Its November and time to migrate south for the winter. This year we decided on Texas and Arizona. We headed to Grapevine, Texas. After spending a month traveling to and having work done on our motorhome in Nappanee, Indiana it felt good to head south to warmer weather. The fall colors were spectacular and we enjoyed autumn in the midwest.
St. Louis, Missouri
Our plan was to go to Amarillo and visit family, but our unexpected 3 week extended stay in Nappanee for repairs ate up our travel time. This was our first time driving 6 hours in a day and arriving at a campsite without a reservation, but it worked out well. We stayed at the Casino Queen RV park. They were only open for another 2 days and hardly anyone was there. The train noise was constant, but after a few weeks in Nappanee next to railroad tracks; it put us to sleep. We had a perfect view of Gateway Arch out of our front windshield.
Claremore, Oklahoma
We stayed at the Will Rogers Tulsa KOA. Our view was of the starting gate on a horse track. Jake really enjoyed watching the quarter horses thunder down the track; he wanted to run with them. A quarter horse accelerates at about the same rate as a greyhound reaching 45 mph after 6 strides. This was a quiet (no trains, airports, or highway noise) and relaxing stop on our way to Grapevine, Texas. There were flocks of Canadian Geese around us; felt as if we were joining them on their migation south.
Grapevine, Texas
The distance from Nappanee, Indiana to Grapevine, Texas was about 1000 miles. We split the driving up over 3 days (5-6 hours per day). Our campground, The Vineyards, had 50 amp power, 50 psi water pressure, sewer, slow internet, cable, and good satellite reception. The site was a pull through with nice views of Grapevine Lake. There was a Costco and Super Walmart nearby, and a bunch of winery tasting rooms we thoroughly enjoyed!
Fort Worth Stockyards
The Fort Worth Stockyards celebrates it’s long tradition as a part of the cattle industry. It was an important cattle area from 1890 until the 1950’s. The stockyards was an organized place where cattle, sheep, and hogs could be bought, sold and slaughtered. Around 1900, the Stockyards sold a million cattle per year. The Texas Longhorns are descendants of the first cattle brought by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Their horns can extend over 6 feet from tip to tip. The cattle do well in the open range where conditions can be harsh. Texas Longhorn populations have significantly declined because their meat is considered too lean and there are other breeds that put on tastier weight faster.
Its now a historic district with cattle drives, shops, restaurants, bars, and boot making.
We had lunch at H3 Ranch.
Sandy’s catfish was amazing.
