Everything’s Bigger in Texas

Guadalupe Mountains National Park– January 27th, 2021

Everything’s bigger in Texas. The gas stations, grocery stores, driving lanes and chicken sandwiches. It’s all obnoxiously larger than necessary and has certainly confirmed our idea about what Texas would be like.

Only a thirty minute podcast episode away from White’s City, New Mexico, we found ourselves in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas, a mountain range that spans West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico. After contemplating our hiking options within the National Park and buying energy gummies for extra motivation, we selected the highest summit in Texas, Guadalupe Peak, which stands 8,751 feet above sea level. You can camp at the base of several of the trailheads in the National Park, but the space is limited and it’s first come first serve. The sign at the trailhead says the 8.5 mile round trip hike takes between 6-8 hours on average to complete. Accepting it as a challenge rather than a suggested timeframe we made it our mission to blow the average time out of the water. The hike was uniquely scenic due to its wide variety of terrain. Parts of it were fully wooded, we crossed bridges at 8,000+ feet and used our trekking poles to dig into the stone, given the steep incline. After ascending over 3,000 feet to reach the summit, we touched the medal, triangular marker indicating we had reached the highest natural point in the state of Texas. Growing slightly hangry, we climbed down several feet to get a perfect view of El Capitan and fired up the jet boil. Only one  minute later we were stirring our Mountain House biscuits and gravy and looking forward to freeze dried ice cream sandwiches. I called my sister to wish her a happy 31st birthday and continued to soak in what would be our last mountainous view for a while. We met several nice folks along our trek back down, including a man in what appeared to be his 70s who asked us if we thought he could summit the peak before sunset. We assured him it was possible, but made sure he was well equipped to hike back down in the dark. Michael and I slapped hands in celebration as we found ourselves back at the entrance to the trailhead. We stopped our watches at 3:44:21 and left the park stoked that we blew the “average hike time” out of the water by a couple of hours.

Abilene, Texas– January 28th, 2021

Our second impression of Texas was Abilene. We stayed at a Harvest Host called Amber Dragon Meadery, which was an old warehouse building wedged between a mortuary and a gas station. As our back bumper met the loading dock door,  a middle-aged, short, stocky man with a long braided beard walked out to greet us. We found out later that this was his evening job and had been his hobby for the past couple of years. He worked as an engineer during the day and spent evenings away from his family in a window-less warehouse concocting mead wines that can knock you on your ass. Across the narrow dirt alleyway from our camper stood a brown house that appeared to be untouched and falling apart. Eight small dachshunds were barking their little heads off from the top of an old car parked in the yard. Mike spoke to the elderly man who lived there. He wanted to make sure the wandering dachshund nearby wasn’t one of his dogs. He didn’t speak English well, but eventually confirmed it was not his dog. We chose to stay in Abilene on a whim, as it’s a great stopover in between the Guadalupe Mountains and Waco, but were surprised by the oddities of the small town we’d call home for the next 24 hours.

We entered the meadery from the front door, which was also window-less. The walls were covered in shields with unique artwork covering each one. Lining the tables along the walls were five gallon jugs filled with different colored liquids and labeled with loose leaf paper and a sharpie. The owner had his head down when we approached him because he was working, “Grab a beer out of the fridge,” he said. We opened the fridge and both selected anything with a Texas label, in an attempt to embrace the culture as quickly as possible. The mead wine was strong. We were given tiny glasses, that each held 1oz of your liquid of choice. The owner said the 2oz glasses got him into trouble with some of the other guests. He had to have given us fifteen samples or more. Berkley was there too, chewing on the biggest bone he’d ever seen in his life and carrying it around in his mouth with pride, while his tail wagged like crazy. We felt buzzed faster than usual, but grew more comfortable as our host started to open up and tell us about his family and how he got into making mead wines. He convinced us to order Chinese Takeout from a place called Sunrise Chinese Restaurant, which was supposedly the best in town. The Lo mein exceeded our expectations and paired well with the blueberry mead wine we’d have a full glass of before heading to bed. 

