Historic Places
El Paisano Hotel
Why we keep stopping at Marfa’s historic Hotel Paisano, from its courtyard and architecture to its connection with the movie Giant.
Texas
Texas has been part of our travels for years, with favorite stops ranging from the Hill Country to far West Texas. We tend to find places here that are worth slowing down for.
Texas
Big Bend Saddlery
Do you like the smell of leather? Have I got the place for you. Anytime we're in the Fort Davis/Alpine area, we make a stop at Big Bend Saddlery. The first time we went there, my oldest brother was the one who showed me the store. What
Texas
Fort Davis National Historic Site — Life on the Texas Frontier
A walk through Fort Davis National Historic Site, where restored buildings, Buffalo Soldier history and the remains of a frontier Army post bring West Texas history to life.
Texas
McDonald Observatory — Fort Davis, Texas
On our first trip to Fort Davis, we were traveling with my brother Fred and his wife, Jeanna, in our old Coachmen Leprechaun, Phyllis. One of the highlights was the drive up into the Davis Mountains to visit McDonald Observatory. The observatory sits high in the mountains, with major facilities
Campgrounds & Overnight Stops
Buckhorn Lake Resort — Kerrville, TX
Buckhorn Lake Resort northwest of Kerrville was our next stop after leaving La Vernia, where we had spent about five months. We stayed at Buckhorn for roughly a week, which gave us a chance to ease back into traveling instead of immediately jumping into long driving days. It is definitely
Campgrounds & Overnight Stops
Gather Campground — Belton, TX
We’ve stayed at Gather Campground in Belton several times now, and it has become one of the places we’re comfortable returning to when our route takes us along I-35 through Central Texas. One of those stays turned out to be considerably more memorable than we expected. We
Rio Grande Valley Ranch RV Resort — Canutillo, TX
We stayed at Rio Grande Valley Ranch RV Resort in Canutillo in February 2024, just northwest of El Paso. It was still a fairly new RV park at the time, and one of the things that made it different was that it really was part of a working ranch. Cattle,
Where We Eat
Gristmill — Gruene, TX
We’ve eaten at the Gristmill in Gruene more than once, and it’s become one of those places we’re always happy to return to. On this visit in February 2025, we were there with Gail and Jeannie. The setting is a big part of what keeps drawing us
Worth the Stop
Black's BBQ — Lockhart, TX
Our first trip to Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart was in February 2025 with Gail and Jeannie. We had been to plenty of barbecue places before, but this one felt different from the minute we walked in — long tables, trays piled high, and meat that looked like it had been
Texas
Gruene Hall — Gruene, TX
We’ve been to Gruene many times, and Gruene Hall is one of the places that keeps drawing us back. Built in 1878, it is Texas’ oldest continually operating dance hall, and remarkably little about the basic character of the building has changed. One of our favorite visits came during
Texas
🏕️McMillan RV Park — Fort Davis, TX
A quiet campground in Fort Davis that became one of our regular bases for exploring far West Texas.