Heading into Texas on Monday, we got an early start since we had to get both the truck and the trailer inspected. We hadn’t been in Texas for a couple of years, so our inspection stickers were quite out of date. We stopped at CBJ Tire & Alignment in Gainesville, the first available place on I-35 according to the state’s internet site. They were very efficient, and friendly, and we were quickly on our way.
Our destination was The Vineyards Campground in Grapevine, Texas, just 69 miles from Thackerville (and very near the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport). It’s just beautiful---and expensive. Our site is right on Lake Grapevine. We plan to spend three days here.
The name Grapevine suggests the presence of vineyards, so it should be no surprise that there is a wine presence here. Immediately, we just had to visit the Delaney Winery, one of four wineries located in the area, and the only one with an actual local vineyard. It was fun, but we didn’t buy anything. Amazing!
Monday night, I watched the most bizarre ending to an NFL football game. The officials, being replacements---since there is a labor dispute going on---couldn’t have been more incompetent. I didn’t really care who won, but I must say in fairness that the Packers won the game. But, in the end, the officials simply gave the game to the Seahawks with two wholly unsupportable calls at the end of the game.
On Tuesday, Becky got her hair done, then we set out to get some sushi. Our timing was not good, and the rush hour traffic was daunting. After several attempts to get to our destination by various routes, we gave up and had Mexican food instead. We ate at Esparza's Restaurante Mexicano. It was delicious, and our waiter, Angel, was delightful.
While Becky was getting her hair done, I finally got to work on assembling our materials for our 2011 federal income tax return. (Being residents of Texas, where there is no income tax, we don't have a state tax return.) We always file in October, so I submit the information to our accountant (located in Longmont, Colorado) by the end of September. I completed the submission, but the same traffic that prevented us from having sushi prevented us from getting the materials to FedEx on Tuesday. We'll handle that on Wednesday.
We realized late Tuesday that Ramsey's anxiety on Monday and Tuesday nights had been caused by the roar of the jets at DFW. He apparently thought it was thunder, since he acts the same way when we have thunderstorms. There was little we could do but comfort him.
On Wednesday, Becky got a pedicure, filled the truck with fuel, and then we headed to nearby Plano---and the nearest Trader Joe's. We needed to pick up goodies for The Austin Ebberts, who will not have a TJ in Austin until 2014. There are certain TJ products they became hooked on during their southern California days.
Thursday, we moved 92 easy miles to Whitney, Texas, an out-of-the-way place on Lake Whitney. There are several RV parks in the area. We have usually stayed at the Thousand Trails preserve there, but this time we opted for the Sun Country RV Resort, which is next door to the TT place, just to guarantee access to 50-amp electrical service since it will undoubtedly be hot. The word "resort" is a bit misplaced; this joint needs a lot of TLC. But it will be fine for the 5 days we plan to be here---doing little but relaxing.
On Friday, Becky went into the town of Whitney to buy some groceries. Otherwise, we didn't accomplish much. On Saturday, the heat broke for a while because it rained all day---holding the temperature down to 63 degrees. That freed me to watch a lot of football. Ramsey was walked with his rain gear.
Late on sunday, the rain went away, and we spent the next day and a half just hanging out and celebrating the sun.
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