Staying in Livingston

This week has been a week for some decisions.  First we decided that we would NOT continue further south for the winter but instead we are going to stay in the Livingston, Texas area.  Through the end of the year we are at Rainbow's End Escapee park.  We are enjoying our time here getting to know some of the folks who are here either for the winter or who live here full time.  I am happy to report that the dogs seem to like it and have calmed down.  They still get excited when another dog walks by but they are not going as ballistic as they used to at some of our other stops.

On Sunday, we met our nephew Matt and his family for lunch at Chuy's in Humble, Texas.  Matt and Adele live in Cypress (West of Houston) so Humble was about half way between their home and our RV park.  We had not seen them in about 20 years and had never met their four children.  What a delightful family they are!!  Sunday evening there was an ice cream social.  I am already looking forward to it this next Sunday evening!!

Monday morning, we paid a visit to the Escapees National Office and learned about the mail forwarding service.  Seeing the operation and having heard good things about it, we signed up so we will no longer be a burden to family members who were forwarding our mail to us.  The Escapees mail operation is quite efficient with their own zip code and sorting facility.  We can even have UPS or FedEx deliver packages which will then be forwarded to us at general delivery wherever we tell them.

Yesterday I got up and started defrosting the freezer.  That is one disadvantage to living in an RV--the freezer is NOT frost free.  Since we have been on the road for six months, this is a task that will have to be completed twice a year.  It didn't take too long so we were able to drive to Humble to stock up on some frozen food at Sam's Club.  Humble is about an hour drive so we won't be making the trip too often.

The RV park has many activities so there is no reason to be bored.  This morning I went to a group called "Stitch and Chat" where people bring their craft project and can get help if needed.  Some of the ladies are extremely creative and have crocheted beautiful afghans or poncho and hat sets.  The hour passed very quickly!  Other activities include line dancing, movies, social hours, potlucks, genealogy class, and on and on.

Soon we will probably drive around to see some sites and I'll post pictures then!

EASY LIVING!!

Lake Tawakoni to Livingston, TX

Yesterday ended our two week stay at Lake Tawakoni and the peaceful lake setting.  We traveled about 200 miles to the Escapees Rainbow’s End RV Park in Livingston, TX.  The drive was uneventful and we got all set up in a site that we thought would be OK.  Unfortunately, the office was closed for lunch and when we tried to register after lunch, we discovered that we were in a site that was designated for one night only.  Since we are staying until Wednesday, we had to pack everything up and move.  We did that and we were both frustrated by the time we got re-setup.  Oh well that should teach us to be more patient!

After showers and after the LSU-Arkansas game was decided, we headed out for dinner.  We decided to try Buster McNutty’s Family Restaurant.  It was an excellent choice with ½ pound hamburgers.  We will probably go back for a regular dinner type of meal before we leave next week.

This morning, the park had a Biscuit and Gravy breakfast (YUM) and we met some really nice folks.  There is a daily social hour where we should be able to meet other folks.  If we had arrived a couple of days ago, we could have had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner even though we did enjoy our own peaceful steak dinner.

Today is kind of an indoor day as the rain comes and goes before a cold front arrives later.  At noon, it is 65 degrees which is pretty nice for November 26!  J

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

EASY LIVING!!

Lake Tawakoni (Near Dallas)

We arrived at Lake Tawakoni Thousand Trails Preserve about a week ago for a much needed two week period of rest and relaxation.  The campground is nicely wooded on the shores of the lake which is about ten feet below normal levels due to the severe drought.  It is so low that the dock is totally out of water.  There is a resident armadillo in the campground, this is the first time I have ever seen one!

Campsite at Lake Tawakoni

Resident Armadillo

Dock at campground--no water!

