1. Escape the great northern winter – many campgrounds in Texas are open all year round.  Keep in mind though, there can be temporary cold snaps. you might even see ice storms and snow, but they don’t last long. Keep in mind if the weather does get nasty, things do shut down!
2. Texas State Parks are inexpensive and beautiful.  Seriously, you will be blown away by how nice these parks are. There are also many Army Core of Engineer Parks (COE) to camp at.
3. From Palo Duro Canyon to Big Bend National Park and down to the ocean, the variety in scenery in the state of Texas is really diverse and amazing. 
4. Wonderful places to visit. Here are just a few examples:
   • San Antonios River Walk. This is the number one attraction in the state. There is a KOA on the bus line not far from the river walk.

• The Alamo, also located in San Antonio.

• Johnson Space Center in Houston.

• The 6^th floor museum at Dealy Plaza, site of the JFK assassination.

• Fort Worths Stockyards National Historic District.

• The Dallas Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth.

• The Grapevine Vintage Railroad.

• The Jefferson Texas Ghost Walking tour

5. Ten Months out of the year the weather is pretty much fantastic for camping.  July and August can be pretty hot, but it’s a dry heat – sometimes!  I wouldn’t let the heat keep me from camping in those months even so, just be prepared for it.

So, these are my five reasons why you should consider camping in Texas.  You may want to consider Texas as your winter destination if you live in the north.  I’d say come on down in November and stay through March or April. 

However, pick your region in Texas carefully if you want to stay through the spring, because we do get strong storms with high winds, hail, and lightening, and tornados. We had only been here for two years when I ended up getting a new roof due to a nasty hailstorm with a tornado touching down only two miles down the road.

Personally, I would just keep an eye on the weather and be ready to move to a safer location if storms are in the forecast.  I know that’s easier said than done, but most of the time it’s going to be smarter to move camp than risk the effects of the storms. Tammy and I have had to do this a few times over the years down here. Several times we left to avoid potential severe thunderstorms packing hail. Other times we have moved due to hurricanes. I have never regretted moving out of the way of stormy weather.

On a side note, I think you will find the folks in Texas to be the friendlies around.

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Samuel Houston

So, who was Samuel Houston? Well here is a very brief synopsis:

He was a soldier during the war of 1812, and he quickly rose through the ranks. In 1817 he was assigned the task of removing the Cherokee Indians from Tennessee. Although it may seem strange, he had a bond with the Cherokee tribe; and in 1929 would be considered a member of their tribe after leaving the Governorship of Tennessee. Due to his connections in Washington the Cherokee asked Houston to mediate many of their disputes with the Jackson Administration.

In 1932, a few of Houston’s friends convinced him to come to Texas where unrest was brewing with Americans who did not want to be under Mexican rule. In October of 1835 the Mexican Revolution broke out and the Alamo fell shortly thereafter. However, by 1836 under the leadership of Houston, his army overpowered the Mexican Forces at the battle of San Jacinto. The result was Santa Anna having to sign the Treaty of San Velasco, which granted Texas its independence.

On May 9, 1840, Houston, aged 47, married for a third time. His bride was 21-year-old Margaret Moffette Lea of Marion, Alabama, the daughter of planters. Samuel and Margaret had eight children. Margaret acted as a tempering influence on her much older husband and convinced him to stop drinking.  One of the homes that they lived in during this period was the homestead in Huntsville. The house sits on their enormous parcel of land which also had a law office building as well as a separate kitchen and barn buildings.

Samuel Houston’s Huntsville Home

Houston’s Kitchen in the Foreground and Law Office in the Background.

Samuel Houston would go on to serve as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas.  During this time he always wanted the United States to annex Texas, and this finally happened in 1846 after a lot of back and forth in both houses in Washington DC.

Houston would go on to represent the State of Texas as a Senator in 1846. Later in Life he would become the Governor of Texas.

He later settled in back in Huntsville, renting the “Steamboat” house with his wife Margaret. You might be asking yourself, why didn’t they just move back into the homestead in Huntsville? Well, apparently that property had been sold to cover his campaign debts.

In 1863 after suffering from poor health for a while, Samuel Houston passed away in the Steamboat House. His funeral was held in the second floor Parlor of the steamboat house. The house at that point was directly across from the cemetery. It is now on the homestead property.

The Steamboat House

The Upper Parlor of the Steamboat House

The Actual Museum is located on the back of the property, directly behind and to the right of the law office. It is a large exhibit, and you could easily spend a few hours here. The Museum is separated into different sections that represent different periods of his life. The Woman that was manning the front desk, gave us at least a ten minute overview of the museum plus interesting historical facts. She really should give tours there, her knowledge was really quite impressive.

To learn more about the The Samuel Houston Homestead and Museum click here. This is a must see if you are ever near Huntsville, Texas.

One Last Photo of Samuel Houston. This is a statue of Houston that happens to be the worlds tallest statue of an American Hero. It is the most photographed statue in Texas. The statue stands 67 feet tall on a 10-foot sunset granite base and was dedicated in 1994. It is located on Highway 45 near Huntsville, Texas; you can’t miss it!

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The Texas Prison Museum is only ten minutes north of the Campground on highway 45. Parking is free and the tickets to the museum are only $5.00. I think you will find that to be a great deal.

Among all the exhibits there, is old Sparky. Old Sparky is the electric chair that was used from 1924 to 1964. It is on display in a replica of the death chamber. This exhibit also includes a pretty graphic description of how it was operated. My guess is that this display is the main draw to the museum. However, there is a lot more to see here at the Prison Museum than “Old Sparky”.

