Victoria Palm RV Resort, Donna, TX

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Met up with RV friends Brian and Phyllis for our stay here.  Nice park, except for the loud music on the weekends coming from a nearby nightclub, pretty heavy on the bass.

Enjoyed happy hours, meals and tourist attractions together.  New Year's Eve we enjoyed a meal at the Golden Coral, and being the party animals we all are, Len and I were in bed by 9.  We enjoyed 3/4 pound burgers at Gonzales's one afternoon, just the right size when you share one. 

Len and I took a trip down to Brownsville (Brian was under the weather).  We stopped by at Fun-N-Sun RV to visit Karen and Jack, more RV friends, enjoyed their company and tour of the resort.  From there we made a stop at a flea market and a stop for a late lunch at Jason's deli. (got to use the gift card I won at the dessert bake-off in Conroe, TX.  After our meal we wanted to find the parrots that come across from Mexico every night about 6 o'clock to roost in the eucalyptus trees.  What a site that was, you really need ear plugs for that encounter, but a joy to see.

Made a trip across the border at Progresso to do some shopping.  One of the pharmacies will buy you a margarita after your purchase.  Nice little bar area, cheap beer, $1.50 each, live music and there was a good size group of Americans on the dance floor, seemed to be regulars there.  Phyllis and I both got a chair massage while enjoying our margaritas, good deal for 3 bucks.  We also enjoyed lunch at the Red Snapper, the restaurant overlooks the streets of Progresso.  You pay $1.00 at the turnstile to get into Mexico and 50 cents to get back out.  There is also a duty tax on items such as liquor so we will save those purchases when we are in Yuma.

Phyllis had secured tickets to Paperback Writers (Beatle impersonators) at Southern Comfort, a nearby RV resort. It was a fun evening and so many great songs from the past.

Made a trip to South  Parde Island, weather was cool and windy but we did drive down on the beach, picked up a couple of shells, and enjoyed watching the surf.  After the beach we stopped by the turtle rescue center, very educational.  It was amazing to see the artificial limbs and rotor they put on one of the turtles so he could swim.

We visited Estero Llano Grande State Park, a birding center in the area.  We took a 2 hour tram ride though the park with several stops to view birds with the spotting scope.

We played bingo at the park along with visiting the craft fair they had.

It was a great two weeks with our friends, but it was time to leave and travel onto our next adventure.

Bay View RV Park, Rockport, TX Dec. 2018

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Arrived here on Christmas Eve, found a nice spot with a view of the lake.  Park still had damage from the hurricane, but they are working to clean things up.

Park had a nice Christmas potluck, followed by playing some games and then a gift exchange, it was a fun time.  We had a nice Christmas day and took a drive around the area, no traffic to deal with while we took in the damage from hurricane Harvey.  So much destruction, a lot of people just walked away and have left the mess.

Len toured the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, takes several hours to see everything, but he enjoyed it, included a lot of steps.

After Lexington we made a stop at Snoopy's  to enjoy their shrimp and followed up our lunch with some ice cream from Scoopy's next door.  On the way back to the RV we stopped to visit RV friends, Rhonda and Phil.  While there they took us on a ride on the beach, which was really nice along with a stop at the local pub.

Another day while out we stopped at the Fulton Mansion, visited the visitor center Len ventured over to the mansion that is under renovation after hurricane Harvey hit the area.  With the damage and repairs going on you were able to see the bare bones of the mansion, very interesting how many times they have rebuilt after hurricanes have caused damage to the mansion.

Did played bingo at the park one night, Len was a winner I was there for moral support, or to kill time.

We did eat lunch across the street from the park at Steve Lew's, bar-b-q was really good.  They also make several flavors of their own soda, the meal was delicious, cowboy beans were really good.

Looking forward to our next stop where we meet up with RV friends in Donna, TX

Colorado River, Columbus, TX Dec. 2018

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It is amazing the wonderful friends a person can meet while RV'ing.

On the road into the park we made a new friend, a beautiful German Shepard that loved to race all the cars.  You gunned the car and the dog would race you down his fence line, doing 35mph, that dog could still out run us.  He loved to run.

Len had to replace the hot water tank in the motorhome, home repairs even when the wheels go round and round.

Saw Richard and Betty that we had met in Florida, they ended up parking across the street from us.

Had a great time staying here.  Len was able to go out kayaking with friends he met in Florida, Gary and Linda, they were also joined by Katie and Greg..  We took several adventures with Gary and Linda Williams checking out the tourist areas, and local restaurants.  We checked out Hruska's down the road from the park. Great kolaches, so many choices, but Len liked the lemon and Gary said the pumpkin was delicious.  Cream cheese was my choice and it was delicious. Took a trip to Brenham to visit the Blue Bell Creameries,  enjoyed ice cream while we were there.  A wonderful visit to the Painted Churches in Schulenburg, amazing beautiful churches, the stained glass was so beautiful. In Columbus we were able to visit the Stafford Opera House and the Confederate Museum.  Len picked up some pecans, the squirrels helped him eat them while he was sleeping

The park had an early Christmas potluck which we all enjoyed.  Learned a new dice game (LCR) which was fun and easy.  Fun ornament bingo game one night, even if I did loose the ornament I REALLY wanted, and also a white elephant bingo after the Christmas potluck.  I did win a portable ice maker, which I have absolutely no room for.  I passed the ice maker onto are friends Scott and Helen for their summer home, in exchanged she made a beautiful set of towels for me.

