After several very relaxing days along the banks of the Colorado River, we pulled up stakes and headed towards Houston, Texas. US 90 merges with I-10 until the town of Katy where the toll road begins. We headed off I-10 onto Texas 6 which is a diagonal and connects with I-45 north of Houston. If you've ever driven in downtown Houston, you know it's a nightmare! Once on I-45 it was a short drive to our new temporary home, Lake Conroe.




We really enjoyed our campsite on the river at Thousand Trails. The pool was heated and the spa was awesome. The sites were large and spacious. The interesting thing about TT is that they charge for 50amp service and many give up this view  because they refuse to pay the extra $3/night!

Wildlife abounds in the preserve. Deer are plentiful and we saw armadillos, raccoons and tons of birds....this momma watched to make sure Jasmine stayed on the trail. It looked like she was about to add a new addition to the herd...

We saw Great Blue Herons, Snowy White Egrets and natures clean up crew, the Turkey Vulture. This is a tri colored Great Egret across the river from our campsite.












Curiosity got the better of her as she came closer to look at me. When she did so, I got a better picture of her. A magnificent bird when taking to flight....

There were plenty of deer and several baby fawns in the campground. The mommas kept the fawns pretty close and I didn't want to stress the deer out with Jasmine, so we kept our distance. We do keep Jasmine on her lead as she would be no match with an irritated and/or threatened doe.
Interestingly enough, we saw no bucks.

I photographed this doe because here coat was soft and smooth unlike most of the other deer in the campground.

Cruising down Texas Highway 6, we saw this sign and were intrigued by it. We may head back this way in the car to see just what exactly someone would have in a funeral museum....I hope there are no bodies....

Off the Interstates and down our kind of road. Paradise is just around the next bend in the road...

Our campsite at Lake Conroe. Closest neighbot is that Class B rig to the right. There is a bathroom next to us on the left, but it is closed. We figured it was perfect as we never use the public restrooms and being closed will eliminate any foot traffic. There are a few sites with a lake view but they were already filled. Once we park, my job is to set up the outside, while Debi takes care of the inside. We usually finish about the same time.

Jasmine likes her perch at the foot of my sling chair. This is our view out the back. Yes, my work is done. I am just resting prior to going to the spa.....

Speaking of which, here is the spa at Lake Conroe. It's an adult only affair and was warm and relaxing. It's open until 11PM M-F and Midnight on the weekends. There are no campsites around the pool or spa. I can't say enough nice things about this facility. The showers around the spa even have soft water!

Sunday is church day, so we decided to look at some churches today. If you remember from my earlier post, US 90 parallels I-10 and is a great alternative to the Interstate travel through Texas. As you travel US 90 it passes through many small towns, most forgotton, that have much history. One of these is Schulenburg, Texas. In 1831, the Mexican government granted 4428 acres of land to Kesiah Crier. He kept this land intact until late 1845 when he began selling off portions of the land to other settlers. In 1873 the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad began buying up much of the land for the railroad. The largest portion was the 450 acre parcel of Louis Schulenburg. This railroad today is known as the Southern Pacific. Since most of the town was ultimately constructed on what was formerly the homestead of Louis Schulenburg, the town was aptly named in his honor and a train depot was built in the town. The town of Schulenburg thrived on cotton, it's main source of income along with eggs, poultry and many other items. The town of Schulenburg sponsors a historic tour of the areas churches. We decided to forego the formal tour and take the tour ourselves at our leisure. So, armed with a $4.00 map, purchased at the Polka Museum across the street from the Chamber of Commerce, we set out on our journey. Below is the short version. What an awesome tour...!

Our first stop was in the town of Praha. This area was first settled by Czechoslovakians and their influence is apparent in this region.  TheSt. Mary's Parish was established in 1855 and this church was constructed in 1895. It is constructed of mostly local stone. Upon completion, it was dedicated and name "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" given. The architecture is nineteenth century and the interior was painted by a famous Swiss artist and has never been repainted. 
 




