Not exactly chilling in our old home town…

Well we certainly picked the wrong summer to spend in our old home town in College Station, Texas. It has been over 100 degrees for seemingly forever. College Station has currently seen 60 days over 100 including 51 days in a row and 15 days in a row of over 105 degrees. They also set the highest ever recoded temperature of 112 which we have hit twice! Not hot by Arizona standards but the humidity here is always more oppressive.

Anyhow so what are we doing here except to get our RV repaired… Well, it turns out that our daughters is having another baby. We had thought about taking the RV over to North Carolina but after getting the recent repairs we decided to stay here and just fly over to NC.

So we have fallen into a bit of a routine with all this heat. We go for a morning walk of about two miles before it gets too dang hot! Lunch is next and then in the afternoon we go to a local gym for a workout. After our workout we are in search of a nice happy hour. And that is our life is for now.

As a side note, I should mention we joined a gym through a program called Silver Sneakers. If you haven’t heard of this program it is offered through Medicare any more specifically through Medicare Advantage. Not all Medicare Advantage programs offer it but most do.

Silver Sneakers is a health and fitness program designed for adults 65+ and Silver Sneakers members can:access live online fitness classes and an on-demand video library of prerecorded workouts. What we took advantage of is that thousands of gyms, community centers, and other participating fitness locations across the nation participate in it. This means that you can get a FREE gym membership!

Why would they offer it free? Well, the goal is to help you stay strong in body, mind, and spirit. Knowing regular physical activity keeps your heart, brain, bones, muscles, and joints healthy, insurers hope to save money in the long run!

So we've been going to the gym M-F to not only work out but to cool off as they air condition the heck out of these places. For now we are members of Tru-Fit and if we go somewhere else we will just change fitness clubs.

In the meantime we wait for Katie to have baby number 2. She is scheduled for a C-section in about a week or so and Sharon will fly up first to help take care of baby for 8 weeks and then I’ll fly to NC for 2 weeks before returning back to Texas.

In the meantime today’s pictures are from a walk we took on the Texas A&M University campus.

Reviewing three FREE RV parks in North Texas.

Our next planned stop was in Texas. We wanted to take this opportunity to stay at three of the free city RV parks in the panhandle of Texas. Our first stop was at the Ray and Donna West Free RV Park in Muleshoe, TX. We have stayed at this park before so we knew what to expect.

Muleshoe is a small city with a population of around 5,000 people. The city is known for its agriculture, particularly in the production of potatoes, cotton, and cattle. The free city park is right in town and has eight RV spots with water, sewer and electricity (30 and 50 amp). A sewage dump station is available on site. You can stay free up to three nights and there is a donation box.

Nearby is Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge which is worth a visit.. There is also a nice place to eat with a bar right across the  as well as other conveniently located businesses near the downtown area. Oh I must mention there is also some awesome Tex-Mex food to enjoy.

We took a day trip over to the refuge and found some short hikes and  a bit of birdwatching. We spotted quite a few horned larks which are a quite interesting little birds with its tufts of feathers on its head resembling horns. They are plentiful in the plains states which is why we haven’t often encountered them.

Our next free park stop was in Levelland,Texas located 30 miles west of Lubbock.and has a population of 12,600. It is the home of South Plains College and home to the Levelland City Campground. The campground is free, has seven sites, and provides electric (30 and 50 amp). and water hookups s well as a dump station.

The campground is located south of town on Highway 385, next to the Levelland Municipal Airport. It i really a nice wooded park which we had all to ourselves during our three day stay ( the park offers 3 nights max for free and then $20 per night up to seven afterwards). We stayed the entire three nights since it was close to Lubbock where we explored both the town and Texas Tech University.

The museum on campus is worth a visit.  We happily discovered lots of interesting sights including some huge dinosaur skeletons, Indian Art and some cool photographs like the one i took of a tree frog, super cool.

Our last free campsite stop was in Lamesa, Texas. The population is about 8,600 and is located about an hour south of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado. Founded in 1903. the town site had been part of the large Slaughter Ranch, famous for its “Lazy S” brand. The town was carved out of 160 acres of Frank Conner's Ranch

The Lamesa RV Park also called Rodeo RV Park is in a city park with eight back-in sites on asphalt with water and electric (only one site has 50 amp). The park is the least desirable of the three we visited. Campers can stay up to four nights free however, we only stayed one night as the town was a bit underwhelming.

