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Old 05-22-2017, 03:39 PM   #1
jsmith948
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Texas Gulf Coast

Leaving the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (October) and plan on heading to San Antonio and the Corpus Christi area and then maybe back west along the Rio Grande - Laredo, Eagle Pass etc. DW and I are thinking that October might be a busy time in South Texas and we should probably look into reserving campsites?. Any hints or suggestions would be welcome.
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Old 05-22-2017, 05:25 PM   #2
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Unfortunately I can't shed light on RV locations in S TX because we always stay in condos down there. But I have some thoughts if you aren't familiar with some of those places;

If you're in Albq for the balloon festival be sure and spend some time in Santa Fe if you haven't been there. Make the square, read the history and take in some of the sights. Read up on the cuisine and try it; there are a couple of places around the square that are exceptional.

Don't know your route thru TX but it may or may not be interesting. There are lots of top notch (world class) BBQ joints when you get to central/S central TX if you like BBQ.

In Corpus ( a little crowded for us) you may want to visit the USS Lexington - it's pretty interesting. Also while there, you might want to take in Port Aransas/Aransas Pass. We go there instead of Corpus.

If you plan on following the Rio Grande back toward home set aside some time for Big Bend National (and state) park. Check out Terlingua. I believe there are RV spaces in the park and some at Lajitas - which is a pretty neat place as well. There used to be RV spots in Study Butte. If you stay, take in the Kiva restaurant (sort of like a kiva - if it's still there). Foods not bad and the locals are interesting.

Sounds like you have a great trip planned; I hope you have a lot of fun.
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Old 05-22-2017, 05:45 PM   #3
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I can give you some Laredo info..worked there 2 years and lived in a hotel. Basically I wouldn't do it. There is a park with a campground..Lake Casablanca State Park. It's in town and near the airport. Most of the RV parks in that area are there for oilfield workers. Unless you are desperate or into adventure I wouldn't do it.
Just stay on Hwy 83 and on to McAllen, Harlingen, etc. There are things that happen there that you don't want to be a part of.
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Old 05-22-2017, 05:51 PM   #4
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There are a lot of parks from Brownsville to Harlingen that will have space for short stays. A lot of Winter Texans in the area so a lot of parks.
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Old 05-22-2017, 05:58 PM   #5
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Leaving the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (October) and plan on heading to San Antonio and the Corpus Christi area and then maybe back west along the Rio Grande - Laredo, Eagle Pass etc. DW and I are thinking that October might be a busy time in South Texas and we should probably look into reserving campsites?. Any hints or suggestions would be welcome.
Sourdough gave you some good advice. I would book campgrounds prior to departure. The state parks are very nice. Garner SP is beautiful and huge. Just up the road is Lost Maples SP. That will be a good time to see the foliage change. San Antonio/Austin are fantastic places to visit. Food is excellent if you like BBQ and Mexican. Del Rio, Laredo and EP are border towns. Use caution. Not really what I'd call a touristy town but there are some sights. The Lexington is very cool in Corpus and they've got a great aquarium there as well. My girls enjoy Port A but I'm not really a beach person so my opinion will be biased. Now west Texas is my type of place. Lots of open roads and fresh air. Big Bend NP. Alpine is a touristy town with an artsy culture. Check out The Marfa Lights (in Marfa). Fort Davis is cool and the McDonalds observatory is great. The Prude Ranch has RV spots available. I'd check that place out.
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Old 05-23-2017, 04:14 AM   #6
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I'd book something in Rockport either on Goose Island at the State Park or in town at either Drifter's Resort or Wilderness Oaks Resort... we've stayed at all three over the years and enjoyed all three... Goose Island is our favorite and we visit it 4 or 5 times a year... including spending Christmas and New Years there most years..

Out on the island I'd do either Mustang Island State Park (the park is on the beach) or in Port A, I'd do the Island RV Resort... not as fancy as some but comfortable and quiet.....

Both Rockport and the Island are close enough to Corpus (30-40 minutes) to make day trips easily... the Lex and the Aquarium are very worth while and worth the drive...

Stay away from the border towns.... not good places to visit especially for folks not used to that way of life... this ain't Cancun...
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Old 05-23-2017, 04:37 AM   #7
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On your drive down from Albuquerque I would stop in T or C and soak in the hot springs for a bit. We love Riverbend Hot Sprigs, beautiful view overlooking the Rio Grande at night. Maybe leave the Balloon Festival early on you r last night and make the 2 hour drive south to spend the night in T or C instead.

If you haven't been there yet, don't miss the opportunity to take a 1 hr detour east on hwy 70 to White Sands National Monument.

