I’m up at 6:45am to turn on the propane and then the furnace. This means going outside at 6C in my shorts. Brrr. However, the warmth from the furnace feels nice and by 7:30am the inside of the van is a toasty 18C. Time to make some coffee.

We move from the Wild Horse campground to the regular campground today but first it’s time for eggs and sausage cooked on the griddle. We figure this will be the last griddle cooked meal for this trip so a little extra time is spent cleaning after we’ve eaten.

We pack most items into the passenger area of the van as the move to the new campground is only a few kilometers. Once ready, we back out of our site and leave the campground turning away from our destination as we want to briefly explore the deeper areas of the park. Some of the road is very steep and not accessible to those with trailers. The tenting campgrounds look nice but remote; however, they have fantastic views of the red canyon walls.

We see a few Bison grazing near the road and taking a drink in a lake.

We visit the park office to get our tag for the new campsite but we can’t occupy it until 12:00pm. Off to the showers! Ahhhh, hot water. This is nice. We both are less smelly as we arrive at our new campsite.

We’ll only be here for the day and overnight, but we both agree that this is the nicest state park campsite we’ve had all trip.

We have lunch and go for a walk along the canyon edge and take a few photos. We see a herd of Bison not far away, but watch them to ensure they’re not looking our way and potentially blocking our return to the van. No problems, they’re busy grazing and are far enough say that we pass without them paying us any heed.

Sitting under the shade structure writing this and I just got blasted by a dust devil that blew right through our site. Might need to clean the van out again as the door is open!

We spend the remainder of the afternoon planning the last few days of our trip and chatting with friends and family.

A warm night last night and neither of us had a good sleep initially. Then the temperature dropped and we both slept really well into the early morning. Uncharacteristically we didn’t wake until around 7:30am.

I decided to go for a walk along the Wild Horse trail and explore the lower portion of the canyon. Initially the trail starts at the top of the canyon wall with some lovely views across and along the canyon. It then descends down into the canyon where it wanders along the bottom crossing a dry riverbed several times.

It was while descending into one of these crossings I turned and saw a small herd of Bison. They were about 100m from me but the bull saw me and turned to look at me. I stood still and took a few photos before quietly retreating back along the trail I had walked.

Returning back to the campsite I passed Barb who was going on her own exploration. She found some interesting plants to take pictures of.

We cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast and settled in for a quiet day of reading and relaxation. I finished the book that I had picked up in Albuquerque and Barb finished what was her 6th book of this trip.

We watched as others left the park and new neighbors replaced them. We even witnessed a couple riding horses towards the canyon as they passed through the campground.

The winds returned around dinner time and we were forced to eat in the van to avoid having Texan dust added to our meal as a seasoning. It sure is windy in these parts.

Last night and tonight we are staying in the Wild Horse campground of the park. It is an area designated for folks who camp with their horses as each site has a corral for Horses and is fenced from having the Bison wandering through the sites (evidently Horses and Bison do not get along). We chose to stay in this area because there was no available sites in the regular campground. Tomorrow we move to the regular campground within the park where the sites have electrical connections as well as water. There are also showers which we are very much looking forward to using.

That’s it for today, check back tomorrow to see what we get up to.

The winds died down overnight and it was calm by the time we woke. Today we will stop at the Palo Duro Canyon State Park. We had originally wanted to camp there but they had no sites and thus we will become day visitors instead.

We’re leaving the winery at about 9:30am and the state park is only a 20 minute drive. There’s a small line up of cars entering the park so it only takes a few minutes and we’re in.

Our first stop is an overlook that provides a picturesque vista of the canyon. We also visit the gift shop and interpretive center to learn a little of how the canyons in this part of Texas were formed.

Access into the canyon is down a steep 10% grade with several switchbacks. At the bottom the main park road encircles the canyon bottom and is several miles in length.

