Wednesday, April 14, 2010

THE 'BATES' MOTOR HOME PARK





Haven't blogged much. Have alot to say but the timing of inspiration and time to blog has not gelled well. Lots of traveling lately. We went on a Mexico cruise last week and Erik's Grandmother died at the age of 95 so we are now taking the journey to Kingfisher Oklahoma in the RV. Were driving down highway 40 in New Mexico as I speak, or write as the case may be. Trying out the Verizon Internet that is slaved through my blackberry into my laptop. Not necessarily cheap but we didn't have to close down the stores. We can work and travel at the same time . Very cool. We hope to go on record buying jaunts when Erik retires.

I'm going to blog out of sequence but last nights experience deserves a stand alone blog. We left Albuquerque at sunset prepared to stop in the town of Santa Rosa. As my husband drove ,full of cheap Mexican food eaten at Anita's Restaurant in Albuquerque, don't eat there by the way, he realized 2 more hours of driving was just not there. ( That run-on sentence was for my daughter Erin, queen of the run-on sentences) . No one lives on the East side of Albuquerque. Very dark and desolate. I jumped on the crackberry and looked up rv parks in the only little town close by and found one in Edgmont, 9 miles away. It was this or drive another 2 hours to Santa Rosa.

I should of realized when the Garmin Nuvie Gps we so aptly call Gertie could not find the location there was an issue. She does however have her own set of issues as I did get the cheap model. Gerty regularly has fits of panic where she will say turn right, turn left, turn right , turn left in quick succession. She also likes to take us down non existent or dirt roads. I called the proprietor's and they gave me the following directions. Get off the Highway at 157 we are on old route 66. Simple enough.

We got off the freeway in pitch dark. Found old 66 and turned into more pitch darkness. By now Eriks panicking. We literally can see nothing. I catch the entrance as we drive by it. No lights out front. Actually almost nothing out front. We turn around and find the driveway. As we drive in the first thing we see is a sign that says "wrong way" along with a sign that says "Office" pointed down the "wrong way". We decided not to go the "wrong way" and continued down the next road. We see the office and as I drive up I see a figure scuttle, yes I said scuttle , across the road. A woman around 40 but looking 60 meets me at the door. Her thinning dandruff laden hair is in a 2 week old ponytail and she is wearing an old pilled purple cable knit sweater. There is a distant somewhat vacant look in her eye.

I follow her into the cluttered dusty office, more like a garage. On one side is an aged pinball machine. I'm guessing this is the recreation center. She proceeds to tell me the rate is $20 . Her voice and mannerisms are just like Norman Bates , creepy as hell. She then tells me there are no bathrooms and showers and there is water but it might freeze overnight. At this point I don't care. I just want some electricity to plug into. She offers the reduced rate of 15 dollars because I think shes afraid I'm going to leave. Next comes the decision of where to put me. Trust me this park is beyond empty. She roots around and finally finds the park map. I don't think they have used one in many moons.

As we follow the map I notice we are still in pitch dark. We pass a few RVs but this park is empty. creeped out but too tired to care we plug in . Doesn't work of course. We steal the next spots plug. Thank god that worked . I didn't think we could take much more. We huddled in our locked RV hoping for some good sleep. We awoke alive although I had a bad dream in the middle of the night that some guy stuck his head through the front drivers side window. I guess I woke Erik u with my whimpering and proceeded to freak him out too. We eventually fell back asleep .In the morning I finally got a peak of where we were. It was probably a good thing there were no lights last night!!!






This was our spot.


Erik had a Sasquatch sighting!!!! While using the open air facilities.


On the other hand I think it was a yeti...maybe a Chupacabra?

The luxurious pool area!





It did have a laundry room


Nope I guess not!!!





A fellow inhabitant.






The office/ rec room / garage.








Our other neighbor.







The Diner!!!!! Out to Lunch permanently.


Erik noticed the for sale sign...his new retirement dream..............



3 comments:

  1. geez. that does sound awfully creepy! Glad you made it through the night without the speed-freak dandruff lady harvesting your organs!

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  2. Are you absolutely SURE that was a dream?

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  3. Glad I read long enough to understand what "smashed" pennies are. Made me think of ones put out on a railroad track. I think I have only got a couple out of machines. I did see a machine 5 years ago.

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