Tuesday, October 6 (a special day of the year) we left Carlsbad and headed for Austin, TX. It was a bit of a detour for us, but it allowed us to meet up with friends from back home and who we camped with at Croton Point Park. It will be nice to see familiar faces, because except for our daughter-in-law and grand kids, we haven't really had the opportunity to meet any other RV'rs and shoot the breeze.
Our first night after crossing the boarder was an overnighter at Walmart. We have stayed at better, but hey, it was free. It was a warm evening and we weren't able to run the generator, so we heard a lot of noise from road traffic and trucks through the open windows. Most of our electronic devices lost their charges, but we survived. We have been receiving very minimal Internet and cell service for awhile, especially in southern Colorado and all of New Mexico. It's amazing how dependent we are of this luxury.
So, for some trivia on The Great State of Texas! It's called the Lone Star State and its red, white and blue flag boasts one large white star. The state flower is the Bluebonnet, the tree is Pecan, and the mammal is the Texas Longhorn.
In Texas, like Kansas, we noticed many gracefully turning wind turbines, which gives me hope for reduced dependency on fuel oil. Unfortunately, there were just as many ugly oil rigs pumping away. We saw other beautiful sights, as well, like miles and miles of soft, white cotton fields that looked like snow. I was reminded of the jingle, "Look for the Union Label." Click below to watch a commercial clip from 1978. The International Ladies Garment Workers Union pushed hard to alert Americans as to the reduction of clothing manufacturing in the USA. I remember my grandparents always checking to be sure items had the Made in USA by Union Workers label. How things have sadly changed in my lifetime. It is challenging and expensive to buy, especially clothing, made here at home. The jingle is just a sad bit of memorabilia of my past, however. with the new resurgence of "Made in America," I'm hoping for a turnaround.
Austin is the Capitol of Texas and although not a big city, it has all we could need. Our campground for two nights was the Oak Forest RV Resort and it was a very nice place with wide cement roads and pads, picnic table, pool and hot tub. The place was booked solid, so we needed to raise our jacks and move on Friday morning.
Our current spot on the map finds us at our final stop in Texas - Shallow Creek Golf and RV Resort in Gladewater, TX. Hopefully we will be able to hang here for at least 4 nights because we really just need a little R and R. A quick check of area attractions doesn't turn up too much, so we shall see where the wind will blow us next - and how soon.
Our USA map is filling up fast. We will be adding at least three more before the end of our 2nd Great Big Adventure.
Another enjoyable post. Thank you. You're making very nice progress and continuing to see many aspects of our great country. Not much on the interaction with the locals but in a campground or layover at a Walmart I guess the only folks you'll run into are fellow out-of-staters. Weather here remains sunny with temps hovering in the high 50's, low 60's. I'm working on a fall excursion into northern NY and returning by way of VT, NH, MA, and CT. I miss blogging. Stay well and keep safe. Chas
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ReplyDeleteThanks, it's nice to hear feedback on my hard work. Glad to hear the fall weather is upon you. The best time of year to be in the Hudson Valley.
DeleteWe hit 90's here in Texas. Fall excursion? Nice. Make sure your propane tank is full and bring the laptop. Blog away and safe travels.
Looks like you are having a great time!!
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