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Is the Black Dragon Pirate Ship Just for Kids?
From my very first trip to south Texas in 2014 to visit my dad, I was intrigued by the Black Dragon Pirate Ship. Of course, I didn’t know then what it was but you can’t miss it as you drive by. You pass by it in Port Isabel when you drive over the Queen Isabella Causeway on your way to South Padre Island. That was my first view of it in 2014, just a quick glance on my way to SPI. After I moved to the Rio Grande Valley at the end of 2018, I put it on my list of things to do. As always, I researched it and decided to put off doing it because I kept reading what a fun adventure it…
Baking in an RV Oven — Do you do it?
Why There’s no Baking in my RV Oven I have now been on two 6-week RV trips and not once during either trip did I fire up my RV oven for baking. Since I eat low carb, I don’t bake things like bread, cookies or cakes, but I do like to use my oven to finish off meat I’ve seared on the stove top. Also, I like to use the broiler once in a while for things like frittatas. So, what did I do on those trips? Well, I have a grill pan I used for things like steak if I didn’t cook outside on the barbecue and I just had to forego frittatas. Are you wondering why I didn’t bake in my RV oven?…
Winter Texans — Why the Snowbirds Flock to the Rio Grande Valley
What, or Rather Who, are Winter Texans? It might be obvious, but for those who don’t know or haven’t heard the term, Winter Texans are people, (usually retired) who come to Texas, particularly the Rio Grande Valley, to spend part of the winter then return to their permanent homes in the summer. In some sun-belt states, these folks are called snowbirds, but Texas prefers the term Winter Texan, as the term snowbird has acquired a derogatory connotation in other places. Where is the Rio Grande Valley? The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is an area comprised of four counties that lie along the Rio Grande at the southernmost tip of Texas. To give you some perspective, it is about as far south as Miami. What Attracts…
Best Places to Visit in Schulenburg, Texas
Schulenburg is a small city (population under 3,000) in eastern central Texas about halfway between Houston and San Antonio. It is known as “The Gateway to the Rolling Hills.” Immigrants who settled the area in the 1800s were of German and Czech descent and their influence can be seen everywhere. Even though I tried to visit all the best places while I was in Schulenburg, Texas, I just couldn’t quite fit them all in! Schulenburg RV Park Before I tell you about the best places to visit in Schulenburg, I want to tell you about Schulenburg RV Park. During my 6-week RV trip through Texas, my plans changed several times as I headed back south towards home. This was mostly due to the weather but…
A Taste of Oklahoma – Durant and Ardmore
One of the destinations on my recent RV trip was southern Oklahoma to visit a friend. I had planned to boondock at a couple of spots in Oklahoma but the weather turned bitterly cold a few days earlier, so I decided to find RV parks instead. I figured they would make better bases of operations while I got at least a little taste of Oklahoma during the few days I planned to be in Durant and Ardmore. Durant, Oklahoma Durant/Choctaw Casino KOA I’ve never stayed at a KOA campground or a casino so I thought the Durant/Choctaw Casino KOA sounded promising. I later read on their website that they are “the #1 KOA RV park in all of the country.” I think KOA only accepts…