Category Archives: SW trip 2016

Vote for the Boats

You may recall that we sold our kayaks and purchased two super light Hornbeck boats this summer. We like them a lot but wonder about lugging them 7,000 miles, much of which is desert, for the relatively few chances we might have to paddle. I have worried about possible theft – they are attractive, unique, easy-to-remove, and expensive to replace.

I am a member of a Facebook group called “Hornbeck Boat Lovers” and decided to post my concerns and ask for advice. Most commenters said that they used bike locks and had no problems. The consensus was that it is easy to saw through the wood thwarts but most thieves were probably looking for something more portable. One guy wrote “I’ve got two locks and a sign that says ‘smile you’re on camera’ for subterfuge.”

I looked into insurance under my auto policy and I can get a policy with $500 deductibles for $100 a year. I am not sure whether to pursue that – if I lose one boat I pay $600 to replace a $1300 craft.

Lastly, I looked over our travel plans to determine just how many paddling opportunities we might have. On the way out, we might have chance at one of our two-day stops but the best chance would be at Patagonia Lake – which is perfect for birding and paddling and we are scheduled for two weeks. I don’t think I’ll try the Pacific Ocean but you never know.

Returning, we’ll have more campgrounds with chances to paddle (South Llano, Falcon, Goose Island, Village Creek). I estimate that I’ll probably paddle a dozen times and Mary will try it a few times.

Lock1kW

We have two bike locks and locking racks.

The weak link, so to speak, is the wooden cross-piece. I might add a metal strip for the trip.

The weak link, so to speak, is the wooden cross-piece. I might add a metal strip for the trip.

The boats with their covers ride well on the truck, especially when tied down to the front.

The boats with their covers ride well on the truck, especially when tied down to the front.

If we don’t have the boats, we’ll wish we did – if they are on top the whole way, we’ll probably question our decision about Yuma, AZ. However, my inclination is to bring them along. Stay tuned.

2016 Trip – Return Trip

I remember sitting beside the Pacific Ocean a couple of years ago, watching surfers, seabirds, and our grandkids cavorting, and thinking “We’ve got nearly four thousand miles to drive back but this makes it worth it.” Well, God-willing, we’ll have that same situation in a few months.

We’ll mosey back, staying for some lengthy stays at some favorite birding state parks, and try to visit some friends and family along the way. We’ll hunker down at Falcon State Park on the border during part of Texas spring break since that park is not overrun like so many of them. We like kids but hundreds unleashed at the same time can be challenging. I should mention that the maps are developed on a neat website: Roadtrippers.com. Here’s how the map looks at this point.

TripHomeMap

And the blow by blow itinerary.

Trip_Mileage2016B-2

The yellow blocks have a significance – I’ll discuss them in my next blog post.

I hope that you enjoyed this year’s last superman, a Hunter’s Moon, in last night’s sky. It looked like this from our deck, once it cleared the tall pine trees:

Moon1W

 

2016 Trip – Westbound Portion

As I  noted a while back, I’ve been doing some trip planning and locking in some reservations in parks that fill up fast. The initial half of our trip is to do some birding in Arizona and visit our son Robb and his family in San Diego. It’s a long haul but here is the plan:

San-Diego-Trip-Map

Here’s how it looks in a spreadsheet:

Trip_Mileage2016A-1

Getting home we have to deal with Texas Spring Break in March and will likely change this schedule along the way. We hope to stop in Ohio to see our son Rich and his family. Still a few things to sort out and it will be ready to go.