Central America Trip #12

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.
Sadly Mary is struggling with health issues. To see the latest about her situation, click here

To view past blogs, scroll to the bottom of this page and use the menu.

I’m currently in my 24th year of full-time RVing and my lifestyle is changing, For more info click here

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The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails RV Resort in La Conner, Washington. I’m scheduled to depart here July 9th.

 

 

 

Today… A trip down memory lane!

 

 

 

2004 Central America trip…

This trip ended up being 343 days and 16,000+ miles through the back-country of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. 11 rigs started the trip, within a week we broke into three smaller groups for ease of traveling. Only myself and one other rig went the full, pre-planned route. All the others dropped out for various reasons. All returned safely to the United States. I’m planning to show these photos, more or less, 10 a day, whenever I’m not doing something else deserving a blog entry. FINALLY, it must be remembered these photos are prior to my switching to digital in 2006. The films were developed during our trip and the lack of quality control sometimes is plainly evident.

 

 

 

Today…Belize (south-bound) #1…

 

 

 

 

 

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

 

 

 

 

 

You can read all about today’s subject by clicking this link…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corozal_Town

 

 

 

 

Belize was once British Honduras, so English is spoken here. Belize has no industry meaning everything must be imported, making it the most expensive country in Central America.

Our first stop was in Corozal Town, Belize. Lots of warm and friendly people with a “don’t worry – be happy” laid back atmosphere…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Large barrels catch rainwater for human use…

 

 

 

 

 

 

We parked for two nights right along the waterfront…

 

 

 

 

Belize City Harbor…

 

 

You can read all about Belize by clicking this link…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belize

Here’s my trip website link…http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

 

 

 

 

Here’s my trip website link…http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the photos.

 

 

 

I hope you will enjoy the future blog postings.

Forecast for today is partly sunny and 67 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Washington. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

“Let me recommend the best medicine in the world: a long journey, a mild season, through a pleasant country, in easy stages.” –James Madison

 

 

“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.” —Mark Twain

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet -2019

Chicot State Park, Louisiana Day 3 (GA411)

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.

Because we have 4,000+ postings, I’ve invited her to continue posting entries on this blog.

I’m currently in my 23rd year of full-time RVing and my lifestyle is changing, For more info click Here

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The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails RV Resort in La Conner, Washington. I’ll Depart here August 13th.

 

Since my RVing life is changing (see above), I’m starting to re-visit previously visited places. So rather than constantly re-blogging past entries, I’ve decided to do something different.

  In 2011-2013, Mary and I did a 682 day, 12,679 miles in the motorhome and 8,000 miles in the Bronco, circumnavigation of the United States, which I called The Great Adventure. I called it so because other than my oldest granddaughter’s high school graduation in June in Connecticut, I didn’t know where we would be going or when we would be there!

So, unless I do something really different and unusual warranting a new blog entry, I’ll be posting entries from that trip.

This entry was posted February 27, 2013…

 

 

 

 

 

The motorhome is parked at Chicot State Park near Ville Platte, Louisiana. We are scheduled to depart here on Friday.

 

 

Built in 1939, at 6,400 acres with 198 campsites, it’s Louisiana’s largest state park. You can read about Chicot State Park, Louisiana by clicking this Wikipedia link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicot_State_Park

 

 

The reason we are here is that it’s located along the Zydeco Cajun Prairie Byway which you can read about by clicking this link…
http://zydecocajunbyway.com/links.html

 

 

Yesterday we took the Bronco the about 10 miles south to the city of Ville Platte (Flat Town in French). You can read about Ville Platte by clicking this Wikipedia link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ville_Platte,_Louisiana

 

 

 

 

 

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before we headed out, I took this photo of our neighborhood squirrel…

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a few shots of around Ville Platte…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The old bank building is now a restaurant called The Cock’s Tail which features a lot of paintings by local artists. We did not eat there, but you can find out about this place by clicking this link…
https://www.facebook.com/Brownren

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because Mary and I are no-salt people, we were intrigued by Jack Miller’s Seasoning with no salt, we went to Jack Miller’s factory where they make a variety of Cajun seasonings and sauces. You can read about them and order their products by clicking their official website link…
http://www.jackmillers.com/

 

 

We were greeted by second generation owner Kermit Miller and third generation follow-up Christian. They explained that they do not make the no-salt seasoning at that location which makes only barbecue sauce. They further explained that Jack Miller started in the restaurant business in 1941 and has been making seasonings and sauces since 1955. Here are some of the photos that I took…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They gave us a sample of their products…

 

 

I’ve tasted Jack Miller’s products in the past and they are delicious! Try them…you’ll like them!

