Texas Part 2 - January 2017

January 1 - January 7, 2017
Deciding to park ourselves for a month at Wilderness Lakes RV Resort near Lake Corpus Christi (Sandia, Texas) came at a most needed time.  Dan and I were exhausted when we arrived here.  Tired of traveling, we were looking for that place that would offer warmth of the sun and activities on site plus things to see nearby.  This beautiful resort offers many different scheduled activities such as Potluck dinners, horseshoes, bocce ball, card bingo, Texas Hold’em poker, cribbage, Ladies Day Out, pancake breakfasts on Saturdays, church service on Sunday morning, pinochle, arts and crafts, bible study, two-step and line dancing, woodcarving, DVD exercise, guided bike ride, and the list goes on.  Sometimes entertainers such as singers and piano players come to perform as well.

There is also a new salt water pool, a butterfly garden, two buildings at separate locations with laundry facilities and restroom facilities including showers.  The grounds are manicured and well kept.  There have been efforts to develop trails for golf carts, bikes, and walkers to use.  A lot of regulars here who rent their lots year round have made their own developments and landscaping on their lots.  They have planted trees, grown grass, added walkways, and outdoor decorations.  There is a buffer of grass between each lot which adds to privacy and the quietness of not easily hearing your neighbour.  This park really ticks off most of the boxes that Dan and I wanted in an RV Resort except for me, I wanted a gym and Dan wanted us close to an ocean beach, but that’s ok!

www.wildernesslakesrv.com

The first week at Wilderness Lakes, Dan and I decided to stay in the park most of the week and enjoy it for what is offered here.  Dan decided to try his hand at horseshoes and joined the men (women can play, but I didn’t see any there) during the week for about three days for horseshoe practice.  They have a tournament on Fridays normally.

I took advantage of being parked in one place to workout outside the trailer with weights, bands, skipping rope, and body weight exercises.  We have been bike riding and walking Piper a few times a day.  Piper is enjoying having grass to lay in again and she seems happy here.

There are small lakes in the park.  Dan learned from Mike (a neighbour who has left already) that he can fish in these lakes.  Dan is learning to fly fish.  He bought his equipment before we left Canada and is taking advantage of these small lakes to perfect his method.  He is really enjoying it because he is catching fish.  One day in about an hour and a half he caught six fish.  Fish in these lakes include blue gill, crappie, and bass.  There are also signs at the water’s edge warning of alligators and poisonous snakes which he says he is watching for!

Blue Gill

Animals and insects to be aware of here include alligators, rattle snakes, other venomous snakes, fire ants, and other ants, poisonous spiders, wild hogs, javelina, deer, cougars, and coyotes.  There are not as many cacti here so that is an improvement, but there are still little goat head spike balls on the ground and they hurt if you get one in you.  Piper has had this experience and in turn, I have also, getting one stuck in my thumb upon picking it out of her paw.  There are many beautiful birds here, including male and female cardinals.  Bright red male cardinals are absolutely beautiful and our neighbour’s yard is full of them as they have a feeder.  Very large squirrels run the grounds here and they have big fluffy tails that they seem to use to communicate with each other.

On January 1st, Ruth, a fellow Canadian came by to invite us over to Ethel and Cliff’s for “Canadian Happy Hour”.  It was really nice to meet Ethel and Cliff from Saskatchewan.  Ethel made and served an amazing spread of food.  We certainly were not expecting to be fed like that, but it was delicious and most appreciated.  We also got to meet Wes from Ontario, and again Ruth and Albert from Ontario too.  What a wonderful way to start 2017.

Dan and I went to the Tuesday night potluck and listened to the McNeill Family Gospel Singers after dinner.  A talented bunch, the McNeill family travels around performing with their ten children ranging in age from 2 years old to 22 years old.  This made for a very enjoyable evening.

On Wednesday, with temperatures around 21 degrees Celsius, Dan and I went swimming in the pool.  It was lovely.  It felt cold at first, but we got used to it quickly and played with a volley ball for a while and then sat in the sun.  The butterfly garden is right beside the pool and we were amazed by all the beautiful butterflies that crowded the area.

By Thursday evening, there were freezing warnings issued for our area and the temperature dropped over night to 0 Celsius.  Unbelievable!  We just can’t seem to get away from freezing temperatures.  We have learned that even the Southern United States can get cold!  I think we have always had a misconception that the weather is always warm down here, but we have learned otherwise.  And while it is not the -41 Celsius we heard Red Deer was having the other day, when you go from extreme hot to freezing temperatures over night, it plays a number on you.  Also, the population down here is not prepared with warm clothing for example for these cold temperatures and it can be dangerous for them especially the homeless who sleep outside.

Knowing that the forecast for the weekend was much the same with freezing temperatures, Dan and I decided to go to Rogue One at the IMAX Theatre in Corpus Christi.  While we took in the movie, which was excellent, we had dropped Piper off to be groomed at the Paw Spa.

Corpus Christi is a smaller city (compared to nearby San Antonio) with a population of 305,215 (2015-2016 stats).  We did a little shopping at the local Home Depot as well, but mostly we were in for the movie and grooming and then headed back to the RV Resort.  We are approximately an hour away from the seashore of the Gulf of Mexico.  We intend on making another day trip to explore the seashore and area a bit more when the weather is hot again.

January 8 - January 13, 2017
By Sunday (January 8) morning, after the third night of freezing, our hose was completely frozen.  Knowing that the temperature was going to warm up and things seem to do so fairly quickly if there is sun here, we opened the cold water taps inside the trailer and waited.  About an hour and a half passed and the taps began to drip and then the drip became a small stream and soon the water was flowing again.

