Monthly Archives: March 2013

Texas Roundup

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Texas is, well… Texas.  Coming from the east coast I have always had an idea of what Texas is and it did not disappoint, but it is also more than I expected.  It has a fiercely independent spirit and does not take its freedoms for granted even if some of them are harmful. Gun shots are heard regularly and driving fast is government sanctioned. It is true; everything really is bigger in Texas, especially the trucks. However, supporting small and local business is a part of the culture. The country music has an edge and leaves the popular stuff for Nashville.  Good Mexican food is everywhere and Sushi is hard to find.

6th Street in Austin:

6th Street

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The Campground Code

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Life in campgrounds and RV parks has its own code.  It is sometimes is almost an ideal community.  They are places where friendly waves and nods are the norm, and the conversations with your neighbor are easy and can turn into more.  If you are having trouble or need a ride, it usually is not hard to find if someone doesn’t offer first.  In many parks it is not uncommon to see expensive fancy motor coaches, next to very modest travel trailers and for the most part everyone is cordial.  Since close proximity is usually the case, as is sharing of facilities, model civility is practiced with the occasional less than desirable behavior. Commonly the park managers set the tone with cleanliness and regular maintenance.

General practices (in most campgrounds):

  1. Be respectful of neighbors
  2. Keep your campsite neat and leave it clean
  3. Be mindful and observe quiet hours
  4. Clean up after yourself when using shared facilities
  5. Make sure trash is properly disposed of, fire-pits are not trash receptacles
  6. Do not walk through your neighbors campsite
  7. Drive slowly, campground speeds are usually very slow
  8. All pets must be on leash except in designated areas, and always pick up after them
  9. Do not burn plastics and other objects that release noxious chemicals
  10. Extinguish fires completely when away from campsite
  11. Teach children proper campground etiquette

Riverwalk and Redevelopment

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Few things excite me more than urban re-creation; inspiring redevelopment that attracts people to live, work and play in the city.  I am not a fan of town centers, parking structures or a new building or two.  I love to see a city take a negative, like a derelict elevated rail structure that was considered and eyesore, and turn it into a unique park that attracts new development and becomes the center of the new community, as New York has done with the Highline.

I have heard about the Riverwalk in San Antonio but did not expect a beautifully landscaped, widely varying, 10 mile walk/bike trail that is spurring redevelopment and getting people active.  The San Antonio River is really not much of a river, more like a stream, but planners are milking it to the maximum. Most people are probably more familiar with the Riverwalk downtown and the main tourist area, but the new extensions are where the real story is, in my view. 

San Antonio’s Riverwalk:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alaynedunn/8570941976/

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Campground Review: Fort Pickens Campground

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Our first priority for this road trip was to escape the winter weather and find some warmer air to settle into.  After almost a week of traveling south, we finally made it to the gulf coast and were blown away with the beach scape that we found here.  The Gulf Shores National Seashore is incredibly beautiful, with miles of pristine white sand beaches and calm emerald green water.  We had no idea the Pensacola area of Florida held such a gem!

Luckily, Christian had planned ahead and booked a few nights at the Fort Pickens campground, which is within the National Seashore, and we were not disappointed.  In fact, we liked it so much, that we stayed an extra night to help us fully relax into our new life-style.  There are five camping loops within the campground (A, B, C, D, & E) and we had the pleasure of spending time in both loop A and loop E.

Our first two evenings were spent in loop A, which seems to be the most popular within the campground.  It’s separate from the other loops and has the added benefit of a lot of natural foliage around each campsite, which adds some privacy and good ambiance.

Loop A

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In the Beginning – Learning as we go

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The adventure has begun and so has the education.  We have learned the value of level campsites after sleeping in a slanted driveway, added more padding to our bunk after a couple of sore mornings, have come to appreciate state highways over the Interstates, and that RV travel is is more than 20% slower than by car.  Already we have lost a gas cap and a wheel cover (recovered) , and drove to a campground that was full (call ahead). On our second day we drove narrow mountain winding roads and a potted steep dirt driveway, no RV has any business trying to navigate, on a mission to visit family. On our forth day we drove 300 miles in a high wind advisory, sometimes slowing to 40 miles per hour (partially in the neighboring lane).

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