Loop Out West

As I mentioned in my last post, I headed west from the Gulf coast ending up in Tucson for an RV gathering. There were nearly 900 RVs and over 1600 attendees at the 62nd Escapade and it was also the 45th anniversary of the Escapees RV club. Clearly people have been doing this a long time. Every form of RV was there (Class A, B, C, Fifth Wheel, Trailers, Truck Campers, custom rigs) and a wide range of age and experience. It was cool to see so many others and I met some very nice people. Not surprisingly there was no sign of Big Foot but there were only two food trucks and no brewery so I guess that makes sense. Plus since Big Foot may not like crowds, I can see why they skipped the event. 

Aerial view of the RV gathering. I am in the upper right area in the shadow. More on this below. 

The RV park I was in Rockport had a regular event organized by some winter Texans from Wisconsin. As a group we would go from site to site with our coolers and drink and play games. No idea what the prize for winning was as I didn't win but it was fun nevertheless.  

Hanging out at the fire pit after drinking. No fire, but they did have fireball. 

Before heading out, I stopped in Aransas Pass and tried out Hook & Ladder Brewpub. They had a wide selection of Texas beers on tap and others including Guinness, Smithwick's, and Leinenkugel Summer Shandy. I opted for a Texas beer as I have had the others in their native lands. The beer was good and the people at the bar were very nice but since there was no sign of any cryptozoological creatures I moved on. 

Plenty of options on tap. 

For my first night on the road I had decided to just sleep at a rest area. Unfortunately they were not well situated for a restful night's sleep so I chose to stay at a regular campground. I found a diamond right on the river with hiking trails, big spaces, reasonable prices and the nicest owners I have run into (and I have run into a lot of nice people). Pecan Valley had goats and chickens so the dogs were very entertained. Unfortunately I only had one night to spend there but I will make a point of returning and staying a week next time. 

Plenty of space and wide open spaces. Unusual for a private campground

My next spot was there. It existed. I really have nothing else to say about it. No photos exist as I would like to block it from memory. I should have stayed in an abandoned parking lot - oh that's what it felt like. Nevermind.

I then spent two nights at the Low-Hi Ranch which is the home base for the Loners on Wheels RV group of which I am a member. As it was St. Patrick's Day, they had corned beef and cabbage in the hall and I was able to enjoy a nice night with the others here including a really nice campfire. It was the perfect spot to test my version of the Andalusia Old Fashioned. It was quite nice. I also checked out the local brewery stop, Happy Camper Clubhouse, which had New Mexico beers. I don't recall what I had but I remember it being good which is all that matters. It is possible Big Foot was there as the place was very busy and I might have missed the creature. Guess I'll have to check again.

Campfire at Low-Hi

My drink. I have custom ice cubes with a Z on them. Like Zorro 

View from Low-Hi

Happy Camper

Another view from the Low-Hi ranch. 

I then arrived in Tucson for the RV event. As I mentioned there were a lot of people there and I was able to meet a number of people from all over. The seminars were also good and I picked up some ideas and was able to validate some of my thoughts and decisions. It's important to keep up on the various topics as one cannot possibly know everything so having other inputs is important. It also let me test more of my dry camping techniques in this trailer.

Phil and Stacey from Today is Someday and YouTube. Good session on boondocking/dry camping. 

One of the evening socials. Usually a band was playing. There was at least one social every day and often two.

I just liked the sunset over the RVs. Not sure if that will turn out on your device, but reality was awesome.

Some random event attendee, not sure how this picture got in here

My trailer sandwiched between several class A buses. 

I am thinking about attending some of the other events including the Xscapers (the younger branch of Escapees) events but they seem to be centered around Arizona and no offense to Arizona, but Texas is warmer and has more adult beverage establishments in the hill country. Plus every other state uses the pejorative "snow birds" but Texas uses the more inviting "Winter Texans". Frankly it has been the most inviting state. Most importantly, the big Xscapers event is in the middle of January and I am not sure where I will spend next winter. Frankly I have no plans after November so we'll see what I do. I would like to spend the summer of 2024 in the western states and perhaps make the Alaska trip then. It's just too early to decide. I am still thinking of a New England trip this fall for the colors after spending the summer on a special assignment in Kentucky. 

Currently I am back in New Mexico at the Low-Hi Ranch for a night or two. I have to load up on water before heading to my next destination which is a dry camp state park. From there I have a few nights on the road staying at Harvest Host sites and then I'm in Oklahoma for a week. As I mentioned last time I am moving towards Wisconsin and should be back in that state the last week of April. I have now camped in 21 states since moving out of my house on 5/22/22 with a target goal of 25 states within the year. I have driven in a couple of others but I am not counting those for this purpose. I have not been to New Mexico or Arizona since the summer after I graduated High School. I took a Greyhound bus from Sacramento down the length of California and then across to Philmont for a three week backpacking trip. I took that bus trip alone and I suppose it is appropriate I return to these states alone again, naturally. 