On Tuesday (January 10) we decided to visit Padre Island National Park (National Seashore) and drive the loop that a few of our new RV Park Friends have told us about.  It was a warmer day, but it was still a windy day as we headed out towards the sea.  Driving through Corpus Christi, we crossed the long bridge that connects Padre Island to the mainland and headed a little further south on Padre Island and entered the National Park.  The National Park pass we bought has now almost paid for itself.

On the way over to Padre Island

On our way to Padre Island

The landscape quickly changes to open prairie in the National Seashore

We drove into Bird Island Basin which has shallower, warmer and saltier water than that of the ocean side.  It is located in the Laguna Madre between Padre Island and the mainland.  This is a popular area for windsurfers and we were fortunate to watch some while we were there.  The wind is almost a constant in this area which makes it ideal for windsurfing.  Primitive camping is available here as well.  Water and dump can be found at Malaquite Beach located a short distance South from Bird Island Basin.

Malaquite Beach was where I thought Dan and I would camp when we came out to Corpus Christi, but since we have made Wilderness RV Park our “home” for now, camping at Malaquite Beach will not be happening.  It looked like a nice camping area, but again, everyone is side by side in tight parking lot type spots.  There is not a tree to be seen and it was windy.  While we think it probably isn’t always windy, and it is beautiful, it still made us thankful for choosing to stay at Wilderness RV.  After driving around a little more and taking a short cruise on one of the beaches, we left the National Park and headed more North towards Mustang Island and Port Aransas.

A windy day, waves near Malaquite Beach, National Seashore

By this time of day, it was around 3:00 p.m. and Dan and I were starving.  It was suggested that there were pretty good restaurants in Port Aransas and so Dan and I found a restaurant called Kody’s Bar and Grill that allowed us to have Piper on the outside deck with us.  Dan ordered the fish and fries and I ordered the Mahi with rice.  The food, the company and the ability to sit outside in January made for a wonderful combination!

From here, we got into the line up of vehicles and waited to board a ferry that takes vehicles back and forth from mainland to Port Aransas all day.  It is such a short ferry ride and we were curious why they wouldn’t just have a bridge across here, but they must have their reasons.  Further North of this area I believe there is a bridge you can take.  We thought it would be nostalgic and fun to cross by ferry.  The bonus was even though we waited probably more than half an hour for our five minute ferry ride, while we were waiting, we saw dolphins in the bay.  That was super cool.

Oil rig platform in port

Ferries crossing the bay

Dolphin playing in the bay

Dolphin

Black bird sits atop a truck waiting in line for the ferry

Seagulls

Crossing over to the mainland

Finally crossed back onto the mainland, we headed to the nearest Wal-Mart Supercenter to stock up on groceries and then drove “home” to Wilderness RV.  It was a full afternoon and evening for us and we both had a great day.

On Wednesday (January 11) while we were in our trailer, I could smell smoke and as I looked outside I said to Dan, “who would be having a fire on a windy day like this?  Not a good idea.”  After a little while longer, I started to choke on the smoke as the wind carried it towards us.  The air was hazy and smoked filled.  Now hearing the sirens of fire trucks, Dan and I hopped in the truck and drove out of Wilderness RV Park where just down the road to the left of the entrance to the RV Park there were numerous police cars and fire trucks.  At this point we could see billowing smoke as the fire trucks worked on putting out the fire.  We found out the next day that apparently someone had purposely set three fires at various spots along the road. Of course.

It was a good week as we have made more friends here at Wilderness RV Park and we tried to get to some of the activities offered.  Dan played horseshoes a couple times this week, I went to an exercise DVD class one morning, and we attended another potluck on Friday night.

January 14 - January 21, 2017
It was an uneventful weekend for us as we stayed at our campsite and did some reading, researching, and relaxing.  The wind was very strong on Sunday (January 15) and in the afternoon there was a tremendous “snap” as a big tree, not far from us tipped over roots and all.  Thankfully it didn’t hurt anyone or hit a trailer, but it did catch the edge of the trailer’s awning near it.  Apparently, there was also a hornets’ nest that stayed in tact once fallen as well making it a little more difficult to clean up, but on Monday the staff were out cutting and hauling away the tree.

This was a very uneventful week.  We relaxed and enjoyed our campground and our new friends we have made.

January 22 - January 31, 2017
On Tuesday, January 23, Dan and I decided to take advantage of the hot day to travel to San Antonio which is about an hour and a half drive North of the campground on I-37.  It was a beautiful day and we left fairly early as to capitalize on the sunny hours.  I had printed a suggested itinerary of what to see and we headed for the downtown area to park near the Alamo.

Visitor Centre Area across from Alamo

Riverwalk area near Visitor Centre

The first stop was at the visitor centre located across the road from the Alamo.  We got a map of the area and made a plan.  Following the information I printed from the internet, we headed towards the Market or El Mercado.  Being as I was holding the map and seem to get myself turned around easily in new areas, I led Dan in the opposite direction of which we were suppose to be going, but since we were near La Villita (which we were going to see anyway), we had a look at it.  

La Villita Historic Arts Village is located along the banks of the San Antonio River.   There are art galleries, shops, dining, and the Ameson River Theatre.  This area, resembling the makings of a town was one of San Antonio’s first neighborhoods in the 18th century. It was a lovely little area to walk through with its Spanish flair and a beautiful courtyard with fountain.

Spanish courtyard area, La Villita Historic Arts Village

Getting ourselves reorientated and now with Dan holding the map, we headed towards the Riverwalk.  We were still trying to get to El Mercado (Market) to see it first.  We followed the Riverwalk for a while and then headed back up on the street.

