The 2018 RV Trip Continues

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Friday,  Feb 16

On through Oklohoma we drove, our next stop we decided would be the Broken Bow area. I needed to upload a few days worth of photos so we stopped at a coffee shop near the park. Internet was soooo slow (if you recall from my intro to the last blog post) I abandoned that task for the moment.

We pulled into Beavers Bend State Park. It was in a hilly area with a nice lake nearby, though we were not planning on partaking in activities, simply a stop over. We did get to walk the trails with Lil along the Red River though, which was a nice setting close to our RV.

Beavers Bend Click on image to see more of this area.

Saturday, Feb 17

On through Oklahoma. This area boasted Native American heritage. The views were of rustic yet upscale log houses, horses and beef herds. Our breakfast was at this cool diner called the Gemini Coffee Shop in Oklahoma. On the outside, it looked like just another hole-in-the-wall restaurant in a dying strip mall, but when we walked in, I realized what a find it was. Bubbling with local regulars, and quaintly decorated in a friendly farm style, I felt right at home. We sat at the half moon diner style bar in retro 60’s chairs and placed our orders. The owner seemed to know everybody, greeting them all by name, and had regulars phoning in their orders for pick up. The food was great and the atmosphere was hard to leave, but on we must go into Texas!

Our next stop was Mission Tejas State Park in Texas. It was very small, and heavily wooded. We didn’t expect much here, but I was pleasantly surprised but the history this tiny park held. It contained a segment of El Camino Real (Royal Road or Kings Highway), a segment of roads leading up from Mexico that local tribes used for trade and travel.  On the grounds was also the Rice Family Home built in 1828 as a family home, but hosted travelers along the Camino Real. Also here is the Mission Building which was build by the Civilian Conservation Corps to demonstrate the style of log homes built in this area in the early 1800’s. Lil enjoyed walks along the nature trails which had recently been burned (controlled burn I’m guessing). It was here she had her first introduction to white tail deer bounding away from us on the trail and a large roly-poly armadillo scooting past the RV in the night.

The Mission House  Click on image to see more of this area. 

Sunday, Feb 18

Another early out morning. Nothing more to see here so we headed toward our next stop of Galveston Island. I will say, road kill is a different kind around here; black pigs and armadillos.  We stopped for gas in the small town of Crockett, Texas. While we were checking the maps, an old silver haired duffer in a faded wrangler shirt and a sharp military haircut pulled up next to us in his pickup to bend our ear a while. He liked our “rig” and was curious about it. The conversation carried on about work, health, honesty, discipline and respect. He had a true heart of gold and a genuine smile, telling us of his childhood when he trained with the great Roy Harris right in his own back woods. He spoke of his dog Zero and how he would “doodle off” to go get him ice cream treats from the kitchen every day. He melted my heart, it was such a treat to chat with him a while.

We drove on, headed south. This rain or mist seemed to keep following us. It now hung in the air around craggy oaks, silhouettes against the contrasting white wooden fences. I wondered if we were ever going to outrun this weather. At least it was warmer, 70’s I’d guess. Our lunch was at Whattaburger chain; we’re told it’s the bomb here in Texas. I’d call it only average. While stopped, I took advantage of the PetCo across the way to get Lily’s nails trimmed.

We made a quick stop at Sheldon Lake State Park, a day use park. Justin wanted to fish their sites. Lil and I walked the boardwalk while he fished. He caught one, but nothing he’d brag about, but it’s time spent fishing nonetheless, a good day.

Trail Boardwalk Click on image to see more of this area. 

After leaving Sheldon, our resting place was Galveston Island State Park. We checked the forecast to see if the weather would allow a visit to the Schlitterbahn waterpark, but with a high only in the low 70s, it would be too cold for me to spend the day all wet. I’m hopeful we’ll hit up a waterpark at some point in this ride though. Our spot was on the bay side closer to all of the nature trails, which suited us just fine. Though, for some evening entertainment, we did scooter up and down the coastal road to see if there were any neat spots to stop at for a local drink. We had Lil in her bucket on the scooter, outfitted in her doggles. I swear she enjoys these rides more than me. She also brings a smile to everyone that sees her. We found one spot close by and stopped for a quick drink on the deck where Lil could sit with us. She won over the bartender, who brought her some dog treats.  We soon left, scooting along a back road, and passed the most random blip of a pasture with a few cows and chickens,  then ended the day with a taco supper at the RV. The sunset was almost a watercolor painting, perfectly blended and matte.

Estuaries Click on image to see more of this area. 

Monday, Feb 19

I’ve come to really love these mornings. Lil gets invited up into bed to cuddle for the last hour of sleep we enjoy, and the sun slowly creeps through the windows. The smell of coffee brewing while I’m squished up next to Lil all warm and cozy. Plenty of breeze came through the open windows last night to keep us comfortably cool.  We took Lil on a walk along the many trails along the estuary. There were many birds to see, one being a type of large light pink spoonbill kind. We climbed the viewing tower to get a better view spanning over the bay area, it was very relaxing.

We left Galveston Island, next stop was Corpus Christi where today we were lucky enough to just score the last RV spot on the water at the Naval Air Station. Alas, our luck didn’t hold. With the sound of a sharp and very loud pop, we quickly  knew we had just blown out a tire. Justin safely pulled us off the road into the nearest driveway, just barely on the outskirts of a small town called Edna.  It was the passenger side rear inside tire (duels). While these RVs do come with a good replacement tire, they do not include the jack necessary to lift such weight. I called our roadside assistance, and after an hour, they still had no luck finding a service to aid us. And just like that our luck returned; the place we pulled into was a small shop of some sort and one of the workers just returned. He had all the tools needed to jack us up and spin off the lugs to get to the inner wheel. Justin and he had it replaced very quickly, and we headed into the little town to get the blown tire replaced… you know, in case it happens again. Back in business 3 hours later. We drove through a little town called Victoria. We had hoped to spend a bit of time there, but we had already run short of that so it was just a drive through. Corpus Christi was close, so we kept driving. All of the homes along the beach were so vibrantly colored; ranging from azure, yellow, kiwi green, coral, seafoam and so on. I adored the character. The names of the towns were equally charming; Jamaica Beach, Coconut Cove and so on. Then you had the names of the houses; Yappy Turtle, Banana Boat, Pelicans Nest.  A quick gas stop in Surfside Beach where there were food trucks and a place selling daiquiris to go.  I’m in heaven!

Closer to Corpus Christi, the landscape changed to a more industrious one. I spied wind turbine fields off in the distance, and what seemed to be refineries scattered along the skyline.

Upon arrival at the base in Corpus Christi, we found our spot on the breezy beach, on a concrete pad. It was very nice, though a full RV park. I was thrilled with the free laundry facilities nearby, and the wifi. It’s stops like this where I’m very grateful to be able to catch up on laundry, photos and my blog, but I feel terrible for Lil who sits staring off in the distance waiting to play.  After laundry and homework, it’s Texas steaks on our grill tonight! And we’ll be rocked to sleep in the arms of welcoming ocean breezes.

Gulf Coast, TX Click on image to see more of this area.