Wander with the Wallins

Rainy travel day…. Like on a cruise ship an “at sea” day. 😁 Steve has a cold so I’d rather have him laid up a bit when it’s crummy out because our next few days in NM are supposed to be sunny and nice 🤞

Finding places like Monahans Sandhills State Park is the reason we are on the road…

Driving west through Texas and we can see the terrain and landscape changing. As much as we have enjoyed where we’ve been and what we’ve seen, it’s exciting to see the change! Have a great week!!

Good morning! Spent some time in Fredericksburg on the way to Sonora. With 100+ wineries now in this area, Fredericksburg has like 50 tasting rooms!

Spent our last day in Blanco TX walking through the park and up to the town square. After the rain let up! For winter weather it’s incredible, just not conducive to riding. I know there are die hard riders that do not care what the weather situation is, but not us. We prefer clear and dry! Already planning another trip back when the weather is better!

This rain will not quit! 🙄 Looking forward to our extended stay in Arizona where it’s dry!!

Got out to some of our favorite towns in TX. Wimberley, Driftwood, Dripping Springs. I don’t think we will get to all the ones we want to though with the crummy weather… ☹️

Another round of crappy weather so we decided to rent a car to get out to the towns that were on the list. That took most of the morning so we ran around doing errands in the afternoon 👎

We tried to get out yesterday – we thought the fog had lifted enough – but as we got further down the road, the mist in the air got worse and we turned back. The Devil’s Backbone isn’t a road to be on when it’s slick and foggy and you can’t see through the windshield!

We got to Blanco TX and set up. This is a pretty small state park (50 spots) but very nice. They just stocked the Blanco River with trout and there is a bunch of other fish species present, so we’re hoping we do better then the catfish undertaking of AL!! Setting up a few day rides in one of our favorite parts of the country… 😍 Everybody have a good week!

62 gas pumps.

We left stormy Louisiana and crossed into Texas. Boondocked at a Cracker Barrel overnight. Looking forward to hanging out and riding in the Hill Country. It’s been years since we’ve been there!!

Dale came to visit! New friends at the park! Headed to Texas after we get through a crazy storm!! 😳

French Quarter picture overload….

Happy birthday Jeanie and Elvis! ♥️ We are back in the French Quarter for a few days. Our RV park is within walking distance (the only one) but I forgot what living in a city was like! Traffic noise, cars, trucks, horns, sirens, etc. 😳 It really doesn’t bother me, but it’s been a long time – like since the 70s!

Fountainbleau State Park was once the site of a sugar mill and named after a forest near Paris, a favorite recreation area of French kings.

Ruins of the sugar mill

Overcrowding 😁

Fountainbleau State Park on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain… 👍👍

Typical Sunday – coffee, church, football, food. Breaking camp and heading 10 miles down Lake Pontchartrain to another stop before we hit the French Quarter.

We had a great day in New Orleans with Louie, Barb, Rex, and Deb! 😍

Couldn’t decide which of the signs from Archie Manning’s place to put up so I chose not to decide. Wait, isn’t that a choice?? Geddy Lee get out of my head!!

Rain rain go away! The few good things about a day of constant rain is comfort food and movies! Hope you all are having better weather!!!

It was a day of errands (getting propane, groceries, taking the bikes in for a tune up, bills, planning and plotting, etc.) so on this slow news day, I thought I’d air my grievances on showering in an RV. Those of you that camp should get it…. 🤔

Also noteworthy is that unless you’re hooked up to water and sewer, you must do all this quickly so you don’t use up too much water or fill up your grey tank!

Did a lot of nothing! Parade on TV, football, homemade chicken noodle soup, reading. I love lazy days! Side note – it was 15 years ago we lost our Mom. You move on, of course, but there was a little void created that day that will never be filled. 💔

We hope everyone has a healthy and happy new year!

We only got to spend a little bit of time in Abita Springs before we had to check in and set up, but what we saw – we loved!

