https://youtu.be/LsquS0jUE4Q Watch our YouTube video about our time in Waco.

Before we were married, Frank, the boys, and I took a weekend trip to Waco, Texas to visit the Dr. Pepper Museum and the Texas Ranger Museum plus a festival in West, Texas.  We enjoyed it, but I must be honest, I have wanted to go return since the rise of Fixer Upper with Joanna and Chip Gaines.  The Silos sounded intriguing, and after all, I had purchased Joanna’s first cookbook and made some of her recipes. When planning our trip, we knew we were heading from San Marcos to Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Texarkana would be a stopping point, but I noticed that Waco was on the route.  Bingo! We could check out Magnolia Table and the Silos.

            Originally, I wanted to visit when it wasn’t summer due to fewer crowds and being cooler, but since it was on the way, we would just have to make do.  I knew we would need to arrive early at Magnolia Table due to lines.  A friend who moved to Waco, advised us to definitely go early and showed us a wait time of two hours around lunch time.  Therefore, for the first time in a long time, I set an alarm and it was at the crack of dawn – 6:20 am.  We arrived about 7 am and there was a line, but not very long.  We checked in, had a seat in a nearby covered area and waited for a text to inform us it was our time.  I decided to try the Farm Eggs Benedict which featured Jo’s buttermilk biscuits, a poached egg and Hollandaise sauce while Frank ordered the Pancake Breakfast with buttermilk pancakes, two eggs, tater tots, and bacon. Frank and I have both made Jo’s buttermilk biscuits and they are good!  Frank’s pancakes were great, but the Hollandaise sauce was very strong and heavy on my dish. I would recommend you try something else unless you really LOVE strong Hollandaise sauce.  Would I go again, absolutely!  The restaurant was chilly, but I’m sure it was to make sure it would remain cool as the day heated up and there were more people.  The black and white tiles and old-style school lights, and flooring were very fitting. Good job, Joanna!

            After breakfast, we drove to the Silos, but they didn’t open until 9 am, so we were able to make a quick trip to a local CVS before returning to park and walk to the Silos.  Everything is very neat and clean. The AstroTurf is nice looking and you can tell its not the cheap kind. There is the main shop, but there are also other little cottages with shops and another large shop for Magnolia Home (furniture, etc…) There are a variety of food trucks where people can order and eat in the various vignettes around the buildings.  Of course, at 9 am, they were not open. The bakery was open and there was a line for it, but we were still full from our breakfast.  There was a small area with plants and a “shed” where people can purchase seeds, etc… named Magnolia Seed + Supply. Since this was at opening time on a Thursday morning, it was not crowded and there was a nice breeze. A family was playing Wiffle ball in the Katy “ball park” area and some girls were playing with a Jenga set in another area. There is a corn hole set, balls and other toys for kids to play with and a nice reminder to return whatever they use.

            Since we are full-time RVing, we did not purchase anything from our sojourn to the Silos because we have no room.  There were several items that caught my eyes, and I was like a little kid touching all the textures of the pillows and rugs. Oh, well, touching doesn’t mean buying. 😊

            After slowly walking around the Silos, we returned to our car but I wanted to see the small shop on Bosque that started their retail business. We headed there and I caught a quick picture as we passed by.  We also located Clint Harp’s shop – Harp Design – for a quick picture.  As you can tell, I’m fans of Chip and Joanna Gaines. I’ve watched all their shows, multiple times, I’ve read their book, and bought the first cookbook.  Now, I’ll just have to purchase the second cookbook, right? 

            We had a great dinner that evening at a local hangout – George’s – in Hewitt with Lou and Kathy Liro, who moved to the area from Houston.  I met Kathy through scrapbooking about 2010 and then had the pleasure of selling their Houston home last year.  Both their daughters attended Baylor and now live in the Waco area. They are now enjoying retirement and their grandchildren.  Thanks Lou and Kathy for a great meal and company!

            If you are headed to Waco, please check out the Dr. Pepper Museum and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame Museum along with Silos.  They are informative and worth the visit!

Until next time,

Beth

Come Explore with Us!

