A Different Life II

[Lily&Me]

Hi Al, sorry you’ve had so much trouble and hope you are soon back to 100%.

Maggie

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

. . .
We are at Padre Island NS, one of 10 or so A-C rigs spread out in the parking lot at Malaquite.

Works for me for a couple of nights.
. . .

Great photo . . . the joys of off-season camping at the beach . . . hoping that sea air was restorative!

Peter

[Lily&Me]

Walking on the beach yesterday, there is a second parking lot with rigs in it, 5th wheels and Class A’s, it seems.

There are park rangers patrolling here, also reportedly Coast Guard and Border Patrol.

These are the first federal park service I have seen since the shutdown, which may simply have to do with how close we are to Mexico...they may be determined “essential personnel.”

Dumpsters are in place and being emptied, everything is neat and tidy, water is on at the spigots, pit toilets are available and there is a dump station up the road.

A young man from Canada in a schoolie has been here for 3 weeks, and there are a number of vandwellers plus others in more conventional rigs who look like they may be set up for extended stays.

It’s free right now, there are some amenities, and it’s the beach.

Temps are mild, no heat needed and I slept with the windows open last night.

Maggie

[Dave-n-Janet]

Maggie,
Saw how you got much improved cell signal with your Weboost. Do you have the directional antenna on a pole or the omni-directional antenna?

Thanks. btw - hope your dizzy spells are over. Been following your posts for a while now, have really enjoyed following your travels and travails as you go down this sometimes very bumpy road that is life.
Dave

[Lily&Me]

Hi there, and thank you.

I have a Weboost Drive 4G-S, just for an iPhone, with an antenna you can put on your roof or in a window.

It works just as advertised, boosting weak but existing signal.


A big 5th wheel that pulled in near me yesterday afternoon promptly turned on a generator which was still running when I went to bed.

Off when I got up, back on at 6:21 am and still running, so I have moved away and to parallel the dunes.

I can now see the ocean.

Took a short drive to the end of the road, which dead ends at the beach, which has been dug out and where people are camping for at least 10 miles down, per a couple with a big trailer who I spoke with...as they were leaving after 2 nights and I was backing out the road.

I couldn’t bring myself to drive out there by myself, going to be satisfied that I am on pavement here and can walk out on it.

Pavement because of the shutdown, where parking would otherwise not be allowed.

Lily is enjoying running on the beach, and chasing the pelicans and waterbirds.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Shook and cleaned sand from everything this morning, did laundry, dumped tanks and refilled with water at the bargain price of $4 just up the road, and are now one of a parade of rigs of all sizes as far as the eye can see.

The sand is packed hard, and there is plenty of room for everyone to spread out.

I am delighted.

[Lily&Me]

Aside from spectacular beauty, there is much less wind down here, and none of those wicked little burrs that get in Lily’s feet and stick to everything...I am still picking them out of laundry.

Moonrise and sunrise out my window...

[Mansderm161]

Very pretty. Enjoy the good weather. Its freezing here!

[OTRA15]

For burrs, if you can find a large leather chamois cloth at an auto parts place, cut it up into 4 rectangular "booties,", and create a top-lace for each one with a strip trimmed off one edge [almost all the way -- leave somewhat attached]. Worked like a charm for our dog in Arizona in the 90's. Not sure if they still sell the leather chamois cloths?

Great photos! We watched the lunar eclipse at midnight last night -- wow! 9 F here this morning, with double digit negative wind chills!

Peter

[Lily&Me]

Got up this morning and my rig as well as others I could see looked as if they were at one with the beach, such a coating of sand on everything, sticking nicely courtesy of the wind and fine mist.

A couple of Roadtreks and a PleasureWay near me, really a surprising number of rigs of all sizes I have seen down here.

Walked and pottied Lily, and headed out....a wonderful stay, but time to go.

First stop the HEB, then a do it yourself truck wash bay so that I could clean the Interstate and therefore be able to see out the windows.

Will find a Blue Beacon soon...


I have invented a Tuna Un-Salad Sandwich...layer your ingredients on good bread, no mixing and dirtying of a bowl needed.

One 2.6oz packet = one sandwich.

[Lily&Me]

I love this...Jayme Closs receiving reward money for saving herself.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/23/us/ja...ney/index.html


What a brave and spunky 13 year old girl you are, Jayme...wishing you all the best as you recover from your ordeal and go on with your life.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

We had a “town day” today, doing laundry and a little shopping, which included a stop at PETCO.

