Rain, Rain, Go Away – February 10, 2019
Saturday night at Hot Springs, Arkansas – it started raining and didn’t stop. On Sunday, we began driving and, like the rain, we did not stop. We were headed towards Abilene, Texas; since it was a Sunday and there was very little traffic, we drove all the way through Dallas-Arlington-Fort Worth (it seemed like one big city). We stopped for the night at another KOA, not as attractive as the one at Hot Springs, but it did have full hook-ups and, in the cold and rain, we really appreciated it.
Abilene State Park, Texas – February 11 – 12, 2019
We arrived in the rain but it stopped (finally) in mid-afternoon and, after settling in at our campsite, took a walk through the park. Out of season, it is very quiet; maybe half a dozen other campers in the whole park. In our area of the campground there is only one other RV, a lovely Texas couple that makes us look young; we hope we keep going as long as they do. The air was fresh and the walk was invigorating.
Abilene State Park is beautiful; 529 acres of woods, open areas, and a stream running through it. As with many of the parks we visit, much of the early development of the park was done by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a public work relief program that operated in the U.S. from 1933 to 1942 for unemployed, unmarried men. The CCC put a lot of people to work in those years, and this is the result. Some of the structures are still standing; note the beauty of the water tower (not in use now) in the photo.
Day 2: A walk in the morning and another in the afternoon, totally surrounded by nature. The day was beautiful, about 14 degrees C, with lots of sun. We saw a couple of deer and took pictures of a cardinal. Lots of river water and standing water after the recent rains. And all along we kept saying, this is why we are here. We like driving and seeing the scenery, exploring new places, living the small RV life and – most of all — finding the peace and quiet in nature. And, once more, we realize how much we like the state parks of America.
