The Bathhouse Row you see today consists of eight bathhouse buildings that were constructed between 1892 and 1923. This area along with the Grand Promenade was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1987. Of the original eight only three are open today for spa treatments – Quapaw, Buckstaff and Arlington. Fordyce is now the visitor center and another is the gift shop. The others are used as other commercial ventures with one being a brewery.

Park Review – Catherine’s Landing

Catherine’s landing is a well-known and popular RV park located five minutes south east of historic Hot Springs. This is a large park on 400 acres surrounded by one mile of water frontage on beautiful Lake Catherine. In addition to the lake, the park is built for family fun including a zip-line, pool with splash pad, playground, disc golf, and hiking trails. It’s also pet friendly.

Rating: 
Location:  Hot Springs, AR
Site Quality / Amenities: Concrete pads and asphalt roads. Fire pits and picnic tables at each site. Hiking trails, Swimming pool and Zip Line in the park. Pontoon Boat, Kayak, Canoe, Bike, and Golf Cart rentals are available in season.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: Don’t take the direct route!
Staff: The park had a self-service setup for check in and we really didn’t have any interaction with staff. It’s efficient and COVID friendly but not necessarily the best customer service.
Cellular/WiFi: WiFi was available but we did not use it.
Restaurants: Mr. Whiskers – Made-to-order catfish, shrimp & chicken with fries in a Southern eatery with a lake-fishing theme had pretty good catfish. Bubbalu’s – Serves good burgers, hot dogs, fries and malts across the street from Bath House Row.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any other parks in the area.
What we liked: Clean, well run park. The eastern sites backing up to the lake (101 through 124) have a better view of the water but the western sites (276 to 294) had more room. Their wooded sites (270-275) had a lot of privacy.
What we didn’t like: Little to no interaction with staff.
Verdict: This is a nice park for a week or a month. In the summer it is likely very crowded with families but the off season can be much less so.

Fun with Anders

Park Review – Colorado Springs KOA Holiday

Rating: 
Location:  Fountain, CO
Site Quality / Amenities: Roads were asphalt and sites were gravel. Some smaller trees for shade. Restrooms and showers, self-service laundry, Office with store for camping necessities and some food items. This is a KOA Holiday park so they had activities for kids and quite a few outdoor things to do including horseshoes, a jumping pillow, heated swimming pool and adult hot tub and a splash pad.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: Easy access right off I-25 south of Colorado Springs.
Staff: The staff were a bit disorganized and distracted when we arrived but were otherwise friendly.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: AT&T was marginal and frequently dropped offline. Verizon was decent at about 12.8 Mbps. They had Wi-Fi but we didn’t use it.
Nearby parks: Except for the Cheyenne Mountain State Park nearby, most parks in the area are not highly rated and are quite expensive for what you get. Some of the parks on US 24 going up toward Woodland Park look nice but they are quite expensive. Diamond Campground in Woodland Park is very nice but your experience there could depend on what site you get. We did drive through Northwoods Village off Fillmore but it appeared to be mostly long term residents and would be tight for our rig. We wouldn’t stay there.
What we liked: Good views of Pike’s Peak and surrounding mountains.
What we didn’t like: This is a typical KOA – the park was decent but not great but the prices are high. We got a deluxe site with a patio and with taxes, etc. it averaged about $100 per night. The patio was cracked concrete and our site was one of the older deluxe ones and could have used some TLC for the price. One of the amenities listed was cable TV which they said was out of order due to construction going on within the park but it was clear that cable had not been operational for some time. our connection was damaged and could not have been used and most sites had the pole for the connections laying on the ground. Lots of road noise as the park is right on I-25.
Verdict: We’d stay here again if we couldn’t find anything better in the area.

Across the lake from Ozarks RV Resort is the Thunder Ridge Nature Arena. This is a 20,000 seat nature amphitheater owned by Johnny Morris of Bass Pro Shop fame. While we were there they had one of their first concerts featuring Garth Brooks. Even though we could see the amphitheater from the park, Anna was disappointed that we really couldn’t hear the music very well. We did get a good view of the daily air shows that opened each of the three concerts however.

