All of us at PPL Motorhomes are always looking for new adventures and places to visit and last year RV Nana and her bunch visited an amazing place: The Brazos Bend State Park and Observatory. For those of you who haven’t been to this amazing place you’ll be please to know that this destination isn’t short on things to do and see. You’ll find really great bike trails, beautiful scenery and lots of wildlife. In fact, we had a bag of marshmallows out for S’mores one evening and a raccoon scurried down a nearby tree, grabbed the entire open bag and ran back up to enjoy his snack. Within minutes it looked like it was raining giant marshmallows as he tore into the bag.
On that same trip, we were riding our bikes along the lake and came right up on an alligator (10’ long – no exaggeration). He was peacefully sunning himself. At that point, I was on the lead bike and I motioned for everyone to just keep peddling and move to the left quietly. He acted as if he had never even seen us, but it sure spooked all of us from my 9 year old grandson to myself.
Check out the sights in the video below:
Check out the Texas Parks And Wildlife webpage for more information like what you’ll read below.
Brazos Bend State Park, approximately 28 miles southwest of Houston, covers roughly 5000 acres, with an eastern boundary of 3.2 miles fronting on the Brazos River on the southeast border of Fort Bend County. This was the area of Texas’ first Anglo colonization. It was purchased by the state in 1976-77 and was opened to the public in 1984.
Archeological materials show that prehistoric people visited this area, possibly as early as 300 BC; in early historical times, the Capoque band of the Karankawa Indians roamed between the mouth of the Brazos River and Galveston Bay and may have traveled inland as far as Brazos Bend. In the early 19th century, this area of Texas was the site of Stephen F. Austin’s first colonial land grant from Mexico, and present park land was included in a grant to Abner Harris and a partner named William Barrett in 1827. Most of riverfront was sold shortly after the Texas Revolution, and records show that in 1845, part of the park and 2400 feet of river frontage were in the hands of cotton brokers who lived in Brazoria. At the time, the Brazos River was one of the principal routes of commerce, and it may be that the brokerage firm used the area for one of its riverboat landings. In recent times, the land on which the park is located was used for cattle grazing, pecan harvesting, and as a private hunting preserve.
Texas is filled with amazing parks to visit and Brazos Bend State Park is only one of them. In fact, that is one of the greatest things about Texas, we have all types of terrain from mountains, to hills and valleys to seas, we have it all. So much so, that sometimes it can be difficult to decide where we want to go next and the best part is, these places are virtually in our backyard.
What are your favorite places to visit in Texas? Where should we go for our next family outing? RV Nana and PPL Motorhomes welcomes all suggestions, just drop us a line.
What an exciting time for our PPL family! PPL Motor Homes, my home away from home, is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this week with a huge RV sale, great seminars for the RV enthusiast, door prizes and fun for all. As most of you know, I’ve been with PPL since 1980 and have watched it grow from the an office with only 2 employees (and our only electronic office equipment was a typewriter without a correcting key) to becoming the largest RV consignment center in the USA, with a selection of over 450 consigned RVs at our Houston location and over 90 employees. In addition, we have almost 100 RVs at our recently opened RV Consignment center in New Braunfels, Texas, making it convenient for our South Central Texas customers to stop by.
Many of our team members have been with me well over 15 years and have often teased me that I should have written a book called “Days of PPL” to capture all the fun, interesting and sometimes weird things that I have seen in the last 32 years. It would have probably been a great soap opera. We love our customers and have had a wonderful time with them through the years sharing stories, ideas, travel adventures, helpful hints and more!
This is an exciting time at PPL and I am so glad that I am a part of this great team! We would love it if you would celebrate our 40th anniversary with us by sharing your memory of PPL Motor Homes!
If there is one thing that RVing affords the RVer, it’s freedom. The freedom to do anything and go anywhere you want, any time you want. At PPL Motorhomes, we’ve had the pleasure and joy of talking to hundreds of RVers about the lifestyle daily. The one notion that rings true with every one of them is the very real sense of not being tethered, or tied down.
The fact that we can hook up our fifth-wheel, hit the road and go as many miles as we want is why we RV. One morning I can watch the sunrise in Big Bend, and then watch it set the next night in the Gulf of Mexico. That is a testament to the the freedom that RVing gives us. It’s not so much that we HAVE to go somewhere as much as it is knowing that we CAN go somewhere, and do so without ever leaving the comfort of our own home.
There are some things where it would be appropriate to say: “Now (insert activity here) might not be for everyone…”, however RVing isn’t one of them. It truly is for everyone. From the very young to, those of of us who have seen millions of miles of highway, RVing is more than an adventure, it’s a way of life. Just ask anyone of us at PPL Motorhomes and you’ll hear the same thing: “I LOVE RVing”!
