2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 150

Day 150, Tuesday, March 17, 2026 - Tickfaw State Park, Springfield, LA, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 5,924.8 Miles for the Trip.

36°F overnight, 41°F for my morning walk, 51 °F at noon, & and the high for the day was56°F.

Almost like home with almost freezing night time temperatures. Actually, I looked up Oswego and it is 21°F and snowing with wind chill in the teens.

During my walk I discovered a older Class A parked in the road. I don't know if something broke or what, but there are wheel chocks set & the steps are out. Some cones set up from both directions. There is still a way out of the park since the water is down below the road at the other end of the electric loop. In fact Site 27, which was completely flooded is still wet around the pavement, but at least the asphalt is dry. I walked around the non electric tent sites and many of them have pads and tables still in the water. 

On a later walk the Bounder was in a site next to where it was parked in the road. Maybe the owner didn't want to back in in the dark. Many of the sites (including mine) have a fairly steep drop off if you leave the asphalt. I also took a photo of the 2016 flood high water mark at the bathrooms.

A Tent Site

The Class A in the Road

The High Water Mark

Site 27

After breakfast I did some reading on line, but at only 52°F at 12:30 and a light wind, it was cool enough that I stayed inside to read. If it makes it to 60°F and the wind goes away, I might try sitting on the deck since it is one of the few of the trip.

Well, it didn't warm up all that much but the wind died down so I sat outside wearing my photo vest and read. 

Dinner was a Boston Market Chicken Pot Pie cooked in the toaster oven.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 149

Day 149, Monday, March 16, 2026 - Tickfaw State Park, Springfield, LA - 239.8 Miles, 5,924.8 Miles for the Trip.

47°F overnight, 52 °F at noon on the road, 63°F for my afternoon walk & and the high for the day was 64°F.

Another thunderstorm along with a tornado watch just after dark. A narrow band that was perpendicular to us so it went through quickly. No hail, but short bursts of heavy rain.

It cooled off overnight, down to 47°F as I packed up the trailer at 9:00AM. 

With a short hop at the beginning and a longer one at the end, most of the drive was on I 10. It has been a long time since I drove I 10 through Louisiana, and I have to say it has improved. Still sections with construction & narrow barriers, but the buckboard bouncing is mostly gone. Gas was running around $3.49 on most of the trip, but when my tank reached one half I found a Loves in Port Allen, LA that was only $2.89 with the member discount of $.10 per gallon. A very busy station. 

I reached Tickfaw State Park at 2:15, and was assigned site 8. I walked around the electric loop and some of the sites were underwater. The pavement at my original site (29) was dry, but looked like an island. Some were worse:

Site 8

Enjoying ther Flood

Site 27

Site 29

Site 8 has a deck, pole with hook, picnic table, charcoal grill & fire pit. I raised the driver's side of the trailer 3/4" and the tongue 1/4". A full hook up site although the sewer connection was so far behind the trailer that it is useless. The site is on asphalt at $23.90 per night with taxes. The 30 amp receptacle was badly burned so I used me 50 to 30 amp adapter to connect the power cord. I stayed hooked up even though I am here for 3 days since I don't need anything in the way of supplies.

The bathrooms & laundry are on pilings about 10' above the ground. Along the building bottom (at the top of the pilings) is a sign noting the high water mark of the 2016 flood.

After a walk around the loop I sat inside the trailer. It is a bit cool at 65°F on my deck and would be fine in the sun without the wind, but it is still windy so sitting out is out. Tomorrow morning doesn't look good; 33°F the predicted morning temperature. It won't get into the 70's until after I leave on Thursday.

Dinner was a Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 148

Day 148, Sunday, March 15, 2026 - Village Creek State Park, Lumberton, TX, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 5,685 Miles for the Trip.

65°F overnight, 66°F for my morning walk, 73°F at noon, and the high for the day was 76°F.

While the train noise was pretty much limited to their horns, they did run throughout the night. I heard the horns at 4:00AM & 5:00AM both nights. Far enough away that they didn't bother me, but noticeable.