Old Sparky

There is a replica prison cell the is 9’x6′ with a double bunk. It leaves about enough room on the floor to do push-ups with no space left over.

In the middle of the room, there is a wall that features some of the executed inmates. The wall details the crimes they committed, their victims, and their last words in the death chamber. In quite a few cases the condemned had no last words at all.

There is also a contraband exhibit. “Contraband” is an item that represents a serious threat to the security and safety of the institution. For example, this may include homemade knives (shanks) and other sharp objects. The exhibit shows just how creative the inmates can be when it comes to manufacturing weapons from common materials found within the prison walls.

What was really surprising to us, was some of the inmate art work. These included everything from wood carvings to intricate paintings. For example, A painting of Bonnie and Clyde was made from coffee grounds but looked as if it were an actual photograph.

Note the intricate carving done to this log!

In addition, the Prisoners created a pretty impressive collection of furniture.

There is a lot to see here. I would think you should plan on spending about two to three hours to really take it all in.

To read more about the Texas Prison Museum click here.

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The Johnson Space Center is about 85 miles south of Huntsville State Park. To read our blog on Huntsville State Park, click here. It’s a pretty easy drive to the Space Center but since your going through Houston, you will want to avoid “rush hour”.

Welcome to the Johnson Space Center.

It’s a pretty impressive site when you get out of your vehicle and are greeted by the space shuttle. The Shuttle is an exact replica but the 747 is the actual Jet that transported it from Houston to Florida. You can tour both of these.

The ticket prices are $29.95 for adults under 65, and there are discounts available. For instance, we saved $5.00 per ticket with out AAA card. To see all the pricing at the Johnson Space Center click here.

Once you step inside the Space Center, you realize there is no way you are going to be able to see everything in just a few hours. Plan on spending the day here. They have a large food court and while the prices are a little high, it beats leaving and coming back. As soon as you arrive there is a kiosk just beyond the main desk where you can register for tours. We decided to register right away for the ” Mission Control Center Tour”. There is also a tour of the Astronaut training facilities which we will do the next time we visit.

The Mission Control tour is an hour long. You will board a tram that takes you past many of the space center buildings, and it is very informative. Once you arrive at the Mission control building you will need to climb 87 stairs to the control room; or you can take the elevator. The Control Room has been restored to the way it was during the Apollo Program. There is a video introduction by Flight Director Gene Kranz, and then you witness the control room operating just like it did during the moon landing.

Houston Control Center

After the Tour we watched a short film on the history of space flight. The film also paid tribute to the astronauts that were lost in the two Space Shuttle Tragedies. I found it odd that there was no mention of the Apollo One fire that claimed Grissom, White, and Chaffee. If not for the investigation that came out of that tragedy we would not have made it to the moon.

Next we toured the area that has the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo Capsules. This was my favorite part.

Gemini V Capsule

Mercury 9 Capsule

Apollo 17

To say all of this is impressive would be an understatement. But there is so much more! There are simulators, Sky Lab exhibit, a real Saturn V rocket, Films, Live Presentations, and much, much more. We were there about four hours and barely scratched the surface.

The Skylab Exhibit

I highly recommend a visit to the Johnson Space Center if you are in the area. However, as I mentioned before though, you should plan on spending the day!

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Back in 2010 when we stayed at fort wilderness, there was a Pet Boarding Service right on the grounds of Fort Wilderness, Best Friends Pet Care.  We were pleasantly surprised just how eager our dogs were to go to the daycare each day we were there.  The folks that took care of the dogs seemed to have a personal connection to them when we would pick them up and would fill us in on how their day went.  I think this may have been the first time I was ever comfortable with leaving my dogs at a day care.   When we would take them back to the camper at the end of the day, they would collapse.  The next day they would drag us to the door of the day care, they loved it.

Back in 2010, Kaela and Hannah at Fort Wilderness

Best Friends pet care has moved since 2010 and now they are just 5 minutes from Fort Wilderness in a bigger facility, still under the same ownership, and still with great people who will take really good care of your pets.

After dropping off the girls for their day care, we headed to Epcot center.  I think maybe we had hoped that something had changed in the last 8 years.  If it did I sure didn’t notice.  So in retrospect it might have been better to just visit the Disney Park since it has been a lot longer since we have been there.  The lines were pretty long going into Epcot, but thanks to the Disney Wrist Bands we moved quickly through to the grounds.  The nice thing about the wrist bands is that you can link a credit card to them.  Once linked you can pay for your meals or snacks pretty much anywhere in the park.  Don’t worry if you lose your wrist band;  no one will be able to use it without the pin number that you will set up in advance.

I always have like walking around the world showcase.  When my son Jeff was 3 years old I carried him all the way around the world showcase on my shoulders;  now that’s a workout!.   Today was a beautiful day for that type of stroll.  With a high of 80 degrees and cloudy skies, it made for a really enjoyable walk.   Almost immediately we found a stand selling Bloody Mary’s, they were $12.00 and pretty small, but they tasted good.  Then we made our way around the bay taking some pictures and checking out different areas.