Now if you know anything about RVNana, you know I’m a big proponent of getting outdoors, but sometimes you just want to stay in and catch a little R&R from your R&R. What do you do? Read a book? Play on the computer? Watch TV? If you said the latter, then you might want to consider an upgrade on your consignment RV to the latest RV Digital TV Antenna technology with King Controls’ new JACK Digital HDTV antenna system. This is an amplified, ultra high gain antenna that provides the best digital TV reception available for your RV. A much broader reception angle may bring in more stations in one setting and provide superior reception for both VHF and UHF signals.
Here’s Boyd McMakin with PPL Motorhomes explaining the advantages of having a JACK antenna system on your rig.
If you think that the JACK Digital HDTV Antenna System is something that you’d be interested for your RV, don’t hesitate to give our Texas Consignment RV Dealership a call. We can see if this is the right antenna system for you.
PPL Motorhomes loves kids!!! I know that most of you out there, like myself, have grandchildren. I also know that you probably like to take them camping so they can experience the great outdoors at a relatively young age. You might even be a new parent who can’t wait go go on your weekend jaunts to the National Parks, or your favorite RV Parks. However, just like in your home, you need to “Baby Proof your RV”.
There are lot’s of hazards both inside and outside of your RV. The question is can you identify them and how can you protect your child or grandchild from them? I’m not going to lie this can be a seemingly impossible task, however there are a few things that you can do to protect that little bundle of joy, or tiny terror…which ever one you may have.
Your RV has many of the same temptations and trouble spots found in your house. Be sure to start with the basics. Outlet covers are a dime a dozen and should be used liberally throughout the interior. Latch all cabinets, even those compartments with nothing to hide, if for no other reason than to dissuade kids from hiding their toys, food or the cat. Be on the lookout for sharp edges and corners found on some dinettes, entryway steps, and counter tops. Hey, this might be a good opportunity to use those swimming noodles I wrote about a week ago, they can possibly save your kiddo from a nasty gash.
The bottom line is to approach your RV like you would your home. Kids put things in their mouths, so remove all tiny objects that are in their reach. Kids like to stick things in wall sockets…cover them. It really is just basic common sense. Of course, junior isn’t going to be doing any of this at 2 months old, but as soon as he, or she learns to crawl, you could be in for a big surprise when you find out how much trouble your child can get into.
Watch the video below for a few hints you can use in your RV.
If you have any other ideas on how to baby proof your RV, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below, or come into one of our Texas RV Dealerships and share your ideas with our staff. There is no doubt that other families can benefit from your experience.
If you own a fifth-wheel, then you know how difficult it can be to maneuver your rig around a campsite, or RV park. That’s not even mentioning that there are right and wrong ways to hook up your Fifth-Wheel and load capacity issues that you may not be aware of. The good news is that there is a hitch on the market that PPL Motorhomes carries that will alleviate most of the stresses and potential mishaps of towing a fifth-wheel. Check out the PullRight video below.
Now take a look at the PullRight with PPL Motorhomes’, Boyd McMakin.
The bottom line is that the PullRight Superglide hitch is the best solution for towing with short bed trucks. The automatic sliding action of the hitch eliminates the need to get out and slide the manual hitch back EVERY time you need to make a sharp turn. It only takes 1 time to forget while turning for an accident to occur!
If you have any questions about this PullRight hitch, don’t hesitate to give Boyd a call at PPL Motorhomes.
Check out PPL Motorhome’s good friend Terry Cooper, who routinely does seminars at our Texas Consignment RV Dealerships. Terry offers a really great video that can turn any RVer into a “Do-It Yourself-er” with his 60 minute DVD covering such topics as:
This Take Home Technician Series DVD is over 60 minutes of ‘RV how – to’ instruction.
Covering such topics as:
* Installing a roof mounted Air Conditioner
* 15 Minute Air Conditioner tune-up
* Installing 3M Water Filters (3 different models)
* Fixing a Weeping or Burping Water Heater
* Propane Systems for RVs * Propane Safety I and II
* Operating your Awning
* Electricity – Before you Blow Your Breaker!
* 120VAC Power Converter * Eternabond – Roof Repair
* General Maintenance Tips
* 5 Things You Need to Know Before You Buy your RV…And Much More….
Stay tuned to RV Nana and PPL Motorhomes for the next time we have The RV Professor, Terry Cooper do another educational seminar.
