Texas Fall, etc

I know, I have disappeared from the face of the Earth for a while, but I’m back!!!

Mid September I received a letter for an in-person interview regarding finalizing my US Citizenship, and had to come back to Dallas for a few weeks. First I stopped at Bridgeport Thousand Trail to get myself together starting with the hair, I needed to eliminate the gray.

Interview went well and the swearing in ceremony was shared with 999 other new Citizens on October 31st in Plano, TX. It was pretty quick, consisting of national anthem, the pledge of allegiance and a few words from the judge who swore us in, about 3 hours total. So after 27 years in the US I’m officially an American.

I had two weeks between my interview and swearing in ceremony, so I was hanging out at Loyd Park in Grand Prairie, which was very beautiful and clean, located right on Joe Pool Lake. I especially enjoy campgrounds that offer hikes within the park. Pictures below.

The only thing I didn’t like was the daily $10 fee, per vehicle, in addition to $28/night paid for camping. It doesn’t make sense to me. Why would they charge that? That is probably the ONLY reason why I would not stay there again.

I survived a tornado while camping there. The scariest experience so far while RV-ing.

During my couple weeks there I went across Joe Pool Lake to Cedar Hill State Park. That’s a very nice park as well, great hiking and DORBA bike trails – 3, 8 and 12 miles. Same park where I busted my knee about 3yrs ago. It’s a perfect place to watch the sunset as it’s located on the east side of the lake.

Later I had to head to Houston to get my Polish passport renewed and that meant I was stuck hanging around Texas, not doing much of anything, for the months of October, November and December. Most of that time I stayed just north of Houston.

Huntsville State Park was one of the places with fun hiking. Aesop and I walked almost 9 miles around Lake Raven… one of my favorite parks in Texas!

Aesop was worn out, I have to remember he is now a senior. He barely made the last mile. Either because he was very tired or because it stated raining, he hates rain.

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Here are some edited pictures of Huntsville State Park, just for fun.

Lake Livingston State Park was also fun for hiking and biking. That lake is so large, I wasn’t able to see the opposite shore. It was pretty empty during the week, but full on the weekends.

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My favorite were lazy days just hanging out all day by the fire enjoying the warmth of the sun and my coffee. Best time.

There were a few days I spent at a hunting camp in Sam Houston National Forest – Free Camping. Score! It was quiet with scent of fire burning all day. I made some fresh guac and enjoyed a peaceful evening.

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Lastly, Lake Conroe Thousand Trails which felt like a retirement community. Check out my Camping Styles post if you haven’t read it. Its a beautiful park, just doesn’t offer privacy, hiking trails but did have a peaceful lake where Aesop and I would hang out daily.

Since I wasn’t doing much, I got to cook some really good meals… Check out more pictures on Good Eats page. I baked cakes, cheesecakes, made more crapes, pastas, stir-fry and soups. I even cooked a Thanksgiving dinner for myself in my tiny kitchen. See Cooking on the Road post for more details and pictures. (coming soon)

I had to get creative with a way to do my laundry since it was on site, but not close enough to carry my hampers to…

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In December I rented a car and drove to Chicago for 1 month to celebrate Christmas with my family.

I had to put Birdie in storage and drive 19 hours to Chicago.

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I rented a hotel half way in Sikeston, MO, but there was some issue when I arrived there and the room I got was roach infested. So I just got back on the road.

On my way I listened to Wild. It was such an amazing book, I think I cried 75% of the way. Highly recommend it! ★★★★★ (affiliate link below)

I arrived in Chicago by 9 am, way earlier than anticipated, but slept the entire day to make up for lost sleep.

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Next Post: Cooking on the Road  (coming soon)