The only highlight for us was the frisbee golf course within the park (in the above picture you can see our RV in the background)..  The course was a few steps from our front door continuing across the street and was a nice little course to play. Big Spring State Park is also nearby but we had visited it before. We panned to stay two nights but aa I mentioned the town left us feeling a bit depressed  so we moved on down the road…Its always nice to be back in Texas!

Hiking in Chewacla State Park and a Visit to Auburn Alabama

As we ambled down the road another 132 miles we arrived at our next destination at Chewacla State Park near Auburn, AL. We only reserved a few days because University of Auburn had a weekend home football game and we had to leave by Thursday or pay a hugely inflated price!

Chewacla State Park is an older park in need of a little love but still nicer than most private parks. We even found an old trail that meandered through the woods which became our morning walk during our stay.

During the 1930s, the CCC built many of the features found at this park. Most notable are the beautiful stone guest cabins, the bridges, and the stunning dam designed such that it creates a nice waterfall feature departing a small lake.

Wanting to see the dam I read about we planned to hike the trail around the lake which would take us by the waterfall. Knowing that we had to cross the tail waters we were glad to know it was late in the season and thus, less water would be leaving the lake making it (hopefully) easier to cross.

The trail started out along the shoreline of the small lake but began to go deeper into the wood where. Loblolly Pine, Sweetgum and various Oaks and hickories abound. A mile or so along the trail we found the waterfalls. With less water leaving the lake they weren’t as impressive as they would be during the rainy season when more water is let out. However, the CCC creation of the dam was exquisitely designed to look as natural as possible.

We found a way a bit down stream to cross the water without getting wet and were able to continue around the lake on the trail. We crossed through a few acres of American Beech thickets and eventually came upon one of the CCC built bridges. They did amazing work back then. The 2.8 mile hike around the lake was a worthwhile endeavor and one we surely would recommend it.

Being close to Auburn we had to once again visit the University. This too made for a great urban hike to explore the campus and the thriving businesses nearby.

We also got in a nice round of disc golf near Opelika Alabama. We can usually find some nice courses in the east so we are playing as much as we can before we arrive out west where they are a bit scarcer.

Touring and Playing in Columbia SC

After leaving Raleigh NC we began our slow trek to Arizona where we will spend winter once again. We originally planned to spend a few nights around the Pinehurst NC area but the place we wanted to stay fell through. As a result we would be traveling just a bit over 200 miles, a long day for us, to our next spot at Barnyard RV Park near Columbia SC.

It was a nice uneventful drive and about 4.5 hours later we pulled into our site. The park is located behind a flea market. We liked the large sites and Sharon loved that it had cable TV.  However our only complaint was the cleanliness. There was trash and about 150 cigarette butts on the ground, so many that it smelled like an ashtray whenever we went outside. For our peace of mind we picked up the trash and most of the cigarette butts the next morning.

Columbia SC was one of the towns on our list to check out for a future settling down place. We found the town to be overall just okay. The town is a bit rough around the edges however the downtown area has a really pleasant entertainment district along main street just beside the state capitol building.

Speaking of the capitol building we did pay a visit to it but were only able to see the outside and the grounds since the building was closed the day we wanted to see it. We did find a nice little pour by the ounce craft beer place on main street to provide some solace for our disappointment.

We also played a few disc golf courses in the area. The first one we played must have been set up by a contortionist as the holes were nearly impossible to navigate. Fortunately the other one we played was better but had lots of up and down elevation making it quite the workout for us.

Columbia is also home to the University of South Carolina. While the campus definitely has that southern charm, like the city of Columbia, it too looks a bit worn. Their mascot is the Gamecock and we found a statue of in front of the football stadium, of which we also visited.

We might not choose Columbia SC as a place to settle, but we must mention that we met some of the friendliest people there!

Why are some camp hosts so rude?

Again the time came to move on so we packed up the RV and entered another state  into South Carolina. We were heading to a new, for us, campground named Conerose Campground which is a COE campground located on the huge Lake Hartwell.

Near the small town of Townville, SC this is another fabulous COE campground. We did run into a challenge getting there though. I knew from looking at the drive using Google Satellite View that the last few miles would be on crappy roads. What we didn’t know was that we would have to make two u-turns to get to the park. Yikes! However, it was our own fault using our GPS and not noticing beforehand there were two Conerose roads.

