Kerrville, Texas

We finished an 11-night stay in Kerrville, Texas at Buckhorn Lake RV Park. We ended up staying an additional 6 nights beyond our plans because we were having work done on our motorhome’s Aqua-Hot hydronic heating system.

We noticed a problem last winter where we weren’t getting any heat in the rear of the coach. Two heat zone pumps had quit working. Then the technician noticed that the boiler-type antifreeze was bad and the system had to be flushed and new antifreeze installed. Next a boiler circulation pump had gone out and we waited a week for the replacement pump to arrive from Aqua-Hot. The good news was all repairs were covered under the Aqua-Hot two-year warranty, except replacing the antifreeze and an annual service.

We had a nice campsite at Buckhorn Lake and enjoyed the peaceful, quiet setting with beautiful sunsets.

Last Saturday we drove 120-miles up to Austin to celebrate Julie’s niece Rachel’s 40^th birthday. Our nephew Jonathon, a culinary chef, created an awesome 5-course dinner for the seven of us. We overnighted at a nearby hotel before driving back to Kerrville on Sunday morning.

Julie and I enjoyed breakfast, lunch or dinner out a few of the days we spent in Kerrville and we got to explore this town of 24,000.  

We left Kerrville yesterday afternoon, Friday, May 25^th, and drove to La Hacienda RV Resort near Lake Travis, just west of Austin, and we’ll spend a month here.

Steve & Julie Cornelius

San Antonio

We spent a full week in San Antonio, arriving last Monday, and departing today. We spent the week visiting Julie’s mom Bobbie at “Blue Skies of Texas”, enjoying dinner together every evening.

We especially enjoyed Thursday and Saturday night with cocktails and dinner at the Sky Lounge, on the 16^th floor of their tallest apartment building. The view of Lackland Air Force Base was great and you could also see downtown San Antonio in the distance.

On Friday night we had Bobbie over to our motorhome for a movie and a grilled steak dinner. It was beautiful weather outside so enjoyed dinner at the picnic table.

We were all invited to lunch on Mother’s Day at old friends of Bobbie and Julie so we drove out to “Blue Skies of Texas West”. We thoroughly enjoyed lunch and visiting with Buzz, Ellen, Janet and Peggi.

We drove 70-miles west of San Antonio this morning to Kerrville where we’ll stay for 5-nights. We’ll have time this stay to explore some in Kerrville. However, tomorrow we have to break camp and take our motorhome to the local garage where I arranged to have our Aquahot heating and hot water system repaired.

Steve & Julie Cornelius

Rio Grande Valley

We enjoyed our 2-week stay at Victoria Palms RV Resort in Donna, Texas and visiting with Julie’s sister Cindy and brother-in-law Terry.

Last Monday we crossed the Rio Grande to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico with friends Ron and Kathy from Florida. We had been to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico before with Terry and Cindy so we knew where to go for lunch, and after lunch, the spa for pedicures. 

I went to a Nuevo Progreso dentist for a check-up and have my teeth cleaned. I must admit I was impressed with the quality of service and especially the price. It was $25 for a cleaning and exam. I usually pay $140 for a cleaning and exam at my dentist in Colorado Springs.     

Thursday, Julie fixed dinner in our motorhome for Cindy, Terry, and their friends Don and Claudia. They loved the chicken cream cheese enchiladas, Spanish rice, and refried beans. They said my margaritas were good too.

On Friday Julie and I drove 60-miles to South Padre Island to meet Bonnie for lunch and to catch up. I graduated from high school with Bonnie a few years ago. We hadn’t seen each other in about 12 years at a high school reunion. I kid her that she’s my “Aunt” since my late-father married her oldest sister Jan many years ago.  

Yesterday, we went back to Nuevo Progreso to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Cindy and Terry. It was crowded but we enjoyed the day and the music.

It’s been warm here this week with daytime highs in the low-90s and 65% humidity and we’ve had to run our air conditioners. We’re off to San Antonio tomorrow for a week- long visit with Julie’s Mom and to celebrate Mother’s Day next Sunday.  

Steve & Julie Cornelius

A Travel Week

We arrived in Nashville on Friday the 13th and set up in the campground for a 2-night stay. It poured down rain all weekend.

We left on Sunday and headed to Tom Sawyer’s Mississippi River RV Park in West Memphis, Arkansas. We enjoyed a nice view of a very full Mississippi River, only 2.5 feet below flood stage. We watched lots of barges being pushed up and down the river.

On Tuesday, April 17th, we headed to Little Rock, Arkansas for a 2-night stay at one of our favorite Corps of Engineer campgrounds. Maumelle is located on the Arkansas River which is very wide and deep here, compared to back in Colorado. It’s a nice park with lots of shade trees. To my surprise, we saw a push boat with 4 barges. I didn’t know barge traffic came up the Arkansas River.

Thursday we drove to Longview, Texas for an overnight stay at Fernbrook RV Park. We’ve stayed here several times before, because it’s close to our absolutely favorite barbeque place in the USA.

Anyone reading this blog needs to put Country Tavern, just outside Kilgore on Texas Highway 31, on your bucket list. They have the best pork ribs on the planet.

   

We drove through Houston last Saturday morning. The traffic wasn’t too bad as we headed to Goliad State Park for a rainy overnight stay. We left Goliad on Sunday morning and arrived at Victoria Palms RV Resort in Donna, Texas. We’re here for a 2-week stay to visit Julie’s sister Cindy and brother-in-law Terry. We welcomed the warm weather here with daytime highs in the low 80s.

Steve & Julie Cornelius

Mammoth Cave N.P. & Corvette Museum

We drove from Bardstown, Kentucky to Nolin Lake State Park near Mammoth Cave National Park this past Wednesday. Just south of Bardstown, we stopped to see the childhood home of Abraham Lincoln called Knob Creek.

The roads to the state park are in Southwestern Kentucky were very hilly, narrow and curvy but we made it okay. The state park campground was nice and roomy with great views of Nolin Lake.

Yesterday we went out with Vince & Lisa for lunch, followed by a drive to Mammoth Cave National Park. All visits to inside Mammoth Cave are guided tours by park rangers. We decided to sign up for the Historic Tour, a 2-hour, 2-mile tour inside the original opening to the cave.

Mammoth Cave was discovered by Native Americans about 4,000 years ago. Legend has it that the first European to discover Mammoth Cave was either John Houchin or his brother Francis Houchin, in 1797.

Mammoth Cave was designated a National Park on July 1, 1941. It is the world’s longest known cave system with 412-miles of surveyed passageways. New discoveries and connections add several miles to this figure each year.  

We left Nolin Lake State Park this morning and drove about an hour to Bowling Green, Kentucky to visit the National Corvette Museum. They had a nice big parking lot for RVs and buses.

The National Corvette Museum was well worth a trip. The first Corvette was built on June 30, 1953, nearly 65-years ago, and only 300 were built. Most of the Corvettes on display are on loan to the museum by private owners.

We enjoyed lunch at the Corvette Café with Vince & Lisa. Then we said our goodbyes after lunch as we are heading south to Texas and Vince & Lisa are slowly heading back towards Colorado.    

Steve & Julie Cornelius