Lake Tawakoni

Actually we haven’t rested all the time as Pat’s brother Roger and his wife Mary Ann live in McKinney just north of Dallas.  We went to their house (about an hour drive) on Saturday, Nov 12 with Duke and Abby.  Unknown to us, they were dog sitting and Duke went into protection mode when the extra dog came running out of the door.  This was a Boston Terrier vs. a black Lab—the Boston Terrier (Duke) came out on the “winning” side and we ended up paying the vet charge for a torn ear on the lab.  The lab is fine and has to wear one of those lovely cones for a while until the stitches are removed.

We spent one day driving all the way around Lake Tawakoni.  I don’t know the mileage but it was a looooong drive.  We did stop to visit the state park which is exceptionally nice with concrete pads and some with full hook-ups and 50 amp service.  They do offer some of the sites for monthly rates of $570 during the months of November-February.  If that is still in place next year, we might decide to stay in this area for at least a couple of months.  We can’t do it this year because we have made reservations at a resort in the Rio Grande Valley.

We have considered seeing some tourist spots, particularly the place where JFK was assassinated and the Stockyards in Fort Worth.  However, the JFK site is in downtown Dallas and we have no strong desire to drive into a big city.  The stockyards are in Fort Worth which I was told is a five hour drive there and back so that is a bit far when we have two puppies at home.  Maybe next time we will see some of the sights when we are in the area for more than two weeks.

We will be leaving on Friday (day after Thanksgiving) to head to Livingston, TX for a few days.

EASY LIVING!

Rest and Relaxation (Shreveport, LA)

We don’t really have much to report on this leg of our trip.  No history lesson today, either! 

We left Chicot County Park at about 8 am on November 8 to drive the 200 miles to Tall Pines RV Park in Shreveport, LA.  Our only plans were to pull the camper to Southern RV for a minor adjustment on the generator.  Our appointment was scheduled for 8am on Wednesday.  We were very lucky at Tall Pines—the site was so level that we didn’t have to unhitch the truck from the trailer so our departure would be easy.  The park is very nice for a city RV park.  There was a bit of highway noise from I-20 but the park itself is very clean and quiet with two dog parks—one for small dogs and another one for large dogs.  Duke and Abby had quite a good time chasing each other around the park.

We did find a Cheddar’s in Shreveport and went there for dinner.  I ordered a glass of wine and waited and waited for it.  Pat talked to the bartender and found out that the bar was out of the wine and the wine cellar was locked.  Apparently only the manager had the key to the storage and he miraculously appeared with my wine after Pat tracked him down.  Then we had a long wait for our food.  My grilled salmon was excellent but Pat said his steak could have been hotter.  I guess we are spoiled by the good service as well as good food at the Clarksville Cheddar’s!!

The rest of our stay was quiet and filled with doing laundry. 

EASY LIVING!!

Chicot County Park (Lake Village, AR)

Wow, I can’t believe I am so far behind on my blog postings.  We arrived at Chicot County Park in Arkansas on October 25.  All we really knew about the park was that it was on Chicot Lake across the Mississippi River from Greenville, MS.  Our choice to stay at this particular park was driven by the nightly cost of only $15.54 (senior rate) and the close proximity to friends, Wayne and Keron, who live in Leland.  Well what a surprise when we pulled into the park and were warmly greeted by the park managers, Raymond and Margie.  The view from our site was absolutely beautiful:

