Highways and Fairways

The End of the Road

Bittersweet, that's what this is.  Writing this blog has been very helpful to our memories, cathartic at times, but honestly a whole lot like work, so I won't lie and tell you I'll miss this part of the adventure.  I will miss the kind notes and emails of support we've had along the way which were often the nudge I needed to keep it going.

We left October 5th, 2009 in the rain, returning November 26th, 2010 in the rain, with very interesting and often record breaking weather in between.  Mike dumped the tanks, swept the roof, unhooked, and connected the car one last time before climbing (wet) into the driver's seat.

 

We have been asked often our favorite courses, places to live, where the kindest people are, how many courses we played, and for other insights into what it's like doing something that so many people say "they always wanted to do".

Where do I begin?  First, no state or region has the kindest people.  We met over-the-top friendly and helpful people at every stop, except of course that grocery store in Milwaukee.  Good people are everywhere and a simple smile can help you unlock even the seemingly grumpy ones (apart from the Milwaukee dude).  We met new friends at golf courses all over the country but the most new pals came from RV parks and Service Bays. To quote an unknown RVer, "I never met a lifelong friend staying at a Holiday Inn."  Along the way we were hooked up with friends of friends, relatives of friends, all who took us in as if we were part of the family.  What an experience and one we are anxious to pay forward!

Favorite courses:

Tobacco Road, NC, Arcadia Bluffs, MI, Wolf Creek, NV, Bay Harbor, MI, Chambers Bay, WA, Dove Mountain, AZ are the top six that stick out for both of us.  Remember we golfed on a modest budget so unless we could talk the head pro into $100 per round or less, we opted out.  After our riding tour of Bandon Dunes (like Pebble in unwillingness to stray from the silly green fees), we liked all of the six above more.

Favorite potential golf communities:

We narrowed it down to three in FL, two on the west coast (Bradenton's Waterlefe and Fort Myer's Gulf Harbor) and one on the east coast (Mariner Sands in Stuart).  But after logic kicked in, the high property taxes and insurance in Florida offset what we would save in cart fees so we ruled out all of those clubs.

We also liked Savannah Quarters and Reynolds Plantation in Georgia and Entrada in St. George, Utah.  All of these met our stringent requirements for year round golf, no cart fees, very reasonable initiation and monthly dues.  Unfortunately the Savannah one didn't pass Mike's no bug policy.

Bottom line is we can't agree (if you know us, this won't surprise you) and after a meeting with our realtor, we will be staying put anyhow.  The sign is already gone.  Seems some foreclosures have dropped pricing in the neighborhood to less than half what we paid for our house. Huge UGH.  As I've always said, we love the people here, the four championship courses at Barefoot are among the best in the state, so the plan B of staying put is a pretty great consolation prize.  I'll have to work on management for a frequent flyer rate for all of my cart fees, or God forbid, play less!

How many courses did we play?  I counted 143 logo balls so that's close.  There were maybe half a dozen that we weren't able to pick up a ball for one reason or another.  Now what do I do with them?

 

As for other insights to our lifestyle...Probably the most challenging part of being within 40 feet of the one you love 24/7 is sharing a 3' x 3' bathroom.  You'll need three things: patience, compromise, and a scented candle.  Life can be frustrating sometimes so being able to go with the flow is crucial, something I learned in the first few days of the trip with all of the mechanical problems at the onset that never seemed to stop even with a brand spanking sparkly new motorhome. 

Which brings me to this summary:

Casualties of the trip: one 41 foot motorhome, one computer, three cameras, one printer, and one very valuable and beloved member of our family, Pepper.  I cried a few times when our trip was disrupted for too long due to mechanical problems, but nothing compared to by far the lowest moment of our trip when our dear girl got sick. I must change the subject before I soak the keyboard.

I learned how little you need and how much I can now give away.  Returning to our cluttered home, overflowing cabinets and closets, it hit me hard how little I really missed.  I was giddy to see my favorite cocktail glass and coffee mug that I didn't dare bring with us in our perpetual earthquake of a home.  I am anxious to see our golf cart, which I understand we may have to fight Lou, Geri, and Bella to regain. I may have gotten a little misty at seeing our bathtub.  Mike kissed the floor of our enormous walk-in shower.  Peanut raced off to his favorite chair.  Other than that, and friends of course, we didn't miss much "stuff". 