Park Review – Ozarks RV Resort on Table Rock Lake

Rating: 1/2+
Location:  Oak Grove, AR
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and concrete sites.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: From US-65 south of Branson/Hollister take Missouri state highway 86 to Missouri state highway 13 to Arkansas state highway 21. Right after entering take Arkansas highway 311 to county road 663 to the entrance.
Staff: Friendly family owned park.
Cellular/WiFi: Good AT&T and Verizon service.
Restaurants: Table Rock Coffee Roasters on Missouri 86 had good coffee. Branson has lots of restaurants and stores but it is a tourist area and can get very busy.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any other parks in the area.
What we liked: Clean, well run, nicely landscaped park.
What we didn’t like: A bit far off the beaten path. It’s a good 30 minutes or more to any large grocery store or restaurant. You have to go into Branson, MO or Berryville, AR. There was a boil water notice while we were there and the only notice was at the main office so we never knew about it.
Verdict: This is a very nice park for a week or more when travelling through the area and we’d stay here again.

After going through Colorado to visit our kids and our grand kids in late May of 2022 we headed to Springfield Missouri for an extended stay to see how Anna’s uncle John was doing. He would be 90 on July 4th and we were beginning to question how well he was really doing living by himself. Just before we arrived, he ended up in the hospital due to a foot infection related to his diabetes. He would never leave the hospital and he passed two weeks after we arrived. Dealing with the hospital was difficult, particularly for Anna but we managed and John was put on hospice the day he died. As hard as it was, we were glad he had been able to live at home until the last two weeks and that he passed relatively easily.

After that we had to plan a funeral and then get his house ready to sell as Anna was his representative. The rest of the family had already planned to come over July 4th for his birthday so the funeral was set for that week and Anna’s brothers helped by going through all the “stuff” with her brother John renting a truck and taking a lot of the things. Anna and I spent another month afterward clearing things out and getting the house sold. It sold on August 23rd and we went down to Branson for a show to celebrate a couple of weeks later where we both got COVID. I guess it was time as we had escaped it until then.

After Springfield, we left for a nice park on Table Rock Lake south of Branson and then on to Hot Springs, Arkansas. I’ll have two posts for those parks coming up soon.

Blanco

Blanco Buggy Barn Museum

At first this might just seem to be a tourist attraction but it’s actually a part of western history.  They have over 140 unique buggies and an old west town here. This family-owned and operated museum offers a range of buggies and wagons dating from the 1860s to the 1900s, including a stagecoach, doctor’s buggies and a hearse. Many of the exhibits have been used in various movies including the remake of “True Grit” and “There Will Be Blood.” It’s really worth a stop of a few hours if you are in the area.

LBJ Boyhood Home

The 36th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson, lived here from the age of five until his high school graduation in 1924. The home is furnished in the early to mid-1920s period and as such depicts a rural Texas lifestyle of the time. Unfortunately, it was closed for tours while we were there due to COVID.

Johnson Settlement

In the late 1850s, Samuel Ealy Johnson Sr., Lyndon’s grandfather, settled with his brother Tom in a one-room log cabin on 320 acres. It later became headquarters for the largest cattle driving operation in seven counties. After serving in the Civil War, Sam married Eliza Bunton of Caldwell County. In 1867 the newlyweds set up housekeeping in the log cabin, which by now also had an east room and breezeway (dog-trot).

LBJ State Park

Home of the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm a World War I era farm.

LBJ National Historic Park

Known as the Texas White House, this is the final resting place of Lyndon Johnson and his family. There is a self-guided driving tour of the park as well as a visitor center with lots of information about the president and history of the times.

