Today we left Port Lavaca at 8:00 AM. Thus began Day 1 of Part II of our Journey! There really is not a lot to write about today as we were ever vigilant of Hurricane Isaac and the havoc he might cause us in our travel path. Our goal was to reach Texarkana, Arkansas, which we did. What should have been an 8 hour drive, turned into a 9 hour drive due to weather and a couple of stops for gas and potty breaks. We actually did not run into any bad weather until Lufkin. Texas. Even then, the weather was not horrific, just a steady rain and a little wind. Nothing torrential or blow-us-off- the- road wind gusts. When we arrived at our RV park for the night, (more on that later), it was raining moderately, and we had to wait in the truck for the rain to become less intense to set up the RV for the night. Now, all is quiet and the rain and clouds are gone and it appears the bad weather is headed to Little Rock, AR.. Tomorrow the weather should be good for travel and we are glad that Isaac is no longer a threat to our travel plans. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost so much in the aftermath of this storm............may God provide them with comfort and peace to get them through this difficult time.
The state of Texas is BIG - that goes without saying, and the terrain is ever changing as we travel the highways and by-ways of this great state. Today we traveled through the area of Texas referred to as the Piney Woods. This area gets its' name from the many forests that encompass this area. We passed through Big Thicket National Preserve, Davy Crockett National Forest, Sam Houston National Forest and the Angelina National Forest. These forests are known for their thick, abundant pine trees. (The density of them reminded us of the density of the trees in the Redwood Forest in California, on the the first leg of our journey in the spring.) While passing through this area, we also passed by the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation.
Nacogdoches, a rather quaint town that we passed through, and the home of Stephen F. Austin State University, was founded in 1779. The city made history in February 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster distributed debris over much of the area. Today the area is known world-wide for having the largest azalea gardens in the state.
Literature promoting the area states that Nacogdoches is the oldest town in Texas. Evidence of settlement on the same site, dates back 10,000 years. It is near or on the site of Nevantin, the primary village of the Nacogdoche tribe of Caddo Indians. Thomas Jefferson Rusk, was one of the most prominent early Nacogdoches Anglo settlers. A veteran of the Texas Revolution, hero of San Jacinto, he signed the Texas Declaration of Independence and was secretary of war during the Republic of Texas.
The RV Park we are staying at this evening is interesting. It is an older park that is part of a Senior Living Facility here in Texarkana, AR. It has 30 RV sites and offers all the emenities of the more modern parks except that we couldn't get the cable TV to work, so we had to set up our satellite dish. We hope we can sleep tonight, as the park is located east of town and close to the railroad tracks! I should say I hope I can sleep tonight, Jim sleeps through anything!........It might be a Kindle kind of night! (Grin)
Tomorrow we hope to meet with some friends of ours in Little Rock, AR. for a late breakfast or early lunch, depending on what time we leave the RV Park. Our plan is to make it to Lawrenceburg, TN tomorrow and spend a couple of nights there before moving on to Chattanooga, TN. and then to Lexington, N.C. to visit our Son and his family!
Thank you all for your continued prayers for safe travels, and your support!
Til next time................
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