If potential RVers are thinking this is an inexpensive endeavor, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news.  We thankfully had a good year of diesel prices, and beyond that, there are the campground fees, greens fees, meals, and of course the vodka for cosmo time that comes everyday whether you want it to or not. But what price do you put on being able to go anywhere for as long as you want without being molested by airport security?  Better than that was being able to see friends and family all over the country that logistics normally preclude.  Seeing friends we hadn't seen in as many as 30 years was worth every penny of the fuel price. 

We were also able to see many of the national parks and indescribable beauty this country offers including Niagara Falls, Yellowstone, Glacier National, Zion, Lake Powell, the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and the most darling little towns along the way in places like, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Montana, and hell, even Iowa!  Thanks to the kindness of friends and strangers we were able to boat on Lake George in New York, Turtle Bay in Sarasota, the Mississippi River in Wisconsin, and Lake Travis in Austin.

What saddens me is how much is still out there that we didn't see in nearly 14 months of traveling.  It felt as though we were rushing from place to place and yet we barely scratched the surface of the remarkable beauty held within the borders of this magnificent country.  Yet, we got to see so much more than most will ever see.  There were children we met along the way that had never crossed a state line.  There are many adults I know (and was one) that spend so much of their business life traveling and never get a chance to SEE the places they go to beyond the boardrooms, restaurants, and quiet hotel rooms. We are very fortunate to be able to do something that most will only dream of.  This is not lost on us.

We are home now and were able to enjoy one last cosmo time in the RV with friends Pete and Mechelle who were in town for the week. 

 

For nostalgic reasons we forced them to imbibe inside the rig, but eventually we did let them in the house.  Like so many they were very helpful throughout our travels that it seemed fitting to have our final RV cosmo time with them.  Plus Mechelle put in a special request to taste our various adult beverages. Who am I to refuse?

We have spent the last two days emptying out and cleaning the motorhome, getting it ready to sell. Mr. Grouchy Pants is telling me my break is over....

I cannot begin to show my gratitude to all who made this journey possible and added so much to the overall flavor of the experience.  We're home now and the welcome mat is out..pay back time!  Come on down, or up, or over! 

If you have even a slight itch to see the country and can afford it, what are you waiting for?  The kids to get out of college, grandma to keel over, the rain to stop, a bar mitzvah?  We just so happen to have a beautiful RV available with 22,000 original miles and all of the kinks worked out!  Kidding aside, we're an email away if we can help in any way or answer a question.  peanut_rosenfeld@hotmail.com

From the bottom of our full hearts, we thank you for listening.

 
  

Thanksgiving at Reynold's Plantation, Greensboro, Georgia

With about 24 hours notice, Ron at Reynold's Plantation was kind enough to quickly arrange for tee times for us on Wednesday and Thursday at two of the six courses (soon to be seven) and Thanksgiving brunch at one of the four club houses.

 

He also spent a couple of hours acquainting us with the the Reynold's community.  It meets many of our requirements in a club including several courses to choose from and a reasonable cart plan.  I love the southern charm homes and the idea of being back in a lake community with 374 miles of shoreline along Lake Oconee

With only two days to golf, our first day we chose the Jack Nicklaus Signature course, Great Waters, known for the one touching the lake the most.  It also had hosted the PGA Professional National Championship in 2008 so we knew we'd be challenged.  Were they pulling our leg about the water?  You tell me...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike found the beach that Nicklaus' crew added to the lake.

 

I found my dream home...and dreams are where it will stay, sigh. On the course AND on the lake!

 

We were joined by Kelly who after his second hole was required to giddy up.

 

None of us shot to our handicaps this day.  Kelly, sporting a 24 handicap shot a 40 on the front nine and ended up finishing well in the 80's.  Mike and I found it to be a bit more challenging and shot nowhere near our handicaps either...the other way.  The course and the greens were well cared for though the greens seemed a smidge on the slow side.

 

There may have been one or two holes that WEREN'T on the water, but its hard to remember. 

 

It was a humbling but gorgeous day of golf for us.  Afterward we took Ron's suggestion for dinner, a local hangout named Silver Moon.  But don't look for a sign.  You have to know roughly where it is and then look for the non descript place with a simple sign that says "Bar and Grill".  The other dead giveaway is all of the cars in the parking lot.  Ginger, one of the owners, was on shucking duty.

 

Gulf oysters are back folks, and pretty darn good.  Ron clued us in to try their strawberry short cake.  I had no idea it could taste this good.  Truly out of this world tasty!

 

Silver Moon, or should I say, "Bar and Grill", was quite a find-- if you can find it!

Still a little full from dinner the night before, we were first in line for Thanksgiving Day brunch the next day at one of the club houses, The Landing.

