Winnie City Park, Winnie TX ... and self imposed cop knock?

Winnie City Park, Winnie Texas

Winnie, Texas
GPS: 29.812117, -94.380234

Youtube Review

Freecampsites.net



As I had discovered in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, some small towns try to attract travelers by offering up their City parks for a few nights of free camping (or parking in some cases).  This brings in valuable tourist dollars that would be spent on campsites for most travelers anyway (unless they are like me) so it is a win-win.  While being out in the wild wilderness camping for free is enjoyable, its also nice sometimes to be near shops and internet.

Winnie Texas is one such example.   Unlike Breaux Bridge however, you do have to register at the sheriffs/clerks office first.  As you head toward the park, you want to stop there first by making a left at the Exxon station onto Broadway, the light before the park.   The process is pretty painless, you just hand over your license to the very nice clerk, she makes a copy and then gives you a permit for 3 days.

The park, like the others I come to find in Texas, is immense.   I guess Texas earns its 'Bigger' reputation in this regard.   The park has a large, elaborate playground, several sport areas, a rodeo/horse track, and what I am assuming are festival event areas with stands.   Multiple covered picnic areas, some with giant BBQ grills/smokers.

Any size rig can easily fit here, more sites and parking than can likely be filled if they try.   My guess is they were preparing for Rodeo shows with this space.   There are water and electric hookups all over the park.   I do not know if they are included for your free stay, I would ask the clerk first.   She didn't forbid it, and since I didn't need them, I didn't ask.  Both the electric and water did work though.

The park has bathrooms, though they are rather spartan in my opinion.   Its rare to find open public bathrooms with absolutely no stall doors or even curtains in them.  According to reviews, the ladies aren't spared this either.   I thought metal urinals were strange too, though since then I have seen they are a common thing in the southwest.  Trash cans are sparse but around.

The park is beautiful, many of the trees scattered throughout were adorned with lights for Christmas (tho it was over already).   Something about manicured grass that makes me want to lay down on it and nap, tho it was still a little on the chilly side for that.

There is a Dollar General about a quarter mile from the park if you take the road at the rear of the park out, and across the highway from that is a local supermarket.   The little town has anything you need, restaurants, gas, even tire repair, though I don't think there is much in the way of entertainment.

After filming several of the areas for my youtube, I decided to settle in under a cute tree at the end furthest from the empty playground after filming it (it is a pretty amazing little castle playground).

It didn't help much because before it even got dark I had a cop knock from a sheriff's deputy.

Status update

Due to several factors, prime of which has been my lack of motivation, i haven't updated in a while.  I decided to give a heads up on my current doings, and upcoming plans.  

Since Quartsite,AZ in January, I spent my time in Ehrenberg, AZ, which is a pretty uninteresting place to look at, as its mostly all rocky desert, but it is the perfect place to long term camp in the winter.  No time limit or fees, a pit toilet i can dump in for free, all the services nearby i need, including free water (tap).  

My main reason for going to Quartzsite this year was to secure a camp hosting job, which i did.  It will be at Fuller Lake in northern California, in the sierras near Nevada City.  I was planning to meander up that way throughout April, and get there in time to start in may.

However, due to some unfortunate circumstances, a friend i met in Ehrenberg needed a ride to San Fran, California right away.  She proposed that since I needed to head that way soon, she would hire me to shuttle herself and her adorable cat Hunter up there. Since it would help me out financially and help her get where she needed to go, it was a win win for everyone (except my back ;])

So a day later I am in the Bay area, about to visit a landmark.  Its a little early for the normal camping season, so finding a place to camp for the next few weeks might be a challenge, but that is what an adventure is all about.  Walmarts here are no go as well.  

My tentative plan is to head up to Mendocino NF and look for some open campgrounds, or if i have to do so, disperse camp.  Then hoof it east to my host job.

Before I get too remote for internet, I will hopefully continue logging my travels and campsites in Texas, a more thorough RTR post, and my Ehrenberg experience so look forward to that.

Thanks for reading!

Checking out the USS Alabama, tanks, planes and memorials at Battleship Memorial Park.