The adjacent cemetery was established in 1865 and features a monument honoring nine local men who lost their lives in World War II. 

Mass had just begun so I had to settle for this picture from the vestibule.

We then traveled to the City of Freyburg. Freyburg was established in the mid 1800s by German settlers. Lutheran and Methodist churches were established here. The Lutheran church was ultimately moved to a nearby community, but the Methodist Church continued. It was beautiful in its' simplicity. This is the United Methodist Church, built in 1879.








It's interior was simple and contains the original wooden benches and altar. Services are only held twice a month.

This little fella was on a tract of land adjacent to the United Methodist Church. He was very interested in what I was doing and watched me very closely. If you wonder why I would call an animal that weighs several hundred pounds a "little fella"...look at the picture below.

This is "little fella"s Momma..!

After leaving Freyburg, we headed out to High Hill, Texas. In September 1860 several families left their homeland in Neudeck, Austria for the United States. They finally settled here, known today as High Hill. This is St. Mary's Catholic Church. It is the third church to be built on the original 9 acres deeded to the church in 1868.

The interior of the church was massive and impressive. It is a classic example of Gothic Revival style, displaying not only Victorian features but also the European background of the German and Czech-Moravian settlers.

The altar and painted canopy are original and have never been touched up. Absolutely amazing!












After leaving High Hill, we headed east on Farm Road 615. Rounding a curve we were met with this sign. It certainly doesn't give you a warm fuzzy feeling but we decided to proceed. Fortunately we weren't in the coach!

This is the Piano Bridge, built in 1885 and one of the few iron bridges still in use today. It got it's name from the twanging sound made when wagons or cars crossed it. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, the wooden planks had to be nailed down, causing the twanging to cease. An adventure for us, nonetheless.

After crossing the Piano Bridge, we came to the Village of Dubina and the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church. Dubina was founded in 1856 and boasts the historical significance of being the first community in Texas founded entirely by Czech-Moravians. The original church was built in 1877 and served until July 21,1909, when a tropical storm demolished it.

The present church, seen here and above, was completed in 1912 and was decorated with frescoes and stenciling. 

During its heyday, the population of Dubina exceeded 3000. Today, around 200 people call Dubina, home.

Finally, we proceeded back north on Texas Farm Road 1383 to the town of Ammannsville. Founded in 1870 by Andrew Ammann and his family, the town was built by settlers who brought all the materials by wagon from Houston, some 90 miles east. For 19 years settlers had to go to nearby churches for mass. During a sermon, held on one of the front porch of a local home, a priest suggested they build their own church. In 1890 the first cornerstone was laid for the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

After the original church was destroyed by a storm in 1909, a second church was built that same year. Eight years later, that church was destroyed by a spectacular fire! In the midst of this fire, villagers rushed inside the church and carried out many of the statues which now grace the interior of the new church which was built in 1919.

This ornate altar was inspiring, to say the least. All of the paint on the walls and ceiling is original, dating to 1919. It has never been retouched or repainted. What you see is exactly how it looked to those first parishioners 94 years ago!

Well, it's certainly been a busy week. After leaving Van Horn Texas, we headed for some rest and relaxation at the North LLano River RV Park. We stayed there several years ago and liked the open spaces. The owners have enlarged the park and the spaces are awesome! They put us in space 70 which is the nicest space in the campground. Many of the spaces have views of the river. Ours was no exception, but we also had a cabana, fire pit, bbq and patio furniture. Very nice touches.

Under threatening skies, we left Junction headed for Medina Lake and the Thousand Trails park there. We had spent a couple weeks there in 2011 and thought we would enjoy the deer and the Lake once again. Well, many of the deer have gone elsewhere and most of the water has been sold out of the lake. A big disappointment. It does underscore why private entities have no business sense when it comes to water management. The "lake" is only 6% full and what water is there is useless due to pollution. The entire area was impacted as tourism is non existent and property values have plummeted, partly due to pollution of the wells from the lake water being sold off. Sad situation indeed. The first night at Medina Lake was a whopper. Mother Nature lit up the skies with a spectacular display of lightning, accompanied by it's cousin, thunder. Very little rain though. The second day was hot and humid as would be expected. We ran the A/C most of the night. Last night was also hot and humid and the thunderstorms returned but brought heavy winds with them. We decided to wait until morning to see if we would stay another night or head eastward. I don't mind driving in the wind but won't if there's wind, thunderstorms and hail in any combination.

