QUOTABLE: “Don’t try to be young. Just open your mind. Stay interested in stuff. There are so many things I won’t live long enough to find out about, but I’m still curious about them.” ~ Betty White
2026 came in quietly with no drama. I was about 2-1/2 months post surgery and having a little bit of trouble getting rid of the slight limp. It took forever to get past that with both of my knee replacements, so like I did then, I got approval to have a little physical therapy. It turned out that the muscle on the outside of my thigh wasn’t nearly as strong as the rest. A few sessions and some exercises to do at home, and I was right as rain.
January 10th had us, once again, heading over to Knoxville, this time taking friend Jovonni along. After first having an amazing lunch at The Brass Pearl in Market Square, we walked over to the Tennessee Theater. The show was Mark Twain Tonight, originally written and performed by the amazing Hal Holbrook. Today we were thrilled to watch Richard Thomas, AKA John Boy Walton, transform into one of America’s great story tellers. (I ran into a lady at intermission who was lucky enough to see both actors in the role. She said both were terrific.) I loved the show, and seeing it in such a historic, gorgeous theater only added to the fun. This beauty had her first show on October 1, 1928, and ran movies and small stage shows such as Tom Mix and his cowboy caravan. Later the Knoxville Opera and Knoxville Symphony Orchestra performed in residence for several years, then in 1996, the Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation took over. After a 28 million dollar restoration, the grand lady reopened in 2005. Today you can see Broadway and touring shows throughout the year. When we were heading out afterwards, we decided dessert was in order, so, back to The Brass Pearl we went. Totally calorie-worthy!
WARNING…GROSS: In mid-January I was driving back from Morristown and saw a truck in front of me. Clearly something industrial, I was trying to figure out what the rear section was used for. As I got closer, I was even more unsure. Doesn’t that appear to be blood and yuck? Why is it just out in the open on the back of the truck? Is this evidence of Soylent Green? Does anyone actually know what this is used for??
A week or so before hitting the road again, we started having some serious animal activity at the barn. For several nights, we had at least one and sometimes two large packs of coyotes making a ruckus several times each night. Sometimes they seemed just up the hill near the tree line! We had just been talking about the lack of coyote song this season, too. The Saturday before we left, MW caught sight of a huge flock of turkeys out Priscilla’s rear window. We counted 42!! They were wandering around in the grass and on the hillside scratching for bugs. We see turkeys occasionally, typically in groups of 7-12, but the only other large group was 35 several years ago. Maybe this is what the coyotes were looking for? Later that same evening I turned on the awning light and headed out to the barn to fold some clothes. One of the motion-sensor lights was on, and when I stepped out the door, two large deer were standing about 20′ away staring at me. I told them they were fine and I wouldn’t hurt them, then went into the barn. They were still watching me as I went through the door. About 10 minutes later, I opened the barn door expecting to see deer. Instead I was hit in the nostrils with a severe stink. Near where the deer had been there was now a fairly large skunk, or what one of my Boogers used to call a stunk. Peee…u!!!! He immediately headed in the opposite direction, but it took a while for the smell to clear. It looked like the same one we’ve seen in the field several times this season.
It was finally time to hit the road for a short (1 month) trip on Monday, January 19. Truth be told, while Mr. Wonderful (MW) loves our crowd in Sneedville, his engine is typically on go within a month or so of ending a trip. I think the delay with surgery, etc., was a little bit much for him. Our first travel day turned out to be beautiful, although hooking up in 25 degrees was a bit brisk!! We took the now-familiar Sneedville to Knoxville to Chattanooga route, mostly on interstates. Traffic in Knoxville was thicker than we expected on a holiday, but not unbearable. We can’t say the same for the roads, though! If you are passing through there on any highway, just slow down. I don’t think there is a bridge transition or repaired spot that doesn’t throw you around, and it has only gotten worse since we moved to Tennessee. There was a LOT of stuff bounced around in Priscilla, for sure. We MW’s required stop at the Pilot (formerly Flying J) just west of Knoxville, then continued south. The only other stop was for lunch at the Gondolier in Sweetwater (pretty good). As is typical, the worst traffic was in Chattanooga. This time we were turning west on I-24, and it was backed up before the split and then for miles after the turn for no apparent reason. Ugh! At US-72 we turned south and made our final destination, Jackson County Park in Scottsboro, Alabama, by 2:30 PM. While the temps were about 20 degrees warmer for setup, the wind off of Guntersville Lake was brutal! I was happy to get inside. There is a Whataburger just down the road, so you know what MW wanted for supper!
