Kerrville, Texas located in hill country

May 30 -31, 2025

Buckhorn Lake RV site 6012

Kerrville, Texas

Friday was travel day and seeing as we only had a little over an hour ride into hill country Dad was going to go to O'Reilly's before we departed and swap out the RV battery.  When we woke up to a heavy rain, he revised his plan.  By the time we were ready to depart the rain had cleared out and we headed for 1604 which would take us to I-10 for our trip to Kerrville.  An easy trip with surprisingly light traffic.

Our campground is just off the interstate and easy to locate.  The gal checking us in was helpful with good info providing us with not only the address but the phone number for O'Reilly's in Kerrville.  

First on the agenda after getting set up on our spacious, concrete pad with attached patio area was to remove the batteries.  Not an easy task as it involved removing the LP tanks on the door side of the rig as well as the sliding plate they rest on.  (Now you can understand why that wasn't a task anyone would want to perform in this morning's rain shower.)  Of course, once the batteries are disconnected, nothing is functional in the rig.  Momma and I guarded all the open bay doors and items that had been removed to allow access to the batteries while Dad and Pam made the exchange in town.  The outdoor temperature was comfortable so we didn't miss not having any operating AC or fans.

It was a quiet night without the alert going off, now that we have a super duty, deep cell, fully functional battery in place.  Hopefully, that will be the last 'issue' that we will have to contend with for a while.

Saturday morning, the two-legged decided to visit the Snowflake Bakery

for breakfast kolaches

Raspberry filling

Boudin filling

before heading to the farmer's market that was advertised in the campground office.

Momma, luckily for me, purchased some popcorn that we shared this afternoon.  I'm a big fan of popcorn!

That was much later in the day though, as they went on to Fredericksburg about 30 minutes away.  On the way, they passed some interesting signs. 

There were several low spots on the curving road that they traveled.

 In Fredericksburg, they visited some of the shops and antique malls.

As they returned to Kerrville, they decided a trip to Culver's would be a good stop to make before returning to me.  Dad was pleasantly surprised to see Culver's in Texas.  He sure enjoys his strawberry concrete treat.

I have to admit, the best part of MY day was when my ball came out of its resting spot in the bay.  I ran and ran on that short, golf course green grass until I was tripping over my tongue.

First Momma tossed my ball.  Then Pam tossed my ball.  Then Dad tossed my ball.  I just LOVE to play ball.  As you can see, there are lots of empty sites as this is the 'slow' season for this area.  That gives me a super play area.

I'm Chloe

Full Day with much accomplished

 May 29, 2025

Sun Retreat San Antonio West site 213

San Antonio, Texas

A busy day for the two-legged today.  Pam hustled to her 8:30am appointment at Blue Compass RV and returned with loads of praise.  Customer satisfaction was 10+.  She dropped of her rig and they got right on it....after all, she had an appointment.  And they stayed on the job until it was completed....which is what a customer expects but unfortunately rarely gets.  She was in an out with a thorough job completed.  Jack leveling module replaced (pre-ordered when she made the appointment).  Leveling system recalibrated.  System checked to be assured issue has been resolved.  And the rest of the day was hers to do as she pleased.  Wow!  Too bad they are located so far from home.  But there are other Blue Compass locations...some in Florida.  So the question is, is it just the personnel at this location or is this kind of service received at all Blue Compass locations?

Meanwhile, back at the campsite, Dad was attempting to locate a propane leak....as that is what the alert indicated.  Being unsuccessful, he decided he needed to call in a tech with a propane sniffer.  The second call he made was answered with an 'I'll work you in after I wrap up my scheduled appointments'.  So Dad moved on to the next project:  grey tank patch.  I'm happy to report, so far that project has been successfully completed.  So it was on to the next project....shower doors.  

The evening we arrived, the shower door didn't want to close all the way or slide open correctly. There are three sections to the sliding doors and one had jumped the track.  Now your first thought is probably, man those were some rough roads they traveled. And you would be right.  Add in some age along with the fact that the track is plastic material and you have a project.  Dad was able to take the section with the broken out plastic pieces and reverse it/flip it so the gap no longer was near the sliding section of the door.  Way to go Dad!! 

