*New birds we’ve seen on our 2010 trip so far: white-wing dove
*National Parks/Monuments visited on 2010 trip so far: 3
*State Parks visited on 2010 trip so far: 1
Earlier this year while planning our itinerary for this trip, we planned on passing through the city of El Paso, TX, around May 6 on our way to White Sands National Monument. After we heard of Scott’s passing, we learned that a memorial service would be held at 4pm in El Paso on May 8, and we changed a couple reservations so we could attend the service, deciding White Sands would have to wait for another time.
We arrived in El Paso around 1pm, and immediately headed for Camping World as we’d been having problems with our house batteries, but unfortunately their service dept. couldn't get to us for 11 days. There’s an RV park directly behind the store, and they had space available. American RV Park is nothing fancy, basically just a gravel parking lot, but has full hookups, large sites, a great view of the surrounding mountains, and friendly staff. We got settled, quickly dressed for the service, and drove to a Verizon Wireless store nearby as our internet card had also decided to stop working. They were packed (everyone there for Mother’s Day evidently) so we decided to come back the next day and just head on over to the funeral home.Though w
e had never met Shayne, we knew each other immediately from pictures. We had talked on the phone and corresponded via e-mail when Scott’s cancer ordeal began, and Scott talked of him and his family often…we felt as though we had long been friends. Shayne introduced us to his kids, Samantha, Jake, and Katina, (pictured at left) all wonderful young adults who told us that Scott spoke of us often. We also met
his other brother, Chris, his wife, Rosa, and their kids, Alessandra and Ethan. Scott’s ashes were in a lovely wooden box set amidst a beautiful arrangement of roses, and recent photos of Scott graced the wall while black & white photos of him as a child were on a nearby table. About 20 people attended the service, and after the minister finished speaking, he encouraged anyone to come up who might want to share their thoughts. Shayne spoke of his gratefulness of having been able to spend this last year with his brother and how they had grown even clo
ser. He reminded all of us that we never know how much time we have left and to be sure that those you love know how you feel about them. We were sitting with Shayne’s long-time friend, Dick, who had flown in from Maine, and who also got up to say a few words. When he returned, he strongly encouraged us to get up and say something since we had been so close to Scott. Russ finally did, and off the cuff made some of the most beautiful remarks, bringing tears to the eyes of many. Scott was a true gentleman, a kind man, a decent man, a good man….and a good friend. 
Shayne had invited us to join the family for dinner at a nearby restaurant after the service in celebration of Scott’s life, which we gladly accepted since Scott always bragged about the great food in El Paso. So we followed him to Billy Crew’s (http://www.billycrews.com/bc/index.htm), one of the finest steakho
uses in the area. We were a little early for our 6pm reservation, and as we exited our cars, Sam said that we were first heading into the bar for a Mai Tai in Scott’s honor…one of his favorite drinks. She ordered 7 Mai Tais, and we raised them in a toast. There were 17 of us for dinner, and during the next few hours, we chatted, shared stories of Scott, and had an excellent meal. It was great to spend time with such wonderful people, just a shame it couldn’t have been under different circumstances.
The next day we had very little power coming into the coach even though we were plugged into a 50amp outlet. The house batteries were basically shot but fortunately there’s a separate battery used to start the engine which was working fine. We loaded the dogs and cat into the car (since we couldn’t leave them in the RV with no A/C) and returned to Verizon, where the problem turned out to be a bad charger that was replaced free under warranty. When we returned to the coach, we did some internet research and made a couple calls to find someone who could work on the house batteries. We found a place in Las Cruces, NM, about 50 miles north, and they said if we got there the next morning when they opened, they could get us right in.
From the moment we walked into Border International (http://www.borderintl.com/), the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. We had been told to ask for Dennis, the electrical expert, and he was great. Besides replacing the 4 batteries, he checked all the cables, replacing a couple, thoroughly checked all connections, and changed a couple fuel filters at our request. Unfortunately, none of this was covered under our extended warranty and cost about $1,000 but now we felt safe to hit the road again…at least for the moment. Before we left, Dennis wanted to be sure all was working properly, and everything was back up and running except there still seemed to be an issue with the A/C. Alas no one there could work on that issue, but they directed us to 3 different RV service shops in close proximity. Can you believe that all 3 were booked solid until some time on Wed.?!
uses in the area. We were a little early for our 6pm reservation, and as we exited our cars, Sam said that we were first heading into the bar for a Mai Tai in Scott’s honor…one of his favorite drinks. She ordered 7 Mai Tais, and we raised them in a toast. There were 17 of us for dinner, and during the next few hours, we chatted, shared stories of Scott, and had an excellent meal. It was great to spend time with such wonderful people, just a shame it couldn’t have been under different circumstances.The next day we had very little power coming into the coach even though we were plugged into a 50amp outlet. The house batteries were basically shot but fortunately there’s a separate battery used to start the engine which was working fine. We loaded the dogs and cat into the car (since we couldn’t leave them in the RV with no A/C) and returned to Verizon, where the problem turned out to be a bad charger that was replaced free under warranty. When we returned to the coach, we did some internet research and made a couple calls to find someone who could work on the house batteries. We found a place in Las Cruces, NM, about 50 miles north, and they said if we got there the next morning when they opened, they could get us right in.
