South Padre Island

March 6. 2011 Port Isabel and South Padre

We went to Port Isabel for Lunch at Dirty Al's. Then ventured over the long bridge to South Padre. We didn't stay on the island very long because the Spring breaks were just starting...and the college folks were "invading" the territory.

Our Lunch was with Betty and Phil Paterek (friends from Arkansas), and Ruth and Merv (from Canada)...we were all parked in the same area of the RV park...only 40 minutes to Port Isabel from La Feria TX.

The fare was Shrimp and French fries. We ordered the platter for the 6 of us to share...and would you believe we polished off two platters? Oh my, it was good.

The two of us took another trip over later in the week...and did some beach walking...and of course to follow our tradition, had to have our picture taken with our feet in the water (the Gulf) at South Padre.

We, of course, stopped at Dirty Al's to share a plate of shrimp for lunch, and bought some fresh shrimp for us to take back to the RV. Couldn't pass up another opportunity to have really large shrimp prepared "perfectly."

The waves were full of energy...the red flags at all of the beaches warned of possible danger.

The parasailing activities had already begun.

I know that we will re-visit Dirty Al's the next time we get close to Port Isabel and South Padre.

Rainbows End - Livingston TX

March 16-23, 2011SKP headquarters. Rainbow's End. The home of the offices of the Escapees Club corporate offices and mail forwarding services. The trolley is used to give tours of the park. A neat idea.

We are definitely in Texas at a beautiful time of year. Trees are just beginning to bloom, and there are azaleas, wysteria, and all kinds of bushes and plants in bloom that we do not know the names of...but they are beautiful.

This park is a bit different than the SKP parks we've stayed at previously. There are actually 5 different ways you can stay/live here. 1. They have deeded lots...with houses...and bays for the RVs. Some of them quite fancy.
2. There ERPU lots...which are leased for 5 years at a time...for @ 10K. Then you re-lease for $1...or give it up and get your money back. 3. There are Leased lots...month by month - like renting an apartment. 4. There are short stay lots...like the one we're on for 1 week with full hookups. (Water, electric, sewer)

The plot next to ours was occupied by a single gentlemen who had converted a van to full-time living. AMAZING what he had set up in that small space...and then there was US.

The #5 way to stay was in the dry camp areas...no hookups.

Activity center...many activities go on here...line dancing...park tours. Ham radio club meetings. You name it. Also a clubhouse where they have Happy Hour...breakfasts...dinners...and other functions that need space for more people than the activity center.

Headquarters building...with all of the Escapee coordination, and the mail services.

The really unique part of this park was the CARE Center. Set up for daycare and meals for the fulltimers that just can't handle it out on the road any more. Meals are served 3x per day (delivered to the RV if necessary.) There are daycare activities for those with disabilities...some Alzheimers...there are 30 some lots surrounding the CARE center for their stay...bus services to Walmart, and to the doctors, and hospitals. Really quite a center.

There are many RVers who donate a month of time to serving these needs. It's an amazing program.

We had the opportunity to meet Kay Peterson - the co-founder of the Escapees. She lives in a deeded home on the back edge of the property. Her husband Joe passed just a couple of months ago...it would have been a delight to meet him also.

NASA

March 14, 2011

You cannot go to Houston and NOT go to the NASA Space Center, if you've never been there before. Amazing science and technology. You wonder if it's a shame that it's all being put "on the back burner" with no future endeavors planned.

We specifically chose to tour the facility where the astronauts do their training. Learning how they simulated weightlessness, and how they were able to move objects, in training, that were massively "overweight" in the reality of the gravity from earth.


Many different parts to the training modules.

The rocket from the Moon landing was on display...all of the separate stages were HUGE.

It looks sort of "BIG"...but sort of itty bitty...at least "not really big" when you see it on TV.

However, It's HUGE!!!!!

Ron got some good shots of Rocket park.

And the ARM that does a lot of the work.

If you've never been there...you really need to put it on your BUCKET LIST. There is currently a petition going on to try to bring the recovery shuttle to the site at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Kenwood RV Park

March 5-12, 2011 La Feria, TX


We spent a week and a day in La Feria TX...Our friends from Arkansas, Betty and Phil Paterek are "Winter Texans" at the Kenwood RV park. We were able to get a short term site at the park, so it made it all very convenient.


There was entertainment - Gomer and Patsy...a duo from Branson. (Couldn't beat the $4.00 cover charge.) Next day was a Hill Billy parade. First pic is the manager of the park, and in real time, she's about a size 4.

The couple in the cart are the KING and QUEEN of the parade.

The crowd assembled in front of the community center for viewing.

We really enjoyed this park, and made reservations to come back next year for a couple of months. Indoor pool and sauna...water aerobics every day...only 40 miles from South Padre where you can get the "best shrimp in the world." Dirty Al's has got to be tops on our list. A short trip (20 minutes) to Progresso Mexico for Cheap liquor. (Progresso is safer than Brownsville or El Paso crossings. It appeared to be more like Algodones at the Yuma crossing.)

Vaaler Creek CC

March 3, 2011



We enjoyed a great round of golf at Vaaler Creek Golf club. There are connections there with the Vaaler family. The course was in really good shape...and was only about an hour from where we were staying in Elmendorf. (45 min north of San Antonio.) Thanks go to Chuck for the referral. :-)

Our last adventure before leaving the San Antonio area.