In the meantime, the tech still hadn't arrived so Dad and I waited around while Momma and Pam headed out with their personal tour guides.  Cousins Danny and David know the area well...especially how to navigate the highways with the least amount of congestion.  One of Pam's goals was to experience River Walk before we depart from San Antonio and their tour guides graciously accommodated.  They got the full experience, enjoying lunch at one of the many River Walk restaurants as well as riding the pink tour boat with an entertaining boat captain as the tour guide.

If you have never been to River Walk, you probably don't realize that the area is below street level. 

It is very scenic with lush greenery, flowers and buildings with lots of character.

Then the day continued, climbing back up the stairs and across the street to The Alamo.  Lots of history in the area preserved to educate visitors in what took place in the past.

Dad and I were still awaiting the arrival of the mobile tech so Momma and Pam hopped back into Danny's vehicle to meet up with the rest of the cousins with their families for dinner. It was a table full.

Momma said she hopes there isn't such a huge gap in time once again before she gets to spend time with her cousins once again.

The Texas cousins went above and beyond sharing experiences during our limited time in San Antonio.

Everything from tortilla making

Drop a chunk of dough in the top of the machine

And be amazed at the round, flat tortilla that slides out the bottom

The tortillas are toasted on the griddle before being removed with a spatula

The cousins made sure to treat Momma and Pam to a view of the world's largest cowboy boots.

You can really get a feel for the size when you stand in front of them.  Just compare the boot size with the multi story parking garage in the picture. It must be how an ant feels as we share the sidewalk with them.

Dad reported that the tech arrived around 7pm and the solution to the issue is replace the deep cell battery that provides the 12 volt service to the rig.  It was the battery smell that was setting off the alarm.  No propane leak.  

That wrapped up all the projects that needed attention.....for now anyway.

I'm Chloe

Cousins

 May 28, 2025

Sun Retreat San Antonio site 213

San Antonio, Texas

The mystery has been solved.  The reason site 214 has a classification higher than 'economy pull thru' is because there is a tad more room off the door side of the site...so the neighbor isn't quite as close. That's the absent neighbor on that site and all the other sites in the row.  I believe I mentioned that the park is only half full.

So today the two-legged went on a scavenger hunt to collect items needed to make repairs.  The first stop was Blue Compass RV where Pam will be taking her rig tomorrow to get her jack situation taken care.  Always handy to know where you are going in a congested area when towing your rig.  Their parts department didn't have the parts that Dad was looking for but had a recommendation of where to locate them.  On to the second stop where we scored big time. Texas RV Supply was well stocked.  

    1.  Patch kit for grey tank

    2.  New/replacement carbon monoxide and propane detector

    3.  Aqua Clean for bath and kitchen

The rest of the day was spent using those items, but it really didn't pan out as expected.  The patch wasn't quite located in the area needed (hard to tell when all is dry) so it only caught the edge of the problem area.  The propane detector alerted once again so I guess the real issue isn't a faulty, old detector but a possible leak??? Guess what is on the schedule for tomorrow?

On a more positive note, Momma and Pam's cousins who live in San Antonio came over to visit and they all went out for dinner.

Cousins Edith with brother David

Momma and Pam's Dad had two brothers.  Number 2 brother had 5 children.  Tomorrow they have plans to gather with four of the five cousins as they live in San Antonio.  (The oldest lives in Tennessee now).  It has been quite a few years since the Floridians have gotten together with the Texans.

This site isn't to my liking.  All these visitors/possible playmates to toss my ball and no where to toss it unless you take the long walk to the 'out in the full sun dog park'.

I'm Chloe

It could have been so much worse

 May 27, 2025

Sun Retreats San Antonio site 13

San Antonio, Texas

What a long, trying, tiring travel day!!.....but it could have been so much worse.  The rain that was predicted arrived .....but early in the morning....before Momma was even awake...but Dad and I danced amongst the raindrops.  By the time we were ready to hitch up, all was sunny once again ....but we did have to slop thru the puddles created by the rain.  It could have been so much worse...slopping thru puddles WHILE dancing amongst the falling rain drops while winding up the electric cord and water hose.

