Not a Welcome Change
Thursday, November 18, 2021~
Day 522 (Travel Day)
Gosh, I was really hoping for a great night’s sleep, turning in at an unusually early bedtime for me…..12:30. But, I guess it wasn’t meant to be. Our weather went south as we were awakened at 4:00 a.m. to 25 mph winds, coming straight onto the beach;
quite a different description from my last 2 blog posts. Since we’d been used to kinder weather, we had been leaving
all our windows open to get a nice cross breeze moving through the trailer and to hear the waves gently lapping on shore. Not tonight. In a matter of minutes of being awakened, the winds got worse, forcing us to shut every window, bring in
the 2 slides (worried that our awning fabric over the slides might rip), and pray that high tide wouldn’t bring a storm surge high enough to touch the rig. Looking out the window, I could see our fellow neighbor’s using flashlights to investigate. Somehow, I found it comforting knowing we weren’t the only worried ones. Even with the trailer stabilizers down we could still feel the rig shaking quite a bit. Unexpectedly, the antenna decided to detach itself and do a little dance on our roof. Poor Jeff had to climb the ladder to go up and retrieve it.
With our king-size bed now shrunk down to half its size after bringing in the slides, and Sadie curled up at our feet, it was nearly impossible to get a good quality sleep; what was left of it. I think in 3 hours, we managed to get 20 minutes worth. Once the sun was up, it was quite apparent that our nice calm bay waters had turned into one stormy, energized ocean. The water had crept up a little more on shore, but not enough to warrant an immediate exit. Nearly every camper/RV’er was making an exodus. Even the people that were arriving had decided to come up with a Plan B. While Jeff and I hurriedly packed things up, Sadie enjoyed some playtime, chasing seagulls and blackbirds on the beach. Obviously, 25 mph winds don’t phase her a bit. I guess our timing was good because we had already planned on leaving today.
Once we got away from the beach, the winds seemed to ease up a bit, but could still be felt with the trailer in tow. Thank goodness we have one overkill sway system for the size and weight of our rig. Since we didn’t make our routine breakfast for the road, we were trying to find a Starbucks that we hoped would be in a location where we could park the trailer. It’s usually a guessing game. We got it right today. While Jeff stayed with the trailer, I ran in to get EXTRA LARGE beverages to help keep us alert for the 4-hour drive ahead. Jeff drove the entire way with quite a few stressful moments, encountering more highway construction, narrow lanes, and crazy interchanges…..especially through San Antonio.
As we’re making our way back west, it’s nice that we’ve been able to stop at cities we missed the last time. Today’s stay at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park Campground gave us an opportunity to see one of them…….Fredericksburg, TX. First of all, this park has everything and is rated as the #1 municipal park in all of Texas. Included, of course, is the RV Park we are staying in. But on its 330 acres, it also includes five outdoor pavilions, picnic tables and bbq areas, nature trails, a baseball field, volleyball court, basketball court, tennis courts, pickleball courts, swimming pool, fishing, and a golf course. Whew! And no wonder the RV Park is $55/night with access to all these amenities.
We immediately realized after a quick outing into this darling city of Fredericksburg, that we should have booked a longer stay. This traditional German town offers so much to any tourist, especially this time of year. The Holidays are a really special time to be here with the town in its beginning stages of festive decor as they are gearing up for their Christmas Nights of Lights put on annually
from November 23 to January 6. We’re so bummed we’re a few days shy of seeing this worthwhile event. The town also boasts wineries, shops, and plenty of dining. The National Museum of the Pacific War is just one of several museums that offers a great historical perspective of the area. St. Mary's Catholic Church
was gorgeous as we got to sneak in for a little peak. Another highlight is Enchanted Rock which offers primitive camping, nature trails, cave exploration, rock climbing, and interpretive exhibits. One day just won’t cut it, so we will be back.