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View Full Version : Camping in Texas area?


greaves
08-26-2006, 07:44 AM
Hello, I have been watching this board for months. I finally purchased my TM. I pick up my 06 2619 which I will pull with my Honda Pilot on Wed. I am a bit nervous about towing as I have never done it before - any tricks I need to know? My two boys ages 6 and 9 and I will be week-end warriors till school gets out. Does anybody have any suggestions about places in TX or LA. Also, I have seen several guides about camping - Does anybody recommend one. I am new to this camping thing but am looking forward to some great memories. GM

wbmiller3
08-26-2006, 09:43 AM
Welcome, we are also Texas campers and frequent the state parks here. If you plan to visit the ones in East Texas be sure to call and check out how they are faring, many were damaged in last summer's hurricanes.

Texas_camper is right, we have the $60 pass and it is well worth it.

If you'd like to ask about a specific park or area of the state, just ask or send me a PM.

As far as towing goes. my 2 cents - be extra careful when passing or changing lanes, be sure you have good mirrors, always signal for lane changes and most folks will be pretty good about letting you over. Allow plenty of extra room between you and the vehicle in front, and don't try to make the yellow lights. Pick gas pumps and rest stations where you don't have to back up to get out. Don't go over 65 with the TM (tire restriction). Don't get in a hurry.

We love camping in our 2619, I hope you will as well.

TandemKids
08-26-2006, 04:08 PM
Greaves,

I can't resist putting in my two-cents worth. My wife and I enjoy and keep returning to Fredericksburg for camping and frivolity. Specifically, we like Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park because it has full hookups, a swimming pool on site, a golf course on site, and it is only three miles from Fredericksburg where something is going on practically every weekend, and there are a lot of nice shops to visit and good food to eat. We will be there for the long Labor Day week-end. Fredericksburg also serves well as a base of operations for day trips, etc.

Hope you enjoy your TM as much as we enjoy ours.

Michael

edweidig
08-26-2006, 09:47 PM
I would also suggest you join TACO. Any search engine will find it. Also most dealers have the information. It's free, and they have discounted campgrounds all over Texas and some in New Mexico even. I also joined Happy Camper Club which has many half price campgrounds. The half price isn't always available at all campgrounds listed, but I've used it enough to pay for the yearly dues several times over.

I will be at Cedar Hill State Park over Labor Day weekend. It's on Joe Pool lake south of IH20 between Ft. Worth and Dallas.

Welcome to the camping family. It's a great way to raise the kids. You'll see the full results when you become a grandfather.

greaves
08-27-2006, 09:29 AM
Hello everybody

As I stated, I am really new to this camping thing. Thanks so much for the suggestions, I am already re-arranging my work schedule to free up more weekends! As a single mom, any and all suggestions are welcome. My question is - Do camp grounds charge a fee for electric and sewer in addition to the camping fee?

Thanks GM

wbmiller3
08-27-2006, 10:20 AM
In the Texas state (and other public) parks, usually there is one fee for non electric sites and a higher one for electric. Most don't have sewer at the sites, you have to use the dump station. We don't stay in private campgrounds much so I don't know about those.

edweidig
08-27-2006, 10:38 AM
Sorry, make that grandmother.

edweidig
08-27-2006, 10:57 AM
To add to what wbmiller3 said, I usually stay at private campgrounds. I find the shower in my trailer too confining. In fact I have never used it. I like to have a bath facility available. (Also for solid wastes). Some have full hookups, some only water and electric. Either is fine with me, I'll just dump on the way out if they don't have sewer. It's usually a little cheaper that way anyway.

The price is normally inclusive. Some places will charge for extra persons over two. ($2 - $5 extra per person per night). And as I said earlier, depending on how much you get out, and where you want to go, one or more of the half price clubs might serve you well.

I belong to PassportAmerica and Happy Camper. They have both paid for themselves, but I am retired and go a lot. The only bad experience with either was in Arkansas, and the campground had just changed ownership so I'm not sure which owner was responsible for the condition. Not bad really, just that the grounds were not well kept and the bathhouse needed a good cleaning and some paint. I suspect the new owner just hadn't had the time to spruce it up yet.

TACO while only for Texas and New Mexico gives 10 - 15% discounts which is the same as Good Sam, and it is free. You can look up all of them on the internet to see where their campgrounds are located.

TexasThunder
08-27-2006, 10:58 AM
I can't add much to the Texas camping except Palo Dura has lots of wildlife, spiders, roadrunners, deer, wild turkeys etc. That might be important for two little boys. And you don't have to go very far to see them, just step outside your door.
I can recommend two Arkansas places, one is Crater of Diamonds and the other is DeGray Lake. Crater of Diamonds offers diamond hunting/mining for a small fee. Its clean and pretty basic and even though there is no lake there is Lake Greeson six miles away which offers swimming and boating.
DeGray Lake is okay. Its clean and primarily offers fishing, boating, swimmimg, etc. I've been to at least four state parks in Arkansas and they have all been pretty nice so far.

wbmiller3
08-27-2006, 02:47 PM
We made a swing through Arkansas state parks a while back and they had very good facilities. We were especially impressed with all the interpretive talks...they had more talks than the national parks do these days. Of course this was in the Clinton years so maybe they were getting some extra funding?

Nice ones that come to mind are Crater of Diamonds as mentioned above, Petit Jean, Queen Wilhelmina, Mount Nebo, and Devils Den. There is also a federal facility Buffalo National River which even had electric hookups in the campsites.

Personally I would plan to stay in the Ozarks and keep out of the flatlands, at least in the summer. It was much hotter down low.