Wintering in Texas Vol. 2
AUSTIN
On January 14, 2019, I left Sherman, TX and headed south to Austin, the state capitol. Just as I was passing through Dallas on I-635, a small car cut me off in an attempt to jump ahead of the long line of cars to my right waiting to exit onto I-30. Unfortunately, there was no room for him to squeeze in so he stopped right in front of me. I slammed on my brakes—braking is not easy in a 31 foot motorhome towing a Jeep—and managed to stop just inches away from the car in front, however, I felt my brakes give way in the process. I drove the next 200 miles to Austin with barely any brakes and arrived at McKinney Falls State Park exhausted from the stress.
My campsite at McKinney Falls State Park, Austin, TX.
My RVillage friend, Jeff, was staying at an RV park not far from me and, as luck would have it, he once worked as a brake repair technician so he came over to take a look. It turned out I’d ruptured the brake line to my right front wheel and had lost most of my brake fluid so I began calling around to find someone who could fix it. Not an easy task. It took me about eight phone calls to find a place willing to work on my motorhome. The local Ford dealer didn’t do trucks, the big truck shops would only work on big diesel rigs and RV centers don’t work on chassis and drive trains, only the camper part. I was getting frustrated and desperate when I happened upon Inland Truck Parts and Service. I cannot expressed strongly enough how great these guys were to do business with. I spoke with Ramiro who was willing to take my VIN over the phone, along with Jeff’s input on what needed replacing, and he order the parts from Ford. We made an appointment for the following Monday morning to get the work done so my original 3-day stay turned into 7.
I arrived first thing in the morning on the following Monday and they completed my 7-hour job in only 5, which got me on the road in time to make it to San Antonio before dark. This company has locations throughout the central U.S. and I highly recommend them to all my RV friends.
Getting my brakes fixed at Inland Truck Parts and Service.
Since I had more time on my hands than I’d planned, I was able to see the waterfalls at the park, visit with Jeff, and explore a little of Austin and the surrounding area.
The waterfalls at McKinney Falls State Park…
Jeff and I visited the charming little town of Bastrop, TX, east of Austin.
Jeff and I had lunch at Old Town Restaurant and Bar in Bastrop, TX.
We each enjoyed a flight of local whiskies and moonshine at Copper Shot Distillery in Bastrop, TX.
The view of the Colorado River from the top of Mount Bonnell in Austin, TX.
The Austin skyline from Butler Park on the Colorado River.
SAN ANTONIO
At the end of my unexpected one-week stay in Austin, the motorhome was repaired and I was on my way to San Antonio and stayed at a KOA just outside the city. After several months of cold and rainy weather, I finally got some nice warmth and sunshine. I actually broke out the shorts and sandals but it only lasted a few days.
My sunny site at the KOA outside San Antonio, TX.
The Alamo is the number one attraction in San Antonio. There’s also a film about the battle for Texas independence at the nearby AMC theater that I highly recommend. I saw it before visiting the mission so I’d have a better understanding about the events. My impression of San Antonio is that it’s a very easy city to get around on foot. I parked my car in a lot near the Alamo and walked to everything I wanted to see.
Here I am outside the Alamo.
I had seen an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network that featured a Mexican bakery here so I went in search of it. La Panaderia did not disappoint, although it was quite busy with a long line but it was worth it in the end. I enjoyed a delicious blueberry Bear Claw and a Cappuccino before strolling the famous River Walk.
I learned about La Panaderia on the Food Network.
The pastry choices were mouth-watering.
I settled on a blueberry Bear Claw and a Cappuccino.
River Walk is a 2 1/2 mile flood control canal off the San Antonio River lined with shops, restaurants and art galleries.
There are several foot bridges crossing the canal as well as boat rides.
While walking around town, I came upon the Texas Ranger Museum, located inside the Buckhorn Saloon. It covered the history of the law enforcement agency founded in 1823 through today with numerous artifacts, firearms, photos and stories about the many interesting cases the Rangers were involved in—Texas Rangers were present when Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed and killed.
The Texas Ranger Museum in San Antonio, TX.
North of San Antonio is the interesting little town of Gruene, pronounced “green” that was settled in the 1840s by the Gruene family who were German farmers. Much of this area of Texas was settled by Germans and many of the town names reflect that. Gruene is now a tourist attraction, with small shops and restaurants in the old buildings. Also located here is Gruene Hall, known as the “oldest dance hall in Texas.” There’s still live music and dancing here so I had to check it out. As I’ve discovered in the past, there is no “line dancing” in Texas, only Two-Step for couples only. If you’re by yourself, you’re out of luck.
The Gruene Historic District in New Braunfels, TX
Gruene Hall, “the oldest dance hall in Texas.”
Apparently only couples can dance in Texas. Bummer for us single folks who want to line dance.
After two years of rarely having cable in campgrounds, I stopped into a local Camping World and bought a satellite dish. Now the only time I can’t watch TV is if my site is wooded or its raining hard.
My new Dish Network portable satellite.