Qui ca dit? Spent the day flea marketing in Pass Christian MS. Of course I found stuff to buy!! Looking forward to a week in Albita Springs / St. Tammany Parrish LA. The icing on the cake: seeing Louie and Barb in NOLA on Friday!!! 😍

Back on line with a LOT less coin!! Steve said killing the phone was accidentally on purpose because I wanted the new iPhone! Dec 27th we hitched a ride from the Amanda and Jason (who run the RV office and are absolute sweethearts) to Dauphin Island. Eh – I wouldn’t rush back there. Not a lot to do but we biked… Got further then the first time!!Friends picked us up and we went for a great seafood lunch and a little tour around Pascagoula. Boondocked at a gator ranch 😁

Wander with the Wallins may be taking a brief hiatus. I’m sorry to report that yesterday my phone lost it’s life in a tragic accident. I have dropped it somewhere in the vicinity of 500 times in the past 2 years (which is why I buy the uber expensive cases) but this time, skidding to a halt on top of it and grinding it into the gravel face down with my bike caused fatal injuries. Time of death was 3:30 pm. I knew that bike was trouble! We are stopping at an AT&T store this morning to try to recover everything in the world that I had stored on it, so depending on the outcome, I could be back in business later today…… Stay tuned for updates!!

On the road again. We left Eufaula AL and headed towards Coden AL, near Dauphin Island and BAYOU LA BATRE. Anybody? Anybody? Looking forward to checking out the area….

Ready to roll. Joan Jett is always concerned she is not going with us so she stakes her claim in the front seat.

We had a really nice Christmas Day, and hope you all did as well. The weather was perfect, we had dinner with our camp neighbors, we were treated to a spectacular sunset, then finished off the evening watching It’s A Wonderful Life outside. Where it got very cold but nobody gave up!!🥶

Beautiful 72 degree, sunny and lazy day! Went to a candlelight service at church and it helped me not feel so sad about missing family and friends this Christmas….

The area was encased in a thick fog after that crazy rain. We went for a walk on the nature trail that surrounds the park. In actuality, it surrounds the dog park and the dump station, but for brief periods of time, you do feel like you’re deep in the woods!!

Wow! It rained non-stop here for 36 hours and 38 minutes!

Part of the plan for this trip is to get healthy, lose weight, lower and raise the numbers as needed, etc., so we brought our bicycles to assist. After our bacon and pancake breakfast, we pulled those babies out, checked the campground map for a route, and we took off…..

Oh wait, he’s off.

Took the bike into town and it was a prefect day for a ride… cool enough for the leather but not so cold that it was unpleasant! I keep forgetting how close it is to Christmas until we stopped at Walmart! 😳

Landed safely in Eufaula AL at White Oak Creek – the BASS CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!!! 😁 Holy Cow what a beautiful spot! We look forward to checking out the area. We are here through Christmas….

Good morning from chilly Sparks GA. I thought we accidentally wandered north of the Mason Dixon line!! 🥶 Spent the night at Horse Creek Winery and did a wine tasting with Chelsea, who was a great host. Bought a few bottles of wine and a small gift so our free Harvest Host night 🙄😂👍

Spent most of the day prepping to leave. A crazy storm came through in the afternoon and as of 7am, it’s still raining! We head up into GA a bit then we are staying in AL til after Christmas. Then MS, LA, and will hang out in TX for a while after that..

Another foggy pasture morning, then one last ride and lunch in this beautiful part of Florida with friends. Pulling out Wednesday. 😁

Steve is back and our visit to Broken Board Ranch is coming to an end. For now. Looking forward to heading out and seeing the country but will miss so much about this area. For sure, my friend Pandora coming over to say hello every morning! 🐎

In IL, the girls and Steve and Grandma Gayle met up and had a quick visit. Meanwhile back at the ranch, I read a little bit while enjoying a sunny, breezy 73 degree day! In the evening we went to Danny and Viv’s HOG chapter Christmas party where in a departure from normal – I won two things 👍👍 Looking forward to the return of Mr Wallin later today 🥰

Mt Dora hosts Art in the Alley once a month and Viv makes necklaces and earrings (which are beautiful, by the way) so we went there for the evening to sell her wares. I am in L♥️VE with this town!! Reminds me of the Hayward WI of my yoot!! Looking forward to Steve getting back Sunday!! It’s going to be in the 80s so he will be thrilled 👍

Not much news from here in FL. Took the opportunity to rearrange, relocate, and purge. Steve had lunch with his Mom. Driving the Jeep up north is probably not going to be a highlight of the trip for him, but getting that time with Ma was worth it, I’m sure. I’d drive 5000 miles in a blizzard to be able to sit across from my Mom surrounded by Christmas decorations!! Everybody have a wonderful weekend! Weekends in December are always filled with fun things to do! 🎅🏻🌲

Met a baby cow that was born when we got here (on the ranch of friends of Danny and Viv.) Went back to Juniper Spring. Made it to the big spring! Worth the walk.