The sites are exceptionally spacious and there is no limit on the stay.  We might consider staying next fall for a month or more.  The only problem we found was the neighborhood dogs which are allowed to run loose.  The first two days of our two week stay were especially troublesome—I was walking Duke and Abby when I came upon a campsite that had two loose dogs that were visiting.  When one of the loose dogs went behind us, Duke and Abby turned me around (protecting me, I suppose) and literally pulled me off my feet and I went down face first.  The owners were quite apologetic and offered to help me back to our camper but, of course, I am much too stubborn to give in to a bit of a bloody mouth.  It turned out that my wounded lips healed fast but my bruised knees took longer (all is ok now).  The next day, Pat and I went to Sherman’s for a delicious steak dinner to celebrate my birthday and our anniversary.  We felt right at home with all sorts of memorabilia from Peyton Manning—Sherman’s owner and Manning’s father are good friends.  After we got back home, I leashed the dogs and started out the door with them.  This is when I discovered that there are neighborhood dogs that run free.  One of them was coming by our camper just as I opened the door; Duke and Abby saw the dog and took off; they pulled me down the steps and in the process I had to let go of the leashes.  Pat and I took after our pups—Abby stopped and came back but Duke continued chasing the stray.  Since it was dark and Duke is black, we thought we had lost him forever.  L  Abby and I continued looking all the way to the entrance to the park and all of a sudden, Duke comes out of the ditch.  His leash was wrapped around his legs but he was not harmed other than a couple of scratches.  What a relief!!  J  Fortunately, I was not hurt other than a couple of bruises.  After these two episodes, we always looked outside before taking the dogs out.  By the end of our stay, I was much more comfortable walking them on my own.

On the Saturday before Halloween, we attended Monuments on Main Street…a walking tour of the Greenville Cemetery with Wayne and Keron.  This was NOT a spooky event but rather a historical tour of the cemetery with actors portraying the featured personalities.  The event benefited three not-for-profits, Animal Rescue and Relief Fellowship (ARRF), Animal Welfare League (AWL), and The Greenville Cemetery.  The first featured grave site was Harriet Byron McAllister Blanton Theobald (April 17, 1798-January 23, 1888).  She is known as the “Mother of Greenville” and her philanthropic deeds helped to rebuild Greenville after the Civil War.  We visited six other grave sites of prominent citizens of Greenville.  This was the first year for the event and reportedly was more successful than the organizers imagined.

In front of this grave marker is a step--in the days of
horse and carriage, the carriage would stop at the
step so that paasengers could exit the carriage.

We also visited the Cypress Preserve.  The preserve is a forested swamp (it is partially dry at this time of the year).  “It is a wetland dominated by woody plants and characterized by saturated soils during the growing season and standing water during certain times of the year.  The highly organic soil of swamps forms a thick, black, nutrient rich environment for the growth of water tolerant trees such as the bald cypress.”  The preserve has trails through woodland and meadow to view various wildlife and vegetation.

Another day’s adventure led us to Vicksburg to drive through the Vicksburg National Military Park.  The driving tour begins at the visitor’s center along Union Avenue.  This was basically the Union line during the battle.  Different aspects of the battle are indicated by blue markers representing union activity and red markers for confederate movements.  In addition, every state that was represented by troops has a variety of monuments marking where different units participated plus a main monument for the entire state. 

African American Monument

Illinois Memorial--Names of all soldiers are listed inside

New Hampshire Memorial

Shirley House-only original building still standing

List of Names of Wisconsin Soldiers

Wisconsin Memorial

The drive continues past the USS Cairo Museum.  The museum contains artifacts from the Cairo as well as the remains of the boat.  The USS Cairo was the first vessel ever sunk by an electrically detonated torpedo (today called a mine).  Across the road from the museum is the Vicksburg National Cemetery.  Of the almost 17,000 Union soldiers buried in the cemetery, about 13,000 are unknown.  Established in 1866, the cemetery is also the final resting place for veterans of the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, and the Korean War.  It was closed to burials in 1961. 

USS Cairo

Vicksburg National Cemetery

The drive then continues along Confederate Avenue where the confederate states memorials and monuments are located.  It would probably take days to fully cover the entire park and read all the signs. 

Tennessee Memorial

Texas Memorial

Arkansas Memorial

An unusual highlight of our stay at Chicot County Park was to watch the demolition of the approach to the old bridge over the Mississippi River.  Mississippi and Arkansas built a new bridge to replace the old one that was a hazard to river transportation.  We happened to be driving back to the campground and saw several cars parked on the levee.  We decided to drive up and see what was going on.  We were told that they were setting explosives to blow up the bridge and that we could watch from another location.  We made it to the alternative location and waited for the show to begin.  When it did it was pretty fantastic!

