Happy Trails, Part 125: Great RV neighbors

COPPER BREAKS STATE PARK, Texas — I had intended for this blog post to be a high-minded tribute to the Texas Parks & Wildlife departmentā€™s state park system.

Specifically, I intended to write about how easy it is to back into TP&W park sites. I would pull our 28-foot fifth wheel up to the site, straighten the truck/RV assembly out and back it all in. Slick, man! No sweat!

For some reason I donā€™t yet know, it didnā€™t work out that way.

I want instead to devote most of this post to the neighborliness of RVers. Iā€™ve experienced their friendliness and willingness to offer a hand. This time an angel named Jim stepped up and said, ā€œHey, do yā€™all need help backing in?ā€

We answered simultaneously, ā€œYes!ā€

We offered him the keys to the truck. He took ā€˜em and back the rig into our spot.

We learned that Jim and wife, Brenda, have been traveling for two years full time in their RV. Theyā€™re originally from Hereford, Texas, just about 30 miles southwest of Amarillo. Theyā€™ve been just about everywhere in this country, Jim said.

He also told us he began backing up semi trucks when he was 13 years of age. His father hauled cattle in these big rigs, Jim said, so he got indoctrinated early. ā€œYep, thatā€™s Hereford, all right,ā€ I said with a weary chuckle.

I do not intend to speak ill of TP&W and its system of state parks. Indeed, the agency does make its back-in RV sites quite accessible ā€“ even more for brain-dead RVers such as yours truly. My wife and I are huge fans of the Texas parks system and we visit them whenever we can when we’re traveling in-state. Copper Breaks is a lovely site just south of Quanah in Hardeman County.

Maybe Iā€™ll do better the next time I have to back our RV into a site. Not this time. Iā€™ll chalk it up to, oh, a long day on the road. Yeah, thatā€™s the ticket. I was tired. That works as an excuse.

Now that weā€™re here, we intend to relax for a few days. We can do that now that weā€™re retired.