The campground we were heading for in San Antonio has a 2pm posted arrival time with a statement about the possibility of earlier arrival with a $30 charge.  No thank you.  We timed our departure so we would be arriving after 2pm arrival.

As it turned out, we didn't need to depart at 10am.  We could have left much earlier as the first 32 miles traveled took us an hour and twenty minutes.  WHAT??  There must have been an accident that clogged up the traffic.  We crawled along

following a line of cars that went on forever....as far as the eye could see....with three full lanes.  It could have been so much worse, but thankfully, it was early in our travel day and Dad was fresh and alert.

Just as things began to get rolling, the lanes increased to six all heading west, with merging traffic coming from and exiting the many layers of roads above and around us.

We were making our way past Houston.  And then it began to get a tad congested and our speed reduced significantly as the number of lanes decreased.

Our speed might have been 11 mph but it could have been so much worse if we were stopped and not still moving.

Momma said avoiding traveling in Atlanta is on her list and she is adding avoiding traveling near Houston to the list.  It is a toss up as to which is a more taxing drive.

As the flow of traffic began to pick up speed, we were in the center of three lanes and Momma was researching for a spot to take a break when she heard a loud, crashing sound...but we were still rolling along.  In response to her, 'What was that?' inquiry, Dad said, ' an old fertilizer spreader'.  It could have been so much worse, but the push spreader was old and broke into a million pieces that didn't appear to effect us in any way.  We haven't found any physical signs of damage.

After using up so much fuel and not knowing if there would be additional traffic situations up ahead, Dad decided we had better stop and fuel up.  Momma found a Love's that participates in Open Road, lowering the price to $2.77.  All the lanes were full so we pulled up to wait.  It could have been so much worse but Momma slid inside and snagged frosty treats (Wendy's version of ice cream in a cup) while Dad and I waited for our turn at the pump.  By the time Momma returned, both Pam and Dad were just wrapping up the hose and with trucks blocking forward movement and no one behind us, Pam and Dad were able to back away from the pumps and get us back on the highway.

Upon arrival at the campground,  Momma was told they had to move our site due to a sewer issue so instead of site 212, we had been assigned 207 while Pam was still assigned 213.  Pam asked if there was anything closer and she gal responded with an offer for site 214 (next to 213) but it would be $15 more as we had paid for an economy pull thru site and 214 was an upgrade.  Pam decided to pay for the upgrade and she is in 214 while we are in 213....but the sites look identical.  We can't figure out what the upgrade is.  The gal kept saying something about we didn't pay a 'site lock fee' so they have the right to move us.  Momma and Pam both smell something fishy with this deal.  Both sites appear to be the same length.  Both sites are a cement pad with an attached cement patio area.  Both sites have a wooden railing separating the patio area from the neighboring site.  Both sites have nice picnic tables.  Both sites are full hook up pull thru sites.  It's a mystery for sure. But we are located side by side.  It could have been so much worse if the campground was at full capacity rather and fifty percent.

As Pam pulled into the campground entrance, her tire minder alert indicted a drop in tire pressure.  By the time she pulled into her site, the pressure had continued to lower to 46. 

 Closer inspection of the tire points to a valve stem failure.  It could have been so much worse if we were on the side of the highway after a tiring. longer than expected travel day.... 6 hours rather than 4;  plus having to replace a tire rather than just a valve stem.  

Getting set up, Momma discovered that the microwave glass plate had shifted.  That is indeed a rare occurrence.  It certainly could have been so much worse. Spots of the highway we traveled were rough enough to shift a few things around but nothing was broken.  Just shifted a tad from the normal resting spot.  

All in all, it was a tougher than usual travel day,  but it could have been so much worse.

I'm Chloe

Memorial Day

 May 26, 2025

Bayou Bend RV site 92

Baytown, Texas

Well, the reviews are in.  This morning the two-legged tried the kolaches from Buc-ees.  They agreed that the sausage was a bit larger in diameter than those from the bakery the morning before, but Momma said she thought the dough at the bakery had Buc-ees beat.  And as far as price, Buc-ees was double in cost.  

