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
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