Park Review – Blanco Settlement

Park Review – Blanco Settlement

Rating: 3/4
Location:  Blanco, TX
Site Quality / Amenities: The roads and pad sites in the park are all concrete. Each site has a picnic table.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: Easy access from FM165 just east of Blanco. The entrance to the park is a bit narrow but not too difficult.
Staff: Staff were friendly but were not experienced RVers. Some of our neighbors had problems due to that but other than some problems mentioned below, which the managers likely had little to do with, we did not see any issues. They did mention they didn’t like being on duty 24×7 so they may not last too long.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Fast, reliable speeds on both Verizon and AT&T with Verizon at over 80 Mbps.
Restaurants: The restaurant at the park closed after new owners took over the park but they are working to improve and reopen it in the future. In town, Old 300 BBQ served great BBQ; Chess Club Café had a good breakfast and also serves lunch as does Josie’s Kitchen. The Uptown Blanco Restaurant looked good but we could not get there when they were open (weekends only). We also ventured over to the Salt Lick BBQ in Dripping Springs. This is a well known Austin area joint known for good BBQ but unfortunately it was off, way off, when we went the day after Easter. Hopefully this was just timing and next time will be much better! The Branch Neighborhood Grill in Bulverde had excellent catfish and shrimp.
Nearby parks: There are several along US 281 and elsewhere in the area but we didn’t have time to take a close look at any of them.
What we liked: Small park on the Blanco River with nice concrete sites and roads for the rainy season. The owners are working hard to make improvements so it will be interesting to see how the park changes over time. Cabins are available for non-RVers.
What we didn’t like: After upgrading the park to concrete roads and sites, the prices went up significantly so weekly or shorter rates are high. The sewer connection at each site is in the center of the space between each site so it is awkwardly close to the picnic table or other personal space. The roads and sites are pretty narrow and the sites have a few inch drop off from the pads making navigation difficult. Trees have been planted near the ends of each site and they were in the way of being able to deploy slides. You had to park between them but this reduces space for a toad or tow vehicle. Lots of road noise from FM 165, particularly early in the morning.
Verdict: This is a nice park for a few days or a few weeks and we’d stay here again despite the awkward design.

Park Review – Route 66 RV Resort

Rating: 1/2
Location:  Albuquerque, NM
Site Quality / Amenities: Concrete pads and asphalt roads with nice landscaping for a desert environment.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: Easy access from I-40 about 20 miles west of Albuquerque., Showers and laundry facilities on site.
Staff: Friendly but check-in/out procedures were somewhat awkward. The texted for information before arriving and after leaving but then still called even after I replied.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Good
Restaurants: Thunder Road was good but pricey.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any other parks in the area.
What we liked: Clean, well run park.
What we didn’t like: A bit out of the way for us but it was worth it.
Verdict: This is a nice park for a one or two night stopover when travelling through the area and we’d stay here again.

Rating: 
Location:  Peculiar, MO.
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and gravel sites. Some sites have trees for shade but most do not. Restrooms and showers, self-service laundry, activity room for card playing, puzzles, or darts. This is an old KOA park but it has been updated and is nicer than most KOAs.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: Easy access 27 miles south of downtown Kansas City along Interstate 49.
Staff: Friendly family owned park.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Good AT&T and Verizon service. There was high speed WiFi per the park but we didn’t use it.
Restaurants: We ate at Merle’s American Tavern in Peculiar at the recommendation of the park staff but only found the food to be so-so. We’d probably look elsewhere if we stay in the area again.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any other parks in the area.
What we liked: Clean, well run park.
What we didn’t like: Sites are somewhat close together and are gravel. Some of the interior roads are a bit narrow but were doable even with a large rig. Our truck alarm went off several times although I don’t believe anyone was actually doing anything to it. This is only the second time something like that has happened.
Verdict: This is a nice park for a one or two night stopover when travelling through the area and we’d stay here again.

We stayed one night in this park on the way east toward Missouri. Located in the heart of the Smoky Hills, Wilson State Park is considered by many to be the most beautiful in the state. Wilson Reservoir features a rugged shoreline punctuated by scenic cliffs and rocky outcrops.

Wilson Reservoir offers excellent white bass and striped bass angling. The Cedar Trail in the Otoe area is a one-mile loop with a concrete surface and is great for a leisurely, low-stress walk. The 24.5-mile long Switchgrass Bike Trail is popular with mountain bikers to pursue this challenging activity.

Wilson Wildlife Area is located on the upper end of 9,000 acre Wilson Reservoir. The 8,069-acre public hunting area is made up of 5,000 acres of rugged rolling hills of native prairie, approximately 2,000 acres of cropland, and 1,000 acres of riparian timber along the Saline River, Cedar Creek, Turkey Creek, and Elm Creek. The area has a waterfowl refuge that was established in 1996.

Rating: 
Location:  Wilson, KS
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and gravel sites. There were a few small trees to sit under that that provided a small amount of shade. Restrooms and showers were provided although we did not use them. 50A electrical service with full hookups.
Type: State Park
Access: Easy access about 5 miles north of I-70, and west of K-232.
Staff: We had minimal interaction with the staff but when we did they were efficient and professional.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: AT&T was reported as marginal but Verizon speeds were great.
Restaurants: We did not eat out while here.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any other parks in the area.
What we liked: Unlike much of the state, this area included many rolling hills.
What we didn’t like: The site we were in was not very level. No shade over the site.
Verdict: This is a nice park with lake views and rolling hills and is a good option for a few days when travelling through the area. We’d stay here again.