 

 

Enjoying visiting local businesses is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

 

 

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of Louisiana. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

 

 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! MARY WROTE A MANY GREAT BLOGS…SO WHENEVER SHE PUBLISHED A BLOG POSTING THE SAME DAY THAT I DID…YOU WILL BE ABLE TO READ HER BLOG BY CLICKING THE BELOW LINK! DO IT NOW!

https://otrwjam.wordpress.com/2013/02/27/ville-platte-and-jack-millers/

 

 

 

 

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PHOTOS.

Forecast for today is sunny and 77 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Washington. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

 

 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

 

 

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

 

 

There are more than 700 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://get.google.com/albumarchive/110455945462646142273?source=pwa

 

 

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

 

 

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

 

 

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet -2018

A View From Above Of My Current Location…

The motorhome is parked the Thousand Trails RV Resort located in La Conner, Washington. I’ve been here several times in past years. My membership allows a maximum of a three-week stay, out for one-week and then you can return to the first park. My departure date is September 2nd.

I’m just hanging out taking maximum advantage of my Thousand Trails membership and very agreeable weather.

Mary’s personal to-do list plate, which can only be handled by herself, continues to over-flow. Recently we acknowledged that her meeting up with me in September, just is not going to happen.   😦

I’ll next likely see her when I arrive at her home in November. A friend recently expressed a concern about the status of our relationship. Not to worry…it continues to function per our original agreement when we met in October, 2008. That is…I remain on the road and she will join me when her other life allows. We talk every day on the phone…sometimes more than once. It’s just the way life is!

Here’s a different way to look at things thanks to Google Earth. The pin marks my location at Thousand Trails RV Resort, with 1/2 mile of Skagit Bay waterfront, at La Connor, Washington…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

 

 

In this first view the large body of water coming in from the left and the Pacific Ocean is the  Strait de Juan DeFuca. Highway 1 is in Canada. The San Juan Islands are high center…

 

 

 

A little closer view. Anacortes is about 12 miles away and where you can get on the ferry to the San Juan Islands and to Canada. The green triangle below Anacortes is Mount Erie…

 

 

Closer again shows my location on Skagit Bay…

 

 

And still closer. The rectangular shape that looks like a very large raft is the Swinomiish Indian Salmon farming pens…

 

 

Finally a photo I took several years ago from Mount Erie of Fidalgo Island…five miles to the northwest. At 1,273 feet it’s the highest elevation in the area…

 

 

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PHOTOS.

Yesterday was a mostly sunny and 68 degrees. Forecast for today is mostly sunny and 76 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Washington. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

There are more than 600 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://picasaweb.google.com/jimjrver

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2015

REFUSE TO KILL

Everywhere at Thunderbird Monroe, is the sound of water. It trickles and gargles its way to the great Snohomish at our backs, forming shady glens, and gravelled pools. Comfortable respite-in hot weather.

Rhododendrons bloom everywhere in various shades of red and lavender.  On the road,  hybrid peach and yellow rhodies bloom in yards  along the way. I have just one more day to enjoy them and the swimming pool before leaving for Southern California on Monday.

We went to town looking for a bean bag to stabilize the rear view camera mount.  Second hand stores are always fun. At Cinderella’s Closet I found this sign:  I laughed while Jim pretended he didn’t know what it meant.  We didn’t find a bean bag, but we happened upon My LA Fashion Store, a place that specialized in designer jeans. Cindy retired from Los Angeles at 44, moved to Monroe, got bored and opened up this store. Neither of us had ever seen mannequins that emphasized the derriere before.

There was a whole line-up of them on the street.

Actually, our real goal in town was to meet Jim’s lifelong friend, Al Penta and meet his girl friend, Kim. These guys, always cutting up, made Kim appear eight feet tall.

Al and Jim were both in the Navy during Viet Nam, and Al came home an avid pacifist.  He met Kim about three years ago. Both are vegetarians and like me, anti-war, peaceniks.

Al and Jim, both bachelors for many years, get together and meet for lunch  when Jim passes through Monroe. Al claimed, having lunch with a couple of women included, made their traditional, yearly lunch more fun. It was no surprise to me that women are more fun.

