The Lone Star State

Texas really is big.

As soon as we crossed over the border from Louisiana I realized trucks outnumbered cars.

We passed by a giant Golden Corral.  I’m pretty sure it even had a second floor.

Everyone really does wear a cowboy hat.  I’ve yet to see a 10 gallon hat that can actually hold 10 gallons of anything.

We’ve been in Texas for three days now and it seems like we’ve seen more landscape in Texas alone than we have seen on this whole trip.

From Beaumont, TX we drove south.  I wanted to get off the main highway to get a scenic drive through Texas. 

Little did I realize that there are miles and miles of nothingness between towns that barely have a McDonalds. 

We looked at state parks to camp at but they are more than we wanted to pay for a night of camping.

So we started looking for a trusty Walmart parking lot to sleep in.  Our atlas lists towns with a Walmart located in them.  How convenient!

We tried to find a Walmart in two different towns and failed miserably.  For as small as these towns seemed, the Walmarts sure were hiding well.

We came across the TeePee Motel, a real Texas gem.  There sitting in the middle of a big open field are 10 teepee shaped motel rooms you can rent for a night. 

The rooms were definitely too pricey for us, but the woman said that we could set up tent for 5 bucks a night. 

Deal! 

We paid in cash and drove around the dirt RV lot looking for a spot we could squeeze in.  We found a space sandwiched between two large campers and began to set up camp for the night.

The wind was fierce.  The tent was blowing and swaying as we were trying to fasten the poles down.  One of the poles cracked under the pressure and that was that for camping for the night.

We sheepishly walked back into the office and asked for a refund because our tent had broken.

The nice woman behind the desk handed our $5 bill back to us and we were on our way again.

After another hour of driving we came upon Victoria, Texas, a moderately sized town about an hour and half from the Mexican border.  We victoriously found the Walmart there, and along with 10 other RVs we “camped” for the night.

After $.88 worth of donuts for breakfast we stole some WiFi from the Burger King and found a place to camp near San Antonio on Craigslist.

We made the two hour drive through more Texas countryside and pulled into the Wagon Wheel RV park yesterday afternoon. 

Of course we are the only tent camping here.  But Tom, the resident manager found us a nice little spot under a shade tree 20 feet from the club house which is complete with wireless internet and a kitchen that no one else seems to use.

It’s perfect, we said. 

It is located in what the locals call hill country.  It’s beautiful, the kind of Texas you would expect to see in movies. 

There is plenty to do around here.  San Antonio is about a half hour away and rafting the Guadalupe river is just around the corner.

So I think we’ll set up camp here for a while and see what happens. 

Comments

Hi Melissa and Brad,
I’ve been following your travels and I was thinking how appropriate for you to be taking your journey during the Easter season.  Easter and “New Life” are one in the same. I pray that our Lord protects you during this Holy Season and always as you two enter your “New Life.” I wish you much love, happiness, inspiration, fulfillment and adventure.
Be safe and don’t eat too many peeps,
Love,
Cookie

i love cookie.

texas is way to big. with way to many walmarts. lets give those guys back to their rightful owners.

mexico.

Cookie, Thanks so much for your prayers and thoughts.  I think New Life describes this journey well.  I hope you have a good Easter.  I’ll try and stay away from the peeps:)

Rachel, There are an exceptionally large amount of Walmarts down here.  I don’t like it one bit, except for when we need a place to sleep.  We saw the Alamo last night.  It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

Hello Brad and Melissa
I am reminded of my short adventures, not so far back in the past.  The kind where you’re far away from home, you don’t have a place to clean up, but you know you should, and for some ( or many) reason you just don’t want go to another Wal Mart.
I found that the Lowe’s Home Improvement stores Restrooms are VERY accomodating.  Of course I am only evaluating the Women’s restrooms in the Mid-west tri state area.
But shoot, you could try them in Texas ( there are 124Lowe’s in Tx)and tell me (us) if they are as good as I say.
Here’s my reasons:
Not much traffic, people seem to be too busy shopping.  I can go on with that train of thought but I won’t…
You can get a “spit bath” in at the washbasin w/o the incoming painted lady giving you odd looks twice. I have a special camp towel called Pac Towels and “Soap Paper” I keep in the car, if I think that I got that kind of job to do.
Lowe’s have Clean and large size bathrooms stalls.  Size there is important to me. If I have to change all my clothes for an event or whatever, I have lots a room and privacy… and no worry about security person thinking I stole cos I don’t think they sell much clothes, if any, in Lowe’s .
Most Lowe’s have a sitting area ( probably a formal smoking area) with chairs good enough to wait for someone or to kill ( and everyone SHOULD have time to kill) time.One could sit a moment, sunglasses optional,( keeps folks aguessing if you are indifferent, sleeping or dead), a book in my lap and do my 20 minute relaxation exercise w/o a bother.
But you can do that also in the garden furniture area, if foot traffic doesn’t bother you.
If you think you gotta buy stuff in order to use the restrooms...Look for water or candy bars on clearance… Oh and look for those wind up flashlights and radios, they save on batteries!
Well I think you often, remember
We are in HIS GRIP
patti g

Patti, Thank you so much for the recommendation. 
I will definitely be checking out Lowe’s bathrooms from now on.
The good thing is there is always a Lowe’s right next to Walmart.