Traveling during the winter requires a bit more planning and keeping an eye on the upcoming weather. Temps were supposed to be in the low 20s overnight, and not having the heated hose and spigot that we use at the barn meant that we needed to fill the fresh water tank and unhook and drain the hose. It also meant that we couldn’t let the kitchen sink drip, which is the area most likely to freeze inside our rig. We solved that by leaving the furnace at 70 instead of our customary 63 overnight, turning on the tank heaters, and running both warm and cold water just prior to bed, then again during the night when I got up to use the bathroom. It was way too hot for good sleeping, but worked. The only thing to freeze was the overflow valve. By early afternoon, that was melted, too, so everything was golden. I’m a part of several camping groups on Facebook where information is shared, and I can’t tell you how many times someone has asked what to do when the temperature gets in the low 20s to keep from lines freezing. Inevitably there is someone who says, “you don’t have to do anything unless you are well below freezing for 24 hours or more”. Well, that sounds good, and may be true if you have under-pinning, but when you move around, not so much. Even with our barn setup of a heated hose, heated and insulated spigot, tank heaters, and the furnace set at 63 pushing warmth into the sealed underside, we’ve still had the lines going to the kitchen sink freeze in a matter of 6 hours or so. In our experience, dripping or regularly running the faucets, or as we learned this trip, keeping the furnace at 70, are the only ways to prevent it without disconnecting the water and blowing out the lines.
Tuesday was a gorgeous day with a bit less wind, but still a lot of cold. When MW went out in the morning, he scared off a bald eagle sitting on a stump just behind our trailer. Too bad we didn’t pull up the shades prior to that! We watched for the rest of our stay, but never caught sight of him again. After a relaxing morning, we headed over to Huntsville to visit with the Bagwell’s, MW’s stepmom Peg and her husband Colin. We met at Red Robin for lunch and were joined by our nephew Caleb, who was heading over to Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama, for National Guard Officer Candidate School (OCS). After visiting for a bit, we headed back over to Scottsboro and took pics of the park on the way in. Then I got some work done and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.
Wednesday was very cold first thing in the morning, but warmed up to around 55 or so by mid-day. With temps dropping so low at night, we were blowing through propane, so MW headed out first thing to refill the empty tank. After two locations were out, he was directed to a third with a ridiculously long line. Let’s just say he didn’t have the patience for that, so he headed back to the campground. We saw a large propane tank over near the marina, but that area all appeared to be closed up for the season. MW popped in to the office to inquire and, thankfully, they were selling it. Clearly no one in town is aware!! Later we headed over to 50 Taters just down the road, an interesting place that advertises comfort food and had a lot more than potatoes. We both had Tater’s Famous Loaded Tater, which came with butter, sour cream, cheese, and your choice of pulled pork, smoked chicken, ham, or turkey. It was pretty big, so there was plenty for leftovers.
Next we headed over to Bridgeport, Alabama, about 40 minutes away to get a flag for our map at a cave. No kidding! Russell Cave National Monument was the temporary home of many tribal people dating as far back as the Paleo-Indian Period. It would be an interesting shelter during the drier months with a large, upper living area and the creek flowing through the lower level. During the rainy season, though, the creek water can rise quickly. Through many changes of modern ownership, the cave was used for picnics, church socials, and anything else you can think of. Then in 1951 an amateur archeologist named Paul Brown approached then owner Oscar Ridley about excavating in the cave. It took a couple of years for Ridley to get on board, but he finally gave approval for Paul, along with Charles Peacock, LeBaron Pahmeyer, and J. B. Graham, to get to work. During that first dig, which included several pits, some down to 7′, the men pulled out stone points, bone tools, and potsherds. The oldest thing they found was a Dalton point dating back to 8,500 to 10,500 BC. It didn’t take long for the team to realize that the find could be significant. They decided to ask the professionals at the Smithsonian Institute to take over the dig, and Carl Miller was sent to investigate. Shortly after that the National Geographic Survey (NGS) bought the cave and 310 acres from the Ridley’s. The new team dug from 1956 to 1958, in some places down to 32′, and pulled out more than 2 TONS of artifacts!! How cool is that??!! Even more so to me is the fact that the first crew realized their limitations, set aside their self-interests, and brought in the big boys. In the early 1960s, NGS donated the cave and land to the Department of the Interior, and later that year President John F. Kennedy signed the paperwork establishing it as a National Monument. The National Park Service officially dedicated it on May 7, 1967. Russell Cave, as it is now known, is recognized for one of the most complete records of prehistoric cultures in the southeast. Artifacts found range in time from over 10,000 BC to 1650 AD. The Visitor Center has a movie, some exhibits, and a little store. After checking that out, we walked out to the cave, then took a hike on the 1.2 mile nature trail. Let me just say, that kicked my butt! It was a loop with 400′ of elevation change. That is a lot of climbing in a little over a half mile!! Later, as I was writing this I noticed the color-coding on the map…DIFFICULT!! MW says he did not see that, but I’m wondering if he is just busting my chops a little too much 3 months after hip replacement!! By the time we made it back to Big Jake, I was in need of ibuprofen!
