Some Q & Some Ball, but not a Cue Ball
June 5: We love the idea of a staycation, but we were never very good at it while living in our home in Limerick, Pennsylvania. It was probably a combination of our desire to travel, our constant draw to the beach combined with our limited vacation time. We had to fit all these things into a short week off here and there. Since Russ worked a “normal” Monday - Friday job and our bakery then being open on Saturday, we always found ourselves a little shortchanged on the weekends. Then comes the craziness of life, full of excuses like I should be doing laundry or sitting on the couch because gosh darn it, I deserve it. And yes, we definitely deserve to relax sometimes and so do you, but why couldn’t that be at the local park we had never taken the time to explore. I wish we would have spent more time checking out those cool local gems. The good news is that when we go back to visit the area, we still have plenty to see and do.
Our life as full-time RVers sometimes feels like we are staycationing! We become part of a new community and get to do and explore all it has to offer. We live nearby, work nearby and get to explore nearby. Since our locale changes frequently, we don’t feel the need to truly getaway. Now, it does help that we can get our regular beach fix while here in coastal Texas.
Shortly after we arrived to Texas, we hit up the local visitor’s bureau in Victoria which is about 30 minutes from Port Lavaca. They were super friendly and had great information and maps of things in the area. We left knowing that Victoria and the local vicinity had a lot to offer, way more than we would have figured out on our own. We had previously thought of it as a place to run errands (grocery shopping, UPS store, bank, etc), but we learned that we would be able to combine those trips with a little exploration as well.
It was at the Explore Victoria visitor center that we first learned about the Great Coastal Texas Barbecue Trail. While overdosing on lobster in Maine, Russ dreamed of Texas brisket. We figured we would find it around every corner once we got here, but once arriving realized it was more about the seafood in this coastal region. While that makes sense, it doesn’t satisfy Russ’ hankerin’ for brisket! So we game for learning more about this BBQ trail. Our first opportunity to hop on the trail brought us to Mumphord’s Place BBQ. We had someone tell us to not be turned off by the exterior of the building. Like they had warned, it didn’t have much curb appeal and nothing was served up fancy, but it seems they made up for that by putting all their effort into the flavor category. To make the experience even better, we were greeted and served by Ricky and Keith Mumphord, the namesakes! One step closer to that free t-shirt that is given when presenting receipts of visiting three of the local BBQ joints that are part of the Coastal Texas BBQ Trail. The funny thing is, we forgot to get our receipt at this, our very first stop. Guess we will have to make a return trip, what a shame!
They say to never go to the grocery store hungry, so now that we had stuffed our bellies full of Texas BBQ, it was safe to head to the grocery store. We buzzed through the aisles filling our cart with items that would soon become part of our “Salad Hour” lunch, our after work dinners or our made by Russ breakfasts. I’m a lucky gal with a guy that makes me breakfast every single day. Our normal routine after stocking up on groceries is to head right back home to put away the goods, but not this time. We had other plans to explore and enjoy Victoria. So our groceries were strategically packed into the cooler and we headed off to Riverside Park where our final destination would be a Victoria Generals game. But with some time to spare before the gates opened, we explored the rather large park, featuring 660 acres of woodland and bordered by the Guadalupe River. In the park you can find two hundred picnic areas (yes, I said 200) with tables and benches. Remember we had just eaten, so picnicking was not what we were looking for, but other activities were plentiful. We found ourselves following signs to the Duck Pond were we spent some time watching the ducks swim about as well as turtles doing just what turtles do. From here we spotted another feature of the park, the Riverside Golf Course. It was on the golf course grounds that we spotted an animal that seems to be found just about anywhere - deer! Does that really count as a wildlife sighting? We were impressed by the park and hope to get back to maybe enjoy the disc golf course, nature & bike trails, and rose garden. The park is also home to The Texas Zoo.
After poking around the Duck Pond, it was time to head to Riverside Stadium - the home of the Victoria Generals. The Victoria Generals are a member of the Texas Collegiate League. We did not even know the league existed, but thought that it provides a really cool opportunity for collegiate players from Texas and Louisiana. Since the league was established, more than 300 players have been drafted by the major leagues, including many who have played in the big leagues. While we do love baseball, the free ticket night is what really drew us to the front gates of the stadium. We also snagged two free t-shirts for being part of the first 300 fans to arrive. Thanks Ashley Homestore for sponsoring this free ticket night. It was pretty steamy hot, but the covered seats made for a much more enjoyable game. We had fun being up close and personal to the field, way closer than we find ourselves at an MLB game. The Generals earned the W, even though we left before they officially earned it.
What fun we had enjoying a place so close to home! I don’t think we will ever tire of getting to experience these type of things in each and every place we temporarily call “home.” In the meantime, we may have laundry piling up or dishes hiding under our sink cover, but by golly life's to short to not explore. But do promise me you won't check our laundry basket or lift our sink cover when you come visit!
