Don't mess with Texas.........

 

Don’t mess with Texas….

We were excited to leave Louisiana and head towards Texas! Texas is a high contender for us to call home. Anywhere from San Antonio to Austin to Fort Worth, and the surrounding areas. We were all excited to check out each area and see if we could end up living there. That and see if we could find any real cowboys!

We drove late into the night to make it to Orange Texas, right over the border of Louisiana, to spend the night in the Visitor Center parking lot. We needed to stock up on our maps and brochures! We weren’t the only ones, there were a lot of other weary travelers.

 

 

 

  You may or may not notice that as the trip goes on you see us all wearing the same clothes. When we originally packed up our clothes for our trip we were taking the Toyota Camper. We each had a little cubby hole for our clothes. Anything more than 5 outfits wouldn’t fit. After gathering our clothes for our trip and loading them in our little cubbies, we went and loaded the storage units with our dressers and closet boxes. A month later when our plans changed, we come back to Florida to drop off the Toyota at the storage unit and re pack up everything into the bigger camper. Unfortunately our dressers where crammed into the storage unit and we couldn’t reach them, without of course un packing the whole thing. That wasn’t going to happen. So we continued on with our 5 outfits each. As we travel on, there will be some changes. Gabe grew out of his 2 pairs of jean shorts and tends to use his t-shirts as napkins, causing the need to find some new shirts and shorts. Joe had a slight “accident” with a bottle of bleach on his dark grey shorts along with an “oops”, a piece of dropped food down the front of his shirt. And yes, Tina and I have had our moments as well. So needless to say we had to do some replacing. 

 

The one constant, besides my grey and white stripped jersey skirt and grey tank top, are the Port St Lucie brightly colored t-shirts. I am trying to remember to take them along with me when we go places. Kinda like flat Stanley! These shirts were given to us by my best girlfriends so they can track us around the countryJ

 

The next 3 weeks are all planned out. We knew we were going to start from one end of Texas, Corpus Christi and go all the way to the other, almost, to Marfa. Texas has a great program with their state parks. You buy a Park Pass for $80.00 and you (along with your family) can get into any state park for free. PLUS if you camp inside the state park you get the 2^nd night at half off! What a great deal! So needless to say we will be staying in all Texas state parks for our journey across Texas.
Our first state park was in a little town called Goliad. We picked this one because it had a really cool Mission, “Mission Espiritu Santo” on the property that you could take a guided tour through. We were supposed to be checked in and settled by 500pm. I had called and made the reservation, got directions and we were on our way.

But first we had to visit the USS Texas and the San Jacinto Monument. This is the battleground sight where Texas earned their independence in April of 1836. The other great thing about this trip is the History that Gabe, along with the rest of us, will be learning. Hands on. I used to fall asleep in History class from the teacher droning on and on. Joe on the other hand lives and breathes History and thankfully is passing on that love to Gabe. Being able to stand where History actually took place is a pretty cool thing and hopefully will stick with Gabe for his life and he can share it with his children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those that know me, know that I have a bit of OCD. That I tend to be a worrier and I like to make sure that everything is set. This leads me to several frantic calls I had to make to the Goliad State Park Ranger phone number, because we weren’t going to make it by 500pm. I vaguely remember the Ranger telling me that if we were going to be late to call and she would give me the code to get in, as they lock their gates at 800pm. We were going to be lucky to make it by 800 pm. We were free, traveling gypsy’s with no time table remember? No answer. No answer. No answer. Panic started to settle in. For me, not for Joe because I was the one who made this reservation and that it was my responsibility. Do you think I was going to tell him there was a problem? Still no answer. I left 3 messages, each one more dire sounding than the next. Still no call back. My fear was we were going to get there just after 800pm and be staring at a locked gate.

 

 

At 757pm we pulled into Goliad State Park. The gate was WIDE OPEN! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! We pull up to the little registration house and walk up to the front door. Office closed at 500 pm. BUT the campground is open until 1000pm. Not 800pm. Lesson learned is to listen to what the ranger tells you on the other end of the phone and to be prepared for anything! The sign on the door said it was an honor system if you come in after hours. That you needed to come to the Ranger office when they open at 900am to take care of registration. YEAH!

We had the campground pretty much to ourselves. There were about 30 sites and there were only 3 other campers there. After getting settled in I received a phone call. It was from the Ranger. Only about an hour after I had left so many messages. No Ranger, we are all set. Thank you. The bathrooms where clean, 2 showers with curtains for privacy. No air conditioning.

