Hello Texas! It has been four weeks since our arrival in the Lone Star State and the change is not limited to the moderate temperatures. We have seen a change in our government. There has been a change in the way we spend our holidays. The transitional change into our new vehicle is still a slow going process. Our lives are replete with change and it can force us to evaluate every step we take moving forward. Even though a change may turn out to be disastrous, it is still a learning event that can reveal whether or not our current path is true. Change is good. Sometimes change is difficult, however, it has merit that can't be denied.
So, with our departure from the Midwest, came some mild temperatures. Tennessee was desolate. Blame it on our location, as we find most of the Thousand Trails campgrounds are quite a distance away from the populous areas of the states we visit. In some cases, this distance from the hustle and bustle of a neighboring city or town would be a welcome advantage. It does leave us a little annoyed when we have to travel an hour to make a routine grocery store visit. But boy was it quiet.... oh, until the acorns started falling. Two weeks of the acorn harvest, happening directly above our heads, made for some very noisy nights. Tupelo, MS was a nice day away to learn about the King before he was the King. Memphis introduced us to their zoo and gave us a nice day away from our acorn happening.
Unfortunately, Arkansas was unable to accommodate us during our brief travel through the state. Texas was very welcoming and gave us an early arrival that helped ease us into the Lone Star State with a smile and great hospitality. Tawakoni, pronounced tuh-WAHK-oh-nee, was a peaceful stay in a park under new management. We find all of the parks are struggling to maintain and remodel. This new world we are facing has been unkind to those of us whose passion requires numbers to bring that passion into reality. It is unfortunate how we have so many more limitations that change the way we build our future. Tawakoni had great sunsets and numerous trips to Dallas. Dealy Plaza and the Texas Farmer's Market were just a few of the places we visited during our stay.
Now we find ourselves outside of San Antonio in the Hill Country of Texas. The temperatures are climbing higher to comfortable levels and we have begun to explore the history of this area. Our visit to the Alamo and the River walk, like many of the visits over the past month and a half, have revealed a lack of caution or consideration in regards to the pandemic. Though we remain cautious, it does create a level of anxiety when the population's concern over health of themselves and others is lackluster, at best. We do our best to resist the temptation of becoming lax in a sea of complacency. Our stay also finds us celebrating Thanksgiving at a table for two. This is a big change that can cause the heart to grow a bit heavier without our family and friends to embrace and celebrate the season. To combat the distance, we have planned a family get together via Zoom, FaceTime and other virtual meeting apps. We might suggest that our entire nation is enduring much of the same feelings of distance, however as of this writing, the reports of airline travel this Thanksgiving season is rising.
This is, of course, only round one. Christmas will soon follow with much of the same heaviness in our hearts. We hope to learn much from our first holiday away to make the next one more enjoyable. For those of you who find yourself surrounded by less family this season, know that we are right there with you in our thoughts and our hearts. We wish we could see more of you as we travel, but as they say nothing lasts forever and we believe the same holds true for a virus that seems relentless. We will be celebrating with one another in the very near future. Until then, we extend our best wishes to you and your families. May you find all to be thankful for in these sentiments and the world in front of you, Happy Thanksgiving, folks and please, pass the heavily sanitized gravy boat.
Comments