We woke up early in an attempt to beat the heat. We worked out and readied ourselves for a long day of driving with hopes of stopping at the nearest Buc-ee’s for gas and a coffee first thing. Our hopes and dreams were crushed when Tyler pulled up a map and we found that there were no more Buc-ee’s in our travel path. Desperation even had us looking off path to go, but still, nothing.
Yesterday, while in San Marcos, the employees at Lululemon gave us some must do must sees while in the area. They reiterated a few of the places we had been but also said Whataburger was worth checking out. We had been seeing them everywhere and knew we wanted to stop at some point before there were no more of those either.
Our drive started with an attempt to see the Alamo in San Antonio. This was yet another opportunity for Tyler to get me into the downtown area of another large city, towing a travel trailer. I must say, this was the easiest downtown to navigate and the city quiet. We made it to the Alamo and quickly realized there was a fence surrounding the whole area. Tyler knew it was likely still closed, but we at least thought we would be able to park and walk nearby to take a photo. If the fence alone didn’t cause enough of a deterrent, the pack of law enforcement personnel guarding the area did. From the very little I could see while driving and with a fence in the way, I am certain it would be worth a visit in the future.
We sucked it up and drove. We drove and we drove and we drove some more, to the tune of 447 miles. All of which were merely traveling West through Texas. We have landed in Jal, a small city located in New Mexico’s Southeasternmost corner.
Our travels today led us through the most desolate parts of Texas. Twice, we found ourselves in a pickle with very low fuel and the nearest gas station several miles away. Once, we pulled over and added fuel to our tank from the gas can we have in the pickup. Not one of my prouder moments, but thankful we didn’t run out of gas because it has been a scorcher and we may have melted along the side of the road!
Today, we saw temperatures of up to 105 degrees. Unlike Alabama, it doesn’t feel as humid and is much more bearable to be in. Even Tyler has commented that it isn’t that bad and he is overheated much of the time.
The roadways we traveled from Texas were rough, but still offered plenty of room for our trailer to travel comfortably. The wind subsided so I could increase my traveling speed, but not to the posted 80 mph. I saw more tires and tire pieces than I have ever seen in my life along the side of the road and if you thought construction in Oregon was bad, Texas roadways are continuous construction no matter where you are at. You may never see a single worker, but cones and lane closures exist for much of the trip. The tire graveyard made me think of how I had my tires rotated in the days before we left, but I am certain they are due again.
Since the nearest Whataburger came shortly after we left and too close to breakfast, we decided on one that was closer to Jal. We stopped at a picnic area along the way and made lunch and while there I let the dogs out. While walking them, I came across a mound of what I believe to be fire ants. I knew to avoid them and went around, but somehow a few steps further I felt an uncomfortable pain on my pinkie toe. When I looked down, I realized one was attached to my foot, causing my foot to throb for several hours. They are mean little boogers.
Several hours later, Tyler navigated us to Whataburger and we finally tried the southern glory that is Whataburger. We were all pleased with our meal, but also thankful to be outside of the car. We parked on the road outside and I utilized my myChevorolet app to leave the pickup running for the dogs as I locked them inside from my phone. It worked out well since our meal took longer than expected.
Another hour down the road and we made it to our destination and the intended destination at that! Tyler found a nice place in Jal at Jal Lake Park that allows campers to stay for up to 3 days for FREE. It offers water and electrical hookups and has a dumpsite on-site. The park is nice and I look forward to getting up and seeing more of it in daylight.
As I sit in Jal at almost 10 pm, it is 91 degrees. It is a beautiful night and I have chosen to type from a small covered picnic table outside of our trailer. The wind is blowing faintly and there is some sort of fireworks display in the distance illuminating the sky. The sound of water from Jal Lake makes it quite peaceful. Much more peaceful than the kids gaming inside the trailer. They have moved between the trailer and the pickup, but are enjoying the time we have to wind down. I also took a small power nap while we were waiting for the trailer to cool off.
Tyler and Ashton took Addi and me on in another 3 games of Sequence tonight and their luck may have run out today because we won all three games! 23-15 is the new record and Addi and I seem to be running away with it. I am curious when they will swallow their pride and request to mix up the teams…but for now, Addi and I will continue to crush them!
I suppose it’s time to head inside and regroup. Try to figure out a plan for tomorrow’s travels. We gained another hour back tonight so we are only one hour behind our home time. Will we take it easy tomorrow with a shorter distance to travel, or will we make another long trek? I would say only time will tell…but who am I kidding, only TYLER will tell!
The Church Hideout 