Riverwalk

On the way to the Market, we stopped to check out the Spanish Governor’s Palace constructed in the early 18th century and restored in the 1930s. “This National Historic Landmark represents the last visual remnants of the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar. The Presidio was established as the result of a rivalry between Spain and France in the early 1700s for dominance of the territory that is now a part of the southwestern United States. To protect his claim against French encroachment, King Philip V of Spain ordered the governor of Coahuila and Texas, Don Martín de Alarcón, to build a mission and presidio at the headwaters of the San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek. On May 5, 1718, Alarcón established the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar to protect the newly established Mission San Antonio de Valero (later known as the Alamo).”
Information and quotes from:  http://www.getcreativesanantonio.com/Explore-San-Antonio/Spanish-Governors-Palace/History-Culture

We had thought about taking a tour of the Palace, but then decided that we had many things to see and opted out.  We finally arrived at El Mercado.  Once located closer to the Palace, it was relocated in the early 1900s and used for a place to buy and sell merchandise of all kinds as it is still used for today. Stepping into the market, we felt like we were in Mexico with the old architecture of the surrounding shops and restaurants, and the wares for sale.  Our goal was to eat at Mi Tierra which was the original restaurant opened when the market relocated and is still going strong today and is highly recommended.  We didn’t eat there though because the restaurant did not have a patio and having Piper with us, it becomes necessity to find a place that will let us have her with us on the patio.

El Mercado

Continuing back from whence we came, we stopped to go into the San Fernando Cathedral founded on March 9, 1731 that continues today as an active place of worship.  Dan, Piper and I went in to look at the cathedral’s amazing interior and stumbled into a mass service.  We stood quietly at the back as we observed prayer and the incredible surroundings and stained glass.  It was absolutely breathtaking. (https://sfcathedral.org/)

Back of the San Fernando Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

The front of the beautiful San Fernando Cathedral

Moving on to continue the Riverwalk and find somewhere to have lunch, we cut through a park and headed to the river bank.



The Riverwalk (https://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/) is one level below street level with walking trails on the water’s edge along both sides of the spring-fed San Antonio River.  The Riverwalk is in the downtown area near the Alamo and man-made sections have been added in past years to create a circuit off of the main river for ease of access to shops, restaurants, hotels, and residences.  We loved walking along the river and seeing the different architectures of buildings old and new, the foliage and birds in what otherwise would be a concrete jungle, and enjoyed the ambience of dining on the patio of the Lone Star Cafe beside it.

Riverwalk

View from Lone Star Cafe 

After an excellent lunch we decided to take the boat tour offered for $10 per person that takes passengers for a ride around the Riverwalk Loop and offers some history to the area.  This was a very fun boat ride and made us feel that we had fully experienced San Antonio’s beautiful Riverwalk.

The Riverwalk taken from boat

The Riverwalk from boat

After disembarking, we strolled over to the Esquire Tavern.  The Esquire Tavern is the oldest bar on the Riverwalk opening up in 1933 to celebrate the end of the prohibition.  We sat on the upper balcony facing the Riverwalk and each enjoyed a locally made lager.
http://www.esquiretavern-sa.com/

For the grand finale to an amazing day, we toured the Alamo.  Before we went to San Antonio, we took time to watch an informative video on YouTube about the history of the Alamo so we would be better educated as to what exactly happened at the Alamo years ago.  Texas originally was a province of Mexico.

The battle at the Alamo to this day has been misconstrued and misunderstood.  Essentially from my understanding and research, after being turned over to Mexico by Spain, Texas was a province of Mexico and there were a number of rebellious Texans that wanted Texas to become one of the States of the United States.  The Alamo was but one fight in the scheme of many different battles that took place in the 1800s while Texans tried and eventually captured Texas.  The reason the battle at the Alamo stands out is because it was thought that everyone that participated in the fight had perished, but later it was revealed that a couple of men had survived.  I would encourage you to do your own research to find out more about the Alamo if you are interested, but the one thing you will find out in doing so is there are many versions and untruths that have been told about the Alamo’s history.

Memorial in commemoration of the Battle at the Alamo (American)

Battle at the Alamo (Spanish)

This is a great video to watch that will help explain the Alamo’s true history in greater detail:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oueKEtP1pl8
After the Alamo, we headed back to our truck and drove back to our trailer at Wilderness Lakes RV Resort near Corpus Christi.  It was an awesome, fun-filled day in a beautiful city that is now one of my favourite cities I have been in.

For the rest of the month of January, we stayed around our RV Resort and enjoyed the amazing sunshine and the company of our new friends.  We have decided to stay for the month of February, but there are more adventures to come, stay tuned!

Texas, Part 1

December 14, 2016 (cont’d)
By late afternoon, after leaving Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, we crossed into the State of Texas following Highway 62/180 South and then onto Highway 54 South which turned into Highway 90.

As we traveled along Highway 54 South and the sun set, we quickly learned that we were traveling along a highway that had a massive rabbit and jack rabbit population.  Very sadly, there were smushed bunnies all along this highway!  They would jump out in front of us and we would grimace, but I think we only hit one bunny, not certain, but the likelihood is great as I couldn’t see it moving fast enough to avoid the tires of the trailer.  Then, at one point, this large jack rabbit was sitting right in the middle of the highway on the line.  As we passed him, he was bright and wide eyed, and stayed right there, looking like he was in shock, but then all of a sudden the car that had been following us, passed us and that poor rabbit was now between the two vehicles.  The poor thing.  Dan and I figured if he survived, he would have a nervous twitch for life!

Dan and I were sold on the idea that we should check out Big Bend National Park and that meant scrambling again to figure out where we could stop for the night on the way there as our original plan was to keep heading further East for awhile. We topped up with fuel in Marfa on the way through as prices seemed decent.

I found a spot on Allstays as Dan drove called Marfa Lights Viewing Centre on Highway 90 just beyond the Town of Marfa.  It was free to pull in for the night.  The Marfa Lights Viewing Centre was built to give people a place to sit and watch the night sky for strange lights.  There have been sightings of different coloured lights and they are unexplainable.  The night presented a full moon to us and the sky was clear, but we didn’t see any weird lights.  This was a little bit of a noisy place to try and sleep with the highway right beside us and the train tracks on the opposite side of the highway as well.  Two or three trains went through in the night.  Large trucks drive all night long and every once in awhile one would pull in for a few hours of shut eye leaving their engine running.  Beggars can not be choosers they say, we can’t complain, it was free and it served us well.