They were on their way to celebrate Memorial Day at the Lone Star Flight Museum.

The museum itself has a lot to offer, but today the visit was enhanced by special Memorial Day programs.

Dad commented that he thought this little guy would be fun to fly.  Notice the propeller is in the rear of the plane - behind the cab. (Look closely...it's black)

Several Vietnam era planes had been pushed outside and set up for close observation, including the opportunity to board a transport helicopter.

A guest speaker shared some of his experiences as a pilot during the Vietnam War and then as a member of the Blue Angels.  A well decorated, interesting speaker who definitely had a guardian angel flying with him.  He was humble about the medals bestowed upon him and put a question to the audience:  What do they award to those who have given their lives while serving their country?  The United States Flag. Part of his speech focused on Memorial Day and those who should be remembered that never returned home to their families.

We got lucky with the weather here.  The evening news shared the hail and storms to the north of us in Texas.  We just had a short rain as we traveled back from the museum that we drove out of when we entered the campground.  

I'm so glad we were able be outside tonight for my ball game.

I'm Chloe

Baytown, Texas

 May 23-24, 2025

Bayou Bend RV site 92

Baytown, Texas

Well, yesterday was a slow-down day for us...stop and catch your breath.  Dad dug out his camera on the end of a cable that bluetooths a pic to his phone, crawled under the rig, unzipped the belly hatch and attempted to discover where the grey tank is leaking.   Of course, with the tank being empty, he was unsuccessful as everything looked dry.  

So Momma did some wash to put water in the tank.  And then we had a brief rain arrive in the afternoon.  Table that project until tomorrow.  How about streaming a movie instead?

After dinner, I had a tailgate tubby and I'm sparkling white once again.  With the evening temperature still in the high 80's, I really didn't need to worry about being wet and cold.  And I always get to play ball as a reward if I stand nicely during my spa treatment.  A happy ending to the end of the day.

This morning the two-legged decided to try the kolaches at a nearby bakery.  

They chose the sausage cheese kolaches.

And passed on the delicious looking round donuts in a variety of flavors and toppings.

Then it was on to the flea market in nearby Pearland.  Momma said she really should have asked one of the vendors selling the cactus what they do with them.  The vendor had scraped all the spines off the beaver-tail looking cactus and Mexican shoppers were purchasing them.  Momma purchased mangos as she is very familiar with their sweet flavor.

There was a varied collection of items for sale from fresh fruit and colorful plants

to new items to white elephant items.

On the way back to me, they passed by a Buc-ee's.  Pam got excited with the green sign advertising the diesel fuel price of $1.79.  She took the next exit and doubled back.  You know what they say about if it sounds too good to be true.....well, in this case, the price had a catch to it.  Under that enticing price was the statement 'with a car wash.'  So the drive up to the pump price was $2.79 which is about 5 cents more than the Murphy station by Walmart price.  Buc-ee's knows how to advertise! 

And once again, Momma saw 3 vehicles parked at the pumps with no humans in sight.  Then a truck pulled up and Dad and his daughter climbed out and headed inside....without touching the hose.  And right behind him were half a dozen empty parking spaces.  What is all that about?  Especially when the pump lanes were full and there were vehicles attempting to locate a space by a pump.  Momma calls that inconsiderate😕

I know Dad is thankful we are parked on nice, smooth cement and not rough gravel.  He slid under the rig once again and this time, with the drip occurring,  he could finally determine the exact spot of our grey tank leak issue.  I guess we'll just be leaving the valve open until we can get a patch kit which hopefully will see us through until we can get a replacement tank installed which probably won't happen until we get to the the factory service center for our September appointment.  

Momma said Dad definitely deserved a reward/treat for diagnosing the drip issue so it was off to Dairy Queen for a 'happy hour' blizzard treat. 

That put a big smile on his face!!  I'll bet a blizzard would make me smile as well....

I'm Chloe