Rating: 1/2
Location:  Sweetwater, TX
Site Quality / Amenities: Roads and sites were gravel. Some mesquite trees for shade. Restrooms and showers, self-service laundry, Office with Pool table, TV, and Lounge Areas.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: Easy access right off I-40 west of Sweetwater.
Staff: Friendly family owned park.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Decent AT&T and Verizon service for an overnight. There was WiFi but we didn’t use it.
Restaurants: We ate at Skeets in Sweetwater. The chicken fried steak was good but overall the place was just ok.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any other parks in the area.
What we liked: Easy access for a one night stop. There are two truck stops for fuel at that exit. Cheap full hookup sites with 50A service.
What we didn’t like: Train tracks nearby but we only heard them during the day. Close to I-40 so there was some road noise.
Verdict: This is a nice park for a one night stopover when travelling through the area and we’d stay here again.

After Texas gained its independence from Mexico in 1836, settlers began arriving in the Goliad area, lured by the prospect of rounding up stray cattle that belonged to the nearby missions. Ranching became the primary economic driver, and the age of the cattle drives began in the late 1800’s. Local ranch owners drove thousands of head to railheads in Kansas and Nebraska for shipment to the coasts of the U.S. As railroads were built, cattle were no longer driven up the trails and the economy of Goliad shifted to cotton and other types of farming along with beef production. With the influx of Mexican citizens fleeing the Revolutionary turmoil in Mexico and the population of Goliad grew to 13,000 in the 1890’s. By the 1940’s cattle raising and agricultural production again became economic generators and that continues today.

Learning more about the history of this area and Texas Independence was so memorable. It is amazing to learn that the early history of Texas all happened within about a 150 mile radius of this area and the sacrifice and bravery of that time is humbling. The people here are all about the history and are so proud to discuss with anyone who wants to know more. So glad we had friends, Chad and Mary Kay, to visit for 2 days to share it with us.

The Goliad Massacre

The darkest day in Texas history, the Goliad Massacre, took place on Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836, when Col. James Walker Fannin and 352 men under his command were executed a week after their capture at the battle of Coleto Creek, under orders of the Mexican dictator, General Santa Anna. There was twice as much loss of life here than at the Alamo. Nothing had touched the raw nerve of the American character as did the news of the men who were executed. As the news traveled across the United States, volunteers streamed forth for the people of Texas who were engaged in a war with a dictator who took no prisoners – a war of extermination. This one single event, more than any other in the Texas Revolution, proved to the people of the United States what confronted the Texans.

Mission Espiritu Santo (Mission Nuestra Señora de la Bahía del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga)

This mission was established by Franciscan priests in 1722 and was moved three times before its final and current location now inside Goliad State Park. The history of the mission is exemplary of the geopolitical tensions in the region and the emergence of ranching culture in Texas. Missions were built throughout Texas for several reasons; to establish communities for Spain, to convert nearby Indian tribes to Catholicism, and to offer some protection to the people living in them. They were often set up in conjunction with a nearby presidio or fort, and this location just happens to be the last remaining Presidio/Mission pair still standing in Texas with Presidio La Bahia nearby just across the San Antonio River.

The Mission includes a church, workshop, living quarters, and museum explaining the lives and very different cultures of the people who lived in the mission. A great deal of detailed information about the mission is available at Texas Beyond History

Presidio La Bahia

Presidio La Bahia is considered the world’s finest example of a Spanish frontier fort. In 1968, Lady Bird Johnson unveiled a Department of the Interior plaque designating the restored Presidio La Bahia as a registered National Landmark. This is the most fought over fort in Texas history, having seen participation in six National Revolutions/Wars for Independence. Spanish, Mexican and Texan soldiers all garrisoned its fortified walls.

The fort is the site where the history of Goliad began. The location of the fort had been occupied long before Spain arrived in the New World. Strategically located on a hill overlooking the surrounding area, the Spanish arrived here in 1749 and found evidence of an Indian Village in the area they named Santa Dorotea. As permanent settlement by Spain began the town of La Bahia (“The Bay”), grew up around the protection of the fort. This town was the original Goliad, the name being changed in 1829 as an anagram for Hidalgo, in honor of the patriot priest of the Mexican Revolution, Father Miguel Hidalgo, who sounded the famous “Grito de Delores” in 1810 for Mexican Independence from Spain. This town became the second largest populated settlement in Spanish Texas.