After my walk & breakfast I sat outside and read. For the first time in a long while the humidity was over 60%. I got a call from Tickfaw State Park (my next stop) asking if I minded them changing my site due to flooding of roads & sites. Of course I said go ahead. Can't wait to see what the place looks like. Here the park was about 3/4 full for the weekend with a few leaving today. 

Around 2:00 I headed to HEB. Different from all the other HEB's I've been to. They have always been bigger than Walmart with a mix of groceries & stuff. This one is a grocery store only. I picked up a few things, but was not able to get a grill adapter hose to go to my 5 pound tank. My old hose started to leak. I still have my double hose, but I prefer a single one unless I want to use both the grill & the stove.

Back at the trailer it was more reading. I finished The Talisman by Stephen King & Peter Straub. Not bad; I put a hold at the NYPL for the second part. I started The Wandering Hill by Larry McMurtry.

Dinner was a griller chicken cheeseburger & a salad.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 147

Day 147, Saturday, March 14, 2026 - Village Creek State Park, Lumberton, TX, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 5,685 Miles for the Trip.

55°F overnight, 61°F for my morning walk, 70°F at noon, and the high for the day was 76°F.

I checked the internet speed for AT&T & Verizon. AT&T shows 61.93Mbps down & 3.64Mbps up while Verizon is at 53.62Mbps down & .39Mbps up. As usual, when I have AT&T available I use it.

After breakfast I headed to the Fast Laundromat. $3.75 to wash in a 3X front loader & $.25 per 6 minutes to dry. Not too busy, a couple of folding tables & carts, and a well worn bathroom. 

Back at the trailer I read some more, then headed for a shower. 2 stalls, 1 disabled. Both have the 3" solid ball type shower head that produces a large, fine spray. The showerhead aims at the drying area and soaks most of the floor. A bench in the drying area & 1 hook. No shower curtain and no soap dish. Plenty of adjustable hot, soft water. Overall, a C.

Back at the trailer it was more sitting outside reading until dinner. Had a visitor:

Dinner was a pork chop & creamed spinach. The pork chops were from Walmart, and I should have known better - the toughest ones I've had in a long time.

After putting the clothes away I sat outside and read. 

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 146

Day 146, Friday, March 13, 2026 - Village Creek State Park, Lumberton, TX, - 241.3 Miles, 5,685 Miles for the Trip.

44°F overnight, 68°F at noon on the road, and the high for the day was 74°F.

Well, I survived driving through Houston. I've seen photos of "the largest number of lanes in the US" at Katy, just before Houston, and while I drove through it I only counted 7 on my side of I 10. Fairly heavy traffic at noon, but only one actual stop in lane. Lots of slow downs.

I arrived at the park around 2:30, signed in and found site 20. A back in, water & electric site on asphalt with a tent pad, grill/fire ring with benches, general purpose hook, and a picnic table. $20.00 per night including a $4.00 per night individual person charge. I'm here for 3 nights. The park is within horn distance of a railroad with lots of crossings, so lots of tooting. Otherwise, other than the typical kid noise, the park is quiet. Bathrooms are a short walk away.

Site 20

By the way, it was interesting making the reservation for this park. There is also a Village Creek State Park in Wynne, Arkansas. I've stayed there a bunch of times and when I looked it up to make the reservation for the one here in Texas my browser sent me there. I didn't pay attention, and made the reservation there. The problem is it is 700 miles from Palmetto State Park where I was last night to Village Creek State Park in Arkansas, far more than I'm willing to drive in a day. Eventually, I figured out what I did & fixed it well before the trip.

After setting up I headed to Walmart which is a little over 6 miles from the campground. Still lots of traffic, but I did manage to buy everything I needed plus lots of stuff I probably didn't really need. There is an advantage of traveling in a small trailer with a relatively small refrigerator - you do have to limit yourself. In any case I was back at the trailer at 4:30 and tossed a Better Goods Mushroom & Truffle pizza in the oven. I really like this pizza. The first one I had was a Safeway brand made in Italy but Walmart has copied it well, The only problem is the truffle part is mostly oil which makes it a bit too greasy for me. My solution is to blot the thing with a paper towel before cooking. 

Dinner was half of the pizza (although I cooked the whole thing). It made it back from Walmart still half frozen so I cooked it for a little less time than normal.

Until Next Time -