Marfa Lights Viewing Centre, Highway 90, Texas

December 15, 2016
We pulled out of Marfa Lights Viewing Centre by around 9 a.m. and decided it would be a good idea to pick up a few more groceries before going to Big Bend National Park so we stopped in Alpine.  Dan had discovered that the bike rack he put on the back bumper of the trailer was a little heavy for the bumper as the bumper itself is hollow to hold sewer hose.  We were afraid the whole thing would eventually drag on the ground, bikes and all, behind us!  Dan decided it may be a good idea to have it reinforced by welding spot welds onto the bumper to give it more strength. We found a welder in Alpine, R-B Welding.  Justin did a great job of fixing our problem and he was able to help us right away so we could get to Big Bend National Park before dark.

Justin welding the trailer bumper

After leaving Alpine, we traveled a little further to Marathon and then followed Highway 385 to Big Bend National Park.  This park is huge and not only does it go on for miles, it is miles away from anything.

We decided we would camp at Rio Grande Village because it was at a lower elevation and we thought it may be warmer.  We got there before dark, thankfully, and decided we would stay for four nights.  We got a really nice campsite, with bush all around it for privacy.  A lot of the campsites are open and do not offer much privacy at all.  There are no wood fires allowed here, only briquettes in the grills.  That night, we sat outside in a warm breeze and enjoyed gazing at the beautifully clear night sky.  The stars are amazing out here.  “The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas”!

December 16, 2016

The trees by the trailer have a number of stick bugs.
Can you see him?

The mighty Rio Grande borders the southern edges of Big Bend National Park separating the United States from Mexico.  This means you can stand up on one of the cliffs and look into Mexico across the river.  Right across the river from camp there is a small Mexican town called Boquillas Del Carmen tucked in the Sierra Del Carmen mountain range.

We had thought about doing a big hike today, but felt it should be an easy day and we would explore closer to camp.  There are no dogs or bikes allowed on the trails.  That being said, we always make sure Piper gets some good exercise before we leave her in the trailer while we go out and explore.

We took the Rio Grande Nature Walk which is close to the campground.  The hike starts with a couple of little bridges and boardwalk that cross a marsh area then continues toward the river.  There is a spur trail that takes you to the river, so we took that first and checked out the Rio Grande.  It’s brown, fairly fast flowing, and not something I would swim in personally.

On the Rio Grande Nature Trail

My first look at the Rio Grande

View from cliff above Rio Grande Nature Trail

Panoramic of scenery from above the Rio Grande Nature Trail

Animals to be aware of in this area are mountain lions, black bears, and three or four types of rattle snakes.  There are around 400 bird species and 65 types of cacti here.  It’s always important to know what you may encounter on a hike, not so you are afraid, but so you are prepared and know what to do.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I have an affinity for wildlife, they like me and I have had a few close encounters in my life especially with a mountain lion that was six feet from me in Glacier National Park a few years ago, but that’s another story…

When we backtracked the trail from the river, we continued to follow the loop trail that took us to the top of a cliff where the view was incredible.  We could see the Town of Boquillas and there were little stations set up in various spots on the trails selling wares from the village.  Apparently this is not legal, but as long as the Mexican is not present or bothering any of the tourists, they seem to get away with it.  The stations have a money jar, so you can buy something and leave the money in the jar.  This is definitely a trust situation for the Mexican owner of the goods as well.

Returning to camp, we used the rest of the day to get the laundry done and do some internet searching up at the camp store/laundry.

December 17, 2016
Waking up to another beautiful, sunny day, we decided we should try to venture out a little further today.  For some reason, I had no desire to do any giant hikes, especially because everything is so far away and Piper has to stay in the trailer.  I always worry that this will leave her alone too long especially if something happens to us, like we take a wrong turn and the hike takes us extra long.  (this has happened!)

We opted to drive as close as we could get to the Hot Springs.  From where we parked, it is a short hike in.  Along this route there is an abandoned motel and bathhouse and the remains of what used to be a store of some kind.  We hiked past tall cliffs and upon examination of the cliff edges, there are birds’ nests tucked in the overhangs and beautiful yellow flowers in some of the overhangs too.  There are many places in the cliffs that could be home for all sorts of wildlife.  The caves and overhangs would be good places to escape the heat in the summer with temperatures reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit at times and it would give way to an elevated view of the surrounding area offering advantages for hunting and hiding.

Old building on Hot Springs Trail used to be a store.

Beautiful yellow flowers growing off the side of the cliff, Hot Springs Trail

Look closely, see the birds nests in the overhangs?
Hot Springs Trail

Not too much further down the trail, we found the hot spring pool with a number of people soaking in it.  It is said to remain at a constant 105 degrees Fahrenheit year round and most people like to sit in it on a colder day.  We enjoyed the soak and watched a few people dive into the cool waters of the Rio Grande that runs right along side of the hot springs pool, swim to the other side, touch Mexico and then swim back.  (Again, not something I would swim in.)

Hot Springs beside the Rio Grande

When we were done having our soak, we made our way back to the truck and drove into the Boquillas Canyon Overlook.  We could see the Town of Boquillas, Mexico from the opposite side we had viewed the day before from our campground cliffs.

On the way back to camp, we stopped into the Visitor Centre and we found out that high arctic winds were on there way and they were expecting temperatures to drop to 20 degrees Fahrenheit (about -6 Celsius).  Oh boy, here we go again!

The evening remained quite nice and gradually cooled.  The winds picked up more and more through the night and this is when I am extra thankful that we are not in a tent!

