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Scott and Jackie's Travels โ€“ Thousand Trails Reviews, Campground Reviews, Fulltime RVing, European Travel

Tag: Texas

Reflecting on our 2021 Adventure

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2021 – Medina Lake Thousand Trails – Lakehills, TX

Our 2021 Adventure kept us in Texas for the year โ€“ our first full year in one state since we began the fulltime RV life. A combination of Covid concerns, other health issues, and time serving churches as interim pastor kept us in our home state for the year.

We started the year in Denison, TX serving as interim pastor. North Texas isn’t the greatest place to be in an RV in the winter but serving a great congregation of people made up for the cold and windy days. We finished up and headed south just as the infamous Texas February freeze began. Waiting out freezing rain and slick roads kept us at one place a few extra days, then a break in the weather allowed us to make a run for Lake Conroe Thousand Trails before the real deep freeze and snow came. We were very thankful for our generator when much of Texas lost power. We stayed comfortable, but homebound, waiting for “spring” just a week or so later.

Our winter stay at Green Caye in Dickinson, TX was extended due to some health issues and by the time we were ready to travel it was already early summer. We decided to work our way to the beautiful Texas Hill Country (north and west of San Antonio). The Texas summer heat was no fun, but the lower humidity of that area did help. While we were there I was asked to fill in at a church in Devine, TX. This is a small congregation of good people and it was a pleasure to minister to them.

As summer ended we began to reverse our course staying at the three area Thousand Trails before landing back at Green Caye to end the year and begin the New Year.

One of the great things about being retired fulltime RVers is the absolute flexibility we enjoy. It’s easy to adjust our plans when desired or needed. This has been a year of adjustments.

We had one big repair this year – a black water tank leak (yuck!). While the motorhome was in the shop we stayed in a Thousand Trails cabin for nearly two weeks. Fortunately, we get one week a year in a cabin at no cost and a discount the rest of the time. The repair was, though, expensive. It was also necessary and we are thankful that we haven’t had any more issues.

We’re thinking 2022 is going to be a new chapter in our retirement adventure. Exactly what is still being decided. Stay tuned!

2021 – Lake Conroe Thousand Trails – Willis, TX (Fall review)

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We’ve had another good stay at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX. As I posted a few months ago, we’ve stayed at this campground often and written plenty of reviews, so I’ll just share a few random thoughts about this property in this post.

We think the best thing about Lake Conroe TT is the gorgeous sunsets over the lake. A lot of people head down to the boat launch to enjoy to view. However, if you want the best view walk down to the lake front in “The Reserve” โ€“ that’s the permanent community just to the left at the entrance gate. You get a terrific sunset view there.

When all the new sites were added to the right of the gate we felt that it freed up a lot of nice sites over in the older part of the campground. However, it seems that things have changed as more seasonal sites have been sold and the campground feels as full now as ever. That said, we’ve never had a problem finding a good spot to land. Upon our arrival this time we were told that there were only two or three sites open. However, when we started looking around we found two additional great spots to choose from.

Jackie really likes the big Kroger that is just a few minutes from the campground. It is built like Fred Meyers stores out on the west coast (same company). We think most people will find it worth visiting.

We’ve been frustrated with the way many Thousand Trails handle packages – often charging as much as $5 a UPS/Fedex package. It seems odd that a campground that is actively selling long term sites would treat their residents like that. Anyway, you might want to know that there’s an Amazon Hub Locker just outside the gate at the RV Ranch.

Covid seems to have been the end of the on-site restaurant. However, the alternative is pretty good: food trucks set up on the property during busy times. Hopefully, they will sell enough food to make it worth their while to come out.

The Conroe area, in general is exploding in growth. Every time we come in to Lake Conroe after being out of the area it seems traffic is worse. I doubt it is going to get any better as housing development is going on everywhere. This area is being swallowed up by the city.

Another thing we have noticed is that there are more full time families in the campground. During the summers we don’t think much about how many children we see. However, now that school is in session we’ve been surprised at the large number of children in the campground during weekdays. I’ve seen the school bus making a stop at the gate, but it’s my impression that many of these children are being home schooled. I’m sure Covid has caused a major explosion in the number of children being home schooled. That, of course, fits right into the RV lifestyle. No judgement here, just something we have noticed.

