It's finally time for an update. We have been hanging out in Baytown Texas for a month now and things are starting to feel way too normal. I get up and go to work 5 days a week. Katie has picked up a little part time work at Macy's, but nothing really worth mentioning. My life at Texas Way Covers is just me going to work. That's not a bad thing... it's just not why we are on the trip. I have learned a bunch of stuff though. Tony is pretty patient and takes the time to teach me the way of the machining ninjas.

Cold grey skies are the norm down here during the winter. For Christmas eve day we decided to break away from it's depressing hold and go see the ocean. Eli is in full support of this plan. Shirley fires up and takes us on an adventure.

Being cold on the beach wears us down. Less than an hour after our arrival we head west to the bay city of Port Bolivar. At the end of the road was a welcome surprise. The car ferry is in service that takes passengers to Galveston. This wan't in the plan for the day, but who cares?

Our way home for the day yields yet another surprise. Anybody need a zombie apocalypse prepared scion xb? Anyone? No? 

Overall our time in the Bay has been an experience. It's an industrial port that is not made for traveling folks. It's made for people who work. Houston is a working town and that's what we are taking away from our time here. It takes a little effort to get out and explore.

Here in Baytown the weather has been cold and rainy. At least it is consistent. We head out into the cloudy gloom and brave the mist to get our five miles a day goal in. The 50 degree air is a chilly reminder that winter happens everywhere.

What makes it easier to deal with is knowing that we are going to meet some friends this afternoon for a distillery tour. For Katie and I this is a first. We have toured a few breweries, but never a distillery. I find a small place that looks like it can't even be big enough for a tour, but what the heck. We have been surprised before. A walk through the front door quickly diminished any notion that this place isn't the real deal. The interior tasting room is well decorated and the guy behind the bar gave us a warm welcome. Then the same guy ushered us back into a small back room and started the tour.

Kenny spoke with a real slick enthusiastic approach. Listening to his backstory explained why. He formerly was a key figure in the sales and roll out of Bass Pro Shop's boat line during a long tenure of growth. My guess; he retired and took a gig at a small up and coming distillery even though money was the last of his worries. Don't let that be translated into a negative. It means he is here because he cares, and it really shows.

After some thorough backstory Kenny (great name by the way) walks us outside and into the business end of what's going on. Our first stop is a quick hands on demonstration of an old sugar cane press.

Wandering past the sugar cane press brings us to the back building with the still. Now what makes this tour even more interesting is the fact that it is a micro distillery. They only have a single still and it must do it all. Although Rum is the main focus, vodka, whiskey, and tequila are also generated out of this facility. Our tour guide invites us to stick our dirty fingers into the tiny stream of 190 proof alcohol that is coming out of the still so we can get a taste. Have no fear: there is nothing, and I mean nothing, that is going to live in terms of bacteria after touching our finger. 

Kenny keeps talking (it's just an awesome name) and keeps throwing info at us about how all this stuff works. It really gives us an interesting perspective on the process and how all these things work. I'm glad we spent the paltry sum of $12 a piece to visit Railean. It has been an enlightening experience that was carried out with a great presentation. That's really saying something coming from me. You've read my other blogs. 

This will be the last blog that comes to you in a guaranteed daily chronological order. I'm at work now and I'm not quite sure I can keep you entertained enough with my daily grind to keep you reading. Have no fear. Random updates of awesomeness will keep coming your as things happen. 

It's 0545 and my eyes pop open to check my phone. Almost time to get up. Guess I'll sit here for a few more minutes. Nope. Time to get up and get ready for, wait for it.... work. Oh yes my friends. Today is the day that I start doing things for money once again. Fortunately for me I have the advantage of going to work for a friend. 
Tony and I worked together a decade ago in past lives back in St. Louis. Fast forward ten years and he decided to open up his own custom metal fab shop that specializes in making CNC way covers. It turns out that he just happens to be at the stage where he needs some help in getting things put together in order to make the business operational and can't quite do it alone. We are on the road traveling the country looking for a place to stay in the south for the winter and I want some work. What are the odds?

I haven't seen this guy in a year, and it's been ten since we have worked together. We get to work within the first half hour of my arrival. Things start to click and the shop comes to life. One of us is cutting steel and the other is on the floor laying down some beads. We both shake the rust off and get into a groove of knowing what the other is doing in no time flat. Just like old times.

The steel rack gets laid out and put together in quick fashion. A few tack welds here, a couple of pieces of metal there and voila! Big ass metal rack on wheels. I'm able to get back behind a welding mask and I like it. Our project gets wrapped up earlier than expected which is always a good sign for a business. We'll call it an early day today and start making plans to prep for next week. There is some real cool stuff coming to this blog and I can't wait to share it.

