On the road to Austin, Texas

Tuesday morning April 3rd, we hitched up the fifth wheel to our truck and after a quick swim to cool down, we said our last goodbyes and headed for San Marcos, Tx.  As we approached the San Antonio / San Marcos area, we became aware of the storm that was approaching the Dallas / Austin area.  In fact 13 tornados struck that area - but luckily we were just far enough south to have completely missed the fury of the storm.  Whew - missed another adventure but have decided to pay more attention to the forecasts as we head north.  Maybe we a weather warning radio would be a good purchase.

We checked into a pull-through site at Pecan Park Campground in San Marcos. It is a small campground located just outside the city's confusion and traffic.  Although easy to get to, getting anywhere in San Marcos involved congestion.  The campsites were level and came fully serviced.

Here are some pictures of the campground's river front and the wooded hills - yes we have left the palm trees in San Benito and we are now in what's called 'Hill Country'.

After an afteroon of shopping at the two super huge outlet malls (a major attraction of San Marcos)  we found a lovely pub by the river and had a pleasant dinner on their patio as we watched the locals go tubing in the river.

On Friday morning (Apr 6th) we moved up to Austin, Texas.  We pulled into Oak Forest RV Park - a definite step up in parks, with its concrete slabs and full service sites.  Sure is nice to not have to level the rig. 

After a quick lunch, we headed into Austin's catholic cathedral - St. Mary for the Good Friday services.  Our campground is located only 3.5 miles from the downtown core - so access is really convenient.

When the service was over, we headed over to the Texas State legislature building.  Austin is the capital city of Texas and the facility is open to visitors every day.  We took a short guided tour and then were free to roam the corridors at our leisure. We were amazed to see the number of wedding parties taking pictures in the rotunda. Tomorrow we will hook up with Jane's college friend for some guided touring.

A Week of Farewells and Happy Hours.

Our last few days at Fun N Sun were perhaps the busiest of the season.  Before we get into the activites, we thought we'd share a photo of the lovely rose bush that grew right outside the door of our trailer.  Throughout the season this bush constantly flowered.  What a growing season they have here in Texas.

 

On March 27th, we hosted a farewell happy hour for our friends Doug and Sue on our patio.  It was a good chance to open my awning and provide some shade for our guests.  Doug and Sue have had a good time these last two months, and we have really enjoyed their company. Happy travels as they head north.


            

Wednesday March 28th we made it over to Oak Hill for our last evening happy hour and dance. Sue really wanted to win the pink cowgirl hat, so when Bonnie's ticket was drawn, she generously gave it to Sue.



Friday night was the last Texas dance at Fun N Sun, so we all gathered at the dance hall for a final go at the dance floor. It was a fun evening and we are not sure where the time went - when suddenly the dance was over. After the dance we dropped into Larry & Linda's for a quick drink.



Saturday night was Karaoke night! Otis hosted a Karaoke party on his patio. Here are some pictures of the stars - and Jane's three wheeler got substituted for a motorcyle prop. Ya gotta have good imagination - or a few libations!! It was a good time until dusk arrived and the mosquitos chased us away. Maybe our music was too much for them!!


       


On Sunday April 1st, we were invited over to a fish fry at Connie Crowell's place. Unfortunately we forgot the camera, so no pics. Connie has a lovely screened in Texas room, so no bugs to chase us away that night. Food was excellent and we met a group of new people that we look forward to seeing next fall.






On Monday April 2nd - yes we did have to pack up our rig. Amongst the partying of the last few days, we did manage to prepare the rig for the road trip. But once work was done, it was back to the party circuit. We went over to Linda & Larry's patio for a happy hour. Linda had prepared a lovely spread of food, and it was a nice way for us to say our goodbyes.




             

Beach Day on Padre Island

South Padre Island is about a 40 minute drive from San Benito.  We often try to get out the beach, but are usually disappointed since the beach is often very windy.  However the weather for the last few days has been beach perfect - low 90's and mild breezes.  The Island itself has been invaded by all the march breakers who would normally head further south into Mexico - but with the violence in Mexico, many have detoured to this beach.

We picked a perfect day on Friday the 23rd and headed out to the beach before many of the students were out of bed!  After an enjoyable walk, we sat in our chairs - then we headed over to Dirty Al's for a seafood lunch.

         


For the history buffs, the Columbus Foundation builds replica ships as navigable museums.  An exact scale replica of the Nina and a slightly larger than scale model of the Pinta, were in  Port Isabel. We drove over and looked at these replicas.


     

65th Birthdays at Bonnie & Jack's new home

On March 19, we held a 65th birthday party for our Canadian friends who would be celebrating their eligibilty for Old Age Security before we return to Texas next fall. Renee, Carolyn, Myrna and Jack will be turning 65 in June, July, August and September respectively. We also took the opportunity to say goodbye to Doug and Linda; and Myrna and Dave who were heading north later in the week. We also welcomed Matt and Kathy (friends of Marg & John) who were visiting the park.

Bonnie and Jack hosted the party in their newly acquired park model. We enjoyed great food including jambalaya, brisket, ribs, beans, salads, dips, and of course birthday cake and ice cream.