2018 Camping Trips

June 15-17th: Huntsville SP site #23

WORK TRIP:

   June 23 - Boondocking - Hunter's Camp - Calcasieu Ranger District
   June 24-26th: LeFluer's Bluff SP, Jackson, MS site #2

June 30- July 2nd: Lake Somerville SP, Birch Creek Unit, Site #88

July 2-5th: Kerrville-Schreiner Park site #235

July 5th: Palmetto SP, Site #13

July 13-15th: Brazos Bend SP

August 30- September 2nd: Lake Somerville SP, Nails Creek Unit, Site #36

"Don't you threaten me with a good time." ;-)

RDB's birthday weekend and it's Labor Day with a Monday off, so I took Friday as vacation and we headed out to Lake Somerville State Park, Nails Creek Unit to make a long weekend of it.  Being in finance has it's benefits -market holidays- and having friends in finance is awesome, too. Those same holidays meant that R(m)B(r) could join us!  (Notice the added (r)? They had an addition to the family since the last time we were all camping!) Just us adults for this trip though, as R kept saying: "Don't you threaten me with a good time!"

Nails Creek is set up to be an equestrian park, but with the flooding that took place back in 2015 they've shut down access for horses.  The pens are still a part of the sites though, and though we didn't use them didn't mean they weren't getting used....

That little guy had zero fear of RDB and I (Diesel was napping in the camper, so, thankfully, they didn't have any interaction.) 

Dinner the first night was "whatever you can find" since we got out of town before we had a chance to get any grocery shopping done.  Thanks to the ingenuity of a previous Facebook post by my friend CS up in New York, we made Pop-Tart PB&Js.  That's roughin' it, I know.

RDB and I have both been getting over a bit of a summer cold this week, so we really didn't have much by way of activities planned for the weekend.  Lots of hanging around the campsite, some studying for me, and enjoying what were perhaps the most beautiful sunsets we've had the chance to enjoy while out in nature.  It's been great to have the Kawasaki so that we can zip over to the better viewing points to enjoy those huge Texas skies.

R(m)B(r) were on their way over Friday night after dropping the kids off with family.  RDB and I were able to get out and get the shopping we needed done.  Unfortunately, along the way to the HEB in Brenham we managed to pick up a rock chip.... well, more like a boulder-chunk - it was larger than RBD's credit card!

It was SO NEAT to see R(m)B(r) show up with the pop-up we used to camp in!  I love that we're in the new toy hauler (and that set up is sooo much easier) but we had lots of really great memories in that pop-up!  They even taught us a new trick on the way to put out the awning that we had never figured out.  We spent a few hours playing Mexican train dominoes in the camper before we called it a night. 

Saturday afternoon we jumped in the truck and took a drive over to Round Top for a birthday treat at Royer's Pie Haven (we would have gone back to Blue Bell, but unfortunately, they're not open on the weekends.  Bummer!)  

It was a great choice though, since it was right back to the same little old-timey town square that R(m)B(r) had visited on their last no-kids vacation.  The pies, by the way - were OUTSTANDING!

So outstanding, that you could just drink it up with a straw.... well, at least R thought so! 

"Don't you threaten me with a good time!"

We spent a little while walking around and enjoying the cute shops (some with waaaay overpriced but pretty pieces) and each picked up a bottle of delicious bloody Mary mix to enjoy back at the camper.  The trip to find a liquor store was a bit of a misadventure, but when you're with friends, it's fun regardless!

Saturday night we fired up the grills - RDB and I had a HUGE steak to cook, and R(m)B(r) had a beautiful piece of salmon in a marinade so tasty that  I should have written down the recipe!  It was dark-thirty by the time the grilling was done.  Darkness doesn't change taste, though - and that was a really enjoyable meal!

