Van made it to USA
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2cv
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MOJO
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Yes on BLM land as advised by American motorhomers.We never have long to wait before passing state or np sites that conveniently have the dumps outside the campsite.Some states the gas stations have them.All very easy.
MOJO
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Only 1.5 hrs to Hot Springs.Parked on the visitor centre carpark in middle of downtown.This towns main street is divided on one side by NP status and the town the other.The NP side houses the old bath houses and maintains them for posterity.The NP visitor centre is in one of these buildings and houses the museum of its history .The town is famous for its many gangster visitors treating it as neutral ground.Also the illegal gambling that was never stopped by the law enforcement.
In fact the mayor had invited a New York ganster to live in town to organise the gambling and bordellos which provided income to the public funds and employment.
I should have saved my 16 dollars for the private gangster museum across the street ,not very good.
Hot Springs , Arkansas 20 October
Allowed to park free again in the visitor centre.Filled our bottles with the hot spring water like all the townsfolk very popular,cars loaded with water containers .Did the town walks and used the scooter for the surrounding hills and views.A concert from 4 pm but we did not stay behind 6 pm .Wanted to use the NP campground dump point before dark.All state and NP campgrounds have these often outside the campsite itself.
Sam's Club both nights here .
After our Walmart shop last night the wife says she has reconsidered her first opinion on food cost.Seems many items are similar but some things are close to double.I think drinking out is expensive.In Nashville it is 7 dollars for a bottle of beer.And people were getting drunk on it at nightclub prices !
P S. Can not remember last time we went to a “night club”.
In fact the mayor had invited a New York ganster to live in town to organise the gambling and bordellos which provided income to the public funds and employment.
I should have saved my 16 dollars for the private gangster museum across the street ,not very good.
Hot Springs , Arkansas 20 October
Allowed to park free again in the visitor centre.Filled our bottles with the hot spring water like all the townsfolk very popular,cars loaded with water containers .Did the town walks and used the scooter for the surrounding hills and views.A concert from 4 pm but we did not stay behind 6 pm .Wanted to use the NP campground dump point before dark.All state and NP campgrounds have these often outside the campsite itself.
Sam's Club both nights here .
After our Walmart shop last night the wife says she has reconsidered her first opinion on food cost.Seems many items are similar but some things are close to double.I think drinking out is expensive.In Nashville it is 7 dollars for a bottle of beer.And people were getting drunk on it at nightclub prices !
P S. Can not remember last time we went to a “night club”.
MOJO
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These last two days have been frustrating and disappointing.
Frustrating because arrived in Dallas to visit the Sixth Floor Museum but could find nowhere to park.Moved to the outskirts and found Sam's Club ,etc all forbid overnight .Rang many sites all full and expensive.Did a deal with a Cracker Barrel manager.Eat a meal,stay the night.
So the day was a washout.
In morning I drove south of the city to a Walmart and scootered 30 mins in to downtown.The Kennedy assassination museum was very well done and odd to stand where Lee Harvey Oswald shot the president.Also the world's largest bronze statue ,in fact many of longhorn steers and cowboy bronzes making up the claim to fame.
Disappointing after moving 35 miles west to visit Fort Worth we booked in haste a site for 40 dollars to find on arrival its full of static 5th wheelers and gangs of kids.What we would describe as a gypsy site.
Here now hoping the night stays eneventfull and the military jets stop flying from the next door airbase.
So much effort,too much effort going in to see these two cities .Try to find a overnight near the Stockyards tomorrow night .This is a supposed cowboy feel area for a night out.
I HATE AMERICAN CAMPSITES !
Frustrating because arrived in Dallas to visit the Sixth Floor Museum but could find nowhere to park.Moved to the outskirts and found Sam's Club ,etc all forbid overnight .Rang many sites all full and expensive.Did a deal with a Cracker Barrel manager.Eat a meal,stay the night.
So the day was a washout.
In morning I drove south of the city to a Walmart and scootered 30 mins in to downtown.The Kennedy assassination museum was very well done and odd to stand where Lee Harvey Oswald shot the president.Also the world's largest bronze statue ,in fact many of longhorn steers and cowboy bronzes making up the claim to fame.
Disappointing after moving 35 miles west to visit Fort Worth we booked in haste a site for 40 dollars to find on arrival its full of static 5th wheelers and gangs of kids.What we would describe as a gypsy site.
Here now hoping the night stays eneventfull and the military jets stop flying from the next door airbase.
So much effort,too much effort going in to see these two cities .Try to find a overnight near the Stockyards tomorrow night .This is a supposed cowboy feel area for a night out.
I HATE AMERICAN CAMPSITES !
jagmanx
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Inevitable sometimes !
MOJO
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Crossing state line in to Texas a road sign warns of deaths per year at 3,700 .That seems a lot so out of curiosity I did a UK comparison on Google and we have 1700 per year.
Texas is 4 times the size of UK with 28 million.
UK has 66 million.
Texas kills 10.1 of its citizens per day or 132 for every million
UK kills 4.6 of its citizens per day or 26 for every million.
America as a whole with 325 million kills 105 of its citizens per day or 117 per million.
The highways seem the most dangerous to me . Unusual entrance and exits that overlap making vehicles crisis cross .Exits left and right so you exit from the fast lane also.Vehicles under take rather than just over take and on six lane roads that makes life interesting.
The above sounds scary but if you make no quick manoeuvres ,indicate in plenty of time and get in the correct lane as early as possible then it's survivable.
Typing this at 8am on Wednesday morning and the national anthem has just started up over speakers in the Lockheed aircraft factory next door !
Texas is 4 times the size of UK with 28 million.
UK has 66 million.
Texas kills 10.1 of its citizens per day or 132 for every million
UK kills 4.6 of its citizens per day or 26 for every million.