I had told Lily we were going to get new treats, she was beside herself, hopping around, so on her leash and into the store we went....where my eyes went almost immediately to a self service dog wash.

I can’t remember when she last had an actual bath, probably the last time she rolled in duck poop...her most favorite ...we’ve been to the beach, she is still my sweet Lily, but smells a bit doggy...so I let her select a couple of chews, one a dried intestine, I think, the other a pigs ear...which she did actually choose from the bins that are dog-height in there, sniffing them all and then flicking her choices with her nose, tail a-wagging.

We took them out to the motorhome and I took her back inside for a good scrubbing. Why pass up such an opportunity.

Quite the set-up they have there, kind of spa like, waist high for an adult human, and they provide everything including shampoo and conditioner... spray hoses with warm water, a short collar thing so you can secure them in the tubs while they are being scrubbed, unlimited clean terry towels, even a blower hose for drying tho Lily was intent on biting the blowing air rather than allowing me to use it on her.

She tolerated it very well, knowing those chews were waiting for her when we were done.

She is a soft and fluffy, sweet smelling pup tonight, doesn’t seem to be holding it against me, and for just a little while nothing in here smells of dog.


My other shopping goal was to pick up a few candles, as I went off without my homemade ones, and have used up the couple I had in here...I really love a pretty candle reflecting off the interior, especially in the mornings as I sip my coffee.

TJMaxx was across the road from PETCO, and I found these rose-scented ones, waiting there for me.

[patriciahawk]

What an adventurous day!

[Lily&Me]

We spent a night at McKinney Falls SP near Austin a few nights ago, and it is a beautiful park, if you have never been.

Full up for the weekend, we moved to a private campground after our town chores, which at first blush seemed fine, but turned out to be one of those “armpit of the universe” places, to borrow a favorite descriptor of an old co-worker of mine.

It may have been the difference between being a transient and a long term resident, as the rest of the campground looked reasonably well kept, but we were put for our $45 night into a site where I first had to remove by hand a pile of tree branches and brush from the drive before I could back in, also two homemade levelers which had been left in the middle of the drive.

Broken cement blocks and a filthy carpet square adorned the passenger side and bits of glass were everywhere.

Thinking the brush had been overlooked, I called the office to report it once we were parked, but when we left 20 hours later it had not been touched.

One of those places that may not care whether you have a pleasant experience in their campground.

Then, the “bathhouse”, which consisted of a cement block structure containing one shower and one toilet, separated by a partial wall between but otherwise no doors, shower curtain, toilet paper, hand soap, paper towels, hand dryer...nothing in there but a toilet and a shower head with a drain in the floor.

Only with a returnable key can one access these glorious restroom facilities, and the woman who checked me in said long term residents pay an additional $25/month for use of them.

Twice trying the office door, it appears to be locked during posted office hours, tho you can push a buzzer to maybe get a human, which I was only able to do when I checked in and paid.

I dropped my bathhouse key thru the slot yesterday morning as I was leaving and, unable to voice my displeasure with the state of my $45 a night site and “bathhouse”, I did a one-star, detailed review.

I rarely review campgrounds, but I thought this one deserved a heads up for anyone else who might consider partaking of the lovely site which may be set aside just for short term visitors.

I was disgusted.


Targeting a campground in Sam Houston NF for last night, we arrived late afternoon to find it signed and gated...CLOSED.

Not much to be had, out there in the middle of the forest, and I didn’t relish pulling onto a dirt road for the night...no WalMart, nothing approaching hospitable, finally as it was getting dark I parked in a large church parking lot, hoping we would not be asked to move.

But for the frequent trains , we were not bothered nor ousted in the night.

However, shortly before 7am, parishioners began arriving to start coffee, or whatever churchgoers do at that hour on a Sunday morning, so we were shortly out of there and behind a gas station to continue morning preparations.

It had been raining, I’m reminding myself that this is part and parcel of traveling without reservations.

So, we’re driving further east and by late morning had reached this lovely COE campground where, for the bargain price of $9, we have full hookups for the remainder of the day and night.

The sun is shining, I’ve eaten a proper meal, and Lily and I are catching up on our walks...tho mind the alligators signs are everywhere, we have as yet seen none.

[Mansderm161]

Please leave a quick review for campsites. I read them. I think most valuable is "I will or will not return to this one." Saying I won't return is a nice way of not saying anything bad, but most will know that it's got a lot to be desired!

