I was deep in thought as I glanced out the truck window watching the never-ending west Texas landscape pass by. It’s times like these that my mind wanders and I do my best thinking. Yes siree, Texas is one big state and a state that has a lot to offer; diverse landscape, fun cities, quaint towns, a Gulf Coast, tasty food, and a variety of weather. I’d say, a little something to please anyone’s interests.
Along with a few new discoveries made this winter, I found myself revisiting a bunch of my favorite spots. For me, it’s all about nature and looking at life through the lens of my 
camera. With that said, what I love about Texas may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s fine by me. How boring and crowded it would be if we all liked the same things.
I put a map together to share with you, my wonderful blog followers, a few of my special haunts along the Texas coast, but shhh, let’s keep these sites between us. It’ll be our secret 😃 After all, we wouldn’t want the world discovering this unassuming area or encroach on my birds. Then it just wouldn’t be the same.
Alright, I’ll admit most of the sites noted on the map aren’t exactly secret, especially during the peak tourist months in summer or those popular holiday breaks, but even then, not everyone knows where to find these magnificent birds. But I do!
Now don’t go getting mad at me if there aren’t any birds at the noted sites. My feathered friends do have wings and a mind of their own. And they’re really bad about 
checking in with me – almost as bad as my children!
Obviously, there’s a bunch of things I left off the map. I really could’ve added another dozen markers, but decided to focus on the sites I personally have a tendency to frequent the most. I’m never at a loss of things to do around here and make new discoveries all the time.
With a little time and exploration along the Texas Gulf Coast, I have no doubt that you too will discover your own favorite spots – spots I might even be unaware of – in which case, you’ll be obligated to share!
After spending two months enjoying the Texas Gulf Coast, it was time for us to hit the road and return to the desert southwest. Crossing west Texas can seem never-ending, 
but with a little foresight and armed with helpful information about hidden gems, the drive can be bearable and maybe even enjoyable.
Before we can get to west Texas, we’ll need to get to Interstate 10. The last several times we’ve driven through this part of Texas, affectionately called the hill country, we’ve always included a stop in San Antonio. Wanting to change things up a bit and avoid the big city, we came up with an alternate route.
Besides, driving through San Antonio with an RV is an adventure unto itself, and not always a pleasant one especially when the GPS and wife are at odds. Poor Al 😫
Thanks to a recommendation from a wonderful blog follower/friend, we discovered the quaint little town of Bandera, Texas, which is located northwest of San Antonio and south of the town of Kerrville and Interstate 10.
Talk about a great place to overnight and avoid traveling through San Antonio.
Next year, I think we’ll stay here longer and explore the town of Bandera. One night was definitely not enough. Our RV park neighbor mentioned a tasty place for breakfast located within walking distance from the RV park that piqued Al’s interest.
I remained smitten with all the birds along the river and if the weather prediction for west Texas had been better, we absolutely would’ve hung around another day or two. But with impending wind and rain in the forecast, we felt it best to keep on rolling west. Yep, it’s crucial to keep an eye out for that Texas weather, especially high winds that can cause brown out conditions or spur up tornadoes.
So where did we stay for our overnight in Bandera, Texas? On the trip down to Rockport, we stayed at the Skyline Ranch RV Park, and on our return to Arizona we stayed in town at the Pioneer River Resort. Both places are located along the Medina River, but Pioneer is located right in town while Skyline is a few miles out of town. You can count on being packed in pretty tight at either RV park.
We really enjoyed both RV Parks and it would be a toss up as to which one I’d recommend. Guess it boils down to whether one prefers staying in town or hanging in the country.
On that note, I think I’ll let the photographs do the rest of the talking and show you what makes Texas special to me ….
Adios Texas, until next time…. and yes there absolutely will be a next time!
Live Laugh RV 