 

 

It was yummy but we missed Adam's potato stuffing, Mom's corn casserole, my lemon meringue pie, and Uncle Kris' obnoxious noises.

After our non traditional Thanksgiving feast we raced over to the Oconee Course, a Rees Jones design known for its dramatic lay out, challenging holes, and for hosting the 2007 PGA Cup, among others.

Although I still wasn't on my game, I enjoyed the hilly terrain, the babbling brooks running through a few of the fairways from tee to green, a stunning cart path or two, and the lake which came into play here as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love that folks were out boating at the end of November!

 

 

 

In honor of our FINAL ROUND of golf of the trip, I forced Mike to saddle up one last time for the camera.  Plus I wanted him to show our playing partner, an unsuspecting bloke from England, what happens when one gets a birdie while playing with me.

 

Using a driver on a wickedly long par three, David carved the perfect tee shot and sunk the putt for his birdie.  I love the different riding styles we've seen on this trip.  Perhaps because he didn't grow up watching John Wayne movies, he rode Wilbur like he was a kangaroo--hopping his way into blog history as our final rider!

 

A good guy, we enjoyed playing Oconee with David.

 

After teeing off on the 18th hole, Mike paused a moment, realizing this was his last tee shot of the trip.  The next drive would be the six hours home tomorrow.  Can you see how broken up he is?

 

They gave us a tough finishing hole that didn't allow us to end on a high note, skill wise.  That's OK, Reynolds Plantation was a perfect end to the golf part of our tour.  Thank you again, Ron, for arranging this for us.

 

We made it home in time for yet another perfect "last moment", a magical sunset on the lake for cosmo time.

 

 

 

 

 

There was so much I liked about our accomodations, North Shore RV Park.  Beyond the lake front setting, the private porches/decks, the recycled train cars turned into cabins...

 

the best part was that the trees blocked our satellite so our last three nights were cable news channel free!  Instead our nights were spent enjoying those ideal sunsets and summer temperatures.

 

As I type this we are 41 miles from our driveway.  Heads up, HOA: we are going to be breaking the rules again! 

We will have cocktail company one last night in the rig, as friends Pete and Mechelle are in town from North Carolina and dying to taste my adult beverage concoctions.  This is the first of many pay backs in store for all of the hospitality we enjoyed this year from so many friends and strangers who are now friends.  Pete and Mechelle arranged for us to golf a couple of fantastic courses in Tucson with Pete's parents so many months ago.

Stay tuned for my final post in which I will attempt to capture the highs and lows, favorite courses, etc., of an unbelievable year that went on for 13 months and 21 days.  Hey Les, who won the pool as to how long we'd stay on the road?  Whoever had three weeks has no idea how close they were to being the big winner!

 

If you listen carefully you may hear the tap tap of my ruby slippers as I repeat, "there's no place like home..."

Sweet Home (du jour) Alabama

After a couple of free nights of camping in the parking lot of an RV Repair shop in Louisiana (this trip is ending much like it began) we hit the road for our only stop on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Grand National in Opelika (Auburn), Alabama.  We opted to stay for a few days, giving Mike a break from this kind of driving...

 

in favor of this kind...

 

With only one RV park near the course, we settled in at Lakeside RV Park, despite the "trashy" ratings on line.  Although the reviews were accurate and the only lake being a small mud puddle in the back of the campground, we opted to stay anyhow (no other choices).

We set off for Grand National with its three courses to choose from.  We played them all in our two days here.  Since we love water and felt deprived by our "Lakeside" RV Park ruse, we began with The Lake which was also Mr. Jones favorite course to design.  We were not tricked...we saw plenty of the glassy water that makes my water skiing spirit ache. 

 

 

 

 

 

Our timing was nearly perfect, with warm 72 degree temp, the trees still delighting with the autumn colors refusing to completely "leave".  We're in no hurry to see the drab naked winter trees that are on the way.

 

With so many holes lining and crossing the lake, it made for lovely cart paths for the coffee table book.

 

 

 

The Par threes required a lot to carry, especially from the tips.

 

 

 

That one required a carry of over 220 yards to clear the water.  Using cheap golf balls that just don't go as far, I finally told Tin Cup to put his hybrid back in the bag and let me play.  :)  It was one of the most beautiful golf holes we've seen in this part of the country.

 

We found the course to be challenging, and with the exception of a few of the greens, in perfect shape.  Like so many of the Southern courses after a rough winter and a miserably hot summer, the bent grass greens felt the pain.  Although they rolled well, they weren't always pretty.