Here at the Presidio inside the chapel, the first Declaration of Texas Independence was formally declared on December 20, 1835, signed by 92 citizens and distributed throughout Texas, boldly stating the intentions of these settlers of Texas. Along with it, flew the first flag of Texas Independence. Nothing short of full independence from Mexico would satisfy those who had suffered under the injustices of a dictatorial government led by the self-styled “Napoleon of the West”, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. The Unanimous Declaration of Independence was finally made by the Delegates of the People of Texas in General Convention at the Town of Washington on the 2nd day of March 1836.

Though a fort, not a mission, a chapel was erected inside the quadrangle for the sole use of the soldiers and Spanish settlers living in the town of La Bahia that surrounded the fort. The chapel was given the name “Our Lady of Loreto”, and is the oldest building in the compound in continuous use since the 1700’s. This centuries-old chapel was where Fannin’s men were held for part of their captivity before they were massacred.

One of the oldest churches in America, it is also one of the only buildings in existence that has its original “groin vaulted ceiling” in place. The striking fresco at the back of the alter was done in 1946 by the “Michelangelo of South Texas,” Corpus Christi artist Antonio Garcia.

Park Review – Goliad State Park

Rating: 
Location:  Goliad, TX
Site Quality / Amenities:  The Karankawa campground has 50A full hookup sites with asphalt roads and pads. Each site has a picnic table on a concrete pad, a lantern pole, a grill, and a fire pit.
Type: State Park
Access: Easy access off US Hwy 183 just south of Goliad, TX.
Staff: Staff interactions were minimal but all good.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: AT&T speeds were around 4.5 Mbps. Verizon was a bit faster at about 7 Mbps.
Restaurants: The Empresario restaurant on the square in Goliad had great American food.
Nearby parks: We did not look at other parks in the area.
What we liked: The sites on the outside of the Karankawa loop (odd numbered) are much better than the inside sites (even numbered). Our rating might be a bit higher had we stayed in an odd numbered site.
What we didn’t like: The sites inside the Karankawa loop (we were in site 12) were a bit rougher with lots of dead stems from large weeds. Also the placement of the fire rings and picnic tables was awkward. Our neighbors fire ring was very close to our rig while ours was 50 to 75′ away from our rig. Our picnic table was also a bit far from our rig.
Verdict: Good for a few days stay to see the historical sights and visit the downtown square area of Goliad.

In addition to water sports, the area is home to many artists and you can find galleries with their creations as well as numerous boutiques and other stores offering a variety of local products.

We were thrilled to have many friends come down to visit us in Rockport. We are truly blessed with great friends willing to travel with us, visiting and keeping in touch along with loving our family being so supportive of our new RV life!

Fulton Mansion

The mansion is an 1870’s French Second Empire structure that was the home of cattleman George W. Fulton and his family until the mid-1890’s. Innovative for its time, the house features several modern conveniences such as indoor plumbing including hot and cold running water and flush toilets, central gasoline powered lighting, and heating. At one point, the mansion became an RV park before being purchased by the state and refurbished to become a state historical site and museum.

Oysterfest

This festival is a salute to the oyster industry ad is held at Fulton Harbor. There was entertainment, food, crafts and of course an oyster eating contest. The winner ate more than 90 large raw oysters in less than 5 minutes.

Pardi Gras

This event in Aransas Pass commemorating Mardi Gras included a gumbo cook-off where attendees voted for their favorite gumbo among entries from numerous contestants. Along with the contest, there were vendors selling various goods, food trucks, live music, and dancing. Our favorite part was taste testing all the seafood gumbos!

Port Aransas

Port Aransas can be reached by taking a short ferry ride across the intercoastal channel from Aransas Pass. It provides access to the Gulf of Mexico as opposed to the Aransas Bay which is protected by the barrier of San Jose Island. Port Aransas is another nice small coastal town with lots of shops and restaurants as well as some nice RV parks, many with beach access. While many may prefer close access to the beach, everything is more expensive in Port Aransas and RV sites tend to be much smaller and closer together.

The Big Tree in Goose Island State Park

This is one of the most famous trees in the world. This giant Live Oak measures 35 feet in circumference and 44 feet high and has a crown spread of 89 feet. The Texas Forest Service estimates it is over 1000 years old. It is amazing the tree has survived all of the hurricanes and other weather of the area.