America as a whole with 325 million kills 105 of its citizens per day or 117 per million.
The highways seem the most dangerous to me . Unusual entrance and exits that overlap making vehicles crisis cross .Exits left and right so you exit from the fast lane also.Vehicles under take rather than just over take and on six lane roads that makes life interesting.
The above sounds scary but if you make no quick manoeuvres ,indicate in plenty of time and get in the correct lane as early as possible then it's survivable.
Typing this at 8am on Wednesday morning and the national anthem has just started up over speakers in the Lockheed aircraft factory next door !
2cv
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Thanks, very interesting statistics. We've driven in most of the USA over the past 30 years, didn’t realise that the statistics were so bad. I find that being defensive and ultra cautious avoids any scary moments. Dallas was the worst city we’ve driven in with LA next, but at least the traffic is usually at a crawl in LA!
MOJO
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Our anniversary
.We celebrated with a night out in the Stockyard.This is a cowboy area outside Fort Worth.Great steaks in a "famous" rustic steakhouse .The rest of evening spent in the "famous" Billy Bob's the largest honky tonk in Texas.Live music and country dancing although we mainly played pool.Last out as they closed the doors.
.We celebrated with a night out in the Stockyard.This is a cowboy area outside Fort Worth.Great steaks in a "famous" rustic steakhouse .The rest of evening spent in the "famous" Billy Bob's the largest honky tonk in Texas.Live music and country dancing although we mainly played pool.Last out as they closed the doors.MOJO
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Today we travelled from Fort Worth about 1.5hrs to a three day Halloween rally held in Texan RV Park near Athens.
Looking at sights is all very well but because we wild camp mostly we do not mix with the natives.
I looked online for rallies and came across the Texas Boomers holding their Halloween rally not far from our anticipated destination and date in Dallas.
Contacted Sandy who was over the moon about Brits joining them.She gladly invited us and so here we are.
Tonight was Taco's night in the rally hall with 25 units attending.Good food and good company.They made us most welcome and even presented us with a Honarary Texans certificate.I was required to make a short acceptance speech so they could all listen to the accent.
They were happy with my finish of “thank yu'all folks” Texan twang.
Expecting a steady stream of curious visitors to this European RV tomorrow.
Looking at sights is all very well but because we wild camp mostly we do not mix with the natives.
I looked online for rallies and came across the Texas Boomers holding their Halloween rally not far from our anticipated destination and date in Dallas.
Contacted Sandy who was over the moon about Brits joining them.She gladly invited us and so here we are.
Tonight was Taco's night in the rally hall with 25 units attending.Good food and good company.They made us most welcome and even presented us with a Honarary Texans certificate.I was required to make a short acceptance speech so they could all listen to the accent.
They were happy with my finish of “thank yu'all folks” Texan twang.
Expecting a steady stream of curious visitors to this European RV tomorrow.
MOJO
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glorious weather day on site.And a very nice site.Obviously the rally know the best places because all others we have seen a not a patch on this one.Even the cost of 35 dollars night is good for out here.
Nice to take a break from the road.We showed some around the van and they showed us theirs.The huge size inside gained from those slide outs is impressive.The pics are from a 5 slide out 5th wheeler.
Each night has been a large spread of food ,what we call a American Supper.
Thing that is different from all rallies we have been on is that it starts at 6 pm and everyone is saying goodnight at 7 pm ??? .Not too much drinking and a blessing given before food is served.
Hope that Saturday nights Halloween does not end the same way,we are looking to Paaaarty !
Either way it's seeing how people do things in their countries that is interesting and you could not meet a friendlier bunch.
Nice to take a break from the road.We showed some around the van and they showed us theirs.The huge size inside gained from those slide outs is impressive.The pics are from a 5 slide out 5th wheeler.
Each night has been a large spread of food ,what we call a American Supper.
Thing that is different from all rallies we have been on is that it starts at 6 pm and everyone is saying goodnight at 7 pm ??? .Not too much drinking and a blessing given before food is served.
Hope that Saturday nights Halloween does not end the same way,we are looking to Paaaarty !
Either way it's seeing how people do things in their countries that is interesting and you could not meet a friendlier bunch.
raynipper
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Tacky.
Ray.
Ray.
HurricaneSmith
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I'm thoroughly enjoying this thread, but I am astonished how untidy the inside of their van is.
It must take them a week to make everything shipshape before they move off.
.
It must take them a week to make everything shipshape before they move off.
.
raynipper
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I dunno if I have posted this before and it is a few years old but I wrote of our experiences touring the states to try and help others.
http://raynipper.com/About-us3.php
Ray.
http://raynipper.com/About-us3.php
Ray.
MOJO
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Hi raynipper
Good read.Interesting,I wonder how things have changed over time.We spoke to people who ended up with a LLC in Montana to register and insure due to no family or friends to register with.They kept the vehicles for about five years.A option we nearly went with but decided six months will tell us if we are happy with what we have seen and done .If not and we want to return again and again all the above would be in place before our departure ready for our return.
We are having a great time but for us we are pleased with what we are covering and due to cover . Therefore we will have "filled our boots" without rushing and may return some years from now to for short 3/4 week trips.
Map is three months so far.
Good read.Interesting,I wonder how things have changed over time.We spoke to people who ended up with a LLC in Montana to register and insure due to no family or friends to register with.They kept the vehicles for about five years.A option we nearly went with but decided six months will tell us if we are happy with what we have seen and done .If not and we want to return again and again all the above would be in place before our departure ready for our return.
We are having a great time but for us we are pleased with what we are covering and due to cover . Therefore we will have "filled our boots" without rushing and may return some years from now to for short 3/4 week trips.
Map is three months so far.