Tripping Across Texas

Our route to California took us through Texas—and there’s a lot of Texas in front of us. Galveston Island State Park was next up, about a four-hour drive from Blue Heron RV Park near Lake Charles, LA. Helen and I camped in the State Park on our first RV trip in a Cruise America RV we nicknamed Sherman. This visit would be Mortimer’s first. 

On our arrival, heavy rain greeted us. Thankfully, the rain was all we had. Nearby Houston experienced vicious storms and tornadoes, and thousands of residents lost power. Lives were also lost, and the cleanup began while we were there.

As always, please click on any image to enlarge

The second day of our visit began with bright, sunny skies. The beach was calling, and Mortimer needed to walk, so we gathered some gear, started down the steps from the trailer…and were attacked. Swarms of mosquitos descended on all three of us. Poor Mortimer was covered with them and did not react well. We hustled back in and treated the bloody bites on his wrinkled face. 

We battled mosquitoes throughout all three days of our stay. The park’s grounds are very flat, offering little drainage for rainwater and an excellent breeding ground for pesky bugs. Mortimer was so spooked that we had to drag him out for potty breaks and watch him run to the trailer. Helen and I learned that if we walked on the road, far from the grassy areas, we could minimize the attacks and make the short walk to a lovely beach. 

Mosquitoes notwithstanding, Galveston Island Park offers much to its guests. The sites have level concrete pads and covered patios, the restrooms and showers are clean, and the staff is friendly and helpful. I would return if not for the bugs. 

From Galveston, we drove about five hours along I-10 to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. The drive took us through hundreds of miles of ranchland and almost no gas stations. We finally drifted into a Pilot/Flying J on fumes and filled up, but it was a close call. We arrived with a very dirty fifth wheel.

We have camped at Fort Sam Houston several times and left with some notable memories. A few years back, we spent Saint Patrick’s Day in San Antonio and had a fantastic day cruising the Riverwalk with some Guinness-soaked tourists. It was great fun!

Two years ago, Helen received a call that she needed to have an ultrasound due to some questionable results of a very recent mammogram. A friend in San Antonio gave her some suggestions, and we made an appointment on a Friday afternoon. The staff and doctors at the clinic made Helen feel very comfortable and guided her through coordinating the details with our doctors at home and the myriad of insurance requirements. Helen accomplished a lot that day, and that memory will remain forever. The eventual outcome was good. 

For this visit, we wanted to meet Ed and Mary Jo, a couple who lived across the hall from us in our apartment house in Wurzburg, Germany. That was over forty years ago, but we have remained in contact over the years, and it was an opportunity to catch up. Mary Jo helped Helen find a clinic in the area, and we needed to thank her. 

We met at Good Time Charlie’s, near Ft. Sam Houston, famous for its chicken fried steak. After seeing the meal on the menu, Helen and I decided to go for it, then skip dinner that evening (and maybe breakfast the following day). The chicken fried steak was terrific; we had enough leftovers at the campground for a second meal. Mortimer passed and watched his favorite television show instead.

We had a delightful time that afternoon and dug out a lot of jewels from the memory bag. We didn’t mention when we rode the train back from Octoberfest and almost slept through our stop in Wurzburg, but we only remember a little about that trip anyway. The time passed quickly, and we departed with the promise to stay in touch. 

It is a long way across Texas, and I can’t do it in one or even two stops. We divide Texas into three stops and try to keep each leg within a five-hour time range. Even that can be challenging. Our next stop after San Antonio was Ft. Stockton, a small town on the state’s western side. I wanted to arrive within five hours, but it took almost six with breaks for gas and potty breaks for Mort. 

Hilltop RV Park was our home for one night. It is high above I-10, and Ft. Stockton is to the east. We have camped here before, primarily because of the shortage of campgrounds in West Texas. There are some, but Hilltop RV Park has the best reviews of the campgrounds close to I-10. Every time we camp here, we notice that the ownership continues to make improvements and upgrades. We also camp here because there is a Walmart close by. 

I went to Walmart for gas and drove by the huge Roadrunner statue, which always amuses me. Helen stayed with Mortimer and took pictures of the setting sun. We took a picture of the cowboy statues across the highway as we left. 

Goodbye, Texas. We enjoyed our visit, but it’s time to be Easin’ Along. California is calling, and we have more stops along the way. 

Note: For several years, I occasionally read the blog posts written by Barb Bomberger on her blog “Making It in Retirement,” but I have not seen a post in quite some time. I tried to reach out but had no luck. Readers from her blog visit Easin’ Along, so if any of you know anything about what’s going on with Barb, please fill me in. I loved reading her posts, and I hope that maybe she just changed her web address. Thanks!