21 Apr 2023 - Arrived at Llano Grande RV Park in Mercedes TX

 

We delayed our departure from Fort Sam Houston FamCamp this morning until shortly after 0900 hrs to let the San Antonio rush hour traffic subside.  Then we headed south to our next stop in Mercedes TX where my sister Karen lives.  If you look at this map, you will see we are nearly as far south in Texas as you can go, and this is the southern-most point we will travel in the year's journey.  

The trip today was fairly uneventful except for a little construction, and we made just two stops on the way down.  The scenery turned very agricultural the further south we traveled and industrial with oil refineries along the way.  

This is stop #7 out of 42 on this year's journey.  We arrived at at Llano Grande RV Resort at 1421 hrs after five hours and 14 minutes of travel and 262 miles.  My sister Karen and her late husband Jim moved here from Illinois when they retired.  It is a very nice gated RV resort where many of the residents have park model trailers and others winter down here from all parts of the United States and Canada with their RV's.  This place is massive with facilities for any interest including 18-hole golf course, woodworking shop, quilting, and on and on.  My sister owns her property and the park model she lives in plus she owns several other properties including the one on which we are parked - 100 amp full hookup!!.  This space is rented all winter but the residents have departed until next fall so here we are! More about the park later.

Our Alliance coach in the foreground with Karen's park model in the background.

A look down the street - a very beautiful park!

A view of our Alliance coach from my sister's house.

The temperature continued to climb as we traveled south and it was up to 93 degrees when we landed here. We got all set up and the humidity was through the roof!  We went inside our coach and were getting caught up with my sister when a storm approached and we spiked a 38mph gust of wind.  luckily we were able to retract our one awning we had out before it got damaged.  My flag pole was not so lucky but I think I can repair the mount. 

 The storms continued to roll in and there were reports of "hen egg-sized hail" (see the picture) and tennis ball sized.  Never heard the  reference to "hen egg-sized" hail before!

So the storm blew through and we headed out to dinner with my sister at the Blue Onion restaurant in Westlaco TX.  It was great to catch up with her.  She lost her husband Jim on 11 Oct 2021 of cancer here in Mercedes.  We will be helping her sort through and sanitize various IT equipment and accessories while we are here.