From the moment we walked into Border International (http://www.borderintl.com/), the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. We had been told to ask for Dennis, the electrical expert, and he was great. Besides replacing the 4 batteries, he checked all the cables, replacing a couple, thoroughly checked all connections, and changed a couple fuel filters at our request. Unfortunately, none of this was covered under our extended warranty and cost about $1,000 but now we felt safe to hit the road again…at least for the moment. Before we left, Dennis wanted to be sure all was working properly, and everything was back up and running except there still seemed to be an issue with the A/C. Alas no one there could work on that issue, but they directed us to 3 different RV service shops in close proximity. Can you believe that all 3 were booked solid until some time on Wed.?!
It was now mid-afternoon Mon., and we were tired and frustrated. We checked in at Sunny Acres RV Park (http://www.sunnyacresrv.com/) just down the road using our Passport America discount. While getting settled, another camper stopped to chat and gave us the name and number for Larry’s RV & Marine Service whom he highly recommended. Larry showed up in about 15 min., and within 5 min. found our problem…a faulty switch that will need to be replaced at some point. We just need to handle it with care until then. Thank you, Larry, for such speedy and friendly service! He doesn’t have a website but if you need mobile service in the Las Cruces area, call him at (575) 649-0139 (cell) or (575) 373-4979 (office).
The last couple of weeks had been so busy, and since we didn’t have to be anywhere right away, we decided to spend another night at Sunny Acres. Though located in the heart of Las Cruces, it’s a very nice park with nice-sized sites and friendly staff.
One place we had talked about visiting this year was The Pepper Pot in Hatch, NM, located about 45 min. north of Las Cruces. Hatch is known as “The Chile Capital of the World” and having lived in New Mexico for several years, we knew well the wonderful taste of Hatch chiles, though we had never been to
the actual town of Hatch. To top it off several months earlier we had watched the TV show, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (the only time we’ve ever seen the show), and one of the places he visited was The Pepper Pot (sorry, no website). Watching this segment made our mouths water, and Tony said these were the best enchiladas he had ever had…and he’s been all over the wo
rld! We immediately added it to our list of things to do on our trip, if possible. On our drive there, we encountered our first Border Patrol checkpoint complete with a drug sniffing dog. All vehicles were required to stop, and the agent simply asked us if we were both U.S. citizens, then sent us on our way.
The village of Hatch is small, poor, and many storefronts are boarded due to a flood in 2006. However, Larry had told us of another restaurant in Hatch called Sparky’s that he said was very good, and though they weren’t open, we could still e
njoy viewing all the oversized décor outside the restaurant that he also told us about…what a hoot! But we were in town for some Hatch chile, and The Pepper Pot did not disappoint. Though we would not say the enchiladas were the best we’d ever had, they were very good as was the salsa. On our way out of town, we stopped at a 
roadside chile vendor and purchased half a Ziploc bag of freshly roasted green chiles (the bag was still warm!) Now we’ve got Hatch chile in the freezer to enjoy whenever…at least for awhile.
The last couple of weeks had been so busy, and since we didn’t have to be anywhere right away, we decided to spend another night at Sunny Acres. Though located in the heart of Las Cruces, it’s a very nice park with nice-sized sites and friendly staff.
One place we had talked about visiting this year was The Pepper Pot in Hatch, NM, located about 45 min. north of Las Cruces. Hatch is known as “The Chile Capital of the World” and having lived in New Mexico for several years, we knew well the wonderful taste of Hatch chiles, though we had never been to
the actual town of Hatch. To top it off several months earlier we had watched the TV show, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (the only time we’ve ever seen the show), and one of the places he visited was The Pepper Pot (sorry, no website). Watching this segment made our mouths water, and Tony said these were the best enchiladas he had ever had…and he’s been all over the wo
rld! We immediately added it to our list of things to do on our trip, if possible. On our drive there, we encountered our first Border Patrol checkpoint complete with a drug sniffing dog. All vehicles were required to stop, and the agent simply asked us if we were both U.S. citizens, then sent us on our way.
The village of Hatch is small, poor, and many storefronts are boarded due to a flood in 2006. However, Larry had told us of another restaurant in Hatch called Sparky’s that he said was very good, and though they weren’t open, we could still e
njoy viewing all the oversized décor outside the restaurant that he also told us about…what a hoot! But we were in town for some Hatch chile, and The Pepper Pot did not disappoint. Though we would not say the enchiladas were the best we’d ever had, they were very good as was the salsa. On our way out of town, we stopped at a 
roadside chile vendor and purchased half a Ziploc bag of freshly roasted green chiles (the bag was still warm!) Now we’ve got Hatch chile in the freezer to enjoy whenever…at least for awhile. The next day we left Las Cruces and headed to Benson, AZ, going through anoth
er border patrol checkpoint on the way. Lots of what appeared to be cameras along the roadway leading up to it. No questions this time, just flagged us on through. Maybe those are infared cameras because they didn't stop any of the trucks in front of us either.
er border patrol checkpoint on the way. Lots of what appeared to be cameras along the roadway leading up to it. No questions this time, just flagged us on through. Maybe those are infared cameras because they didn't stop any of the trucks in front of us either.
No comments:
Post a Comment