Happy Campers; Home Again.

We're back home: RDB is currently watching a YouTube video about CB radios, the rain is pitter-patting on the patio outside, and I'm enjoying a good buzz from our back-from-camping visit to Bearded Fox Brewing Co.  It's been one of those perfect weekends again. We're so glad to be back where it feels like home again; happy campers.  

We left out for Huntsville State Park Friday afternoon - we love this park because it's so close to home and that makes the maiden voyage of our new Rubicon "25 toy hauler such an easy event.  We did the same our first weekend with Honey, and we were in the same camping loop (Raven) but the site this time was incredibly shaded and comfortable. 

(BTW - I ought to introduce you to my Yelp reviews - we do a LOT of Yelping to find the best places to eat, hang out, have a beer, etc. If you're not using the app, you ought to be!)

Not a whole lot to do Friday - it's a new camper, and so we spent a fair bit of time getting accustomed to it - including setting up the TV to be able to catch a bit of the morning news on Saturday (rain, unfortunately, was in the forecast.  After Harvey last year, I've had a hard time sleeping when I know rain is coming.  Our house wasn't flooded, but the waters stopped one house behind us, one to the left and three to the right.  It was much too close for comfort.)  Kind of ironic that we bought a new camper the weekend that a tropical wave was heading into the gulf - several families here in our neighborhood lived in their campers after Harvey, while their homes were repaired.

My favorite part of the new camper - brought from our time in Honey - a picture from the day after we were married (also on a camping trip): 

Rich's favorite part of the new camper - the A/C:

We really love it.  It'll be a great RV for RDB, his Harley, and the upcoming trips he has planned.  Since he's taking a sabbatical, we'll likely use a number of the work travel trips that I'm on as potential camping trips (like MS next week) but he'll also travel out on his own as well. I'm so very excited about what the future holds for him!  I have a feeling it will include plenty of this:

We did break out the mini-size dominoes I've been carrying in the campers for what seems like forever.  It was fun to play a few rounds - not really keeping track of who was winning  (me) and who wasn't (Rich). :-)  

Best. Dominoes. EVER. No counting dots!

  

Sleeping in the new camper was a bit of a, well, change (read: challenge).  I had to remind myself - this is a _trailer_ meant to haul a bike, that also doubles as a camper. So the main feature is the ability to toy haul (and I know we'll be thrilled to have the Harley along with us while we're camping) but it won't be the honeymoon suite that our previous camper was.  That's okay - this is a new adventure, and it'll be worth a bit of snuggled-in-really-close-ok-actually-maybe-you-should-go-sleep-on-the-couch version of sleeping.  #worthit  Right? 

Toadie says "G'nite, y'all."

Oh - also - if you're hanging out at Huntsville SP and planning to travel into town for, well, anything - please take Highway 75 to go into town and the service road back down to the camp ground.  Construction right now is an absolutely MESS with closed exits and lots of back-ups.  I won't tell you that we drove off into the median at one point to avoid the traffic because it was so backed up....

Saturday morning we woke up and showered in the campground showers (still, the best showers in the park system - large enough for two people (not that we would know anything about that) and a separate dressing area all behind a locked door - very private). Then we took off for a few Geocaches. We did the Sam Houston Stature virtual Geocache Friday before dinner, but who's counting?

As I mentioned, rain was in the forecast for the weekend; however, it held off all the way until we needed to hitch up the trailer. Of course. See the red push-pin and the random itty-bitty rain cloud? Yeah, that was us about 1:30pm.  The heavens opened up on us and DOWN POURED for about 5 minutes, then stopped,  Rich was drenched.  I brought a rain jacket. ;-)

Looks like Oscar Mayer has the perfect bacon...

We were packed up and heading home about 2pm or so,  and as I mentioned, I wanted to hit a local spot.  Lately, we've been enjoying breweries on our trips cross country, so I Yelp'd for a local place and found the Bearded Fox.  We had never heard of the place before, yet on our way up we saw a car with their logo on the back window.  Circumstance? Fate? Ehn, whatever.  It was simply meant to be.

Much like us getting back into camping.  We're glad to be back, ya'll.  

We were in site #23 at Huntsville State Park, recommended by the park staff and we were glad for that.  It was mostly level and incredibly shaded - be aware though, that the sewer hook-up may be higher in elevation than your hose, which can make for a difficult wash out. We've stayed at Huntsville before: It's Nice Outside, and It's a Wonderful Life.  Still is - a wonderful life, that is.

For more camping photos, click here.