Thank you all for the great comments! Blogspot doesn’t allow me to reply individually, but please know that it’s great to hear your thoughts about our stories, and we’ll reply if we have your email or web site. Incredibly, our site received it’s 29,000th visit a few days ago – thanks again to all of you for checking on us!
We’ve been busy catching up on repairs and maintenance getting ready for our spring journey back to the Pacific Northwest. One feature of the motorhome that’s always bothered us is the day/night shades, since they easily break, gather dust, and don’t allow any breeze through the window without also letting in the sun. 
So, just as in our Allegro Bay, we installed 1” real wood mini-blinds throughout the coach. The blinds, custom made by justblinds.com, fit perfectly, although it took a number of four-letter words to get them installed properly. We love the “residential” look, and now we can open the windows, crack the blinds, and enjoy the breeze while still having a degree of privacy. 
Last week we made a trip to downtown San Antonio to see the sights and do some shopping. Our first stop was Market Square, also known as El Mercado. The market area, dating back to the 1800s, has evolved into a block-square area of shops and restaurants selling goods that 
reflect the Mexican culture and heritage of the city. The main building is crammed with little stores separated by narrow aisles and a sensory overload of color. Lots of ceramics, figurines, clothing, piñatas, and wind chimes. And of course, real vanilla, not the extract so scorned by culinary artists like Brenda. You can buy it in little jars or gallon buckets, everybody sells it and every store claims it has the best price. We didn’t spend a lot of time browsing the stores, as it quickly becomes apparent that they all offer pretty much the same products. But we did buy some vanilla.
After a coffee break and a short drive, we arrived at the Alamodome to see what was new at the RV and Boat show. We’d never been in the Alamodome, and although the exterior is striking, found that the interior is pretty average – just another arena. I once worked with a rather eccentric (trying to be nice) guy who once said that he was glad they’d finally built the 
Alamodome, since he was worried that the rain would erode the sacred building where Davey Crockett died. Seriously. Unfortunately, the Alamo is not contained in the dome, but there were plenty off boats, trailers, and a few motorhomes. We made the mistake of looking at a 
new Tiffin Allegro Bus, a 43” dual axle behemoth with a bath and a half – yes, bath AND a half floorplan. The full bath is in the rear and is amazing; two sinks, lots of drawers/cabinets, big shower, and huge closet. You can drive this home for around $300……..or like us, you can start the buying process by winning Megabucks. 
The highlight of this week was meeting fellow full timers and bloggers Odel and Laurie, authors of Semi-true Tales of Our Life on the Road. We knew by their blog that they were in the area and made arrangements to meet them halfway at My Place, a small Bar & Grill with great food and wonderful service. It was a real treat for us to spend the time with these great folks, we have so much in common (youthful good looks, sparkling personalities, and of course, love of food) that the afternoon passed before we knew it. Our first sign that we may have stayed to long was looking over and seeing the waitress and owner with their heads on the bar, sound asleep. Even though we’d never met, spending time with Odel and Laurie was like being with old friends, and we hope to meet up with them again. For a look at Laurie’s blogging and humor skills, check out the story of the hidden brownies here.We’ve got another two months here in Texas, so check back and see what we’ve been up to!