In the morning we watched the elderly man across the street emerge from the abandoned car in his yard. What kind of shape was his house in for him to choose his car versus his house? The owner of the meadery confirmed he provided the man with food and supplies weekly, so that made us feel better about the situation as we began to pack up. I was hungover no doubt and Mike was tired, having gotten up several times in the night. A homeless man was wandering around our camper with a boombox, blasting rap music around 3am. Mike peaked out the door and clutched his gun as I watched nervously from the bed. We did end up going back to sleep, but I’m sure Mike slept with one eye open for the rest of the night. We didn’t see much more of Abilene, but would later meet a girl who was from there and who was very proud of where she grew up. I found out later from Google that Abilene’s crime rate is 87% higher than the rest of the state of Texas, so we felt lucky that nothing more serious went down. 

Waco, Texas– January 29th, 2021

Waco was a treat from the start. We arrived with anticipation of seeing all that had become Magnolia Silos District, having seen it referenced in Fixer Upper and Joanna Gaines’ magazines over the years. After settling in at Riverview RV Park, Mike explored the area via mountain bike, while Berk and I went running and were chased by a small dog. The area of the park we were staying in was mainly occupied by full timers, which made us feel slightly out of place, but nonetheless we enjoyed the close proximity to the river. The women’s bathroom smelled musty and was covered in other people’s hair. It made me grateful for our clean showers back home. Only ten minutes from our campground was Baylor University, which seemed to occupy the majority of Waco. We admired the beautiful brick buildings and massive campus as we made our way to Waco Ale Company for dinner and a couple beers. Everyone inside looked so southern and spoke with deep Texas accents. We went to sleep early, excited to visit the silos the next day. 

Magnolia Silos District– January 30th, 2021

The wait to eat breakfast at Magnolia Table was an hour and a half long, but the homemade strawberry butter smothered on our buttermilk biscuits made it totally worth it. Texas pecan coffee, eggs benedicts and Jo’s biscuits were a few of our favorites. After we finished, I came out of the bathroom to find Michael talking with two college-aged girls about their car troubles. Allison and Carlie ran over a ladder getting off the highway and needed help changing their flat tire. Next thing we knew, we were at a place called “Poor Man’s Tire Shop”, getting the spare fixed for them because her spare had a bad valve stem. They were so sweet and repaid us with a bottle of wine from a local winery. We took a selfie and exchanged information before heading to the Silos for the rest of the day.

The whole property is stunning and was extra neat to experience after reading “The Magnolia Story.” The Silos District includes a variety of clothing shops, a wiffleball field, coffee shops, a garden store, home goods store, food truck park and two bakeries. I think I told Mike thirty times that day that it was the best day ever. Ever since our trip began I found myself thinking that, sometimes I didn’t think the next day could level up to the previous one and then somehow it did. We got the last cupcake from the airstream bakery, which just happened to be red velvet and the most unforgettable cupcake I’ve ever consumed. We were so full from the cupcake and breakfast that we didn’t eat again until dinner. Berkeley needed some exercise, so we took him to Waco Lake to retrieve his duck toy and meet some other dogs. Baylor students wearing oversized sorority t-shirts were everywhere, having picnics, doing sunset yoga and playing games. It made us miss college, but the joy we felt watching Berk bolt out of the water, more excited than the previous time made us feel content in the moment.

Austin, Texas– January 31st, 2021

Our UFO podcast with Joe Rogan interviewing Bob Lazar took us the entire two hours from Waco to Austin. We arrived to 70 degree heat that made for a perfect sunset yoga session in our new “yard”, while Michael went and got the truck washed. We rode our bikes to check out where we’d be staying for the next few days. Lone Star resort was ranked highly online and met our expectations as we experienced it in person. The only kicker is how expensive the parks are in big cities like Austin. It cost more than $60.00 per night which was more than double what we typically paid to camp. We found we could justify the overspending though because we’d been given access to a big city, one that we may never get the chance to experience again. 

To kick off the month of February we spent the day in an area of Austin known as “South Congress.” The vibe was really cool- it had a bunch of neat shops and places to eat. Mike bought an awesome Yeti vest at the Yeti flagship store which was one of the buildings that marked the beginning of what was considered South Congress. We ate a delicious lunch at Torchy’s Tacos and enjoyed dessert at Amy’s SOCO ice creams. We thought it was hot with temperatures in the upper sixties, but all of the Texans were wearing jackets and didn’t seem too pleased about the change in weather from the previous day.

The following day we rode 10 miles around the famous “Lady Bird Lake.” The loop takes you around the whole city, so we were able to see and access every side of it. I looked for Rachel Hollis the whole time, knowing she lives in Austin now and posted a selfie running at the lake the day prior. As recommended by Joe Rogan, we had dinner at Terry Blacks BBQ. The brisket literally melted in my mouth and completely lived up to the hype Joe Rogan created about the joint. It was hands down the best BBQ we’d ever had. We walked it off in Butler Park to witness the sunset and then walked several miles back to the Yeti store to purchase something Michael wished he’d gotten the last time we were there.

