A friend of mine reminded me that there hasn’t been a blog post in quite some time, and she is right! It’s funny how you pull into a spot that you know is going to be “home” for a while, and the blog just kind of slips into the background. Meanwhile, all the folks back home are wondering what happened to Louise and Bob!!

We have been in San Antonio, Texas, for our second winter. After having made two short visits to the city in previous trips, we spent two months here last winter. This year we are staying for just over three months. We obviously like it here! San Antonio is the 7th most populous city in the USA, and that is really the only downfall to San Antonio — it’s popularity. With 1.4 million residents, this city’s metro area has exploded— in the past 35 years, the population has doubled. That being said, it’s amazingly easy to navigate. It’s very obvious that this city makes an effort to keep up with the growth by maintaining and adding to the infrastructure. And they really do offer SO many things to do all over the city, not just downtown.

Between the city itself and Travelers World RV Park, there is no excuse for being bored. We’ve got pot luck and game night, darts night, a weekly bike ride and happy hour every Friday. There’s football game gatherings, a chili cook off, and the guys get together for MEWS (that’s “Men Eating Without Supervision” … it apparently involves sausages on the grill). I’ve learned a couple of new card games and started smacking the ball around the Pickleball court. We went to the Opry in Floresville to see a Patsy Cline performer, and took a few swing dance classes. Don’t forget that we also have Tessa and the Riverwalk at our doorstep, so our walking has increased. Honestly, we need to pace ourselves!

For those wondering about our Covid protection status, we are vaccinated and boosted and have boxes of masks all over the place. This is Texas, and most of the winter residents here are from places far and wide. We do not know other folks’ vaccination status unless they are willing to share. So, people tend to do what they are comfortable with. We mask when we are in stores and crowds, and try to do as much as possible outdoors. When indoors for things like darts, each couple takes a different table so we are some distance from each other. So far, so good!

We do meet the nicest people here, too. And people from some very interesting walks of life! Last year, we became friends with a fellow named Tom who was a drummer for one of the first punk rock bands in Chicago, and in his day-job he was an iron worker. We miss him this year as he took an apartment in Seattle and didn’t come back. We’ve got friends from Alabama, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Ontario, Montana, Wyoming and right here in San Antonio … people who have traveled this great country and share their stories. A few weeks ago, we met a fellow who used to drive stage equipment for Reba McIntyre for 7 years and Robert Cray for 15 years, and many other performers in between. It’s amazing who you meet when you live the RV life!

Our friends Dawn and Doyle are back! They are an awesome couple from Alabama and beyond (they are full-timers also) who we met last year. Our dogs, Tessa and Winky, became friends first, and then we discovered that the four of us really enjoy each other’s company! Dogs bring folks together.

Bob and I became grandparents recently! His son Derrick and wife Christy delivered the ultimate Christmas present on December 19, baby Kai. Bob flew back to Connecticut as soon as we heard they were going to the hospital. I’m currently sitting in San Antonio airport waiting for my flight back to Connecticut to meet my granddaughter. It still feels odd calling myself a grandmother, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. This starts a new chapter in our lives and has us thinking more about settling down somewhere. For now, the ridiculous housing market is going to keep us as full-time RVers … it’s a good thing we have frequent flyer miles so we can visit once in a while!

We’re very happy that some of our favorite people were able to visit us this winter — Bob’s brother Dan and wife Cathy and my daughter Laura were able to visit for a few days. We practically wore ourselves out being tour guides and eating at some great restaurants. We also welcomed my sister, Carolyn and husband Bob to the park. They brought their RV down from Tennessee for two weeks and ended up liking it so much that they stayed for a month and already booked for next winter.

We also booked our stay here next winter. Our current plan is to leave San Antonio on March 1 and head northwest. We’ll do a loop through Arizona, Utah, Nevada, up to Montana, Washington and Oregon, then back down through California and back to San Antonio. You’ll start to see more posts once we hit the road.

To all of our family and friends, Happy New Year and Happy Valentine’s Day! If we’ve learned one thing in the last two years it’s that life can change in an instant. Love the one you’re with, give hugs if you’re able, tell those around you how much they mean to you. We love you all! Stay safe! Get your booster! Wear your masks! You are important to us.