Day 5: In Which We Reach Our Destination (1/10/22)

 The next morning we met one of the lovelier aspects of this park: the gentleman from the trailer next to ours, who pointed out that one of our trailer tires was low. He got out his pressure gauge and confirmed it, then pumped both trailer tires (and even our spare) with his air compressor. 


What impressed Phil most, however, was the fact that he carried a rifle in his trailer.

We left the patriots and Waco in 40-degree, sunny weather, with a chill wind blowing. What impressed us along the route to our final destination is that Texans do things big. I didn’t get photos of the criss-crossing freeways in Dallas or the hilltop mansions or the sprawling, larger-than-life gas stations/rest stops on our way down to Lake Corpus Christi, but you get the picture anyway.

We pulled in to Lake Corpus Christi State Park around 3 p.m., greeted by a friendly and efficient park ranger who even gave us dog treats. (An aside: the attendants we met at toll booths and campgrounds in our trek across Oklahoma and Texas have all been 180 degrees different from those in the Bay Area. They smile, engage us in conversation, laugh at Phil’s jokes, and are outstandingly friendly. Amazing.)

The park is scenic and neatly kept, with large camping spaces on several loops and many spots to picnic, fish, and swim. We biked around to explore (first bike ride of 2022!).





Our campground loop has full hookups (water, electric, sewer), which is unusual for a state park. No internet, but we can use our phones for email and for linking to our iPads. Every picnic table has its own metal shelter—I’m guessing more for protection from sun than rain, especially in the summer.


Here’s the view from our door:


One big negative: Small, prickly burrs that remind me of the puncture vines in the San Joaquin Valley when I was growing up. They infest the grass here, and for people with shoes it’s no problem. But our dogs can’t run 10 feet on the grass without limping, crying, and trying to pull those painful prickers out of their paws.

Soup for dinner tonight again. 😐 Tomorrow: roast beef in the instant pot! 😀

I look forward to tomorrow: our first camping day with no travel. No schedule. Ahhhh…

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