We were originally scheduled to leave Texan RV Park here in Athens, TX for The Vineyard at Fredericksburg RV Park this morning. Weather, however, can be a bit fickle in this part of the world this time of year and right now we’re still in Athens watching the raindrops fall.
The RVing Lifestyle Can Mean Flexibility
One of the nice things about the RVing Lifestyle, and being retired, is the flexibility to not have take chances when it comes to road conditions. The forecast for our destination is for thunderstorms. Along with thunderstorms come hail, high winds, and the possibility of tornadoes. Continue reading Watching the Raindrops Fall
Well we made it to Athens, TX on Monday afternoon where we’ll be for the next two weeks.
Athens is the home of the new National RV Training Academy (NRVTA) and headquarters for the National RV Inspectors Association (NRVIA). This year the NRVIA is having its 5th Annual Conference here at the Texan RV Park.
The President and Director of the NRVIA purchased the Texan RV Park last year with the vision of seeing the park, and the NRVTA, become a hub of RV training for technicians, mobile & RV dealer service technicians, RV inspectors, and consumer training. Continue reading Made It To Athens, TX
Well we thought we were going to winter in Las Vegas and Mesa this year but after heading East to Texas for our National RV Inspectors Association Conference we got to thinking…
We’d already driven from Florida to Vegas then up into Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington this year and worked our way back to see the Reno Air Races and visit the kids. By traveling to Texas then back to Vegas only to turn around in April and travel all the way back to North Carolina for our Workamper job at Moonshine Creek Campground seemed a waste of time and money. Continue reading A Change of Plans for 2018
As we traveled along the Columbia Gorge and followed the Columbia River we were once again following in the footsteps of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. At The Dalles we picked up the Oregon Trail and followed it Eastward to Baker City, Oregon.
Mt View RV Park is a cute park located on the West side of Baker City and convenient to the historical mining town and stop-off point along the Oregon Trail.
The highlight of our stay in Baker City was a visit to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. Located on Flagstaff Hill, a major landmark for immigrants entering Oregon Territory, the center walks the visitor through the history of the trail along a timeline of the trail.
Hundreds of thousands of immigrants left homes in the eastern USA and European countries for the promised land in the Willamette Valley. Many lost their lives, possessions, and innocence as they mostly walked the 2000 miles from Missouri. Continue reading Along the Oregon Trail
The drive down the Columbia River Gorge from Portland to just East of The Dalles is an explosion of beauty and nature.
I’d heard stories about life “on the gorge” but had no idea how captivating the Columbia River, sandwiched by high cliffs, could actually be. Thick forests of punctuated by outcroppings poking through the trees and cliffs lining the Columbia reminded me of the Rhine River in Germany.
Needless to say the gorge is one of our “must return” spots but when we come back we’ll meander our way along stopping for a week about every 90 miles or so and take time to enjoy the sights. Continue reading Peach Beach WA
Evergreen Coho RV Park is an Escapees Co-Op park located in Chimacum, WA. Escapees is a member-driven RV club who owns several Rainbow Parks that are owned and operated by Escapees.
Escapee Co-Ops are wholly owned and operated by each individual coop and its members. Members of a co-op lease their lots giving them a base of operation if they are full-time RVers. Co-op leaseholders can rent out their lots if they don’t use them and co-ops usually have spaces for short-term rentals as well. Continue reading Evergreen Coho RV Park, WA
Fort Stockton was a historic place to stop and we decided to spend a couple of days there exploring the actual US Army fort and the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum in the historic downtown district.
This was the first stop where it was warm enough to wear short-sleeved shirts and shorts and we took full advantage of it by sightseeing and spending precious moments outside.
We stayed at the Fort Stockton RV Park on the East side of town but within short driving distance of the town. As an added bonus, the RV park has a restaurant open for dinner and breakfast each day and the first night we had the opportunity to try it out.
Ilene had a burger and I had the chicken-fried steak (I had to since I was in West Texas) and we weren’t disappointed. The food was tasty, the servers were pleasant and the atmosphere was pure Texas.
The next day we visited the fort and learned this was once headquarters of the 1st and 8th Infantry Regiments and 9th Cavalry Regiment “Buffalo Soldiers”. Yes, the same 9th Cavalry Regiment that fought along side Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders in Cuba!
The fort has a small museum as well as some of the original buildings from the 1860’s including an enlisted barracks, kitchen and officer’s quarters.
After our walking tour of the fort we drove downtown and took in the West Texas architecture and stopped by the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum. Annie Riggs ran one of the nicest boarding houses in the region and the museum has many displays and you can wander through the rooms learning about the history of Fort Stockton and the women and men behind its growth.
No stop in Fort Stockton is complete without a visit and snapshots at Paisano Pete. Pete’s the official mascot of Fort Stockton who measures 11 feet high and 22 feet long.
All-in-all, our stay in Fort Stockton was enjoyable and we’d recommend it as a stop for any of our friends and family.
Deming New Mexico was our first stay in an Escapees RV Park. Escapees is an RV club that’s based out of Texas but over the years they have developed several RV parks and coops around the USA. At only $20 a night it was a bargain.
At $20 a night don’t expect too much, however. No wifi or cable but hey, we did have full hookups and free cookies in the afternoon.
Over our two-day stay we managed to stop by the museum, a couple of nice restaurants, and a winery! All-in-all Deming is a neat place and we’ll probably stop in again the next time we’re in the neighborhood.
One of the nice things about the RVing Lifestyle, and being retired, is the flexibility to not have take chances when it comes to road conditions. The forecast for our destination is for thunderstorms. Along with thunderstorms come hail, high winds, and the possibility of tornadoes. Continue reading Watching the Raindrops Fall
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