Aransas National Wildlife Reserve

During the winter months with plenty of marsh land and warmer temperatures, the Coastal Bend is an ideal location for birds like the Whooping Crane, Sand Hill Crane, Roseate Spoonbill, Brown Pelican and Blue Heron. Except for the Whooping Crane, all call this area home year-round. Whooping Cranes are the tallest bird in North America at up to 5 feet tall along with a wingspan of 7 to 8 feet. In the 1940’s there were less than 20 alive and all called the refuge home for the winter. Today there are an estimated 840 around the world and 504 are expected to winter in the Rockport, Texas area. In the warmer months, the Whooping Cranes return to their home in Canada near Saskatchewan. Whooping Cranes live at least 22 years and sometimes as long as 40 years. On the day we visited the park we were luck enough to see several of them.

There is a Big Tree trail in the reserve but this is a different tree than the 1000 year old big tree above.

Trailer Maintenance

With our extended time in the area we found it a good time to take care of some maintenance. We had the coolant flushed and replaced in the truck. This was a part of the 60K mile service and we were close to 65K miles.

We also got new tires for our trailer. We had about 25K miles on the original tires and we were also seeing some abnormal wear on 3 of the 4 tires. These 3 were the original tires but the 4th was replaced at about 10K miles due to an alignment problem. For some reason this tire didn’t have the same wear. It did have less miles but I would have thought a similar wear pattern would already be showing but it was not. From what I could find out the wear was called “channel” or “river” wear and is not uncommon on trailer tires and there isn’t really anything you can do about it. The original tires were soon to be 5 years old and it would have been time to start thinking about replacing them anyway.

One of the YouTube blogs I follow put Continental HTL2 tires on his rig and he had upgraded to slightly larger tires that give him some additional safety margin and we did the same with ours. In fact, we went to the same place to get it done that he had – Southern Tire in Corpus Christi and got the same tires. They were great to work with and got us in amongst other big trucks including a fire truck. One tire expert recommended having a 15% to 25% safety margin in regards to the weight your tires are carrying. One of ours had only about 2% margin with the old tires. With the new J rated tires we have 25% safety margin on most tires and a minimum of 15% on the heaviest tire without having to run the maximum air pressure on each tire.

While replacing the tires we also had the trailer inspected. They noticed that the brake pads were approaching their minimum thickness and even though they passed inspection they needed to be replaced. I already had new pads but was planning to replace them later this year. Instead, we decided to go ahead and repack the bearings and replace the brake pads. Of course, nothing ever goes to plan and we needed to replace some additional parts so it took a couple of times to get all the parts in and replace them but we should be good to go for the next year or two.