　

 

 

We spent 3 days in Goliad, using it as our home base to travel to Corpus Christi and the surrounding area. Tina wasn’t always able to travel around with us because she had to work. So we tried to plan our trips for all of us when she was off or she would work her schedule around the trip. Friday we left Tina at the camper and went to go visit one of the sights on Joes wish list. Shiner Texas. Home to Shiner Bock Brewery, one of his favorite beers. They offered free samples for anyone over the age of 21 yrs old (lemonade for those who weren’t’ or chose not to drink the beer). The Brewery was family run until just a few years back, when unfortunately they were going to close down. But a very wealthy gentleman stepped in and bought the company, turning it around and expanding it. When at one time it was very hard to find the beer, now you can buy it in over 40 states. They are the main employer for this small town and as we learned on our tour, most of the employees that work there, it is their 1^st and last job, retiring with the company.

Shiner Texas has a population of under 2500 people. Cute little down town, reminded me of a western movie. On the corner of one of the main intersections in town stood an old 2 bay garage. The sign board out front read, “BBQ Lunch, Thurs to Sun only” . The sign on the building said “Ricks”. The small parking lot was filled with locals. Lunch time!

 

Don’t get me wrong, eating in a gas station is the farthest thing from anything I would chose to do. But this wasn’t a normal gas station. It was a gas station turned BBQ joint, family run by Rick and his wife. As soon as we walked in the door the BBQ aroma hit you and made your mouth water. There was a walk up counter where you place your order, there were only 4 choices, you pick your sides and type of drink and pay at the counter. There were 5 bar stools along a counter in the front window. That’s it. You either ate it standing up, sitting on one of those bar stools or like most of the people we saw, you take it with you. For a Beef Brisket sandwich, side of baked beans and cole slaw plus a drink, $5.99. Home made, from scratch and the taste lived up to the smell. Where else can you get that? While paying for our lunch, Rick who made our sandwiches behind the counter, came over to talk with us and introduce himself. We got to talking about our journey. Rick wished us well, gave us a card and told us to give him a shout to let him know how our trip was going. Its something my dad would of said to strangers he just met. He would of loved the little mom and pop restaurant to. I could feel him with me. My dad loved to go places, whether it was to a Car Show with his oldies car group for the weekend, or driving to Florida from Connecticut to visit my grandparents for Christmas.  Or if he was looking for a car to buy, a great bargain, he would drive hours to go buy it. Even taking a train one time. If it was a good deal and he wanted it, he would figure out a way to go get it. He would of loved to have gone on this trip with us. I share these stories of the past with Gabe, he laughs mostly, but I think he gets the jist of it. Family is very important and what you do with them leaves you with long lasting memories. Some really good, others not so much. But all memories.

 Do you think this picture would of happened if I was there? 

 

 

Saturday the boys went and visited the USS Lexington for a few hours while Tina and I walked around the down town shopping area of Corpus Christi. I think the goal for Joe is to take Gabe to see as many WWII Ships and museums as possible. It is an era that Joe knows a lot about. Unfortunately the men who served during that war are dwindling. The men from WWI are all gone. It is amazing to hear Joe tell Gabe how he remembers in high school when the last Confederate Soldier from the Civil War died. I am very thankful that he can teach Gabe about our countries history. Gabe’s generation knows about the “War on Terror”. Afghanistan and Iraq. Funny how it used to be all over the news and now you don’t hear much about them. As if everything is calm now. I won’t go into my political beliefs on our current idiot president, that he was able to somehow get enough uninformed non-intelligent followers to vote him in for a 2^nd term still astounds me. I’m just counting down the days until he is out and hope and pray that someone can come in and clean up the mess that he has made of our country.
 

Another life lesson on this trip for Gabe, nothing is given to you, you have to earn a living, with your own hands and need to learn to live with out if you can’t. Unfortunately his generation and the one before don’t know what that means. Driving across our beautiful country we are meeting so many different walks of life. 

 

We stopped along the way home to check out Rockport, a small town not far from Corpus Christi.  They had a festival going on to raise money for the town.  It was hotter than blazes, we didn't stay long!

 

 

                                                                               

 

 Where was I…….The state parks in Texas have a wonderful family treasure hunt you can enjoy, it is called Geocaching. An updated version of Letter Boxing. You receive GPS Coordinates from the Park Ranger, which you take into the woods to find the “treasure”. You are supposed to take something out of it and leave something of yours in it. Some of them have a note pad for you to leave a note for the next person to find. There are people that do their own boxes that you can find out the coordinates on line, but we will be sticking with the ones the state park set up. You never know what you will find with someone elses! We all hopped on our bikes and went trudging through the woods with our hand held GPS and the typed in coordinates. Shouldn’t it be right out in the open somewhere? A big orange X marks the spot? Nope. Joe found it in the woods, after about 30 minutes of looking. Tina was unfortunately attacked by the various mosquitoes that wanted to get to know her. Gabe was so excited, he was the one to open it first and see what was inside. In this metal army box where all kinds of goodies. So Gabe took a card with information on the park and left a Shiner Bach wooden coin in its place.

