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

FAQ

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

FAQ

Finishing up with the hill country and more

It has been quite a while since my last post and I have been busy. I have relocated to a place closer to San Antonio and have explored more in this area while also rechecking my previous spots for any additional signs of Big Foot. 

I know I have mentioned this before, but I think I should restate this again as I know that some have asked. I thought I had covered in my FAQs and in previous posts but I don't mind repeating myself again as I have a tendency towards being vague sometimes. I am hunting for an elusive prey which for the lack of a better name, we call Big Foot or Sasquatch. The difference in my exploration is that I am not searching for the woodland variety but rather the more wily creature that can be found only in coffee shops, cafes, breweries, distilleries, wineries, museums, etc. Unlike other typical cryptozoological creatures that I sometimes hunt, my Big Foot may not necessarily be wild looking. For example, the creature may not be fur covered which adds a level of complexity to the search. In fact, it is not determined what gender this more sophisticated Big Foot may be. Finding a seven foot tall fur covered creature in a brewery would be easy, but what if that was not how this branch of the family tree looks? To paraphrase a famous quite, I do this not because it is easy, but rather because it is hard. It is a challenge that I have taken on, truly a quest for the unknown and potentially unknowable. The monster hunting hounds have agreed to take on this challenge as they tired of the life of leisure that had lived and demanded more activity. In fact even now, Ozzy is deep in thought as he is curled up on the recliner in a blanket. I can tell he is ready to pounce at a moment's notice and chase down the creature. I may never find the creature I seek, but I shall not give up my hunt. 

I have continued to check out the local offerings including a few hikes. Unfortunately as it has been a month of activity, I have kind of lost track of where all I have been. I will try to piece this together but the life of a adventurer and explorer is quite exhausting so I may miss something. Basically look on a map of Texas and the area we have been exploring includes New Braunfels, Spring Branch, Dripping Springs, Marble Falls, Fredericksburg, Blanco, Stonewall, Boerne, and San Marcos. There are other places too but that should give you the vibe. I have enjoyed my stay here in the hill country and I will return next winter for a few months as there is much to do in the area and many opportunities to catch the creature. 

In sticking with the recent theme, I will do a photo dump and try to share what each one is. If I repeat a location, it is likely due to me being there multiple times. 

Alstadt Brewing. Just sitting on the patio and enjoying the day.

Finally got the ingredients to make a proper old fashioned (no soda or brandy in sight). I cheat on the orange peel and use orange bitters instead. Luxardo cherries are required.

Natural Bridge Cavern. Obviously more impressive in person.

Just another shot of the Natural Bridge Cavern. Well worth a visit and close to San Antonio. Do the river walk after ward like we did and just enjoy the fresh air.  

Lucy looking silly. I tried to get both of them to pose, but Ozzy was on the lookout for Big Foot and couldn't let his guard down. What a beast.

Last picture you will see of that truck. Just love the blue skies.

Guadalupe Brewing Company. Nice place, live music, just sat outside and relaxed.

Sitting outside at Five Stones Brewery. 

Enjoying a cold beverage at Five Stones. It was a lovely day and there was plenty of room to spread out. 

Texas Cannon Brewing. I like this place better than Real Ale.Both are in Blanco and both have good beer, but Texas Cannon has a bar to sit at which I feel is a requirement for a proper establishment. 

At Texas Cannon with S&S.

At Muck and Fuss. Beer was good, food was good. People were friendly, Really, no complaints.

Tusculum from Boerne, I had a to go beverage. B & L gave me a jacket for my beer so it can stay cold while I do not need to. What a thoughtful son. 

Another visit to Andalusia. If one can become a regular while on the road, S&S and I are regulars here. 

As I mentioned, that picture of the white truck was the last one I would post as I have upgraded my vehicle. I have decided to go to the bigger sized truck for a variety of reason, but mostly due to safety. I was at least 20% to 30% over the payload capacity of the old truck while being under the towing capacity. This meant I had sufficient power, but lacked control when confronted with winds or rough roads. Since I have many miles to go before I am through, I thought I should probably do something about this as there was just no further improvements possible on the old F150. I have been searching for quite a while as the used heavy duty truck market has been quite wild for the last few years. The new ones have all been spec'd with the high end bells and whistles that I neither need nor want. That left me in a dilemma. Thankfully I did a search on new (2022 model year) Ram 2500s and found several that would meet my needs without breaking the bank. Basically they were a few thousand more than the used ones with 50,000 miles. One I found in Wisconsin and they would deliver it up to 150 miles. Easy peasy. I would drive the old truck up to C's house in De Pere and get the new one delivered there. Unfortunately the weather failed to cooperate. I left in the middle of an ice storm in Texas. The roads were sub-optimal for sure. I got to Wisconsin in time for -10F weather (not the wind chill, just the raw temp). Really the best of both places in winter. The good news is I was able to see C&D, and B&L along with Amy's parents, D&S. I have missed the kids and everyone, but I have certainly not missed the weather. It was a pleasant 20 hour drive back to Texas so I was able to break in the new rig.

New truck. The camera angle makes it look big, Don't worry, it is big. That's about a 30 inch step up to get inside. I picked up some running boards that I will have to install. I already have installed the bed rug and the tonneau cover. 

C&D. D had reserve duty that weekend so it was a quick dinner out before his hair cut.

B&L and C out for dinner at Le Reve. It was awesome to see them and to be able to enjoy a nice meal together. I have not seen them since September. I have plans to address this next year.

