A Crossover: Cars and Courthouses

Hi, y'all.

I gotta be honest, it's hard to pick back up and write on the blog because camping and Diesel were so intertwined...  I'm grateful that we have these blog pages because it's a living memorial of our camping campion; we started camping the same month he was born, he joined us just a short 2 months later, and he camped with us all the way up till Memorial Day this year.  I know the next time we camp, and every time we camp from here here on out, it will be, well... different.  To say "we miss our Diesel" is probably the understatement of the decade for us right now.

So, a slight shift from the normal camping topic - a crossover "episode," if you will.  And perhaps a new addition/distraction going forward, seeing that the blog _is_ about being "on wheels" after all.

My I introduce our newest adventure: our 2021 Mazda MX5 RF.  We bought it earlier this summer and  named her JOY. 

We've been ENJOYN this convertible over the summer months, and have already gone on a cross country 11-day trip to Denver, Colorado (the above picture was on the drive up to Pike's Peak); the past two weekends after Diesel's death, we've found ourselves jumping in the car and running away from an empty, quiet house.

This weekend was WAY too wet, even though we typically start our camping season back up on Labor Day, so we made a last minute decision to take the Miata out, and thanks to a post from the Lone Star Miata Club, we had a mission: The TX Miata Courthouse Challenge that's proceeding the 2022 Texas Miata Roundup that we're going to in October (we've got reservations to camp that weekend and are working the registration table, so we're pretty excited about meeting new friends in the Miata club.)

Y'all already know I have a thing for courthouses, so this one was a no brainer!

We're planning to get the 10 stops needed for the challenge over two different trips: this weekend, we're getting the western and southern stops, and since we already had a trip to Dallas planned to visit family and we'll get the northern ones that weekend. 

These will likely just be picture posts but I'll tag back to any camping trips where we've visited the courthouses, too, since we're not spending a ton of time exploring, just trying to get all 10 stops before the deadline of October 1st.

So, thanks for sticking with me as I shift gears (see what I did there?).

xoxo, SJB

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Stop #1: Coryell County Courthouse - Gatesville

Stop #2: Caldwell County Courthouse - Lockhart

We stayed at Lockhart State Park a few times, and visited the courthouse in Really Good Barbeque, Really Bad Gas, and a Game of "I Spy!"

Stop #3: Bexar County Courthouse - San Antonio

We've camped around San Antonio a few times, but surprisingly, haven't 'snagged' the Bexar Co Courthouse till now.  Nearby Palmetto State Park will put you one giant pecan away from Guadalupe Co Courthouse, if you're feeling a little nutty.

Stop #4: Fayette County Courthouse - La Grange

We've stayed in La Grange waaay back in the pop-up days: Rain, Rain at La Grange, but didn't get a chance to visit the courthouse.

Stop #5: Victoria County Courthouse - Victoria

We've camped near Victoria at Goliad State Park a few times over the past decade with a memorable Christmas trip to the fully decorated courthouse just last year. 

Stop #6: Wharton County Courthouse - Wharton

More than 700 miles in three days to catch six of the ten courthouses we need for the challenge.  This was a good weekend!