Thankfully, the long drive back to Scottsboro helped, and I was able to enjoy walking a little at Unclaimed Baggage. We’ve been here before and really enjoyed foraging. It is amazing what is found in lost luggage!! I was pooped, though, so we didn’t stay very long. Then, after a quick stop at Bruce’s Foodland for some groceries, it was back to Priscilla to put my feet up. There was some delicious black bean and rice soup waiting for us in the PossibleCooker, too. Yum!!
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER: While temps were pretty cold in Scottsboro, we were confident that Priscilla was up to the task. That is until the weather guys started talking about a winter storm to rival the blizzard of ’93. They were getting serious!! My friends in Sneedville said projections there were for 12-14″ of snow and ice, and it was looking pretty bleak even in northern Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. We don’t mind a little snow as long as we don’t have to drive in it, but when you start talking about ice, that gets our attention. So, diverting south was now a necessity. We rebooked campgrounds in Mississippi and Louisiana to keep us well below the ice line, although we would still be in very cold weather. Problem averted. It was a good call as the original areas we were going through ended up with LOTS of ice and power outages. Sneedville, on the other hand, did not get the projected snow. Many were happy, but some were very sad. LOL
Jackson County Park & Marina is located on the north end of Guntersville Lake in Scottsboro, Alabama, with easy access to everything in town. You can also get to Huntsville (40 minutes) and Guntersville (20 minutes), both of which are worth visiting. Set up mainly for water activities, this park is great for summer family fun. Amenities include a walking trail, playground, pavilions, a fishing dock, several boat docks, a boat ramp, a fishing pier, a marina, boat fuel and propane sales, and an onsite BBQ joint (may be seasonal). Lodging options include nine cabins and the campground, which has around 125 graveled sites, only 26 of which are available short-term. Those you can rent are back-in, full hookup with 50/30-amp posts. Our site backed right up to the water, was level and easy to get into, and had plenty of space. The bathhouse was old, but reasonably clean, and there is a laundry onsite, although neither of us went in. Cell signals were strong and there were a handful of over-the-air tv channels that came through. There was a cable line on the post, but we did not check it. Since our visit was in winter, the park almost looked like fancy trailer storage…lots of rigs but very few people. In fact, we only saw a handful of other people in the entire place. It was very peaceful, but that would definitely not be the case during the warmer months. We would stay again in the off season, though. For this visit in January 2026 we paid a little over $42 a night for 3 nights, which included a cancellation fee for another originally planned night.
I really expected to have some hip issues when I woke up Thursday morning, but no problems. Awesome! We were up and dressed before 6 AM in anticipation of a long drive mostly caused by switching to plan B for weather. We hit the road about 7 AM, passing through Scottsboro and Guntersville to get over to I-20. Man, the roads in Birmingham are worse than Knoxville! After stopping for lunch at Diamond Jim’s and Mrs. Donna’s, a home-cooking joint in Livingston, Alabama, we continued booking it on I-20 all the way through Meridian, Mississippi, then followed I-59 to the outskirts Hattiesburg. There we took US-98 to US-49 to our destination for the next few days, the campground at The Center for Forrest County, which is their fairgrounds. The entire day was gray and drizzly, and since almost all of it was on interstates, neither of us particularly enjoyed it. Once at the campground we were a bit dismayed to see concrete pads that were 8′ wide with entry roads that were fairly narrow. Our trailer is 8′ wide. I mean, a professional could stick that landing, but on this day, we couldn’t. There was plenty of grass on either side and no obstructions, but as soon as your tire dropped off of the pavement, it sank into a mire of mud and muck. In fact, just walking on the grass caused some sinkage! By the time we were set up, both of us were ready to chill.