The lines heading into Epcot Center

A panoramic view of World Showcase – its bigger than it looks

You can easily spend a day walking around the World Showcase.  There are 11 countries to visit,  but chances are you will want to try some of the other attractions at Epcot especially if you  have children.  There are quite a few different rides at the park, Space Ship Earth and Mission Space;  just to name a few.  We visited a few attractions before we toured world showcase, and then it was time for lunch.  We chose to have a sit down lunch at the Nine Dragons Chinese Restaurant.  It was pricey but it was nice to just sit down and take a break.  The food was great and the our server was excellent.  For more on things to do at Epcot click here.

After lunch we wound our way back to the entrance and then headed back to pick up the girls at the Pet Resort.  Then it was back to the campsite at Fort Wilderness to enjoy the rest of the day.

From the picture below you may be able to see the greenway that is directly behind the trailer.  This greenway boarders the campsites separated by woods on one side and a river on the other.  There are warnings about keeping away from the river as there are alligators and snakes, but I never saw either.  The greenway provides a wonderful area to walk your dogs.  They even have some dog stations where you can get bags to pick up their poo (if you don’t carry your own – we always do).  Our Girls for the most part loved the greenway.  Hannah our white shepherd would stay out and walk all day.  Kendra our German Shepherd is excited to go for walks;  but after a while just wants to get back to her “mommy”.

The grounds in our loop also have a centrally located Laundry area.  It is, maybe not so surprisingly, expensive;  but who wants to leave the grounds to do laundry?  The Trash bins are always close to the campsites, and always emptied before they can become full or develop any bad odors.  It’s very quiet with the exception of the nightly fireworks that you can hear at Disney.  They are loud but only last a very short time.

Tomorrow we will be off to Universal Studios!

To continue on this trip click here.

Our Spot at Fort Wilderness

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This is much more than a car museum; it’s really an antique car show room with many of the cars for sale.  It is also a place where you can see many cars that were used both in movies and television.  In addition there are antique boat motors, snow mobiles, Motorcycles, Travel trailers, and much more.

This won’t be a quick visit if you want to take it all in, so plan on spending at least three hours.  If you want to purchase a beautiful antique car this may be a great place to start.

Beautiful cars to admire or buy!

I could probably fill this blog post with just the cars of the “Rich and famous” that are housed here.  It’s probably more interesting to show some of the cars that everyone can identify with.  The Bat Mobile and many other famous vehicles are on display here.  Some cars are on loan and others are a regular part of the inventory.

Who you gonna call?

The Bat Mobile

Blues Brothers Car

If you think that your kids will be bored, you’re wrong.  Obviously Trent loved the Bat Mobile and some of the other superhero exhibits.  In fact,  he was interested in something in every room we visited.  Outside on the grounds there is also a playground.  So if the kids need a break at some point this would be the place to go.   The day we visited was a little cold and wet;  but we still spent some time at the playground before we wrapped up our visit.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of their newer exhibits which is antique travel trailers.  There are not a lot of trailers to look at (at this point) but the ones they have are in fantastic shape.  I kept hoping that we might see a 1971 JayWren (our first travel trailer) but that was not the case.  I still enjoyed the exhibit and am looking forward to seeing it grow.

If you decide to visit the Volo Car Museum, you won’t be disappointed.

1936 Masterbuilt Travel Trailer

1949 Airfloat Land Yacht

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Proof of Dallas snow – makes it a perfect time to head south to San Antonio

San Antonio is the second largest city in Texas and is about an hour and a half southwest of Austin, about four and a half hours south of Dallas.  The most obvious tourist attractions are the Alamo and the River Walk.  In the San Antonio area January temperatures usually hover in the low to mid sixties,  this alone should make you want to visit and spend some time visiting their local attractions.  Make sure you have a full tank of propane though because the nights can get a little chilly.

Hannah and Kendra in San Antonio

There are at least three campgrounds in or near San Antonio.  We picked the San Antonio KOA primarily due to the location.  They are close to the River Walk and Alamo, and they are directly across the street from the a bus stop that can get you to those locations in about 10 minutes.  The campground itself is located in an industrial area but once you enter the gates and get to your spot, you really don’t feel like you are inside the city.  We found it to be a quiet campground when we were there, and the owners were very nice.

The bus fare is $1.30 per adult and you need to have exact change.  We took the bus twice and found it to be the ideal way to get down to the tourist attractions we wanted to see.  The San Antonio bus system has a web site where you can plan your trip and view there fares etc..

Bus Stop and the KOA

San Antonio is known for its Riverwalk which is right on the bus route. The river walk is one story beneath the roadways and is a series of sidewalks that run along both sides of the river.  Each side has numerous shops and restaurants, and there is something for everyone, albeit a bit pricey.

One of the many restaurants on the Riverwalk

As you walk along the pathways you will see tour boats cruising back and forth along the river.  There are a few different operations along the river where you can buy tickets for these excursions.  The boat trips last about 35 minutes.

Riverwalk “Rio Taxi” boat excursions

Another thing you will notice is that even though most of the leaves have fallen, there is still plenty of lush plant life along the river.

Riverwalk San Antonio

There are several sites online where you can view the Riverwalk map.  The Riverwalk branches out in several different directions, and is over two miles long.  So it may be easy to get confused on where you are located as you walk along the trail.  Therefore it is a good idea to print a copy of the map or pull it up on your smartphone.  That way you can keep a bearing on where you are located in relation to where you started;  since exits from the Riverwalk are somewhat spread out.

After we stopped for lunch it was back to see the girls at the campground.

Kendra and Hannah in San Antonio

The next day we took the bus back to the downtown area to see the Alamo.  Keep in mind that you can combine the Alamo and Riverwalk if you like as they are very close together.  I would estimate that the Alamo is no more than three blocks from one of the Riverwalk entrances.

