27 May 2011 - Aquarena Springs, San Marcos TX

I belong to an RVing group called Women RV not to be confused with RVing Women.  Both great groups, just not the same.  There are three of us sistahs here in the San Antonio area as well as some in Austin and others in the hill country.  Some are part-timers and others are full-timers.  Several of us got together for a mini-GTG, RV-less but still lots of fund.  Our destionation was the Aquarena Center in San Marcos, Texas which is on Spring Lake, the headwaters of the San Marcos River. Spring Lake is known for it's crystal clear water.  http://www.aquarena.txstate.edu/

Vickie, Birdie, and I showed up in Vickie's big red truck to meet Diana at the Aquarena on the hottest day of the year so far!   

The Aquarena (water arena) was originally privately owned; and was operated as a 'theme' park of it's day complete with swimming/diving pigs.  Those are long gone and the area is now run by the university.

We started our day with a tour in one of the circa 1940s glass bottom boats which feature beautiful woodworking.  The water is crystal clear allowing views of the springs bubbling up; turtles feeding on the bottom; and an array of fish swimming along.

There was a partially submerged submarine like structure on one side of the spring that used to house the spectators for the underwater extravaganza in the old glory days.

We toured some displays and then visited the old hotel that currently houses The River Center with outstanding interpretive displays.  Next we had a picnic inside the main building to cool off before we went for a walk in the wetlands area which featured a floating walkway.

There were placards with info on the birds and fish you might see. And we did see quite a few. 
Birdie is obviously the bird expert but we also had a fish expert with us. Vicki told us that the fish were making nests and we started seeing "hole and hole" with one fish in each one. 

On the lower left of the picture you should be able to pick out the larger fish defending her turf from several other fish.   Here you can see several of the nests. The female fish scoop up the dirt at the bottom and spit it out on one side at the top to make the hole. You can see one of the larger fish at the lower left of the photo. The whole area was riddled with busy fish making nests.  Didn't seem any male fish anywhere around.

It was a great GTG and we hope to have lots more in this area.

Jan - Feb 2011 - 4 Weeks in the Hill Country

January found me back at Ladybird Johnson park in Fredericksburg for a long visit.  My cousins trekked down from Calgary, Canada to escape the cold and snow and I wanted to spend as much time as possible with them.  Unfortunately, we had some real unusual cold weather here in Texas during that time as did the southwest US.  Of course, "our" cold couldn't hold a candle to "their" cold any time of the year. lol.  We had a good time anyway.  The RVers in the park got together for potluck dinners and games every other week.  It's a great to way to meet new people and have a fun time.  There were RVers from all over the country and Canada too, some come back every single year to the same spot.

My cousin's RV door had plexiglass over the screen which is very nice in both the summer and the winter as you can often leave the outside door open and let the sunshine in.  Jack volunteered to do the same for me so we picked up the materials and he did a great job on it.  Willy, Gretchen, and Harley love the new door too as they can sit there and look out.  Another benefit is that I don't have to worry about them getting excited and pushing the screen out.  Jack also installed some drainspouts for me.

My cousin's daughter, friend, and 3 year old son flew down for a visit which was really nice as I hadn't seen her since she was very young except for Skype calls over the last few years.  I did the tour guide for the San Antonio riverwalk one day and they got to see Fredericksburg, Kerrville, the Bat railroad tunnel, and Enchanted Rock.  It was a great visit.

During the month I spent in my RV, I learned a lot about RVing in the cold--at least the south central Texas version of cold.  My RV is well insulated.  Be sure to unhook your hose from the RV end.  Be sure to put water in your tank as long as it is inside or in a heated basement area.  That way you still have a water source.  It's also great to have a small electric heater.  It is a great time to use your oven.  Oh, be sure you have plenty of propane.

October 2010 - Fredericksburg TX

We planned a trip to Fredericksburg TX about 70 miles from San Antonio.  Over the years, it has been one of our favorite places to visit.  It is a busy little touristy town that almost always has something going on but even people watching there can be fun.  This time DH was along for the ride.  Luckenbach TX was hosting a motorcycle rally over the weekend which is what drew his attention.  It is not far from Fredericksburg.  We've never had trouble getting an RV spot at Ladybird Johnson Park as long as we didn't come on a holiday weekend or at their very busiest time in the winter.  It has been a favorite of snowbirds for some time.  It came as a shock when the office wasn't sure they could fit us in for more than a night especially since the park was over half empty.  They claimed to have two huge groups coming in the next day, the Houston police and another group.  Anyway, we ended up staying the whole week but each day I had to go in and petition them to let us stay another night.  We do a lot of walking around the park with Willy, Gretchen, and Harley so I noticed that there were a minimum of 30 empty spots every single day.  The park is run by the city and everything is manual.  I think the staff who were just city clerk types were simply unable to juggle any of the sites around to make the best use of space but there were so many empty spots that juggling shouldn't even have been necessary.  The prices have gone for camping there but it seems that better site management would have done more to bring in revenue as we saw many, many RVers turned away because they were "full".  We like it because the park is quiet and situated in a pecan grove so there is nice shade always a bonus in Texas.  