Friday I took a drive over to The Mat at Midtown in Hattiesburg to get the laundry done. Mostly alone, I was able to knock it out quickly. Then, after picking up an order for MW at Tractor Supply, I stopped for lunch at McAlister’s Deli, where I got a bit of work done. Before heading back, I stopped in at Dillard’s, for the dreaded bra shopping venture. I know you guys out there have no idea, but EVERY woman is nodding her head in sympathy right now. By the time I made it back to Priscilla, I was pooped!
The unexpected blessing from the weather changing our route came on Saturday. We drove over to Semmes, Alabama, to have a long lunch and visit with Mark and Jennifer Jones aka the Florida Joneses aka two of our favorite people! I LOVE unexpected visits. We met at Pedro’s Tacos & Tequila Bar, which had terrific Mexican food and great service, totally unexpected for a tiny town in the middle of nowhere Alabama! While the visit wasn’t long enough, it was more than we had planned, so that is a gift!
Sunday morning we headed out to services at a baptist church in Hattiesburg, but were denied when the service that their website said started at 11 AM was already in progress at 10:40 AM. A quick search pointed us to Magnolia Baptist Church, which was great. The people were very welcoming, and we enjoyed the pastor’s sermon about “The Haunting Effects of Sin”. Afterwards we had lunch at Chesterfield’s, which we give very high marks. Our waiter was amazing, and the food incredible.
Monday, January 26, was the first sunny day since our arrival, and we took the opportunity to run a bunch of errands…groceries, prescriptions, etc. Before heading back to Priscilla, we had lunch at Five Guys. That was about it except for taking care of some tax work and a bit of writing.
The Forrest County RV Park is adjacent to the county fairgrounds at The Center, and is a basic campground in a field. The only real amenities are a bathroom, which they closed without notice after the weekend event ended, and a small lake. The latter is hidden in the back, and we were there for 2 days before MW even noticed it. There are 147 paved, full-hookup sites, 50 with 30/50-amp and the rest with 30-amp only. On the plus side, it is very clean, close to Hattiesburg, has pretty long sites, and is inexpensive for full-hookup. There were several things on the down side, though. All sites are first-come, first-served, which was not an issue when we were there, but there wasn’t anything major going on at the fairgrounds. The sewer and water connections were at the rear of the site and there was no dump station; this required us to purchase a second stinky slinky to make the distance. Sites were level side-to-side, but all had dips and uphill sections front to back which appeared to be for drainage. All sites had concrete patio areas, but as noted on our arrival day, the parking pads are only 8′ wide, and some have pretty significant drop-offs if you miss. The surrounding grass is lovely, but when you walk on it, as you must to get to your vehicle, you sink into dampness. The only time the ground wasn’t squishy during our visit was when it actually froze. Finally, the entire camping section appeared to be in a low spot that may have even worse water issues in serious rain. Many folks used this as an overnight stop, and for that it wouldn’t be terrible. There are a couple of sites near the front that would be easy to back into. We probably wouldn’t stay for any more than that, though, if we had a choice. For this visit in January 2026, we paid $35 per night for 5 nights. Sorry to say, I didn’t get any pics. Here is a screenshot of the map, though.
On Tuesday we hit the road fairly early, once again hooking up in very cold weather. Our route took us west on US-98 west to Meadville, Mississippi, where it joined US-84 to Natchez, Mississippi. There we found Soda Pops, a kitschy little place with pretty darned good sandwiches and lots of other delicious stuff for lunch. IMPORTANT NOTE: The half sandwich is MORE than enough!! After lunch, we continued on US-84 west, crossing the Mississippi River into Louisiana. At Archie, we turned south on LA-28, then hit I-49 south and ended up at the Indian Creek Recreation Area south of Alexandria, Louisiana. It was a fairly long day, so we were both ready to relax.