Beyond that, I can't help you any since I've never camped in the Corpus area.
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Old 05-23-2017, 05:01 AM   #8
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Thanks for all of the relies - good info. Goose Island SP or Mustang Island SP sound good to us. DW hasn't been anywhere in Texas except for the panhandle. Back in the mid to late 80s, I hauled pears from Hood River, OR to Hidalgo for shipment on into the Mexican interior. Used to load Mexican limes for L.A. - usually on a Friday for Monday night delivery in the L.A. Market. Had plenty of time so I would run out to El Paso through Laredo, Eagle Pass. etc.
I remember how beautiful the country was out that way and wanted the DW to be able to see it. Thanks for the heads up regarding the border towns. Maybe we can take a route that will let her see West Texas without the worry of being near the border. Still deciding how to go from Albuquerque to San Antonio. On our last trip through Nevada we stayed off the interstates and really liked that so we're considering the same thing here - maybe U.S. 60 over into Texas and then angle down through Lubbock and Sweetwater - don't know yet. Anyway thanks for all the tips - we will definitely get a CG lined up in the Corpus Christi area.
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Old 05-23-2017, 07:26 PM   #9
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If you want to stay off the interstate, you can always head west through Carlsbad and check out the caverns. Definitely worth the stop, and maybe catch the bats flying out in the evening.
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Old 05-24-2017, 05:10 AM   #10
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We have done goose island SP, the wooded sites on the interior can be a little bit of challenge because of the trees for the main area. I barely got my 30ft TT with slides on both sides to fit. The spots right on the water are beautiful and it is more of gravel than sand so you are not getting sand in and all over everything. If you like to fish there is a super long fishing pier.



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Old 05-24-2017, 12:25 PM   #11
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One of the nicest places we've stayed on the Gulf Coast is "Gulf Waters" at Port Aransas. It's not inexpensive though.
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Old 05-24-2017, 03:39 PM   #12
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We have done goose island SP, the wooded sites on the interior can be a little bit of challenge because of the trees for the main area. I barely got my 30ft TT with slides on both sides to fit. The spots right on the water are beautiful and it is more of gravel than sand so you are not getting sand in and all over everything. If you like to fish there is a super long fishing pier.



In all the years we have stayed at Goose Island we have never stayed in the woods... My in-laws used to stay for a month or more at the park and they did stay in the woods occasionally..

We always stay on the West Bayfront Because of our trailer size and they always stayed on the East Bayfront with their smaller trailer...
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Old 06-01-2017, 02:07 PM   #13
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... If you plan on following the Rio Grande back toward home set aside some time for Big Bend National (and state) park. Check out Terlingua. I believe there are RV spaces in the park and some at Lajitas - which is a pretty neat place as well. There used to be RV spots in Study Butte. If you stay, take in the Kiva restaurant (sort of like a kiva - if it's still there). Foods not bad and the locals are interesting...
+1 on Big Bend NP, Big Bend Ranch SP is not for the faint of heart, the road in is 27 miles of dirt, but the views are incredible.

La Kiva is still there, Glenn Felts, who ran it after his uncle Gil died was murdered a few years ago and it is now owned by an Englishman: John Holroyd and his Wife Josie La Kiva/.

John is a great guy and lets us camp in the old campground whenever we go down, there are no hookups, but the stars at night are unbelievable.

The food is decent and they have a full bar, with lots of locals.

Seminole Canyon SP, near Del Rio , is a Rugged landscape with some of the oldest Native American pictographs, hiking & biking trails, camping & caves.

Some sites have water and electric, with restrooms and showers nearby and there is a dump station on the way out.

We camped there on our trip to Big Bend a couple of years ago.

Texas is a big place, with a lot to see and my favorite.

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Old 07-25-2017, 07:17 AM   #14
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If I were going to the Corpus Christi area, I'd look for something around Rockport. Goose Island was a good suggestion from a previous post. I enjoy the water views in the area - much better than our chocolate milk further up the coast. Nice, peaceful area. And if you like fishing, Rockport is full of opportunities. And Corpus is not that far.

There are several great state parks in the hill country. A previous post suggested Garner SP. It is a great place to stay, but it books months in advance. I'd still check weekly for openings/cancellations. There are also some nice private RV parks around Bandera. Some are simple, some are full-blown resorts. Kerrville has a couple of places, as does Boerne.

Big Bend NP is a must-see if you have the time. There are a couple of places in Study Butte about 3mi from the park entrance. Study Butte RV - last time I was there, it was $15 per night to boondock. Big Bend Resort and RV - hookups, bathrooms (paid showers), gravel (it's a bit dusty), with a convenience store, cafe inside (breakfast buffet), and fuel that's reasonably accessible. And Terlingua is just a few minutes down the road.

If you wanted to stay to the north in Alpine, Lost Alaskan is a nice place with full hookups, pool, etc., and it's close to town if you need supplies, restaurants, fuel. From Alpine, you can easily see Ft. Davis, the McDonald Observatory, try to see the Marfa Lights, and drive the scenic mountain loop out of Ft. Davis.

Hope that helps.
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