It is hot. 31C hot. I’ve heard people say “Yeah, but it’s a dry heat”. OK, but hot is still hot so sunscreen, hats and bottles of water are a must as we set out to do a little walking on some of the trails.

We choose an easy trail that is near the river and only about 1 mile in length. We took off down another trail by accident and when done had walked over 2 miles with little to no shade. Oops.

For lunch we parked the van in one of the many picnic spots that have shelters over the tables to provide shade. Lunch was yummy and a nice reward for completing the hike.

Leaving the canyon we head southeast towards our next camping spot at Caprock Canyon State Park in Quitaque (pronounced Kitty-quay). On the way from Canyon to Quitaque the landscape changed from flat (really flat) agricultural grasslands to less flat central Texas plains where there are trees and things seem to be much greener than up on the grasslands above the canyons.

We are staying at Caprock for 3 nights and plan on hiking some of the trails and relaxing. This is our last ‘destination’ for this trip. On Monday we begin our eastward drive toward Ontario. I will blog along the way, but before then come back and see what we get up to here at Caprock.

A bit of tidying up and a quick breakfast and we were ready for the road. Oh wait, the water tank needs filling and the other tanks need emptying. Ok, so 10:00am and we’re driving off of our site to the dump station, no waiting, we’re #1. No no issues, time to head west.

Our journey took us out of Austin westward on SR-290 and started as multi-lane highway that all-to-shortly ended at a construction zone. The 290 is an older highway that weaves its way westward across the state. After many traffic lights we were in the country, it was still cloudy and humid after the recent rain. The city had fallen away to Texas Hill Country, the flora was changing to be more tolerant of drought with the trees becoming fewer and the grasslands dominating the landscape.

Johnson City, TX. Not a place we stopped in but clearly the beginning of Texas wine country. Between Johnson City and Fredericksburg there are hundreds of wineries and a few distilleries. Some with interesting names, some trying to sound European, and a few just off the wall, like “Fat Ass Brewery” (where the ass is shown as an outline of a mule). Typically Texan, the wineries and tasting rooms are enormous, some even castle-like in size and appearance so it must be making financial sense to grow grapes and make wine in Texas.

Eventually the SR-290 merged into the I-10W. The surroundings were now clearly desert-like as there are few trees and lots of low scrub. Texans like driving fast, the speed limit is 80mph (130kph) which most seem to exceed. Not us, 75mph is plenty for the van, especially today as the winds have come up and are blowing across the highway not allowing me to relax at all. The temperature is now 29C (up from 17C earlier this morning). No, we’re not complaining of the heat but a little moderation might be nice.

We stopped in Junction, TX to have lunch in a park next to a river. It was warm and allowed us to dry out a few items while we ate.

We stop in Ozona, TX for provisions and fuel. The grocery store, Lowe’s Market, is a typical smaller town grocery store and Barb had some challenges finding exactly what she wanted. However, we will not starve. We decided that Sonic takeout would suffice for dinner and once acquired we were back on the road to our destination.

Fort Lancaster Scenic Overlook (on the old SR-290) had been recommended to us by the Milddogs based on their van trip last year. It’s a picnic area that overlooks an amazing valley. We arrived and chose our spot, there are two other vehicles that look like they’ve settled in for the evening. We ate dinner and then relaxed waiting for sunset. The sunset did not disappoint, the sky was clear except for a few very high clouds that turned a wonderful shade of orange as the sun slipped below the horizon.

We settled down in the van for the night having been joined in the parking lot by two more campervans. As the sky darkened, the stars began to show themselves and what a show. The sky is pitch black, there is no light intrusion from civilization, the stars are brilliant.

Good night all.

P.S. The Milddogs to which we have referred in several of these posts are our friends from home. They too have a campervan and have been traveling about Texas for the past few weeks. Our paths crossed and so we cross-posted in our respective blogs. Please give them a read if you have some time.

Yep, we’re still here. The weather though… ugh. Awoke to light rain that was not forecast. Result: the walk was wet today.