If you’ve read this blog much, you know that I am NOT in love with Louisiana roads. They stink, and now I have scientific proof!! Right after we bought Priscilla, I found a lovely wood and metal angel that came to live on the end table in the corner. For well over 2 years and 40,000ish travel miles, it has been mounted to the end table with museum putty. When we arrived at Indian Creek, she was splayed across the couch. Louisiana roads KILLED my angel!! Well, to be fair, she wasn’t dead, just unseated. I kneaded the museum putty and re-stuck her. I bet she’ll stay there for another 2 years if we stay the heck out of Louisiana!!
Wednesday we had a relaxing morning. There are lots of birds at this campground, and we were delighted by not one, not two, but THREE pileated woodpeckers. Two were chasing each other round and round the base of a tree right outside our window. One just hung out in a tree, then took off when the first two flew away. Caught a couple of really good egret pics, too. Our main reason for getting out later was to replenish propane, but we did manage to take care of a few errands and have lunch at the Mandarin Chinese Restaurant. Strangely, the best thing on their menu was sushi. We shared a roll and had Mongolian beef, most of which went home with us.
Thursday we had a plan to get in a couple of hours of walking outside in the terrific, upper-50s weather. First, though, I was craving a steak! We popped in at Texas Roadhouse, which is open for lunch every day in Alexandria but not back at home. (Who do I talk to about that?) Then, we ran a few errands. MW was excited to see an F-104 beside the Sleep Number store. (I think he was plotting how to get one at the barn! Is there someone I can talk to about that?) Finally we headed over to check out the Alexandria Zoo. This place packed a lot of punch in a relatively small area. They had quite a nice selection of animals, mostly in habitats. There were even a couple we had never seen. By the time we were done checking it all out a couple of hours later, it was time for me to put my feet up for a while.
Friday was laundry day. I did a few things at the RV before heading out about 10:30 AM to the Fresh-N-Clean Coin Laundry in Alexandria. There I was able to knock out the chore in about 2 hours, then head over to Chick-fil-A to sit and get some blog work done. Except for a little more of the same back at Priscilla, that was my day. MW did do a little vacuuming while I was gone, though.
UNBELIEVABLE: We saw unleaded fuel at the Circle K in Alexandria, Louisiana, for $2.029!! No kidding!!!
Saturday we mostly hung out at the RV staying out of the cold, but Sunday we did get out again, heading over to Elwood Baptist Church for services. Wow, what a nice group of people! The Pastor Mike Evans gave an interesting sermon about not needing to look a part to be ready for God. I think we ended up talking to just about everyone there, and both the Pastor and another congregant gave us their cards in case we have any issues while in town. How nice! Afterwards we went over to Fuzzie’s Restaurant in Glenmora, Louisiana. This is pretty much middle-of nowhere and the only real game in town, which usually means the food is par at best. Definitely not the case here, though. Both my grilled chicken and MW’s fried catfish were cooked perfectly and well seasoned and came with good veggies. We’d definitely go there again. Back at the campground, we took a nice, 2-mile walk in the woods, and I decided that is about the limit for me for the time being. My hip was a bit sore!! The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and doing a little writing.
Indian Creek Recreation Area is in the Alexander State Forest near Woodworth, Louisiana, and a few miles south of Alexandria. The 2,600 acres includes facilities for swimming, fishing, boating, and outdoor recreation. Amenities include beach areas, bathhouses, a playground, a boat launch, boat rentals, fish cleaning station, rental pavilions, and miles of hiking trails. Visitors can hike or bike, picnic, swim, go boating, fish, and camp. The camping options include more than 100 sites, some pull-through and some back-in. Some full-hookup, some electric and water only, some shared, and some primitive. Most include picnic tables and fire rings, and many are situated right on the lake. We liked this park, and there was a lot to do for families. It was very quiet except for occasional boat noise, and the facilities were in pretty good shape. One negative during the busy season might be that there are only two bathhouses for all of the campsites. We were in one of the back-in sites, but on a return visit would probably go for a pull-through simply because of the extra room. For this visit in February 2026, we paid $29 per night for 6 nights.