This morning was bright and warm but still very windy. There were no signs of rain so we decided to hit the road and head east. Our destination was Columbus Texas. Remember the problem I had earlier with the air leveler compressor? I had made the new screws for it but decided not to repair it as I wasn't comfortable crawling under the coach without proper blocking. I called Iron Horse RV in San Antonio, explained my situation, and they said they could help me out. After a short stop there, repairs were made and we headed east. It was very windy all the way to Columbus, but we arrived safe and sound. After dinner and a trip to the hot tub, I'm now trying to catch up on this blog.....

Many of the Does were in a family way. Most fawns are born late May and Early June.

Plenty of deer here but not nearly as many as in 2011 when we were here. And, they were not as friendly either.

Here's a view of the lake without any water... We were shocked by what we saw.

This guy loved the "dry" lake....

Arizona isn't the only State with Cardinals....

These guys had the run of our section of the campground. We watched them for almost an hour. They would run at each other and one would jump straight up and the other would go under him, then they'd switch and do it again...that's what retirement is all about...









Normally this is not where you want to see your rig...looks a lot safer than me squeezed underneath....well worth an hours labor fee....

Here's the culprit....that little bugger sure made a lot of noise when it was loose.

As most of you know, we don't like the Interstates. An alternative to I-10 is US 90, which mostly parallels I-10 and runs from Van Horn, Texas all the way to Jacksonville Beach, Florida, ending three blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. So, if you're tired of the Interstate, you might try this road. Very scenic and little traffic.

Coming into Columbus Texas along US 90....the houses were a little rundown but the lawns and gardens were well tended.

Tomorrow, our campsite along the Colorado River......

Two years ago we visited the area between Las Cruces, New Mexico and San Antonio, Texas.  Think Roswell, White Sands National Monument and Missile Range, Carlsbad Caverns etc. This year we simply stayed on I-10 from Las Cruces to Junction Texas, with a night stop over in Van Horn, Texas. Talk about a lot of nothing.....ugh! Even the gas stations had buzzards circling overhead...we arrived in Van Horn last night and took a walking tour of the town. Cute little town and it's too bad it's struggling to survive the Interstate. Everyone in such a hurry and never stopping to enjoy the ambiance of the small towns that used to dot the main highways crisscrossing our nation. We found a gem in  the campground called Desert Willow. Clean facilities and perfect for a one night stop over. No amenities other than wifi but that's all you need for a one night stop. Didn't get up until noon and headed east about 1PM. After several stops along the way, we made it to Junction, Texas around 7PM. Pretty late for us. However, the park owner saw us come in and came to meet us in his golf cart to escort us to our site. Very clean park and friendly owners. It's called North LLano River RV Park. We will stay a couple days before heading into San Antonio....





This sign pretty much sums up this segment of our trip....















If I'm looking for a bright spot....there's not much traffic.....














Jasmine asks...."Are we there yet?"

Desert Willow RV Park....Pretty much deserted on a Friday night. New owners and a spotless park. Great for one night with wifi and full hookups....

Today was pretty much....same old, same old...

One of the rest areas just outside Sonora, Texas. Another picture is below. California could take some lessons on building rest areas. Free wifi too! 

Pretty boring stuff, huh? When I was about seven years old, my dad said the following when we were traveling from California to Michigan. I still remember it today and chuckle every time I think of it.
He said,   "The sun has riz, the sun has set, and here we is, in Texas yet!"     True story.....