 

 

The plan is to replace these greens next year with bermuda greens.  After playing the Short Course the following day which has already been switched to bermuda, this is a shame.  We both really enjoy the roll you get on bent grass vs the velcro like roll we saw on the Short Course.

Nice segue into Day 2, The Links and The Short Course.  After being lulled into complacency after a fairly easy round on the Lake, I took my usual smack down after a good round, on the Links.   Trouble off the tee or on every short hole's approach shot or in the form of elevations/ uneven lies.  Fun stuff...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The condition was terrific,

 

the bent grass greens in better shape, at least visually, than the Lake course.  They definitely played much more difficult than the other one.  Bigger, elevated, ridgier...

 

 

 

What I liked about the Links course in addition to the many challenges was that we didn't have to give up the water views we expected only from the Lake course.

 

That smile was early in the round.  The Links chewed me up and spit me out.  In the interest of full disclosure, my swing may have contributed somewhat to that beating.

We finished the Links in around three hours giving us enough time to play the 18 hole par three course (Short Course).  If you play here, this is a great bonus course to work on your short game.  I wanted to work on my woods so I played from the white tees.  Mike wanted to work on his wedges so he also played from the white tees.

We were surprised with the elevations, hazards, and beauty of this tough par three course.

 

 

 

 

That was my tin cup hole!

After two rounds on bent grass we had to relearn the putting stroke for bermuda greens that seem to be running at about a 3 on the stimp meter.  It didn't help that the greens were enormous!

 

All in all it was a fabulous experience at Grand National.  We went so far as to add our names to a two year waitng list for the annual Couples Golf Tournament they play on these two courses each year. At least we now know what we'd be in for!

We are now set up at our final campground of this trip, North Shore RV park, in Greensboro, GA.  We opted for upscale accomodations for our last few nights.  Our space is on the lake and came with a deck!  A perfect spot to enjoy cosmos and a killer bone (Peanut)...

 

 

Our next door neighbor has some friends over for moonlight fishing.  Got to love it!

 

Thanks to Ron at the Reynolds Plantation we will enjoy a couple of rounds of golf and a Thanksgiving buffet in their incredible community.  We're looking forward to the tour, our final place to check out before we hit our front door sometime this weekend.

We wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving.  God knows we have much to be thankful for on our end!

One post script:  A big shout out to Elizabeth who got a hole in one on Sunday at Sandpiper Bay in Myrtle Beach!  Way to go, girl!

 

 

 

A quick update from the road

After what seems like months, we finally made our way out of Texas!  After driving for about six hours yesterday, we spent the night on the Gulf coast near Galveston.  We hadn't seen the Gulf since the infamous BP spill earlier this year and it was great to see!  Our RV Park was small but uninhabited this time of year and offered ocean front hammocks for their weary traveling guests.

 

Peanut had a bit of a struggle negotiating the roped sofa, but Mike hopped right in...

 

We enjoyed short lived 75 degree temps and water still a bit nippy.

 

I've never seen foam in an ocean...only when a brat throws Tide into a swimming pool have I seen anything like this...

 

Is this a result of the spill many months ago?  No idea.  What I do know is that it was gone by morning as were the warm temperatures.  That's OK as we were hitting the road heading due east. 

In order to save time, miles, and fuel, we took the ferry across the water in Galveston.  That was pretty cool--and free!  Fortunately they had room for all 60ish feet of us.

 

 

 

Sometime around 3:00 we crossed the 900 mile mark on I-10 and FINALLY moved into Louisiana.  Sadly we drove nearly six hours with a piercing alarm sound going off due to yet another mechanical issue.  We are spending a night at an RV repair place in Lafayette, LA where they have promised to fix the lube pump problem that seems to be going on with our tow vehicle.  Poor Peanut.  That piercing sound is similar to what he hears at home moments before the electric fence zaps him.  Consequently he spent the day with his head buried in my snuggy at the back of the coach.

 

Not sure when we will be out of the repair shop, but hopefully we will be back on our homeward trek soon.  We will hit one of the Robert Trent Jones courses on our way, Grand National (thanks Elizabeth) near Auburn, AL.  Not sure, but Reynolds Plantation may also be in our near future.