We have always liked Lake Conroe Thousand Trails and rank it as one of the best in the system. I’m thinking that all the upgrades plus its location close to the big city plus the explosion of RVers is going to keep Lake Conroe running at near capacity most all the time. I suggest reserving as early as possible when planning on visiting this campground.

2021 – Old River Road RV Resort – Kerrville, TX

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Our big travel plans for our 2021 Adventure had to be set aside, so we decided to at least head for the Texas Hill Country to get away from the humidity of the Texas Gulf coast. One result of that was our spending a month at Old River Road RV Resort in Kerrville. This is a large, newer park a few miles outside of Kerrville. The primary feature of the park is that the Guadalupe River borders the property. The clear, flowing river is a playground for tubing and fishing. I enjoyed many quiet walks on the bank of the river. Just adjacent to the campground portion of the river is a swimming spot that is popular with the locals. Golf cart rentals are popular here, mostly, I think, because of the steep hill going down to the river. I know that walking up and down it added considerably to my morning workout!

The campground has a large section of permanent RV’s. There are also rental cabins that get considerable use. We were given a spot more or less off to ourselves. We didn’t mind that a bit. There are different levels of campsites. The most expensive are wide and paved, generally with a view of the river down below. The other sites are rock but plenty long enough for any RV. Most are pull-through. The section we were in had a slight slope down toward the River. This wouldn’t be as noticeable with a smaller motorhome or travel trailer. It was more obvious in our longer rig and we ended up with the front tires up in the air about eight inches. I put leveling blocks under the tires and brought out an extra step that was still not quite tall enough. It wasn’t a real big deal, but in the future I think we’d lobby for a spot in an area that didn’t have the slope.

If playing in the River doesn’t sound good, there are two pools, one inside. We liked the inside one because it has a heated spa attached to it. It was a relaxing and refreshing place. The outside pool also has a kid’s water park. There are also a couple of nice playgrounds for the children and two doggie parks for the pets.

The campground has a small store and also a larger Activity center that has game and workout rooms. There are also two laundries.

Since our stay was during the summer it was hot and our two air conditioners ran a lot. There are young trees, but they aren’t big enough to offer any significant shade.

We enjoyed sitting out at night after things had cooled down. The sky was filled with stars โ€“ we could even see the Milky Way many nights. We counted satellites gliding over and saw a few meteors.

Campground WiFi was pretty good, although we felt our Jetpack was a bit faster. With the lack of trees I had no big issues getting satellite.

The Hill Country is a beautiful and interesting area. We visited the Coming King Sculpture Garden, nearby Fredericksburg, Stonehenge II, and did a longer drive into the bigger “hills” (I think they would be called “mountains” in some parts of the country) to the west of the area. We really liked the old fashioned burgers at Classics Burgers. Also, the fried catfish at Lakehouse restaurant was very good. We’ve enjoyed this area for years and this stay was a good one.

2021 – Lake Medina Thousand Trails – Lakehills, TX

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2021 – Medina Lake Thousand Trails – Lakehills, TX

We had an interesting stay at Medina Lake Thousand Trails in Lakehills, TX. This campground has a variety of campsite amenities ranging from 30 amp with no sewer up to full hookup 50 amp sites. The various campsite configurations are scattered around the large campground with no seeming rhyme or reason. Also, many sites are somewhat unlevel. We needed to take the motorhome into the shop (more on that later) so we took advantage of the move to relocate to a more level site.

A previous review is here.

Medina Lake Thousand Trails is known for two things: deer everywhere and a lake that is more often than not lacking in water. We found both to be true on this trip. The deer are practically tame and watch you expectantly, hoping to be fed. People do feed the deer, but the campground and the local game warden frown on doing so because it changes the behavior and the diet of the deer. The lake is more of a small, shallow river as it borders the campground. Closer to the dam there is more water, but the lake is still quite low. Really, it takes a lot of rain over a relatively small area to feed Medina Lake. The area is still beautiful hill country, one of our favorite parts of Texas.