CORPUS CHRISTI
Corpus Christi is not really a vacation destination spot but they have an airport, which allowed me to fly back to New Jersey for Mark’s birthday in early February. I stayed at Hatch RV Park, only 10 minutes from the airport, making my early morning flight a little easier to handle.
Hatch RV Park was convenient to Corpus Christi Airport.
Waves breaking at Cole Park on the Gulf of Mexico in Corpus Christi.
I arrived at the airport at 4:00 a.m. for my 5:30 flight and found I was the only person in the terminal, which was a little creepy. It turns out, they don’t open until 5:00. I’ve never been to an airport that closes before. I had to wait outside the TSP screening area and wait for the agents to come to work.
I arrived at Corpus Christi airport before any of the employees and had to wait for TSA to open.
I also took advantage of my time in Corpus Christi to get my awning fabric replaced. Del Air RV Center did a great job replacing the fabric and repairing another bracket on the frame.
Getting mt awning fabric replaced at Del Air RV Center, Corpus Christi, TX.
My beautiful new awning. Too bad the weather was so lousy this spring that I only opened it once.
PORT ARANSAS/PADRE ISLAND
My goal was to go to the beach in the wintertime so my next stop was Port Aransas on Padre Island, a barrier Island on the Gulf of Mexico. Some of my RVillage friends were staying in the area so I was looking forward to a fun time. I was booked for 19 nights at Port A RV Park, which I liked very much. The sites were easy to back into with level concrete pads. As I was backing into the site, some folks across the road applauded me for my highly skilled driving and we quickly became friends for the remainder of my stay. Karen and Charlie are from Minnesota and spend their winters at the park. I’m hoping to visit them when I get to Minnesota and I might come back here for a quick visit next winter.
Although I found it quite easy to back into this site, my neighbors thought I was an RV Wonder Woman.
My dream of going to the beach in the wintertime were killed by the lousy weather on the gulf. I woke up to fog every morning that would burn off between 2:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon then fog would roll in again for the night. Other than that, the temps were pleasant and I spent my time visiting with my friends in the area.
Not quite the beach conditions I was hoping for on Padre Island.
The fog was so thick some days that I could barely see the oil tankers enter the inlet.
The RVillage gang got together for lunch at San Juan Bar & Grill in Aransas Pass, TX.
Several of my RVillage friends were staying at Aransas Oaks RV Park in Aransas Pass on the mainland. Visiting required a ferry ride from the barrier island.
My RVillage friends, Roger and Gloria got married in a “faux” wedding at Giggity’s Restaurant & Bar in Port Aransas. Lots of drinking, eating, and laughter!
There aren’t many lighthouses in Texas but I was determined to fine one even though it was 70 miles and 2 hours away. Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse was relocated to the Bauer Community Center in Port Lavaca, TX for use as a museum.
Since I couldn’t spend my days on the beach I spent a lot of time thinking about my recent repair problems with the motorhome. Mark and I had been talking for the past year about someday buying a Fifth Wheel trailer and a pickup truck to travel in together. We’d actually researched some brands and styles and attended an RV show in Fort Worth in January. As far back as last September, I went on a factory tour at Grand Design in Middlebury, Indiana because it was one of our top contenders.
BACK TO SHERMAN/DALLAS
Twelve days into my 19-day stay, I decided to cancel all my springtime reservations on the Texas coast and return to Dallas to buy a truck and trailer. As luck would have it, the Dallas RV Show was happening that week and I spent an entire day narrowing down my choices and settled on the Grand Design 2019 Reflection 33′ Fifth Wheel that I purchased from McClain’s RV Superstore in Rockwall, TX. Now I needed a “big ass” truck to pull it with so I went to Holiday Ford in Whitesboro, TX where they had a 2016 Ford F350 diesel dually Platinum Edition that came factory-equipped with a full tow package. All I needed was to install a hitch.
RV shows can be a overwhelming if you don’t come with a game plan. I knew what I wanted and how much I could spend before I walked in.
Taking delivery of my new Grand Design 2019 Reflection 303RLS from McClain’s RV in Rockwall, TX.
Manufacturer’s photo of interior.
Manufacturer’s photo of interior.
I had the dealer remove the sofa bed and I installed a desk for my computer.
Manufacturer’s photo of bathroom.
The bedroom with my bedding that went from my house in New Jersey to my motorhome and now my Fifth Wheel. This is much nicer than the bedspread that came with the RV. It feels so much more like “home.”
Saying “Goodbye” to the motorhome on trade-in day. She served me well.
Taking delivery of my 2016 Ford F350 diesel dually Platinum Edition from Holiday Ford in Whitesboro, TX.
I got the Fifth Wheel hitch installed by Line-X of Texoma, at truck outfitter in Sherman, TX.
The Fifth Wheel is remarkable easy to hitch up to the truck.
I took a week to get settled into the new rig before moving on to my next destination.
Being back in Sherman, TX, I was able to spend some more time with Mark’s sister and mother before hitting the road again and heading to Louisiana.
My stay in Texas lasted a total of five months and I logged nearly 1,800 miles on the motorhome. The first half of my travels took me from Sherman, north of Dallas, to Houston and back again.
Next post:
Louisiana and warranty issues.
