Weslaco to Victoria, Texas

Monday we left or week long stay at Country Sunshine RV in Weslaco. We said our good byes to Joanne and Dave, Barry and Sharon, and the good times we had, and headed down the road to Victoria Texas. No matter how many times we do this, or how much we prepare we always seem to distrust the GPS as we start out going through the city as we leave. This time was weirder than others as the “other woman” as I call her has decided to re-calculate all over the place. She is having a hard time, and as we go so do we then. After awhile the lovely girl gets it straightened out, we guess she didn’t recognise some of the changes in the roads sine she was programmed. Polly says we have to get an update, I say yes and thinking about it now I didn’t do it yet, and we are about to travel again today. Hmm maybe I should do it today before we leave? Naa, do it later...

Coffee is especially good this morning as I write, not sure why but Mmm.

All going good now, light traffic, and great highway, Polly says I have a kinda sad feeling, I say yep me too, leaving them was hard as we did like the whole experience, and the new friendships were fun. Will go back next year for longer, and will see them again. Funny how you don’t think of this till you actually leave.

The road ahead has a rest stop I think about 80 miles up the road, so we settle into the highway rhythm, and get comfortable with the drive again, kinda used to travel now, and liking the whole experience of looking forward to something new all the time as we go learning all the way.

The rest stop comes at just the right time, Breakfast I missed was lunch now, and all had to pee, Bosco more than a pee... I am very careful here as is a rest stop in the centre of the highway so cars, RV's, and big trucks all use same road in and out, and when you pull off the main thoroughfare, you are just beside traffic that will pass you, and mature trees that are so close I could very well rub them with our trailer.

Off to the side I see an Orange Pylon that another trailer had dragged for the last 20 miles or so, we saw it stuck to his trailer dragging close to the wheel, but no way to tell him, he must have dug it out here, and just left in the middle of the parking spots, all worn down on the one side, like a warning to others.

I laugh and move it aside so we can pass, and think we see many odd and different thing happen on the highways, will start noting them as we go, sure are funny some of them.

We have our lunch, Polly made the sandwiches ahead again, I have a short snooze, Bosco joins me, and Polly reads, then off we go again. The highways here have picnic sites, a very short pull out with a table and garbage can, and nothing else on the right side of the road with a warning ahead so you get time to prepare to stop, and rest stops are always in the middle of the highway. Not as big as others but functional. 

Polly is getting better at taking pictures as we drive, she is taking a few more of thing she sees that are cool, here is one of our reflection in a tank behind a truck, long and narrow looking. Cool!

Victoria was a little further than I thought and our wonderful girl told us we were there when we weren't, but we did find the place, Gateway to the Gulf RV Park. Just off the highway. Nice place, well kept and big sites, not many trees, but very green grass between sites, and many birds around, and ducks in the pond out front kept us looking around as they moved here and there.

We set up and left the truck attached as not sure if we would stay more that one night, make our minds up tomorrow. Polly gets the chairs out, and we sit for a few mins, and crack a beer, and cool off in the shade. Nice to stop when we have driven just about right amount. Around 4pm or so was enough for today. The pool I thought, would go have a swim, I get the towel ready and walk over and locked, so I got to the desk and the woman says not open as not sure if chlorine is right, and can’t get ahold of the maintenance guy, so have to wait till tomorrow. She apologises, but no swim tonight, so Polly and i stay in the shade, Bosco smells all the other dogs that walk by, tries to take a run at a few, but leash hold him back, and Polly berates him for yapping... LOL Pretty chill evening, we have dinner and watch the Voice, after the antenna is tuned in, better than the cable most places, liking this we are.

Next morning we decide to stay another night and tour the city this day as looked like much to see here, never know if we will be back here again. We make a loose plan and head into the city, looking for a park by the zoo, but not going to the zoo. We drive along and get to where I had seen on Google Earth, a road that followed the Guadalupe River and was Riverside golf course, Riverside park, and the Texas Zoo all along. First stop is the rose garden, very organised and cemented beds, with many roses blooming, and a fountain with blue tinted water, was a nice stop, Bosco enjoyed peeing everywhere, and Polly got to smell the flowers, so did I.

Next we drove down the road a little further to Grover’s Bend and got out for a walk to the river. I saw that there was a tight bend in the river here and wanted to see what it was like. As we walked down the trail a car pulled up ant three young people a girl and to boys got out, and walked ahead of us with a Gator aid cooler. We continued to the bend, and there was a beach with a muddy river where people would swim sometimes. The plus here was we met these three people and yakked for awhile. As we came to the water the boys were trying to get there beer bottles open, with no luck. Hey I say, got a lighter? They give me an odd look, then looking around they say Yea, thinking I wanted a light, the girl hands over a lighter, and I say here gimme one of those, and he hands over the beer, and Pop, it open. Wow he says, and we all laugh, then I pop the other boys beer, and tell em you can say you learned it from a Canadian.. LOL we had fun talking with these young people, Polly asked what to see here in Victoria? The girl says “nothing” LOL I say we all thought that when we were young, will see it differently when you get older I say. We told them of our trip plans and the girl was Right on, and the boys tried to tell us of some of the things we can see in Texas, but nothing of here, except restaurants we should go to, BBQ was there recommendation, or this great sandwich place. We had a nice visit, while they drank there beers, and we looked around.

We walked back to the car, and as we drove out of the park Bathroom stop, I want to take a few pictures of the trees with Spanish Moss on them, I always saw this in films and wanted to get a few shots as was long and blowing in the breeze here. After I took a few shots a woman was walking with her camera in hand, and I asked here the name of the moss, and then told her of a bird I saw, and she new the name right away. I was told Mexican Eagle, she said real name was Crested Cara Cara.

Wow did I learn much from her in a short while. Was nice to talk with someone that really knew the area, she lived here most of her life and was a birder, and told me where to look around as we headed toward Port Arthur. She also had a restaurant suggestion, and was just down the road, so Polly and I made that our next stop, and was as she said, just great, the Pump House Restaurant, right on the river.

After lunch we drove to the down town area to look around at the buildings from the past, many were huge houses from the past, and most all were well looked after. History here is big, and was a key area in the past right back to when Texas was formed. We left Bosco in the truck in the shade, and strolled and took some pictures, Polly always saying why me in photo all the time, Bosco never says that. After an hour or so we go into the tallest building to the top floor for a drink at the bar, as we were told to stop in there as was best view of town, and it was.


Again we met someone who lived here all his life, the bartender. He was full of info, and was thrilled with our trip plan too. We had fun talking with him, and as we left I asked if he was married, he said no, but he has a son, that lives with him, 13 he says. Maybe when he is older we will travel like you two he said as we say good bye. Was a nice way to spend or day, getting to know people and the town of Victoria, we will be back.

Another nice stop on our trip, couldn’t pass by Victoria and not stop in.

Loving life here in Texas!