December 18, 2016
Wow, brrrr….yes, it was -6 Celsius upon waking this morning.  I can not believe the drastic change and drop in temperature.  The plants and animals out here must be extremely resilient and adaptable.  The up side is there is no snow and when the sun shines, temperatures increase fairly quickly.

Dan and I decided to ignore the cold temperatures, we’re Canadian after all, and head out about 50 km towards Chisos Basin to do a hike called The Window.  Dan was concerned about the truck as we could smell diesel and he thought it may have a leak coming from the fuel injector pump and diesel was spraying out when the truck was running.  As we drove along the little narrow road up to the Basin, sure enough, the truck totally died.  Dan just managed to get it over to the side of the road, just over the line.  With the very no road and little shoulder, this is a very bad spot to be broken down.

It wasn’t three minutes had passed and Ranger Brian was on his way by and stopped to offer us assistance.  He drove us the rest of the way up to Chisos Basin and he let us use the phone and computer in the Visitor Information Centre there.  We needed to return to the trailer to see what, if any coverage, we have for this type of problem.  Brian gratefully offered to drive us back to our trailer now 50 km away.

Taken from the Chisos Basin Visitor Centre

Getting organized, we rode our bikes to the closer Visitor Centre near Rio Grande Campground.  Lisa, the Visitor Centre Hostess, helped us out immensely, helping us find a tow truck driver and a mechanic only 58 miles away in Terlingua instead of 100 miles away in Alpine.  Then, Lisa arranged with a couple of friends that work in the park to take Dan back to the truck to meet up with the tow truck driver.  We biked back to the trailer, grabbed an overnight bag for Dan and he rode his bike back to the Visitor Centre.  Knowing he was leaving his bike there, I ran to the Centre to grab his bike.  He was there waiting for his ride.  I said goodbye to him again and took his bike back to the trailer.

The truck getting loaded onto the tow truck trailer

Spending the rest of the day and evening without Dan was tough and I worried about his safety not knowing where he was and who he was with, and not knowing if he was safe in the tiny Town of Terlingua (population 25 it says in the brochure I was reading!).  It was a restless sleep.

December 19, 2016
My priority upon waking was to make my way up to the camp store and laundry area where there is wifi so I can communicate with Dan either by Messenger or by e-mail.  When I arrived, I received an e-mail from Dan, entitled “I’m alive lol”.

That was a great start!  As I was hanging around the store quite a bit, I met a younger man that works at the store and he was extremely empathetic and helpful to our situation.  His name is Gabriel and it turns out that he is the son of Tony, the mechanic who was working on the truck in Terlingua.  A small world, especially out here.

Dan had spent the night at the little motel in Terlingua so he could talk to the mechanic, Tony and see first hand what happened (he already knew) and what the fix was going to be.  The fuel injector pump basically disintegrated and needed to be replaced.

This is also where I find out the tow cost $560.00 US!  Oh boy.  And, the new fuel injector pump was going to be shipped in at a cost of $1000.00 US for the part and then plus labor!!!  A very sad day indeed.

Now Dan, realizing that the truck was going to be in Terlingua for the next few days wanted to get back to me and Piper and he thought about hitchhiking.  This is no place to hitchhike.  I told him absolutely “No”.  Tony at the shop asked everyone that came by if they were going to Rio Grande Campground and either they weren’t or they didn’t want to take a stranger with them. (understandable)

Dan said he decided to try to walk and he walked for quite a ways coming upon a small place called Cottonwood.  There is a small store and restroom there.  He used the restroom and tried to continue down the road.  At the home across from the store there was a Deputy’s truck and a vicious dog running the fence line, barking, growling, and bearing teeth at Dan.

Dan tells the story like this:
“As I am walking past the fence line on the opposite side of the road with the dog trying to find a way to get to me through the fence, I was wondering if I should have my knife ready realizing that the gate was open. Then I saw the Deputy standing near the gate.”
I said to the guy, “is that your dog?  Should I be worried about your dog?”
The guy says, “Huh?”
I said,  “Should I be worried about your dog?”
The fellow, who is the local Deputy (Dan found out later) starts to slowly close his gate and replies, “Yep, he’s likely to chew your ass off.”
"The Deputy didn’t ask me anything; not if I was lost, or needed help, or anything…"

Dan is not often uncomfortable with things like this, but he decided it must be a sign and turned around and walked back to the Terlingua motel area where two highways intersect, thinking the location would be a busier one and maybe he would have a better chance at catching a ride from there.  Remarkably, there had been a family from Texas that had come through and Tony had told them about Dan needing a ride, but they were on there way to check out Old Terlingua down the road in the opposite direction.  It worked out that they had left a tire with Tony to repair so they had come back to pick it up and already knowing about Dan’s need for a ride, picked him up.

Meanwhile on my end, Gabriel, at the camp store was finding someone to pick Dan up and bring him back.  I managed to get a hold of Dan before he lost cell phone reception to find out that he was on his way back!

Piper and I walked back to the trailer and waited for Dan to show up.  It wasn’t long after, he was “home” and the kind people - Chase, wife Stephanie, and daughter Tatum that picked him up were camping in the same campground.  That worked out great!

It was such a great feeling to have Dan back and he was really happy to be back with us.  We hopefully would find out the next day the status on the part for the truck.


December 20, 2016
Our priority today was to get a hold of our oldest son to wish him a Happy 25th!  Wow, hard to believe we have a grown child of that age!  Where does all the time go?

We found out that the fuel injector pump was ordered and hopefully would show up today.  We will check back with Tony again tomorrow.

We are so thankful and grateful for all of these wonderful people that stepped into our lives to help with all the rides and arrangements to get the truck towed and fixed.  Words could never express how grateful we are.  I am also thankful for my friends that reminded me via Facebook that the important thing was that we are safe and healthy.  And you know what?  They are absolutely right.