We were able to take a tour of the Mission before leaving. Learning how the Spanish tried to brainwash the Indians into believing that they would be better off if they accepted their beliefs and gave up their own.

　

　

The next morning we were on our way again, this time heading to Blanco. This small town of only 1700 people we chose because it is located in between San Antonio and Austin, we were going to be there for 4 days, giving us enough time to explore each area. The last Park Rangers from Goliad State Park recommended this park to us, along with a few others across the state. They should know what ones are the best, I would hope! Blanco State Park is a small park, only 10 full hook up sites, it is hard to get into because it is very popular. We were lucky they had a spot big enough to fit us and availability. The main draw to Blanco is the Blanco River. A mile of it runs along the park and is  open to the public. You can swim, fish, canoe and go tubing.

 

We arrived at Blanco State Park a little after 600pm. I had called ahead to let them know we would be late. No worries they said your information will be posted. So we detach the car from the camper and drive up to the Ranger Station. Our information is posted on the outside board, name and site number.

I will fill you in on a little back story before I go any further. I have mentioned and you have seen in pictures the size of our Camper. It is hard to turn around when there is the tow dolly and car on the back. Since we don’t know some of the areas we are staying at we decided to detach the car before we head into most places and check it out before hand. Just in case there is an issue. Having said that, Joe is a great driver, he can turn a tractor trailer on a dime, fit it into small places and back in on the blind side. I’m not just boasting because he is my husband, but because he truly amazes and at time scares me! You will be reading a lot more about some of his “skills” throughout the blog I’m sure.  Some that I am happy about and other times I would like to lock him up for.

So Tina and I drive down the little hill and around the corner. And stop. There is a bridge. A low lying bridge across the river. It is not very long and it is made of concrete. It leads to a sharp incline.  Which ofcourse I couldn't get as I was the one driving!

Tina and I go up to the top and drive around the little circle. I call Joe and tell him what to expect. He said I’m already half way across the bridge. Great. Sometimes it is better not to see things anyway. We find our spot, not a bad one, great for backing in the camper with open space across from us. We unhook the trailer, set up camp and head into town to find something to eat.

We ended up at downtown Blanco. It made up one block with the tourism center in the middle. Dinner was good, hometown cooking, surrounded by locals. They close the doors at 900pm. It was 830pm when we arrived. No problem, have a seat. So far we have found very friendly and helpful people through out Texas. Back home I couldn’t tell you the last time a server was happy to see you at almost closing time!

We drove around the downtown block, consisting of the Water department, the Police station, Pizza Parlor, Hairdresser, Realty Office and a Donut/Chinese/Mexican shop. Small town shopping!

 

 

We contributed again to the small community by eating there the next day for lunch.......

 

On the way back into the campground Joey pointed out a sign on the bridge to me. I was so busy driving across it I didn’t even see it. The sign on the bridge said “Weigh limit 24,000 pounds“. Our Camper is 33,000 pounds. Thankfully I didn’t see this sign until after Joe had crossed over. But he still needed to drive back across it to leave.


We spent the next day putting mud flaps on the back of the camper. It may not sound like much, but it was pretty cool that Joe, Gabe and I did it together. More of those life lessons.

 

 

 

We had plans to go out canvassing the area but the camper needed a part which had to be ordered and we needed to do laundry. Which unfortunately a down side to the state parks is they don’t offer laundry facilities. We drove back into town about a mile and there was the only laundry mat. Clean and empty. The one in Goliad was dirty and we sat out in the car to wait for the clothes to be done, just in case someone decided to walk away with our clothes and the inside was to gross to stay in. So we decided to relax back at the campground, in between the laundry runs, we rode our bikes around the park and went Geocaching again, this time Gabe found it on his own. Yes back in the woods and along the river!

 

The part came in the next day, Joe fixed the camper and we were back in the car exploring. We went out to San Antonio first, we had already been to the River Walk and the Alamo last year, so there was no need to do that again. We were interested in the surrounding areas, away from the tourist. We drove about 30 minutes out of Blanco before we saw the start of Urban Sprawl, leading us into the outside loop of San Antonio. There were stores as far as the eye could see, everything thing from strip malls to free standing stores, restaurants, bars, cafes, churches, they didn’t forget anyone! Traffic wasn’t to bad at that time, roads were fairly well laid out to help move everyone. Problem was we didn’t want to live in the shopping district, but where we just came from was to desolate, which Joe loved. We needed a good compromise.