            Texas State University is in San Marcos, Texas, and it is where my youngest son attends college, so we have visited several times.  I also spent three weeks there for three consecutive summers back in the early 1990s for graduate level classes on geography that were free for teachers and provided lodging.  It’s a great campus and is located about half-way between Austin and San Antonio.

            On the way to San Marcos, we grabbed some barbeque from a roadside place we had never heard of before – Diamond A Goss Bar-B-Q. Yes, they are inside a convenience store.  They advertise that their BBQ road trip worthy.  The chopped beef sandwiches we had were very tasty and we recommend you give them a try.  They are located at 18484 TX-80, Belmont, TX 78604, which is about halfway between Gonzales and Sequin and south of I-10. 

            Leisure Camp and RV Park in Fentress, Texas was our home for two days after leaving the beach in Port Aransas.  The camp is along the banks of the San Marcos River and since we planned on tubing the river (a popular activity for the area), it seemed it would be perfect.  The park was nice, but they charge for guests, so Patrick’s visit for a few hours cost $8.00.  That seemed a little steep since we were paying to camp there.  They are in the process of expanding the campground with a new section and a new entrance office. Small cabins are available for rental if anyone is interested in that option.

            We picked up Patrick at his apartment our first evening in order to give him some “stuff” from our downsizing and to take him to dinner.  He suggested a small place called Taiwan Bowl; so off we went only to discover it and his next suggestion, a Japanese place, were closed on Mondays. While trying to decide where to eat, I saw the sign for Grins and remembered being told that was a great place to eat.  Patrick had also heard the same thing, but had not eaten there, either.  Decision made.  Upon entering, we saw signage indicating they were famous for their Chicken Fried Steak, which is a favorite in our family.  After being seated, we noticed how hot it was. We ordered drinks and mentioned the heat to the waitress who brought our attention to their clothing in order to beat the heat. They were wearing skimpy work-out clothes in which the pants had been cut off to make shorts. She then proceeded to tell us it was always like that in there. The three of us ordered their “famous” Chicken Fried Steak and tried to cool off with our cold drinks; alas, it was futile. The Chicken Fried Steak was nothing to write home about and thus Grins is not a place I would recommend. At the end, Frank said, “Let’s get out of this sweatbox.” 

            The plan was to float the San Marcos River the next day, but it was cloudy and overcast in the morning due to some rain during the night.  We determined that around 3 pm would be a better time and Patrick would come out to the campground so we could float from there or at least figure out a plan.  When investigating the camp’s floating service, we found out they let people off at a bridge up the road that would cost $20 to park if we did not use their shuttle.  To use their shuttle was $7 a piece or $21 for the three of us.  Not knowing a better solution for that stretch of the river, we decided to go on the shuttle.  There were some people in the water at the let off point, but we were really the only ones floating down the river.  It was quiet and peaceful but there were some downed trees and sandbars along that way that caused us to lift our bottoms or paddle to avoid the obstacles. Patrick had brought three tubs and we hooked them together with carbine hooks with me in the middle.  At any time at least one or two and sometimes all three of us were floating backwards.  When trying to avoid some overhanging branches, I did get dumped out and lost my favorite hat, which I had purchased in Greece in 2016.  Darn it.  

            We gradually made it down the river to the campground and then just hung out in the shallow water talking for a while before making our way back to the motorhome. Frank went to the front office area to buy some pizzas they were selling on to discover they were closed, therefore, he went on to Luling to pick up a couple of pizzas from Pizza Hut.

            It was a nice time to spend with Patrick and we enjoyed our stay. The campground was clean, but there was no wi-fi, which meant using our own.  (We’ve already gone over our limit; guess we will be looking into a better plan with more wi-fi data.)

Texas State has a nice campus in San Marcos and you can get a workout walking the hills.  There are good places to eat in San Marcos and on a previous trip we had a great burger at Gil’s Broiler and their famous Manske roll (cinnamon roll) for dessert.  We’ve also gone to a small mom and pop place for good Mexican food, so don’t let one bad experience spoil you on San Marcos (or any place) and its food scene.

Until next time,

Beth

Come Explore with Us!