The Alamo in San Antonio

The Alamo is the most visited historic site in the entire state of Texas.  Although the Alamo was originally constructed as a Spanish Mission Church,  it is best known for the historic 13 day battle in 1836;  when General Santa Anna led his army of thousands against a small fighting force of 200.  James Bowie, William Travis and Davy Crockett were a few of the men that fought and died during those 13 days before the Mexican Army overpowered them.  Only a few people in the Alamo survived after the battle.  The Mexican army lost between 600 to 1600 men.

The inside of the Alamo still looks like a Spanish Mission Church with rooms off of the main sanctuary area.  If you look closely at the walls you can still see bullet holes from the 1836 battle.

In addition to the structure itself, they have done a very nice job making it an educational experience.  There are displays throughout the building giving you a historic perspective on the battle and those that fought there as well as a model of the battle itself.

Outside the building you will see beautiful grounds and other out buildings.  The Alamo is a must see if you are in Texas.  Tammy and I are planning another trip back to San Antonio in the near future so look for an update as there have been some changes in the last year.

Admission to the Alamo is free, as well as the grounds, but they do not allow you to take pictures in the Alamo or the Long Barracks.  Service dogs are welcome…but just service dogs, so leave the pets back at the trailer or in day care.

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Disney’s Fort Wilderness

We had heard a lot about Fort Wilderness and always thought it would be great to stay there, primarily because you are right on the Disney grounds.  It’s a lot easier in the morning to get up and see the attractions when your starting position is within the park.  In addition they have a doggy day care that we thought might be a good fit for our dogs Hanna, and Kaela.  After looking at all the information we could get on the web, and reading reviews; we decided to book the trip.

Although we paid for everything up front, the check in procedure was a bit frustrating.  As a camper, you will pull up to a booth as you enter the campground area, and provide your reservation number.  Then you will get your assigned site, and information related to the park and whatever else you may have added to your trip (Disney Passes etc.)  This took an inordinate amount of time, and at least for me was frustrating.  This may not be the same experience for everyone, but for us it was not what we expected.

Once we entered the campground you understand why it is referred to as a “Resort”.  The campground is 750 acres of Pine and Cypress trees and can accommodate even the largest camping rigs.   The way they have landscaped around each site gives you a sense of privacy.  Now that being said, as soon as we got to our site it became apparent that the site they assigned us to was not large enough for our trailer and truck combined (see picture above).  I called admissions and was told to just scout the campground in the morning and find one we liked and call back with the site number.  It seems like a resort of this magnitude could easily avoid these issues since trailer size is provided when you book your reservation.  Early the next morning we found a great site and set up camp.

Site Number 2 – Much Better!

If you travel with dogs you know how important it is to have some privacy between sites. Dogs by nature think anytime they hear noise it must be someone coming to visit them.   This results in quite a bit of barking.   The second site was more private, giving the girls much more privacy.   As a result Kaela and Hannah were much happier.

Being boarded is not something my dogs enjoy.  Our first dog, Shana (a white shepherd) absolutely hated it.  Hannah (our second white shepherd) barely tolerates it, while Kaela and Kendra have always been fine with it.  Our plan at Disney was to just board them during the day and then pick them up early to mid afternoon and go back to camp.  We were a little apprehensive on how day care would pan out for the girls.   Later when we picked them up we knew it had been a good idea.  The people that worked their told us how well they did, and told us things that happened during the day that reinforced the fact to us that they knew our dogs and had taken great care of them.

Everyday the girls would almost pull us out of our shoes to get to the day care office; it was apparent that they loved day care.  Every afternoon we would pick them up from day care and they would fall sound asleep once they arrived at the trailer.  Apparently, daycare is quite exhausting.

The evenings and nights at the Fort Wilderness Campground is more quiet than you might imagine, with the exception of the nightly fireworks but they don’t last very long.  Hannah is not a big fan of fire works or thunder.  However, they were not so loud that they disturbed her.

During the day everything is close enough that you could easily return to the campground for lunch, if you so choose, and then return to the park.  This convenience factor is huge.   You can leave your site in the morning and head over to the attractions either by bus or water taxi.  The water taxis are within easy walking distance from Fort Wilderness and go to and from the Magic Kingdom , Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs.

Beyond the Fort Wilderness Campground…..well there’s Disney!

We have been to Disney many times before but we have never gone on the African Safari, which is available at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  The Safari involves riding in an open air vehicle for about 20 minutes winding through some paths and waterways that make up part of the 110 acre wildlife reserve.

Make sure that you bring a camera as this will be a pretty up close encounter with the animals.  Here is a list of some of the animals we saw on the tour:

• Antelope
• Baboons
• Crocodiles
• Elephants
• Gazelles
• Hippos
• Rhino
• Wildebeest
• Zebras

I’m sure that depending on the time of day that you take the tour will determine the number and type of animals that you may see.

I could fill this entire page with pictures, but you can see from the few I selected; that this is more like a national geographic film than a tour.  I have to give credit to the folks at Disney, they couldn’t have done a better job of making the scenery look as if you were in Africa.  This is a spectacular tour and well worth the price of admission.

Beyond the Safari, there is still much to do at Disney.  Although we had been to the Magic Kingdom before it was still worth another visit.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom

The Haunted Mansion

If you are a first timer at Disney don’t be shocked at how long you can wait in lines at each attraction. We have been here many times and this is the one thing that never changes.  If you have a young family my recommendation would be to get there as early as you can.  So you can get to as many attractions as possible.