Park Review – Coastal Breeze RV Resort

Rating: 
Location:  Rockport, TX
Site Quality / Amenities: Concrete roads and pads. Full hookup sites with 50A and 30A service. The park includes multiple dog parks, two game areas, a volleyball court, 2 outdoor pools and a club house. There is also a pond with fishing pier and a fishing pier out into Salt Lake. There are restrooms with showers and laundry facilities in the park.
Type: Commercial park
Access: Easy access via FM1781 north of Rockport and west of Fulton. When coming from the north, the shortest route is on FM1781 as it follows the shoreline all the way around to the park. However, it is easier with an RV to continue on TX-35 until it reaches Broadway/TX-35/FM3036 and then turn right. Stay on 3036 until it reaches FM1781 then turn right and the park is less than a mile on the left.
Staff: The staff was always friendly and helpful.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was often slow however at times speeds could reach 11 Mbps with an external antenna and booster. AT&T was generally useful at about 2.25 Mbps. Night time speeds were often slower. It seemed like speeds should have been better as we had about 3 bars on Verizon and when speed testing on the same tower but much closer I got 180 Mbps which is one of the fastest speeds I have ever seen on 4G. At least we were able to text and make phone calls without too many problems.
Restaurants: Charlotte Plummer – Good seafood with a view of the harbor. Great for watching the oyster boats unload their catches in the afternoons.
Old Fulton Seafood Cafe & Deli – Great seafood in a strip center (no view). Probably one of the best in the area for seafood.
Paradise Key Dockside Bar & Grill – Great seafood overlooking a marina.
Mickey’s – Good seafood in an RV park overlooking a marina.
Pier 77 – A local favorite for seafood with generous portions. The Calamari appetizer was fantastic. Shrimp was great. As of early 2022 the restaurant was cash only.
Steelburger Grill & Grub – The best place in the area for a burger. Nothing fancy just a good basic old style burger. You order outside in what is basically a food truck but they do have seating inside a small house adjacent to the truck.
Nearby parks: Listed in order of preference (1…n)
1. Southern Oaks Luxury RV Resort – We prefer the Rockport/Fulton area but this is one of the nicest parks in the area for longer stays and actually there are more of the larger stores nearby including Walmart and Lowes. Each site is wide and some are extra long with concrete throughout. Good for satellite because of minimal trees. Great cellular data rate of 88 Mbps. Many more scheduled activities, concerts and exercise classes in the clubhouse.
2. Lagoons RV Resort – Although getting around this park is a bit tight it is certainly doable. Amenities include an indoor pool, coffee shop, lots of activities and a large community center. The park is all concrete – roads and pads. We would need the get an orange 70′ site to fit so our options would be limited. Great cellular data rate of 56 Mbps.
3. Majestic Oak Resort – Lots of trees (could cause satellite issues), picnic tables, pool and jacuzzi, recreation center, wide roads, all concrete, 55 Mbps data rate. Not laid out as a big rectangle so the park has a bit more character at the expense of being possibly a bit more difficult to navigate.
4. Coastal Breeze RV Resort – See current review.
5. Reel Chill RV Resort – Very close in quality to Coastal breeze, All concrete, minimal landscaping. Better data rate at 4.75 Mbps but right on TX-35 Bypass so there is a potential for much more road noise.
6. Sunrise RV Resort – New smaller park in town (Fulton) that includes concrete runners for the RV pads as well as a concrete driveway and patio for the truck. Sites on the north side of Myrtle St. were the best. Due to trees satellite could be a problem and navigation could be a bit of a challenge for larger rigs. This park is very close to the local cell tower and we had full bars and a whopping 180 Mbps data rate – the fastest I have ever seen on 4G! Due to lack of activities, this park is probably best for shorter stays.
7. Cove Harbor Waterfront RV Resort – Nice small park in a marina area. Sites closest to the water are motorhome sites and trailer sites are back-ins toward the road. All roads and sites are concrete. Data rate was 27 Mbps. Probably best for shorter stays due to no activities.
8. Paradise Lagoons – Some challenges navigating the park, trees could interfere with satellite reception. Sites around the edges appeared to be longer and there were some pull-throughs. The sites included bump out driveways. Right along TX-35 so there could be a bit of road noise. Data rate was 34 Mbps.
* Places we would not go to whether due to navigation issues, sketchy park, etc. include: Bay View RV Resort, Wilderness Oaks RV Park, Blue Lagoons RV Resort, Rockport Oaks (Owners only), Estes RV Resort, By the Bay RV & Lodging, Enchanted Oaks RV Park, Drifters Resort.
We also looked at three parks in Port Aransas. Port A RV Resort is a fairly large park just outside the city. Although there are some big rigs in there the roads were squared off and would be very tight to navigate. The sites were also tightly spaced. Pioneer RV Resort was a bit further out of town. It was easier to navigate but sites were still very tight. We only liked their premium sites in the 300 section. They has slightly more space and didn’t feel as claustrophobic. Finally we looked at Gulf Waters Beach Front RV Resort. Wow! This is one of the nicest parks we have ever seen but it has prices to match with winter monthly rates well over $1000 per month. Many of the sites are owned by people who allow the park to lease them out when they are not staying there and they have been updated to include outdoor bars, cabanas and other nice features. This is truly a resort and could be good for short stays – if you can get in. A bonus is that they have houses that can also be rented for your non-RVing friends and family.
What we liked: Active winter Texan community with lots of activities. Nice newer and well kept park with a bit more space between sites than average for a commercial park. Some sites had small patios but many were very close to the neighboring site and/or the connections. Others had the patios right off the RV pad for the site and those would be better.
What we didn’t like: No picnic table, grill or fire ring at each site. Generally bad cellular data reception. It’s always windy along the coast, but winter 2022 was particularly so.
Verdict: We’d stay at Coastal Breeze again although we’d prefer Southern Oaks due to better cellular speeds and more amenities. Coastal Breeze is expanding though and may offer improvements in their clubhouse capabilities in the future.