Made it to Albuquerque

May 21 – There was no rush to leave since we were only 2 hours from Albuquerque.  After breakfast of Kelly McMuffins and fruit, I started making calls about the window while Bill got the RV ready for travel.  I spoke to the window manufacturer, who told me to contact the distributor, who told me to contact the manufacturer of our RV for the specific ID number of the window.  I had to leave a message for him so we headed out.  We fueled up before getting on I-40 again at about 9:15.  We were one of the last to leave the campground.

The ride was pretty uneventful.  We wanted to return the 50 amp cord we bought in Ft Worth to the Camping World in Albuquerque, which is 10 miles further than our exit.  When we got there I called the Forest River guy again so if he could not help us we could have the service department at Camping World take a look.  I got the guy and he gave me all the info on the window.  We did our return and bought a new rack for the RV ladder to carry our 6 foot ladder and if we want we can put lawn chairs on it also.  Before we left I called the distributor back and gave him the info.  New problem:  half of the hinge stays on the window casing and half stay with the pane that we need.  Bill unscrewed the hinge from the frame to get the dangling piece off.  The rep said unless we can take the pieces apart we would have to get an entire new window as the pane only comes with half the hinge and it slides into the other part.  So once we got parked and had lunch we looked at the piece.  Unfortunately to store it in the hold, Bill had to bend it and he bent it in the middle of the hinge.  He straightened it and I was able to hammer them apart, but that doesn’t mean we can get them back together.  I decided to call the manufacturer back and beg for the other part but with the 2 hour time difference they were closed.  Will try again in the morning.  Ugh!

The area here at Bernalillo

We’re parked for 2 nights at the Bernalillo Sheriff’s Posse Arena facility.  We stayed here 2 years ago when we came for the Balloon Fiesta.  The location is great, in town and close to every thing and the price is reasonable.  Had we come a day sooner we could have watched the calf roping competition.  It’s not a fancy place and this time we are the only ones here.  The caretaker family lives here and they are the same folks as before and are very nice.

The view of Sandia Peak from our RV

After settling in we went to Wal-mart to get some groceries and to the pet store to get some Greenies for Xena that were left home.  We considered going out to dinner but I bought a small tub of potato salad, corn on the cob and Hot Links, so Bill said we could have that and go out tomorrow instead.  I worked on the blog and trying to get my HP little printer to work.  I have tried and tried but can only get the color to work.  At least I bought the extended warranty so will take it back to Office Max tomorrow.

Arriving in New Mexico

Leaves where there were none last night

May 20 – Bill couldn’t wait to get up today and survey the damage. A few dings in the truck but no real damage to the RV. I got on the roof and checked and swept off a lot of leaves. One of the gutter spouts was off and one was cracked and I accidentally broke one with the broom. No rain got in our repaired window. There were lots of leaves covering the ground.

We had cereal today so we could get going. It was pretty chilly out this morning. Enough so we got jackets out. Big change from the past week. Made it on the road at 8:30, continuing west. We stopped at 9:30 for fuel at the exit where we had planned to visit Washita National Battlefield. Once we stopped I thought it sounded really familiar so I went in the RV and checked my National Parks Book and we went there in 2009. So that saved us a couple of hours as it’s 30 miles off the interstate.

We stopped at the Texas Welcome Station and it was really windy but the sun was trying to come out. We had expected to be driving in lots of rain by now. Just sprinkled enough to make you put the wipers on the lowest setting. We knew the change of plans for the day was putting us in at our RV park way early so we called and moved it from Vega, TX to Tucumcari, NM. We drove through Amarillo and from the road saw the famous Cadillac Ranch that we visited several years ago. It’s 6 old Cadillac embedded part way in the ground, nose first, all in a row and people bring spray paint and paint names and designs on them, over and over.

At the New Mexico Welcome Station I picked up some NM travel information and a cup of coffee. We opened the slides and had lunch. Bill had his leftover Subway and I had a salad with the last of my turkey. Now we figured we still would be really early since the time changed again once we got into NM. So we called and cancelled Tucumcari and made a reservation in Santa Rosa, NM. That puts us just 120 miles to Albuquerque, but that gives us time to try and order a window. We did stop in Tucumcari at the K-Mart for packing tape, duct tape, garbage bags and a cardboard box.