My favorite spot at Disney is Epcot center, mainly because I really enjoy the world showcase.  The world showcase is a large loop around a small lagoon.  As you walk the loop you will move from country to country.  The World showcase will give you an opportunity to eat foods from eleven different countries;   Italy,  United Kingdom, Mexico,  United States, Canada, Norway, Japan, China, Morocco, France and Germany.  So whether it’s Bratwurst and Beer in Germany or lamb dishes and shish kabob in Morocco, there really is something for everyone to eat here. In addition there is entertainment in almost every country. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this foreign land – You will be glad you did.

World Showcase At Epcot

And Then There’s Disney’s Hollywood Studio

Disney’s Hollywood Studios was known as Disney’s MGM Studio prior to 2008.  When you enter the park it looks as if you have stepped into an older version of New York.  A wizards hat was once the landmark in the main street but that has been taken down and I don’t believe anything has taken its place.

Disney’s Hollywood Studio

As with all of the Disney Park areas, there is plenty to eat and drink as you stroll around and enjoy the various attractions.

Beyond Disney………….

Don’t forget the Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s working spaceflight facility.  Since 1968, Kennedy Space Center has been NASA’s primary launch center.   It’s less than an hour away from Disney, and you should probably plan on spending at least an entire day here touring the facility and attractions.

Then if you want another animal adventure there is Bush Gardens near Tampa, a little over an hour from Orlando.  If you are going to Busch Gardens it may be better to camp nearby as there is much to do in this huge African safari type them park, and you may want to spend more than one day here.

In conclusion there is a lot to do in the Orlando area and Florida in general.   Whether you decide to stay at Disney’s Fort Wilderness to be on the Disney Park grounds, or camp off site; you can still enjoy everything this place has to offer.

Staying at Fort Wilderness allowed us to take our time at the park.  It was more relaxing knowing the dogs were well cared for. It really is everything a “Resort” campground should be and more!

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Luckily for us this is a really short drive from our home just north east of Dallas; about 2.5 hours which makes the ride really easy for the girls (dogs).

There are a number of campgrounds to pick from in the area.  We chose Fernbrook RV Park because they were centrally located between Longview and Kilgore Texas.  Their nightly rates are decent and they do have a weekly rate if you want to spend an entire week in the area, which would be easy to do.

It became apparent to us as soon as we arrived, that this is a really nice campground.  The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The sites are nice and level with a decent amount of space between trailers.  The check in process was quick and the owners are helpful and friendly.

Tammy and I always say that if you have a campground with long-term campers, the campground should enforce a standard so that it doesn’t look cluttered or trashy;  this is the case at Fernbrook.  All of the sites, including longer term campers, were nice and clean.  Although we were only there for four days, I would be happy to go back to this campground anytime.

Our Spot At Fernbrook – A Great Campground!

There were at least three activities that we would do:

• 1)  Visit Jefferson Texas and take the Historic Walking Ghost Tour.  We had heard and read a great deal about this tour, and it was the main reason for the trip.
• 2)  Visit the East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore.
• 3)  The Texas State Railroad in Palestine.

If you plan on visiting these three attractions, the ghost tour may be too intense for really small children because it is a relatively long tour (much longer than they advertise), and secondly, as a participant you will be moving around really old buildings in the dark.  That’s not to say you couldn’t take children, you’ll just need to take extra precautions.  The East Texas Oil Museum, like any museum, will be great for the kids.  Obviously the attraction your children will like the most will probably be riding the steam train at the Cotton Belt Depot Museum.

Besides the three activities mentioned above, we ended up stumbling onto the Rangerette Showcase and Museum (a pleasant surprise) and spent a morning at Tyler State Park.  Both of these places are worth visiting.  If you have the time, add them to your list.

The Historic Walking Ghost Tour of Jefferson Texas

Jefferson is a very interesting old town and it was about 90 minutes from our campground.  We decided to get to Jefferson a little early so we could grab some dinner before the tour and had a really nice meal at Auntie Skinner’s Riverboat Club.  At first when we entered the restaurant we thought there was no way we would get seated,  It was really crowded;  but we found a table right away.  The service was great and I had one of the better rib-eye steaks I’ve ever had.  If you don’t like eating where folks are still allowed to smoke then you may want to pass this place up.  We really didn’t find the smoke as offensive as some who have reviewed it on sites like tripadvisor.  I think it’s a great place to eat and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

A look inside Auntie Skinner’s

Oddly, there was an old picture on the wall that had a women that looked just like our Daughter-In-Law in it.  This was a little creepy – like in the movie “The Shining”, and really set the mood since we were heading to the ghost tour.

After dinner we walked to the intersection where the tour begins and waited for the guide to check everyone in.  You can buy tickets on-line for this tour.   I recommend going that route versus standing in line to buy them in person.  To visit their site for information or to by tickets click here.

Get Ready For The Paranormal…Maybe!

The tour guide will give you a lot of information about people who lived in the town during the 1800’s,  how they met their untimely deaths; and the buildings that they haunt.  Beyond the ghost stories, of which there are many,  there is also a lot of historical information relayed by the guide during the tour.  We found that to be worth the price of the tour alone.

As I mentioned, there is a great deal of walking on this tour, and a lot of moving about in old buildings in the dark.  Expect to spend a lot of time in each building because everyone is encouraged to take pictures (just in case something paranormal shows up in the photos).  Needless to say there were a lot of smart phones constantly flashing as we moved from building to building.

