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Category: 2024

Calliham, TX (Choke Canyon State Park)

Calliham, TX (Choke Canyon State Park)

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Choke Canyon Lake about 24% full, the nearby grassy area should be underwater
Javalina in our site

Park Review – Choke Canyon State Park

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Location: Calliham, TX
Type: State Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 2:00/12:00
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads / pads. Each site has a covered patio, a fire pit and a lantern pole.
Access: Off TX-72 West of Three Rivers, TX.
Staff: We had minimal interaction with staff.
Cellular/WiFi: Verizon worked slightly but only with our amplifier and external antenna. Starlink was great as we had a clear view of the north sky.
Restaurants: Live Oak Restaurant in Three Rivers served good food at reasonable prices.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look closely at any other parks nearby. We did drive by a few and they were pretty rough looking.
What we liked: We saw wildlife while we were there including numerous types of birds, javelina, wild turkeys and deer. They have signs posted about alligators being in the park but we didn’t see any. The park was fairly quiet even on the weekends.
What we didn’t like: We were in site 107 and although it worked it was a bit challenging to get into due to a post and trees near the site entrance and trees at the back and side of the site. We had to park the truck sideways across the front of the trailer. The sites are water and electric only with no sewer so stays for us are limited to a week or less.
Verdict: This was typical of most Texas State Parks if not on the better side of most. It could have used some TLC in places, particularly in regards to trimming some of the low trees along the roads. This might be a good stop if heading down to the South Padre / Brownsville area but check the sites for trees and other obstructions as well as length first.

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El Campo, TX

El Campo, TX

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El Campo is situated in the center of the Coastal Plains of Texas. Because of the bountiful native grasses, these plains were used as open range for cattle by Spanish explorers, later by Mexican cattlemen and then settlers brought in by Colonist Stephen F. Austin. After Texas won its independence from Mexico, German, Irish and Swedish immigrants moved into the area and cattle production remained the principal income of the people.

In 1882, a railroad camp (section No. 230) was situated where El Campo now stands. The little camp was first called “Prairie Switch” because it served as a switching point on the Houston-Victoria Railroad and a shipping point on the New York, Texas and Mexican Railroad. In fact, during the mid-1880s, El Campo was the largest prairie hay shipping point in the entire United States.

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Galveston, TX

Galveston, TX

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Although we spent three months on Galveston Island between December 2023 and February 2024 we unfortunately didn’t get to see a lot of the “touristy” attractions there. Instead, we spent a lot of time preparing for travel during 2024 including settling on (and ordering) new furniture, looking at interior decorating changes and updating things like one of our vent fans, bathroom faucets and replacing our water heater in the middle of a wind storm with wind gusts to 65 mph. We also spent a fair amount of time planning our route for 2024 and booking many of the stops along the way – more to come as we travel to the north west this summer including a month near Glacier National Park.

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Wolfforth (Lubbock), TX

Wolfforth (Lubbock), TX

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Park Review – Mesa Verde RV Park

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Location:  Wolfforth, TX
Type: Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 1:00PM/12:00PM
Site Quality / Amenities: Gravel pads and asphalt roads. Cable TV is also available. The sites have no additional amenities. There is a pool, exercise room, rest rooms, showers and laundry room available on site.
Access: From US 62/82 west of Lubbock take the FM 179 Wolfforth exit when heading west or the frontage road exit just before the FM 193/82nd street exit when heading east. Note that the park’s website showing the 82nd street exit is incorrect.
Staff: The lady who runs the park is nice if not a bit rough. Unlike our other Lubbock favorite, The Retreat RV Resort, Mesa Verde allow you to book month long stays well in advance.
Cellular/WiFi: WiFi was available but we did not use it. Verizon was 5G and decently fast at 22MB upload and 36MB download. AT&T was slower at 6MB upload and 15Mb download.
Restaurants: Hot and Jucy Cajun Seafood – Was not good despite high reviews. Teddy Jacks Hub City Grill – Good burgers and a variety of other bar type food. La Diosa – Good place for Tapas and wine. The Lost Cajun – Good gumbo.
Nearby parks: See The Retreat RV Resort post for another good RV park in the area as well as reviews of other nearby parks.
What we liked: Convenient to our doctors and to the south west side of Lubbock where some of the newer and more upscale restaurants and stores exist. Park is well maintained and seems to have good standards for the people staying in the park.
What we didn’t like: Some road noise from the nearby highway. Just a basic park with few frills. It’s basically a gravel parking lot but the sites are wide so there is a bit of extra room.
Verdict: In most cases we’d say this was a good place for an overnight to a couple of nights. Since we now come to Lubbock for doctor appointments and need to book 2 to 4 weeks each time and since this park is conveniently located we will likely come here again for these longer stays. Sites 66-71 are best but 12-15 might work and even 16-20 might be OK if they are long enough. The latter sites are closer to the highway though and might be noisier.

Jim Hogg Park, Georgetown, TX

Jim Hogg Park, Georgetown, TX

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Site 42

Park Review -Jim Hogg Park

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location:  Georgetown, Texas
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and pads. Each site has a covered picnic table, grill and fire ring. Water and Electric only, bath house and restrooms in each loop. The southern loop (nearest the lake) has 50A power while the northern loop is 30A only.
Type: COE Park
Access: Access via Jim Hogg road from Williams Dr. (2338). Lakeway Dr. is good to get to Williams from the north on I35 as is 970 to Andice from 183.
Staff: We had little interaction with staff at the park but they were always friendly.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon and AT&T were fast at about 21 Mbps.
Restaurants: We have numerous favorites in the area since we lived here.
Nearby parks: Cedar Breaks on the south side of the lake.
What we liked: Nice well kept park with less cedar trees than Cedar Breaks (important since the cedars drop sap) and also with less rocks so the ground was easier and more stable to walk across.
What we didn’t like: No sewer hookups. The dump station is on the way out of the park which is a bit far for a tote tank although it works. The real issue is that if there is a line you may not be able to exit the park as the line blocks the road out.
Verdict: A nice alternative to Cedar Breaks if not just a bit farther to Round Rock where our doctors and friends are. Might be a good choice for the April/May visit as we could probably get a site that isn’t below cedar trees that drop sap. Good sites for us: Lower loop (50A sites) – 12, 14, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, 34, 35, 37, 42, 43, 46, 47, 55; also sites 66 and 76 might be ok. Upper loop (30A sites) – 88, 89, 94, 97, 106, 116, 118, 126, and 142. Sites 105, 127 and 129 also might be ok. The upper loop sites should only be selected as a last resort.