If you are interested in Peace Organizations, there are over 100 of them listed at this address. My favorite, Give Peace A Chance wasn’t listed. Others, you can find:  Refuse To Kill, Muslims Peace Fellowship, Westpoint Graduates For Peace, Grandmothers for Peace, Physicians For Social Responsibility…anyway, give it a look: http://www.swarthmore.edu/Library/peace/peacewebsite/scpcWebsite/Documents/ResourcesPeaceOrgs.htm

REST STOP

From Mary’s desk:

Jim and I left Venice and threaded our way back to civilization. Since Katrina, people who live and work in Venice and surrounds, have to drive one and one-half  hours to do grocery shopping in Belle Chasse. There are no movies, restaurants, bowling allies, bingo games or Community Clubs in Venice. We asked Terri, the attendant at Cypress Cove why do people live here? Jobs, is the answer, and family. The oil rigs are located here and oil riggers are well paid. Everyone else loves fishing and charter operations. If you are married to one…well, you get a job to have something to do or you read and watch television. (No library, but you can order books on-line.)

On the trip back, I smiled at some business names, and signs, along the way.

Madre And Sons Towing. Sounds stronger than Mother and Sons.

Born To Fish Charters. Now that is the one I’d try if I were looking to go fishing.

Along the road, its common to see restaurants with warm and fuzzy names like Country Cooking, Home Cooking,  Just like Moms, or Mom’s Kitchen, or something referring to good old Mom. How about Maw’s Place. Now, that’s “down home” for ya.

At one Katrina wrecked house we saw a home made sign that read: Ronnie Graniers Back. A little welcome note of triumph.

And, speaking of triumph, there is a town with that name, Triumph, LA.

In one of my previous lives, I collected stamps and postmarks. I meant to find towns all over America with interesting post marks, like Why, AZ or  Cut N’ Shoot, TX,  North Pole, AK, Panic, PA, Normal, IL, Peculiar, MO, Waltz, MI, and , Whynot, MS.  It was fun at the time. Now post marks are machine made and centralized to larger towns. You have to write to the Post Master to get the mark of a small local place. Collecting post marks is a good way to get kids  get interested in maps and  geography.  Adults, too.

It rained when we left Venice and the motor home and Bronco are spattered with mud. But, we are parked in Raceland, its gonna be a sunny day, and who knows what’s around the corner?

Apache Junction, AZ

Six Blog entries ago, I reported that my Yuma sinus infection was coming alive and how I drove down to San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico for my medicine which has cured it in the past. I also mentioned that I’ve come to believe that agricultural airborne contamination was the cause behind my problem. The medicine is working and only a very minor residual pain and swelling remains which I hope will continue to disappear soon. I took my last remaining pill yesterday. Anyways, since I had completed my planned activities in Yuma, I thought I’d leave early, get away from that airborne contamination and help the healing process. My next planned stop was Apache Junction to visit with my good friends Aaron and Cheryl for a few days.

I departed Yuma on Tuesday and drove the about 200 miles to South Phoenix where I spent the night in a very quiet RV parking lot at the Wild Horse Casino, not wanting to fight the afternoon rush-hour traffic. On Wednesday I drove the remaining about 35 miles to the Countryside RV Resort. This park is an Equity Life Sharing facility which is also the parent company of Thousand Trails RV Resort of which I am a member. Because of that fact, I’m able to stay in this beautiful park for only $3 a night which includes electricity, water and sewer hookup. Such a deal!

I’ve been to Apache Junction a few times over the years. While the park is on the outskirts of Apache Junction, the area is still close to Phoenix and in general too much traffic congestion for my liking. Give me the wide open spaces!

The photo below outlines the resort as seen by Google Earth and is not a real-time photo. In reality the park is more than 95% full.

Countryside RV Resort has 560 spaces. According to Wikipedia, Apache Junction has 51 RV parks. Here’s the link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Junction,_Arizona

I’m booked into the park for nine days and I plan to leave on January 8th and drive the about 150 miles South to Tucson where I will meet my jet-setting life partner Mary who flies in on the 9th. After 3-4 days in that area, we’ll head East and expect to arrive in New England in late May. The only thing firm item on our entire trip is being scheduled in New Orleans, LA, from February 8th to 22nd for Mardi Gras. I also expect we will arrive at Mary’s home in Murphys, CA about mid-October. Be sure to mark this Blog as a favorite and follow along with us as we travel the road of life together!

Happy New Year, Y’all!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2009
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.panamaorbust.com