After spending the summer and fall of 2021 on a long loop through the north west we decided we wanted to spend some time chillin in Texas. We figured the Rockport area would give us a lot of options with the gulf nearby in Port Aransas, lots of history, nature areas and some good seafood. While there were a lot of activities in the area, many of them were small. For instance the Farmers Market and Market Days activities only had a few vendors and light attendance particularly in January and February. By March and April things were picking up. Other events like Pardi Gras, Oysterfest and Crawfish Festival were better attended.
We’ve gotten some questions from friends and family about the lack of blog postings from us lately. We are still on the road and we are still maintaining our blog but we have been taking some time off just to relax. For 2022, we’re planning to return to some places we’ve already been as well as spend some more time with family so I suspect that posts will be few and far between for a while. But it’s time to catch everyone up on what we’ve been up to.
Typical street in the parkSite 410 – Connection Side
Park Review – Stone Oak Ranch RV Resort
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and concrete pads. There is a decent amount of space between sites but they are not huge. Standard pull-thru sites are 80′ long so plenty big for us. There are rest rooms with showers, laundry rooms, a fitness center and a business center. There is also a heated pool, a picnic area and a playscape. There are two dog parks and a pickleball court. Type: Commercial Park Access: Off Ronald Reagan Blvd. (Parmer Lane) west of Georgetown and north of Cedar Park. Staff: The staff were very friendly at check-in but we didn’t really see them after that. Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was fast at 44 Mbps and AT&T was a bit slower. Both suffered from intermittent latency issues and occasional drop outs. Restaurants: There are numerous restaurants nearby in Georgetown, Cedar Park and Liberty Hill. Nearby parks: We didn’t check out any other parks in the area. What we liked: Concrete roads and pads. Our site had a good amount of room on the outdoor side. What we didn’t like: The paved porch is too far forward for Fifth Wheels, putting it beside the tow vehicle. Regular sites did not have picnic tables or chairs. Camp fires are not allowed. Verdict: Good place for longer stays in the area.
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.
We stayed at Lake Brownwood State Park in late October 2021 on our way back to the Round Rock area for doctor appointments and visits with friends. The park had many good points but one thing it has in common with many Texas State Parks is that they simply don’t live up to the quality and amenities of parks in many other states. It is a bit rustic and in need of some TLC. All that said, it’s still a nice place to visit and we’ll likely come back. In addition to fishing and nice views of the lake there are lots of trails within the park although most of them are labeled as moderate due to both some elevation changes of a few hundred feet and due to rough and rocky trails that require care when hiking. In our case, we had gusty winds up to 45 mph every day we were here so we only hiked the trails between our campsite and the lake on one day.
