Old Favorites

 Somewhere in the past serval months the remnants of the All Campers Welcome Club mentioned a trip to Stephen F Austin State Park this weekend; so, I booked us a site for several nights, and then didn't think much of it.  I tried to keep my work calendar light on Friday so that maybe, maybe we could get out to that side of town before traffic, but it never seems to work that way (add to that the insane amount of continuing education I need to complete by March and I'm one busy boss lady. By the time I was done with work, RDB and I decided to have an early dinner at Torchy's and then drive the hour out to the park afterwards.

Yep. Continuing Ed.  Making sense of things beyond insurance licensing.

I put a roll-call post on Facebook to the friends who were in the ACWC and got a ping from JSP  - she and DP were int he park, along with Mr Airstream, both just a few sites down from us.  We set up camp and then walked over to spend some time chatting with our dear friends; neither of us were sure how we knew that the other was going to be in the park this weekend, but were so glad that we could hang out and catch up.  A few other former members of the club were coming in for lunch on Saturday, so we made a point to drop by again and hang out.

We slept in Saturday morning, all snuggly and warm.  It was a beautiful day Friday, but the weather turned cold pretty quickly overnight.  Needless to say Diesel is still one of the most spoiled dogs we know - sleeping on a heated dog bed, with his fancy fleece lined jacket, and then getting to curl up on the bed with us every morning (and to be honest? That morning snuggle buys us an extra hour or tow before having to take him out for a walk, so it's worth it for us, too.)

Saturday morning, we went into town and had a late breakfast at Tony's Restaurant. We'd been before, on a camping trip to SFA as well, but I realized that I hadn't written them a review.  Definitely worth coming back and having it again!

Right outside the park, is the San Felipe De Austin State Historical Site. It wasn't complete the last time we were here, so we made it a point to drop in this weekend and I'm so glad we did! It was a windy and cold afternoon, so we practically had the entire museum (both inside and out) to ourselves.

It's interactive and excellently done and absolutely worth the $10 admission (there's a discount if you have a State Park Pass).  Not only does it walk thru the history of the town of San Felipe, but they've also taken time to find several historical families in the local area and trace them back to the time period of Texas' Independence. 

I was drawn to the printing press and loved that you were actually encouraged to touch the plates there in the display. As I tap-tap-tap away on my laptop (while watching Super Bowl XXVI) I can't help but think how blessed I am as an author to be able to enjoy the technology of today, and not have to place every single letter of every single word into a plate and press that onto individual pages.  Oh, and that when I mistype, I can simply hit the backspace and the error goes away, versus having to start all over again.  (Not to mention how much I appreciate the red squiggly line of spell check!)

Another impress advancement in technology was the large electronic touch-sensitive mural.  We rounded the corner and at first, it just looked like a back-lit panel, but as you stood there for a moment, you'd notice small movements: the swishing of an animal's tail, flames licking the hog on a spit, the rippling of waves in the water.  But it wasn't just these small movements that made this mural so interesting.... each of those white circles throughout were 'touchable' - giving you the ability to bring up even more visual artifacts and pictures.

It. Was. SO. COOL!  This museum had some many different ways to engage with the history of the very land we were standing upon. After the Battle of the Alamo, and the massacre at Goliad, the Mexican army was relentlessly pursuing the newly independent Texan army eastward, the citizens of San Felipe knew that their town was in sites of the advancing army.

"The enemy has demanded a surrender...
I have answered the demand with a cannon shot."

Pulling into the parking lot of the historical site, RDB and I just had a conversation about how rugged and strong the settlers would have had to have been to come to 'wilds' of Texas and now here they were, running for their lives in front of an advancing army and having to make the impossibly difficult decision of burning their homes and shops to keep the raw materials out of the hands of the enemy. 

There was another section outside - a reenactment village with printshop and blacksmith, school, and other buildings - but with the cold and wind, RDB and I opted out of that part of the exhibit and went back over the park.  JSP and our friends had gathered together, and J/D came in for lunch as well. It was really great to get to chat with them all.

The evening continued to get more windy, and more cold, so we all went our separate ways. Diesel was glad for us to be back at the camper.

One pic from my lap....

...and another from RDB's....

...and one when he finally settled down to sleep.  Again.

Sunday morning JSP and DP came over to check out our new digs.  We talked for a while as they loved on Diesel (who can resist, right?) and then we packed up to head home.  It was a great, albeit short, trip and we're already anxiously excited about the next time we bring the camper out .... as we're taking the "castle" to the Magic Kingdom for my 40th birthday!

We were in site #3 at Stephen F Austin State Park: very level both side to side and front to back, with 30a and full hook-ups.  This park is exceptionally particular about their check-in rules: no one, and I mean, no one, is allowed to check in before 2pm.  I received two emails (one at time of booking, and another the week we were to arrive) along with a phone call the day of our first reservation, giving specific instructions about not arriving early unless we anted to wait at the headquarters until check-in.  sure enough, as RDB and I were leaving the park just a few minutes after 2pm, we had to pass several campers on their way in.  So, we'd highly recommend, if you're leaving out in the afternoon - be sure to leave before everyone else is making their way in at 2pm or wait till 2:30 so everyone else can get settled - the park roads are not really trimmed well enough for two campers to pass without someone brushing the tree limbs. 

We've stayed here several times before: Numerous Naps, The Greatest Gifts, Halloween Weekend and the Bridge is Out

For (not many more) camping photos, go here.

For a video drive thru of the park, 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.

Happy as a Clam at High Tide

Oh, camping - how we've missed you!  