One of the many creepy buildings on the Ghost Tour.

We didn’t experience any paranormal activity on our tour but really enjoyed all the stories associated with the town of Jefferson Texas.  Even if you don’t experience anything paranormal you’ll still be glad you went on this tour.

The East Texas Oil Museum

This museum is actually located on the campus of Kilgore College in Kilgore Texas.  This is a beautiful campus with beautiful grounds and plenty of parking.

Sitting in front of the museum is a huge oil derrick, so this building is hard to miss.  They have designed this museum to give you a feel of what life was like back in the 1930’s during the oil boom.   When you enter the museum you will be surrounded by artifacts and pictures dating back to the early days of the oil boom;  as well as pictures of some of the people who were responsible for the oil operations.

The museum also has a section that makes it seem as if you have gone back in time to the era when Texas hit it big in the oil industry.

East Texas Oil Museum – Old Town

This old town has a movie theater as well, where you can see a film on the history of the oil industry in Texas.  It’s very informative and the kids will really enjoy a part in the movie when the oil gusher strikes,  and the whole theater shakes.  Plan on spending a couple hours here, it is an enjoyable and educational experience.

Once we left the museum our plan was just to head back to camp.  However,  at the end of a nearby street we spotted the Kilgore Rangerett Showcase and Museum.   It is located in the Physical Education (PE) Complex, which is located at the intersection of Broadway and Ross;  on the Kilgore campus.

This little gem is located just a block or two from the East Texas Oil Museum and might be Kilgore’s best kept secret.  The Rangerette’s are the world’s best-known collegiate drill team, traveling across the United States and have been on several world tours.

In 1939 Dean B.E. Masters, (looking for a way to attract women to the college and to keep folks in their seats during half time)  recruited Gussie Nell Davis to create something special, and the Rangerette’s were born.

The Museum is full of memorabilia from 1940 forward including a movie that you can watch that explains the history of the Rangerette’s as well as Gussie Nell Davis.  The person that was managing the museum the day we were there was a former Rangerette, and she gave us a great deal of background information and some great personal stories.

You may want to plan on spending an hour or more at this museum, we highly recommend it.

Texas State Rail Road

This was our chance to take a ride on a real steam-powered locomotive.  Their round-trip excursions depart from the Rusk Depot at 11:00 am and return at 3:00 pm. The trip is ninety minutes each way with a one hour stop for lunch at the Palestine depot.  So keep in mind this will be a four-hour excursion.  It was a bit of a knuckle biter on the way there because we were running behind schedule.  We were afraid we might miss our departure, but as it turned out we arrived with five minutes to spare.  The depot is located at Park Road 76 in Rusk Texas.

The Texas state prison system established the railroad in 1881 and the Prison Inmates actually built the rail line. After the initial construction, the train provided a way to transport logs to the Rusk Prison.  The prison would then utilize the logs as fuel.  Between 1906 and 1909 the railway was extended.  The inmates expanded the rail line to its final destination of Palestine Texas.

One thing we were unprepared for (and not informed of) is that a good part of the rail had been destroyed by spring rains and was under reconstruction.  So we were only able to enjoy half of the train ride, and as a result there was no lunch stop.  This was a bit of a disappointment for us, not only because of the shorter ride;  but also because we were planning on getting a snack during the lunch stop.

Another option for lunch is to bring your own along with you.  The only caveat is that the bag or cooler of food must be able to fit under your seat on the train.

Due to the abbreviated ride we thought there should have been a discounted price on the tickets, but that was not the case.  So make sure the route is completely open before you book your tickets so that you are getting the full four-hour excursion for your money.  Although we found it to be a little pricey that was only due to the fact that we didn’t get the full trip we paid for.  If you take into account that the trip should be four hours long, then the price is reasonable.

The lowest ticket fare is $32.00/person for standard seating with no air conditioning (just open windows).  Tickets for children between the ages of 2 and 12 will cost $20.00.  There is a higher priced ticket available if you want to sit in air-conditioned passenger cars with a beverage and snack service.  Personally I think $65.00 per adult and $40.00 per child for that type of service is a just too much to pay, others may feel differently.

As with many activities, pets are not allowed on the train unless they are service animals.

The Steam Train Turning around to take us back to the Depot in Rusk.

Since 1977 this steam train has been featured in a number of movies and commercials.  The setting is perfect for being used in movies that need a vintage atmosphere.  It feels and looks as though you have stepped back in time from the minute you arrive at the depot.  The depot also serves as a museum but by the time we returned it was closed for the day.

In conclusion,  this may be your best way to take a step back into history with your family.   We enjoyed this excursion and think you will too.

Tyler State Park

Tyler State Park Store

It would be very hard, if not impossible to find something negative about this park.  You can boat, fish, hike, and more importantly camp.  The day pass will cost you $6.00 per adult and is free for children 12 and under.  Of course you can get a year pass for all Texas State Parks for $70.00.  That is a real deal if you spend a lot of time camping in state parks.

If you would like to do some boating here, you can either rent or bring your own.  They allow motors on boats but they cannot exceed five miles per hour on the lake.  If you are looking to do a little fishing, you can actually borrow fishing equipment.  Then go down to the lake and take your shot at catching crappie, perch or catfish.  There are three fishing piers so you will easily find a spot to set up.