We had a very relaxing day.  Dan had a nap and I went for a bike ride.  Nothing too exciting…a much needed “no drama” day.

December 21, 2016
We decided to stay put and enjoy Christmas in Big Bend National Park.  We were not sure how it would work out as we are miles from anything.  We were running short of food and we hadn’t bought any gifts for each other.  I hung one string of white lights and two empty stockings up in the trailer to make it feel a little more like Christmas.  Being in this warm environment away from everything, there is not really anything that indicates that it is a joyous and festive season.  It’s beautiful and for the most part warm here, but not quite where I imagined we would be for Christmas.

Dan and I decided to hike today.  We did not have the truck back yet so we walked from our campsite to Daniels Ranch to the West of us. Daniels Ranch was a homestead and ranch that grew watermelon, cotton, and corn between sometime in the 1920s  into the 1940s.  The ranchers established their plants by building their own irrigation system (digging trenches and water reservoir).  The amazing cottonwood trees in this immediate area are still here today because of the irrigation system, otherwise the area would be too dry for these trees to exist.  The ranch was abandoned in the 1940s.  The adobe style home remains in tact on the property today.

Hiking towards Daniel's Ranch

Through the beautiful cottonwood trees...

Original homestead at Daniel's Ranch

We followed the Hot Springs Trail which does eventually lead to the Hot Springs, however, because we had already walked from the campsite to the trailhead and we had already been to the Hot Springs from the other side, we decided we would hike for three quarters of the trail and then turn around and come back.

The scenery was amazing.  At some high points, the view looks high above and down at the Rio Grande and as far as the eye can see into Mexico  The brownish river flows a little faster with minor rapids in a few areas, but mostly it is slow moving.  At one point we watched three large canoes manned by one person each making their way down the river.  Again, this river flows for 245 miles along the Big Bend area bordering the United States and Mexico.  The trail was rocky and it meandered through the hills and valleys also lending spectacular views of the Del Carmen Sierras in the far background to the SouthEast.

The day was fairly warm, but not too hot thankfully as this hike does not provide shade of any kind.  When we returned to the ranch area, we took advantage of the shade provided by the large cottonwood trees with their beautiful fall colours and walked under them for a while.  We hiked for about 10.5 km and it took about three hours total including breaks to view/photograph the scenery and snack time.  It was a beautiful and rewarding hike and very much enjoyed by both of us.

Upon nearing the camp store/laundry area, our phone would hook up to the wifi and thankfully we got an e-mail to let us know that the truck was ready for pickup.  Dan and I went to see if Gabriel was working in the store, but he was off.  The other fellow working there called him for us.  Dan asked him if he would drive him to Terlingua to get the truck.  Gabriel and his girlfriend, Eileen picked Dan up at the trailer about half an hour later.  They were awesome to help us out and while Dan offered, they didn’t want anything for driving him to Terlingua as they told him they were planning on going there anyway.

About three hours later, Dan arrived back “home” with the truck.  We had supper and enjoyed the evening and the knowledge that we had our truck back and all was well.

December 22, 2016
We needed to return to the mechanic in Terlingua today to get the proper gasket put on the truck’s intake plenum, so we decided to make a day of it as it takes quite awhile to get there and then of course, return.  Piper came with us today.  We went to the mechanic first and finished what we needed to do there.

The shop at Terlingua

Then, we drove to Old Terlingua which is where the town originally began.  It still has some of the older original buildings, the old cemetery, and crumbling buildings of the past.

Grave Yard Old Terlingua

Grave Yard Old Terlingua

Crumbling buildings from the past

Old Sunlight Theatre, Old Terlingua

Old Hotel, Old Terlingua

Then, we had lunch at Chile Peppers.  We shared a dish of delicious beef fajitas at this authentic Mexican restaurant.  Dan had eaten here when he stayed overnight when the truck was towed to Terlingua (Sunday night) and he wanted me to see the place and try the food.

Chile Peppers Restaurant, Old Terlingua

On Chile Peppers Restaurant patio

We stopped in at a shop called Quilts Etc.  It is not affiliated with the franchise.  It is a shop that has been set up for crafters to sell their wares, each crafter has a designated area.  Many quilts and homemade goods of all kinds filled the space.  There was some beautiful work including some amazing photography as well.

We picked up a few groceries at the nearby grocery store.  We had to be selective with what we purchased as some things were ludicrously expensive, but we needed to get enough groceries to see us through Christmas.

It was a full day and we enjoyed taking in the scenery along the drive.

December 23, 2016
We decided to try to get a few hikes done in the next few days we had left in Big Bend National Park.  We chose to hike Grapevine Trail that ends at Balanced Rock.  The drive was a distance from the trailer and we had to leave Piper behind again.  We always strive to not leave her longer than 5 hours so every minute counts.

Once arriving to the turnoff to Grapevine Road, it becomes a gravel road, sometimes it was really rough with “washboard”.  We followed this road for 6.6 miles and arrived at a parking area.  We geared up for the hike and enjoyed an easy walk into a canyon area and then climbed a rocky area which lead us to the spot called Balanced Rock.

This is where a giant rock has fallen over and is now balancing on another rock that creates essentially a “window” or a very short tunnel.  It is breathtaking to think about the “what if” that rock falls.  When you stand below it, you realize the massiveness of it.

Balanced Rock

We enjoyed the view for a while and then took the hike back out.  Dan was being creative and having fun picking out rocks that looked like faces and figures of people and animals.  It was a very enjoyable hike for us.

View from other side of Balanced Rock

Dan takes my photo

I take Dan's photo

Interesting carvings or lines in the rock

Dan's diving board with "alien" creature below it

Diving Board

Dan felt this clump of rocks looked like a lizard emerging from the rocks.