The sun going down but I didn't get
the eclipse

We camped at Santa Rosa Campground and it’s OK. The pads are gravel and not the most level and they said you may not get the local channels on the cable and you have to pay extra for it, so we opted for a 30 Amp space and no cable. Our antenna worked fine so we could watch the new 2 hours Jesse Stone movie with Tom Selleck. First order of business was to work on the window. By the time we stopped for the day the exterior layer of plastic was about off. I traced the screen on the cardboard and we cut it out, actually we made 4, in case we have to repeat the process. We bagged it from each end with the garbage bags and taped it very securely. Then I taped it in the outside of the window first with package tape and then 2 rounds of duct tape and then another layer of package tape. On the inside I had to take the board off and put the screen back in better and put the board back up. I sure hope this holds til we get to CO. We decided for sure to have the window shipped to us as there are only 10 screws that hold it on and the holes are predrilled so it should be simple so we don’t have to hook up the RV once we are settled in and take it into Durango. For dinner I made venison stuffed peppers. I had 3 nice bell peppers from my garden so I used them and made a small casserole dish of stuffing for me. That will be enough for 2 meals. I had to improvise on the recipe. I had no spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce, so I cooked a can of diced tomatoes in with the meat and added herbs for seasoning and at the end stirred in some catsup and put some on top of the peppers once stuffed. Bill said they were really good, so guess I’ll have an alternate recipe when the need arises again.

After Jesse Stone we showered at the bathhouse and Bill did up all the dishes. We won’t be in a rush to leave in the morning as we have some phone calls to make so we know who is going to order our window.

The good, the bad and the ugly in Oklahoma

May 19 – We were up at 7 and on the road by just after 8, so that’s a good start for us.  We just had smoothies with our Magic Bullet.  We had some touring planned for the day so wanted to get an early start.  Our first break was the Oklahoma Welcome Center.  As Bill got out of the truck he saw our window at the computer desk was flopping.  It’s an escape window and the latch must have gotten bumped by the printer and opened it and the wind pulled the latch out of the hole.  No damage!  I got to have a delicious coffee with almond toffee creamer there.  They gave huge servings.  Bill had to settle once again for a Snapple.

After the bombing

Bronze memorial chairs

On our excursion through Oklahoma we passed through the home towns of Garth Brooks, Toby Keith and Will Rogers.  Our plan was to eat in the RV once we parked in Oklahoma City at the National Memorial and Museum, but I really had to find a bathroom from drinking that coffee, so we stopped just before Oklahoma City and fueled up and got a Subway sub for Bill and a salad for me.  We parked across the street at the big casino and ate, then headed on to Oklahoma City.  We called for parking information for the RV and were directed to a specific lot.  Well, we got right to it and the opening was so narrow, well, I pushed the ticket button and started in and Bill said I was going to hit the RV on his side, so he got out and told me to back it up on the road, and I did.  I was kinda pleased that I did it on the first try and he just hopped in and we circled the block and went to the first lot we passed that you didn’t have to go through an armed gate.  We just had to stick money in the slot along the sidewalk.  We put one side of slides out and turned the vent fan on and put Molly and Xena in the RV.  It was not hot out and we only allotted 2 hours for our visit.  The memorial is tothe victims of the bombing of the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building by Timothy McVeigh.  It was truly one of the most emotional places I have ever been.  It ranked right up there with Dachau and the Holocaust Museum.  It just broke my heart to read the stories.  One woman was there with her mother and two children to sign up for her youngest son’s social security number.  Her mother and children died and she had tohave her lower leg amputated by an orthopedic surgeon on the site in order to get her out.  The lives of these people, like those who survived 9-11, will never be the same.  The museum was so well laid out, with many personal items found in the rubble and even sections of beams and walls from the building. 

Reflection Pool

The outside memorial is beautiful and so serene.  It’s called The Gates of Time and it’s a reflection pool and on one side there are bronze chairs in rows, signifying by the row what floor of the building that person was on when they died.  Then spaced down a bit from them are other chairs for those who died that were not inside the building but on the sidewalks and even one nurse who was helping and fell and hit her head and died 4 days later.  It was just a very sad place to see, but will leave a lasting impression.

