Today we arrived in Texarkana, Texas after a day of highway travel on I-40 and I-30. We had decided to put in a couple of longer days on the road so that we could stay put for a couple days at our next stop. We didn’t know exactly where that stop would be, but as we pulled into Texarkana we found a Lowe’s and a Gander Mountain and decided to stop and grab some needed items. Lowe’s provided a 2 gallon bucket for our gray water catch basin, and Gander Mountain had a Coleman 2-burner stove that fits almost perfectly in our Aluminess swing arm bumper box.

Marcy found an Army Corps of Engineers campground just south of Texarkana and we headed there for a rest from the road.

The beauty of the Army Corps campgrounds is that they are almost always located on the water. We found a site near the playground and settled in. The kids were happy and we were too. Amazingly this was our first night of preparing food in the van. Before that we had been finishing up leftovers, eating with friends, or ordering pizza in the hotel room. Tonight it was time to get serious. Marcy took the lead and prepared an amazing pasta dish. It was so good Derek had to cover his eyes when we made him pause for a picture.

We’re still not in our grove yet, but we are gaining ground every day. The work-life balance is the toughest part as we try to keep connected to the real world while at the same time getting away from it. Of course the kids add their own fun challenges, but overall life is amazing.

While watching the kids at the playground and chatting with some of the local parents/grandparents I found myself falling in love with Texas. Good people with a good view on life and a reasonable sense about firearms. Yup, everybody carries one.