BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TEXAS

     We set out for Big Bend National Park on Jan. 25th, after leaving San Antonio. We experienced our first "on the road" issue while getting gas in Sonora, TX.  While filling up with gas we noticed one of the rear tires was completely flat, it required us to use Frank's roadside assistance coverage.  It was about 30 minutes when the tire repairman, Junior, showed up. He quickly figured out the tire was fine but the tire valve was bad, he had parts on his truck and repairs were made quickly. We are grateful for Sonora Tires, and got back on the road quickly before turning in for the night at a rest stop. 

    After restocking groceries the next morning at the Walmart in Fort Stockton we drove the 150 miles, or so, down to Big Bend National Park. We checked in at the Rio Grande Village National Park campground and went on our first hike almost immediately. The sun was about to set so we hiked up the nature trail to view the Sierra Del Carmen mountains at sunset.  It was a beautiful way to end the day.
  
    We booked a week at the campground so there were some relaxation days planned. The first outing was a full day along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, plenty of stops and short hikes with time for video making at Santa Elena Canyon - we try to send short videos to the grand kids so they know where Grandpa is at.  The day was concluded with 14 miles of 4-wheeling along Old Maverick Road before our return trip to the campground.

    Monday was spent relaxing in the sun at the campground, we did end up moving to a different spot as we needed more sun in order for the solar panel to keep up with our minimal needs.  We used the new 12-volt water pump that we acquired to fill our RV water tank from our two 7 gallon water jugs and avoid moving the RV to fill up.  After some tweaking with a wire hanger, electrical tape, and a cut off piece of hose the system was performing nicely - yeah! (no more lifting the 7-gallon water jugs).  We did venture to the Boquilla's Overlook for a quick hike at the end of the day. 

    Up and out early on Tuesday, heading to Chisos Canyon for hikes and sightseeing in the higher elevation areas.  We stopped on the way to 4-wheel to the Grapevine Trail so we could hike up to see the Balanced Rock canyon area - very worthwhile!  We stopped at the Chisos Canyon Visitor Center and explored some of the trails that start from this point.  There had been recent mountain lion sightings or encounters so one of us was on extra alert.  We ran out of time and had to return later in the week to do the Lost Mine Trail.  It was a good trail, but the final destination wasn't quite what we hoped for.  There was no indication as to where the mine had been.

     During one of our days off we discovered that we do not have enough power to use the 12-volt crockpot while we are powered solely by the one solar panel and single house battery.  So yet more knowledge gained on our journey, we seem to be getting more interested in minimizing our dependency on electric or gas-powered energy.  The weather has been great for bike riding around the campground and lounging in the sun a bit.  Laundry was done at the store right outside of the campground - convenient, clean, and free wi-fi was available.
   
     We left Big Bend taking Hwy 118, and took a detour on Hwy 170 to Terlingua Ghost Town.  We drove through this area which looks like - "Ghost Town meets Hippie Haven" with artistic touches to the historic buildings and grounds.  Terlingua has been repopulated.  Our journey continues on as we head North to Fort Davis for a quick tour of this historic site.  We pulled into Davis Mountains State Park in the early evening for a quick meal and rest before heading back out early the next morning.  The roads in this area wind up through the mountains and offer great views of the beautiful countryside.  With country music playing, sun shining, and our RV running strong we are bound for our next stop at Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

RG & FP

 The Balanced Rock

 Our campsite with a view of the Sierra Del Carmen

 You guessed it... Balanced Rock!

 A view of the Rio Grande from the nature trail

 A view of the campground from the nature trail

 Looking out from in the Santa Elena Canyon

 Arriving at Big Bend

 At the Santa Elena Canyon

 

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

     We regretted leaving Padre Island after two weeks, as the weather just kept getting better and better, but we pulled out with the intent to head back to San Antonio.  We had bypassed this stop on the way South from Austin because the weather was rainy and cold, but the sun was now out and we wanted to explore this historical town.  After an overnight stay at the San Antonio Walmart and some minor grocery re-stocking we pulled into the Traveler's RV Park shortly before Noon on January 24th.  The park is located along the San Antonio River and has a walkway down to the 'Riverwalk Trail'.  We hooked up to electric, water, sewer and wi-fi, it seems like such an extravagance after going so long without.  After checking emails, a quick lunch, and studying the San Antonio Visitors Information we were off.

     We headed down to the Riverwalk even though it was somewhat overcast and decided to trek into town via foot.  Along the trail we veered off to the "Mission Trail" and stopped to explore Mission Concepcion.  From this site we intended to follow the Mission Trail, but after walking the streets and neighborhoods along the Mission Trail we opted to return back to the Riverwalk route to enjoy less traffic and the warm sun that had returned.  The walk went by old business areas - some of which have been revitalized, variety of neighborhoods, and eventually we ended up in the downtown area which was very unique.  Shops and eateries are dispersed on or around the walkway and we were glad we decided to take this walk. 

     Our first stop downtown was to see the Alamo.  First impression was that it was a lot smaller than expected.  The 15 minute video is well worth it in order to understand the significance of this place, and the sacrifice of those that fought to their death in order to defend the lands of Texas.  We strolled through the grounds and walked through some of the neighboring streets.  The bus stop was near by so we waited for the #42 and got dropped off right in front of the RV Park.  It was quite a day!