On the move again...….

Lake Conroe, Willis, Texas - Dec. 2018

   
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 Arrived here on the 26th of November and we leave tomorrow after a 2 week stay.  We were here two years ago and they were making some additions at that time.  When we pulled into the park we were able to snag a spot in the new addition.  Nice concrete pad and large patio area.  Not many activities during the week but the weekends are busy.  Starting on Friday at one, they play surprise bingo (also on Saturday), bring a bag to carry your winnings home, you will need it.  The cabinet is stocked with chips, crackers, cookies and other snacks from the total of 4 times playing surprise bingo. At 5 o'clock, both on Friday and Saturday they play card bingo, did pretty good winning some of those pots too, they were cash winnings, but only a couple of dollars for each game.

     Several RV friends are also at this park so we were able to catch up with them.  Plus some others have stopped RV'ing and live in the area so we were able to visit with them also.

     Got the Christmas decorations up, they look so pretty.  Wonder if Santa will find this house on wheels.

     Len went out on the lake and did some kayaking with Gary and Linda that we met in Florida that are also staying here.  They had a good time till it got a little windy on the lake so had to bring the kayaks to shore.

     We went over to visit Daria, we had met her and her husband, Bob, when traveling in Maine four years ago.  Bob has since passed away, but we had a lovely time catching up with Daria and enjoyed lunch at the Fish Pond, we all had chicken fried steak, so good.

     Another couple we met back East, Gordon and Merlyn, stopped by to see us.  They bought a beautiful home in town, so good to see them and we did get to visit several times with them while we were here.  They even brought their grandson, Liam over to visit, we had met him a couple years ago when he was visiting his grandparents in New York. 

     We have crossed paths again with Scott and Helen.  Also Ed and Debi and Janice and Dave.  It is amazing the friends you are able to see while traveling.  Ed, Debi, Janice, Dave, Gary and Linda joined us at the Fish Pond for an early dinner one night.  Food is so good and a lot of it. I love their liver and onions, Len had a hamburger steak that filled the platter it was served on.

     The RV park does cooking decorating every year, there is a couple in the park that bake all the sugar cookies along with making all the decorating frosting.  This year they baked over 500 cookies, they do such a great job and have done this for 25 years. 

     The park also had a dessert contest, decided I would give it a try.  I made the toffee recipe my mom always used, it was tasty enough to come in second.  Won a gift card to Jason Deli for $25. 

     We were able to check out some tourist attractions in the area.  It is really to bad that businesses are not opened, the hours that they post.   Drove to Montgomery TX. we stopped at Fernland Historical Park. There are several log cabins there that are some of the oldest still in Texas.  Buildings weren't open but Len was able to get some pictures through the windows.  Then , we made a stop at Old Iron Works, they restore cars and you are able to wander through the showroom and the shop area and talk with the crew that is doing the restorations.  Also visited the Heritage Museum in Conroe.  We like to visit the local museums where we camp to learn of the area.

     The Kroger grocery store in town is amazing, like visiting a super Wal-Mart, but better quality.  Plus we get gas points for a discount.

     All for now...…….

Lake Whitney, Whitney, TX November 2018

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We were busy during our stay at Lake Whitney, ended up parking next to a couple that we met at the last park we stayed in.  Spent a lot of time with Jim and Sharon and took in some great sites together.

Drove into Waco with Jim and Sharon, that was one busy day.  Our first stop was for breakfast at the Magnolia Tree, this is the restaurant Chip and Joanna Gaines that had the show Fixer Upper which aired on the HGTV channel opened. Great breakfast, Len even enjoyed a nutty cinnamon roll with his breakfast.  From there we headed to the trolley stop to hitch a ride to the downtown area. The shuttle service is a free option and our driver pointed out many of the sights to us and was really entertaining.

We visited the Dr. Pepper Museum, home to the oldest Major soft drink.  Dr Pepper is a “native Texan,” originating at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store. It is the oldest of the major brand soft drinks in America. Like its flavor, the origin of Dr Pepper is out-of-the-ordinary. Charles Alderton, a young pharmacist working at Morrison’s store, is believed to be the inventor of the now famous drink. Alderton spent most of his time mixing up medicine for the people of Waco, but in his spare time he liked to serve carbonated drinks at the soda fountain. He liked the way the drug store smelled, with all of the fruit syrup flavor smells mixing together in the air. He decided to create a drink that tasted like that smell. He kept a journal, and after numerous experiments he finally hit upon a mixture of fruit syrups that he liked.