As we headed back towards Panther Junction, we pulled into Dug Out Wells.  This used to be a small community where there was a school and other amenities because there is water here.  We did the short Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail and checked out some cacti and other plants.

Prickly Pear Cactus

A bunny

Closer to where the water is, there are palm trees and other types of trees
that require more moisture than cacti do.

We stopped at the Visitor Centre at Panther Junction before returning to the trailer.

Our Campsite at Rio Grande Campground

That afternoon as Dan and I were enjoying the beautiful weather with Piper outside upon our return, the clouds nearby appeared darker like they had wind in them, then later, they turned to a blue and Dan and I agreed that there was rain coming.  Sure enough, it poured rain for about 15 minutes and then drizzled for a bit.  Dan was very excited hoping that he would catch a flash flood somewhere.  He went out with Piper and the truck exploring the area to see what he could.  He saw a beautiful rainbow and lightning flashes.  The water in the river was higher than it had been too.

Beautiful shots taken by Dan, After the Rain

After the Rain, by Dan

Through the tunnel, After the Rain by Dan

I hung back to try and find something at the local store to stuff in Dan’s Christmas stocking, otherwise I would have went with Dan and Piper on there adventure.

December 24, 2016
Dan and I geared up to hike “The Window” Trail near Chisos Basin.  This is where we were going the day the truck broke down.  This drive takes about 45 minutes to get there and then another 45 minutes to get back.  So, time being of the essence again, because we left Piper, we decided to take a little shorter version of this hike, only 6.6 km.

We had a quick lunch in the Lodge restaurant before going on our hike. The view from the restaurant was spectacular.

We started our hike after 1 p.m. which is a little late, and average time to do this hike should be 3 hours.  There are signs warning about Mountain Lion and Bear activity in this area.  These are two animals you need to scare off if they approach you.

Hike to The Window

The hike was mostly downhill all the way into the canyon.  We met up with Daniel and Ann.  Daniel is Ann’s Grandson and Ann is well into her 70s.  She is in very good shape.   We walked and talked with them pretty much all the way into the canyon.  On the way, we saw bear scat, fairly fresh, and cougar footprints in the wet soil from the last night’s rain.

Fresh cougar footprints

Once in the canyon, the trail turned into steps that were created to meander and facilitate the creek that runs in this area.  It was super cool.  We quickly found out that the slickness of the rocks here didn’t make a good combination with wet shoes.  It made for a very slippery surface.  We were careful in our foot placement and didn’t have any difficulties thankfully.

Trail into the canyon

Into the canyon

The Window

After taking in the amazing beauty and view of “The Window”, Dan and I decided to book it out of there knowing that we were needing to get back to our puppy.  On the way out, we saw some other footprints in another wet area that seemed a little smaller and a little different somehow, and we were thinking that these may belong to a Bobcat.

Chisos Basin view

Fairly fresh bear scat on The Window Trail

Returning to the truck, Dan and I finished this hike in 2 hours.

On the road back "home" we saw a Kit Fox by the side of the road.

Driving back towards “home” we stopped at the Panther Junction Visitor Centre once more and took turns going in to the store to buy each other a little Christmas present and I wanted to get a Birthday present for Dan too.

We returned home to a very happy puppy and fired up the barbecue.  Dan had met some fellow Canadians from a smaller community 80 km North of Toronto, Ontario and they walked by.  We had a little chat and they came back at 7:30 p.m. for some Christmas cheer.  We set up some Christmas lights, had Christmas music playing, candles burning, and I made some haystack cookies.  The evening sky was amazingly clear and full of stars.  It was a nice way to end the day and celebrate Christmas Eve.

December 25, 2016

Merry Christmas!  Yes it was.  Also, Happy Birthday to Dan!  This was probably the most different and quiet Christmas we have ever experienced in our lives.  This was the first time we were not with our sons since they were born or any other family members.

We started the day with coffee and breakfast.  Dan and I had put a few items in each others stockings and it was a nice touch to the day to watch each other see their gifts.  I gave Dan a book on outdoor photography for his birthday.

We had bought a chicken to cook for Christmas dinner in Terlingua.  We barbecued it on a bed of charcoal briquettes.  It was very flavourful.  I made haystack cookies and a chocolate cake from scratch.  It was the hottest day we have experienced so far at 90 degrees Fahrenheit or 32 degrees Celsius and yes, I baked a cake!  I cooked up some cranberries I had in the freezer, made Dan a little bit of stuffing that I put in tin foil and cooked on the grill, and there was a bean salad, green salad, homemade salad dressing, pickles, and a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

It turned out to be a really nice day as we just relaxed around camp.  That evening we had Mike and Joanne over (our neighbours in camp) for birthday cake.  We certainly missed our family, but we enjoyed this different Christmas experience.

December 26, 2016
This was our last day to spend in Big Bend National Park.  We took a short hike (2.3 km round trip) into the Boquillas Canyon.  It took us down to the Rio Grande.  There was a fellow named Jesus singing by the river, looking for donations.  He was also selling his homemade crafts.  I told him that we didn’t have any money with us.

Boquillas Canyon Trail

Rio Grande in Boquillas Canyon

Dan spotted a little baby bat flying around the area.  At first we thought it was a bird and then realized it was a bat.  We are not sure what type of bat, but it was small and we assumed it was young and not able to get back to its cave.

Bat

Bat

We drove out to take some photos of the colourful rock layers that looked amazingly beautiful in this one area near the entrance to the Boquillas Canyon road.

We also wanted to touch base with and wish our family members and friends a Merry Christmas and see how things were in their lives, so we drove for a ways and found cell phone reception that took us to the middle of a bridge on the main road. So, there we were sitting on the edge of this bridge in the middle of the desert and talking on the phone. I am sure it was quite a site to see us sitting there by the people driving past!

We returned to camp and prepared to pull out the next morning.

