Seventh Day: Lubbock to Riesel

On the Seventh Day… he drove… because he is not done yet. Left Lubbock a bit before 8am this morning and continued traveling east. Made it to the Brazos Trail RV Park in Riesel TX. This park is the priciest place I’ve stayed so far this trip. $38.25, after the Escapee discount. The place looks new and is very clean. Each site has a tree, but they are all too small to offer any shade. The temperature is in the mid-70’s so no A/C is needed to stay comfortable. The host put me about as far away from the other campers as possible. Now I’m wondering if someone knew I was coming here and warned her. 😉

Stayed on rural highways for most of the trip, except while traversing large cities like Abilene and Waco. I usually drive a bit under the speed limit while towing, so typically set the cruise control, watch the road, listen to music, and think about things. NOTE: The drivers behind me, however, have to figure out if they like driving at my speed or if they need to pass. So as to not be a total jerk, I will pull over if there are no vehicles in front of me, several behind, and can do so safely.

Back to the thinking mentioned above. For this drive, my brain was occupied with…

• Smells: Every place has their own smells, but what stood out to me while driving is that a long stretch of Highway 380 smells like a refinery. There was no refinery that I could see, but the landscape was dotted with hundreds of pumpjacks (the kind that look the drinking birds toys). And, the smell was not just a passing thing… it lasted for many miles. In my youth I used to spend a lot of time at the Richmond Rod & Gun Club, which is located near the Chevron Refinery. I am very familiar with the smell of petroleum products being refined. Strong and stinky. Of course, Texas also has stockyards, which have their own unique aroma. Drove by a few of those too. Glad my van has a recirculation option for the cabin ventilation.
• Trailer repairs: Since buying my Casita, I have spent over a month living in it. In that time, most things have worked just fine. This time however I noticed that the shower fan does not stay on all the time. I have to fiddle with it to get it working. It sucks when it does not suck. The shower also has a water tight compartment that is not water tight. Can’t have moisture in there, with no place to go, except stay there and act as a growth medium for the next blob! Called the Casita factory and spoke with Austin, the gentleman that prepped the trailer when I picked it up last year. He scheduled an appointment for next Thursday to check things. It’s still under warrantee. Looks like I will be in Texas all of next week.

No sightseeing this drive, but I did see something that spurred me to activate my camera…

Until next post.