As I said, we took the RV in for service and the report was not a good one. As a result our home had to go into the shop to repair a crack in the black water tank (ugh!). When we upgraded our Thousand Trails membership we were given a few years of one week cabin stays. We moved into a one bedroom cabin, claiming the week and then extending it as work was done on the RV. The cabin wasn’t as comfortable as our motorhome, but we did fine in it.

The campground is undergoing electric upgrades. In fact, there are many new power pedestals already in place. Large sections of the campground have the new service. However, during our stay no new 50 amp service was available. Apparently, they await a final county inspection (or something like that). Until then, all the new 50 amp breakers have locks on them. I don’t think any sewer upgrades are planned so even after the upgraded sites become available you still need to note which sites have sewer and which do not.

Aside from the deer, the lake (when wet), and the pretty hill country the campground has a nice pool, small playground, Activity Center (nothing happening there because of Covid), mini-golf, and laundry. Bandera is nearby with lots of Cowboy themed stores, restaurants, and events. San Antonio is a bit farther, but is a great tourist city.

This review actually covers two stays, a month apart, at Medina Lake. During our second stay we spent some time in San Antonio, revisiting some spots we enjoyed when we lived there several years ago. The campground isn’t especially close to San Antonio, but downtown is just over an hour away.

We enjoyed the OST Restaurant in Bandera and worshiping at the nearby Western Heritage Cowboy Church. Walmart just off of Culebra Road in San Antonio is a distance away. I had no big problem getting a satellite signal but that would be site dependent. My Verizon was pretty good at 2-3 bars.

2021 – Colorado River Thousand Trails, Columbus, TX

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Our two week stay at Colorado River Thousand Trails in Columbus, Texas was a good one in spite of the Texas summer heat and our being a bit under the weather the first part of our stay. Colorado River being fairly close to Lake Conroe Thousand Trails is often thought of as the “quiet one.” The location is rural, there are fewer campsites and amenities. The pace feels slower.

However, this campground is changing. Several sites have been upgraded to include 50 amps and work has just begun to add 100 new pull through sites. As I understand it the new sites will all be oversized in length and, unlike the Lake Conroe pullthroughs the new Colorado sites won’t be “back to back.” We saw the equipment brought in and some of the early dirt work on the new section which will be just beyond the pool on the east side of the main campground road. (January 2022 update: the new sites are open – there’s a $10 a night upcharge for them – the pricing for the rest of the campground is unchanged.)

This campground is also compared to Medina Lake Thousand Trails because of the deer population. The big difference is that deer feeding is allowed at Medina but not allowed here. There are plenty of deer around, but unlike at Medina they don’t approach people.

We watched the deer, rabbits, and a neighborhood armadillo. We also had, apparently, a pocket gopher pushing up mounds of dirt in our front yard. It was kind of funny to walk out onto our rug and find a new huge mound of dirt under it like a mini-volcano had erupted over night.

Aside from the new sites going in the campground is divided up into two sections. The “A section” is comprised of three circles of campsites. The sites on the outside of the circles are more spacious that those on the inside of the circles. Many of these sites are occupied by annuals. “C and D sections” are closer to the river (although I wouldn’t consider the river to be much of an attraction). Again, there are several annual sites, but also a variety of sites, ranging from 30 amp, no sewer sites to recently upgraded 50 amp full hookup sites. I’m not sure the campground map reflects the upgrades so you might be wise to ask about that during check in.

The campground has a cozy, but older activity center, a small pool, a small laundry, and an indoor hot tub. Kids might enjoy the mini golf, although it was rather weedy and just plain hot during our July stay.

Our Verizon was excellent and we had no problem getting a satellite signal. Columbus is nearby with lots of fast food, a couple of grocery stores, and a soft serve ice cream place with tasty chocolate cones. If you want a bigger Walmart, there is a new one just up the road in LaGrange.

Colorado River Thousand Trails is an easy stop just off of I10 and we recommend it for a pleasant, low-key stay.

2021 – Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX

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We’ve just finished another nice stay at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX. One of the really nice features of this stay was the opportunity to be with good friends. Jerry and Carol were our Battleship Texas neighbors for several years. They were neighbors again, parked just behind us. Also Bob and Erma are local to Conroe and we invited them out for burgers and fellowship. It was a very nice night. Then long time friends Steve and Jeanette brought their new-to-them camper up for a few days. We were glad to have some time with them.