San Antonio, Texas– February 3rd, 2021

It was only one hour from Lone Star RV Resort in Austin to Mission City RV Park, where we would be staying in San Antonio. We had only been there for about thirty minutes when our new neighbors pulled in alongside us. They were driving what looked like a brand new pick-up truck pulling a new airstream behind it. We exchanged smiles as we sat at our picnic table eating lunch and they stabilized their camper. Before we knew it, we were talking about everything under the sun, including their old lives in California and hobbies we had in common, including running and mountain biking. 4pm rolled around and Kristen (My new airstream friend) invited me for a run after asking to take a peek inside her camper. It was impeccably clean and everything looked brand new. She explained to me that they had saved up enough money over the years and were in the process of selling their home in San Diego to start a new life that included more travel, less work and a private, country home in Southern Utah, in a small town called Kanab. Kristin’s husband Carl explained how they had made it their mission to never have to work again and so that’s what they were pursuing. It made me contemplate our lives and the societal pressures we all face, including earning a college degree, working a 9-5 job etc. We rode our bikes at McAllister Park until sunset, hit some “jumps”, ate dinner then watched Queen’s Gambit before bedtime. 

My alarm woke me up at 7:00am because Kristen and I planned to run together. We ran 6 miles at an 8:17 pace, which was ambitious for me given I hadn’t run more than 4 miles since my marathon injury. The humidity in Texas is no joke and neither was Kristin’s pace. I felt like I was running with an old friend who was wiser and could offer me life advice. We ran well together and would lace up our sneakers several more times together before all four of us departed ways in another part of Texas the following week. 

The Alamo and Riverwalk were on our must-see list when visiting San Antonio, so we took photos, explored the famous sites and embraced the humidity as much as possible. We ate Sushi Zushi by the river, which was expensive and not as good as Kampai, but filling. We took a nap, cleaned the Dutchmen then made a tiktok for my alma mater, who had requested a video and story about our life on the road. I was happy to do so and figured I should do it when I was putting makeup on anyways (For maybe the first time in months). 

That evening we visited the Pearl and met up with my friend Shivani from High School Cross Country and her husband Aaron for dinner. Southerleigh was expensive but it was delicious and created an intimate, outdoorsy vibe that was perfect for catching up with and getting to know old friends better. We jointly ordered snapper throats as an appetizer, consumed delicious craft beers and fancy looking fish that made us cringe at the check. We laughed so hard reminiscing about sleepovers in high school, then visited the Sternewirth, a classy cocktail bar inside Hotel Emma, an old, supposedly haunted hotel. The cocktail bar was lined with leather couches and old silos you could enjoy a private conversation in. Unfortunately for us it was only Thursday, so Aaron and Shivani had to get home so they would have the energy to wake up for work the next morning. We promised to get together the next day.

I woke up slightly hungover, but it didn’t stop us from renting e-bikes and riding almost 19 miles. We rode to all of the missions to take photos and educate ourselves on the history of them. My e-bike had no speed limit, unlike Mike’s so I found myself waiting for him a lot. We bought Kit-Kat bars at Mission San Juan then rushed home to get ready for wine night at Shivani’s. 4 bottles of red wine, homemade margaritas, roasted veggies and a PowerPoint on dental surgery was the perfect recipe for a 27 year old slumber party. We had so many laughs and cuddles with Berk and Avicci, their black lab who was about half the size of Berkley. 

San Antonio, Texas- February 6th, 2021

We finally got someone to take a look at our truck. It had been making a weird noise for the past few states and Mike couldn’t quite pinpoint the issue despite his extensive car knowledge, so we went with plan B. The dealer told us they needed a part for it and it wouldn’t be in stock until Monday. We watched two episodes of Queen’s Gambit to cure our hangovers and then decided to extend our stay in San Antonio because we didn’t really have a choice. We loaded Berk into our temporary Chevy Trax and went to dinner at the Rustic, which was probably the coolest country bar we’d ever been to. They had live music, homemade queso and happy hour beverages. To top it off the sun was shining and Berk was making all sorts of new friends. When in Texas, look for “The Rustic”, because they have locations in almost all of the big cities and are definitely worth visiting, whether you love country music or not.

