A Couple of Nuts in the Dog Park

Want to book one more campsite on the way back home? Want to squeeze in just one more night camping at a new park? Want to get a chance to have another great local breakfast and visit the World's Largest Pecan?

Yes, Yes, and but of course!

Want to see one other crazy "toy" hauler? LOL!

It's a long haul back to Houston from Kerrville, so we decided to add one more stop in about halfway - Palmetto State Park right off of I-10.  I'd driven around it before and recalled it being lush and tropical, and so we reserved the only sewer capable spot: #2.  (Yes, really, I'm not joking - the only site that can handle your #2 is #2). Ha!

But when we got there (after a few missed turns) and rode thru the park, we realized that there was a set of large dogs on the site beside #2, which would be in direct view of Diesel.  Rather than deal with the unnecessary stress for Diesel (ok, for me), we decided to switch over to site #13 instead.  Little did we know, once we got back into the campground and settled in, that just about every other site had a dog - from little bitty dachshunds across the way, to big old yellow labs a few sites down. Of course,  Diesel seemed to be the only one wearing a bark collar... and bow tie.

What? You mean they don't wear bark collars? But, its the latest thing in doggie fashion!

It was a lazy afternoon and evening. RDB hung out in the cool of the camper with Diesel, while I took a brief walk around some of the tree covered trails; Palmetto is a wonderful park with some neat features from the CCC.... 

...and then set up the hammock to read a bit outside in the shade.  Palmetto is as lush as I remember - with lots of trees to enjoy hanging around in.

Uncommon Type,  by Tom Hanks.  Yes, that Tom Hanks.

Friday morning we woke up with plans to head back towards San Antonio and visit the little town of Seguin, TX - home of the World's Largest Pecan. But, before we go off searching for random Americana, we made a pit stop for breakfast at the Court Street Coffee Shop.

It was so much fun - both in ambiance and in hospitality.  When the old gentleman with the American flag suspenders and handlebar mustache propositions you that he'll pay for the hotels and gas if you'll let him ride cross country on the back of your Harley,  you know you're in for a treat.  I have  work trip back over to San Antonio on Monday this next week - we just might stop by on the way home and have lunch!

Just a few steps away from the coffee shop, you'll find yourself in the Guadalupe County square, and there you'll find the World's Largest Pecan.

Only, there's a small problem with that claim: there's a bigger pecan just down the road at the Pape Pecan House.

But aside from it being, well, obviously larger and mobile (for parades, of course), the _real_ story of Pape's Pecan House isn't the giant pecan - it's the giant collection of 8,000+ nutcrackers inside:

Um, notice where you put the nut, and how she'll crack it.... hubba hubba

I'm really enjoying the off-beat attractions that RDB's app is revealing us to.  It's like Yelp, but rather than finding great restaurants, you're finding great roadside oddities that add flavor and spice to your camping trips!

We packed up camp and headed for home shortly after that.  The one extra night in Palmetto was the perfect ending to a wonderful week of camping.  We're so glad to be back in this again, and so grateful for the liberty we have to be able to travel from one county to another and enjoy the nutty sites along the way, our precious pup in tow.

We stayed at Palmetto State Park, site #13.  Only a little side to side leveling required, but a very wooded and large site.  The park ranger was playing a movie soundtrack playlist when we checked in and we all laughed thinking that it would be funny if Jurassic Park started playing.  It was a quick trip, just to check out the park, and this time RDB was saying it: we'll be back again!

For just a few more camping photos, go here.