There are some really nice campsites here for travel trailers.  They have everything from only water hook ups all the way to full hook ups.  We have a plan to visit this park in the future with our travel trailer because it is really hard to find a bad site here.  In addition, the size of the sites are large which easily will accommodate our two dogs, and provide some privacy.   The bathrooms in the camping loops are clean as well.  Please keep in mind if you travel with  your pets, they will not be allowed in any of the parks buildings.  I don’t believe that is any different than any other park we have visited.

The Park has 18 Premium full hook up sites and a view of the lake for $28.00 per night.  I would be hard pressed to find camp sites this nice anywhere for under $50.00 per night.   There are 39 sites without a lake view, but still excellent for $24.00 per night – a really unbelievable rate.  There are 20 sites that have water and electricity for $20.00 per night; and 39 additional sites that are water only for $16.00.  They also have cabins and screen shelters if you are traveling without your travel trailer.

There are over 13 miles of trails running through the park and they are absolutely beautiful.  Tammy and I decided to walk the path that went around the lake, and that may have taken us about an hour.

The trail around the lake at Tyler State Park

One of the strange things about the park is that it has a subtropical climate.  The park gets about 44 inches of rain each year and averages 80 degrees in the summer. That seems like a very moderate climate in the summer given that it is in Texas. It averages 46 degrees in the winter.  That is still warmer than Wisconsin.

The Lake at Tyler State Park

In short, this is a great spot for camping, fishing, or hiking.  Plan on spending some time at Tyler State Park whether it’s for a week or just a day;  it will be well worth your visit.  For more of our review on Tyler State Park click here.

So as you can see there is a lot to do in East Texas. Most importantly there is plenty to do if you are traveling with children.   In our opinion a week would be a reasonable amount of time to spend here.  You could do a fair number of tours and still spend some time kicking back at camp.

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Little Rock is located on the south bank of the Arkansas river near the center of the state.  The city is named after a small outcropping of rocks on the river bank.  Early settlers used these rocks as a landmark.  The city is located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, and the mountains are what make this area so beautiful.

The Arkansas River and the USS Razorback, and USS Hoga

You don’t get a sense of the seasons changing in Texas.  At least not in the same way as living in the northern part of the country. So we thought this would be a great way to celebrate fall.

The trip from our home to Little Rock is four and a half hours, a nice drive for both us and the girls.  The weather was perfect and the closer we got to Little Rock the more the scenery looked like northern Wisconsin with huge evergreen trees bordering the highway.  Driving down from the mountains into Little Rock is my favorite part of the trip.  We have been through here several times in the past and I’ve always loved this part of the drive.

We chose the Little Rock North KOA, primarily because of its location which is close to everything we wanted to see.  KOA campgrounds are like any other campground, some are nice and some are worth avoiding.  This is a really nice campground with an abundance of trees and shade.  It is very quiet with the exception of road noise which really doesn’t bother us; that’s the price you pay for being close to highways.

Pulling into the campground the first thing that struck me was the smell of the leaves on the ground.  The ground was blanketed in brown leaves, and they were trying to rake up the current batch to make room for more.  The trees in this area are just beginning to change as the weather here is warmer than usual for this time of the year.  Believe me there is no lack of trees at this campground.  As you can see in the picture, a slight color change is starting to take place on the leaves.  With temperatures in the 50’s at night these won’t stay green for long.

No Shortage of Trees

As you might imagine, there are a lot of things to do in Little Rock.  First on our list was to tour the Rock Town Distillery.  Rock Town was the first legal distillery in Arkansas after prohibition ended, and this happened just six years ago.  This is a $7.00 USD tour, that takes 30 minutes covering the entire distilling process from grain to glass.  If you’re lucky enough to be over 21, you will get a free tasting at the end of the tour.

Rock Town Distillery in Little Rock Arkansas

You may want a designated driver for this one because you’re going to get approximately 16, yes 16, quarter shots.  You’ll start with Gin and go through their Bourbons and then move on to flavored Moonshine.  They were all good, some really good, and a few spectacular.  In the group we were in almost everyone agreed that the coffee flavored shine was the best.  Surprisingly everyone from our tour group disappeared after the tasting leaving Tammy and I to be the only ones that purchased alcohol.  This is in stark contrast to the beer brewery tours where almost everyone hangs around and will socialize after the tasting, and then buy beer to go.

The prices for their products are pretty reasonable in my opinion, and if you want to just get a sample pack, you will be able to really get a feel for what this place is all about.  Take it easy on the 100 proof Apple Pie though.

Sample Shine Pack

The tasting alone is worth every bit of your seven dollars at the Rock Town distillery, so don’t miss it.

Day 2 and were are off to see “The Old Mill” and the “Big Dam Bridge”.  Both are only about ten minutes from the campground.

The Old Mill

The Old Mill is really a 1930’s recreation of an 1850’s style mill.  Although it is a recreation, there are many authentic parts to this mill that date back to the 1800’s.  This mill was actually featured in the movie “Gone with the wind”.  The Mill is located in a residential area but you wouldn’t realize that once you step through the gate.  It is beautiful as are the entire grounds.  A word of caution; no pets.

The two-story Mill has no doors or windows to give the impression it is abandoned.  There is an incredible amount of work that went into creating this structure.  So detailed in fact that the wood planks made of cement can actually be identified by their tree species.  This picture shows that detail on the floor boards plus that is an original milling stone from the mid 1800’s.