946 miles from home...:)

 

Barton Creek Resort

While playing golf in Prescott with Anthony and David, both highly recommended we check out Barton Creek but an argument ensued between them as to who the architect is.  Anthony was sure it was Fazio and David had his money on Crenshaw.  Well boys, both are correct.  Tom Fazio designed two of the four courses at Barton Creek, Crenshaw and Palmer the other two.  Jennifer, the Membership Director, was kind enough to arrange for us to tour the Member's Club and then play a round on the Crenshaw course.  Members here enjoy their own private club as well as dining and spa privileges at the five star resort.  The Ladies Locker Room was run of the mill for Ladies but Mike didn't want to leave the Men's Locker Room.  With a daily buffet, full bar, huge big screen TV, large jacuzzi, it was the ultimate man cave.

Unfortunately the most challenging course, Fazio Canyons, was closed for maintenance.  Instead we played the Crenshaw course which is known to the members as the short course.  Crenshaw's claim to fame was putting so demanding and expansive greens was how he chose to toughen up an otherwise short course.  Just great... I opted to make it longer by playing from the men's tees.  Mike made it longer by hitting from the wrong fairways (ha!). 

 

 

Tough to tell from the pictures but the fairways do adjoin just beyond the thick line of oak trees.  Too bad those trees don't play golf...they now have a lot more balls to choose from!

In addition to the trees on either side of the fairways, there was often plenty of other "junk" to get over from the tee boxes.

 

 

 

 

 

On a day that promised 70 degrees, we started off at somewhere around 49, brrr.  My skort was replaced by the long rain pants I thankfully had in the bag. 

The cart girls had some of the nicest carts we've seen on our travels.

 

A little more comfy on a chilly morning.

I also liked that they use Steeler colors on their pins.

 

Well maintained, it was a beautiful and surprisingly hilly course to play.

 

 

 

There were a number of picturesque cart paths taking you high over the mountain creeks.

 

Not a lot of traps or water, the oaks and the greens gave us a run for our money.  The greens were all they were tauted to be.  In addition to massive in size, they were perfectly manicured, quick, and as true of greens as we've played anywhere.

 

 

 

 

Of course the one green that was not so deep was on a par three that was all carry to get to the short (but wide) green.

 

 
This is from the tee on that same hole...

 

With a long course for me, one putting was a requirement just to get a par.  Oddly enough I was up to the task.  Somehow I am still on a weird solid putting spree.  I'm sure enjoying it while it's lasting especially on Crenshaw's course!

Thank you Jennifer for giving us a taste of this special resort and country club you have in the beautiful Austin community.  We truly enjoyed ourselves!

We are back on the road today with no plans to golf anytime soon, just putting diesel in the tank and miles on the odometer.

Here's a shot of our neighbor...doubtful, by that license plate, they have been on the road for 13.5 months! :)

 

 

Lake Travis in Austin

We enjoyed a chilly and beautiful weekend at our home du jour in Austin.  We caught up with dear friends, Mitzi and Alain, friends from our San Diego days, who like us, searched for the next perfect place to live and happily decided on Austin.

 

We began our day with a delicious lunch at their beautiful new home.  We devoured Mitzi's sweet potato/apple/curry soup, Alain's perfectly barbecued sausage, and sweet potato pie (Mitzi knows me well) before our three hour tour of Lake Travis aboard their sail boat.

 

Then it was off to the marina where Alain and his first mate took great care of us as we sailed the open waters!

 

 

 
 

 

 

Our fourth time on a boat this trip, Mike was so happy to be asea.

 

When the wind picked up the temperature dipped but thankfully I brought along my boat blankie from when we boated in Sarasota early this year.

 

Mitzi brought her winter garb as well...

 

Lake Travis, with the hills and steep rocky cliffs gives a feel of the Mediterranean.  The magnificent homes add to that feel...

 

 

From the lake we got a glimpse of our next stop, Oasis on the Lake, the largest restaurant in all of Texas.  Apparently it can feed up to 2200 guests at a time!  We'd been told along many of our stops along the way this year that, if in Austin, we must soak up the sunset from the Oasis.

 

Arriving at the peak time, parking was akin to finding a spot at the long term LAX parking lot.  That's OK, shuttles will carry you to the restaurant.

 

 

Arrive in time we did and what a view!

 

 

 

We opted to just stay for the sunset and a drink as Mitzi and Alain wanted to introduce us to their favorite Haute Mexican restaurant, Dulces.  Known for all items being made from scratch, from their tortillas to their many kinds of salsa, art is also a central theme for the restaurant.

These dudes/dudettes (?) are life size and greet you on your way in...

 

 

 

Better than the scrumptious cuisine and the interesting art, the company of old friends was the best part of our day!

 

Thank you Mitzi and Alain for a perfect day!