[Lily&Me]

Altho many campgrounds keep certain, easy-access sites set aside for overnighters, some seem to neglect those sites or otherwise discriminate against people just passing thru.

Not a lot of campgrounds, but enough that is is noticeable if you do much traveling.

I actually had a woman once say to me “we only keep a few sites set aside for transients”.

In that particular instance, this was a public campground out east, on a beautiful river. I had called ahead about a 3 night, during the week stay, and was told they had plenty of sites.

When I got there, I was not allowed to choose, but was told the others were all “reserved”, and put in a small site next to a 5th wheel that looked like it was set up for an extended stay.

My site was strewn with orange peels, egg shells and other trash, on the ground and in the fire pit, but it was the only one I could have.

After the first night, I asked about moving to another and larger site, particularly one of those overlooking the water, but was told everything was “reserved” but for the few sites set aside for “transients”.

There were just a few other rigs in this entire campground, and no new rigs the three nights I was there.

Sometimes one is put in an odd little something that doesn’t seem to be an actual site at all, but a patch of dirt with an electric hookup.

Once you’ve paid, hard to do much especially for an overnight, and these types of campgrounds probably count on that.

Sigh.

Maggie

[Mansderm161]

So true... I haven't stayed at a "trashy" place, but I did stay one place I did not feel safe...basically a trailer park, and not a good one. I also stayed at St. Pete's KOA.....$111/ NIGHT.... with a horrible site (and no other sites available)...I'll never stay there again. It's a bit scary travelling alone...I prefer a campground, but I recently upgraded my solar and battery, so I am now prepared to boondock if I'm not happy with what the campground offers. I like the KOA JOURNEY campgrounds. They are designed for travellers and all have been very welcoming and I've always had a good site at them...granted, my experience is still limited. I joined harvest host and am looking forward to trying them while on the road. But I try to look at reviews and I really like the reviews that say "we would come back." I think that says a lot although we all have different things we look for. So far, if I go by a review like that, I have not been disappointed.

[Jakeo62]

Originally Posted by Mansderm161

So true... I haven't stayed at a "trashy" place, but I did stay one place I did not feel safe...basically a trailer park, and not a good one. I also stayed at St. Pete's KOA.....$111/ NIGHT.... .

I must tell of my KOA disadventure
In 1986 I purchased our 28' Dutchmen TT so loaded up van on Wednesday to head out ahead of family to set up and work out bugs. With our 2 Labradors, the rowboat that always stayed on van as wind block and my fishing rig, our 4 bicycles and trailer in tow, I set out originally for the mid part of Michigan but ran across a water park at a KOA that I thought kids would love, so I went in there. The owner was very nice and started with the questions.
I stated we would be staying through Saturday night (4 nights),only needed electricity ((as I wanted kids to learn to use provided facilities and I could dump on the way out on Sunday as parents did), there were going to be 2 adults, 2 young children and 4 Grandparents joining us on Saturday to join in our new toy and 2 dogs. The man's fingers were hitting the keys on that adding machine harder then a bank teller and he then stated that he looked at my "rig" noticing I had a boat, bicycles, a A/C Unit and he would have to charge accordingly.(THIS WAS 1986!)

1) 4 nights electric only...$ 160.00 total for four.
2) 4 Grands visiting Saturday BUT must leave by 8PM...$32.00
3) 2 dogs at $2.00 per day...$8.00
4) A/C use on RV...$5.00 per day=$20.00
5) 4 bicycles $1.00 per day ea=$4.00=$16.00 (because not renting theirs
6) Rowboat $5.00 per day=$20.00 (because not renting theirs)
7) Parking for wife's car $2.00 per night=$4.00


Total owed was $260.00 without use of water slide!!



$65.00 PER NIGHT JUST TO PLUG IN AND HAD TO BUY THEIR FIREWOOD!


I left, but reported to local newspaper and wouldn't you know they still had my name and address from my trailer plate and was invited for a 2 FREE NIGHT STAY.........NO TY!


State parks all the way here.

[Mansderm161]

FYI, Harrison bay state park in Tennessee is nice. I'm heading to Tetons in September, can't wait. The state park here is nice, right on the beach. Do you have recommendations for ohio?

[azflycaster]

We had a bad experience at a KOA (Keep On Adding) a few year back in Montana. Without going into the details, I contacted KOA corporate to let them know how I was treated. They stated that KOA's were independently owned and they had no control over their operation. I replied back that when they put their name on a business, it is their business. I received a couple of gift cards and the campground later dropped out of the program.