Since we didn’t have to hit the road very early on Monday, February 2, MW ran down to Golf Carts & Power Sports to get propane and filled up Big Jake on the way back. While he was gone, I happened to glance out the window and saw a huge flock of birds, both white pelicans and cormorants, swimming past the campground. My camera was in the truck with MW, but I ran out with my iPhone to snap a shot of a small part of the whole flock. Amazing! We finally hit the road about 10AM, taking US-165 back to Glenmora, then LA-113 to LA-112 to DeRidder. There we stopped for a few groceries at the Dollar General and had lunch at The Stadium Sports Grill. After that it was US-190 into Texas and over to Jasper, where we turned north for the last leg up to Rayburn Park near Broaddus. After setting up and relaxing a bit, we had a beautiful sunset over the lake.
Tuesday was supposed to be rainy and windy, so we opted to stay in…pajama day for me! I can’t convince MW of the value, but I’m trying. Maybe a good smoking jacket or velvet robe?! It mostly just drizzled here and there until later in the afternoon. As we were watching TV around 5 PM, we noticed some REALLY dark clouds and lightning just northwest of us. A quick look at the weather app showed that some of that was heading our way. Within a half hour or so, our visibility was down to nothing and the thunder, lightning, and wind were wicked! Thankfully, the power only went out once, and that was just for a minute. It stayed pretty windy late into the night, though.
As if to make up for the bad weather, Wednesday dawned spectacularly gorgeous! After a slow start, we headed over to Lufkin, Texas, to take care of a couple of errands and have a bite at the Rusty Axe Brewing Company. (Wow…delicious food. MW had the East Texas “Not-Lobster” Roll – basically a crawfish po boy, and I had their winter squash soup and a goat cheese side salad. Yum!!) Afterwards we looked around town a little bit before heading back to Priscilla. There we were greeted by a note on the door. We aren’t sure what happened, but the water was a bit discolored and there was now a boil notice. Ugh!
Rayburn Park sits on the north shore of Sam Rayburn Reservoir surrounded by the Angelina National Forest. Open year-round, this is a small park with only 25 campsites (most paved), 16 with water and 50-amp electric hookups and 9 non-electric (one for groups), all with picnic tables (some covered), and fire rings. Amenities include two boat ramps, a swim beach, a playground, picnic area, and a bathhouse. Activities include hiking, swimming, fishing, boating, and hunting in season. We loved this park! Many of the sites back right up to the lake, and it is very well kept and peaceful. During our visit there were only a handful of other campers, although that may change during the season. The park is a long way from anywhere and only has a small playground, so probably wouldn’t be the best family camping location unless boating and the beach are your focus. We will definitely be returning. For this stay in February 2026, we paid a little over $31 per night for 3 nights.
Thursday it was time for the final leg to our reason for this trip. We headed over to Zavala, Texas, then took FM-1818 over to Diboll, followed by US-59 south to Livingston. There we stopped for lunch at Lone Star Charlies, which was pretty good. Then we continued south to Cleveland and took TX-321 to Dayton and TX-146 down to LaMarque and the USA RV Resorts. After getting set up, we relaxed for a bit. Later after our niece, Taylor, got home from work, we visited with her and, of course, Mack. He is a giant pit mix that is in love with MW. When we are there, he will give Taylor and me a little love, but he reserves most of it for his buddy. Is it the testosterone? Later we went for pizza at Russo’s New York Pizzeria. This is our second visit to this place, and it is yummy!! By then we were all pooped and called it a night.
Taylor and Mack recently lost sweet Abby, who had been Taylor’s companion since college. People who don’t have furbabies have no idea how hard that is. To the fur parents, they are as precious as children, and all the more when you live alone. My last fur baby has been gone for 20 years, and I still tear up when I think about him. Mack is definitely missing her, too. Taylor said he has taken one of Abby’s toys and laid it over on the floor where she died. (Okay that makes me tear up, too!) Say some prayers for Taylor and Mack, folks.
Friday Taylor had to work and I had chores. We hung out for a bit in the morning, then I used the laundry at the campground to get the job done. Once finished, I took MW for another Whataburger fix…y’all know that is REQUIRED! Is there some kind of rehab program for that? We visited a little bit with the neighbors, Dean and Sunshine, who were from California and new to full-time RVing in their 40′ fifth wheel. Before we left in the afternoon they suddenly had water pouring out of the rear storage compartment. It turned out to be from the washer…the drain pipe wasn’t in the proper hole to send it out. Thankfully they caught it quickly and it didn’t do any real damage. Bonus!! As is always the case with RVing, you live and learn. After Taylor made it home from work, we headed over there. MW was in the mood for “breakfast for supper”, a novel idea for Tay. We found Kelley’s Country Cookin nearby, which had dang good diner food…breakfast, sandwiches, meat and three, etc. Taylor said she will definitely be going back there. The place was absolutely packed on a Friday night at 7 PM!! Taylor and I had the chicken and dumplings, which tasted like someone’s grandma cooked them. After his breakfast, MW took home a giant piece of cake, too.
