The Road Home

10 05 2022

After great times in Houston visiting friends and family,  on Tuesday we’re packing up and headed toward home.  Our original plan was to take about a week to make the nearly 1000 mile trek across Texas, part of eastern New Mexico and into southern Colorado.  However, with temperatures pushing into record territory all weekend and fuel prices rising seemingly every day, we’re going to compress the transit into 3 or 4 nights.

Our first night is at Little Lucy RV Resort on Lampasas, TX.  The city calls themselves the Gateway to the Texas Hill Country and a gem of Central Texas.  Certainly they have history to boast of.  One of the oldest courthouses still in use in Texas is impressive, beautiful murals, award winning wineries and natural free-flowing springs.  This looks like an interesting place to spend a few days.  Little Lucy RV (I’m not sure I’d call it a resort yet) is nestled among pecan, oak and elm trees along the shady banks of Little Lucy Creek.   We stayed in site #1, a long pull through right along the creek, nice cement pad with a picnic table and full hookups. The only downside is that we could find no WiFi.  And, since we’re about 5 miles out of town, the T-Mobile cellular signal struggles a bit.  However, for a quick overnight, this park was prefect and we’re return for a longer visit.  The 3 “overnight” sites #1-#3 are very nice, and those set back in the trees, #8-13 offer a bit more shade along the creek.

Little Lucy RV Resort, Lampasas, TX

From Lampasas we’re at Hat Creek RV Park in Big Spring, TX, in the middle of oil country.  Big Spring straddles I-20, about 100 miles west of Abilene and 50 miles east of Midland/Odessa.  This newer park is basically a gravel parking lot with paved roadways and gravel lots, some with concrete pads.  Each pull-through site offers full hookups and streamable WiFi. The clubhouse, store and laundry rooms are first-rate.  Again, for an overnight, this park worked just fine.

Hat Creek RV Park, Big Spring, TX

Our last night was at Oasis RV in Amarillo.  We’ve visited Oasis before, and in fact, the owners of this park also own the Oasis in Durango, CO where we started this trip 119 days ago!  This park is truly an oasis in the Texas panhandle, along I-40 and providing first-rate pull through concrete sites, full hookups, great WiFi and beautiful pool/clubhouse facilities.  FULL REVIEW HERE

Oasis RV, Amarillo, TX

From Amarillo it’s a relatively short drive into New Mexico, and then over Raton pass to southern Colorado.  We’ve driven over 5000 miles on our 2022 Spring Road Trip, exploring Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Mexico, New Mexico and Texas.  We’ve visited 22 different parks and spent great times with friends and family.   Our next trip is to Dolores, CO for a Montana owner’s rally. More from Dolores…

The Spanish Peaks, Walsenburg, CO





Lakeview RV Resort, Houston, TX

6 05 2022

After a quick overnight at Goliad State Park (reviewed here), an enroute stop at Buc-ee’s in Wharton, we’ve arrived at Lakeview RV Resort just outside the south loop in Houston. The facilities are wonderful here and as they say, location, location, location!  We’re 2.5 miles from the 610 loop, 4 miles from NRG Stadium, about 12 miles from downtown Houston and only 30 miles from Space Center Houston.

Lakeview RV Resort, Houston, TX

Lakeview RV Resort, Houston, TX

Lakeside RV Resort, Houston, TX

Rumored to be a former drive-in movie theatre, this RV resort is a true urban oasis minutes away from anything in the Houston area.  With almost 350 sites, the resort is organized around two lakes. The clubhouse including business center, laundry room and fitness center is located on the largest of 2 lakes, as are the original 250 sites.  The 90 “new sites” are around a second smaller lake, also with a laundry and shower house.  The original sites offer a bit more shade, but some are somewhat cramped.  We are parked in site #27, a site that was formerly a back-in on the edge of the complex and now offers a view of the new lake out the back window.  All sites are full hookup, offering 20A, 30A, 50A service, cable TV and streamable WiFi.

Pappasito’s Cantina

Our 5 days in Houston are filled with great restaurants, breweries and explorations. Friday started with a trip to meet a former work colleague, travel buddy and friends at their home in Friendswood, TX.  It was a great afternoon, D&K, loved catching up and enjoying your home brews!

On Friday evening we visited a Texas tradition, Pappasito’s Mexican Cantina on the South Loop.  It’s not how we remembered the Pappa’s brand, the food was OK, the service sketchy and the atmosphere a bit hectic.

 

On Saturday we spent the day at Space Center Houston.  Amazing place..not to be missed if you’re planning some time in the Houston area.  For lunch we enjoyed Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar in Friendswood – great experience!

Space Shuttle atop 747

Old and New, Space Shuttle and SpaceX Falcon 9

Saturn V at Space Center HoustonPOST

On Sunday we had an awesome brunch at Sixty Vines, then enjoyed a few interesting brews at the Urban South Brewery followed by a visit to  POST Houston.  Built in 1934, the POST building was a mail depot adjacent to Houston’s Grand Central Station. In 1984, as the Barbra Jordon Post Office, this building was headquarters for the USPS in Houston.   In 2021 this historic building was renovated into a food hall, with unique foods, custom cocktail stalls and a rooftop concert venue. Conjuring images of Asian food bazaars, this space is so much fun, and the views from the rooftop like nothing else in Houston. G&S, thanks for taking us to some of your favorite places!

Urban South Brewery

POST Houston, Interior & Staircase

POST Houston Rooftop Gardens and Downtown view

After using Monday to catch up on some ignored work tasks, we’re packing up and headed north on Tuesday.  With temps hovering near 100 all weekend, and fuel topping out close to $6/gallon,..we’re ready to get home.  More from the road home…