The videos on YouTube made it look so easy. We could simply disconnect our leaky sewer valve, replace the seals, reconnect it and be on our way to a wonderful weekend. “It should take 20 minutes,” Cliff said. “Thirty, tops.” Famous last words. Not only were we unable to make the repair after more than…
One of Jon’s colleagues asked about our weekend plans, and he told her we were headed out for another camp-out. She asked about what we would do, considering the weather forecast was for high heat and humidity. Jon said we would probably just stay inside Cloud 9 most of the weekend, enjoying its creature comforts.…
Our favorite backyard park is a woodland area about 17 miles from our storage unit, but it may as well be a world away. Locally popular but otherwise unknown, Loyd Park provides not only an escape from work but quick, easy access to Joe Pool Lake and 220 campsites nestled under mature native Texas trees.…
We arrived at Loyd Park on a warm, sunny Friday afternoon amid forecasts that pop-up showers were possible on Saturday and Sunday morning. Apparently, we were camped in the right place at the right time, because the heavy rains that rolled in on Saturday evening continued through to Sunday morning. At one point, we were…
Heavy rains on Friday night raised an already full Joe Pool Lake to 7 feet above normal, causing water to creep beyond its banks across access roads throughout Loyd Park. That left the campers in our area only one way out–a seldom-used service road. Although we hoped the water would begin to recede on Sunday,…
Our weekend began with stormy weather. Lots of stormy weather. Although we were able to enjoy Date Night under the pavilion, storms rolled in around 10 p.m. on Friday, driving us into the protective shelter of Cloud 9. Heavy rains, flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder lasted through the night and into Saturday morning,…
We spent a gorgeous weekend at Loyd Park, where we met some fun folks who had gathered for an annual spring fling event. As we observed a guy trying to maneuver his rig into his campsite, we got into a conversation with his wife about the trials and tribulations of backing in. We shared tales…
Mid-April found us at the AluminumPride Rally near the East Texas city of Tyler, about 90 minutes from Dallas. The threat of strong spring storms didn’t deter us from joining friends old and new for a weekend at Bushman’s RV Park, with planned excursions to the nearby Kiepersol Vineyards, Winery, Distillery & Salt Kitchen, and…
The weekend weather forecast called for 80 percent rain chances, with the possibility of severe storms, which made our plan to have Cloud 9’s tires replaced on Saturday morning questionable at best. So we decided to get the work done on Friday afternoon, meaning we would arrive at our campsite later than usual. But we…
We arrived at our campsite on a typical Texas spring day, with southerly breezes and temperatures in the 70s. Less than 24 hours later, however, the winds had shifted from the north, sending temperatures into the 50s and then the 40s overnight. Needless to say, it was a shock to the system. Still, we enjoyed…
Garinns on the Go 