We also stopped in at the Spice Village.  Spice Village is the dream shopping experience with more than 60 boutiques under one roof! This 30,000 square feet shopping experience you do not want to pass up. Located in downtown Waco, TX for the last 20 years and we are proud to have been spicing up people’s lives since 1997!

Another stop was the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is the State designated official historical center of the famed Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Agency in Waco, Texas. They preserve the history and inspire an appreciation of the Texas Rangers, a Texas Legend and an American Heritage.

We visited the Magnolia Market at the Silos, found the prices out of my comfort range but it was nice to see.  
They were doing a tent sale and if you lived in the area that is the time to shop for your home, they did have some good prices.

For dinner we stopped at George's restaurant in Waco.  They are known for their chicken fried steak and since that was the special for dinner that is what all of us tried.  It was very good and while they said it was 1/2 order, it was more than we could eat.

Len and I drove back to Waco another day so we could visit Waco Mammoth National Monument.  The guide took us to the dig shelter, it was amazing to see the bones of the mammoths they have unearthed in the diggings, so much move to still unearth.

Also a stop at the Waco Natural Habitat Cameron Park Zoo, small zoo but Len felt it is one of the better ones and only $9 admission charge.

The  RV park did a great Thanksgiving Dinner, pretty good turn out and the  shared dishes that were brought in, showed there are some great cooks out there.

Jim and Sharon joined us for a trip to FT. Worth Stockyards.  We sure enjoy that place.  Twice a day the cowboys wrangle the long horn steers down the street for all to see.  Up close they are massive but seem so gentle when they ramble past you.  We also took in some local museums while there and then stopped to have bar-b-q at the legendary Risckys.  Great meals and a large menu to choose from.

Of all the places we visited in the area my highlight was the chance to meet two of my great grand kids.  Met up with their grandma, Kay, and mom, Jennifer. Grayson is 3 and Lorelai just turned 1, great kids and I really appreciate Kay and Jennifer for setting up the meeting and for lunch. Made my day.

More updates to come as we continue our travels.

Lake Texoma, Gordonville, TX Nov. 2018

Have been here for 10 days and have enjoyed our stay.  We pull out tomorrow and onto the next stop.

This park is not really close to anything like most Thousand Trails Parks and out in the middle of no mans land.  Not much to see or do in the area but a very nice area with lots of trees and a large lake.  We are just a short drive from the Oklahoma state line.

We did drive to Wal-Mart, about 24 miles one way, to stock up.  There is a local Dollar General where you can pick up milk and bread if you needed to.

Took a drive to Winn-Star casino, in Oklahoma, so Len could fill his pockets, I donated, he walked out with over 200 dollars. Why is it we can never both be winners at the same time?

The park put on an early Thanksgiving potluck dinner.  Plenty of food and it was all delicious. Met a very nice couple, Jim and Sharon who have recently started full-timing so it was nice to visit with them and looks like we will be in a couple of the same parks here in Texas, so hope to chat again.  Also met up with Scott and Helen that we met here a couple of years back and have seen in other parks, even ran into them in Florida.

Weather has been cool here, in fact one night we left the water dripping so it wouldn't freeze.  Little bit of rain, some sunny days but most were cloudy and cool, heading a little South and hope warmer temps.  Till the next time, happy trails.

Colorado 2018

Been awhile since the last post, computer bit the dust and just a pain to post with the tablet.  Up and running again with a new computer now. 

Our month long visit went by way to fast.  Arrived on the first of October and seemed like we were running till we left on the 31st of October.

Somewhat disappointed that we were not able to stay at our usual place in town, but they changed their rules and decided they would no longer take monthly rentals.  Len managed to find us a place on the other side of town, Prospect RV Park, while it was a nice park, it was so far away from where we normally stay.  Heard rumors the old park might go back to taking month long rentals as they ended up with some empty spots and lost revenue with their new way of thinking.  Hope that holds true.

The first couple of weeks Len was busy putting his Harley up for sale, his motorcycle lift and his truck, plus trying to find a replacement vehicle for us.  Well things did fall into place.  Len found a car, Chevy Equinox, sold the Harley, found a buyer for the truck and we left the lift with my oldest son in hopes that a buyer is found.  Once he got the car then he had to get it set up to tow, which he did, it is great he has the ability and knowledge to do things himself, sure saves a lot of money and nice there is a place at my house to do the work. We are enjoying the new wheels, Len likes the gas mileage I like the heated seats.

We had a wonderful get together with my family, so good to see everyone.  A few hours is not nearly long enough to get caught up with everyone you have not seen in a year. Lunch with my boys is always nice.

Hit some of our favorite restaurants, most being Mexican, after all it is Colorado.

Met Ricky and Gordon for a couple of meals, Diane and Harvey for some great fish and chips, Sonny and Sissy for lunch one day, plus took in some Bronco games at the pub with old friends Billy and Nancy among seeing some other old regulars at the bar. 

Till next year, good bye Colorado.