Tennessee to Texas...

Goodbye Tennessee

 

 

The cool, rainy weather stayed with us for the next several days so we decided we would drive as it wasn’t the best hiking or sight-seeing weather.  We traveled through Tennessee at a good pace spending a night near Knoxville and then another two nights between Nashville and Memphis at Natchez Trace State Park.  Since we had spent time this spring in Tennessee driving the Natchez Trace Parkway and visiting the Great Smoky Mountains and had just hiked several days at Roan Mountain State Park, it wasn’t too disappointing to head on down the road. 

Hello Texas...

 

When we reached Arkansas we had high hopes of exploring the Ozarks but the rain we had been doing our best to avoid was hot on our heels.  We headed south to Hot Springs National Park just ahead of the storms.  Maya and I managed a short hike that afternoon after we arrived.  But then the wind and rain began in earnest and we all spent a pretty miserable night with acorns crashing on the RV all night long.  It sounded like we were in a hail storm.  Poor Maya was shaking and definitely not a happy camper.  Lesson learned:  In the fall, pick the campsite with no oak trees around.

 

Beauty Berry at Tyler State Park

 

The next morning the rain, wind and crashing acorns were still with us and we decided that we would just go to Texas.  We were grumpy and badly in need of sleep so we went as far as Tyler State Park, got a campsite and took a nap. The next day we were all much happier and we had a long hike in the park.

Maya with her new buddy, Rocky

Then it was on to Georgetown to visit friends we made in the Great Smoky Mountains back in May.  Maya often introduces us to people she likes and that was the case with Melissa and Dustin in the Smoky Mountains.  We promised we would come by and visit them on our way home in the fall and so we did. Dustin and Melissa also have an Australian Sheppard that they wanted to introduce to Maya.  Rocky and Maya had a great time playing and we humans had brunch at El Monumento, a wonderful restaurant in Georgetown.

Brunch at El Monumento -- Poblano & Chorizo Casserole

We stopped for just a few days in San Antonio for a minor repair on the connection between the RV and car and also for an orientation at Government Canyon State Natural Area for our volunteer job in February/March.  We couldn’t linger long as we were due in Odessa for my dad’s 80th birthday celebration on November 19 and the upcoming Thanksgiving Holidays. 

 

Fall along the Guadalupe River near San Antonio

 

After Thanksgiving we have plans to visit the Dallas / Ft. Worth area for a week or so and then we will be back in San Antonio.  It is hard to believe it has been over 7 months since we left Texas for our ‘eastern adventure.’  It was so much fun but we are glad to be home.  We are looking forward to catching up with everyone over the next several months while we are in Texas. 

Happy Thanksgiving, Y’all!

 

 

David’s Stats:

Days Hiked  5

Rain Days   4

Total Miles Hiked    20.21

Ave. Miles per Day    4.04  
Total Elevation Gain      2,456
Ave. Elevation Gain per day  491