Given we are considering this area for our retirement, Mike asked his all important question, "How bad are the bugs?"  The answer, "What bugs?".  A favorite tourist attraction as well as the reason the city is relatively insect free is what flies out from under the Congress Avene bridge between May and November.  We arrived just in time for one of their final flights of the year...

 

 

 

Better than watching them swarm away were the melodical sounds echoing from under the bridge as they excitedly head out to eat 30,000 pounds of insects.

A college town, a stop for the culture circuit, Austin is also the capitol of Texas.

 

We're hoping to play a highly recommended resort/country club, Barton Creek, before we leave town, but that is still in question.  Stay tuned!

 

 

Walnut Creek Country Club

Thanks to the kind folks at the World Am who solicited course suggestions for our trip last year, Ken and Sue invited us to play their private course, Walnut Creek, should our golf tour take us through the Dallas area.  For nine years Ken and Sue travel to Myrtle Beach where they both compete in the World Am and love it!

 

As members of Walnut Creek, Ken and Sue enjoy the many benefits of being part of a Club Corp facility, which allows them golfing and dining privileges at hundreds of clubs across the country.  As well, Walnut Creek offers two 18 hole championship courses for the members to play.  We opted to play the Pecan course, partly because it is the tougher of the two and partly because it is Sue's favorite.   Then there was the fact that a bunch of slow old men were playing the other one that day (her words, not mine).

The only problem wiith the Pecan course was that we were limited to 17 holes this day...

This is what you see at the second hole.

 

One of the maintenance crew mistakenly cut a gas line the other day so work is quickly going on to repair this beautiful par 3 hole.  Oh well, it was the 14th handicap hole so we wrote down our pars and moved on to the third hole.

A traditional lay out with water, trees, and traps to hinder your game we enjoyed the course which is maintained as one comes to expect of a private course--perfectly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pride of the course is the greens, which reminded us a little of the Pinehurst courses, though not quite as elevated.  Good luck getting an approach shot to stick.  My only hope for a short birdie putt was when the pin was in the back because no matter what, unless it was in a trap, the ball rolled to the back of the green.  Never did see a ball mark, mine or anyone's, on these concrete greens.  They do putt true, just ask Wilbur who got out of the stable three more times for me.  After the last two rounds Mike is actually referring to me as the putter of the family.  Wow, there's a funny statement!

 

 

Sorry, no photos of me bareback or of all of the traps I found...I'm the camera holder!

The wildlife on the course is hungry and ugly...

 

 

The ugly part isn't completely true.  The creature below was absolutely darling and made us feel guilty about ours back in the RV.

 

Dogs line the course and are well fed.  Here the players are known to carry bags of dog treats and unless you put a sign out that yours is watching her figure, expect a chubby happy pet if you live on one of the Walnut Creek courses.

We enjoyed our time with Ken and Sue which extended to an early dinner and drinks at their club afterward.  Their chef does magic with a salad and a gourmet club sandwich.  Those words, club sandwich, don't do this meal justice!

I had to try, with Mike's help, a flight of micro brews the club offers:

 

Given our campground was on their way home, we convinced Ken and Sue to stop by the rig for a couple of my bartender surprises.  What a very fun couple.  We're so glad Ken wrote to the World Am with his sincere invitation last year.  We're also thankful he remembered sending it!  We look forward to seeing them at the World Am next year in Myrtle Beach.  Thanks y'all!

We are now set up near Lake Travis in Austin where we have plans to go sailing with our friends Alain and Mitzi.  We hope to do some house hunting as Austin is on our radar screen if the home ever sells.  At many folks recommendation we are playing Barton Creek while here and spending half a day having our windshield repaired (sigh).  It's been the backboard for a lot of rocks and birds as we've traveled the 20,000+ miles this year.

 

Somewhere along our path is a nest full of baby birds saying, "Where's our supper!"

Last night I checked the map and we are 1292 miles from our front door!  It's taken a little while but I am full fledged homesick now.

We hope all are well!

The Cowboys Golf Club

With only a couple of days in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area we had to pick our course carefully.  Based on all of my notes and information from the locals, The Dallas Cowboy's course was the one public course to play while here.  It was a bit on the expensive side but the pro was kind enough to give us their twilight rate a little early.  What makes this different than any other place, besides all of the Cowboy memorabilia strewn about, is that they want you to feel like a member for a day.  For your greens fees you get all of the food and non alcoholic beverages you can stand.  We got there early enough to enjoy a free lunch, picked up Gatorades and Snicker bars from the cart girl, Mike had a hot dog at the turn and then we enjoyed dinner at the club afterward.  I'd say we got our money's and calories worth here at this shrine for their NFL team.