My inside repair job

We only had 80 miles to go to our RV stop, Hargus RV in Clinton, OK, so we expected to get there by 4:30.  NOT!  We were only about 15 miles away and a guy passed us and honked and motioned us off the road.  That is not a good sign.  Bill got out and our bedroom window had literally blown out.  We were in shock.  From those darn bumps on the interstate, the same thing happened to this window.  Only it had gotten really windy out and I guess the direction of it was stronger.  The screen was laying on the bed and the wood blinds kinda dangling but still attached.  The frame of the window had no glass and was half curled up and scraping the side of the RV in the wind.  We had no way to cut the frame off, so we bent it around and into the bedroom and secured it under the bike (so it was handy after all).  We taped a plastic bag on the outside of the window.  I was laying on the bed and dresser hanging out the window trying to tape the top and sides in the wind.  Not an easy task and definitely not a fun one.  We couldn’t put the slides out since we were barely off the interstate.  I just drove slower than normal to our exit and as soon as we stopped, Bill got out he said it didn’t hold at all.  Once we got parked in our space, he took the ladder down and our neighbor, such a friendly and helpful man, loaned us more tape, his drill, and a piece of wood.  Bill unscrewed the part that was still attached and we slid the screen into 2 bags and taped all around it and snapped it back in from the inside.  Then the piece of wood was just long enough and had holes already drilled so we put it across the window from the inside to secure the screen.  Monday we will call Forest River and see if they will ship us a new window to CO.  If not we will stop in Albuquerque at Camping World and have them order one I guess.  By now I’ve lost count of all out bad luck.  But it doesn’t end with the window!  Hargus RV is OK.  Not big and the sites are gravel and somewhat level.  We were surprised they had cable TV but didn't bother to hook it up for the night and knowing we might get a storm.  When you get out on those plains, there isn't always a lot of choice.  They didn't have a bath house so we used our shower, which is a bit of a pain as I keep my herb garden in there.

It was after 7 by the time we finished up, so Bill ate his leftovers and I had a big salad with the last of the rotisserie chicken.  The neighbor said the weather radio said strong winds and rain were north of us and might be headed our direction.  Well, the wind wasn’t so bad but the hail lasted 30 minutes.  It was the size of large marbles and you can’t imagine being in a wooden box and pounded and pounded by what sounded like big rocks.  It was all over the ground.  I tried putting a pillow over my head, but that didn’t stop the noise.   We decided it might tear up our slide toppers so we brought in all the slides and just lay on the bed til it finally stopped.  We tried to look at the truck with a flashlight.  In the dark it doesn’t look like it did any damage, but we will see in the light of day tomorrow.  I will have to get on the roof to see how it looks.  Egads, will things ever just run smoothly?   It continued to rain almost another hour and has just stopped.  We had no leaks or cracks in our ceiling vents or the skylight, so that was good.  And, we are thankful that we are safe and our pets are safe.  So it couldn’t be that bad!

Fun day in Ft. Worth and Dallas

May 18 - The one day we could really sleep in and neither of us did. We had a lot of sight seeing to do today so it was best to get up and get moving. I made Bill a Kelly McMuffin with grapefruit and I had grapefruit and Florentine Egg Beaters. It’s the best way for me to eat egg as it comes with cheese and spinach in it to hide the taste of the egg.

Headed to Ft. Worth first to the Camping World there. We needed filters for the inside water filter, a new snap on water connection and a new 50 AMP electric cord. The ends are pulling out of ours and our tech suggested we get one or repair the one we have. It was not that much more to buy the new one so that’s what we did.

Bill and a Longhorn Steer

In front of the Stockyards

From there we stopped for fuel so we don’t have to once we leave in the morning. Then we headed to the old downtown to The Stockyards. It’s the original Ft. Worth and pretty much looks the part. We went in some shops, watched the cattle drive of 12 Texas longhorn cattle down the main street and checked out the plaques dedicated to those in the Texas Walk of Fame. A lot we never heard of but a lot we had, such as Tex Ritter, Roy and Dale Evans, Bill Pickens and Bat Masterson. We went back behind the original Stockyard building where some of the cattle were and listened to some wranglers give a presentation to a school group. We decided to tour Billy Bob’s of Texas. They have an indoor bull riding ring and concrete squares like in Hollywood with the hand prints of famous performers who have played there. That was pretty neat to see. Bill kept checking the hand sizes compared to his.

