B.C. Ranch R.V. Park, Alpine, Texas

Here is a view of the desert near the end of our trip to Alpine.

Up ahead on the left is the B.C. Ranch R.V. Park.  The land surrounding the park and across the road is actually a working cattle ranch.

That's our camper at the front of the park on the end lot.  Great location!  

This is looking from the back of our camper to the back of the park.  The Talon Toy Hauler to the left belongs to our neighbors from Miller Creek R.V. Park in Johnson City, Texas.  We met up with Ann and Bob in Alpine.  They lived in this area for around 20 years, before becoming full time RVers.  The trees most likely aren't native to the area, as they have deep water reservoirs around them and have to be watered weekly to keep them thriving. 

This is the scenery at the back of the park.  There is a small community nestled amongst the mountains.  It's pretty seeing the silhouette of the mountains at night and the lights twinkling out there.

We've enjoyed seeing deer in the r.v. park, but at times we've had to take extra caution when tying the dogs outside.  The deer are used to people and quite bold!

This is the park office.  We had planned to stay a month and move on to Arizona.  With the cost of replacing our camper tires, we have opted to stay longer.  Rates are comparable to the Lost Alaskan R.V. Park, but with the advantage of not having to pay for electricity.  There is free Internet that is reasonably decent.  The only stipulation with staying at B.C. Ranch R.V. Park is that residents must stay below the posted 5 mile per hour speed limit when driving through the park.  The park is a nice mix of working folks and travelers.  It's located a pleasant 3 miles outside of town.  We'd highly recommend it for your stay in Alpine! 

Kerrville to Alpine

We left Kerrville November 3rd heading for Alpine, Texas.  Look at the map above.  Find San Antonio and travel west along Highway 10.  Clicking on the map will enlarge it.  You'll come to Kerrville, our home September through October.  Keep going west on Highway 10.  Watch how the communities become very sparse, as you get further into the Chihuahuan Desert and what is known as the last frontier.  About 20 miles before Sonora a tire blew out on the camper!  That was a scary few moments, as the trailer fishtailed back and forth!  With our new western way of thinking, we checked the roadside grasses for a rattlesnake before Roy squatted down to work on replacing the tire!  We stopped in Sonora to purchase a spare tire and paid a $50 mark-up!  It was tempting not to get one, but we are so glad we did!  When you get to Fort Stockton, you are 75 miles away from our destination of Alpine, a small community with a population of 5,000.  On highway 10 at the Fort Stockton exit there is a truck stop and campground.  It was getting dusk so we pulled into the truck stop lot for the night.  The community of Fort Stockton can't be seen from the highway, but we have heard that it is large enough to have a Wal-Mart.  It's the last Wal-Mart before leaving civilization!  Prior to leaving Kerrville, we contemplated whether it's possible to survive a month without a Wal-Mart and so stocked up on a few supplies.  One of our worries was prescription refills.  The pharmacy tech at the Kerrville Wal-Mart was very understanding when we said we were going to Alpine and asked how to handle refills.  Like most of our travel worries, the solution was simple.  All you do is take your prescription bottle to a local pharmacy and have the doctor's prescription transferred.  Upon returning to an area with a Wal-Mart, take the prescription bottle there for a prescription transfer.  Good to know!  As we traveled further west on Highway 10 from the Fort Stockton exit, we watched the desert flora diminish from scrub trees to sandy soil, minimal plant cover, and an increasing number of cacti.  Just beyond Fort Stockton on the map, drop south, and you are within 35 miles of Alpine.  At about that distance that morning another tire blew out on the camper!  With two tires blown, the remaining two were definitely questionable!  They didn't appear bad or we could have replaced them before the trip!  Now we had the final 35 miles to go through desolate country without a spare!  With driving slow, holding our breath, and saying a few prayers; we rolled into the very cute community of Alpine and our new home at B.C. Ranch R.V. Park November 4th! 



Bandera, Texas

Today we visited Bandera for Market Days and to watch the Saturday Cowboys on Main Street Shootout.  Bandera is only 25 miles from Kerrville, and is labeled Cowboy Capital of the World!  With a title like that how can anyone resist a visit to Bandera when in the area!  It turns out that Bandera is a small community with a population of a little over 1,200.  There is a very short business strip with a few gift shops and several places offering food and music.  It gave me the impression of being a great place to go with friends in the evening for food, music, and dancing!

This is a small park on Main Street.  The painted mural on the outside of the building has to make it one of the prettiest restrooms anywhere!  The cowgirl by the doorway is part of the painting!  Makes me wish I'd gone inside to see if the inside of the building is as pretty as the outside!

I saw this sign in a gift shop.  Makes you wonder doesn't it?