Feb 24-Mar 15: Texas Prairies and Lakes

As we continued our journey to see new places, we made our way to Texas. Our plan is to spend the next 7 weeks checking out some cities and the gulf coast of Texas.

Texas is the second largest state divided into 6 different areas. We started in Tyler, TX which is in the Piney Woods area for 1 night.

We had a nice clean spot at a neat resort called The Boulders on Tyler Lake.

Every time we go to a new place we research things to do and the best food. Tyler was a small place, but we did find some really local and yummy BBQ very close to the RV.

We got lucky that it was Friday and they were open (the only day that week!).

The next morning we were up and off to the Dallas/Fort Worth area which is in the Prairies and Lakes area of Texas. We made camp at Pilot Knoll Park in Argyle, TX just a few miles northwest of Dallas for seven nights.

We had a nice spacious location right on Lake Lewisville.

It was a great place to relax and take in your surroundings.

With the weather not cooperating for a good outside exploring day, we had to find an indoor activity (look at that cold fog!).

We were excited to discover a really cool brewery with a nice selection and a great name. Definitely a good find!

With the sun out and comfortable temps the next day, we headed out to explore Dallas. There was no denying that we were getting close to a big city.

As we got closer we could see Reunion Tower standing tall.

We stopped to walk through Pioneer Plaza Cattle Drive, a true symbol of Texas pride.

This large city park has many bronze cowboy and cattle statues, where no two are the same.

The weather took a little shift. We had a very warm and sunny day that was perfect for a kayak ride around the lake.

So amazing to be back on the water in a boat.

It was a great day.

Our next exploration day took us to Fort Worth. We found a really cool Water Garden.

The features in the garden are all water based art sculptures. Unfortunately, one of the most beautiful ones had to be closed because 3 people died trying to get into the water.

We also checked out the historic stock yard from the car because of the rain. Part of the plan was to go to Billy Bob’s Texas, the biggest honky took in Fort Worth, but it was closed for a private event.

So we found an alternative activity that filled our afternoon with a different kind of color.

The Fort Worth Botanical Garden was having a special exhibit of orchids from around the world. Ashley was in heaven.

The incredible display included thousands of orchids. We learned that there are over 30,000 species of orchids that grow on all continents except Antarctica.

It was a wonderful experience to be immersed in such beauty.

The weather took another turn. The winds shifted and rose. We realized we were not going to escape the bad storms they had been threatening all week. With family and friends telling us to be safe, we brought in all outside items, secured the RV to a couple of trees and made sure our phones and purses were by the door.

The storms started and raged hard. With the wind howling, thunder cracking and lightening dancing in the sky, we heard the dreaded tornado siren. It was Time to go!!

We quickly made our way to the only safe spot, the bathrooms. The women’s was for the cat owners and the men’s was for us dog people.

After about an hour, we were able to go back to the RV and the worst of it seemed to be done. In the light of day, we could see that we had been very fortunate, a few large tree limbs had come down, but Aventis was unharmed.

We then made our way to our next destination, 130 miles due south to Airport Park in Waco.

This was a large state park with many site options on and off the water. We had a lovely spot right on Lake Waco with lots of yard.

This site was unique having a great sunrise and a great sunset.

We got to enjoy this charming spot for 14 days. With so many days in one spot it was a great time to get some projects done.

We started with a small remodel in our bedroom.

The RV came with a set of cabinets over the master bed which made for good storage, but they really closed in the space. So out they came.

The space has a whole new feel, much more us.

Addie’s room got a refresh too. She had a second bed above hers that was not usable as a bed or storage when we were moving.

Every time Addie got into bed she had to bend over or she would hit her head.

We took the whole thing out and restructured the space, so it could be a storage area.

This gave us so much new storage that we can not fill all the bins.

Addie’s room feels so spacious and open now. The windows give it even more light.

After all this fun demolition, we enjoyed a great cookout on the cool but sunny day.

As well as some time just chilling.

Time to explore Waco. First stop, Magnolia Market (remember Chip and Joanna Gaines) hoping to get some decorating ideas for our new spaces.

It was a beautiful and very unique place with a great bakery.

Another place we had to visit while in this area was the Dr. Pepper Museum. Who doesn’t love the stuff!!

So much cool history to discover and what a fun way to do it.

We tried our hands at making our own sodas. No surprise that Captain’s Cola tasted the best.

We also got to experience what it felt like to be a soda taste tester. We rated six sodas based on if their look and smell matched the taste.

I think Addie smiled non-stop until she went to bed that night! It was a really fun experience.

This life allows us to go, go, go but we still try to stop for sunset as often as we can. It always feels like such a gift when we are able to enjoy a beautiful sunset with the ones we love.

With such a stunning background Ashley’s watercolors had to come out.

We took advantage of one of the warmer days to visit Cameron Park. One of our favorite finds was this super neat stairway called Jacob’s Ladder. It is a “slightly updated” version of the ladder built in the early 1900’s to access the river below.

With a little more exploring of the park we found Lovers Leep, which had an amazing view of the cliffs and river below.

We could not leave Waco without visiting the Mammoth National Monument. It was really neat seeing the dig sites with the actual fossils.

The only downside of our spot in Waco was there was no sewer hookup. But we have a work around. That is what “little shitty” is for.

Every few days we empty the black and gray tanks and drive her to the dump station.

We enjoyed many full days of fun wandering around Waco.

Our time in Waco was very productive and relaxing. We had a nice mix of cold and warm weather reminding us that spring was on the way.

Up next: We head to Austin!!!