Friday May 13, 2016
We left Johnson Creek RV Resort this morning under sunny skies and high humidity...
Yes, we realized it is Friday the 13!! After getting our rig inspected and purchasing new license plates we began our summer journey. We plan on making somewhat of a circle this summer ~ east to St. Augustine, north to Delaware, Michigan, west to Iowa and south to our home park of Johnson Creek ~ with many stops in between to visit family and friends. And, of course, to play tourist!!
"Getting There is Half the Fun" is our family motto...Our plan is to stay off of the interstate as much as possible. By traveling the "back roads" we hope to see and experience more of the small towns and country side.
Our first stop was in Giddings. Giddings is approximately 60 miles northeast (mostly east) of Austin.
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| we love Buc-ee's! we stopped here in Bastrop on our way to Giddings |
We are spending two nights here in Giddings and are staying at Ross' South Forty RV Park.
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| small fountain near park entrance |
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| clubhouse |
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| pool to the right of the clubhouse |
Interestingly, this park does not have a park office. You drive to the "honor box" where one of the owners will meet you and direct you to your site. The "honor box" is also where you deposit your registration form and payment...
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| gravel pads and spacious lots |
Ron always finds an interesting place for us to stay. The South Forty is a working Longhorn cattle ranch; the herd is confined outside the park...
Sunday, May 15
We are members of the RV'ng group "Escapees". Escapees have discounted parks around the country; as well as many helpful services for RV'ers. We decided to revisit Rainbow's End park in Livingston, TX.
Rainbow's End is home to the national headquarters for Escapees. This is where our "address" is ~ all of our mail is delivered to this park and then forwarded to us. While here, we took a tour of the mail room. All I can say is WOW!! They could and should show the US Postal Service how to sort, distribute and deliver mail. They are fantastic!! Pictures were not allowed due to privacy concerns.
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| at one time trolley tours of the park were given |
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original power pole; all rigs parked around this pole when the
park first opened |
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| headquarters for Escapees. the mail room is located behind this building |
Livingston is a medium sized town in east Texas, almost due north of Houston. It is the county seat of Polk County.
The week we spent here was mostly overcast and rainy. In between raindrops, we explored parts of Livingston...
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1911 W. T. Carter steam locomotive no. 5, which for 30 years was used to carry timber from
the logging camps to the mills |
The Heritage Society of Polk County is pretty active in Livingston. Throughout the town are locations with signs stating "Preservation Matters". The Jonas Davis Log Cabin (located adjacent to the W. T. Carter locomotive) is one such location.
The Jonas Davis Log Cabin was built in 1833 by one of the last members of the Pakana Muskogee Indian Tribe to live in Polk County. Originally, the cabin was located on a reservation on Kickapoo Creek near present-day Onalaska. It was moved to this location in the 1980's when it was restored.
We were unable to take a tour of the cabin; tours are offered July~September only.
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| front of cabin |
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| love these lilies |
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| back of cabin |
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seating area behind the cabin and next to the locomotive. the Polk County Museum is located
behind this area |
During our stay here in Livingston, we also took a day-trip to Nacogdoches. More about that trip later. We also spent time exploring neighboring towns...Conroe as well as Cut and Shoot. Yes, there really is a town named Cut and Shoot; it's located about six miles east of Conroe and 40 miles north of Houston.
Monday, May 23
Happy Birthday, Bryan!! We left Livingston under cloudy skies and high humidity this morning.
We are heading to a small town in Louisiana, Kinder. We'll stay for a couple of nights at Coushatta Luxury RV Resort at Red Shoes Park (it's located at a casino). We stay at Casinos when possible; the rv area is always very nice as well as reasonable.
Red Shoes was a Coushatta leader in the late eighteenth century (Red Shoes was the name the "white man" gave him). He settled the lower reaches of the Red River in Louisiana; hundreds more Coushattas followed him and soon the tribe established a new political and social system that preserved it's traditional way of life.
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| the Lodge at Red Shoes Park |
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| we drove around the fairly large pond to our site. this pond is great for fishing |
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| the lots are fairly large as well as paved |
It was a beautiful evening for a walk...
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| Coop's always ready for a walk |
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| rental chalets that surround the outer perimeter of the park |
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| another view |
In addition to the many chalets, the casino also has two hotels, as well as a lodge, on the property.
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| Seven Clans Hotel |
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| Grand Hotel |
There was a nice, fairly large, dog park in the RV area...
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this dog park is much larger than what it is usually found at RV
parks |
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| another nice feature of the dog park is a drinking fountain for dogs |
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Cooper taking advantage of the shade from a Crepe Myrtle tree. it was
hot (90) when we walked down to the dog park |
Kinder is a small town located about 40 miles north of Lake Charles. It's really in the middle of nowhere. The casino is the main attraction and is what put Kinder on the map. The closest large grocery store, which happens to be Walmart, is 21 miles from here in Oakdale. There is a small grocery store in town, The Market Basket. We did a little bit of shopping there. Prices were slightly higher than what you would find at a larger grocery store, but not bad.
We are leaving here tomorrow (Wednesday) am. Next stop New Orleans! We are only 170 miles from one of my favorite places in New Orleans, Cafe du Mond!!
We enjoyed our stay here very much!
Til next time,
Dawn, Ron & Cooper