Now, I’ll bet that you are scratching your head. Noodles? Pasta? No. Swimming noodles. If there is one person that both RV Nana and PPL Motorhomes salutes, it’s the ingenuity of RVers. This past weekend while camping in central Texas, we saw an Alfa See Ya motorhome with their windshield wipers protected by noodles. What a great idea for the full timer to protect the rubber of the windshield wipers from the sun and weather with a simple swimming pool noodle. We all know how quickly the sun can destroy rubber and just about everything else on your RV, for that matter.
When I saw such a smart use of this inexpensive way to prolong the life of your wiper blades, I just had to share it with you. I’ll tell you one thing, I sure am having fun finding great ideas of things to do with an ordinary swimming noodle. Incidentally, I know a family in North Texas who uses pool noodles to protect their exposed outdoor pipes during winter.
There are so many good ideas out there for the everyday RVer, I’d love to hearing your ideas, too! Drop me a line here, at our Houston Consignment RV Dealership.
Looks like RV Nana and PPL Motorhomes have found another new park to add to the list of the ones we will return to. Let me tell you, it is a GEM! For Easter weekend, my husband and I looked after my daughter and her family at Pecan Park RV Park on the San Marcos river in San Marcos, Texas. We had met the owners at several RV shows, and were looking forward to a new river adventure. The water level on the river was much higher than last year, so the normal 3 hour tube ride takes about an hour. At first we were concerned that the current was a little too fast for my 9 and 11 year old grandsons, but the older one joined his father and grandfather for a fun filled two hours. They were like little kids telling us about the great time they had when we went to pick them up.
There is a great indoor pool and spa for those who do not feel like the river is their thing, but still want to have a great water escape. I really think the best thing about this park was the friendly people. From staff to fellow campers, it was a great feeling of being surrounded by friends. We were excited to see so many young families venturing out into the RV lifestyle. I don’t think I have ever seen so many SUVs pulling trailers in one location. We met so many new friends and PPL customers, one couple came all the way from Canada, so that should tell you how much fun this Pecan Park is.
The Texas river season is just beginning, we’ve been having a decent amount of rain, so the rivers are full, and full of fun, so make plans to have fun at Pecan Park this season. Oh, and be sure and tell the Rowley family we said “Hi”.
I wasn’t really sure about what to write about for this entry. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of PPL Motorhome videos, and “How To’s'”.. I think I even did a recipe recently. So, as I sat down to write this particular entry, I thought to myself, “I should be more reflective, really think about why I RV.” I was then hoping to try to paint a picture of the RVing lifestyle, rather than disseminate information or education about RVing in general.
At first I didn’t know where to start. I mean, there are so many aspects to RVing that make it special, I had a hard time narrowing it down to one topic, or question. So, I asked myself a very simple question, “Why do I RV?”
Why do I RV? I think we all have our own reasons. I know I have mine, and I know you have yours. I think that many of those reasons are the same. Freedom. Adventure. Experience. I believe that at the heart of every RVer is part Adventurer, part Gypsy and part Naturist.
Now, don’t go crackin’ your whip there, Indiana Jones. When I say Adventurer, I mean we all seem to have the urge to take the long route, even through it will take us miles out of our way. To just “Go.” I’d rather take that business route through a town, buy an ice cream cone from the local soda shop, and get on the road again. Seeing the town and its shops.
What have you gained if you just pass right by? What have you experienced? What have you learned? Where was the adventure? Next time, take the long way around and see the folks in town.
The Gypsy in us allows us to take up residence for a period of time and then move on. We make significant contacts with out fellow campers, but not ones that tie us to them indefinitely. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve met some good friends at campsites and RV parks, whom I’m proud to call friends to this day. But that Gypsy in all us RVers wants us to move before we plant roots. So, we say our “goodbyes” and hope that our paths cross again next year.
The naturist in us draws us closer to understanding and living in commune with nature. There is no better place on earth than a National or State Park for you to realize that it is you who is a part of the Earth, and not the other way around. RVers understand the importance of conservation and preservation.We all do our best to leave the smallest footprint possible.
I hope that you are inspired to take a few trips in your consignment RVsoon. It’s still more economical than air travel, and just think of all of the amazing things your are going to see and do as a family. The bottom line is that Spring is here and I can’t wait to Get On The Road Again!
I have been with PPL Motor Homes since 1980 and have been fortunate to grow up with the company. A native Houstonian, I am married to a wonderful Cajun from Lafayette, Louisiana and we've been able to mix the two worlds and build a fun life together. We have 3 children and 7 grandchildren, so it is obvious that I was a Nana long before I became RV Nana. I also happen too be the 2011-2012 President of the Texas RV Association, so you know the RV lifestyle...is my style.