December 27, 2016
Time to leave Big Bend.  We really enjoyed our adventure in Big Bend National Park.  While we had truck trouble and it was disheartening, there were lessons learned, and it was an adventure we will never forget.  We drove the long 385 Highway North out of Big Bend and continued East on Highway 90 stopping at Sanderson for fuel.

Leaving Big Bend National Park

Stopped for lunch at Picnic Area on side of Highway

Our goal was to get to Amistad National Recreation Area near Del Rio.  On the way, we stopped for lunch at a roadside picnic area.  Piper went into the grass and picked up numerous spike balls called Goats Heads.  Ouch!!  I helped her pick them out of her hair.

Goats Heads (spike balls) Ouch!!!

Further down the road we stopped in Langtry to check out the Judge Roy Bean Saloon and Museum Visitor Centre.  From 1882 to 1896 Judge Roy Bean was the “law west of the Pecos”.  He used an 1879 Revised Statutes of Texas book for ruling on cases, but more often he used his own sense of justice to decide the perpetrator’s fate and he would pocket any monies he collected for fines he handed out. He had an obsession with English actress Lillie Langtry.  It was thought that the town was named Langtry after her, but railroad historians believed it was named after one of the construction foremen.  Judge Bean also ran a saloon and billiards that still stands in its original place with a picture of the actress Lillie Langtry at the bar.

Original Saloon

Old pot belly stove in the saloon

Waiting for my drink at the bar...

There was a time that Judge Bean was called on to ride miles from home to the site of a bridge build where ten men had apparently fallen off and seven of them had died instantly.  The three remaining were injured very badly and Judge Bean declared them dead as well because he didn’t want to make the long trip again to return to make the declaration when they did die.  Apparently, the three men did survive.  I still don’t fully understand why this man became a legend, but he apparently established his own colourful  “brand of justice” and that is why he is still remembered today.  For more information about Judge Roy Bean, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Bean.

Continuing on, we finally arrived at Governor’s Landing Campground in the Amistad National Recreation Area around 4 p.m.  Tired from a long day of traveling, we set up camp and called it a day.

December 28, 2016
Finally a chance to grab some supplies at the local Wal-Mart in Del Rio.  Also, to refuel, get some propane for the trailer, and get an oil change done on the truck.  We spent the late morning and early afternoon running errands.  Returning to camp, we enjoyed the scenery of the Amistad Reservoir.

Our spot at Amistad Reservoir Recreation Area, Governor's Landing

Train bridge, Amistad Reservoir Recreation Area

Amistad Reservoir

Amistad Reservoir pier area

Picture shows highway on the right and train bridge on the left

This reservoir is man made from the Rio Grande.  It is a large recreation area used for boating and fishing.  Governor’s Landing Campground has been abused.  There was garbage and beverage cans everywhere.  There were even old tires thrown in the bushes.  People have vandalized the Amphitheatre and tried to rip the door off one of the nearby restrooms.  There have been cats dropped off here, abandoned by their owners.  We didn’t come across one friendly person here,  not one person said hello or waved.  It also is not the quietest place with two highways intersecting beside it, a train track running parallel to one of the highways, and planes flying over us to the nearby airport.  Needless to say, it was only $14 per night and we were leaving in the morning anyway.

December 29, 2016
We had decided that our next stop was to be San Antonio.  It was a very long day of driving.  I had picked out a place called Victor Braunig Lake out of the Wrights Guide to Free and Low Cost Campgrounds.  I chose this because it was fairly close to San Antonio and seemed to be more affordable than most RV Parks in the area.  There is dispersed camping for $6 a night and if you want electric and water, it is $22 for the night.  But,  when we got to the campground we found out there is also a $7 per night per adult charge added to that.  We decided that we didn’t want to pay a $14 user fee for something we really weren’t going to use.  So, I found (on Allstays App) a Pilot Truck Stop 3.5 km further South down the road that we could pull into and stay the night for free.  It certainly wasn’t a quiet place.  The big trucks leave their engines running most of the time and when they back up, the trucks beep.  It was a long night.

December 30, 2016
Deciding to head towards Corpus Christi instead of bothering with San Antonio for now, we tried to get a spot at the State Park with full hookups for a night as we had run the batteries down to nothing in the trailer after being off grid for two weeks, watching television, running lights, and a couple days of no sun we were well passed due to recharge.  The State Park had no full hook up sites so I called Wilderness Lakes RV Resort which is close to the Corpus Christi Lake State Park to see if they had a spot for us and they did.  So, Dan and I pulled in for the night, arriving in the late morning.

The Manager, Dee was extremely helpful and kind and she got us a nice spot.  She introduced us to two fellow Canadians, Albert and Ruth from Ontario that happened to be in the office when we arrived.  It was nice to be greeted by friendly people.  We were tired.  We were tired from our rough sleep at the truck stop, but we were also tired of traveling.
This lovely RV park is more like a campground as they have provided space between you and your neighbour rather than have a concrete jungle and side by side units.  The campground is nicely laid out with a club house, a salt water swimming pool, horseshoe pits, bocce ball, and two laundry and restroom/shower buildings.  We seriously looked at each other and thought about signing up to stay a month here.  Dee said to take the night to think about it.  Again, this was very much appreciated, as it took some pressure off to sit back and decide what we wanted to do.  It was nice to stop moving and relax a little.  We had a fantastic sleep.


December 31, 2016
The last day of the year.  Happy New Year!!!  Dan and I signed on to become residents of Wilderness Lakes RV Park for the next month.  Yes, we committed ourselves to staying in one place for a month.  It should be interesting.  We will explore the surrounding areas from here.

We took the day to move to our permanent site and enjoyed just sitting still.  We went for a bike ride and talked to some of our new neighbours.  What a great way to start 2017!

Our new "Home Sweet Home", Wilderness Lakes RV Resort, Corpus Christi Lake, Texas