When thinking about going camping or RVing, there are lots of groups on Facebook that provide insight and are helpful.  There are groups devoted to RV Renovations, Full-Time RVing, Texas Camping, etc… When we first started planning our journey to full-time RV living, I joined several groups, along with reading several books – I was and always will be a teacher. As we were talking about our first trip, Frank mentioned spending a few days on the beach below Corpus.  As I was researching some campgrounds on RVParky.com, someone in one of the groups asked for recommendations in the area.  Several people popped in to recommend Gulf Waters RV Resort west of Port Aransas.  After some investigation, I made the reservations, and we were both pleased with the resort.

            All the spots at Gulf Waters RV Resort are privately owned but the owners can choose to rent them out when they aren’t personally using them.  In my opinion, we were given the best spot.  The front end of the motorhome faced a pond, and we were just steps away from the boardwalk to the beach. It was a little startling the first morning to look out the large front windshield and see water.  We quickly found ourselves going for walks on the beach about twice a day. 

Our first night, we decided to eat seafood in Port Aransas.  I looked up recommendations and Fins was at the top of the list.  We drove around Port Aransas a little and saw a line out of Fins, even though it was just 5:00.  The line convinced me it was the place to be, so we parked at an off-site parking lot, walked over, and added our names to the list.  It was hot; it was humid. I was sweating and their frozen “Miami Vice” looked good. It was good! It was half Pina Colada and half Strawberry Daiquiri.  I think our total wait was about an hour. The bar tender recommended the Mahi Mahi stuffed with crab cakes.  Frank ordered it and I ordered some shrimp for us to share.  I wish I could say it was great and lived up to its reviews, but sadly it did not.  Everything, even the coleslaw, had too much pepper.  Now it is one thing for me to say it was too much pepper, but when Frank agrees, it is seriously too much pepper. He adds pepper to everything. (Good thing he didn’t this time.)

            A few years ago, we did a southern drive from Houston to Corpus Christi spending time in Rockport and on Mustang Island.  We booked a deep-sea fishing trip to catch red snappers.  It wasn’t like I had imagined.  We sat on a bench and rode for well over an hour.  The captain announced we were about to fish as he slowed the boat down and positioned it directly over a pipeline.  (We couldn’t see it; he just told us it was there, yea for GPS.) The helpers handed us the rods and reels and the bait.  As soon as the line went over and went deep enough, bam, we had a red snapper.  The limit was two per person so that quota was quickly filled and then we started the ride back.  My image of throwing a line out and reeling in and throwing it out and getting a bite and fighting it, nah, that didn’t happen.  When we returned, they offered to fillet the fish for us so we could take it home.  I don’t see how they could know which fish I caught versus someone else.  (They were all thrown in together, so no, there was no way to say it was the fish I caught.) By the way, the place we booked the deep sea fishing is right next door to Fins restaurant.

            Since we had the experience of deep-sea fishing out of Port Aransas, we thought we’d try just local fishing from a pier or jetty this time.  Afterall, Port Aransas is the fishing capital of Texas. We scoped out a long jetty late one afternoon.  It was a little treacherous walking in places due to the odd levels of granite, some crumbling concrete and not being a mountain goat.  After our long hike on the jetty, we decided we could just fish off the banks in a nearby park the next day.  We had no allusions of catching a lot (if any) fish.  Frank investigated the tide situation, and we were to leave the next morning at 9ish due to high tide at 10:30. However, the next morning was gray, drizzly, and very gusty.  Gusting wind is not ideal for fishing.  Knowing my lack of expertise in casting a line with a rod and reel, it is a good thing we junked the fishing plans.   I grew up fishing with a cane pole and a bobber in Louisiana lakes, so there was a good chance I’d just hook myself or Frank. Oh, well, I’m sure we’ll fish somewhere as we travel.

