We have begun our Cross-Country Airstream Adventure for 2024. Finally, we will be visiting many of the National Parks all across the country. My handy husband, Bill, made some great modifications to our 25′ Flying Cloud that will provide more storage and comfort. The table that comes from Airstream is wider, which makes relaxing at night uncomfortable. This table is perfect for the two of us, and it can be raised to table height on the rare occasions we eat inside. The seat we took out under the TV was useless and we needed more storage. Bill found everything on Amazon, of course, and the whole project was very inexpensive.
Harvest Hosts
If you have an RV, then you’ve probably heard of Harvest Hosts. Harvest Hosts is a unique RV camping membership where self-contained RVers are invited to visit and stay overnight at wineries, farms, breweries, museums, and other unique attractions. You can only stay for one night typically, but it’s a perfect way to break up a longer drive between stays. This summer, we will spend a night at a brewery, a winery, and a cheese company, in between our longer stays at full hookup RV Parks.
Our very first stop was at Homestead Park in Williston, Florida. Homestead Park is a completely unique take on a community gathering place, featuring a 9,000-square-foot open-air marketplace, 7 tiny house retail shops, 2 tiny house restaurants, a wine shop, a provisions store, a large outdoor beer & wine bar, axe throwing, and 2 sand volleyball courts. It was quiet the night we were there, but it was perfect for a one night stopover.
Navarre, Florida
Our next stop was Navarre, Florida, for a few days of R & R. I cannot recommend The Hideaway Retreat, the overpriced RV Park where we spent 4 nights. However, we found some great Pickleball at Jet Drive Park in Fort Walton, and spent an afternoon on the beautiful white sand at Navarre Beach. Destin was beautiful, but very crowded and much more commercial.
Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas was our next stop, and we spent four days exploring the city. I lived in Houston from 1983 to 1986 when I worked for Compaq Computer; remember them? Many musicians came to Houston from Austin, where I first discovered Kirk Whalum, one of my favorite Jazz Saxophone players. Since then, he has become well-known worldwide.
One night, we went to the Parker Jazz Club for New Orleans night, and the next, we went to The Elephant Room for the Jeremy George Quintet, a local group that I thoroughly enjoyed.
One of the highlights was the LBJ Library. It was quite a tour of memory lane for me, and a reminder of how much Lyndon Johnson accomplished. There was also a special exhibit on Music in America that was fascinating. We lost track of time and could have spent several more hours, but the museum closed at 5 pm.
On our last day, we logged over 15,000 steps on the Lady Bird Trail, 10 miles of trail that are well-maintained year round, with amenities and stopping points along the way.
San Antonio
We added a day in San Antonio to visit The Alamo and the Riverwalk. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend spending some time on the Riverwalk. The river winds through downtown, lined with restaurants, cafes, and hotels. It is beautifully landscaped and the trees provide lots of shade. We logged another 15,000 steps and also enjoyed a narrated boat tour.
Next stop, Carlsbad, New Mexico!