Bus Stop #4, Taos New Mexico

Monday, May 30, Memorial Day

We slept okay, but the bus and its loft were buffeted but those powerful wind gusts all night. Sleeping in the windy loft is our land-based version of rocking at anchor in the sailboat.

We got off fairly early north and west up and over the Sangre de Christos to Taos - just an incredibly beautiful drive. The stretch up the East slope was the steepest and longest yet, but having practiced a little yesterday, we knew to stay cool and keep the bus slow and in its sweet spots. Much of this ascent was in second gear. The drive over and down the west slope was pure magic - we're both excited like little kids. Saw our first snow tops and stopped to snap a windblown Deb propped on a tree above a beautiful rushing stream.

At the base of the west slope lay Taos, a cool little pueblo of art and stucco, all nestled in arid greenery along pretty mountain streams. You can tell someone in recent past got it, and now architecture and public improvements, mirror the best of the little towns history. We treated ourselves to lunch al fresco at Grahams Grill on the square. The best tamales and chile reyelleno either of us have had. They call the fare "new mexican".

Now we lay to rest at a beautiful forest service camp, a little ways up a canyon from Taos. Just $5, no one but us and the little rushing stream adjacent is free! Our first campfire tonight while I research the next leg. Things are just great!!!

Bus Stop #3, 2nd Night at Storrie Lake

Sunday, May 29 Second Night at Storrie Lake

We're just short of one week out and have learned a lot about our tiny space. Today we're going to WalMart for two more flat plastic bins and gear necessary to move our tent and poles out from under the saloon seat and up on top of the cab. We totally rearranged right there in the Wal Mart parking lot. Now crap is not piled everywhere - most all is stowed!

From there we made our first foray up into high country, some 17 miles to Hermits Peak Trail at about 8,800 feet. We have been so nervous to know how the heavily loaded bus, with it's little motor, will do climbing a real mountain! While surely not the most challenging we'll face, the bus managed the grades with dignity. On this climb we learned the sweet spots to keep the motor revving in a strong power zone: shallow grades in third gear (about 40 - 45 mph), steeper grades in second (25 - 30 mph). That's way slow by new car standards but who's in a hurry?

Deb was a bit white knuckled going up but after a hearty hike to catch a glimpse of Hermits Peak, and a two to three beer lunch, she was fairly singing as we sailed back down. We stopped at a roadside hot spring (little tiered pools - hottest to coolest) and got a glimpse of social life complete with comments from a very lovely local gal. So cool, mother natures hot tubs - all free with fellowship and local news in the bargain.

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Bus Stop #3, Second Night at Storrie Lake

Lubbock to Las Vegas, NM

Three nights in Lubbock at Buffalo Springs State Park. Our tiny camper bus among the RV's was a bit of a spectacle. Joe, the campground host sat down at our table and described the second, larger door, he had installed in his RV to accomodate his wife. "She is a big woman", sez he, "Wait til you see her". Deb and I twisted on a spit, dreding the fated greeting til finally up she drives and all 110 lbs of her flits from the car to confirm us a butts of his joke. Sez Joe when we complain of our treatment: "... well, she's not big but she is ugly.

Nice guys at M&M installed the new starter and bushing right and for a very fair price so we should not have to park on hills anymore for easy push starts.

A local gal, Carol, stopped because of the bus, and we hit it off so good, she catered dinner to our campsite for us the last night and we talked into the wee hours - a cool new member of the "Van Village". Thank you Carol!

Even though a late night, we stuck with our pledge and left this morning at 4:00 am for a truly delightful drive all the way to the foothills of the Sangre De Christo Mountains in New Mexico. The time of day was cool and the bus fairly skipped along.

Arrived a another windswept site, at Storrie Lake State Park (lake is way down - sad) but glad to have it because of Memorial Day crowds. Tomorrow a hike up high in the Mountains!

Buffalo Springs Lake - Lubbock, TX

We enjoyed a cool lazy morning at the Guadelupe camp. The first part of the trip west was pretty "HIll Country" but as the day wore on - it wore on. Pretty hills with lush valley and boutique towns gave way first to hilly barren scrub and later to what we can only describe as "West Texas". Extensive vistas of flat, dry and increasingly hot territory.

Phoning for advise first, we were directed to the "North Shore" of the Twin Buttes Reservior at San Angelo State Park, where there would be shady camping. The temp being 101F, shade on the North Shore with a quick dip before bed sure sounded good to us. Surprise! Only 1% of the lake's water remained. Bad drought in this part of Texas.

We had a late night repairing the sliding door (it wouldn't latch), but an early departure after push starting the bus. In this country, we've learned to travel really early in the day - much cooler and less windy. The narrow wheelbase, and high body of the bus makes staying in the lane difficult in these super strong crosswinds.

Now, Buffalo Springs Lake on the outskirts of Lubbock will be our home for the next few days while we wait for a new starter and make repairs. The lake is a little oasis in the bottom of a canyon on the outskirts of Lubbock. More on that later....

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Morning at Guadalupe River State Park

After our little "mini-breakdown" at noon yesterday, we discovered the bus won't start when it's hot. A short consult with Gus (our vw guy in Corpus) confirmed it's probably the starter and a little bushing that wears bad where it fits into the tranny housing. That's now on our list of "road repairs"!

The Guadalupe River is lovely and inviting - beautiful old cypress trees all along the banks. We spent a lazy afternoon in it after the trip yesterday. Deb snooze/snored sunning on a rock right in the middle of the river. She's already gone native (some concern whether she'll stayed clothed on the rest of the trip - perhaps cold weather up north will help?).

We were kind of hot around camp as evening closed in but we took late showers under the hose before bed and things cooled just fine. Spent a lovely evening in "The Loft".

Today, we're off to San Angelo, TX, another 200 mile +/- trip. Lesson learned: we (Deb, I and the Bus) will rest for at least 30 minutes some time around mid trip. We're all getting old and we need our naps!

Guadalupe River - 1st Night

Deb in the river...

On The Road At Last!

Two hours on the road - first breakdown. It has been a beautiful first day of travel under sunny skies and a tail wind. Roger said if we could put a sail on the bus, we would be flying. Instead we are keeping it between 55 & 60. We stopped in Kenedy TX for coffee and bus wouldn't start. Roger pulled battery, filled with water, and we are running again, keeping our fingers crossed!

May 19, 2011 - Beginning the Bus Tour

The "Magical Mystery Bus Tour" officially begins today. We flew down to Corpus Christi today and were reunited with the "Madison Bus". It has been sitting here, unattended, for almost three weeks. But now we are back and are completely connected to it. It is "us and the bus".

I am ready for the journey to begin. It is time to leave the boat, time to leave Texas, and time to head West! We will carry Madison with us every step of the way. As soon as we get the boat tucked away and ready for hurricane season, we will begin the journey west - hopefully within two to three days.

It was so wonderful getting here today and finding the bus safe. I drove it back from the grocery store and feel so connected to it - connected to Madison and his spirit. Two years ago I was hanging on to life by a thread - a very fragile thread indeed. But now, after a seemingly impossible search for Madison's Van, a sense of joy has been restored within my being. A part of Madison has been returned to my life.