Finally hit the road again...since I had not had the coach in for it's annual maintenance, our first priority was the SpeedCo in Casa Grande, Arizona. I have had this facility do our annual service on the rig for the past three years. Clean and efficient, the folks there really know what they're doing. Our rig has an air leveling system and I had noticed the on board compressor making a noise when activated so I suspected a loose bolt. While they were doing the service, I went into the pit to check it out. Not only were the bolts loose, one was missing. Unfortunately, they are custom type bolts with a spring so not readily available. I had to remove one of the remaining bolts as a specimen and hit the local Home Depot. After some searching, I had enough materials to manufacture a similar bolt. Now to install them. We spent two nights at the Casa Grande RV Resort. A beautiful facility with two pools, a spa, many amenities and big rig friendly. I've decided to start another blog, listed as Big Rig Campsites on the Favorite Websites box along the right side of the page,  with pictures and descriptions of the places we stay at this year. I hope this may provide better information for fellow travelers as to what the campgrounds actually look like. If you like, please let me know. BTW..I bought a new camera, so bear with me.

Since we have already toured the Tucson area, we breezed right through there this year. If you've never stopped and visited Tucson, you should put it on your calendar. It's a City that should be explored. If you're interested in some of the sights and places to visit, go here...http://s245.photobucket.com/user/Dynasty40/library/Tucson%20trip?sort=3&page=1. Check out the library arrow on the left hand side of the page. A drop down menu appears with many photos and pictures we visited.

After leaving Casa Grande, we stayed one night in Willcox, Arizona, at the Elks Lodge. They served up some killer tacos and enchiladas at a more than reasonable price. Washed down with a couple margaritas and the night was complete. Topped off the evening walking Jasmine under a full moon in 71 degree weather. Perfect! .







Downtown Willcox....Home of Rex Allen and the Marty Robbins museum.









The THING??? What is it? A mystery in the desert, east of Tucson! But, what is it?

Alas, it's simply a tourist trap. But, you can buy T-shirts here...on sale!











Beautiful country under clear blue skies.....near the border of Arizona and New Mexico.














Welcome to New Mexico...










Do dust storms really exist or is this simply a warning sign to scare drivers..???













Guess I found my answer.....fortunately, it was too bad and was of short duration.












Three minutes after the above picture was taken...

Entering Las Cruces, New Mexico

We left this morning and are now in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We chose the Coachlight RV Park. It's an OK park for a one night layover but I wouldn't choose it for an extended stay. Located behind the Hotel, it has full hookups and wifi, but little else..I was able to wash the coach, so she's beautiful again... We are off to Texas tomorrow and will be staying in Van Horn...not too much in Van Horn..but....

Happy New Year 2013

Wishing everyone the best and most prosperous year ever. As we start the new year full of wonder and excitement of what is to come, we should take a few moments to reflect on what the past year has brought us. Some good, some not so good. Reflecting on the past, oftentimes helps us to plan the future and avoid some of the pitfalls we experienced along the way. This past year has been fantastic for Debi and I. We are enjoying the full timing experience which allows us to travel this great country,  see many wonderful things and meet fantastic people along the way. We've developed friendships in our travels and hope to continue well into 2013 with the same dreams and enthusiasm we have enjoyed over the past three years. We are currently in Arizona. While we usually don't stay in any one location for more than two weeks, we've decided to anchor here for a couple months and let Mother Nature do her thing in the Northern climes. We will be hitting the road again in the spring, once the weather gets warmer. Our goal this year is to tour the Heartland east of the Mississippi, up to Wisconsin and Michigan and back to Florida. I'll try my best to keep our travel blog up to date. I am working on additional information on some of our campsites so those looking for Big Rig sites can actually see some pictures of the campgrounds we've visited. We will not be making the trip to Quartzsite this year due to other commitments, but we do have several other smaller trips planned and I will post them here as we go. I wish to thank everyone who have been following our travels and have offered their good wishes and assistance. We have shared some wonderful times with the many people we have met this year. 

A special thanks to Brian and Bill and to Jim and Terri. We appreciate having you as friends.....Dennis and Debi