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TexasJeff · 11-10-2022, 09:21 AM

Thanks to you who have suggested this beautiful area of lower-east Texas.

We pulled into the park on a cool late-October Friday afternoon, a week prior to Halloween. The lake-front camp site #200 was over-sized and could have accommodated the biggest Class A unit. Our diminutive 25' Class C Forester, by itself as we had decided to leave the Jeep at home, was practically swallowed up. And that's a good thing! It gave us plenty of elbow room and nary a feel of being crowded, the park was only partially occupied and very quiet.

The slight negatives noted were that there was a burn-ban going on, so I didn't get the opportunity to build a campfire. Also, the biggest of the mature trees were all located near the lake front, so we put our camp mat, chairs, tables and such about 30 yards from the coach and spent time under the straightest and most beautiful of trees.

The purpose of our 3-day stay was pretty straight forward: find a tree and sit under it. Also, take the inflatable kayak out for a relaxing afternoon on the water. We did both!

The park was beautifully maintained. The roads were freshly paved. The camp site was level. A firepit was present (though I couldn't use it, I admired it). A Shepards' hook and a concrete picnic table were provided. The park provided 15A, 30A & 50A electricity and water. A central dump station was available for use. Several nearby public restrooms and showers are provided.

One final interesting observation: about 5 minutes' walk from the camp site is a boat ramp and floating pier. Next to this is a completely automated kayak rental station. I've never seen one before. You put in your credit card, punch in which kayak you want to rent, and the system automatically unlock the cable lock on that particular boat (single or double) as well as unlocks a corresponding locker that contains the oars and life vests. The instructions clearly set out the terms of the rental, 1 or 2 hours, 4 hours, or for the day. It also clearly points out that failure to return the boat after the day results in a $500 charge to your credit card and you become the proud owner of a gently used kayak.

The best features of the lake are the plentiful cypress trees growing in the water and the explorable inlets that sport wildlife and vegetation including flowering water lilies and alligators, but we didn't see any of the latter. The winds picked up on day #2 so it was a workout paddling back to camp. Otherwise, I'm going to mark this lake as a future destination.

TexasJeff · 11-10-2022, 09:28 AM

Just a quick afterthought...

For those of you who are fans of old Coleman lanterns, that's one of my part-time hobbies restoring these old lamps. The one you see here is a model 242C manufactured in 1947.

High Road Travelers · 11-10-2022, 10:12 PM

That's my kayak you're in there, rather one just like mine. I just keep it in the Jeep for when the occasion arises to use it. Glad to see someone else who enjoys it.
That's a good looking 1947 lantern. That's not a 2021 cell phone next to it, is it?
Glad you all enjoyed a good quiet time. I did some fishing there many years ago.
Thanks,

TexasJeff · 11-11-2022, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wog099

That's my kayak you're in there, rather one just like mine. I just keep it in the Jeep for when the occasion arises to use it. Glad to see someone else who enjoys it.
That's a good looking 1947 lantern. That's not a 2021 cell phone next to it, is it?
Glad you all enjoyed a good quiet time. I did some fishing there many years ago.
Thanks,

Wade, sometimes I feel I should have been born in 1860 instead of 1960. But yep, that's both a 2021 iPhone and a 2022 Diet Coke! This lantern is the prettier, older one compared to its 1951 sister pictured here (sorry, the website won't allow me to post it oriented correctly. I've tried to rotate the photo several times.. go figure). I spent a couple hours hot bathing and scrubbing every component down to the smallest screw.

Spent way too much time heading toward the west coast (we're based just SW of Austin) and not enough time heading east. This was just a quick run for us, but I think there's going to be many more soon.

SergioP · 11-11-2022, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasJeff

Just a quick afterthought...

For those of you who are fans of old Coleman lanterns, that's one of my part-time hobbies restoring these old lamps. The one you see here is a model 242C manufactured in 1947.

We have a 220J in the plastic carrying case that I don’t think has ever been used.

TexasJeff · 11-12-2022, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SergioP

We have a 220J in the plastic carrying case that I don’t think has ever been used.

Not ever been used? That's just wrong on too many levels.

I've been looking for any of them manufactured prior to 1945. Just for fun, here's my prize lantern that will probably live for the rest of my life on my fireplace mantle. Built in the 1920s.