Texas to Tennessee

On the 1st of April we left our "home" in AZ and began the trip back east for the Spring and Summer months......

Leaving Butterfield RV Park in Benson, AZ

The First Rest Stop

80 MPH Speed Limits. Unbelievable. Whoa - later on in Texas we travelled a road where it was 85 MPH.

You never quite realize just how big Texas is until you drive across it. After leaving AZ, our first stop for a night was in El Paso at Mission RV Park. Miles travelled for the day: 285

Our next one night stop was in Fort Stockton at Fort Stockton RV Park. Miles travelled this day: 231. This was followed by another 1 night stay in Boerne, TX at the Alamo Fiesta RV Park located just outside San Antonio. Miles travelled this day: 288

Our final stop in Texas, and the primary reason we came through Texas, was Omega Farms RV Park in Willis, TX, and an appointment with Dave at Sats2Go. Willis is located about 40 miles north of Houston. We had made an appointment months ago to have a Direct TV satellite dish installed on our trailer.

Job completed! Thanks Dave!!!

We had allowed ourselves 4 days for the installation and then testing/using to see if any problems before we left and hit the road again. Needless to say, Dave is a real technician and the recommendation we got in Kansas proved accurate. We are now one of his boosters and would recommend him and his business to anyone. The park was a pretty nice one and we enjoyed our stay there......

View from the far side of the pond looking back at our site

Our Pull Through Site

One of our neighbors. I never did figure out if it was a Condo or a Cathouse

In traveling from Benson to Willis, we've covered 1084 miles. Note: a week after we left, they got hammered with over 17" of rain. Don't know if they experienced any damage..........

After leaving Willis, our next destination was Breaux Bridge, LA and Poche's RV Park. This turned out to be one awesome recommendation(one we found in the Nick Russell's Gypsy Journal). This, bar none, was one of our favorite stops. A look at the pics will explain just about everything except the absolutely great people we met there.

Our spot - note: all concrete pads

One of our neighbors

I mentioned the people....George and Darlene were 2 of the nicest people we have met while traveling.

Our neighbors - George & Darleen

If you look up the row of campers, everyone is having a good time. And I mean, those Cajuns know how to have a good time. Cajun/Zydeco music all night. Another nice thing about Poche's(besides the 5 10 acre ponds for fishing), is that the fishing is free - no LA license required. You just know that I took advantage of that. I actually caught 6 or 7 bass. None of any size, but then, it was still fun.

Fishing Buddies

A view down the pond

Another fishing friend I shared the Pond with

George and Darleen treated us one night to a supper of Crawfish Étouffée and an order of Boudin. Wow. Seriously, they asked us if we would like for them to pick us up  an order from a local Take out restaurant, for supper. We said yes. And then they wouldn't accept payment. Said it was their treat and to show us Louisiana Hospitality. Blew us away. So, next day we showed them some Vermont Hospitality- a pint of Pure, Vermont Maple Syrup. I do believe they enjoyed the syrup as much as we enjoyed the Étouffée.

We really did enjoy this place and for sure, sometime, we have to come back. It was that good.

We left Breaux Bridge and got back on I 10 heading East. At some point we got on I 12 and then I 59 to Mississippi.

An overnight stop in Meridian, MS at Benchmark Coach and RV Park. Another Nick Russell / Gypsy Journal Recommendation. And another good one. Good overnight stop and not far from the Interstate. Funny thing happened while here, I spoke to the manager, actually did more than spoke, I had to pay him for our spot and during our conversation mentioned that from here we were headed to Sevierville, TN.  He said that the next week he was headed there too to attend a Heartland Owners Rally. Both of us at the same park, River Plantation RV Park. When our SKP ACRE rally was over, theirs was to begin. Small world as they say.

One more stop before getting to Tennessee though. That would be Fort Payne, AL.

Another easy on, easy off, close to the Highway Park. Full hookups, pull throughs. After a good nights sleep, we were on the road to Tennessee.

Rest Stop in Tennessee

Site # 424 - Our Home is where we park it.

The purpose of our trip here to River Plantation RV Park was to attend the SKP ACRE rally. We attended the one the previous year and enjoyed it so much, that we had to come back. We were not disappointed. Saw some old friends, made some new friends.

Happy Hour

Friends Bruce and Connie and Paul and Rhea

TechnoRV Training Session

Musical entertainment one night.....

On one night we attended the Hatfield & McCoy's Dinner Show. What a great night and well worth the price of a ticket.....

Great show...

They even got some of our group up to participate in a little contest - of passing the spoon.....

The spoon, attached to a long string, had to go down the mans pants, and up the female's dress. Fun.

The SKP ACRE event was another good one. The meals were always good, the Happy Hours enjoyable, as were the friends that we made. The Event began on Wednesday the 13th and officially ended on Monday night with a Pot Luck Supper, which all agreed was probably the best meal of the event. What a great selection of food. On tuesday morning, everyone(but us) hooked up and left for other places. We stayed an extra 3 days. On tuesday I assisted Jim and Lisa from Escapees with the Smartweigh Program, as I had done the previous year. I was asked if I would like to be part of the Smartweigh Staff for the 2017 Escapade in Tucson. Made me feel pretty good.

Well, after everyone left, we got to do some things. One of them was to visit Bush Beans Factory just about 20 miles east of Sevierville. Really quite interesting place.....

About 1/2 way back to Sevierville, we found another place to stop:

Yes, I did  do the free tasting and I did buy a bottle of White Lightning

We found a great little place just up the road for lunch one day.....

We also found a great restaurant in Pigeon Forge- Applewoods Farm Grill and Applewoods Farm Restaurant. Two "different" restaurants. And we tried both.

Inside....very nice.

I mentioned that after our SKP ACRE group left, the Heartland Group moved in.

Our Mobile Suites surrounded by Big Horns

One thing that I did first thing we got to Sevierville, was to go to Walmart and get myself a 10 day non-resident fishing license. The Little Pigeon River, which was right behind our site, was just too inviting. Well, I did get my moneys worth with that license. Many enjoyable times and some nice fish caught. All smallmouth and all decent size. One night I actually lost one that was probably 3-4 lbs.

And then friday the 22nd came and it was time to leave Tennessee and head to North Carolina and a 3 night stay in Asheville at Campfire Lodgings.