Is a Javalina a pig?

Trip Start Jan 15, 2012

Trip End Feb 10, 2012

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Where I stayed

Fort Davis State Park

(Fort Davis hotels)

What I did

Javalinas, Mule Deer, and more Javalinas

Flag of United States Fort Davis Texas, Texas
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The folks at the Desert Trails RV Park office were very pleasant and accommodating when we checked in - advice about nearby grocery stores, area restaurants, and a place where I could have the RV tire pressure reset. (I'd carefully had the Michelins rotated in Maryville TN before we left, then discovered en route to Tucson that the tech had just reversed the front and back tires without checking the pressure. The RV needs 50 pounds of air in the front, 80 in the back where most of the weight is. I drove 2,000 miles with 80 lbs. in front, 50 in back. Bad. A lesson, though, to check the air pressure before starting out, just like AAA says to do.)

So, back to Desert Trails. We checked in, drove off for groceries, and came back in mid afternoon to go to our assigned site. By then I was already playing the movie in my head of my first bike ride on the desert trails just outside the park boundary. We drove to our spot, and it dreadful - tight spot with huge RV trailers ("Fifth Wheels") on either side and behind us. The spot was three up from a social hall, where amateur musicians among the campers were having an afternoon jam session. We imagined living with that for two weeks and returned to the office to have them find us another site. The second one backed up to a permanent mobile home with a barking dog. Compounding things, the electric and water outlets were too far away to connect to. Back to the office for a third try. The nice lady said there would be a spot "much closer to the desert" opening up the followiing night, so we checked it out. This one was another exercise in campground claustrophobia -- hemmed in on three sides and across the way by big tin boxes. If you sneezed during the night, your neighbors on three sides would say "God Bless You." So we bolted out of Desert Trails and went down the road to spent the night at a "for $47 you get nothing" park that had mostly permanent residents and full timers. A real rip-off, but no great options at that point.

Next morning we began driving east towards home, but determined to make up a new itinerary along the way. We did just that, as you'll read in the next couple of blogs. Texas, Texas, and more Texas. Woo-hah!