Although I hadn't planned to spend much time in Alabama, I didn't want to completely blaze through the state.   So even though I wasn't camping, I decided to take a small detour and check out the USS Alabama battleship at the Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, AL back in december.

If you've been following me on this blog or youtube, you might have surmised I am more clenchfisted than scrooge, so this stop was actually pretty nice for me.  You can pay to take the tour (15 bucks I think) of the ship, but it only costs 2 bucks to enter the park and roam around looking.

Ceremonial Gun outside visitor center.

In the visitor center, you can find bathrooms, and there is a whole area just ahead of the battleship with picnic tables, pavillions and grills.   You almost forget that it is an actual park.  If you have a furry friend, he isn't allowed on the tours, but they do provide kennels and water for your pets.

Kennels, there is a water hose.

 It was crazy humid here, and I went in the winter, I can't imagine what Alabama must be like in the grips of summer.  I felt like I was breathing through a sock like a bellows and I'm from a pretty wet area myself. 

The ship is so huge, this is all i could fit in the shot!

It would definitely be better to actually go on the ship as it is a self guided tour, but I didnt mind.   If you never seen a battleship in person, it is impressive just to look upon.  And massive.  It astounds me no end just how massive ships can be on the water, it almost seems limitless.   Its like someone took a skyscraper and knocked it over on its side.  I can't even conceive how the massive guns must sound when they fire.  I wonder if they ever fire off blanks or something.  I might break open the wallet a little further for that experience.

Its fun to see some of the nick names given to the vehicles.

The battle ship itself is not all there is to see in this park either.   For your $2, you can walk around and check out tons and tons of tanks, artillery guns, and an actual bomber, an MRBM, fighter planes (that have seen better days mind), helicopters, you name it.

Look at the tiny door :D

The aircraft were in pretty bad shape, not sure if just disrepair or war damage?

This plane looked to be in the best shape, I think it could still even operate.  Check out the artwork.

There is also a submarine that is propped up on the ground.   Its a part of the battle ship but you can check out the outside pretty close up from the park.    There is also a giant aircraft hanger, but access from outside the tour area is a no go, which was disappointing to me because it appeared you could go in at first, but the doors are all blocked off.

I'm not a military expert of fanatic, i must admit, but i still get a lot of enjoyment from looking at the marvels mankind can make when driven to destruction (or protection, given your viewpoint).  

 

I thought this little tank looked awesome with 2 barrels up front.

Since I dont know much about these machines, I don't have much to say about each one, or hell even name them, but hope you enjoy the pictures and video I took of my visit there.  Maybe you can tell me more about them in the comments or identify them for me (some had plaques, but not all did).

Neat up close look at the cockpit.

I will say that my favorite things to see were the MRBM (Medium Range Ballistic Missle)  and the bomber.  You can actually stick your head up inside the missile as the engine has been removed (its there underneath if you want to check it out too).  You can see the gears and chains that I assume actuate the fins that guide it to its target.

The bomber was interesting to me.   It clearly had some work done to it for appearance sake.   The skin of the thing was painted black and it almost looked like it was made of black tinfoil, I don't know if thats how they actually were constructed originally.   The bomber had decals (or painted on) bombs near the cockpit, representing bombs it dropped on the enemy.  There was a lot of them.

Almost in a strange sorta contrast to all the firepower and killing machines, the place has several beautifully made memorials dedicated to the Vietnam, Korean war, and the middle eastern wars (on terror).   I was also pleasantly surprised to see sculptures and plaques dedicated to dogs who fought and died in service.

The Vietnam memorial was especially lovely, yet saddening at the same time.  Even the very large noisy family that walked up behind me quieted here, it had that kind of impact.  There is a statue of a soldier standing between 2 marble slabs atop bamboo.

There is a particularly potent quote from a Vietnam vet across from the names of those local men who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the war.  I'll type it out just to make it easier to see than the picture.   I highly recommend spending a day at this park, and check out my youtube video to get a better look at everything.

I think this is a good point to end on.

"Vietnam - War/Pain/Sorrow/Mystery/Jungle/Swamp/Mountains/Hot.
Vietnam means something - different but the same - to all of us.
Vietnam has a lasting effect of one sort or another on all Americans.
Vietnam can only be understood by those of us who where there --

--And we don't understand it."