New Bridge

Section of old bridge still standing

Bridge Approach before demolition

DEMOLITION!

After Demolition

Having grown up and lived all my life in the north (i.e. north of the Ohio River), I never saw cotton fields before this trip.  My initial reaction was how hard it must have been to harvest the cotton before the invention of the cotton gin.  Now a field can be harvested in a matter of a few hours.  We witnessed and photographed a field being harvested and the filed being prepared for plowing.  I am sure the farmers thought we werenuts but we found it quite interesting!!

All in all our stay in Chicot County was a lot of fun seeing friends and the sites of Chicot County, AR, Greenville, MS, and Vicksburg, MS.   On November 8, we continued our journey into Louisiana.

EASY LIVING!!

Natchez Trace (Hohenwald, TN –Tupelo, MS)

We continued investigating various locations on the Natchez Trace Parkway as we drove from Hohenwald to Tupelo.  The Trace along the northern part is very beautiful with a canopy of trees over the road.  The nice thing about the road is that there are no commercial vehicles permitted so we didn’t have to worry about semi’s zooming around us.

There is so much history along the parkway and we didn’t have time to stop at every brown sign along the way.  One of the stops that we did make while pulling the 5-wheel was at Pharr Mounds.  The eight burial mounds were built from about 1,800 to 2,000 years ago.  According to the informational sign, the builders of these mounds probably knew little about farming and relied entirely on hunting, fishing and gathering berries. 

After settling into the Natchez Trace RV Park (in the rain as usual) for our stay of a couple of days, we spent the rest of the day relaxing and planning our tour for the next day.  The next day we saw more Indian mounds—Bynum Mounds which were built by prehistoric people between 2,100 and 1,800 years ago. 

We were able to walk around the preserved site to see the mounds up close.  By far the most interesting mounds were the Owl Creek Mounds.  This was a ceremonial site and built/used by farming people belonging to the Mississippian culture A.D. 1000 to 1500.  The archaeological site was originally composed of five Indian mounds, a central plaza, village area and other key features. Many of these have disappeared over the years, but the central two mounds remain and are preserved in a park area that also features walkways, interpretive panels and a picnic area (see http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/natchezowlcreek.html for additional information.)  The larger of the mounds has steps to the top that gives a panoramic view of the surrounding area and of the other mound. 

After seeing the mounds, we started visiting Civil War Battlefield and Cemetery sites.    North of Tupelo is Brice’s Cross Roads National Battlefield Site (June 10, 1864) and Cemetery.  The Confederate victory at Brice’s Cross Roads was a significant victory for Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest, but its long term effect on the war proved costly for the Confederates. Brice’s Cross Roads is an excellent example of winning the battle, but losing the war. For more information, go to http://www.nps.gov/brcr/index.htm.

Tupelo was the site of another Civil War battle on July 14-15, 1864 between Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith for the Union and Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest who had previously pushed back the Union troops at Brice’s Crossroads.  The purpose for the fighting in Mississippi during the summer of 1864 was to protect the railroad carrying food and ammunition from Louisville and Chattanooga to the union army advancing on Atlanta.  While neither side can claim complete victory at Tupelo, the Union army did keep Forrest in Mississippi allowing Sherman to continue his march to the sea. 

After our brief stay in the Tupelo area, we proceeded south along the Natchez Trace before heading west to Greenville, MS.  While driving along the Trace, the road looked much the same as we had seen previously until we came upon a sign the said “Tornado Damage April 2011”.  The damage went for miles and miles and made the area look like a war zone.  It appears that the tornado that ripped through the area traveled along the Natchez Trace destroying everything in its path.  How awesome nature can be in both good ways as well as those possibly perceived to be bad.

We arrived at Chicot County Park in Lake Village, AR on October 25, 2011.  Our continuing adventures will be posted on another day.

EASY LIVING!!