VANDEMIC – June 5-15, 2020

It wasn’t supposed to work out this way. Then again, I suppose the only control we ever have over events is the illusion of control. To begin with, this trip to Texas was planned to be a quick outing squeezed in just before a big Ireland-Scotland adventure with our friends, Paul and Laura, scheduled for April/May. With the Covid-19 shutdown, the Ireland trip was scuttled (along with all the hard work and planning put in by Laura and Karen), and the Texas trip was postponed indefinitely.

The original Texas plan:  My friends, George, Roxanne, and Zone the Dog (who live in Florida), were going to drive to Austin, TX in late March to pick up a brand new Mercedes Sprinter Van that was being outfitted by Sportsmobile, a custom van conversion factory. My friend, Mark (who lives here in Southern California), was going to fly from Orange County to Austin to meet George and buy George’s old van (a 2007 Sprinter Sportsmobile camper conversion), then drive it back to California. I was going to accompany Mark. We all were going to spend a couple of days camping together in the Austin area and then return to our respective homes.

The way it turned out, along with the rest of the story:  Sportsmobile was shut down completely until late May. Once George got the word that work on his van was nearing completion, he and Roxanne headed for Austin. Mark and I scheduled our flight for a week after George’s arrival in order to give him time to drive the new van around and work out any bugs that might pop up.

Mask ON/Mask OFF – “Austin, We Have A Problem…” - Friday, June 5, 2020 - I’d heard anecdotal reports that airlines were carefully controlling social distancing, and in many cases, were allowing center seats to remain empty to help with this. When Mark and I arrived at the airport, decked out in our N-95 face masks and medical goggles, we were surprised to find out that our flight was completely full – so full that they were checking carry-on bags. The only real difference I noticed from the B.C. days (before Covid-19), was the little snack bag handed to us as we boarded the plane. Otherwise, we were all elbow-to-elbow and packed into the long aluminum tube. I will say that all passengers and crew wore face coverings and they kept them on during the flight (for the most part).

Once in Austin, we saw a more relaxed approach to the shutdown. Texas has been opening up for the past few weeks and they seem to be ahead of us Californians in that regard. Interestingly, the local Austin newspaper was running stories about recent spikes in Covid-19 diagnoses while we were there – is that the result of too much, too soon? That’s a whole other discussion. Anyway, our Uber driver (who was not wearing her mask) told us stories of her 25 years of teaching elementary school in Boston, MA and her subsequent return to her home state of Texas, all while driving through heavy Austin traffic to get us to Sportsmobile.

 On the other hand, when we got to Sportsmobile the staff would not even let us into their office until they had taken our temperature. Speaking of temperature, it was very hot and very humid outside as George, Roxanne, Mark and I stood sweating in the parking lot discussing plans for the remainder of the day. Here is where we learned that our plans would need to be quite fluid going forward.

George’s new van was having some electrical issues related to the dual alternator set up. The repair staff were stumped by as-yet-unidentified electric gremlins, and they were working hard to resolve the problems before closing time. In the meantime, Mark jumped behind the wheel of George’s old van to check it out. As soon as he put the key in the ignition a series of warnings popped up on the instrument display. The van started, however, and he backed it out onto the street. The repair techs came over to look at it, but all they could do was to scratch their heads in wonder. The prevailing theory was that everything should be fine and it was just a matter of ‘clearing the codes’ on the engine computer.

The figurative work-bell was ringing as the clock wound down to 5:00PM on a Friday afternoon. It was clear that neither van was going to be fully ready by closing time. Since both vans were presumed to be driveable, we agreed to return on Monday when the shop reopened to work out the remaining bugs. With that, we headed off toward Jim Hogg campground located about 20 miles north of Austin to spend the weekend.

The ‘plan’ was for George and Roxanne to stop at a well-known BBQ place and pick up some dinner for us to eat at the campsite. Because Mark and I had just our carry-on luggage with no camping gear, we planned to stop at a Wal-Mart to pick up some inexpensive sleeping bags and other camping items.