Until next time,

Thor

braxwood.com

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Coastal Texas

We find ourselves on the Gulf coast of Texas this time. In addition to my hunt for Big Foot, I am also looking for future hangouts and warm weather. I have definitely found the warm weather here and with the humidity ranging from 70% to OMG, it reminds me of the armpit of summer. There has been a lack of breweries and other exciting visits as I am staying near the tip of a peninsula and there is not much to do besides relax and enjoy the weather as I do not fish. In addition, I have been struggling with network connectivity but I think I have a working solution for now. I am attempting to rely upon the various cellular networks and not satellite internet and it has been frustrating to put it mildly. Obviously good connectivity is needed so I can continue researching the habitats and sightings of Big Foot and other cryptozoological creatures. I can't quite justify the cost of the monthly Starlink service as that would put a dent into my adult beverage budget which is unacceptable. 

There was no sign of Big Foot on any of my adventures here so far. I blame the high humidity as I know it has not been comfortable for me or the hounds. I had to even get a hair cut as the humidity, wind, and sand from the beaches was getting annoying. Now imagine being a creature covered in hair!  

It is a difficult life, but this is why I share this with you, the gentle reader, so you know the burdens one faces with constantly warm tropical conditions. You have my permission to weep a little for me, but please do it inside as I do not want your tears to freeze. 

View from the beach. That haze is the humidity which only left us for two days.

I have gone on several solo adventures, some with the dogs, and I have socialized the people at this RV Resort.  They are very friendly and many of these winter Texans have come down from the upper Midwest (including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Ohio) so they have no fear of consuming adult beverages. They do obviously skew older than me, but that is par for the course.  

I was able to find a brewery and winery place nearby. The beers were good but I avoided the wines. I have a dim view of anything other than grape based wine. I am open to other fruit if it is in a sangria but it has to be a good sangria. I went to Winery on the Bay/Dog'Gone Brewery both alone and with a group from the RV resort. I stuck to the beer but some of my companions enjoyed the fruity sweet wines that were available. They had a nice selection of beers to cover most tastes which is important in a tourist area. There was no bar seating, so I was forced to sit outside in the fresh air and sunshine. At least my tan is coming along.

Dog'Gone Brewery outdoor space. And yes, that is my first beer of the day.

I have ended up hanging around the RV resort with the dogs and swimming in the pool more than normal. It feels very like a vacation, which it sort of is before I head off on my spring journey.

Toasting the day at my site. That was the last of the free beer that the brewery in Mississippi gave me. I actually gave a six pack of it away to my RV neighbor in Johnson City as it looked like he needed a drink.

Possible sighting of Thor. Lucy decided to be a part of it too. She is so helpful.

Palm trees and blue skies, fairly typical

View from the pool. I suppose I could have included a picture of the pool, but that seemed creepy.

The hounds relaxing. This appears to be their desired state.

I did manage to go on some hikes in city parks and the area reminds me of other Gulf coast communities, a mix of nice and broken down buildings from some hurricane. The heat and humidity was very special as you will see how the dogs react, particularly Lucy.

Lucy refusing to walk another step. Ozzy is trying to be a good boy but is confused by her recalcitrance. 

Lucy finds a spot of shade and calls it quits. This is fairly typical and gets a bit old. I am not carrying her though when it is over 80/80. That is 80°F and 80% humidity. 

I did get to the beach a number of times and have found a good place to boondock for a few days when I return to Texas next December. Mustang Island has tons of space and allows for a stay of several days. It would be cool to wake up right on the beach. 

Truck on the beach with the dogs. I was safely at least 12 feet away from the water.

Beach camping is quite popular.

Ozzy relaxing in the sand

Lucy relaxing on my lap. She prefers my lap to the sand, but she preferred shade most of all.

Obviously after a beach day, the dogs needed to get a bath. The humidity makes everything sticky, the sand and salty air gets in the hair and makes everything stand up.  Prior to my hair cut I looked like  Don King. You can see why Big Foot would not want to hang out here. Not enough breweries and uncontrollable hair. 

I am in this area until the ides of March and then I need to head west. It is a few days drive to Tucson from here; remember when towing an RV, there is no prize for driving fast or a lot of miles in a day. I have a couple of days set aside as a layover in New Mexico at an RV park that is owned by one of the clubs I belong to, Loners on Wheels (LOW). The park is not near much but I think a few days to adjust from the humidity is needed. I will be in Tucson for a gathering of another RV club, Escapees, for a week. I then start the long drive back to Wisconsin culminating in C's graduation. I anticipate being in SEWI (assuming I can find a place to stay) in late April/early May and then NEWI for a week. I then have a special assignment in Kentucky and the Mammoth cave area for the summer. This involves a deep undercover investigation of an unnamed cryptozoological creature. As such my already paltry postings may be reduced during that period. I just wanted to warn people so that they will not suffer extra disappointment beyond not being able to be along for these adventures. 

I am excited to get back on the road again and have started planning my fall adventures already. It's too soon for reservations, but it is getting close and I might try to go the Overlanding Expo in Virginia again in October. The life of an perpetual adventurer never ends. I am now off to drain and flush my tanks!

Until next time, 

Thor

braxwood.com

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