winter months.  We are in one of the 50 sites that during the winter are reserved for short-term visitors.  It’s a very nice park with large, paved sites, reasonable rates for a resort area, and a laundry and mail receiving service. The Internet is good mostly, too.
There’s still a lot of nosing around for us to do in this area.  But, so far, we’ve found some great seafood gumbo and creole omelets at local restaurants.   
For now, we’re relaxing a while, finding good seafood, playing with a new tablet, watching football, learning our way around, etc.  I’ve covered almost all of the park on my walks, including the Nature Center, where these baby alligators live, along with snakes, turtles and other creatures.
I’m told these little ones are offspring of “Lefty” who lives in the canal running through the park, just across from our place.  (Haven’t seen him yet and don’t really want to!)
The noise the alligators make sounds almost like a frog.  They were very active, chomping away at their dinner. But this one seemed pretty interested in me also.
I’ve had fun during my walks around the park seeing how people have decorated their homes for Christmas.  Thought you might enjoy seeing some of these creative exhibits.  So, I’m posting an album.  Click below to take a look.
Merry Christmas and a Very Happy, Safe and Prosperous 2014!!!

Christmas Decor On The Road 2013 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Taking Time for Ferd in Texas

Just like any home, Ferd needs upkeep and updates.  That’s where we are for a few days – Motorhomes of Texas in Nacogdoches.  Our northwest travels from Gulf Shores, Alabama, included a few days in Livingston, Texas, at the Rainbow’s End Escapees Park, our “headquarters.”  But after picking up our mail at our box and making our appointment for the motorhome, we meandered north about 75 miles to have the necessary Ferd enhancements. 

Our good experiences over the years with MOT bring us back when we can reasonably work it into our path.  So, now it’s time again for watching and waiting while the work gets done.  Let’s see….broken windshield, generator has a broken support bar, brakes need repairs and engine needs service….and then, on the road coming up here our alternator decided to bite the dust!  The repairs list keeps growing. 

Oh yeah, we’re also sprucing up the finish on poor old Ferd.  You know, he’s about 19 years old now and he’s pretty dull. There’s a deep polish we can get to bring back some of the original luster.   It took some consideration and contemplation on this elective stuff.  We talked with two or three people here about the benefits and results.  After discussing the budget, etc, we decided to get ‘er done!  Can’t erase all the years of wear with just this fix, or revive the cracks in the decals. But Ferd will have a bigger smile, a nicer finish.  Kindof like me having a Botox treatment, but keeping the cellulite and gray hair – noticeable improvement, while keeping a few badges of time!

So for now, we’re settled in. Comfortable... using the pleasant surroundings in the customers lounge, free coffee and internet and tv...and living in Ferd when the employees move us outside for the night’s stay. Of course, as soon as they position us inside the bay in the a.m. for the day’s work, we’re off to a breakfast spot. We’re on our second night parked here and expect to be here two more. If you have to spend the time and money, MOT is our choice of the place to do business.  The people are straight with you on what’s involved, do a professional job and are extremely pleasant.  We hear so many “yes Ma’ams and Sirs” and “ya’ll need anythings?” from these courteous Texans that you just have to feel welcome.  The guys on the work crew make sure we have electricity and answer any questions before locking the gate in the evening.  (we have the code!)

These maintenance trips are among the ingredients of this lifestyle that aren’t the most favorite times, that’s for sure.  But, just as other activities/toys/hobbies that any of us choose, we have to keep it up to enjoy it.   Whether you have a yacht, a cabin, a pop-up camper or a bicycle….there’s always something to do.  Right?  Please say yes! 

We’ll soon be taking roads to warmer places again.  And our home on wheels will be purring along much smoother and shinier.

Thanks for visiting Hurley Travels.  See you down the road!  Be safe.