It was an enjoyable week.  I drove DH over to the motorcycle rally two days in a row so I could do a few other things.  The second day I had a crock pot going with dinner and took the dogs out for a walk around the park.  When I came back, I couldn't get the deadbolt unlocked.  I called the RV dealership since we had already had the lock replaced once for the same problem.  They told me to call a locksmith and they would cover it so I headed over to the office to find a phone book.  I was really fortunate since there was only one locksmith and he had just returned from an out of town job.  He arrived about 10 minutes later and, after much effort, managed to pick the lock.  By then DH had already called me to come pick him up as it had started to rain so he found cover until I could get the lock taken care of.  We changed our route home to include another stop at the RV dealer to once again take care of the lock.  

As a side note, I later did a bunch of research online; found a thread on one of the RV forums which led back to a lockmaker.  Seems that the locks made in the last couple of years don't work the same as the old ones.  The old locks wouldn't release the key unless it was straight up and down.  The new ones are missing this safety feature and, if the locked is turned even a little sideways when the key comes out, the teeth inside shift out of place and you cannot open the deadlock.  Wouldn't you think that locksmiths and RV dealers would be up on issues like that?  Anyway, keep it in mind if you have a problem with a newer deadbolt.  Put the key in as far as it will go and gently tap the end of the key.  You should hear the teeth moving back into place one by one.  Then, be absolutely sure never to take the key out unless it is perpendicular to the ground.

9 Aug 2010 - Heading home to Texas

My brother was back at work on Monday so I visited with my sister-in-law for a while and then headed down the driveway.  My brother overrode "Hillary's" navigational directions and routed me away from The Hill and down through Little Rock.  My nephew is going to college there but he was away on a training trip for his new job so I didn't get a chance to see him.  It was another beautiful drive down through very manageable hills and forested areas and again the roads are great.

My plan was to cross north Texas to Wichita Falls where we used to live to visit friends and co-workers in the area.  As I crossed into Texas, I knew I should look for a place to stop for the night.  When I talked to my husband on the cellphone and told him my plans, he convinced me to just push through to Wichita Falls. I knew it would be too long of a day on the road for no real reason but I let myself be overridden even though I was the one with the real travel experience.  Always follow your own instincts!

Wichita Falls has a city park with RV hookups right off the highway in town.  Many of the spots are pull-through but you must be self contained because there are no restrooms in the RV area.  The $10 fantastic deal is now a $17 good deal -- just don't expect to find an RV spot or a hotel room later in August when the "Hotter N Hell Hundred" bicycle race is in progress.  Attendance is huge and people book rooms months in advance and arrive days early to use the RV park.  The RV area is connected to the main park by a swinging bridge and you will find lots of walking paths.  You'll also want to see the "falls" which are man-made since the original falls disappeared a really long time ago.  The current falls are quite nice and, unless you take the path to the top, you wouldn't know that there is no river behind them--just a cemetery!  If you happen to come through after a storm, you may find a "chocolate" falls flowing down into the river.

Exhausted and more than ready for bed, I hit the button to raise the front of the RV to unhook it.  Nothing!  Replaced the fuse.  Nothing!  I hooked up the electric and water and headed inside.  More good news--apparently I clipped the vent cover over the bed on the way out of my brother's driveway and it was gone.  Too tired to care, I stuffed a pillow in the hole.  It NEVER rains in Wichita Falls in August but I wanted the A/C cool to stay in the RV.  A quick doggy walk and we were all ready for bed.  Willy, Gretchen, and Harley have no trouble sleeping at night even if they napped the day away.  Ah, the life of a pampered and well-loved dog or two or three.

The missing vent and the useless front legs on the RV were still waiting for me in the morning.  Since I was no longer exhausted, I found I was mostly annoyed to have this happen at the end of a really good first trip.  I started calling around and found that most of my friends were not around so I finally decided to pack it in and head on back to San Antonio.  Better luck (and calling ahead) next time.

That evening I was back in the driveway in Schertz.  The next morning the fridge, perishables, medicine, and clothes were unloaded early and we headed back up I-35 to Crestview RV in Buda for some warranty work.  A rather macho mechanic hinted that I just didn't know how to work the electric legs.  He popped a fuse in (been there, done that) and hit the switch resulting in ripping the motor right off the wall.  His tune changed quickly and a whole new motor set-up was ordered.  There was a reason that the fuses had popped a number of times and it wasn't operator error.  A couple other warranty items were also listed.  I only had to pay for the vent cover.  We left the RV in Buda and headed home until the next trip.

The Traveling Longdogs and I hope to meet you on the road soon!

6 Aug 2010 - Mammoth Spring, Arkansas

I wasn't planning to leave early this morning as I didn't have a really long drive and wanted to time my arrival in Mammoth Spring to when my brother would get off work.  He surprised me with a call mid morning to ask where I was as he was going to take the afternoon off.  I got the newsletter mailed off and headed out.  It wasn't long before we were in Missouri.  I have to give them credit, their rolling, curvy roads are in excellent shape--not a pothole in sight.  Did I mention rolling and curvy, oh yes, and hilly, very hilly and two lane.  I went up and down so many times that I was wondered if anything would be in place after I arrived.  It was a beautiful drive though and traffic was minimal.  I crossed into Arkansas at Thayer, Missouri.

