12 days til Thanksgiving and our family dinner with Brother John and his family in Seale, Alabama. We planned several side trips. No Problem! RIGHT!!
Leaving Arizona behind we made our way through New Mexico and into Texas, 1st destination Fredericksburg to spend time with friends we made on the road.
Of course it took 2 stops to across Texas to Fredericksburg. Everything is BIG in Texas, including the state!! LOL
RV Host is right on the New Mexico/Texas border just north of El Paso in Anthony, Texas. It’s a huge gravel lot with over 100 spots right behind Camperworld right of I-10. For a $36 full hook up (FHU) it was a perfect stopping place. Sorry no pics. đ
Hilltop RV is a family owned park in Stockton, Texas. This is a Campendium 5 star spot and I agree. Super easy access with FHU gravel pads all for the amazing price of $31.50! Really cute spot!
Fun in Fredericksburg
Limestone Charm RV Park is the sweetest little boutique RV park run by our friends, Matt and Brenda. We met them a year ago in our travels. One of the best parts of life on the road is the wonderful people you meet! If you’re ever in the area for wine tasting, country music, or shopping, you MUST stay here! You won’t be disappointed! Check them out at limestonecharmrvpark@yahoo.com.
Wineries, Distilleries, and More
In the heart of Texas Wine Country, Fredericksburg is home to over 50 wineries and tasting rooms. With so many to choose from it was hard to know where to start. Not to worry, our gracious hosts at Limestone Charm are wine connoisseurs and know the best wineries to visit, especially if your time is limited! And of course, they knew of a distillery that was more to John’s liking!
What better way to spend the day than shopping with a friend! Brenda and I set out early to wander the shops in Fredericksburg. Just a quick 15 minute drive! What a delight! The streets and shops were all decked out in their Christmas colors! With a big German heritage, the town square has a 26 foot tall wooden German Christmas Pyramid that was hand-crafted in Germany in 2009 just for Fredericksburg.
After spending the morning shopping, we replenished with a wonderful lunch at Woener’s . The black-eyed pea soup was delish!! I’m inspired to try and recreate that!
Let’s Go to Luckenbach, Texas
With Waylon, Willie and the Boys…Or better yet Brenda, Matt, and John! I had no idea the history of this unincorporated community where “Everybody’s Somebody!” We had a great afternoon listening to the pickers and enjoying a Shiner (or two!). And it’s only 5 minutes from Limestone Charm RV Park! Another Plus! đ
Established as a Trading Post in 1849 making it one of the oldest settlements in Gillespie County. The Post Office/ General Store/ Beer Joint (all in the same building!) was first opened in 1886 by August Engel, a preacher from Germany, whoâs daughter Minna chose the name Luckenbach in honor of her fiancĂ©.
In 1970âLuckenbach, which remained in the hands of the Engel family the whole time, fell into eclipse. Benno Engel retired as postmaster and placed an ad in the local paper: âTOWN FOR SALEâ âlock, stock and dance hall.
Luckenbach was purchased by a collection of only-in-Texas charactersâHondo Crouch and his cohorts, Guich Koock and Kathy Morgan, who had what might charitably be described as over-active imaginations. Hondo imagined it was an old west fairy-tale-like principality and gave everybody titles. He formed a make-believe town and proclaimed himself Mayor. He made Marge the Sheriff and appointed ambassadors to foreign countries. The trio began to use the nearly-abandoned buildings as a backdrop for anything that smacked of mirth and diversion: âHug-Insâ, a Luckenbach Worldâs Fair, Ladies State Chili Bust, the Mud Dauber Festival â and daily sessions of song-picking, domino playing and beer drinking beneath the 500-year-old oak trees. Today these events are still celebrated and the pickers are still pickinâ out under the big oak trees. (Info gathered from the Official Luckenbach Texas website.)
Sad side note about my new favorite Texas ‘town’…there’s a mega development and distillery that threatens to endanger this little spot. If you are so inclined, please visit their website and share your stories of support for Luckenbach, whether you have been there or just dream of place where “nobody ain’t feelin’ no pain.” #LongLiveLuckenbach
Good Friends + Wine = The Best Life
Before we left our friends, we were treated to a beautiful evening watching the sunset and the full moon rise from Diamond Vineyards. The views were amazing overlooking Limestone Charm RV Park. The wine and company even more so! Thank you Brenda and Matt for a fun-fabulous time. We’ll be back!! đ
Livingston, Texas
Home of Escapees and some of the best home cooking ever! As members of Escapees RV Club, John and I wanted to visit the place where it all started with a group of like minded folks in 1978, Rainbow’s End. Unfortunately, we were having so much fun with our friends in Fredericksburg we delayed getting here until Friday and there were no tours of the facilities on the weekend. This park is huge and has areas for full time residents as well as those of us who are just passing through. One of the coolest features of this Escapees park is their C.A.R.E facility, Continued Assistance for Retired Escapees, those who because of permanent or temporary health care problems can’t be on the road. Members volunteer to help provide daily care for their fellow members. One more reason I love this community!
A Milestone! (Or 100 thousand!!)
Louisiana
Planned for just an overnight in Minden, Louisiana (just east of Shreveport) at Farmer’s Branch RV, but woke up to NO water and the issue was us. ARGH!! The travel gods were once again watching over us. First, we were parked right next to the bath house. THANK GOODNESS! Second, the good ol’ boy who runs this place was a gracious host arranging for us to be able to stay in this spot til we were able to fix the issue. And boy did he loved to chat! We probably could have left a day earlier but… We filled our 3 days here moving slow, enjoying good weather and good company. Now with only 1 day and 2 states til Thanksgiving it was time to get a move on…
Alabama by Thanksgiving Dinner!
The plan was to be at Brother John’s for Thanksgiving and after an overnight in the Walmart in Selma, Alabama, we made it! Barely!! đ Pulling into a nearby church parking lot, my brother picked us up and we arrived just in time for dinner!
I am thankful for this adventurous life as a nomad. I am thankful for beautiful sunsets and stunning vistas across our Great Country. I am thankful for the people we’ve met that have added fun and laughter to our lives. I am thankful despite the “issues” that arise as we travel. Most of all I am thankful for John, my driver, my champion and protector, the LOVE of my Life.