The two planes we’ve spent the majority of our time on over the last 3 decades are the High Plains of Colorado and the Coastal Plains of Texas. The High Plains are rolling grasslands with an economy based on cattle, farming, petroleum extraction and more recently wind farming. It’s a cold, semi-arid climate receiving about a foot of precipitation annually. Most of it from gnarly, summer thunderstorms and fierce, winter blizzards.
Due to low moisture and high elevation the High Plains experience significant temperature fluctuations. The range from day to night is around 30°F but can be much higher. The wind frequently blows hard as well, driving the wind chill deep into the uncomfortable zone much of the winter.
Seven Million People
The Coastal Plain on the other hand has a subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild winters. The temperatures don’t fluctuate much, it rarely freezes and it’s wet. The average rainfall’s close to 5 feet a year. The two planes aren’t just vastly different in climate either. The Coastal Plain is home to the fourth largest city in the U.S. with over 7 million people. That’s roughly 800 people per square mile, while The High Plains has the lowest population density in the U.S. at about 1 person per square mile.
Houston is a cultural stewpot with over 70 countries represented while the High Plains contains a fairly homogenous group of European Immigrants. As distinctively different as these two planes are from each other, we love them both. We appreciate the cultural diversity of the Metroplex; it’s a culinary treasure trove where you can explore incredible examples of almost every type of food known to mankind. On the other hand the human density can create a bit of anxiety, irritability and even claustrophobia at times.
Cultural Stimulation
We live in our quiet, little cottage on the High Plains a good percentage of the year and enjoy the small town camaraderie but when the temperatures start dipping into the single digits, it seems to stir up a desire for some cultural stimulation. So we pack up “The Bus” and head for the Coastal Plains. We lived there for a couple decades before retiring so we know our way around pretty well.
“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls.” ~ Anaïs Nin
We love humanity too, except when they’re all out and about in their 7 million cars cruising up and down I-10, Interstate 45, The Beltway, The Sam Houston tollway or The Grand Parkway. Then we’d just rather stay close to home and a have beer. We didn’t have that option back when we lived here, it seemed like we were both constantly on the move chasing the American dream or the needs of our clients.
Home Is Where the Heart Is
The cool thing about having an RV is: “Home is where the heart is.” We have family in the Tomball – Spring area, down around Clear Lake and friends spread across the Coastal Plains. Finding interesting places to plug in, is all part of the fun. And there are no schedules, meetings or timelines. We can get up when we want to, move from one location to the next when the traffic is optimum and have a beer with lunch. Zero drama!
It’s so much sweeter being here in retirement. We just wander down during the great Snowbird migration and celebrate the mild, winter weather. We definitely don’t miss the cold, mean part of the year when the High Plains turns into the Great White North, with temperatures hovering around zero and blowing snow closing the highways into and out of town.
We kept a close eye on the present weather system. Adjusting our departure date to make sure we would be well south before the powerful Bomb Cyclone unleashed its fury on the entire eastern half of the country. It’s only the first few days of winter and we’re getting hammered by a storm projected to bring the coldest temperatures we’ve seen in over twenty years. We could sure use some of that Global Warming about now.
We’re plugged in a half hour from the Gulf of Mexico on the Coastal Plains and as I write this, the forecast is showing that the temperatures are going to plunge from the 70’s to the low 20’s within a few short hours as Winter Storm “Elliot” bombs the Gulf Coast with bitterly cold temperatures. The twenties feel pretty cold here with the humidity but it’s nothing compared to the fierce cold that will punish the High Plains.
“A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.” ~ Carl Reiner
The wind chill temperature there is minus 50 degrees; that’s 70 degrees colder than the bitter cold we’re experiencing here on the bay. Do you have any idea what that feels like? Your breath freezes and falls to the ground like mini snowflakes. Only a lunatic would want to be outside; it’s not just fricking cold, it’s life threateningly cold. I’ve experienced that kind of cold a few times in my life and I damn sure don’t want to experience it again. Maybe we should have aimed “The Bus” at South Padre, their low’s are only going to get into the forties.
When we were packing up to begin our journey from one dimension to another, I included a bunch of my summer togs, hoping to enjoy some of the mild winter weather the Coastal Plains are famous for. It hasn’t happened yet though; we’re still in stocking caps and down jackets most mornings, but the forecast is Sunny and Mild with temperatures in the mid-seventies, after Elliot finishes bringing some Christmas weather to the Coastal Plains. Yee-hah!
“Life is a multidimensional experience. Plug in and enjoy it.” ~ Grinning Falcon
Parting shot
Houston Native – Robert Earl Keen, performing one of my favorite Christmas songs.