The Hilltop RV Park in Stockton, Texas proved to be a great spot to overnight. We could’ve saved ten bucks by staying at a Passport America park but that place was literally next to the interstate. The Hilltop RV Park, aptly named since it sits high above the interstate on a hill, was convenient and quiet and even offered a view of a lovely Texas sunset.
Texas is a BIG state…..
It’s December 29th and we’re anxious to get to our next location to stay long enough to ring in the New Year. We hit the road shortly after sunrise knowing we have about a 5 hour drive in front of us. Our destination is a Corps of Engineers campground at Canyon Lake just northeast of San Antonio, Texas. We first heard about this place from fellow blogger Donna and a nice comment from her had us calling the COE to double check for vacancy. There were three sites still available at the Cranes Mill Campground. Potters Creek was full.
Having commitment issues lately, Al and I decide to roll the dice and not make a reservation. By the time we arrive at the Cranes Mill Campground around 3:00 in the afternoon, we are politely turned away….no room at the Inn. What? And no overflow lot for boondocking? Really? You snooze, you lose! Plan B.
Five minutes away is a private RV Park called Rio Raft or Rio Guadalupe Resort. They accept our Passport America discount card and we pull into a very nice pull-thru site for $17 a night with full hook-ups. The park sits along the Guadalupe River. We pay for one night and the next day pay for another. Gosh, we’re indecisive. I love it!
I had all these grand plans to explore around the Texas hill country and visit the San Antonio River walk. Susan’s blog has been providing me with oodles of information on the area. The cold humid air chills Al and me to the bones. We’re just not used to this kind of weather anymore.
So these two wusses wimp out and travel on the very day they vowed not to travel….Dec. 31st. We arrive at our Rockport, Texas destination 5 days early in some attempt to circumvent the inclement weather. BUT just because we made it to south Texas does not mean we averted the “polar vortex” that has engulfed most of this country. Nope, we’ve been graced with freezing rain and 25 degree F overnight temperatures. Oh, joy! The adventure never ends. Thankfully, fairer weather is on the horizon.
Random Texas facts…
- The bowie knife is named after the Alamo hero Jim Bowie (1796-1836). His brother designed the hefty weapon.
- It is still a hanging offense in Texas to steal cattle or to put graffiti on someone else’s cow.
- It is illegal to indecently expose or swear in front of a corpse.
- In Galveston, Texas, it is illegal to have a camel run loose on the beach. Camels were imported into Texas in the 1850’s by the U.S. War Department in the belief that they would be handy animals to use during the Indian Wars.
- Oscar, the Academy Award statuette, was named for Texan Oscar Pierce, whose niece worked in Hollywood for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. When she saw the gold statuette, she reportedly said, “Why, that looks just like my Uncle Oscar.”
- At 268,601 square miles, Texas is the second largest U.S. state. Alaska being number one.
- Texas is the second most populous state. California is number one.
- Charles Alderton (1857-1941) a Waco, Texas, pharmacist, first created Dr Pepper in 1885. The oldest working Dr Pepper plant is located 94 miles west of Waco. Oh and there is no period after the “Dr” in Dr Pepper.
- Each year Amarillo, Texas, hosts the World’s largest Calf Fry Cook-off. “Calf fries” are bull testicles.
- John Wayne and Chuck Norris are honorary Texas Rangers. The Texas Rangers are the oldest law enforcement agency in North America with statewide jurisdiction.
- The world’s largest and oldest rattlesnake roundup is held every March in Sweetwater, Texas.
AND on a final note……….here’s a photo of my friend snorkeling in Minnesota
Live Laugh RV 