I have not had much time for quite a while. Packing up the farm, downsizing, and moving have taken huge blocks of time. While I usually can't wait to put together the blog on our trips, I've been so excited about doing nothing. While I will be doing posts, they're a couple days behind. And I may miss a day or two here and there, so it's different this time. I hope you still find it interesting. I hope you'll join us for our visit to Texas!
Post number one- En route and eventually Texas
We’ve been working 7 days a week for what seems like forever. Little to no time off has worn us down and we were really looking forward to a trip to Wyoming. We would be resting, taking it easy, camping up in the Medicine Bow Range and doing photography. Maybe I would write a few blog posts. We planned to dry camp around 8-10 thousand feet, hike, and do our star photos. This was not to be.
A week from our departure date, I received a text from a friend who was hiking in Wyoming. He let us know that it was pretty smoky up there. Smoke kills photography and really bothers Laurie’s eyes. This was a problem and we had to change gears fast. Like everything else in times of COVID, flexibility and adaptation are key.
A week from our departure date, I received a text from a friend who was hiking in Wyoming. He let us know that it was pretty smoky up there. Smoke kills photography and really bothers Laurie’s eyes. This was a problem and we had to change gears fast. Like everything else in times of COVID, flexibility and adaptation are key.
Hope, Arkansas-County Fairgrounds
I immediately educated myself on air quality maps and what websites I could use to investigate our options. What seems like the entire western U.S. is on fire and the smoke drifts for hundreds of (possibly over 1000) miles. I started looking at other options and places we could go on a major holiday weekend, with low COVID numbers, with good night skies for photos, without smoke, on less than 7 days notice. This was somewhat of a tall order.
I came up with a place we had been before, over 7 years ago. We chose to go to Lajitas, Texas, right on the Mexican border. The Weather Channel promised us high temperatures just a tick above 90, pretty much what we were dealing with at home. We were able to get a spot in a nice campground at a golf resort in the middle of nowhere on Labor Day weekend.
They are a Bortle class 1 sky (VERY dark), there are no fires or smoke in the area, air quality numbers are some of the best in the country. Their covid numbers were 4.7/100k while our home county in Tennessee was 107/100k……..in other words their numbers were twenty times less than where we lived. Lajitas, Texas….here we come!
I came up with a place we had been before, over 7 years ago. We chose to go to Lajitas, Texas, right on the Mexican border. The Weather Channel promised us high temperatures just a tick above 90, pretty much what we were dealing with at home. We were able to get a spot in a nice campground at a golf resort in the middle of nowhere on Labor Day weekend.
They are a Bortle class 1 sky (VERY dark), there are no fires or smoke in the area, air quality numbers are some of the best in the country. Their covid numbers were 4.7/100k while our home county in Tennessee was 107/100k……..in other words their numbers were twenty times less than where we lived. Lajitas, Texas….here we come!
Buc-ee's! Royce, Texas
I left work mid-day on Tuesday and we headed southwest. Lajitas is a 20 hour run with zero stops….so realistically, it’s probably around 26 hours or so with food, fuel, and rest stops. I used the Campendium campground website to chart possible stopping locations. In the old days, I would have pushed through and drove until 2 or 3 in the morning but I’m not 35 anymore.
We arrived in Hope, Arkansas on Tuesday night around 9:30 p.m. One of my possible stopping points was the county fairgrounds which had full RV hookups. You can arrive at any time day or night, and you put $25 in a slot and pick a spot. We were one of two RV’s in the entire park, both transiting south into Texas. We walked around the deserted fairgrounds as we had been sitting for quite some time. Then we turned in for the night.
The next morning, we woke up and headed southwest on I-30 towards Texas. We weren’t in a terrible hurry, took our time gathering up and made a stop or two along the way. One of our stops is a store called Buc-ee’s in Royce, Texas. It is theoretically a convenience store but in reality is more like a Walmart. They have everything, including clothing, sporting goods, hunting supplies, BBQ grills, a bakery, BBQ sandwiches, souvenirs, and candy.
We arrived in Hope, Arkansas on Tuesday night around 9:30 p.m. One of my possible stopping points was the county fairgrounds which had full RV hookups. You can arrive at any time day or night, and you put $25 in a slot and pick a spot. We were one of two RV’s in the entire park, both transiting south into Texas. We walked around the deserted fairgrounds as we had been sitting for quite some time. Then we turned in for the night.
