TEXAS

November, 2009

We drove from Albuquerque to Dallas in a single day, with the obligatory stop at the Big Texan for lunch. This is not recommended. We could’a stopped, should’a stopped, but Russell was determined to arrive into the Metroplex and negotiate an unfamiliar campground in the dark, after a long day. The man loves a challenge! Fortunately The Treetops Campground had given us a long, wide pull-through and a wonderful manager to help us accomplish the goal with as much grace as possible.

It was so wonderful to have trees with leaves falling and a damp chill in the air. It felt like being home again, which, of course, it was. We had time in Dallas to enjoy friends and Kyle, take care of business and see doctors. We headed to Waco for more of the same, and then to Houston to enjoy Thanksgiving with more family and friends. Even the right football teams won! It was a wonderful few weeks. In Waco we revisited Skipper and Connie at their RV Park, the River View. We found a great location to revisit on return trips in Dickinson, The Palms RV Park.

More of Texas awaits! About 30 years ago, we planned for a vacation at South Padre Island, but a devastating hurricane in that area changed all of that. This seemed like a good time to finally get to The Valley and South Padre.

The drive south is fairly long and uneventful in terms of terrain. Russell kept looking for when The Valley started, trying to spot high points in terrain so that a “valley” could be determined. Never found it! The best definition I could come up with is that the valley includes land that drains to the Rio Grande, and it is low elevation, even if there is no high elevation to show a contrast.

We arrived in true Geezer Heaven at Winter Haven Retirement Village. This gated community in Brownsville is second home to many Canadians and other Winter Texans, even quite a lot of North Texas Texans who like to wear shorts and t-shirts all year long. There is a nice mix of RV’s, park model homes, and brick homes along the man-made canals. Golf carts are the transport of choice! Although the weather has been less than perfect, we have been able to ride bikes and walk most days. The food shopping is terrific and we have tried new recipes with the available produce.