Sunday morning I had my nose so deep in the books that I hadn't realized it had been raining.  R(m)B(r) shot us a text saying they were packing up with the short break in the radar and heading on home (a day early).  I couldn't blame them - there was a storm approaching in the Gulf and it's just so much easier to pack up the pop-up when you're not in the middle of a downpour.  So, we followed suite and packed up ourselves.

There are so many things that can keep you from camping - I need to study, we don't feel well, there's a storm coming, it might rain, we damaged our truck - but if you keep wasting time thinking about and focusing on all the things that could go wrong you miss out on all the amazing things that can go right - hanging out with dear friends, lots of laughter, traveling to cute little places, great food, and GLORIOUS sunsets.....

We camped at Lake Somerville State Park, Nails Creek Unit, sites #36 (us) and #34 (R(m)B(r)).  Nice, large - both had pens for horses which increased the distance between each site, and we were at the head of the trail that led to the bathhouse.  The above sunset pictures were from the boat ramp, which was the best spot to watch the sky turn such brilliant shades of pink and purple and blue.  Just be aware of slithery 'friends' up that way since it's close to the water. 

For just a few more camping photos, go here. 

Rainbows and Stars and Bikes and Trains

So, yes, that's a double rainbow on our drive down to Brazos Bend for the weekend....

...where we got to enjoy Rich's new Kawasaki SYSX300 sport bike (surprisingly comfortable!)...

...which we drove over to the Rosenberg Rail Museum... 

...with it's 100 year old still-operational signal box, and fully restored passenger car...

...various accruements and relics from the hey-day of rail travel....

...and miniature trains that speed along their tracks and spark your imagination.

We enjoyed a loooong lunch at Ol' Railroad Cafe...

...and then for dinner used our new tiny Webber grill to cook...

...hotdogs, of course! And enjoyed them with really good ketchup, and a really good movie...

...before riding over to the George Observatory where we saw Mercury before sundown...

...and then returned down the red-lite path to see the rings of Saturn after dark!

Brazos Bend is a great park for wildlife (deer! and aligators!)...

...and for slow days packing to go back home.

Brazos Bend State Park, site #225.  For a few more pics, go here.

Blogging: Behind the Scenes

In case you wondered what it looks like to make a blog post:

I have a very demanding editor...

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.

America the Beautiful (Goin' Up Around the Bend)

We pulled into Kerrville-Schreiner Park the evening of July 2nd, after spending the weekend over at Somerville State Park, about mid-way between Houston to Kerrville. The first thing we noticed about the campground was the magnitude of wildlife - deer, jack rabbits, birds, buffalo.... 

Ok, maybe not live buffaloes... but there was a scorpion in the bathhouse shower the first time I stepped in there - NOT really the kind of wildlife I was excited about!

When we started posting on Facebook that we were camping again, one of our friends, JSP (former Big Kahuna of the All Camper's Welcome Club) reached out to say how excited and happy she was that we were back in the game.  She mentioned that they head out to K/S each July, and since I had taken the week off work, and we didn't have a campsite planned  yet, we decided to crash their party!  It was wonderful to be hugged by her and see the family again; Happy Camper was there, too, as well as a few new friends.  It's so refreshing to be with people who love you and care about your happiness.  JSP, if you're reading this, know that we love you and your family so much - and the kindness that you show us is unconditional and genuine.  Thanks for being who you are!

RDB and I were amazed at how dark and clear the night sky was the first evening there in Kerrville.  I have an app (Night Sky) that does an incredible job of overlaying the stars with information and layouts of their namesakes.  It was the first time RDB had seen the Milky Way with his bare eyes. The app also helped me to see the constellations like I had never imagined before.  I honestly didn't realize that the Big Dipper was actually Ursa Major (the Great Bear)! 

Just a little foreshadowing that I happen to have captured Scorpio on this evening... 

I love camping.

