On Friday, 10/22 - 3 weeks after we began our journey - we crossed the border into Texas.
We were literally on the border in Texarkana TX and Texarkana AR. I was looking forward to this two day stop as an opportunity to regroup; do laundry, go food shopping, etc… Shady Pines RV Park on the Texas side was so wonderful! First of all - this is the first paved park we have been to. Now I'm not just talking about a cement slab you park on (which is always great because 9 times out of 10, they are level). The roads were concrete and the sites were concrete with perfectly manicured grass inlays; every site had a tree as well. This was the most organized and beautifully kept RV parking area we have ever been to. (Note: I do not refer to this place as a campground because it is not) The showers were huge and the laundry was reasonably priced with machines that were clean and worked well. Shady Pines is very small - with only 42 sites. It was hard to get my walking in, going around and around the same road! We did have some interesting neighbors, though. Everyone has a story!
While there, visited the Four States Auto Museum just over the border back on the Arkansas side. It was small but had some beautiful vintage cars and was a pleasant diversion before shopping at a Walmart Superstore. I decided to buy a toaster oven to keep in my outdoor kitchen; my trailer oven has never really functioned properly and I wanted to be able to bake a little. I wound up getting a small appliance that not only toasts, broils but air fries as well! I sure have missed my avocado toast. Charlie purchased some oil for the truck and we did a good food shopping that should last a bit. I have been very creative with my meal preparation!
On Sunday, 10/24 - we arrived in Tyler Texas. It was just an overnight stop and this probably would have been a great place to spend a little more time. It is apparently the "rose" center. Tyler Oaks Campground was very nice. Helpful staff, comfortable site, convenient to highway.
Monday, 10/25 we arrived in Waco, our 12th and longest stopover - 4 days! We are less than one week from moving into Skyline Ranch, Bandera!
For me, Waco Texas became a household name during the 51 days standoff in 1993 between the Federal Government and religious group Branch Davidians - accused of stockpiling weapons (which was apparently true) The siege resulted in a massive fire and 82 deaths. In more recent years, however, Waco has taken on a more positive spin with the HGTV show Fixer Upper and their hosts - Chip and Joanna Gaines. The Gaines' renovate properties all over Waco - which by the way - is a pretty nice city. (there's even a tour of the Fixer Upper renovated houses if someone is a really big fan) In the last number of years, they developed the area around two large silos in the center of downtown Waco into a beautiful shopping-eatery-park destination. There were many food trucks, several shops (although they could use a lot more) and just lovely and comfortable areas to sit, have a cup of coffee and chat with friends. Of course we made a stop at their famous bakery and purchased a couple of delicacies to try!
Just down the block from the Magnolia Silos is the Dr. Pepper Museum. This was a great place to tour! Very enjoyable, so well done. The price of your ticket even includes a beverage!
I still have not had my elusive fried chicken yet - however - we did go out for a late lunch/early dinner and I had cheesy grits (first time!) with blackened shrimp! Loved it!
We are currently residing in the newly opened Camp Caravan Waco RV Park. This park opened in January 2021 and has the beginnings of what could be a really nice place. Why in God's earth they squeezed us into the smallest site along side a big motorhome so that our awning almost touches their bump out, when our awning is extended, is beyond me. If the owner comes around for a visit, I will ask him that question. Other than the tight quarters, we are perfectly content.
We are in Waco until Friday morning and then will be heading to Austin for 3 days. Just this morning, we visited Mammoth National Monument, which received National Park status in 2015. This was a very interesting place and we had lots of questions for the rangers. It's not a very long stop, but definitely worthwhile! Tomorrow I hope to check out a local farmer's market as well and avoid going into downtown Waco any further this visit due to all the construction, detours and general craziness - which Charlie and I hate.
By the way, in case you are wondering about the cost of this month long trip - before we started, I had estimated $2500-3000.00 I keep a couple of logs with the costs of the RV sites, gallons of gas and cost of gas. Things have changed a bit along the way; once we reach our destination, I will tally everything up and see how close I was!
