Wander with the Wallins

Jan 15, 2020

Got out to some of our favorite towns in TX. Wimberley, Driftwood, Dripping Springs. I don’t think we will get to all the ones we want to though with the crummy weather… ☹️

Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood is a must whenever we are in the area. This is why!! First time we were here was 20+ years ago. You can see how popular they have become by how much expanding they’ve done!

Found a really cool back room bar on the town square in Blanco. Faye Dunnaway lives here in Blanco we found out.

Jan 14, 2020

Another round of crappy weather so we decided to rent a car to get out to the towns that were on the list. That took most of the morning so we ran around doing errands in the afternoon 👎

What would lunch be in Texas be without BBQ?

Oh yeah, right after getting the car, look at the day! 😡 It didn’t stay like that….

We tried to get out yesterday – we thought the fog had lifted enough – but as we got further down the road, the mist in the air got worse and we turned back. The Devil’s Backbone isn’t a road to be on when it’s slick and foggy and you can’t see through the windshield!

I don’t know anything about Texas long horn steer, but this guy is very handsome! 😍

It was a steak dinner and
movie night. Joaquin Phoenix was incredible in this!

Jan 12, 2020

We got to Blanco TX and set up. This is a pretty small state park (50 spots) but very nice. They just stocked the Blanco River with trout and there is a bunch of other fish species present, so we’re hoping we do better then the catfish undertaking of AL!! Setting up a few day rides in one of our favorite parts of the country… 😍 Everybody have a good week!

There are these HUGE gas stations down here – BucEe’s. This one is in Katy TX.

62 gas pumps.

Just some of the damage done to the bank account…

And a picture of Joan Jett!! She’s been such a good girl on the trip.

Jan 11, 2020

We left stormy Louisiana and crossed into Texas. Boondocked at a Cracker Barrel overnight. Looking forward to hanging out and riding in the Hill Country. It’s been years since we’ve been there!!

I don’t what this was but it reminded me of Urban Cowboy where Bud and Uncle Bob worked!

Blue Elbow Creek…. Named because at a bend in the creek it drops to about 60 feet and the water is deep blue.

You know it’s a problem when they put up a big yellow caution sign!!! 😳

Jan 10, 2020

Dale came to visit! New friends at the park! Headed to Texas after we get through a crazy storm!! 😳

Steve always finds a way to drag a woman into the picture 🙄

A lot of LSU fans at the park…. Only one Clemson!! Saw on the news tickets are like 3K!

Muffuletta and a hurricane at Pat O’Briens

Jan 9, 2020

French Quarter picture overload….

One of the best bloodys I have ever had …

Dirty rice… yum! Don’t tell me about the eyeballs and lips and foreskin that’s in there….

This guy would not take no for an answer and polished up Steve’s gym shoes!! 😁

Check out the dog laying in the background

Kim and Carl. It started out as a picture of the 4 of us 😂

Jan 8, 2020

Happy birthday Jeanie and Elvis! ♥️ We are back in the French Quarter for a few days. Our RV park is within walking distance (the only one) but I forgot what living in a city was like! Traffic noise, cars, trucks, horns, sirens, etc. 😳 It really doesn’t bother me, but it’s been a long time – like since the 70s!

Ate fried chicken at Willie Mae’s Scotch House (thanks Billy!) and it was very good! I must say though – Gus doesn’t need to be threatened with losing his status!!!

Jan 7, 2020

Fountainbleau State Park was once the site of a sugar mill and named after a forest near Paris, a favorite recreation area of French kings.

Ruins of the sugar mill

This was taken as the sun was going down and was not filtered. The sky looked like that with streaks of grey and yellow that look like paintbrush swipes…

Overcrowding 😁

Jan 6, 2020

Fountainbleau State Park on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain… 👍👍

I used to think Keys sunsets could not be rivaled. I have a feeling I’m going to be reminded on this trip that *any* sunset is beautiful and to be awed.

January 6 kicks off Carnival season and the season of king cakes. There is a whole religious background I’ll spare you, but in New Orleans, it is believed that eating king cakes outside of carnival season will bring rain on Mardi Gras day. A small trinket (representing the baby Jesus) used to be baked inside the cakes and the person that finds it is to receive luck and prosperity. Bakers now place it outside the cakes to avoid choking liabilities and let the hosts of king cake parties hide it for their guests to find…😁

Jan 5, 2020

Typical Sunday – coffee, church, football, food. Breaking camp and heading 10 miles down Lake Pontchartrain to another stop before we hit the French Quarter.