 

Placards throughout the course speak to their greatness (of years past).

 

I particularly liked the tee markers...

 

As for the course, it was a piece of cake after having had our butts handed to us at Sugar Tree.  Wide open and rough that acted like a tee for your ball, it was kind of hard to screw up.

 

Naturally from the tips it wasn't quite the cake walk as it was from the Forward tees.

 

 

With the par three's typically over 200 yards, the big guy was a little more challenged than I was.

 

We were fortunate to be paired up with a couple of easy going, fun loving Texans, Chuck and Larry.

 

What's that spot on the fairway behind them?  More Cowboy pride.

 

We were surprised and delighted to find a few elevated tees and hilly fairways here in Dallas.

 

 

It was fun to induct an unsuspecting Texan into the birdie horsie club.  After a gorgeous approach shot and a perfect putt, it was time for Larry to giddyup!

 

 

The greens were in great shape and did the rolling for us (fast).  All I had to do was get the ball going in the right direction and in the cup it went.  Consequently I was saddle sore from all of the birdie rides.  Of course it helped that every one of my errant shots (there were plenty) had a lucky bounce.  Had it not been for a sand trap or two Mike would have been taking me out for a banana split for a record round.  Dang!

Check out these near perfect greens...

 

 

 

Often well guarded...

 

 

Picked up yet another for the cart path coffee table book...

 

With the autumn colors just beginning to flare, it made for some beautiful scenery.

 

 

 

 

Cowboys Golf Club was a unique experience.  Not sure if I'd say it's the best course in Dallas as we have nothing to compare to, but it was fun and user friendly.  Big thumbs up for all of the free food, snacks, and sodas!  A fun foursome also makes for a great round!  You may even get hooked up with a real cowboy if you play golf in Texas...

 

Our first night in town Mike took me down to the Stockyards.  

 
 

While there we stopped into the world's largest honkey tonk, Billy Bob's.

 

The place is huge with never ending bars, dance classes, and on the weekends real bull riding.

 

 

An interesting part of town marking a big part of Texas' cattle and cowboy history.

 

You never know what you'll see.

 

 

I was offered a ride on that Long Horn, but opted for this instead...

 

Mike's favorite part of the Stockyards were the All You Can Eat Beef Ribs at a place called Risky's.  They didn't know what they were getting into with the $9.95 price and Mike walking through their door.  Apparently they tasted pretty good too though leaner than he typically likes.

We're definitely enjoying our short time in this area.  Stay tuned for the next review--Walnut Creek Country Club with Ken and Sue!

Sugar Tree Golf Club, Lipan, Texas

Over a year ago, the assistant pro for Sugar Tree Golf Club invited us to the hidden gem he worked at, if we could find it.  Thanks to our detour to see Toddie in Odessa, Lipan was on our way to Dallas (40 miles west) so we stopped in on Robert to see if his course was indeed the gem he said it was.  A lot can happen in a year and now Robert is the Head Pro.  He didn't quite remember sending the note through the World Am site, but still treated us to a round of golf and put us up in his overflow parking lot for the night.

 

All of the guys at the club gave us a big warm Texas welcome.

 

Thanks to Ron and Austin, a golf cart was at our beck and call throughout our 24 hour stay.

 

 

Beyond the wonderful hospitality, lets talk about this course which has hosted Senior Men's Open Qualifiers and is now home to the Adams/Adidas Ft. Worth Classic.

 

It was everything Robert promised.  We could see how it can host any professional tournament as we both posted one of our highest rounds.  Partly the wind, but not knowing the course was a huge factor in our downfall.  What we thought were good drives often put us behind old oak trees for the approach shots.

 

 

Water was everywhere which made for some beautiful cart bridges for my cart path coffee table book.

 

 

 

 

Yep, that's a "ride on water" bridge...

 

Water was prominent onthe par 3's.

 

Of course, it's nice to wear a skirt and enjoy about 100 yards advantage on this hole.

 

Their signature hole, a par three that features water as well as remnants from the area's history (old grist wheel and what's left of an old school house) is a beautiful hole.

 

Across the street and far from the green, it's tough to see from the tips.  Easier to see from the forward tee.

 

Very cool!

 

If your tee shot is short, but not too short, you may be left with a perilous chip.

 

I feel sorry for the maintenance guy that has to mow that piece of the course!

The best part about this course was the condition, from tee to green it was flawless.