The next day was super bowl Sunday and laundry day. I caught up on writing and was shocked by the thought that we only had one month left of traveling. It felt surreal that we’d been gone for four months already, but I didn’t want to think about what the next few months of change would bring after we’d returned back to New York. Kristin and I went for a speedy five-mile jaunt, crushing an 8:18 pace, again with me trying to keep up with her. Meanwhile, Mike was riding alone and later I’d find out that he crashed his bike and banged his knee up. That night we bandaged his knee, made homemade burritos and set up to watch the super bowl on my tiny laptop. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers crushed the Kansas City Chiefs, which was a great gift to my father in law on his birthday. 

San Antonio, Texas– February 8th, 2021

After four additional days in San Antonio, we were told our truck would probably be ready around 5pm. We passed the time by riding 10 miles on the Greenway River Trail, near our park. I caught up on writing, read my book and soaked up some sun by the pool. Michael eventually came back with the truck and chick-fil-a, which we enjoyed for the first time together. I honestly think the lemonade impressed me more than the chicken, but that’s just my opinion. We hit the road around 6pm, then stopped at Buc-ee’s to buy beaver nuggets and some other random items before arriving in Houston late. Buc-ee’s is the largest gas station in the USA and sells everything you could ever think of. It’s the most Texas thing you’ll ever see. We arrived at Eric & Jay’s RV Park around 10pm to find that they had locked the gate. I got out of the truck and yelled out to a man walking nearby to give us the code to get in. The code worked and we found our way to our fancy concrete pad that overlooked a large pond. Eric and Jay’s was a brand new resort that had a fitness center, fully stocked pond and welcome bags but they obviously had some logistical issues they needed to sort out.

Houston, Texas– February 9th, 2021

It was rainy when we woke up, so we spent the morning hanging in the camper, cuddling with Berk and drinking coffee. We met our friend Janet for brunch at a place called Snooze, an AM eatery that was only several hundred feet away from the doorstep of her townhouse. The three of us shared a flight of pancakes and talked for almost two hours. Every time we get together with Janet in NY there’s always endless conversation and lots of laughter. After breakfast Janet gave us a tour of her brightly painted townhome that was tucked onto the corner of the street she lived on. She had an outdoor garden and the inside was decorated extravagantly, it felt like we were almost in a museum. She showed us her cowgirl boots she wears out line dancing on Tuesday nights and we asked her questions about her most recently published book. She’s a literature teacher at a local university in Houston, so we had lots to discuss on the topic of writing. 

We parked in the museum district and spent the rest of the afternoon visiting the museum of natural science. Mike and I were both blown away by the mere size of the museum and all it had to offer. The Cycle of Life and Bodies Exhibit was our favorite by far- it was so mesmerizingly shocking. We saw actual dead bodies that ranged from babies at every stage all the way through life and after death. Apparently the exhibit has been quite controversial, but educational nonetheless. It certainly altered the way I think about the human body and it’s hard to explain its impact in writing. If you ever get the chance to visit the exhibit, please do so. I believe it’s been in many of the big cities in the US and continues to move around. Afterwards I tried fishing in our campgrounds “stocked” pond, but caught nothing. We hung out with our new friends Kristin and Carl again and told them about everything they needed to see in the museum district. We actually booked our reservation in Houston at the same campground as Kristin and Carl just so we could hang out more, which made it much more fun. 

The next morning we started off the day with $3.00 mimosas and buttermilk biscuits that were smothered in maple butter. The restaurant was called Leeland House and was located in East Houston, close to the graffiti park where we admired the art done by the city’s local graffiti artists. It was a sketchy area, but the art was so well done and fun to take pictures of. Since the rain continued on, we headed back to the museum district to check out the butterfly exhibit and literally ran into Kristin and Carl on the way into the building. The butterfly exhibit was over the top cool. It felt like a jungle oasis and every butterfly decided to land on Mike for some reason. He said it’s because he’s sweet. We met Carl and Kristin at St. Arnold’s Brewery for drinks and pizza to satisfy our hunger after all the Houston exploring. We sat around the fire and stayed up later than normal, knowing it’d be the last night together with our friends, as we planned to leave for New Orleans in the morning. That night there was a thunderstorm that shook the hell out of our camper. We didn’t sleep much and realized just how thin the walls of our tiny house were, it felt like the storm was on top of us.