As soon as Mark and I (in the old van) got to a road with a speed limit higher than 40 mph, we realized there was more than a minor problem with the van. We could not get out of second gear, and we could not exceed 40 mph. We reset the GPS to take us on a non-highway route to the nearest Wal-Mart. When we walked up to the store entrance, a cheerful employee informed us that this was the last day of the abbreviated store schedule and they had closed at 5:00PM. He told us we could come back in the morning and do our shopping.

By this time, we had spent the majority of a very long day wrapped in masks, herded into tiny cramped spaces, standing around in sweltering heat, and having eaten next to nothing. On top of this, the van was not working properly. We moved the van under the shade of a tree in the Wal-Mart parking lot and starting trying to figure out if we could fix the issue ourselves by clearing the warning codes.

I brought up a YouTube video on my phone that purported to show how this was done. With Mark behind the wheel and me holding the phone for him to see the video, we spent about a half hour going through all the steps. As often happens in these DIY situations, there was a steep learning curve, along with the struggle of trying to hear the low-quality audio and see the grainy video. In the end, we concluded that clearing the codes was not going to fix the problem. Apparently, when these Mercedes diesel engines sense problems, they will sometimes go into what’s called ‘limp mode’. The hallmark of limp mode is a limit to how fast you can drive the vehicle.

So, we limped for twenty miles to the campground amid rush-hour-beginning-of-the-weekend traffic. As various drivers flashed angry hand signals to us when they passed us from behind, Mark and I were reminded of all the years we spent driving the old 1969 VW Westphalia camper (where limp mode is the standard mode).

When we got to the campground, we learned that George and Roxanne had stopped at the BBQ place only to find it closed, despite the website saying it was open for business. The back-up meal that night was grocery store chicken, along with several beers. It was a fitting end to a perfect day.

Chillin’ At The Lake - Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7, 2020 –  Due to the virus shutdown, local campgrounds had only started to open within the past few days. There was so much demand for sites that very few were available. Luckily, George and Roxanne were able to find us sites in the Georgetown Lakes area. These are Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds with electrical and water hook-ups. The cost for seniors ranged between $11 and $13 per night, and one of the nights was free because we got to stay in an ‘emergency’ overflow site. As we would soon learn however, these would be the only low-cost nights we’d spend in the Austin area.

Over the weekend we got in a couple of hikes and some swimming in the lake. The 5 mile Crockett Gardens hike gave us the chance to cool off in the fern grotto waterfall.

One Down, One To Go - Monday, June 8, 2020 –  We got up bright and early and arrived at Sportsmobile just as they opened. Our hearts were full of hope that the vans would be fixed by mid-morning and we’d be on our way. George, Roxanne, Mark and I set up some chairs on a shady street corner across from the shop and waited – and waited – and waited. At mid-day, the mechanics told George they had more or less resolved his electrical problems, which turned out to be a voltage imbalance between the secondary alternator and the coach air-conditioning unit.

Shortly thereafter, a mechanic walked across the street carrying an electronic component that had water dripping from it. This turned out to be the transmission control module from the old van. It had somehow become soaked with water, probably as the result of the auto detailer/cleaner who readied the van for sale to Mark. It was damaged beyond repair.

Sportsmobile ordered a part from the local Mercedes dealer and told us it would arrive the next day, and that once installed, it could only be reprogrammed by a certified Mercedes expert. They said the van would be ready by Wednesday. By this time, we’d spent most of Monday sitting outside on a street corner in an industrial area. George suggested we get hotel rooms for the next two nights since he’d be able to be reimbursed by AAA due to the on-road travel emergency.

We ended up at the ALoft Hotel in what is called the ‘Domaine’. It’s a large shopping area with hotels and restaurants catering to the people who live and work in this part of the city (lots of tech companies around here). After dinner at a Thai restaurant (we had to ring a bell to be allowed entry to the dining area, where we removed our masks to eat), we called it a day.