I go home and catch up on the day with Katie. This is the first day in two months that we have spent a full 8 hours apart from each other. It's a nice change of pace for both of us. We decide to head out for some shopping and on the way I see this badass truck off to the side. It's a full size old school Kodiak work truck that has a bunch of money put into it for some inexplicable reason. Southern Texas weather allows people to drive hotrods year round. Lucky Bastards.

This will be the last day off before I start work. You heard that right. I used the "W" word. Part of the plan was to pit stop here in Houston to help Ninja Tony start up his business making wayfair covers (stuff to protect metal cutting machines). I still have no idea what awaits me in the new place. For now, Katie and I take the day and explore our new hometown. The surrounding area is a little on the rough side. Industrial real estate almost always means that the towns nearby are going to be less than pretty. All things aside we still happen to find our way along the roads of Port Houston. Here dozens of cranes stand awaiting their next assignment.

A quick turn north and into a small subdivision brings us to a rocky jetty. It's a small place to park with a couple of other cars who are probably on lunch. An oil tanker silently glides past us on the way to fill back up. This is going to take some getting use too. Chalk this up as a brand new environment for both us of. Oh well, life could be worse.

An easy going day to just sit back and take in the surroundings of our new home. It's good to see grass and water once more. This is the pet walk area and they are not messing around here.  Houston grass is so thick that your foot goes sideways after it finally compresses under your weight. I think if I was a little bit lighter I could walk on top of it and never touch the dirt.

Grass will be the key theme of this post. GRASS!!!!! No more sand and cactus, but actual grass. Our animals of all species are in full approval. Earlier today the dog lost his mind when we were visiting my new workplace and spent a few solid minutes rolling around like a puppy. Upon our arrival home the orange cat was just begging to go outside with his endless meows. He just wanted to see it for himself. Too smell it and all of it's grassy goodness.

Further down the grassy path is the end of the RV park. At the properties edge sits another, you guessed it, grassy place. From here we can see the other side of the bay. Giant cranes tower over the horizon for the Port of Houston. It's still a strange sight, but I think we'll get used to it. 

Time to pack up and hit the road for the last time this month. Leaving here is a little easier than most places we stay at. Unhooking the utilities only takes a minute and Shirley is still hitched up from yesterday. We didn't unpack to much so moving on down the road is an easy affair. On the way out I spot something for the first time in our travels. A Tesla Model X is pulling a small travel trailer. They have Massachusetts plates which means traveling distances with an electric car and camper is possible.

Penny motors on for a couple of more hours before hitting the west side of Houston. Ringing in at the 5th largest metro in the US, this bustling metropolis of 6.7 million people owes much of it's backbone to the gas and oil industry. All of these people need a way to get to work. Seven lanes of traffic will take care of that.

All this gas production means low prices in the area. This is good news for Penny. A stiff cross/headwind zapped the mpg down to 6.9 on the last leg of the journey. We'll pull over and top off the tank before she sits for the next couple of months. Tech tip*- Always fill gas tanks full before long periods of sitting. This will prevent condensation from building up and contaminating the gas.

Our arrival at Galveston Bay RV resort doesn't go very smoothly. The lady checking us in moves us to another spot, and takes 15 minutes to figure out if it is the same rate. I'm forced to unhook the jeep and wiggle the RV around to get away from the office. There is no space to turn around once you pull in. Gary proceeds to take us to our spot with a gruff attitude. We pull in and get settled. It's a nice spot. Maybe this place won't be so bad after all.

Exploring our new surroundings is always top on the list of activities. This place has a lighted fishing pier and a great place to sit down and watch the boats go by. Best of all is the fact that we have grass. Beautiful, luscious grass. Goodbye rocky desert with your endless prickly stuff trying to stab me. This feels more like home.

Another day another 300+ miles on the road. This is already starting to get old. Wake up early in the AM and hit the highway to watch bushes pass by the window. Our goal for the day is to make it all the way to San Antonio and park our junk at Hidden Valley RV park. 

Lunch time necessitates us to pull over. A few hours of driving means it is time for me to take a break. This scenic way point 70 miles east of the city is a welcome relief my tired mind needs.

It's early in the morning. Katie is still sleeping and I just can't lay in bed anymore. The RV has cooled down to about 50 degrees inside. Coffee gets brewed and I take a seat in front of the windshield. This will be the last desert sunrise I may ever see, and I'm sharing it with Kitty.