Generally speaking mid-July temps in Texas keep people inside but our wet July produced some cooling thunderstorms several afternoons. Once the storm passed, it was nice sitting out.

As you can tell, I’m not giving much of a Lake Conroe review. However, I’ve done a bunch of them. You can find them here.

2021 – Green Caye – Dickinson, TX

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We’ve just finished another stay at Green Caye RV Park in Dickinson, TX. This is a residential RV Park that hosts mostly long term residents. I’ve done several prior reviews of this park so there’s no need for me to write much here. I will mention that the park now has small metal storage sheds on each site. These sheds used to be an add on that people could rent but they are now on each site. The monthly rental fee increased to cover the cost of the sheds. Our stays at Green Caye are generally a few months a year so the extra storage doesn’t do much for us. All in all, we think this is a good place for us to winter close to family and friends. We already have plans to return next winter.

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2021 โ€“ Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX

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You might say that our February 2021 stay at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails was a study in contrasts. We arrived just prior to the record breaking Texas winter storm. We had lows in the single digits plus snow and ice. Then, a week later we had the air conditioning running as temps reached a humid 80 degrees. In addition to the cold weather the campground joined a good part of the state in being without electricity for a day and a half. We were so thankful for our Onan generator that ran flawlessly. That and a full tank of propane kept our furnaces running. We had a heated water hose, but the campground water froze up so that left us relying on on-board water. However, in spite of our running heat in our wet bay our on-board water pump froze up for a day. We were prepared with plenty of water containers filled. Really, any inconvenience we experienced was minor compared to what others experienced.

Then, almost overnight, we were back in Springtime weather. The sun came out, power came back on, the water started working and all was well with the world. We enjoyed sitting outside and taking several walks. The Lake Conroe sunsets are always a treat.

We aren’t always fans of the “new” section (called Area B) of the campground. As I’ve mentioned before the sites along the wall almost all slant down, away from the wall. That means that when you level a motorhome the front tires are left dangling and the entry steps are high in the air. People in 5th wheels end up putting blocks under their landing gear. Also, some of these sites have rather steep entry ramps. In other words, we don’t recommend those sites. Other sites in that section, though, are very good. We ended up in a huge, level pull through. With bad weather coming in we couldn’t have asked for a better spot.

One complaint we have is the lack of respect several have for this nicer section of the campground. I can’t believe how many people drive up onto the grass, leaving deep ruts. Frankly, since I was here when some of the landscaping was going on I can’t believe Thousand Trails allows it. This section of Lake Conroe Thousand Trails has some of the nicest campsites in the entire system. It is a shame to see people showing such a lack of appreciation for it.

Honestly, if you are coming to this property I suggest you not have tunnel vision about staying in Area B. There are many nice sites in other areas. They are closer to the pool, etc. and in the summer some of them offer a bit of shade. Over in “B” you will have a white concrete site that reflects the sun right back onto your camper. Anyway, it is a “to each his own” situation. Generally speaking, we have been happy with the choices of campsites in this campground and it remains one of our favorite Thousand Trails.

We have written several other reviews of this campground – you can find them here.

2021 – High View CoE – Ennis, TX – shortstop

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We got away from Lake Texoma Thousand Trails on Monday afternoon, so the 140 miles down to High View CoE in Ennis, TX was just about the right distance. Knowing the Artic cold front was coming, we only hooked up electricity. As I said in my previous review, the water hookup is behind the back of the sites. My heated hose isn’t nearly long enough to reach that far. Not only that, but the water hookup is just a bare pipe sticking up about 3 feet out of the ground. By morning, the water was frozen up, so hooking up would have been a waste of time. The cold weather brought winter storm conditions, especially south of us so we decided to just stay put a couple of extra days. One of the nice things about living in a RV full time is that you always have the option to “run” from threatening weather or to hunker down and wait out challenging travel conditions. After three nights, though, we were ready to head south again.

We enjoyed the nice lake view out our front window. We also enjoyed seeing a large flock of cardinals – I counted 19 of the pretty red birds in our “back yard.”