Touring The Hill Country - Tuesday, June 9, 2020 – I had planned to visit my cousin Don, his wife Brenda, and my aunt, Auntie, at some point during our return trip to California. Since we were stuck for the next few days, I rented a car in Austin so that Mark and I could drive down to Mico to visit Don. We took the long way there and got to see Johnson City (as in LBJ, the erstwhile U.S. President), Fredericksburg (where we had lunch at a local microbrewery), Driftwood (home to Jill Jones, Mark’s favorite western singer-songwriter), and Bandera (self-styled cowboy capital of Texas). Many businesses in these towns were still shut down, but there was a sense that general business activity was beginning to start up again.

Don and Brenda live in a remote area west of San Antonio. Their property sits on a hill with expansive views of the surrounding juniper-covered terrain. They have done a lot of work to improve on the landscaping (Brenda) and the buildings (Don). This includes the casita Don fixed up so that Auntie could move here from California this past winter. We had a nice visit and Brenda cooked us dinner before we returned to Austin for the night.

Ground Hog Day - Wednesday, June 10, 2020 – We learned that the transmission control module had not arrived on Tuesday, but it would arrive today, and the van could still be ready by this afternoon. We spent the day in our room and in the hotel lobby until we found out the part had still not arrived. We booked some hotel rooms at a neighboring La Quinta Inn and moved there for the night.

And Then There Were Three - Thursday, June 11, 2020 – In the morning, Sportsmobile told us the van had been moved to the local Mercedes dealer in Georgetown, where work was currently being performed with the hope of completion by end of the day. With nothing else to do, we took a morning walk in the extensive network of suburban greenbelt trails near the Domaine. They have some slithery creatures in the lakes and creeks around here. Check out the Diamondback Water Snake (non-venomous) below.

Late in the afternoon, we got a call from Sportsmobile telling us the van was repaired and ready for pick up (they paid the bill). They also asked if we could pick up another of their vans at the dealer and return it. When we explained that it was too late in the day for us to both pick up and return their van, they agreed to let us take the extra van (a brand new 2019 Mercedes Sprinter) to the campground for the night and return it the next morning.

In the course of just a couple of hours, we’d gone from having only one vehicle, to now having three! We somehow squeezed all three of the behemoths into one campsite. Mark and George completed the sales transaction, we had a celebratory dinner, and went to sleep dreaming of the open road.

Austin Again! - Camping at the Bates Motel? - Friday, June 12, 2020 – Early in the morning, George and Roxanne headed east for Florida, and we – well, we went back to Austin. We had to drop off the extra van, and Mark needed to have some air-conditioning work done on his van. Fortunately, a mechanic was available first thing in the morning and, after a hearty Mexican food breakfast, we were driving northwest on Highway 87 toward the New Mexico border.

Late in the afternoon, after a large meal at the Bodacious BBQ in San Angelo, we called ahead to Big Springs State Park to see if we could get a campsite for the night. The park ranger, Ron, told us there had not been campsites at that location for the past couple of years. He then asked questions about what highway we were on and which direction we were going and what type of vehicle we were driving.

After a few more questions, he said he could help us out with a site for the night as long as we were OK with having the park locked up overnight, which meant that we could not leave until he unlocked the gates the next morning. He told us he occasionally likes to help out travelers who are not able to easily get to more populated areas where campsites are available. He told us to call him when we got closer to the park and he’d get us set up. Over the phone he had a somewhat quirky lilt to his voice that somehow reminded me of Anthony Perkins’ character, Norman Bates, in that famous Alfred Hitchcock film. I tried not to think about it too much as we drove toward the park, although I was somewhat relieved when I remembered Ranger Ron had mentioned there were no showers in the park...

Big Spring State Park sits on top of a large limestone hill in the middle of the west Texas oil country. Built by the CCC in the 1930’s it has a commanding view oil wells and wind turbines. It is set up for day use only, and looks like it mostly serves local residents who come here to jog, walk or hike its many trails. We were the only people camping in the park overnight. We met Ranger Ron just before sundown. And (to my relief) he was a friendly and knowledgeable guy, who grew up in Santa Cruz, CA and has been a resident ranger at this park for the past 28 years. He told us there’d be no cost for camping. We left a donation in the drop box, anyway.