 

 

 

The next day Joe, Gabe and I decided to go down to the River along the campground. It was very crowded down the hill from our campground so we drove a little further and found a quieter area. There were kids jumping off of the dam into the murky water, people in canoes, kids swimming by their parents and people sitting along the dam wall. It was a very nice area and everyone was very friendly. We found a spot on the big rock running along the river and shortly were surrounded by a group of people. Come to find out they were a home school group out together for a day of swimming! Imagine that! So of course we started talking and I learned a lot about what Texas had to offer for Homeschoolers. I had researched before hand but actually talking to home school families helped. The opportunities for their children in sports and extra curricular activities was amazing. The number of people who home school in Texas they said was staggering. And you as the parent had the control, not the state or the school system. Freedom to teach what you want them to learn, what they need to know, not what the school system believes they need to know.

Gabe watched the kids jumping in off of the dam wall. He said he wanted to try it but was to afraid. Joe said he wanted to try it to. They both ended up doing it one after the other. I was watching my little boy grow up. Did I want to yell NO YOU CANT DO THAT! IT IS MUCH TO DANGEROUS, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IS IN THIS WATER, OR WHERE THE ROCKS ARE ! YOU COULD BE HURT! But I didn’t. I let him go with his dad and be a boy. Afterwards he said it was cool, glad he did it, but didn’t want to do it, ever again. That’s my boy!

 

We were off exploring again, this time to Fredericksburg. What a really neat little town. If we were going to settle down this would be a great place. Small town feel, historical, great walking town. Friendly people, wonderful winery and bakery/ice cream shop. This could be a place we would be able to call home. Maybe. We drove through the neighbor hood, a lot of craftsman style houses which we love. But to close to each other. We came from a gated zero lot line community, we wanted space in our next house.

Some background about the picture taking. Joe likes to keep the camera and "surprise" us with "candid" shots. You can tell by our expressions how much we love them. Yes I am including them, ofcourse only a few and only the ones that are somewhat decent. You should of seen the ones I deleted. Which he knew I was going to but took them any way. I will have some that I take of him without him knowing soon enough!

 

 

Have you heard of the famous song “Luckenbach Texas” by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings? It is based on a little town in Texas called Luckenbach, just outside of Fredericksburg. The song states that you need to come to Luckenbach and have a beer, stating “Everybody’s Somebody in Luckenbach”. It was another stop on Joes wish list. The town consists of 10 acres and has a Dance Hall, Beer Joint, General Store and the Luckenbach Post Office. All surrounded by huge oak trees and 2 creeks. It is out of the way hill country that you could blink and pass by the dirt road that leads to it. They still hold dances every Friday night in the Dance Hall and annual events that attract a colorful mix of people.   They have in the past rented out the "town" to Weddings and Family Reunions.  Cool place to get married!

We were told by several different people that the people of Austin are “Special”. That could mean several different things. So we headed out the following afternoon to visit it. It was an experience. We went into town around 500 pm, just as everyone was heading out. It was chaos. The streets where all One Way or the other, everything was in a grid pattern, with different neighbor hoods. From the trendy side, to the family side to the bar and music side. There were a total of 8 neighborhoods. There were more homeless people here than we had seen anywhere else in our travels. And more tourist. If it was just Joe and I, it would be different. We could go bar hopping and listen to the locals and hopefuls sing while enjoying an adult beverage. Austin is the music capitol of the world after all. But we had Gabe and it that scene wasn’t for him.

So we pulled up "The Best Places To Eat in Austin area" and went searching. We came upon a really cool hamlet called Driftwood. Right out side of Dripping Springs. Gabe researched it online on Urban Spoon and it came up highly rated. The place was called “The Salt Lick”. We drove for miles, desolation everywhere, just rolling hills and far off lights twinkling from houses scattered throughout the area. Then we saw it. A beautiful lodge type restaurant, but also a Winery. Twinkling lights under the big trees.

 

Gabe and his new friend!

 

The restaurant was crowded. They had 3 separate dining rooms. Tables where real wood picnic tables that held up to 10 people on their thick benches. The ambiance was amazing. The food was family style, big servings, but only about 5 choices. The most amazing thing? The sign that was over the ATM machine….SORRY, WE ONLY TAKE CASH….really??? In this day and age a restaurant that doesn’t take a Debit Card or a Credit Card??? Located in the middle of no where, the ATM makes a lot of sense.

Bellies full we headed back home to our campground. We were leaving the next day to the Dallas Forth Worth area and we still didn’t have any idea about where we were going to move. We were going to visit my cousin who has lived outside of Fort Worth for over 25 years. Maybe that would be the place for us.