Sunday, May 17 Through Thursday, May 21, 2020
During the pandemic and the resultant isolation that comes from sheltering at home, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that we RVers would sneak away for a few carefree days in a park.
Fredericksburg is a quaint German town in Texas’ Hill Country. While May daytime temperatures can get into the upper nineties or higher, this week’s temperatures were mild enough to spend nearly all of our time outside under the shade of awnings and old graceful live oaks.
In a normal year, we would have spent the week seeing the sites around Fredericksburg, a favorite area for Texans to explore. My top picks (in no particular order):
- Wildseed Farms
- Luckenbach, Texas
- National Museum of the Pacific War (AKA Nimitz Museum)
- Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
- Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site
- Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
This has not been a normal year. Covid 2020. Masks, social distancing and isolation. The park was following county health guidelines. Touchless check-ins. Bathrooms, showers, pool and park store were closed. All the great nearby attractions were closed (except possibly Enchanted Rock).
This is our second time staying in this KOA. I liked it much better this time around. Our first time was summer 2012 during one of the hotter weeks. Our campsite lacked shade and our motorhome air conditioner couldn’t cool our rig during the 100 plus degree afternoons. No shade from the awning, we were stuck inside our rig when we weren’t driving around looking at the sites. This was the trip where we decided never to have another RV over 25 feet without 50 Amp service and two air conditioners.
WIFI Internet service in the park was fairly good as was AT&T and Verizon mobile Internet service. Cable TV is provided but sadly, even with all those channels, there never seems to be anything interesting to watch.
The park is on US-290, a four lane highway. On weekends the traffic can be a bit loud especially the Harleys roaring up and down FM-1376 bordering one side of the park. Behind the park is pastureland. We took some perverse enjoyment from the pastured donkeys mating. After a jack (male donkey) had had his way with a Jenny (female donkey), he would megaphone loudly proclaim his success by Hee-Hawing over and over again. We were first attracted to the show by the loudness of the Hee-Hawing. The sound source became plain as day when the act was witnessed by accident over by the fence followed by the bellowing. A sight and sound not easily erased from memory.
In the late sixties and early seventies, Hee Haw, a country western variety show aired on TV. Dad religiously watched the show every Saturday before dinner, the same time Hawaii Five O, my favorite, aired. One TV, grownups always won. By today’s standards, the show would be considered blatantly sexist. Now the connection between Hee-Hawing donkeys and Hee Haw’s animated donkey Hee-Hawing is now clear. An unwanted indelibly imprinted connection.
More pastureland bordered the fourth side of the park. Fortunately, this side was less dramatic than the others.
I would stay in this park again. It is a great launching pad for visiting the aforementioned attractions in the area.
Hope to see you on the road ahead!