Southeastern Texas

From Lake Tawakoni we traveled south following the sun and arrived at Thousand Trails Lake Conroe in Willis, Texas.  TT Lake Conroe is one of the jewels in the Thousand Trails system.  It’s roads still need a little work, but it is obvious that the park has had work recently and that ELS considers it one of the parks worth putting a few dollars into.  The park has both a cottage program and an annual site program, but they are both in their own areas and the regular areas are just as nice.  We had a nice level site with 50 amp (an extra $3 per night fee) and were very happy with the park.  This park still has a café on the weekends, activities for adults and children, and an entry gate that is functional.  It did rain while we were there, but the water ran off of the sites and dried within a few days.  The only negative we can report was the lack of water pressure.  We would give this campground a 9 out of 10 on the Moore scale and would not hesitate to return.  Here are a few pictures.

Our site at Lake Conroe

Getaway Cabins

Lake Conroe from Park

Tennis Courts

Swimming Pool

Lawn Area at TT Lake Conroe

Shower & Bathhouse

Of course we ate our way across Southeastern Texas.  Our first culinary stop was the Willis café, but don’t recommend it.  The Pizza Shack was quite good, although because of our g.p.s. we ended up eating at the one in Montgomery rather than Willis.  The “parrot” Mexican restaurant came highly recommended but was a bit mild for our taste.   The Cracker Barrel is just one exit south of the TT Lake Conroe exit and we ate there several times.  We like the Cracker Barrel for breakfast, but are not wild about it for lunch or dinner.  In Lake Conroe we ate at the Texas Roadhouse – ok but not outstanding.  We also hit the Outback steak house – they were good as usual … we recommend the big rib eye.  We also met our RVing friends Susan and Phil Daniels at Panera Bread in the Woodlands Mall.  Panera has some great soups, salads, and sandwiches … always very reliable!  It was great to meet up with Susan and Phil again and catch up on their adventures on the road.  We last saw them over a year ago in Forest City, Iowa. 

While in Southeastern Texas we ran over to Camper World west of Houston.  I needed an “O” ring for my water filter and thought I could find one there.  No luck.  When I asked at the counter, they acted as if I had grown a new head …  If their parts department is that bad I would never take my rig there for service.  It seems that these days Camper World is more interested in selling Travel Trailers then they are in providing one stop shopping for RVers.  Too bad, but I will no longer drive out of my way to find a Camping World.  Nevertheless we still purchased a new barbeque and some jack pads.  On a positive note we had Cody (our dog) groomed at “Bed, Bath, and Biscuit” outside of Willis.  The service was great and the people very friendly.  We would recommend them for grooming, and they also offer boarding with veterinary services located next door.

On the brighter side there is some great sight seeing in the area.  While in Huntsville we visited the Texas Prison Museum that was interesting, but grim.  I think I will stay on the straight and narrow!  We also visited the statue of Sam Houston.  The statue is very visible from interstate 45, but it is worth getting off the interstate and visiting the museum.  The docent was extremely knowledgeable and we got a great deal of history on Houston and the early Republic and state of Texas.  Here are some pictures.

Lynda with a lifesized Houston Head

Sam Houston Statue ... Note Lynda by feet

Sam Houston - First President - Republic of Texas

Since we were in the area we slipped over to Livingston, Texas to visit the headquarters of the Escapees RV Club.  The headquarters building is new and modern and all of the staff are as friendly as can be.  The park itself, however, was not what we expected.  The park is huge and is spread out across many acres.  There are no gates or security so access is unimpeded.  We can imagine that it began as an RV park in the traditional sense, grew to a park with deeded property where RVers built big “car ports” for their rigs and transformed into a neighborhood, with houses.  Today it is a mix of all three.  If we were the new managers of the Escapees, we would consider moving the national headquarters to a new modern location with the amenities that baby boomers are looking for, as the current park was definitely built for the “greatest generation” and is today a bit dated.  Here are some photos from the trip.

National Headquarters Building

Activities Building

RV Sites

Deeded Property with RV "Garage"

Deeded Property with RV "Garage"

House on Deeded Property within Park

House on Deeded Property within Park

One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to the George H. W. Bush library and museum in College Station on the campus of Texas A & M University.  A visiting exhibit on DNA was on display at the museum along with the very extensive collection from the life of the first President Bush.  The library has a lot to offer and is definitely worth the trip.  Here are some pics.

Entrance to Library & Museum

Kim at Entrance to Museum & Library

Oversized DNA

Bush for Congress Poster

Bush Car

Replica of Capital

George seems interested in what Kim has to say ... a very patient listener!

Mock White House

Bush's Oval Office

Bush's Limo

Lynda handling crisis in the Situation Room

 Until next time keep doing what you love!