The next morning, we woke up and headed southwest on I-30 towards Texas. We weren’t in a terrible hurry, took our time gathering up and made a stop or two along the way. One of our stops is a store called Buc-ee’s in Royce, Texas. It is theoretically a convenience store but in reality is more like a Walmart. They have everything, including clothing, sporting goods, hunting supplies, BBQ grills, a bakery, BBQ sandwiches, souvenirs, and candy.
Inside of Buc-ee's
If you’re old like us...Buc-ee’s is like a Stuckeys of days past. But in this case, Stuckeys is 50,000 square feet, and has 50 fuel pumps out front. These numbers are NOT an exaggeration. The place is massive, has probably 200 parking spots, and covers several acres.
The food and treats are good, the bathrooms are clean and HUGE, and the staff are helpful on a level not found in any other convenience store/travel center on the planet. We bought baked treats, jerky (they have an entire wall of jerky), drinks, and souvenirs. We burn over an hour there, and yes, it was fun!
We have had an enormous amount on our plate lately so we were committed to traveling a bit less “pushed”, and taking our time. I am, however, realistic. We are in a suburb of Dallas and it is early afternoon. I told Laurie that we need to saddle up and get through Dallas before rush hour starts. We want none of that.
The food and treats are good, the bathrooms are clean and HUGE, and the staff are helpful on a level not found in any other convenience store/travel center on the planet. We bought baked treats, jerky (they have an entire wall of jerky), drinks, and souvenirs. We burn over an hour there, and yes, it was fun!
We have had an enormous amount on our plate lately so we were committed to traveling a bit less “pushed”, and taking our time. I am, however, realistic. We are in a suburb of Dallas and it is early afternoon. I told Laurie that we need to saddle up and get through Dallas before rush hour starts. We want none of that.
In the oil patch-Midland, Texas
I’d like to say our trip through Dallas was uneventful but it was a three ring circus. I had a guy go from the far left across five lanes of traffic to make an exit. He missed the front of the truck by maybe two feet and I smoked all the tires trying to avoid hitting him. We went three miles and the exact scenario happened again! I do not like driving in Dallas. They’re idiots.
We thought about pushing on and arriving in Lajitas around midnight, but we had already decided that we’re not on any sort of schedule and there is no reason to push. So we stop in Midland, Texas for the night. We go to Walmart, do a little shopping for things we didn’t have time to get before leaving, fuel, and head to the campground that was on my list.
If you’re unfamiliar with Midland, it’s what they call “oil patch”. There are drill rigs and pumps EVERYWHERE. And I do mean everywhere. In town, out in the country, you name it. They’ve sunk a well and put in a pump. It is very similar to what the coal fields were like in the boom days. The difference is, MIdland is still there and the coal fields are mostly gone.
We thought about pushing on and arriving in Lajitas around midnight, but we had already decided that we’re not on any sort of schedule and there is no reason to push. So we stop in Midland, Texas for the night. We go to Walmart, do a little shopping for things we didn’t have time to get before leaving, fuel, and head to the campground that was on my list.
If you’re unfamiliar with Midland, it’s what they call “oil patch”. There are drill rigs and pumps EVERYWHERE. And I do mean everywhere. In town, out in the country, you name it. They’ve sunk a well and put in a pump. It is very similar to what the coal fields were like in the boom days. The difference is, MIdland is still there and the coal fields are mostly gone.
If you want a shower, you have to have a token
We set up in the campground, basically a large gravel parking lot with hookups. Most of the people staying there were oil workers and this was their weekday residence and they go home on weekends. I go into the bath house in dire need of a shower and find that they charge for showers. I go digging in the console of the truck for quarters so I can take a shower.
When I return to the bath house I find that the box that controls the shower does not take quarters….it takes some sort of token! The office is closed, it’s after 10 p.m., and I have no way to get a token. I’m not sure how I’ll get a shower tonight but want one badly.
The TTU (where I work) cafeteria has reusable takeout boxes. The cafeteria gives you a token that you give to the server and they put your lunch in one of the takeout boxes. When you return the box to a machine outside of the cafeteria, it dispenses a token that you can trade for your next meal box. I have three of the tokens in my console.
It’s a long shot, but I get the lunch box tokens and head back to the showers once again. I deposit one of the tokens in the machine and the shower springs to life! I have ten minutes of shower time for one TTU lunchbox token! I feel much better after my shower and we call it a night.
When I return to the bath house I find that the box that controls the shower does not take quarters….it takes some sort of token! The office is closed, it’s after 10 p.m., and I have no way to get a token. I’m not sure how I’ll get a shower tonight but want one badly.
