Mercedes in El Paso, TX Mercedes in El Paso, TX
Sunday morning, our friends Lisa and Paul came to greet us one last time before leaving and we took the road direction of Laredo, Texas at 9 o'clock. It was about 50 ⁰ F and though the sky had to identify the course of the day it was still raining lightly.
Laredo was only 182 miles of Mercedes, a very short distance, but as the temperature promised to be so so for the next few days, we decided we stop because we liked the LAKE CASA BLANCA STATE PARK last year and also it is close to all major chain stores. What's better when you miss certain things and they herald rain.
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| There are beautiful trails to hike, except ... |
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lake_casa_blanca/ Last spring we followed Highway 83, a secondary road that runs along the Mexican border. This year, we followed the recommendation of the GPS and we have taken up the Highway 281 Falfurrias, then secondary road 285 which connects the 281 to Laredo. It's faster than the 285 crosses an area where there are lots of ranches and dirt roads and trucks that transport out of the mud on the pavement. As it was raining and the roadway was wet, the motorized and self were so dirty when we arrived at our destination it was difficult to see color. Installed immediately, we began to wash, which has occupied the rest of the afternoon. Monday we went for our purchases.
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| Marielle, Seminole Canyon |
We had problems with the furnace in Nashville, but she was replaced. Monday morning she refused to work and then suddenly restart after several tries. Nothing is more frustrating than intermittent problem. The internet system of Laredo suffered the same problem as Rockport, which makes me think that the state parks have intentionally limited their use so that we can download images and e-mail attachment. Moreover, they did not allow my iPod to connect and access to my emails. It's good to have Internet access but it is annoying to be so limited.
We left Laredo on Sunday morning and this time we took Highway 83 along Mexico to get to Comstock. The distance being 228 miles, we arrived at SEMINOLE CANYON STATE PARK in early afternoon. This park is really special because it is located in a desert environment. The vegetation is found in an arid climate. However, it is a very interesting historical milieu. There is a small museum, guided tours that lead visitors into the canyon about 10 miles of trails that allow fans to tour up the river Rio Grande which separates Mexico from the U.S. We arrived too late for the tour Canyon but we made the trip to the Rio Grande on Monday afternoon.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/seminole_canyon/ http://www.stateparks.com/seminole_canyon.html Tuesday we covered 365 miles and we stopped at Mission RV AND TRAILER PARK in El Paso, Txexas mid-afternoon. We had a choice between making a detour of 25 miles for us to visit a state park or choose private land in the suburbs of El Paso. As the refrigerator suddenly stopped working and started to be made of washing we thought it was best to stay close to the city.
http://www.missionrvparklp.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Paso, _Texas The refrigerator was first transmitted a signal (beep beep) for warn us that there was a problem. I stopped to see what was happening and informed us the electronic nature of the problem by giving a code (L1 0P). Marielle checked the meaning of the code in the owners manual and it said, in short, a problem with a temperature censor, not touch it and consult a qualified technician.
The site we selected proved ideal because they have a repair shop well stocked with parts and a technician who was not very busy. Half an hour after our arrival he presented himself to our site. He quickly diagnosed the problem with the fridge, a small temperature sensor and quickly replaced. As it was not busy, I asked him to come back the next morning to check a problem with the electrical connection between the motor and self when the trailer.
As chance would have it sometimes, the furnace has refused to work Tuesday morning and was able to make the usual checks. Finally, a leak of water from the hose that feeds the icemaker in the refrigerator had flooded the space of the furnace. The mechanic after being wiped, recommended to dry any the afternoon. He then replaced the entire back end of motorized connector was already completely corroded. He was right because the furnace was then reset to operate normally.
After lunch, we visited Hueco Tanks State Historic Site located about twenty miles outside the city. This is one of the most visited national parks in the U.S. because there are remains of habitation dating back hundreds or even thousands of years.
Finally, we realized he should take the guided tours and spend several days to fully explore and enjoy these places. They have a campground with 22 sites and it is only necessary to book several months in advance to stay at least a week. This will be for another year if we go back in the corner. However, we had a great afternoon.
Tomorrow morning, the mechanic too busy will not change our oil at 8 o'clock and we will resume the road as soon as it's done. We have barely 560 miles to do to get to Yuma, Arizona and probably the route we will divide into two.
We traveled 3.200 miles (5.300 kilometers) since we left Melocheville December 27 and we dropped our two-hour clock.
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