Jungle Men – Mountains - Mushroom Clouds - Questionable Lodging – Saturday, June 13, 2020 – In the morning, we took off westward on the very rural Highway 176 toward New Mexico. This is real oil country with lots of oil wells, lots of wind, and lots of wind turbines (like the ones you see in Palm Springs, CA). We passed through Tarzan, TX, which apparently was named after the jungle guy, but there seems to be no explanation for why this wide spot in the road has his name – there’s not a tree anywhere near here.

We caught Highway 180 through Carlsbad (the caverns are closed) and then north to Highway 82, which climbs into the Sacramento Mountains to the alpine resort town of Cloudcroft at 8500+ feet of elevation. The 65 degree temperature up there gave us some temporary relief from the 90+ degree heat at lower elevation. Another thing we noticed was the lack of humidity once we got into New Mexico – it’s much easier to tolerate the heat here.

After leaving Cloudcroft, we quickly dropped down to 5000 feet elevation and turned north on Highway 54 to Carrizozo, NM. Carrizozo is an interesting little town that had the twin misfortunes of (1) having passenger railroad traffic go away several years ago, and (2) being near enough to the ‘Trinity Site’ in the White Sands Missile Range to be the recipient of radioactive fallout when the first-ever atomic bomb was detonated. You can purchase ‘atomic glass’ at several roadside rock shops along the area highways.

Despite this, the little town has become a haven for various artistic types. Being an artist himself, Mark’s interest was piqued. We stopped to walk through the old main street and look at the historic, but somewhat dilapidated, buildings. One of these buildings appeared to house an art studio with an artist and his girlfriend in residence. Mark stopped to talk with him through a screen door and it quickly became apparent that in this art studio, clothing was optional (did the folks back in Tarzan, TX know this fellow?). While I wandered down the street snapping photos, Mark got up to speed on the local art scene, which includes painters, sculptors, and ceramicists.

From here, we took Highway 380 west to Interstate 25 and on up to Soccoro, NM. By this time, it was late in the day, the sky to the west was so dark it was almost black, and we could see lightening off in the distance. We decided to stay in a motel here for the night. The decision to stay in town was good. The choice of our motel (I’ll accept responsibility, but I’ll use road fatigue as a mitigating factor) was not so good.

After some haggling over the price of the room, we were given one card key. The key did not work. After trying to fix the lock (which by this time was hanging from the door by some wiring), the motel manager asked me if we really needed a room key – his reasoning was that he was on site 24/7 and all we had to do was see him to get back into our room. With an incredulous stare, I told him we’d paid for a room and that meant we’d also paid for a room with a key. At that point the manager’s wife came out and told us we could move to the room next door. The new room was ‘technically’ an upgrade, but in this case upgrade was an extremely relative term. The evening was partially redeemed when we found a great steakhouse just down the street, where we had enough food for dinner, as well as lunch the next day.

E.T. - Pi? - Omega? - Found Some T.P. - Everybody Sing Along! – Sunday, June 14, 2020 –We bid a not-so-fond farewell to Soccoro early this morning and got on Highway 60 west toward the Arizona border. This remote road took us up onto the Plains of St. Augustine (an ancient inland lake bed) to the site of the V.L.A., which is the Very Large Array. It’s quite a sight to come over a ridge and behold 27 huge radio telescopes spread across the open plain. For you film fans, you may know that the movie, ‘Contact’, starring Jodie Foster, was partially filmed here.

We continued west up into the Gallinas Mountains and through the delicious sounding Pie Town. Sadly, the baker was gone. Just before leaving New Mexico, perhaps appropriately, we passed through the town of Omega.

At Highway 77 we turned north and began a slow descent into Holbrook, AZ, which is located along old Route 66, where we stopped for a quick tour of an iconic motel, then had a picnic lunch under the canopy of an abandoned gas station. From there, we jumped onto I-40 and motored west past Meteor Crater and made a quick visit to Walnut Canyon National Monument.