The TTU (where I work) cafeteria has reusable takeout boxes. The cafeteria gives you a token that you give to the server and they put your lunch in one of the takeout boxes. When you return the box to a machine outside of the cafeteria, it dispenses a token that you can trade for your next meal box. I have three of the tokens in my console.
It’s a long shot, but I get the lunch box tokens and head back to the showers once again. I deposit one of the tokens in the machine and the shower springs to life! I have ten minutes of shower time for one TTU lunchbox token! I feel much better after my shower and we call it a night.
Somewhere in the badlands of Texas
The next morning we get up and make it all the way to Odessa, around 20 minutes away. We stop to find breakfast and wind up in a grocery store called “Market Street”.....which turns out to be fantastic! We have fresh foods off of the salad bar, buy a few items, and after we have our breakfast we get a coffee at the Starbucks in the store! Laurie LOVES “Market Street”!
We head off through some of the most remote and desolate areas of Texas. Zero cell service. Scrub brush, scorpions, and rattlesnakes are the predominant life forms, with an occasional cow. If you see someone on the side of the road in this stretch (about 100 miles) it is considered good form to stop and ask if they need help. You are on your own out here.
We hit cell service in Terlingua and my phone blows up. In the hour we were out of cell range, they put my dad in the hospital (he’s fine now) and our realtor was trying to reach us. We have the farm up for sale and we got an offer. 100 percent of asking with an October 5 closing. Hard to turn that one down.
We head off through some of the most remote and desolate areas of Texas. Zero cell service. Scrub brush, scorpions, and rattlesnakes are the predominant life forms, with an occasional cow. If you see someone on the side of the road in this stretch (about 100 miles) it is considered good form to stop and ask if they need help. You are on your own out here.
We hit cell service in Terlingua and my phone blows up. In the hour we were out of cell range, they put my dad in the hospital (he’s fine now) and our realtor was trying to reach us. We have the farm up for sale and we got an offer. 100 percent of asking with an October 5 closing. Hard to turn that one down.
Maria's taco truck-Alpine, Texas
We arrive in Lajitas and check in at the campground. They have very little cell service but 60 meg internet so we’re good to go. We get the AC going on the camper and start downloading documents. We review the offer, decide to accept, and notify the realtor. They send us Docusign documents to accept the offer. We get that done and get back to work.
We’re setting up and a storm is visible in the distance. Storms can be nasty out here. Heather said once that “the weather out here is dramatic”, and she’s correct. Wind stirs up dust, and you can see a wall of weather heading right at you. We’re racing to get things set up…..and I make a mistake.
I’m in a hurry. I need to weigh something down so the storm that’s bearing down on us doesn’t blow it away. While I thought about getting my gloves, I have just minutes to get things done before severe weather hits and I keep working without my gloves. This was my mistake.
We’re setting up and a storm is visible in the distance. Storms can be nasty out here. Heather said once that “the weather out here is dramatic”, and she’s correct. Wind stirs up dust, and you can see a wall of weather heading right at you. We’re racing to get things set up…..and I make a mistake.
I’m in a hurry. I need to weigh something down so the storm that’s bearing down on us doesn’t blow it away. While I thought about getting my gloves, I have just minutes to get things done before severe weather hits and I keep working without my gloves. This was my mistake.
Taco lunch-Alpine, Texas
I pick up a rock to put down on something to hold it in place. I feel an incredibly intense sting on one of my fingers, like half a dozen yellow jackets at once. I yell out in pain and Laurie runs to see what happened. I told her that something stung me. We watch a light brown scorpion crawl out from under the rock and scurry for cover. I wasn’t able to get to it to bring the retribution it so rightly deserved. I now know that scorpions suck.
We dashed for cover as the rain bore down on us. We’ll have to deal with the rest of the setup after the rain stops and we figure out my scorpion sting. I looked it up on the internet and while unpleasant, the light brown ones aren’t the bad ones…..but you could have fooled me. Most people don’t have problems, and we kept it iced for around 3 hours. After that I was okay.
We have dinner and sit down for a while. I have not planned to do any photos as the day has been just a little intense. I didn’t want to gather all the photo stuff and head out in the desert to a place I haven’t had time to scout. Turns out…..I didn’t have to. I ended up doing photos at our campsite! I do star photos for a while and head to bed.
Here's a bit from Laurie. More tomorrow!
We dashed for cover as the rain bore down on us. We’ll have to deal with the rest of the setup after the rain stops and we figure out my scorpion sting. I looked it up on the internet and while unpleasant, the light brown ones aren’t the bad ones…..but you could have fooled me. Most people don’t have problems, and we kept it iced for around 3 hours. After that I was okay.