Goin Up Around The Bend -- Indiana to Alabama

There’s a place up ahead and I’m goin’…..Come along, come along with me………

We’ve had fun over these past nine years of travels goin up around the bend with this CCR song. This one just fits – and there are plenty of memories connected.  So now there’s another place up ahead.  We’re on another winter road trip, south from Indiana to Alabama….so far that is.

This trip started a little differently.  We were both indecisive in the weeks leading up to our late-November departure about our destinations and which roads we wanted to take to those places.  We gave ourselves options……Texas or Alabama or Florida, or maybe all three.   So, we just headed south from Indianapolis on I-65,  with our first night’s stop chosen  - Nashville, Tennessee.  

As we hit Nashville, the reports started coming in about the huge winter storm heading east that could cause highway concerns. So, it was easy then to decide to take the shortest route to warmer temps in the Gulf Shores area of Alabama.  The ride through Tennessee and Alabama was smooth and mostly sunny. 

No matter how many times we travel the same road, though, there’s usually something new, to us anyway.  You know how you aren’t always looking at the details?  I know I’ve been there, but this time I paid attention to the rocket at the welcome center as we came into Alabama.  Actually, it’s a Saturn 1B and it’s located in Elkmont, Alabama.  This is just right there along the highway.   And just because, here are a few details I found:

Installed in 1979, the 224 foot tall Saturn 1B was a forerunner of the Saturn 5 launch vehicle for NASA missions. It boosted unmanned Apollo modules and a few orbital trips.

In the late 1990s, you could stop at this Alabama border Welcome Center, stand under the engines and imagine how the blast of takeoff would feel (like Alabama in August?). Renovations to the exhibit since then prevent strolling under the rocket.

Anyway, after a leisurely two-and-a-half-day ride from Indy, we arrived on Monday, November 25, at the Rainbow Plantation Escapees Park in Summerdale.  The park makes a nice stopover spot, comfortable parking on grass in a quiet area.  Although we don’t like the slow Internet much. But, since we were both still recovering from coughs and colds, it was nice to just settle for a while.  And we also were thinking it would help to find some of the good shrimp etouffee we remember from our other visits. 

We’ve had a nice time checking on the ocean at Gulf Shores, exploring a future parking spot at the Gulf State Park and eating fish/seafood. Oh yeah, we had a quiet Thanksgiving dinner in our little home, steak, mashed potatoes, salad and chocolate crumb cake.  And the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn fans are very evident in this region, to put it lightly.  They’ve been preparing for the excitement of that big game, decorating their cars and getting ready for the huge event last Saturday.  Well, if you didn’t see the last few seconds of that one, I can’t begin to describe It!!!

Meanwhile, there’s another project that was on our planning list; Ferd needs some maintenance and repairs.  So, now we’re making phone calls, pricing and planning for that.  If possible, we prefer to have maintenance done in Nacogdoches, Texas, home of Foretravel.  Besides, we haven’t visited Livingston in a while, our “rving home,” that’s along the way between Alabama and Nacogdoches.  So, we’ll be taking a northwesterly route to do some necessary stuff.  We’ll look for a few new turns in the road through southern Louisiana and Mississippi as we go.  See you later.  

Goin Up Around the Bend

Songwriter: JOHN FOGERTY

There's a place up ahead and I'm goin'
Just as fast as my feet can fly
Come away, come away if you're goin',
Leave the sinkin' ship behind.
CHORUS:
Come on the risin' wind,
We're goin' up around the bend.
Ooh!
Bring a song and a smile for the banjo,
Better get while the gettin's good,
Hitch a ride to the end of the highway
Where the neons turn to wood.
[CHORUS]
Ooh!
You can ponder perpetual motion,
Fix your mind on a crystal day,
Always time for a good conversation,
There's an ear for what you say.
[CHORUS]
Yeah!
Ooh!
Catch a ride to the end of the highway
And we'll meet by the big red tree,
There's a place up ahead and I'm goin'
Come along, come along with me.
[CHORUS]