Saturday we met at Taylor’s place, then headed into Houston. Thankfully Taylor agreed to be the chauffeur, because that place is crazy!! Our first stop was to check out the Glenwood Cemetery. I know, Taylor questioned it, too. This time we were in search of the grave of Howard Hughes. We found it, but it was a little disappointing. They had it fenced off in such a way that you could barely see the inscriptions.
For those who might not know, Howard Hughes influenced the life of just about every person on the planet. Born the son of an inventor in Houston in 1905, he had an exceptional mind for engineering and a love of aviation like his distant cousins, the Wright brothers . His father invented and patented a bit that allowed drilling for oil in previously inaccessible places and created the Hughes Tool Company in 1909. Young Howard built the first “wireless” radio transmitter in Houston when he was 11 YEARS OLD. A year later he built himself a motorized bicycle from steam engine parts, and at 14, took his first flying lesson. He later went to CalTech for math and aeronautical engineering classes. Like most rare brains, Hughes’ interests were many and all over the place. He was an accomplished golfer and could have played professionally. His love of movies led him to became a well-known producer of such controversial films as Hell’s Angels in 1930 and Scarface in 1932 and the eventual owner of RKO Pictures. His selective acquisition of real estate, particularly hotels and resorts, changed Las Vegas from a mafia stronghold to a tourist friendly, modern city and made him the largest employer in Nevada at one time. Then there is aviation…a whole ‘nother category for the man. He built the Hughes H-1 Racer in which he reached 352 mph, an airspeed record for a land-based plane, and later set a transcontinental speed record from Los Angeles to Newark in the same plane fitted with longer wings. That was the first plane built with flush rivets and joints to reduce drag, influencing future fighters. (The Smithsonian has the H-1 now.) To top that off, he broke Wiley Post’s record for flying around the world by nearly 4 days! Hughes Aircraft, founded in 1932, became a behemoth, designing planes, helicopters, radar systems, computer systems, missile systems, commercial satellites and the first working laser, among other things. One of the coolest they made was the H-4 Hercules, nicknamed the Spruce Goose, at the time the world’s largest flying boat and the largest aircraft made from wood (319′ 11″), with the largest wingspan (310’). (If you’d like to take a gander at it, head up to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. It is truly impressive!) Hughes Aircraft created an Aerospace division in 1948, and was a major aerospace and defense contractor. The company was sold to General Motors for 5.2 billion dollars in 1985. Since Howard had donated all of that stock to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, that money funded medical research and development. Over the years divisions of Hughes companies have been sold to various corporations and are still working on developments in areas like sensors, photonics, microelectronics. Genius is often associated with eccentricity, and Howard always had a good dose of that. After creating Hughes Aircraft in the early 1930s, he went to work for American Airlines under an assumed name as a baggage handler and was eventually promoted to co-pilot. That ended when they found out who he actually was. The man didn’t need money and had all kinds of irons in the fire, but was loading baggage for an airline!! He later bought Trans World Airlines (TWA). All of that is a small part of what this man had his fingers in. Unfortunately, his life ended badly. As he aged, his behavior only became more odd, aided by drugs to combat the constant pain from four airplane crashes, one nearly fatal, a severe case of obssessive-compulsive disorder, neurosyphilis, and germaphobia. He was notoriously difficult to deal with, demanding that people take care of stains and imperfections in their clothing and behave in certain ways around him. One of the most notable mental health episodes was a period in 1957 when he rented a screening room near his home to watch some movies, then didn’t leave for 4 months, surviving on chocolate bars, chicken, and milk, storing his urine in bottles, and often sitting naked. By the late 1960s, he pretty much vanished into hotel suites, never to be seen in public. In 1967, he bought the Desert Inn in Las Vegas because he refused to leave and didn’t want further conflict with the management. Because of his mental issues, his corporations and personal health were managed in later years by a group of trusted men. They made sure his every need and whim were met, while also keeping him from making bad business decisions. Howard Hughes, Jr., died on a Learjet enroute from Acapulco to Methodist Hospital in Houston. He was in sad shape and totally unrecognizable, requiring authorities to use fingerprints for identification. An autopsy later ruled that “someone administered a deadly injection of the painkiller to this comatose man…obviously needlessly and almost certainly fatal”. What a sad ending to a brilliant man. As I said in the beginning, though, he touched us all. If you have a cell phone, have had any number of medical tests/screenings, have flown in an airplane, have listened to a transistor radio, have been to Las Vegas and not run into mafia dudes, have used any type of laser, have watched satellite television, or any of hundreds of other things, you can thank the brain of Howard Hughes for, in part, making that possible. I recommend the film The Aviator, which touches on parts of Howard Hughes’ life, brilliance, and descent into mental illness. Leonardo DiCaprio does a great job.