We have dinner and sit down for a while. I have not planned to do any photos as the day has been just a little intense. I didn’t want to gather all the photo stuff and head out in the desert to a place I haven’t had time to scout. Turns out…..I didn’t have to. I ended up doing photos at our campsite! I do star photos for a while and head to bed.
Here's a bit from Laurie. More tomorrow!
The other viewpoint- Thoughts from Laurie
Left home in a rainstorm and didn’t expect to see any more rain until we got home. We got out on time, thankfully, in spite of the remnants of hurricane Ida. It wasn’t as bad as it might have been. We drove out of the rain in about 2 hours from home. The rest of that day’s drive was uneventful thankfully. Apparently everyone that commutes lives east of Memphis. We hit Memphis about rush hour but there was no traffic leaving the city going west. Grateful for that.
Stayed that night in a state fairgrounds in Hope, Arkansas. It was very serviceable - water and electric hook ups and grassy level spots. We had stayed in one at the Raleigh, NC fairgrounds and they had a nice bath house. Such a smart use of the land and facilities. It was cheap too - so I’m surprised other fairgrounds with camping facilities don’t do that. After driving 10 or so hours I was ready to get out of the truck. The evening was pleasant and we walked around a bit before heading to bed.
The next day (Wed) we got up, had a terrible breakfast and headed down the road. Another long day of driving. Our goal had been to get as far as possible but we ended up stopping along the way and taking our time. We probably spent an hour in Buc-ees. It's the largest convenience store ever. They have everything from chips to full hot meals. A big hit with me was Beaver Nuggets. Look it up.
A Laurie favorite!
Making the journey, not just the destination, part of the experience allows for a more pleasant trip. When we traveled as a family when I was a kid there was no stopping - hold your pee, if you're thirsty tough shit - just drive. I think it’s probably because my parents couldn’t stand being in that close proximity for very long. Everyone was grumpy by the time we arrived. Great way to start a vacation.
Wed night was spent in a campground in Midland, TX. It’s in the middle of oil patch country. There are small and large oil rigs busily pumping all over. People’s yards, businesses - everyone seemed to have one. It was interesting that with all that, there are also huge wind fields and solar fields throughout the area. So there is some diversification of energy production. However, sucking up as much oil from the ground seemed the main industry.
Wed night was spent in a campground in Midland, TX. It’s in the middle of oil patch country. There are small and large oil rigs busily pumping all over. People’s yards, businesses - everyone seemed to have one. It was interesting that with all that, there are also huge wind fields and solar fields throughout the area. So there is some diversification of energy production. However, sucking up as much oil from the ground seemed the main industry.
An arroyo near the campground, the night we arrived.
Midland was ugly, dirty and had little to offer as a place to be. We were just too tired to keep driving. The campground we ended up in was probably an old parking lot or staging area where most of the campers were semi-permanent places for the oil workers to spend the week. I was glad to get out of there.
Thurs was an interesting day. Started off great with a stop at a local market where we ended up getting breakfast. They had a great salad bar and made me miss Doxi’s and the Food Co-op in Wilmington, NC. Toddled down the road, took pictures, not in any hurry to reach Lajitas. It was about 5 hours from Midland. Out of cell service for about an hour just before we got there. In that time Bill’s dad was put in the hospital (he’s ok now) and we got a full price offer on the house.
We got to our campground, set up and got the appropriate documents signed (gotta love the internet) and the skies opened up with a desert thunderstorm. Flooding around us but not in the campground. Long story short, everything settled down after the storm and Bill found out he could shoot the stars from right outside the camper. All was right again in his world again. And it turns out it was a good thing we didn’t get there the night before. They had a storm come through with 110mph winds and knocked a bunch of campers over. A lesson in gratitude.
More tomorrow!
Thurs was an interesting day. Started off great with a stop at a local market where we ended up getting breakfast. They had a great salad bar and made me miss Doxi’s and the Food Co-op in Wilmington, NC. Toddled down the road, took pictures, not in any hurry to reach Lajitas. It was about 5 hours from Midland. Out of cell service for about an hour just before we got there. In that time Bill’s dad was put in the hospital (he’s ok now) and we got a full price offer on the house.
We got to our campground, set up and got the appropriate documents signed (gotta love the internet) and the skies opened up with a desert thunderstorm. Flooding around us but not in the campground. Long story short, everything settled down after the storm and Bill found out he could shoot the stars from right outside the camper. All was right again in his world again. And it turns out it was a good thing we didn’t get there the night before. They had a storm come through with 110mph winds and knocked a bunch of campers over. A lesson in gratitude.
More tomorrow!