And then I got to the hill.  I had completely forgotten about The Hill although I have been there several times. Once committed, I had no choice but to do the climb.  I felt like I was in that children's book "The Little Engine That Could".  We chugged on up.  It wasn't a fast ascent but the F250 SuperDuty handled it with ease.  Now I know it can do anything!  Next challenge was going up the driveway, pulling into the turn off, and backing up by the house.  Whoo!  It was really great to see my youngest brother and his wife and mother-in-law.

My parents lived in Thayer, Missouri just across the border after I left home.  Tim actually spent most of his growing up years there and I visited many times.  We did some touring around the area over the next couple of days.  This is a beautiful area that some of you may want to visit.  Just take it easy on the hills!

A view from near the Mammoth Spring park.  

This water is really cold since it comes from deep below the ground; however, the air is really hot in August and very humid as well.

It was a great visit!

5 Aug 2010 - Illinois Overnight

After leaving Indianapolis we headed southwest towards Illinois and planned an early stop so we could head on into Arkansas the next day to visit my youngest brother.  

Here we are stopped in a rest area among the big boys--having a late lunch 

and taking advantage of a nice walk around the rest area.

We started looking for an RV park late in the afternoon and found one just south of Mt Vernon. 

This time we took full advantage of the swimming pool--well, I did anyway.  It was a great park with lots of shade trees and areas to walk in.  There was a small Jayco owners group GTG going on at the back so we got to see lots of different Jayco trailers and 5th wheels.  Apparently they met at an area park once a month so they all knew each other pretty well.  

Willy, Gretchen, and Harley had a big surprise as we walked around one side of the park over near the manager double-wide home.  There were chickens walking around that had apparently gotten loose from a nearby pen.  The fur-kids had never seen a chicken before and I don't think the chickens had ever seen dachshunds either so it was a stand-off on both sides.  These were all red hens and if there was a rooster, he was considerate enough not to wake me up the next morning.

This park had great Wifi which I used to full advantage.  Even though I was out traveling, I was still responsible for putting together a monthly newsletter for the chapter of a professional organization I have belonged to for years.  Ever had a thumb drive go belly up on you?  Happened to me here so I had to recreate the whole newsletter format from scratch.  I also worked on my distribution list so this all kept me busy pretty late.  The next morning, I got the newsletter sent out to everyone before I hit the road bound for Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.

3-4 Aug 2010 - Indiana Stops - Elkhart and Fishers

My next stop after bidding family goodbye in Port Huron, was Elkhart.  Elkhart is supposed to be the epicenture of the RV world but I think the population there may have lost sight of that.  I know that the RV industry was hard hit over the last few years but I had to ask about 6 people before I could find anyone that had any idea where there was an RV park.  I know--I should have found McDonald's and hauled out the Internet and done a google search but this was Elkhart.  I finally found the Elkhart Campground, a pretty large and decent place to stay.  Asking for a pull-through, I was sent off to what looked like a field that was only pull-through if no one parked in front of you.  Since the campground was less than half-full and there were plenty of much better sites that were easier to get in and out of and more convenient all the way around, I went back to the office and asked for a different site.  The roads in the new area were gravel and the site had a picnic table and was much better.

Willy, Gretchen, and Harley took me on a tour around the park.  They had the usual amenities but we really didn't get to try them out.  We did have several nice walks before bedtime.  There was storm that night but  we had A/C and none of the branches fell on the truck or RV so we were just fine.  The next morning, the staff was out cleaning them up.

Finding the RV Hall of Fame the next day was equally challenging.  They moved into a new building a couple of years ago and the first 5 people I asked either didn't know anything about it or thought it closed a few years ago.  This could partly explain why they are not getting the visitors they anticipated and need to survive.  If you are in the area with an RV rally or other group, you are fine.  Traveling alone--not so much in terms unless you have all the information before you arrive.  The RV Hall of Fame has parking areas specifically for RVs which was really nice.  I waited out another rainstorm and then headed in for the tour.  The most interesting part of the museum, at least for me, were the RV exhibits.  They have examples from very early RVs to more modern ones and they are laid out along a rambling roadway.  I really enjoyed it and recommend you allow plenty of time to browse.

Once we were on the road again, we let "Hillary" plot a course for Indianapolis, more specifically Fishers Indiana, home of my long-time friend Mary Beth Lech.  Mary Beth met me in a Walmart parking lot and we went off to dinner together.  It was not the greatest Walmart and didn't look like a good place to stay.  After dinner I followed Mary Beth across town to a Super Walmart close to her house.  Unfortunately there were no overnight camping signs posted.  I explained that it is the town rather than Walmart that won't allow parking so Mary Beth had another idea.  She led me just across the highway to a Super Meijers.  Turns out they were across a county line so when I went in and asked the manager about parking, he said sure--just park on the side of the lot and he would notify security to keep an eye out for us.

Mary Beth asked if I would stay long enough to go out for breakfast with her in the morning.  I also got to meet her cousin so we had another great visit.  It is always great to meet up with friends.