There are so many things to learn and appreciate; that are right above us, and around us, unseen until we take the time to stop and look.  The moments that I take to _pause_ and reflect and realize that there is so much more to life than the grind for money, make me really wonder why we get so caught up (as a society) in the need to accumulate.  RDB's Mom posted this to our Facebook pages this week, and it's simply so true:

We planned to have breakfast out in town, and thanks again to Yelp, found an incredible hole-in-the-wall breakfast place called the Save Inn Resturant.  Much like the Chess Club Cafe in Blanco, this local spot was sooo good, we went back the next morning to enjoy the exact same breakfast.  Have the Lisa's Tacos and you won't be disappointed.

With the summer temps in the high 90*s, we spent the better part of Tuesday hanging out in the camper.  I'll be honest when I say that's about all I remember... but pics and texts to Bestie tell a slightly different story.... #trainingforthecruise

Wednesday morning, July 4th,  after a hangover fix breakfast at Save Inn Cafe again, RDB and I did a little wandering around town.  JSP told us about Gibson's  - this crazy home-town hardware general store that pretty much touts: If we don't have it, you don't need it!  We laughed at the yard vultures and I picked up a new dice game, LCR, for us to play in the camper on rainy days (came in handy later in the afternoon when it did start raining).

We also stopped by the H-E-B - for ice, coffee, and stuff - but made it a point to drop by the Original H-E-B.  The company was founded there in Kerrville and has a pretty neat origin story.  I was impressed with their efforts after Hurricane Harvey and the substantial flooding that we recovered from.  I like to shop local and small when I can, and though H-E-B isn't small by any means, it certainly has my business.

We spent a portion of the afternoon avoiding the heat (again) by touring the Museum of Western Art.  They had a special exhibit of quilts in the entry hall - the handiwork and craftsmanship was outstanding!  They have a sizable collection of paintings - some of which were so magnificently painted that you would have thought they were photographs - and saddles from across the southwest along with the stories behind them.  I was captivated by the collection of Kachina Dolls as well - some of them were so tiny and yet so detailed. 

My favorite Kachina there on the left is Kwahu - the Eagle Kachina.   Seems fitting, seeing that it's not only the Fourth of July, but that the Eagle is a symbol of America's independence. 

Back at the campground, dark clouds were looming.  JSP had been watching the radar and predicted that we'd see rainfall before the fireworks on Wednesday.  Sure enough, early afternoon the drizzle started and continued on for several hours.  We passed the time playing LCR (the game I picked up at Gibson's) and watching DVDs in the camper. 

You can rent a tepee if you want to feel like you're really in the wild west....

The rain cleared off in time that, had we wanted to, we could have gone into town to watch the fireworks.  We opted instead to take Diesel for a walk around the campgrounds and ended up at JSP's front porch.  Spent a bit of time there chatting and talking about the day, and Gibson's, and just generally enjoying the company until the booms from fireworks began - our cue to take Diesel back to his "house" and tuck him in for the night with a nice dose of Benadryl.

I started writing this post with "America the Beautiful" in mind and thought I'd tie it in somehow to the lyrics about 'beautiful spacious skies,' but here I am ending it and the CCR song "Up Around the Bend" is pounding out of the little Bose speaker that sits on the bar here in the house, and it feels about as all-American-summer as cheese balls and beer on the Fourth of July.

 "Catch a ride to the end of the highway

And we'll meet by the big red tree,

There's a place up ahead and I'm goin'

Come along, come along with me

Come on the risin' wind,

We're goin' up around the bend "

We were in site #235 at Kerrville-Schreiner Park, in the heart of the Hill Country. The sites will need a bit of side to side leveling, and unfortunately this one was near the dumpster (not a big deal except in the heat of the day and if the wind was blowing.)  The bathhouse showers left much to be desired - minimal privacy, poor water pressure, oh - and the scorpion that decided he wanted to clean up next to me.  (A moment of silence for the dearly departed resting in his watery grave.)  Being 4+ hours out from Houston, the humidity had dropped noticeably, and for the most part it was a very enjoyable - though still hot - stay. 

For more camping photos, click here.