Steve left to take the Jeep to Chicago. It was a long first day – traffic, rain, snow in the mountains. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was 82 and sunny here… 🙏 for safe travels today.

Gorgeous day for a ride. Central Florida is just beautiful. Went to Juniper Springs in the Ocala National Forest and had just enough time there to see I want to go back for more! We didn’t get as far back on the trail to see the “big spring.” It was getting close to dusk and I, for one, did not want to encounter a bear or coyote or panther on an alligator on the path 😳

Lazy day…. Went to a cowboy church which was really cute. What makes it a cowboy church was my question…. The chapel is actually in the stable of a working ranch, it has a cowboy theme, and the Pastor is a real cowboy. And had been struck by lightning 4 times! We enjoyed his message and the hospitality. Everybody have a good week!

Viv had a party for Danny’s 60th and allowed me and Mitch to piggyback! Roasted a pig (Jes don’t look) and drank enough to kill a small mammal 😳 A great group of people to celebrate with!

Slow news day. Just a few pics and a video of the percussion band. A little rhythm and a lot of whiskey….

The girls went antique shopping and of course, I bought a few small things. Hello, my name is Julie. The guys went for a bike ride. I think they really went antique shopping too….

Good morning from the ranch! ♥️

Great day at the ranch and it was a beautiful fall day! I love sweater weather so I’m in heaven!! ♥️

Dropped off some plumeria plants to our friends the Hays in Tampa to babysit. These are special because they are from cousin George Jarke, which he brought back from Hawaii, Stayed in a rest area for the first time. That was interesting. Steve rested – I did not. Will the exhaust from the truck next to us kill me me in my sleep? Will anybody kill us? The running motors. The highway noise. You know – the usual stuff 🙄Onward to the Broken Board Ranch to hang with the Rubios for a spell.

Day one went off without any major glitches. We got a shout out from Pastor Steve and a warm send off from our church family so we are covered in prayer on our trip! It was quite humbling and a little emotional for me. Kindness is harder for me to handle than meanness for some reason… 🤷‍♀️
We had breakfast with DJ and we headed out.
Here’s some typical Wallinworld stuff…We stopped for an adjustment just before the 18 mile stretch and about a minute after taking off again Steve calls (we are in two vehicles for a bit till he brings the Jeep to IL) and says there was a big the bump in the lot pulling out and a bunch of stuff flew out of the cabinet and it “sounds bad.” 😳
I picture the bathroom door busting open and Luke flying out from the RV bathroom when Phil jerked the wheel in Modern Family 😂😂 I said we’d deal with it later. I remembered my fish in his bowl in in the sink BELOW the cabinet and I’m now imagining all the contents of cabinet landing on the bowl and breaking it and my poor fish flopping around in the sink dying!! 😳 I call Steve back and and I ask if the fish is ok.
He: I don’t know
Me: Can you look?
He: No, I’m driving
Me: Can’t you just like glance over your shoulder and see if you can see the bowl over the top of the sink? If the bowl is still intact – he’s ok. (Makes sense to me)
He: No I can’t – I’m driving.
To be honest I really don’t know what the sight line is from the drivers seat to the sink, or how much a guy with back and neck issues would have to turn, while driving, without causing great bodily harm to “glance back”, but I worried across the entire stretch!! When we were stopped at a light and he was able to look. The fish was fine. 👍
We got to Estero and cousins Debbie and Terri Jarke met up with us and took us out for a bite. ♥️ The long day kicked in and we pretty much turned in without so much as a campfire! Looking forward to checking out Koreshan State Park before pulling out…

We’re getting close to the time we leave the Keys for our road trip. I have taken countless pictures of this, my favorite view from the 7 mile bridge…. One more for the road!

After five years in the Keys we are ready for new adventures. We replaced the RV that Irma took from us and we’re going to hit the road!

Combining our love of eating, drinking, adventure, and stuff like big balls of twine and houses of mud, we’re taking off for a year (or two). Our departure date is on or before December 1 so feel free to sign up and join us as we travel.

We will publish a shell of a schedule so please tell us about anything cool you have found along the road so we can check it out!