The Milling Stone

The Mill has a stream going by that powers the water wheel, and then dumps our into a nice pond before continuing into the broader stream.  It appears that it is a home to quite a few friendly geese and duck families.  Crossing the pond is as easy as taking the bridge that is made to appear as if it was formed from twisted branches and tree trunks.

The pond in front of the old mill

The Old Mill really is an amazing place.  I’d recommend taking a lunch and just relaxing on the grounds.  If you only have time to see one place in Little Rock, this is it.

Next, on to the Big Dam Bridge.  Created in 2006, this bridge spans the Arkansas River and Murray Lock and Dam and at  a length of 4,226 feet, it is the longest pedestrian/bicycle bridge in North America.  It rises 90 feet above the Arkansas River and 30 feet over the dam.  It was conceived as a way to boost the economy, but I haven’t quite figured out how, since there are no shops or restaurants next to the bridge but perhaps it pulls folks into the community.

The Big Dam Bridge

It’s a somewhat steep incline as you walk up the ramp leading to the bridge but easily accomplished.  You will want to stay to the right of the path as the bridge is frequented by bicyclists and joggers in pretty good numbers.  Looking down on the dam you will observe the locks and may see a boat or two going in or out.

The View From On Top Of The Bridge

It’s a bit of a round about journey to get to the bridge and the parking definitely doesn’t meet the demand of all the folks, so be prepared to circle the tiny lot several times to find a spot.  If you are traveling with your bicycle, then this is the place to go for outstanding biking as there are bike trails off each side of the bridge…next time.

Back at camp, Hannah enjoys the fall weather.

Day 3 is Sunday so we are kicking back and watching football then heading to the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.  The plan is to tour a WWII submarine (USS Razorback), and a WWII tug boat (USS Hoga).  If you wanted to do so you could actually spend the night on the submarine in the crews quarters and then enjoy a continental breakfast in the morning.

The Razorback is not in dry dock, it is actually floating next to the dock.  It is a complete working submarine.  Therefore touching dials or switches is off limits. If you are claustrophobic, unable to go down or up ladders, or crawl through small door passages, this tour may not be for you.

The USS Razorback (SS 394)

The USS Razorback was responsible for sinking many Japanese ships during the Second World War including two Japanese destroyers.  It is an amazing tour as you go through the submarine starting at the aft torpedo room and moving forward through the crew quarters, galley, control room, officers quarters, and the front torpedo area.

Crew Bunks

There are 74 bunks on board the ship but since there were shifts around the clock it was not unusual for over 100 men to be working the ship.  The more senior your rank determined the location of your bunk.  Working on a submarine was a high risk job during WWII, so it was only manned by volunteers.  52 submarines never came home during the war.  Many of these are laying in unknown locations on the bottom of the ocean with their crews on board.

Officers bunk rooms and Galley were separate from the rest of the crew, but everyone, regardless of rank, ate the exact same food.

Front Torpedo Bay

Electricity provides all of the ships power.  Large Diesel engines are used to recharge the batteries only after the ship is on the surface.   The tour of the Razorback was amazing and something you could easily do more than one time.

We were not able to tour the USS Hoga because the EPA was requiring asbestos abatement on board the ship.  She is also floating in the water on the opposite side of the USS Razorback.

The USS Hoga – Pearl Harbor Hero

The USS Hoga is one of the Hero’s of the Pearl Harbor Attack.  Within ten minutes of the attack she was pulling sailors from the water, fighting fires, and pushing ships out of harms way.  For 72 hours the Hoga battled to extinguish other battleships fires.  She also pushed the USS Nevada to safety and out of the way so that the channel would not be blocked.  This is an amazing ship with an amazing history.

There is also a museum on site where you can learn more about these two ships and the USS Arkansas.  This is more than a “must see” if you are anywhere near Little Rock.  In my opinion this may be the reason you need to visit.

After the tour we went a few blocks away to Diamond Bear Brewing Co.  Here you can sample their beer with a flight of four, and have some food.  It’s a pretty limited menu however, and what they think passes for Wisconsin cheese curds……well let’s just say that being from Wisconsin it wasn’t what we expected.  Their beer is what I would call o.k., but they do make a really nice Bloody Mary beer.

Day 4, our final day in Little Rock.  It’s off to ride the Trolley and then try Lost 40 Brewery.

Streetcar stop

One thing we are starting to realize is that every time we try something here it exceeds our expectation.  The Trolley was just another instance of getting way more than you paid for.  At a dollar per person you get a fifty minute ride around North Little Rock and Little Rock.  Not only do you get the ride, the bus driver gives you a non stop historical tour.

Inside the Streetcar going over the Arkansas River

From the history of the city to specific land marks, you get detailed information block by block.  We can’t think of anywhere else you can get a deal like this…it’s amazing.

Oldest House in Little Rock

The First Capital of Arkansas

Next we ventured to Lost 40 Brewery.  Our previous Micro Brewery visit was somewhat of a letdown;  so we just weren’t sure what to expect.

Lost 40 Brewing

Lost 40 Beer Menu

This is a must stop for lunch and beer location.  I had the best pulled pork sandwich ever, and Tammy had a Ruben sandwich.  Both sandwiches came with zapps potato chips which were outstanding.  The beer was better than excellent, as was the food.  Tammy said she would be willing to drive four and a half hours just for the food…so we need to start making this a weekend retreat.  It’s hard to imagine a better beer or lunch anywhere.

In summary, after four days here in North Little Rock we only know one thing for sure; four days is not long enough.  There’s still plenty to do here and much more to see so this will be on the itinerary for next year again.

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