I am in this area for less than one week and then I head towards the coast for a month. I am scouting areas that will work for future visits to Texas as I do like wintering down here. It has been mostly pleasant weather wise and there are plenty of places to hunt for the elusive Big Foot. Post Texas, I will be heading to Arizona for a RV rally and then back east and then north. I have reservations mostly covered through Labor Day and I have general plans for autumn. I am still trying to find a decent place in SE Wisconsin as my preferred location is not currently taking reservations. I will then be up in NE Wisconsin for C's graduation from St Norbert College. I hope to be able to see my friends and visit some old familiar haunts (thinking of you Runaway) while in town. When it is closer I will let people know, but I should be in SE Wisconsin the last week in April and the first week in May and then in NE Wisconsin the following week. I then will head off to Kentucky for the summer as I have a volunteer gig lined up near Mammoth Cave. 

The life of an adventurer and explorer is never dull. I am excited to move on and check out the area near Corpus Christi which is nationally ranked. As always, onto the next adventure.

Thor

braxwood.com

Continued search in the Hill Country

I have been extremely busy hunting Big Foot in the Hill Country of Texas. I have actual photographic proof that I am on the right trail, but more on that later.

As you may recall from the last installment, I am travelling with S&S. They have been here before and know many great places to explore. Again I will be posting mostly photos and not in chronological order as I have been hitting a lot of breweries and distilleries and the days sort of blend. I have also failed to take pictures once again at many breweries. That will likely force me to go again so I can satisfy the need to visually document everything. The burden of a modern explorer never ends.

This was on the trail of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. The picture doesn't do the place justice. In fact, not sure if this was even the best picture for me to include here. I managed to slip on some rocks and cut up my leg and arm a bit. The good news is that I was in shorts as skin heals but jeans would have been torn. More good news is that the hole my leg and arm went in did not have any rattlesnakes as it was prime territory for that. And one final stroke of good news, S stopped me from rolling off the side of the cliff. Yep, really a positive experience all in all.

Pecan Street Brewing upstairs. The place was packed and we had to go to the loft space to drink. Leather couches and no crowds. We suffered through the burden.

Andalusia Whiskey. They make the best old fashioned using their smoked whiskey. At $7 it was a steal and little did we know but the prices were going up January 1st. At $9 it is still an excellent drink, but not quite the bargain it was. Thankfully we had more than one.

 Save The World Brewing in Marble Falls. Excellent beers and a cool place. They recently switched owners so they are expanding their brew selection as it appears to have focused solely on Belgium styles previously. 

 

Bear King Brewing also in Marble Falls. Excellent place to hang out. We enjoyed the sunny day and we were able to walk to the next brewery from here so it was quite convenient. More on that other place later as that was where I found evidence of my prey. 

Back to Andalusia for another old fashioned in the library. It was the most relaxing way to enjoy a cocktail - wearing shorts in late December, sitting next to books, on a leather chair. To be fair, I have been there many times with S&S and without them. I don't normally post multiple visit photos, but I really like the atmosphere here.

Photo of some vagrant on New Year's Eve. We went out to Old 290 Brewery after having dinner together. It was a beautiful night and band was excellent and played all sorts of music.

More of Old 290. Note the fire pit. One thing most Texans can agree upon is that they love Texas. I can see why as it is a lovely state and has such nice people. This would have been Amy and my 29th anniversary. Normally I am not in a festive mood on this date anymore, but I had a really nice time and actually enjoyed myself. I am sure Amy would have approved. 

Luckenbach, Texas. A couple of guys were playing and invited people up on stage to perform. It was awesome and despite my normal disdain of county music, I had a great time sipping on Shiner Bocks and enjoying the sun and fun. 

Pedernales River. I decided to go on a hike alone and enjoyed these views. I didn't see anyone on the trail so I do recommend midweek if you are looking for a peaceful hike.

Tusculum Brewing in Boerne. The place had only a few tables and no bar seating. They made up for the lack of pleasant ambience with excellent brews.

S and I did a 5.5 mile hike in Pedernales State Park. We took the route that went up so we had great views of the surrounding area. Glad I brought water on this hike unlike other times and I even wore my hiking boots to avoid another tumble. I can learn.

Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood. The brisket was superior to all other brisket I have had. Totally worth going to and I shall return.

We hung out for a while at Lone Man Mountain Brewing. This is co-located with a winery which is quite popular in the area. They had tons of patio space and it was a pleasant 82 degree day with a light breeze and low humidity. Hunting for Big Foot is hard work and sometimes one needs to take a break. I know it seems like we take a lot of breaks, but to be fair, I am only showing a fraction of them.

View from Driftwood Estates winery. I enjoyed a really nice Malbec and the beautiful views. Once again the picture doesn't do it justice but I included it anyway so you get a sense of the place. I could take pictures of the buildings I suppose or vineyard, but you get the drift. 

You may have noticed I have not mentioned Big Foot much. I have been keeping a keen eye out this entire time but I have not seen the elusive creature, but I am getting closer. While in Marble Falls, one of the breweries had a mural on their wall next to their patio.. Double Horn Brewing had the evidence to prove that I am on the right trail. 

Mural on the wall, look closely at the "N", you will see a familiar figure.

Zoomed in so it is easier to see. Note the image of Big Foot with the arm raised up in the peace sign. Now compare to image I have on my site - braxwood.com. I can think of no better proof than this.

As I have once again proven that my search for Big Foot should be at breweries and I have been on the right track all along despite any naysayers, I will redouble my efforts. Big Foot has been at these establishments so it is a matter of time when our paths cross. I will need to increase the frequency of my searching and thankfully I have another month in the Hill Country albeit a bit further south. There are many breweries in that area and I will do my best to hit them all. It is a tedious effort but I am willing to make the sacrifice for science. 

I have cleaned up the beard a bit in order to throw off anyone tracking me. I had gone untrimmed for a full year and I managed to get the beard to be over 8 inches. Not sure what I or you can do with that information but I have been asked for dumber stuff when I worked so I thought I would share.

Until next time, 

Thor

braxwood.com