More miles need to be slammed through in order to reach our final destination of Houston. We have already traveled this route and neither of us really feel the need to stop anywhere again. All of the real interesting stuff is hours out of the way anyhow. Out the front window is a constant repeat of desert scrub and rolling hills. The landscape is starting to change and Texas is rolling into view. Our first real taste of Texas once again was the bustling city traffic of El Paso. Shortly after leaving the city we get stopped at a border patrol station. Every single car heading East or West on Interstate 10 outside of El Paso needs to stop and be checked for illegal immigrants. 

Six hours of driving has finally come to an end. We had originally planned on grabbing an RV park for the night but opted for some free Wal-Mart boondocking instead. With out spot secured we still had a bunch of distance to walk. Sigh.... let's go rack up a couple of miles.

Gaze upon our deluxe accommodations for the night. A total of 12 RV's, and 3 vans settle into the back of a small Wal-Mart parking lot for the night. Oh yes, life on the road.

The day has come. Time to point Penny east and start hammering out the miles. Everything is going better than expected. Cool air and bright sunshine make for an easy drive as the miles start to click off leaving our home in Phoenix.

A few hours  and a couple of hundred of miles later, the glaring sunshine evolves into a light cloud cover. Traffic heading east is heavy on Interstate 10. This must be typical Saturday stuff in this neck of the woods. We aren't helping measures any either. I'm that jerk in the slow lane with the cruise set on 65 mph even though the posted speed limit is 75. Penny gets her best gas mileage between 60-65, and gas isn't cheap. Today's average is coming in at 7.47 mpg. Not too shabby for a gasser class A that is making the slow steady climb into the high desert of New Mexico.

Deming New Mexico is a place we get to call home for the night. A grand total of 352 miles of highway passed under out tires and it's time to give it a brake. RV miles are a lot different than driving your car. It takes constant attention to keep the big box between the lines. Small breezes, passing semis, ruts in the road, and potholes lining the lane are enough to force the driver to make corrections non stop. Being the seasoned travelers that we are, plans were made ahead of time with the help of a fellow RV'er for tonight's rest stop. Last year we joined a RV forum for folks who have a place for there comrades to park. This spot right here was 5 acres of land owned by a family who lives in North Dakota. 

Recent rains made the sand a little soft. I get out and check the ground on foot. Seems good enough. Maybe I should drive the jeep over to the parking spot just to maker sure. Yep, still seems ok. Then I hop back into Penny and start heading across the lot. I feel her slow down just a tiny bit and my heart sinks. It was one of those 5 second internal panic attacks you have when you know stuff just got bad. Lucky for us it was only one little spot and the heavy girl on 6 wheels stays above the topsoil. I'll just go throw on a new pair of underwear and we can go for a walk.

Not everything is roses and rainbows. Some times getting a free place to park means you take some risks. A little soft sand can ruin your day real fast. With the tragedy averted Katie checks her fitbit.  We still need to walk 3 miles today. Hats, gloves, and jackets come out of storage compartments as we prepare to suck it up and hit our goal of 5 a day. The temp has already dropped into the 50's and the wind is blowing pretty hard. Down the street is an old neighbors place that may have been empty for a little while.

Darkness envelops us and the temperature begins to drop. Tonight is supposed to be down into the upper 30's. The furnace gets set at 52 and we take some precautionary measures to make sure everyone survives the night. All three kitties jump into bed with us and absorb some body heat through the blankets. Eli is left to fend for himself. Well, sort of.

Today is the last day full day for us in our little RV village. I cleaned the windshield and it was still dirty. The outside was covered in a film of dust and the inside full of cat nose smudges. It took me three attempts to make it good enough to not see any streaks. I'll let you in on a little secret. A fine steel wool with some glass cleaner will make your window the cleanest you have ever seen it. Sounds crazy, but a fine steel wool (grade 0000) takes away all the little bugs and even mineral deposits. I picked up this trick of the trade from my time detailing cars at an auto body shop. 

Priorities are always put into place when packing comes into play.​ A clean windshield keeps us from bashing into some moron driving to slow on the highway. Safety first. My next chore on the list is to re-install the kayak racks onto Shirley. She had them stripped off to haul supplies for grandma's house. 

Up against the back wall is the rest of our stuff. The kayaks and bikes will go onto Shirley while T-dub needs to get loaded onto the back of Penny. Wait a minute. It's 70 degrees outside and our last day here. I bought this motorcycle for a reason. To ride. We say goodbye to Phoenix in the best way I can think of.