Because of the lack of rain in the forecast we decided to leave our chairs and outdoor rug outside overnight. They are wet and full of sow bugs and beetles. Yuck.

Breakfast was leftover pancakes and bacon with maple syrup. Mmm.

After lunch we accompanied our friends, the Milddogs, on a walk to a few of the interesting sites within the park. We started by walking to the upper falls and then to ‘Old Baldy’ a large and very old Bald Cypress tree. Then onto a cave in the riverbank that was a prehistoric home. By this time the rain intensity had increased to that of being uncomfortable and so we returned to our campsite to dry off.

After drying off we returned to Camp Milddogs for some late afternoon banter and drinks before returning to the van for dinner.

After dinner we hosted the Milddogs for a final evening of cards before they and us each head in our own directions tomorrow to conclude our camping trips. It’s been fun catching up with good friends and being able to swap ideas and tips that we can use while traveling. Bon Voyage mon amis.

Our evening was concluded by getting a jump on preparing for departure tomorrow by loading the bikes and putting away a few items. It is supposed to be a warm 17C overnight, so no heaters or heavy blankets will be required. Tomorrow the heat is supposed to arrive. Stay tuned.

Another chilly start to the day with the temperature being only 6C outside the inside of the van was only 11C. So, turned on the heater before getting up for the day.

After a cup of coffee it was time for my morning walk which took me 4.5km around the campground on a mixed-use trail. It was fairly easy walking with a few hills and one steep descent. The area has mixed hardwoods as well as some cactus and lots of wildflowers. It looks like it does in May at home yet I’m constantly reminding myself that it’s only March. I came across an entire meadow of Texas Bluebonnets (state flower).

Back at camp, we cooked pancakes and bacon for brunch and enjoyed it outside at the picnic table.

After brunch we got our bikes out and rode them about the park exploring other sights, including both the lower and upper falls which we concluded are probably very popular in the hotter months as places to come and cool off.

Our friends, Mr & Mrs Milddogs arrived later in the afternoon and we caught up on what we had seen and found.

For dinner I tackled grilling steak, onions & peppers. The steak was sliced and chopped and the mixture applied to buns and smothered in provolone cheese which was then toasted. Mmmmm, cheesesteak sandwiches.

The day was finished up playing cards with the Milddogs in their van. Tomorrow looks to be rainy, so we’ll have to see what we’ll chose to do.

Another chilly and windy morning awaited us today. Overcast conditions persisted; however, we were heading inland today, away from the coast so maybe it will warm up and be a little nicer.

The morning walk was shorter than usual, but as I met and walked with Mr. Milddogs it was faster than my usual pace. That was enough for the morning as I felt I would do a little more after arriving at our new destination later in the afternoon.

Packing up of the van went well and we were on our way just before the noon checkout time. We started by retracing our drive North for about half an hour before heading NorthWest towards Cuero, TX where we stopping at the municipal park and ate lunch next to the lake where we were joined by some ducks and geese.

From Cuero we headed to Luling where we found the water tower painted as a huge watermelon. Next, and most importantly, can Lockhart, TX. which is evidently the BBQ capital of Texas. This can be proven by the number of BBQ restaurants/takeout places in the town. We got gas, groceries and finally BBQ brisket dinners before continuing.

About 30minutes further along the road we arrived at our destination for the next 3 nights, McKinney Falls State Park, Austin, TX.

The sign at park entrance stated “Campground Full” so we were glad to have reservations. Our campsite is a drive through designed for large fifth wheel trailers or motor homes, our campervan had plenty of options as to where and how to park.

As the evening drew to a close the “Campground Full” sign came back to mind and I wondered where everyone was. The sites here seem huge and thus the title of this post ‘…there doesn’t seem to be anyone around.”