Our trip through Walnut Canyon exemplified the continuing confusion surrounding the opening of our National Parks. The park ranger explained that there would be no entrance fee charged because the park was operating on a ‘limited service’ basis. For Walnut Canyon, that meant we could not go down to the inner-canyon trail to view the cliff dwellings. This is because the NPS couldn’t figure out a way to deal with all the hand rails and tight walkways amid the Covid-19 outbreak. They did manage to keep the restrooms available, however, by limiting their use to one person at a time. Knock first, hope for an answer, then enter…

Our ‘plan’ was to also visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, so we asked the Walnut Canyon ranger if it was open. He told us that he thought it was open, but that we should call ahead to be sure. He said that a couple of weeks ago, he’d told his immediate family the Grand Canyon was open. They came out from San Diego, CA only to find the park closed. He said he’s probably never going to live that one down, especially since his family continues to remind him that he’s a ranger and he should know what’s going on – sounds like the NPS is just like any other large organization when it comes to intra-departmental communication.

With the sun beginning to make its way to the western horizon, we followed it toward the Grand Canyon. Of course, no one answered the phone at the ranger station, but we decided to go for it anyway. After a 45 minute traffic delay near Flagstaff, we got to Williams and turned north toward the South Rim entrance to Grand Canyon National Park.

The traffic on Highway 64 was very light and we made it to the South Rim in short order. The rangers at the park entrance here were all wearing face masks (the ranger at Walnut Canyon had not been wearing any face covering) and told us there was no entrance fee. After a brief drive, we arrived at the Mather Point Overlook parking area.

The South Rim, Bright Angel, and Grand Canyon Village areas are usually overflowing with vehicles and tourists, especially in June. This is not your typical June here:  The parking lots, which are designed for large capacity, were virtually empty. The park roads were eerily devoid of traffic. Many of the people who came in today brought bicycles with them, since none of the park shuttles were operating. The shops and stores were closed.

Despite the small crowds, there was still some ‘bunching up’ at the observation areas on the canyon rim. We saw the usual assortment of international tourists with selfie sticks, Instagram celebrity wannabe’s posing for glamour selfie shots, and young families trying to get the kids to stand still long enough for photos. After taking a few selfies ourselves, we headed back toward Williams to find a motel for the night.

Wary from the previous night’s experience, we took more care in selecting a motel in the historic downtown of Williams. It was nearing dusk on a Sunday night, so we asked the motel manager for recommendations of restaurants in town that would be open late. She gave us the names of a few, but when we called them they were closed.

Right across the street from us was the Longhorn Saloon (we wondered why this was not one of the recommendations), which was open until late in the evening, and that’s where we ate. You know it’s going to be a good experience when all the walls and ceiling are covered in $1 bills, the jukebox is blasting country western tunes, and all the locals are there sharing stories at the tops of their lungs.

We heard about the problems of staging a passenger train hold-up (if you ride the train from Williams to the South Rim, you get treated to an old-fashioned western shoot-out at the train station, and then a train robbery at the half-way point of the trip) by one of the local cowboy re-enactors, who was bemoaning the staffing shortage caused by the Covid-19 crisis. At the other end of the bar, a fellow decked out in full cowboy regalia (who bore a striking resemblance to the actor, Peter Dinklage) was holding court. To top it off, a very large guy wearing a bright green T-shirt and showing the classic signs of exceeding a .08 BAC, was shouting out in a booming baritone to all patrons, that his favorite singer was Englebert Humperdinck. He then gave us an excruciating a cappella version of an unrecognizable Englebert song. Hey, the food and beer were good and the entertainment was free!

Mechanical Issue or Maintenance Issue? -  Back Home Again - Monday, June 15, 2020 –It was 44 degrees just before dawn when we left Williams. We’d noticed a noise coming from the engine compartment yesterday, and Mark thought it might be the power steering pump. We found a gas station that sold power steering fluid and, after once again consulting a YouTube video, we added the fluid in accordance with Mercedes recommendations. Thankfully, that solved the problem and we had a problem-free drive back home.

Along the way, we rode on old Route 66 through Seligman and up the steep and tortuous road to Oatman (where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard once stayed, and where today, wild burros now run the town), and then back onto the interstate to Orange County.

Although this was not the trip we envisioned, we managed to keep moving forward – even if it wasn’t always a straight line to our destination.