Just one of the loop de loop exchanges

We had lunch in the famous Bugger Red’s Saloon. The brisket sandwich was excellent and the Texas fries were fresh, not frozen. That’s the first fries I’ve had in probably 2 years. Bill got a call from Pat and Ray, friends here in the area, and they wanted to pick us up at 4 to go to dinner, so we had to kick it in high gear and head to Dallas. The loop de loop roads here were far worse than the ones Kerry and I drove on in Los Angeles.

One of the X's

The traffic from Ft Worth to Dallas was horrendous, now Bill got to see what it’s like driving in it. Luckily we got off the interstate and right into town where we wanted to be and found parking right away. We went to see where President Kennedy was assassinated.  There are 2 "X"s on the road showing the points the car was between, as they don't know exactly which spot.  We learned that he was not shot from the open window, but from the "grassy knoll".  It's due to the injury being from his forhead and out of the back of his skull.  We got to see some horrible photos of him with part of his head missing and a photo of Jackie reaching onto the back of the car to get a piece of his skull that she patted back in place.  The photos are not to be released to the public for 29 more years.  I don't quite understand that.  There is also proof of coverups and that 2 shots hit him.  So I tried to get a photo of the 2 x marks on the road.

On the way back to the RV we wanted to stop at a grocery store but had some difficulty finding one. Then there was road work and Bill went over a railroad and we just kinda dropped and it was quite a bang. When we did get home he discovered that it hit so hard that the bike rack was damaged so we now have to put one bike on the bed each night til we get to CO. We did finally find a grocery as we were giving up, a Kroger. I mostly needed bread and produce so it was a quick stop. Once we got back, Bill Took Xena for a walk while I put things away and we had a few minutes to wait for Pat and Ray.

We went to dinner at Joe T. Garcia’s in Ft. Worth. It’s been in business a long time as it is now being run by the grandson of the original Joe and this guy is at least 45. They told us if we didn’t arrive early enough there would be a 2 hour line. Most of the restaurant is outside and the décor is beautiful, with fountains and plants. Some of it is covered and there are fans and heaters depending on the weather. It seats a lot of people. The only negative for me is they don’t have a menu as they don’t serve but a few items. They do have delicious sangria! We had the normal chips and salsa, then the nachos are a 6” corn tortilla with choice of topping and you order how many you want. Bill and I didn’t understand so we said we’d share an order and they said, no, you can eat at least one each. Once they came we understood. The beans and rice are served family style and you can order fajitas or enchiladas with corn tortilla. That’s pretty much it. It was good and Bill brought home a plate of food. I only had a couple of chips so I had room for my meal. Pat and Ray’s son, Mike joined us for dinner. He’s a doctor and has an RV that he and his family drove to Durango last summer, so we had a lot to talk about. They were right, as we left there was a huge line and it was expected to be longer. Cars were every where and they do not have room for more. After dinner they drove us around TCU, Texas Christian University, which is in Ft. Worth. It’s a beautiful campus. Ray, his 2 children and their 2 grandchildren all went there.

They dropped us off and wished us a safe trip and we thanked them for the dinner and told them we hoped to come again when we can stay longer. There is quite a bit to see in the area. We put things away for leaving in the morning. We were both pretty pooped so didn’t do much computering.

Safely made it to Texas

May 17 – We woke up early but it was only 6:45 so I went totally back to sleep but I think Bill got up with Xena. I slept another 45 minutes, guess I needed it. We had a quick breakfast today of cereal, not my favorite, so we could get on the road. Managed to leave the park at 8:15 and drive across the road and fuel up and on the road at 8:30. Nothing left behind, but Bill had a scare that he left his ring in the bathroom as he could not find it. I later found it in the clothes hamper. He was literally a “happy camper”.

Since today was to be a longer driving day, we tried to make our stops short. There are not many rest areas in LA. We finally got to a welcome center 2 hours south of Shreveport. They did serve some nice LA grown coffee, Community brand. I added my own flavored cream and it was pretty good. Bill had to settle for a Snapple.

Along the road today the traffic was really light and the scenery was so nice. Rolling hills and very verdant surroundings. No ugly billboards destroying the scenery. As we approached one hilltop we could see a large stream of smoke on the other side of the road. It was visible for quite a way. Finally we saw the long line of traffic on that side all backed up behind the smoke. As we got closer we saw the problem. The rear axle of a truck loaded with cut lumber had somehow crumbled and was on fire and the wood was on fire. There were fire trucks and lots of police cars. I do have to admit we were really glad to be on the northbound side of the highway.