Another chilly (not chilli) morning. A coffee and a muffin to start the day and then off for a walk about the park. It was cold and drizzly so I opted for sweatpants, sweatshirt, rain jacket, hat & light gloves. It really is that cold (or so I thought).

The walk was nice and it wasn’t long before I realized I had over dressed. It was intermittently raining so the jacket was required but I could have done without the sweatshirt and gloves.

We are staying at Goose Island State Park for another night but have to move a few sites to the right as the current site is reserved for someone else.

Mr. & Mrs. Milddogs are joining us at the park tonight and will be on the site next to us. While I was walking the park this morning, I received a text from Mr. Milddogs offering to pickup Texas BBQ lunch for us. We quickly accepted the offer.

We did a quick pack-the-van and backed off of our site by 11:45am. Stopping at the camp office they gave us a new site tag for tonight. We then headed off to look at the parks main attraction ‘The Big Tree’.

It is what the package describes, a big tree. In fairness, it is a ‘Live Oak’ that is estimated to be more than 1000 years old. When compared to many trees like it in the area, it is clearly much larger. The tree has a split rail fence surrounding it to protect its roots and to discourage people from climbing.

Returning to the campground, we setup on our new site and then added a few decorations in celebration of Mrs Milddogs birthday. Yay!

Upon arrival, the Milddogs quickly established their site and brought the BBQ brisket over to our site and we all enjoyed lunch and catching up. It was great to see them and the afternoon passed quickly as we swapped stories ‘from the road’.

Mr. Milddogs noticed another van further along the park as also being from our home area and checked with his cottage neighbor who confirmed that it was his son. So they popped over to say hello for a few minutes before joining us again in our van for an evening of cards. Much laughter & chatter later, we called it evening.

We restored our van interior to our sleeping setup and settled down for the night.

We were awakened at about 4:00am by the rain and wind. The van was being buffeted about and the rain was intense. This kept going for the next 3 hours as we lightly drifted in and out of sleep. At 7:30 I ventured outside during a quieter period of rain to disconnect the van from the pedestals, heavier rain would return and I didn’t want to get completely soaked ahead of our planned 4 hour drive.

We took our time getting going and having breakfast and waiting for the rain to subside enough so as not to be a hazard when driving. We finally were away shortly before 10:00am. The rain was still falling but really now just as showers although there was lots of water laying about along the sides of the roads.

We stopped in Lake Jackson where we shopped for groceries at the H-E-B store (fabulous). We then drove to Matagorda beach where we had lunch in the van as the temperature was only 9C and the wind was quite strong.

After stopping at another Buc-ee’s for gas, we continued on to our destination, Goose Island State Park just outside of Rockport, TX. This will be our most Southerly destination on this trip. Our site is right at the waters edge, the sun has returned and has warmed us up, the wind is mostly blocked from our site. The skies are clear and we’re hoping to starwatch tonight.

A sunny but windy start to our relaxing day on Galveston Island, TX. I decide to walk about the RV park and walk on every road and trail within the park. 6.8km – not bad. Barb goes to the beach and is almost blown back to the park by the onshore winds from the gulf. She sees a few Man-O-War jellyfish on the sand and watches seabirds dance in the wind.

The day has been set aside for housekeeping type activities and one will be laundry. Quarters acquired for the machines from the office and laundry is done while showers are taken. No excitement here folks.

Early after lunch Barb decided to go and float in the lazy river pool they have here. She arrived to find nobody else in the river and so stepped into the water. Minutes later she was back at the van exclaiming that the pools are not heated !

The clouds have now taken over the sky as a harbinger of the weather that will arrive overnight. The wind prevents using the griddle and so we cook in the van on the induction cooktop. We enjoyed chicken fajitas for dinner along with margaritas. After dinner a little reading and then we settled in for a movie, tonight the Swedish version of “The girl with the dragon tattoo”. Dark, sinister and so well filmed.

Tonight we are expecting a cold front to come through with wind and rain. The temperature should be cooler tomorrow. Stay tuned.