While there we also found out Gene Tierney, the actress from the 40s thru 60s and one of Howard Hughes’ many famous girlfriends, also rests at Glenwood, so we searched that out, too. The cemetery is huge and very beautiful with some amazing monuments and family plots. We walked around a bit and got scolded by security for going into a gated reflection area that we apparently weren’t supposed to. In our defense, it was one of those little short gates with no signage and wasn’t secured. We did apologize, though.
Next we headed over to Saint Arnold Brewing Company for lunch. Holy smokes that place was hopping’!! For February it was an exceptionally warm 76 degrees, and people came out of the woodwork to enjoy their open-air patio on this beautiful Saturday. Our main reason for the visit was getting a growler for someone we met in Canada. That didn’t pan out, because so many breweries are switching to canning, which is just not as cool. The food was good, though, and MW and Taylor said the beer they sampled was, too. There were also some crazy “art” cars to look at. On the way back to Dickinson, we made a quick stop at Galveston Bay Brewery, where they did have a growler that turned out to be pretty cool, so chore complete. We left Taylor back at her place to enjoy a little quiet time. MW had a bit of a cold and having a time out to relax wasn’t bad for him, either.
Sunday we met at Taylor’s in time to make the 9:30 AM service at Citymark Church in League City. This place has three services and was a bit of a madhouse, but the demographic is Taylor’s age group, which is what we wanted. The music is big, like a christian concert, and the sermon had a very modern feel. Not my overall taste, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Afterwards we went to Tookie’s Hamburgers for lunch. I was amazed that we didn’t have to wait, and the food was very good. There is a reason it has been a staple in Kemah for 51 years. Before heading back to Taylor’s, we stopped in at MW’s favorite store H-E-B. It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and MW was wanting some munchies for the game. Back at the house we visited and loved up on Mackie, then watched New England get their butts handed to them by Seattle. After that unexpected ending, we said goodbye to Taylor (and Mack) for the last time this trip and headed back to prepare for the morning’s departure.
As you may recall, our regular RV place in Houston has always been Texas RV Park. However, despite making our reservation 5 months in advance, the new owner cancelled our site about 3 weeks before our arrival date because they made an error and booked someone else into our spot. That reservation was made 2 months after ours, but he chose to cancel us instead of telling the other guy where the mistake was actually made that he had to leave. The kicker, too, was that he didn’t even pick up the phone and call us. We found out with an email cancellation followed closely by an email notifying us of a refund. Who does that??!! For that reason, we will never stay there again or recommend them to others. It’s a shame, because under the previous management, it was a terrific well run park. Thankfully, despite it being snowbird season in Houston, MW was able to secure a spot just down the road.
USA RV Resorts was very nice for a private, parallel parking type of place. South of Houston in La Marque, Texas, it offers easy access to all of the Houston area, NASA, and Galveston. Amenities include a clubhouse with laundry, gym, community room, fitness center, and shower/toilet rooms, pool, spa, dog run, and wifi. All facilities were very clean and well-kept, and the laundry had about 20 washers and dryers that accept credit cards. There are 155 sites, most of which are long-term. They have pull-throughs and back-ins, all of which are 50-amp, full-hookup, and huge. The management is very serious about sites being kept neat and clean and people behaving. This is definitely our new go-to for visiting our niece. For this visit in February 2026, we paid a little over $52 per night for 4 nights. (Sorry…forgot to get pics.)
Well, this is a good stopping place. Next up…heading home and a major breakdown. See you on the path!
Talisa
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