Day 7: Breathing Room, Bub and Brisket

After almost a week of moving, exploring, hiking, driving, sightseeing, and generally trying to squeeze every drop out of every destination, Day 7 arrived and we did:

Absolutely nothing.

Well, almost nothing. Susan caught up all of our laundry, and we hit the grocery store for provisions and Big Red Soda after dinner, but mostly nothing.

The camper never moved. No GPS. No fuel stops. No campground hookups to manage. No weather radar. No National Park maps. No “what time do we need to leave?”

Just a day off.

And honestly, it may have been one of the best days of the trip so far.

The Texas weather was a giant hair dryer. Very Hot. Very Windy. Bright blue skies. The kind of day where the trees sway constantly, and every surface feels warm to the touch before noon.

Susan claimed her spot in the pool and spent much of the morning floating, relaxing, and soaking up a little Texas sunshine. The pool area at Shady Creek is one of those unexpected campground treasures. Nothing fancy. Nothing over-the-top. Just cool water on a hot day with nowhere important to be. Too cool for me. I got up to my thighs and was missing the 105-degree water of my soaking tub from yesterday. I chose a different path.

Another vacation luxury: a guilt-free nap.

Not a quick doze.

Not a power nap.

A full-fledged, middle-of-the-day, “wake up and wonder what year it is” nap.

Highly recommend it.

One of the real reasons for stopping here for two nights was the opportunity to spend some time with our son. Which was a too short, but fantastic time to hug, catch up, eat, and hug again.

That meal was the culinary highlight of the day and came courtesy of Tender Smokehouse. Texas takes barbecue seriously.

There are entire regions of the country that argue endlessly about barbecue. Carolina. Memphis. Kansas City. And Texas.

I’m not getting involved in that debate.

But if Texas barbecue is wrong, I don’t particularly need to be right.

Tomorrow the wheels start turning again. New roads. New scenery. New adventures are waiting in the Texas Panhandle. A place I have never experienced.

But today?

Today was about rest.

And after more than 1,400 miles on the road, it was exactly what we needed.

By the Numbers