#6 Summer Vacation

     We reached our destination just before noon, pulled into our site, and set up camp. We rented a golf cart to get around the resort, which is necessary because this place is huge. We were sitting inside the RV cooling off under the AC when I got a message from a friend from a Facebook group. He and his family were camping at Jelly Stone Park, which just happened to be like a mile down the road from us! We had to take advantage of the opportunity and meet up. The Bishops are also Bushwhacker teardrop owners and have an awesome YouTube channel you can check out here. After our rendezvous with the Bishops, we headed to nearby Blanco State Park to grab a sticker for the teardrop. We had already visited this park and checked it off the list, but the office was closed at that time, and we wanted to get some better pics for the website. 

     The following day, we had a quick breakfast before grabbing our swimsuits and towels and taking the golf cart down to the water park. The water park here is huge and comes complete with a restaurant, and a full bar so it's not hard to spend an entire day here. Lucy loves playing on the water slides, and the shallow pools are perfect for children.

     Spending the day at the waterpark wore us out, so we had a lazy morning the next day. We made some pancakes outside on an electric griddle we picked up on the way in. I had been talking with my buddy Mike, who along with his wife Missy, offered to meet up with us in nearby Gruene, TX, and show us around some of the sites. We made the drive and joined our friends.  We took a walk to check out the famous Gruene Hall, which is the oldest dance hall in the state! Originally opened in 1878, it has been in operation ever since. The wooden floor creeks as you walk across, and it's not hard to imagine the famous country artists that played here before they made it big. It was so cool to take a few steps back in time and experience this historic site. We then made our way to the historic Gristmill River Restaurant for lunch, which is located in an 1870s cotton gin on the Guadalupe River, beneath the Gruene water tower. I had an amazing Country Club sandwich, with the biggest onion rings I've ever seen. Delicious! Mike and Missy had to get home, so after a round of hugs, they headed to the parking lot while we made our way across the street for a bit more shopping. We hit up an antique shop, a candy store, (which Lucy loved), and then an outdoor outfitter where I scored a new harness for our dog Chewster. Shopping bags full, we made our way back to the trailer, and then to the water park to end the day by the pool. After a few hours, we grabbed a pizza from the snack bar for dinner and retired to the trailer to end the day. Monica was taxed, so she went to bed early. Lucy and I browsed Prime Video and found an animated movie I used to love when I was a kid, The Last Unicorn. Surprisingly, she stayed up and watched the whole movie with me. I love our father-and-daughter time, and it was great to share a piece of my childhood with her. 

     On the last day of the trip, we had breakfast, packed up, and hit the road. We split the drive home with a stop at San Angelo State Park, where we found a quiet spot to park for the night. This is a common place for us to stay when returning from trips in the Texas Hill Country. We grabbed some takeout, and relaxed with dinner and a movie before calling it a night. The next morning, it was back on the road for the final stretch home. Another summer vacation trip to Camp Fimfo is in the books.