            We knew that people could park on the beach, but we didn’t expect to see people camping on the beach in tents and travel trailers.  It was quite crowded on the Saturday before Father’s Day, but rather vacant on Father’s Day, remember – very gusty wind. Travel trailer, ok, I could have done that, but a tent with a separate small tent for a portable toilet, eh, NO!  Not my cup of tea.  I think I would also be afraid the tide would wash us away in the night.  I like solid ground for camping and water for swimming.  Call me picky. 😊            

Port Aransas is a nice place for fishing and hanging out on the beach.  A lot of visitors rent golf carts or bring their own. It is also a great place to buy fresh seafood, which we did before our departure. I heard some good reviews of some other seafood places to eat, so we’ll probably try them whenever we head there in the future.  We will definitely keep Gulf Waters RV Resort on our list for a return visit.   

Several years ago, we tried to tour the King Ranch Tour, but arrived just after the bus pulled out for the last tour of the day.  Obviously, we did not do our research before time.  This time, I was determined to get it right since that was the main purpose of this visit to Kingsville, Texas.

            After moving to Texas in 1988, I began to hear of King’s Ranch and see their brand on various items from leather goods to a Ford Truck.  I did not know the history of the Ranch, but vaguely recall hearing about a Henrietta King who ran the large ranch.  Having always loved ranch romance stories as a teenager and dreams of a horse ranch as a small child, I knew that I had to check out this large ranch with a big reputation.

To be better prepared, I checked out the tour times, hours of operation and purchased tickets online.  There was a discount to the King Museum if I purchased it at the time of the tour tickets.  Check yes was the only answer for me.  It was great to learn that the tour was in an air-conditioned small bus, especially in June with the temperature already in the 90s.  I didn’t know if we would be getting off the bus, walking, etc…, so I prepared us by mandating hats and sunscreen. Frank grumbled as usual but complied. 

Our GPS took us to an Econo Lodge, nope that’s not King Ranch.  I kept double checking the address, but that’s what it kept indicating.  After a short call to the visitor center, we were on our way to the correct place.  They had our reservation ready upon check in at the Visitor’s Center along with our tickets to the King Museum that we could use at any time in the next few days.  We were able to catch the last bit of a video and do potty breaks before loading the bus with our fellow tourists.

            The bus driver / tour guide, Ellen was a librarian for a local school district, so I instantly felt a connection as a fellow educator.  She was chatty, friendly, informative and willing to stop at a moments notice if we saw something that caught our eye. I realized at the end she had a stack of cards to reference about the history, but her talk came across as a well-versed person with knowledge about all the different aspects of the ranch and its history. She didn’t “read” to us, and I recall her only hesitate about one item, which she quickly clarified.  So, good job Ellen!

  One of the first things we learned was that the King Ranch in Texas has four divisions, and we were on the Santa Gertrudis division. Another interesting fact was that they have their own line of fencing.  They do not use barb wire, you know, the wire that tamed the West. Their fence is more like “hog panels” but thinner and more pliable.  It is stretched six inches off the ground so small wildlife can crawl under (rabbits, etc..) and is closer together at the bottom so calves can’t get their heads stuck in it while being inquisitive.  The top part is further apart since the calves grow and can’t possibly get their heads caught in it.   How humane!  It is obviously more expensive than stringing barbed wire and it is used everywhere on the ranch.

            The story of Captain Richard King, a steamboat captain, and Henrietta Chamberlain King is woven into the narrative of the bus tour.  Henrietta was the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, while Richard King from New York stowed away on a ship at the age of 11 and was known for his rough and tumble ways along with his “colorful” vocabulary. Richard King eventually became a steamboat captain and ended up investing in 15,500 acres on the Santa Gertrudis Creek in Nueces County, which became the beginning of the King Ranch and the Running W brand. (SPOILER ALERT: They do not know why Captain Richard King chose the Running W as the brand for the King Ranch.  It’s a big mystery.)  Henrietta and Richard married in 1850 and went on to have five children.  The ranch though has been handed down due to their youngest daughter Alice who married a lawyer, Robert Justus Kleberg.  When Captain King died in 1885, Henrietta took over full ownership and the running of the ranch along with $500,000 of debt.  Under her leadership and with the help of her son-in-law Robert Kleberg, the King Ranch grew and became debt free.  Henrietta was instrumental in having the railway go through Kingsville. She invested in and owned many businesses in Kingsville along with having the first Presbyterian Church built. She even donated land for Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal and Catholic churches.  It was Henrietta King, who had taught school briefly before her marriage, that constructed a public high school and gave it to the town of Kingsville.  While Captain Richard King might have started King Ranch, it was Henrietta King that saw it reach its potential and prosper. 