We finally arrived at the gate house and were informed that someone was still in the site. No biggie. I politely asked where we could park to wait and the gate attendant curtly states we have to leave the park outside the gate. She proceeds to tell us to make a u-turn behind the gate house, which is totally impossible for our sized rig to do.

I explain this to her so then I was told that I should drive through the host loop to get turned around which I was able to do. Outside the gate house I pull over on the narrow road so I could get out to assess what lies ahead to do yet another U-turn so I would be pointed back toward the park. That’s when Miss Surly sternly hollers that I can’t park there as I am not yet outside the gate!

To which I say, sorry, but I am going to look at my U-turn options ahead before moving any further. She then tells me I can do a loop through the neighborhood. And marches back to her gate house. As I peruse my options once again her advice would have been dreadful for our sized RV so I found a spot where we could back into and turn around once unhitched.

We waited an hour and a half before the person finally departed our site. As we were checking in little Miss Surly had suddenly become little Miss Bubbly only after Sharon emotionally confronted her about her lack of useful information in front of a co-worker. I am guessing she was afraid of being reported. Unfortunately she is not the first surly camp host we have encountered and I am sure not the last. Some people relish the power embodied by being a camp host while others are truly welcoming.

Once settled we loved our large and heavily wooded site. We chose this area as it was close to Clemson SC and we wanted to visit the University. A short drive away we found the University and both felt it was a bit underwhelming especially after visiting the magnificent University of Alabama (maybe we had overhyped our expectations). We did stroll around a bit but the highlight was the SC Botanical Gardens on the campus.

We hiked a beautiful lush trail along a creek and encountered lots of birds and beautifully landscaped planting. Near the end of the trail was a small cabin that reminded us of one of our stays in a cabin in Gatlinburg TN near a babbling creek. We highly recommend this short hike as there is much to see. Many of today’s photos are from this garden. It was very enjoyable and washed away all the unpleasantness from the day before.

Talladega Alabama and Fort Yargo State Park in Georgia…

With a weekend approaching we had to leave Deerlick Park and move on down the road. Since we are booking sites only a few weeks in advance prime locations like Deerlick Park are nearly impossible to score on a weekend. As a result our next planned stop was north of the Talladega Speedway. We found a nice Passport America park off the beaten path and spent the weekend at Talladega Pit Stop RV Park & Campground in Lincoln, AL.

There is not a lot to do or see in or around this park so we we used our time doing a little more future planning. We also drove over to the nearby town of Oxford to pick up some groceries. We shop for groceries frequently to take advantage of loss leaders and to ensure we always have fresh fruits and veggies.

  

The University of Georgia was not as impressive a campus as was the University of Alabama. However, unlike U of A, Georgia’s campus is more land locked by the city of Athens. Unfortunately for us it was raining a lot in the area so we only had time for a short stroll through campus and downtown Athens.

Afterward we had to stop by Terrapin Brewing for happy hour. What luck! They were running a 20-year anniversary special so we were able to try six beers for 10 bucks! This allowed us to try some exotic beers we would otherwise bypass and was a great way to end the day in Athens.

Back at Fort Yargo SP Sharon set up her outside gym in our spacious site for a long workout. While she was working out I unloaded my mountain bike and thought it would be fun to ride the 6 mile trail around the park. I hadn’t ridden any serious single track trails for a while so I figured 6 miles would be a good and fun ride.

Once the weekend ended we moved over to Fort Yargo State Park in the state of Georgia. This park is also off the beaten path but close enough to Athens GA for a day trip to explore the college town and University.

Well, unfortunately I wandered off trail multiple times and encountered such trail segments as Monster Mile and Heart Attack Hill. I bit off a bit more than I had expected but when I was finally done I felt great and really enjoyed the strenuous ride. I probably rode closer to 9 miles and was hopeful I would be sore the next day, luckily I wasn’t.

As we slowly make our way over to North Carolina to visit our daughter we have been carefully eyeing places posing the question, could we live here? So far we haven’t answered yes unanimously...

Two new stops, Meridian, MS. and Tuscaloosa, AL.

With the weekend over we left Hattiesburg, MS and drove a short distance NW over to Meridian MS. Our next stop was at a park called Bonita Lakes RV Park and this would be our first visit to Meridian. While the park was okay the town of Meridian has seen better days. There was not a whole lot to see unless you like dilapidated buildings mostly boarded up and abandoned.

