I was up and going through the morning rituals by 6:45 this morning......and the 1st Lady was up soon after I finished. As soon as I came downstairs and turned on the coffee maker, I began to store, stash, and push back the various loose pieces of furniture, tables, lamps, etc., etc. to prepare the den and dining/kitchen for those three slides to be rolled in when we had everthing else ready to roll......
Outside I went....and began dumping the holding tanks, checking the tire pressures on all 8 tires, and then using my air compressor to add a few pounds of air in all 8 tires. Then it was time to unhook the cable tv....and then I returned inside to get some coffee, some breakfast, and finish up the bedroom for bringing in that slide, also.
By 8:45, we were on the I-37 and heading around the east side of San Antonio. A refueling stop about an hour south of Dallas, and a few miles later, we made a stop at a rest area for a quick bite of lunch and a break from the driving with 14,000 pounds of weight right behind the truck, rolling along at 65-68 mph. While this may seem a bit fast for towing this monster, this IS the speed at which I get the best gas mileage and so, when I can...this is what I drive.
The traffic became heavier as we pushed around the beltway to the south and east of Dallas....and soon we were heading east, northeast towards Texarkana,TX/AR....the state line divides this town......and by 4:45 we had covered 458 miles in 8 hours total.
About 100 miles west of Texarkana, I drove by a 5th wheel on the shoulder with a man and woman working at the rear of the RV....and I thought they must have a flat tire. I was going to fast to pull in and assist as I didn't see them until the last moment. Sooooo, feeling badly I kept driving eastward.
WELL......upon going into the office at the KOA, discussed below, I began talking with this fellow who was purchasing a sewer hose and attached end which fits on the sewer dump pipe under the rv. He was really upset.....and then he told me that he had NEW 5er and driving towards Texarkana, someone passed him and motioned for him...frantically....to pull over to the side. It seems his bumper at the rear, which had a bicycle rack with two bikes on it, HAD BROKEN OFF....THE ENTIRE REAR BUMPER!!!!!!.....and, he was dragging the bikes and bumper down the interstate bouncing and dragging, ruining everything!!!!!!!!!!!! Boy, was he upset, as I would have been, also!!!!! Both bikes were in the $500 range for each of them, as well as the damn bumper which had just completly broken off!!!!!!!! I am familiar with the company that makes the rv that he had just purchased........and it is NOT a reputable company!!!!! Really felt sorry for him!!!!!
I had made reservations at the KOA in Texarkana as we had stayed here on the way down to the RGV and also, last year when we went down to the valley. And......this time did it for me!!!! This place continues to slide downhill in quality and services......the sites are NOT level...not front-to-back, nor side to side.......as they have large humps of asphalt in various places in the sites...looks like frost heaves in each site. But, just as bad.......the place is being taken over by temporary permanents........transient workers with construction jobs who do not keep their sites tidy, but laden down with all sorts of things that are necessary for their jobs and for living inside and outside........making the park very, very junky!!!!!!! AND.....the wifie is just plain SHITTY!!!!!! Took me over an hour just to get on to the local wifi....and then it will not remain steady....and will kick me off frequently!!!!! I may, or I may not, get this posted....it may become lost in cybespace!!!!
Sooooo, I URGE any rver's to boycott this Texarkana KOA if at all possible. I have decided that the next time we have to stay here.....I will try out another rv park which means driving 5 miles away from the I-30, but it appears it might be better than this KOA.......notice I said "appears". Have to try it out first.....eh???? Just stay away from this place.....ok??????????
And soooooo, I will now attempt to post these negative rambling thoughts. We should be home by late afternoon....after the school buses have made their runs, I HOPE!!!! It is only 400 miles from here on to F'town....through Little Rock and then up to Poplar Bluff on 67.
You know......even with this SHITTY KOA......I still feel that.......
LIFE IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!!......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!
3 comments:
Have you ever tried the COE park at Texarkana...we really like it...no wifi though.
Shady Pines is an excellent Texarkana RV park...wide concrete streets and level concrete & grass sites...very clean & well maintained & friendly...good wifi.
John, we stayed at a fairgounds in Texarcana when we went home last year. It was on the ARk, side and it was level, drive around a large circle drive and park by a pole. Was worth it to us. If you want more info, I can look it up for you.
Alicia
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