The Santa Gertrudis breed of cattle was developed on King Ranch and is the first beef breed formed in the U.S. The breed was formed by mating Brahman bulls with Beef Shorthorn cows, with the final composition being about three-eighths Brahman and five-eighths Shorthorn. A bull named Monkey, born in 1920, became the founding sire of the breed. The Santa Gertrudis Breeders International Association formed in Kingsville, Texas in 1950.  These cattle are known for their red coats, with white markings and having a short, smooth coat.  They are known for their tolerance to heat, tick resistance, and little or no waste fat.  The cows are known for their milking ability and ease of calving.  (Yes, I had to look some of this up as I couldn’t remember every little detail.)

            King Ranch is also known for their cattle horses – quarter horses and every horse on the ranch is descended from “Old Sorrel”, the foundation sire.  In addition, they are also descended from Peppy San Badger or Mr. San Peppy. We were able to see one of their current stallions – “The Boon” in a pasture as part of the tour.  What I found remarkably interesting is that King Ranch was also once known for their Thoroughbreds and had a Triple Crown winner.  That’s right, a Texas horse, specifically, a King Ranch horse, won the Triple Crown in 1946. The horse was named Assault and he was a cripple.  That’s right, a cripple horse won the Triple Crown.  He only seemed to limp, due to a bad foot injury when he walked or trotted. When he ran, there was no sign of a limp, but he was nicknamed “The Club-Footed Comet,” even though he was not club-footed.  My personal belief is he wanted to prove he was not club footed. lol.  Assault’s trainer, Max Hirsch stated, “He [ASSAULT] never showed any signs that it was hurting him… I think that when the foot still hurt him, he got in the habit of protecting it with an awkward gait, and then he kept it up. But he galloped true. There wasn’t a thing wrong with his action when he went fast.”

            Back to the tour, we saw various pastures of cattle and horses plus lots of wildlife. It wasn’t hunting season, so we saw a lot of deer.  In fact, people can book wildlife tours of the ranch and you can even hunt on the ranch. (I didn’t ask the price tag for that.)  If birding or hunting is your thing, check them out. Frank did tell me that he had previously hunted on King Ranch.  When he was a teenager and living in Flour Bluff, a local pasture was a part of King Ranch.  Frank and some buddies would go hunt for coyotes there.  The pelts were bringing in $20 a pelt, so a local who dealt with the pelts would pay them $10 for each coyote hide.  This was in the 1970s, so I think the statute of limitations has run out for his indiscretion. lol.  I’m sure the ranch was pleased that the coyote population was being kept from overpopulation. Wink, wink.

            I highly recommend the King Ranch Tour and we also enjoyed the King Ranch Museum.  We checked it out the next day and they have some large photographs from the 1940s on display along with a “hunting” car, some buggies, the first King Ranch Ford Truck, various saddles, etc… We even popped in the 1904 Railroad Depot, which was free, to view some artifacts since our oldest grandson is a train fanatic.  There is another museum in town that is part of the Texas A&M University Kingsville. It was started by their first history professor John E. Conner when it was a “normal” school for teachers’ training.  We didn’t make the time to visit but read some good reviews.

If you are ever in the area of Kingsville, Texas, check them out or do like we did and make a special trip to see King’s Ranch.  We stayed in the Kingsville Nature’s Own RV Resort.  It was neatly kept, had great wi-fi, a pool, laundry area and even a dog spa where Frank gave Bailey a bath.  It is South Texas, so there wasn’t any shade, but overall, a great park.

Remember to Come Explore with Us!

Until next time,

Beth

After closing on our house, selling most of our “stuff”, putting antiques and keepsakes in climate-controlled storage, and buying our “new” motorhome, we finished loading the motorhome while “camping” it in for five days and four nights in our driveway.  To be honest, I thought the steps into the motorhome were going to be the end of me.  Thankfully, I made it and realized there was no way I would be traversing them everyday like I had been for the last several days!  On to packing.