The drive through Shreveport wasn’t bad and we stopped on the other side for fuel and lunch. Today we ate in the RV. Just a sandwich, veggies and a cookie. Today’s problem occurred when I opened the slides for lunch. I try to watch all over to make sure nothing is in the way, but I heard wood cracking and stopped. The coasters and holder (with all the horrible roads causing bouncing) had gotten out of the basket and one of the coasters was lodged in between the edge of the slide and the wall it was to slide to. Yikes! I almost panicked, but calmed down and brought the slides all back in and got the coaster out. I told Bill to get a hammer and he almost got the wood frame back like it was. Will work on it more when we get to CO.

After lunch break we headed on I-20 to Grand Prairie, which is a suburb between Dallas and Ft. Worth. As we approached Dallas I didn’t think the traffic was bad at all. NOT! We were 4 miles from our exit and it was 4 lanes solid, just creeping along. It was the most nerve racking drive so far. My neck and shoulder muscles were knots. I stayed in the right lane as it’s so hard to change lanes in that kind of traffic, but the butthead drivers kept just cutting in from the shoulder in front of me from the on ramp. Of course it would be my fault if I happened to rear end one of them.

We arrived in one piece to Trader Village in Grand Prairie. It’s a pretty large RV park that adjoins what I hear is a HUGE Flea Market.  The RV park here is really very nice.  The spots are a bit small but they are all concrete pads and have picnic tables.  It’s really convenient to sight-see  the two cities instead of being outside of either one.  Unfortunately it is only open on the weekends and we leave on Saturday. We could not get into the site we were assigned so we took a one further down and they said that was fine. I had to break out the Canadian and Coke once we got set up. Then I managed to get some dinner made. Leftover chicken, fresh beets from my garden, leftover green beans for Bill and corn. Nothing fancy. Bill walked Xena twice and I blogged. We watched the season enders of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “The Mentalist”. Those darn cliff hangers!

Day 2 on the way to Texas

May 16 – We both slept pretty good last night. I was really tired. This morning we both woke early since we have crossed our first “time line”. Worked out well as it ensured we were on the road at 8 after a nice breakfast of cantaloupe, bacon and English muffins. I got the inside all stowed for travel while Bill unhooked the water, electric and cable. Xena was anxious to get back in the truck. That dog loves to ride. Molly has gotten so she is ready too. We decided not to go back to Wal-Mart for my missing items from yesterday as the route to I-10 is closest if we don’t backtrack.

The morning was rather uneventful, except Bill remembered that he only put one of our 6” wood blocks in that we use under our rear stabilizers. Is that problem number 5?

We saw a huge Bass Pro Shop so we stopped and I went in to see if they had inflatable kayaks, in hopes we could get one and just ask Kerry or Kam to return the one we left behind. Of course that store was twice the size of the one in Orlando but they did not carry inflatable kayaks. We used our stop as our morning break. Bill walked Xena while I was inside.

For lunch today we timed it again to stop for fuel at Flying J. I splurged and got us 2 huge pieces of pizza for $5 and a 44 ounce soda to share. We didn’t even have to open the RV. We agreed though, no more of that pizza, such grease balls.

After that soda I was super ready for an afternoon bathroom stop. We were only 50 miles from our destination but my bladder didn’t care how close we were. Even Xena was ready for another stop. Poor Molly just had to wait to get to her litter box.

Tonight we are staying at Frog City RV Park. It’s in Duson, LA. We’ve stayed here twice before. Small, clean, right off the interstate and next door to a fuel stop. What more could we ask for? Bill worked on our water problem from last night and took the panel off covering the area where the water enters and diverts to the different locations. We decided the filter was not working properly and we knew our tech had changed out the filter inside the housing and commented that it was not like the one previously in it. We called him and he told Bill what to check and it came down to the filter. It would not properly fill and allow the water through so Bill took it out until we can get the right one for it. At least we have our outdoor filter that really does an excellent job of getting the chlorine taste out. Yeaa, we fixed something!

I made lemon pepper swai tonight with brown rice and green beans. Bill even commented on the fish as he is not a fish eater. After taking Xena for a walk that we all needed, Bill did the dishes while I attempted to get my printer up and running. Black just won’t print so will have to call HP as it’s out of warranty and the website won’t let to contact via email under the circumstances. Ticks me off!