Joan eyeballing those ducks by the picnic table

All it needs is a caterpillar with a hookah

More moss…. It’s usually cemetery pictures so be happy it’s just moss! 😁

January 4, 2020

We had a great day in New Orleans with Louie, Barb, Rex, and Deb! 😍

We had to get a shot with Louie Armstrong ‘s torso

A familiar sight but this guy is much longer – 24 miles!

Couldn’t decide which of the signs from Archie Manning’s place to put up so I chose not to decide. Wait, isn’t that a choice?? Geddy Lee get out of my head!!

Jan 3, 2020

Rain rain go away! The few good things about a day of constant rain is comfort food and movies! Hope you all are having better weather!!!

And laundry …. rainy days are good for that necessary evil !

Jan 2, 2020

It was a day of errands (getting propane, groceries, taking the bikes in for a tune up, bills, planning and plotting, etc.) so on this slow news day, I thought I’d air my grievances on showering in an RV. Those of you that camp should get it…. 🤔

You have to first remove all the stuff you store in the shower

You do finally get use all the little soaps you’ve been stealing from hotels for years 👍

You must have 2 bars of little soap because inevitably, you will drop the first one and resort to using the auxiliary bar. This is because washing yourself without being able to lift your arms is a tricky and bending over to pick up the soap is **NOT** an option…..

Also noteworthy is that unless you’re hooked up to water and sewer, you must do all this quickly so you don’t use up too much water or fill up your grey tank!

Jan 1, 2020

Did a lot of nothing! Parade on TV, football, homemade chicken noodle soup, reading. I love lazy days! Side note – it was 15 years ago we lost our Mom. You move on, of course, but there was a little void created that day that will never be filled. 💔

Dec 31, 2019

We hope everyone has a healthy and happy new year!

These guys wag their tails when you walk up to them or talk to them!

Took a ride into town and ate lunch at Abita Brew Pub. Also had to try their beer, you know, as long as we were there… Yum and yummer!

Dec 30, 2019

We only got to spend a little bit of time in Abita Springs before we had to check in and set up, but what we saw – we loved!

Incredible food at this place… Blackened shrimp over fried green tomatoes, gumbo, shrimp and crawfish ettouffee over fried catfish and carrot soufflé. Going to enjoy the food of the region for the next 10 days!

The brewery was closed but stopped at Rosie’s to try a few of the local beers

Dec 29, 2019

Qui ca dit? Spent the day flea marketing in Pass Christian MS. Of course I found stuff to buy!! Looking forward to a week in Albita Springs / St. Tammany Parrish LA. The icing on the cake: seeing Louie and Barb in NOLA on Friday!!! 😍

There’s always a creepy bin of Barbie bodies at the flea market…..

Joan looking pensive but probably focused on a squirrel 🐿

I’m becoming quite skilled at cooking in an electric skillet!! 👍

Dec 28, 2019

Back on line with a LOT less coin!! Steve said killing the phone was accidentally on purpose because I wanted the new iPhone! Dec 27th we hitched a ride from the Amanda and Jason (who run the RV office and are absolute sweethearts) to Dauphin Island. Eh – I wouldn’t rush back there. Not a lot to do but we biked… Got further then the first time!!Friends picked us up and we went for a great seafood lunch and a little tour around Pascagoula. Boondocked at a gator ranch 😁

This was the ONLY picture that uploaded from Dauphin Island before the death. I’m bummed. I had some good pics 🤷‍♀️

👍 We only stopped because Steve’s gears took a crap.

Disaster strikes!

Wander with the Wallins may be taking a brief hiatus. I’m sorry to report that yesterday my phone lost it’s life in a tragic accident. I have dropped it somewhere in the vicinity of 500 times in the past 2 years (which is why I buy the uber expensive cases) but this time, skidding to a halt on top of it and grinding it into the gravel face down with my bike caused fatal injuries. Time of death was 3:30 pm. I knew that bike was trouble! We are stopping at an AT&T store this morning to try to recover everything in the world that I had stored on it, so depending on the outcome, I could be back in business later today…… Stay tuned for updates!!