     Our night was spent online trying to organize our travel notes and pictures.  The RV park was a great stop and very quiet at night.  In the morning we packed up and headed just down the road for a stop at the San Jose Mission.  This was much larger than the other missions, and while you envision a 'church' it actually amounted to a small village setting with many of the areas restored so that you could imagine the life of the Indians and Roman Catholic Priests.  There was a sculptor at work on a restoration project of the church entry monuments.  The wheat flour mill has been restored and flour production was underway. 
   
      We had lunch in the parking lot and then we were on our way.  San Antonio really requires more than one day to explore, but the day was worth it and we are glad we got to learn a little bit of the history of this sprawling town.  We are headed for Big Bend National Park for some hiking and exploring.

RG & FP

 The Alamo

 Our spot at Traveler's RV Park

AUSTIN, TEXAS

     We visited Frank's cousin Rich Gizzie in Austin, Texas on January 6th & 7th.  Shortly after our arrival we headed up the road for a quick stop at what I believe was the 'Austin 360 Cliff', a quick 5-minute hike up to an overlook above Lake Austin.  It was beautiful and people sit 'on the edge' to take in the sites.  We then headed over to 'The Oasis' restaurant and bar for some Tex-Mex appetizers, dinner and a Marguerita - just in time to catch a beautiful sunset.  Thanks Rich for picking up the dinner tab and letting us do some laundry!

     Frank and I camped in the RV in front of Rich's house and headed out the next morning for downtown Austin.  We parked near the Capital Building and spent quite a bit of time at the Visitor Center looking through the displays, and acquiring some Texas State traveling literature from the very helpful and friendly staff.  We walked around the Capitol Building grounds, and made a quick video for the grandkids to let them know Grandpa and Rene were in the land of pioneers, cowboys and ranchers.

     After leaving the Capitol Building we wandered through the central downtown area.  It was a wonderful mix of old and new, the restoration and utilization of some of the old buildings was great.  There appears to be a great music scene if you are close by and want to spend the night out on the town.  We then walked down to the South Congress area to check out the Food Cart scene that we had seen featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  Many of the carts were not open but they each had their own unique style.  My favorite was the Cupcake Cart.  Along this route there were some eclectic shops that may just have that obscure item you have been looking for.

     We returned in time to share our crock-pot meal with Rich and his room mate Holland. The evening was spent watching football while Rich and Frank reminisced about family history and updates on siblings and other family members.  Frank and I headed out the next morning with thoughts we would like to come back to see more of this town, the nearby Hill Country, and the historical New Braunfels German town area.

     Thanks Cousin Rich for the warm Texas hospitality.

RG & FP

PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE

     What can we say about this beautiful barrier island just off the coast of Corpus Christi, Texas... Paradise!  If you love the beach and you don't mind dry camping then this is the place for you!  It is the most peaceful and relaxing place that we have been to thus far and all for a whopping $8.00 a day, or $4.00 a day with the Golden Age Pass.  Our two weeks passed much too quickly.

     We stayed at the Malaquite Campground where there are individual campsites.  On the beach side there are sites with grills and shade structures over a concrete patio where your table sits.  On the opposite side of the road there are campsites with tables on the pavement delineated by white lines.  There are restrooms with cold showers and a fresh water faucet.  Just outside the campground is the dump station and fresh water fill station whenever you need it.  There's also camping over at the Bird Island Basin on the bay side of the island.  For the braver soul you can drive your RV right on the beach on either the North or South Beach and stay for free.

     There's plenty to do here at the beach.  Walking, jogging, biking (Yes, I said biking on the beach), fishing or taking your 4X4 for a drive on the 60 miles of coastline.  If you drive South about 20 miles you will hit Little Shell Beach, then Big Shell Beach, for those of you that like to collect various Sea Shells.  Or you can do nothing and just relax, enjoying the sun, sand and warm weather.  Notice I didn't say swimming!  Swimming is permitted at your own risk, there are no lifeguards.  However, the reason we would not venture in the water were the Portuguese Man-O-War that we saw every day washed up with the high tide.

     When we first arrived at Padre Island it was raining.  The following day was sunny, but the 4 days after that were cloudy and cool.  It was a challenge to our Solar Panel to keep our battery charged.  We had to run our generator at times to top off the battery.  Our RV was designed with only one Group 24 house battery, rated at 85 amp hours.  You can't run a whole lot with this set up, but we do manage for the most part to keep our lights, water pump, hot water heater, propane alarm and refrigerator circuit panel operating.  We don't have enough battery power or a large inverter to run heavy electronics like a TV or microwave.

     We are a "work in progress" and are evaluating all of our systems.  We certainly want to add additional batteries at some point, but would need to give up a storage compartment.  With that we would need another one or two solar panels to keep them all charged.  We thought about a wind turbine during the cloudy days, but where do we store it when not in use?  We have limited storage and are a little overweight as it is!

     Anyway, Padre Island is a NO BRAINER!  Where else can you go and stay at a beautiful beachfront facility at this price?  It is the perfect RV Winter getaway!  It is only 13 miles from town and about 20 miles to Walmart.  We will certainly visit this wonderful place again!

FP & RG