We had a late dessert of strawberry/yogurt/granola parfait and a glass of almond milk. Yummy! We took our showers again at tonight so we can hit the ground running again tomorrow.

Summer 2012 - To Colorado and Back

May 15 – It’s the first day of our 4 month summer experience. I hesitate to call it a vacation since we will be volunteering from Memorial Weekend through Labor Day weekend at Navajo State Park east of Durango, Colorado and will be “working” to be given a full hook up for the summer. We are going to be Campground Hosts this summer, but I was asked to help out in the Fee Station, so I guess I’m splitting my duty.

We didn’t get on the road as early as we had hoped, which is pretty much the norm. We left the warehouse at 8:40, heading north on the turnpike. Although we arrived safe and sound to our first destination, Sunset King Lake Resort in Defuniak Springs, it has not been the ideal first day. When we were loading the RV this morning the little storage door below the fridge was open and would not close. Apparently it opened as I was closing the slide the last time and I think it has sprung the hinges, so Bill removed the door. I guess once we settle in I will check into getting 2 new hinges. Ok, it’s not the end of the world. It will not slow us down.

We stopped mid-morning for a walk and bathroom break. There was a swarm of love bugs right around Gainesville, so we got hit pretty hard. At least it wasn’t anywhere else. We decided we would make Tallahassee before lunching. We called our friend Jean and let her know what time to expect us at her thrift store. I packed a load of great things for her to sell in her shop, which funds families with autistic children. We had no problems negotiating the tight shopping area and were glad to see Jean, even for just a few minutes. We got unloaded and pretty much got right back on I-10.

We only went 7 miles to the Flying J where we fueled up and parked in their lot and had lunch. Along the way something sparked an “uh oh” from Bill. He remembered we didn’t bring the new inflatable kayak we bought specifically for this trip. DARN IT! Guess we will call the Park and see if they will accept a Fed Ex package for us. OK, problem number 2 for the day.

I was getting really sleepy with only about an hour to go, so we stopped and I got a caffeinated coke and some fresh air. I told Bill he needed to turn off the radio and talk to me so I’d stay awake. Before we knew it we were at our exit. I had complained that I forgot my bag of fresh lettuce I had picked last night and washed to take, so Bill said we could stop at the Wal-Mart, and maybe get a rotisserie chicken for dinner. Sounded good to me! I parked way out in the lot and hiked into the store. I got Bill’s bananas, a carton of artesian lettuce, some yogurt and the chicken. I thought the cashier put the chicken (hot item) in one bag and the other 3 items in the other bag. I got to the truck, we drove to the park, got parked, got the electric going and I went in to put things away that were still in bags, the groceries being one of them. Imagine my dismay at realizing the cashier used a third bag and didn’t give it to me. No lettuce for Kelly and no bananas for Bill. It doesn’t look like I’m meant to have a salad! Problem number 3.

Bill had a time with our water, hardly could get any to come in. Worked fine at the faucet outside. If we have the same trouble tomorrow we will call our technician and see what he might have buggered up. Problem number 4. Bill bonded with our neighbors. One couple is from Ohio and the other are full time RV’ers who are retired military. Sunset King is a really nice RV Park. They have 10 private bathrooms, so it’s just like being at home except there are no tubs, just showers. Bill wants us to use the showers here to avoid carrying the water as he doesn’t want to drain our tanks until we get to Texas. We have stayed here before and parked in the same area.

While I was getting dinner and putting things away that we left in bags, Bill managed to get the love bugs off the front of the RV and the truck. Looks shiny and clean again. For dinner we had the chicken, steamed zucchini and a bowl of peppers and tomatoes from our garden and some cucumber slices chilled in balsamic dressing. For dessert I brought 4 Slim a bear ice cream bars so we each had one. Yum! These freezers are not the most efficient so with the bars you can line them along the back of the freezer and they stay frozen. I’ll have to remember to take something out for dinner when we stop for lunch tomorrow.

They had cablevision and we didn’t want to miss the season ender of “NCIS” but it was the only channel that was fuzzy! We took our showers so we could save some time in the morning. I tested my new I Phone WIFI Hotspot feature and it works really well. Hope that holds true when we get to the woods in the middle of nowhere all summer.