We have officially been living in the RV for two weeks and I still don’t know where I put a lot of things.  You know when you move into a new place, and you can’t exactly remember where you decided to store something?  Magnify that by the fact that we have two or three “layers” of depth in the cabinets.  We have said several times, “It’s here somewhere,” or “We’ll find it eventually.” 

When we bought a used motorhome, we knew there were would items that would need fixing.  There is no way I would want to do this journey with anyone else but Frank.  He can fix most things or figure out what parts to order / buy, etc… So far he has: fixed the gauges on the dashboard (a fuse was in the wrong slot), fixed the dishwasher (he doesn’t know exactly how he fixed it, but he fixed it), fixed the toilet, (but at the moment, it is being finicky again), taken out one of the couches and installed two recliners, fixed the central vacuum (again, he doesn’t know what he did, but it works), installed the rest of the blue ox tow bar to the back of the motorhome, installed the base plate and lights for the Explorer, and installed a brake system for the Explorer.  He has been a busy man.  However, he still hasn’t been able to fix the leveling jacks.  He has studied the paperwork, been on forums, called and emailed the factory numerous times, but still no progress.  It’s a good thing we have eight wheels on this motorhome.  I have no doubt he’ll figure it out.  He thinks it is a relay, but no one seems to know where it is located – including the factory.  Hopefully, it will be fixed before we end up at an RV site that is on an incline. 

How are the pets doing? Bailey seems to take it in stride, but if we leave the motorhome, we come back to find her standing in the driver’s seat.  We figured out that she can see out the windows from there, so, I guess she is keeping an eye out on everything and looking for us.  The only problem is she doesn’t have great sight; she is a Shih Tzu and has the typical eye problems.  The 16-year-old cat, Bootsie has claimed the bedroom, specifically, my side of the bed.  If I get up, I usually come back to her lying right in the middle of my spot.  I’m constantly having to move her over. What is interesting about this is she only started entering our bedroom in the house about a week before we moved out.  Before that, she didn’t enter our bedroom because of Frank.  (They have a love / hate relationship. lol)  During travel time, she seems to disappear.  We think she may be hiding in the closet but haven’t looked too hard to figure out where she disappears.

Our plans included a few days in Lagarto, Texas area to visit Frank’s mom. Then we drove to Kingsville for a few days to tour King Ranch and the museum.  We went there several years ago and just missed the last tour, so I wanted to make it this time. A beach sounded good, so we came to Port Aransas to stay in an RV Resort.  It is genuinely nice (and a bit pricey), but we look right out over a pond and are very close to the boardwalk to walk to the beach.  We really like this place and plan to return in the future.  Tomorrow, we head for San Marcos to visit our youngest son who attends college at Texas State.  We are planning on floating the river while there.

Where are we headed next? We will be heading to Waco for a couple of days, then Texarkana, before staying a while in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  We want to check out various areas in Western Arkansas before heading to Branson, Missouri for about 10 days. The arch in St. Louis will be a destination before going to Mark Twain’s hometown of Hannibal, Missouri.  The plan is to make it to my mom’s around the first part of August so we can pick her up to tour northern Indiana and southern Michigan.  Michigan will be the first “new” state for me to visit.  I believe Frank will enjoy visiting the Henry Ford Center and various car museums along the way. 

September should see us in Kentucky and hopefully Biltmore, outside Ashville, NC, and Tennessee will be our October destinations.  November will see us slowly making our way back to the Houston area to be with the kids for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Our goal is to update a map on our website as we are traveling, so you’ll know where we are.  I post a few pictures on our Facebook page – The Texas RV Couple.  I will also start posting some here on our website.  YouTube is in our future (we think), but I have to figure it out.  I’m starting with just my iPhone to see how it works before thinking of upgrading. 

We hope you will come explore with us as we travel our nation.  We are open to suggestions for sightseeing and anything else of interest.

Until next time,

Beth