Someone a lot smarter than me once said "The only constant is change." Well, if 2020 was about anything, it was about change. And my plans have, well, changed.
I had a grand scheme for 2020: First Florida, then the southeast and mid Atlantic, including Washington D.C. (bucket list item: the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum), then a quick trip back home to Texas via Alabama (NASA Huntsville, another bucket list item) and off to the Midwest and upper Midwest come summer. I was headed all the way to Canada.
You guys all know that didn't happen. Everything started shutting down, and here I was stuck hundreds of miles from home. Heck, I even got that dreaded knock on the door from a Park Ranger telling me I had three days to scoot before the park closed.
So, I scrapped everything, hightailed it back to Texas and hunkered down for two months while the panic rampaged through the country. And if you've been following my travels, you know I was able to salvage at least some of the year this summer, with the trips through Natchez Trace, the Trail of Tears, The Bourbon Trail and visits to Civil War battle sites. I didn't let the "C" thing stop me altogether, and I'm kinda proud of that.
But something else changed. I had all along planned to find a little plot of land somewhere in Texas to create a winter home. Someplace where I could drop anchor after a few months of adventure and exploration. This was a long term ideal: I figured I had at least 5 years to find the right spot and set it up.
After going through the panic in the spring, I decided it might be a good idea to accelerate those plans. I had been halfheartedly scouting for property all over the state, and had actually looked at a few places last year. I even put a bid on one in Central Texas back in the spring that fell through.
But when everything got crazy I ramped up the process. I expanded search areas, upped my price threshold and really dug in to the find something, burning up the ol' interwebs and bugging real estate agents.
Originally I had wanted to stay more south, just because it's a bit warmer, but that area is getting pricey and restricted as folks start moving out of the more populated areas around Houston, San Antonio and Austin. So when I expanded the search, I added East Texas. I had stayed in the area a few times last year, and really liked the country, particularly Wood County near Quitman.
And then providence struck. One of my web property searches sent me a message about a piece of property near of all places Quitman. It almost sounded to good to be true: 2 1/2 acres, cleared, with water and electric, fenced and with a paved entrance road. And inside my budget! And to top it off? No restrictions.
Ya'll that aren't RVer's may not understand just how important that last part is. There ain't a lot of places that will let you move in and live on land in an RV. It's understandable for folks that want to protect the investment they have in their homes. Heck, I've been there. But it makes what I'm trying to do really hard.
And the whole no restrictions thing is a double edged sword. I can't tell you how many sites I looked at that were surrounded by what could best be described as junk yards, or were just plain sketchy.
This place wasn't that. Like I said, it's mostly cleared, except for a bunch of old growth pine. And the neighbors are cows. Yep, this place is carved out of ranch land. The nearest house is across the highway and about 200 feet back. After that, there's not another house for at least a mile.
After just one look at the place I was hooked. I put an offer in, and after some haggling over a couple of days, the seller accepted. And closing only took three weeks! I'm telling you folks, this was meant to be.
And that's where the final (for now) change comes in. I've decided to take 2021 off and turn this place from home site to home. I've already gotten in touch with a builder and started the process for the major components, such as a parking pad, utility hook ups and finishing the drive. I have some commitments that will keep me on the road through March, but should be able to park at Home come April 1st, then start the putting on the personal touches.
Now, what about TwT? Tex of course will be here throughout the process, and I'm going to use this space to document the build. This missive is part one, but expect regular (or at least semi regular) updates as we go.
And my travels? Curtailed only somewhat. You guys know I'll get the itch to hit the road soon enough. I've got a couple of scratches in mind, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, here's a sample of what's to come.
Later, folks.
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