While we haven’t escaped the hot weather we are seeing more wildflowers in bloom. This is likely due to the fact we are also seeing more rain. We have been fortunate in that the rain has fallen at times we aren’t out and about.

The best thing about the campground in Meridian is that it is nearly right across the street from Bonita Lakes Nature Park. There is a seven mile trail around a large lake and a shorter trail which encircles a smaller lake. Bonita Lakes is the gemstone of Meridian!

We set out onto the seven mile trail which we found to be in great shape. It was mostly shaded which was wonderful in the HOT temperatures. We experienced climbs and flats in a densely wooded mixture of hardwoods and pines. It was a really nice hike with many peeks at the lake through the forested canopy. We only planned to hike about three miles due to predicted rains so we hiked to a point on the lake and returned the way we came.

The next day we packed up and moved for a first time visit to a COE Park named Deerlick Creek Park. We chose this park for its proximity to Tuscaloosa, Alabama which is a place we never visited before. We wanted to check out this college town and explore both it and the University of Alabama.

Deerlick Creek Park is well off the beaten path but only about 20 minutes to Tuscaloosa. There is some nice hiking in the park and a bike trail. It was happily another heavily wooded park on a lake with some huge sites. While many are near the water, the water can mostly be reached only by descending a steep embankment.

Our visit to the University of Alabama was a highlight of this trip as it was way more impressive than either of us had imagined. The southern styled architecture and the large trees made our exploration really wonderful. Again we needed the shade on this hot day.

No trip to the university would be complete without a visit the the famed football stadium where many a National Championship has been won. There is a large stature of their elephant mascot nearby which was worthy of a stop as well. What a nice and very walkable campus. We were so glad we decided to visit..

Tuscaloosa has a lot of positives for a future place for us to settle down. We talked about some of the negatives and positives. We’ll keep it on the list. To add intrigue to our quest to find a place to land, on our last night in Tuscaloosa a hackberry emperor butterfly kept landing on me. I don’t know if this was an omen or if I simply made a new friend…

Visiting Waco Texas for a few Days…

With Sharon and I finally back together it was time to do what we do best… hit the road! Leaving College Station is always a bit sad especially when we were unable to see some of our good friends because our time was limited due to our NC visit. However as we head west our first stop will be to see more friends in Waco Texas.

We usually stay at Airport Park in Waco since it is close to our friends. It is also a Corps of Engineers Park meaning we will have an inexpensive stay with our America the Beautiful Pass utilizing the half price camping. I wondered why it was harder for me to book a site at this park as I was only able to get two nights together.but when we arrived it was obvious why!

After checking in we discovered the entry road to our camping loop was closed due to flooding as the lake was way above flood level. As a result we figured out would have to drive the RV in reverse from the exit road on the loop to our site so we could pull in the right way. RV’ing is always an adventure.

After settling in, we called our friends Chuck and Patty to let them know we made it to town. They immediately invited us over to their house to enjoy their backyard pool and have some dinner. I should mention that Patty has a green thumb and as a result has a lush and beautifully landscape backyard.

I should also admit that although we spent two evenings with Chuck and Patty at their pool while also enjoying wonderful dinners, I can’t believe we never took any pictures of them while we were visiting! Oh well, there will always be next time. Sharon can fondly remember our visit since Patty gifted her an essential oil diffuser with same nice oils as well.

When not visiting our friends we enjoyed what Waco had to offer. Of course no visit to Waco is complete without a visit to the Silos where Chip and Joanna Gaines have transformed what was once a dilapidated part of town into a bustling tourist center. Visitors really must try some of the treats at their bakery but be warned there will likely be a wait in line for the delicious goodies…

We also took a stroll around the Baylor University campus. This private Baptist affiliated university was chartered in 1845 and is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas! It serves just under 20,000 students and has a bear habitat on campus. Bear habitat, you say? Yes their mascot is a Bear and as such they have a pair of bears on campus housed in a zoo-like setting.

Before leaving Waco we were also able to sneak in a round of Disc Golf at Cameron Park Disc Golf Course along the Brazos River. With it being hot in central Texas this time of year we sure enjoyed playing on a mostly shaded course. We also were very glad to visit our friends. It was a real treat seeing them, enjoying their pool and their company once again!

NOTE:  We are currently in San Angelo, Texas until June 28th…