It feels like forever long ago that we were last with SETPUCC - now renamed the All Campers Welcome Club (ACWC) - and agreed to scout for this trip to Galveston Island State Park.  Just a short hour or so from Houston, its a great campground to head to after a long week of work and travel.  It was nearly 10pm when we finally arrived, though, and as much as we wanted to socialize with the Club, we went nearly straight to bed!

Saturday morning, we woke to beautiful weather and an awesome short jaunt to the beach.

Diesel wasn't all that excited about the sea water (there were stickers on the path to the beach, and we have a feeling he got stuck and then stung by the water).  I was loving it, though.  It has been so long since I've walked along the Gulf of Mexico with my feet in the water, feeling the cool waves lap at my ankles.  It was amazing how beautiful and clean the beach was; the only thing littering the coast was the multitude of teeny-tiny little mussels.  

After a lengthy morning walk on the beach, we found ourselves back in the camper again, enjoying the air-conditioning and deciding what we wanted to do with the afternoon, before our scheduled pot-luck with the Club. 

Pros and Cons of Galveston Island State Park: Pro? You're super close to a very private beach. Con? Not a tree in sight.

I had a few ideas on what I wanted to do around Galveston, Trip Advisor had a few more suggestions as well.  (I did *not* know there was a train museum and running train in Galveston!! We will be going back to do that for sure!!) And no, even though the Bolivar Ferry was rated as #1, you will not see me going on that adventure! We finally decided on eating lunch at a favorite spot on the water and then heading over to a well-known tourist spot.

So, if ever you're in Galveston, and you're hungry for some of the best fried seafood on the Gulf Coast, head over to the Fisherman's Wharf on Pier 21.  RDB and I have had lunch here before - watching the cruise ships leave out on a Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago.  We didn't expect to see them again this trip, but both the Carnival Freedom and the Triumph were anchored, getting ready for their next trip out.  The Fisherman's Wharf has seating both inside and out - with direct views of the pier and harbor.  I guess you could say, it was lunch and a show! ;-)  And just so you know, the Shrimp Kisses (part of the appetizer platter) were the absolute best thing we had - although the mini crab cakes (also an appetizer) are what brought us back again for lunch!

^^ Look!! It's a Ferris brick!! A HOUSTON Ferris brick! I had no idea they even existed!

With full bellies, we headed towards Hope Street and the Moody Gardens pyramids.  I had been to this indoor rainforest once before, back in 8th grade, and thought it would be a great idea for an afternoon adventure.  RDB wasn't so sure: rainforest? Hot, humid, tropical environment? It wasn't until I told him they'd designed the pyramid with air-conditioning that blows directly onto the walking paths that he agreed to go.  Can't say I blame him!

I'll write a separate post for our time at Moody Gardens - it was such a neat experience, and I have lots to share about it!

Once we returned from our rainforest adventure, we headed over to M&D's campsite where everyone was gathering for the pot-luck dinner.  Since renaming the Club this spring, we needed a new banner - M&D took it upon themselves and came up with a great one:

 "Owl" bet you didn't see that coming! ;-)

We had a rather large group this campout: M&D and D's mom, JS&D and their daughter, D&J, the Happy Camper, The Photog and K, their daughter and niece, and a new (younger!) tent couple: Submarina and Isle.  There were several other new additions to the group, as well, but I didn't get a chance to get around and meet them all.

The pot-luck, as always, was wonderful. It never ceases to amaze me how we can all come together with different tastes and dishes, and no one ever leaves hungry!

We brought the Bird with us as well.  It took no time for the guys to crowd around RDB and ask about all the features and capabilities of our DJI Inspire1.  While he played around with the quad-copter, I got old school and went over to the beach to fly a kite.

I absolutely love this one:

True to form, after dinner M suggested that we head out onto the beach for a walk: a Crab Crawl, if you will!  Several of us walked out to the sound of the waves, under a deep full moon, and chased the tiny little critters as we came across them. Submarina was by far the most hilarious, blinding the crabs with her flashlight and then taking off in a rush after them when they'd gather the courage to jump out of the light and make a break for freedom.  One she chased all the way to the edge of the tidal line, where it stood for a moment with a look at the waves like "I can't swim!" but then jumped into the swell at its own peril.  It was a perfect end to a great night.

The wind shifted as the sun set Saturday night. We went to bed with it whipping around at anything that wasn't tied down, and then sometime after midnight the sky fell out.  RDB and I both woke at various points to the crash and bang of thunder and lightening, and the constant drumming of rain on the roof.  Before we went to bed, a last minute tent camper had shown up in the spot beside us; by the next morning, they were gone.

Perhaps you can see why:

Seriously. We went to bed and there was a tent in the spot between us and Happy Camper's trailer (in the upper right hand photo). We woke up, and they were no where to be seen.  And that was only 1.5" last night.  We checked the radar, we were in a lull in the rain and it wasn't going to get much better, so RDB packed up the outside, while I quickly packed up the inside, and we were on the road back home again in no time.  There was quiet a difference in the swell as we rode along the Seawall and made our way back to Houston.

Yet another wonderful trip, and another wonderful campground.  We were in site 15 on the beach side at Galveston Island State Park. Very level side to side, but also a low-spot if it rains.  No trees (obviously) so bring a pop-up shade tent if you're planning to hang out at the campsite for a while.  The park has recently undergone (and is still undergoing) renovations to make repairs from the 2008 hurricane season.  Ike did  a number on the island, and the beautiful beachy park was not spared.  All that being said, I think Diesel liked it well enough.  Happy dog.  

For more camping photos, go here.