 

 

 

 

 

I have three words to say about those greens: fast, fast, and perfect.

The guy that owns Sugar Tree is a guy after my heart.  He built five holes around his home and adjacent to the course.  I was sorry to learn that this island green belonged to him so we didn't get to play it!

 

On the 17th hole, Austin caught up and played the last couple of holes with us.

 

Word has it around town that he took the title of the cutest baby in Texas from his father.  I don't know about that...all I do know is that I want his swing!

 

It was a wonderful experience and one we'd highly recommend to golfers traveling near the Dallas/ Fort Worth area.

After golf we enjoyed a beer on the back porch.

 

Thank you, Robert, Ron, Austin, and everyone who made this stop such a treat for us!

This afternoon we are off to play at the Dallas Cowboys' Golf Course!  Tomorrow we have been invited by another World Am compadre, Ken, to play Walnut Creek Country Club with him before we make the drive down to Austin.  Stay tuned for those reviews!

Slowly but surely we are making our way home...

 

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way Through Texas

We finally got a chance to enjoy my Aunt Clare's recommendation in Fabens, Texas-- Cattleman's Steakhouse.  Unless you know about it, you'll never find it.  We were also given the heads up that they offer overnight RV parking with a great desert view.

 

 

A Disneyland for steak lovers, this working ranch and often movie set is quite the destination.

 

 

 

 

Arguably the best steak we've ever tasted, perhaps because the meat is so fresh from cattle who enjoy tons of elbow room...

 

By 5:00 this restaurant in the middle of nowhere (5 miles off I-10) was packed.

 

Great food, a fun atmosphere in and out, and a quiet place to rest our heads with one of the original RV'ers,

 

Cattleman's Steakhouse and ranch in Fabens was one of our best food/sleep pit stops!

We had barely crossed the border from New Mexico into Texas when Mike's cousin's satellite tracker must have gone off signaling our arrival into Texas. Mike's phone rang and it was Toddie inviting us to stop by to see her at her new home in Odessa.  Her tracker, aka, this blog, gave Toddie the heads up that we were entering the great state of Texas.  For those who have been following our travels all year, you may remember we visited Toddie and her mother, Barbie, while through Fredericksburg, VA in May.  Since then, Toddie has moved to Odessa to begin a life with her fiance, Michael.  Our homeward plans would have to wait so we could meet Michael and check on Toddie. 

With ten acres, Michael and Toddie offered us another quiet peaceful place to park our pillows.

 

Better than a quiet slumber, Toddie whipped up a home cooked meal for our first night.  I am embarrased to admit that I had THREE servings of her green chile casserole.

 

It was great to  meet Michael who was very welcoming of these weary travelers. We got the added pleasure of meeting their fur children, the twin puppies, Tinker and Bella (chihuahua & poodle mix).

 

 

 

Knowing we are on a golf trek, Toddie made a few calls and learned that the best course in town is Ratliff Ranch Golf Links. Unfortunately they were booked until 3:00 so that course was out.  We did the next best thing and checked our GPS for the closest course...mistake.  Sunset Country Club, although close by, at $35 was about $30 too much.  I had thought I'd played a dog patch or two in my life, but now I KNOW I have.  For $1.50 in quarters you can get a coffee can full of chewed up range balls.

 

Open with no bunkers or hazards of any kind, the course gave us a much needed chance to swing the club (we only played once this week!).

 

 

At first I thought the course was dormant, but then I realized the maintenance crew went on strike five years ago and never notified the clubhouse.  First time I lost a ball that landed in the middle of the fairway!

Although there were no hazards in the traditional sense, we decided to take free drops when our fairway bound drive landed on top of the Queen ant.

 

The greens, with 3 or 4 sprinkler heads throughout them, were, well, green.  They were soft and shaggy and probably ruined us for our next round of golf.

 

That's about all I can say about Sunset Country Club, not a highlight of our trip, but good practice for me at hitting off of dirt.

After a thankfully quick round of golf, we said good bye to Michael as he had to fly off to Houston for work.  Toddie gave us a tour of Odessa which included a stop at the famous stadium from the hit movie and TV show, Friday Night Lights.

 

We had more good Mexican food followed by a quiet evening in, getting caught up with Toddie over Mike-arita's.

 

Thank you Toddie and Michael for your warm Texas style hospitality!

 

We are now en route to the Dallas/Ft Worth area where we have a number of invitations and course recommendations thanks to the World Am note that went out last year about this time.  No dog patches in our future!

Happy Trails!