Happy Vegan Campers

Days #187-191 of Our Epic Trip

5-6-2024
H: 71°F L: 54°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

Another day in paradise, another tornado watch – although we only saw a few storm clouds.

Happy Vegan Campers Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson Kansas

5-7-2024
H: 80°F L: 46°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

We got some bad news today – we have to take our tent down because of state ordinance at the state fairgrounds.

We ended our day with a drink at a local dive bar and talked to some locals about the area.

5-8-2024
H: 77°F L: 53°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

We explored Wichita today. We started by exploring The Village, the steampunk art of Gary Pendergrass which he has displayed in the side yard of his house. He welcomes visitors and it’s free. Wow, we loved how he turned ordinary items into art!

Happy Vegan Campers steampunk art at The Village in Wichita Kansas

Next we went to see The Troll and The Keeper of the Plains. The Troll was installed by a local artist to encourage a more walkable city. It is on a nice trail next to a river.

Happy Vegan Campers The Troll Wichita Kansas

We got some groceries at Costco (we can not have enough organic no salt seasoning!) and then we got vegan soft serve ice cream at Sunflower Cafe & Collective. They had a lot of different toppings (all vegan). The co-owner started VegFest in Kansas.

5-9-2024
H: 76°F L: 50°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

We woke up to a beautiful sunrise.

Happy Vegan Campers sunrise at Kansas State Fairgrounds Hutchinson Kansas

We stopped at a thrift store named Two Old Cranks. I found a cute dress and Daniel got to talk to the lady at the desk about being vegan.

5-10-2024
H: 78°F L: 50°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

We visited Strataca today. It is a salt mine which has been in operation since 1923 and has 150 miles of tunnels. The salt was found by a man drilling for oil. This deposit of salt goes all the way to New Mexico. The mine is still in operation today but mostly pulls out salt used on roads.

We took a double-decker hoist down a 650 foot shaft to the mine. We enjoyed a museum on the history of the salt mine. There are also some movie memorabilia on display because a large portion of the old mined areas are used for secure storage by Underground Vault & Storage which has been in operation since 1959.

We took a tour of an area mined in the 1940s and 1950s. They left their trash down there because the hoist they used was so tiny they didn’t have room to take it back to the top. There are old dynamite boxes which they used to make walls to block off some of the shafts so they could direct the flow of fresh air being piped into the mine.

This mine is where Virgbacillus sp. 2-9-3 was found. It is possibly the oldest living organism on earth – 250 million years old!

The US government was interested in using this mine to store nuclear waste so they did a study of how fast the mined area fills in. This mine closes at 1 inch every 500 years. That wasn’t fast enough to store nuclear waste so the government chose a mine in New Mexico which closes at a rate of 1 inch every 4 years.

We had a great time and spent 3.5 hours down in the mine.

Happy Vegan Campers Strataca salt mine Hutchinson Kansas — Virgbacillus sp. 2-9-3 found in salt sample

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $150
Camping memberships: $18.65
Food: $397.76

Miles driven: 291.4 (154.8 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0

Campground Recommendations

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Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com

Days #182-186 of Our Epic Trip

5-1-2024
H: 81°F L: 63°F
Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

It was another beautiful day. We decided to relax at our campsite and have a campfire with some of the wood we found. Unfortunately, it was too windy to have a fire. We still enjoyed sitting by the lake. While we were sleeping last night another bad storm rolled through with high winds. Daniel can sleep through anything but that type of stuff keeps me up so it was a good day for a nap.

5-2-2024
H: 76°F L: 65°F
Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

We explored Oklahoma City today and started with Bricktown Riverwalk. It’s a smaller, newer version of San Antonio’s Riverwalk. It has restaurants and bars, a putt-putt course, artwork, and even guided river cruises.

Happy Vegan Campers at Bricktown Riverwalk in Oklahoma City Oklahoma

Next we walked to Underground which is a network of tunnels connecting some of the office buildings downtown. It was neat but we were hoping for some shops or restaurants. We found a couple art installations and a lot of OKC history (the amount of growth in the first three weeks after the city was designated is unbelievable). We really enjoyed the “I Killed ‘I Can’t’” artwork which features advice from centenarians.

Happy Vegan Campers in Underground in Oklahoma City Oklahoma

While walking back to our car, we happened upon the Myriad Botanical Garden and, wow, what a gem right in the heart of downtown. It offered beautiful gardens, a performing stage, carousel, kid’s garden, dog park, open lawn space where they have free exercise classes, water features, etc. – all FREE! They also have the Crystal Bridge Conservatory which does charge an admission fee. Looking at their website, they offer a lot and it seems they have a high level of community involvement. In their beautifully manicured gardens we found periwinkle creeping myrtle (vinca minor) which is my dad’s favorite.

Happy Vegan Campers Myriad Botanical Garden in Oklahoma City Oklahoma — Look at all that myrtle

5-3-2024
H: 78ºF L: 60ºF
Tonkawa Casino RV Park, Tonkawa, Oklahoma

Today is a travel day! We are going north and will be spending two nights at Tonkawa Casino RV Park.

5-4-2024
H: 71°F L: 60°F
Tonkawa Casino RV Park, Tonkawa, Oklahoma

We got up early to hunt for hourglass selenite crystals in the salt plains of Oklahoma. We saw a beautiful sunrise and rainbow with lightening right next to it as we were driving.

Digging for the crystals at the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge was so much fun! I found a ton of them including some clusters. This is the only place in the world to find hourglass selenite crystals.

I had a large cricket join me as I dug a hole. He/she looked down in my hole, kind of like a dog, and hung out as I found my treasures. It was a surreal experience to have such an interactive encounter with a cricket.

Happy Vegan Campers Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in Cherokee Oklahoma digging area

5-5-2024
H: 69°F L: 52°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

Today is a travel day! We are leaving Oklahoma and traveling north to Kansas. We are also celebrating another birthday today! Marcel turns two. He’s adopted so we had to pick a birthday for him and, given his sassy personality, Cinco de Mayo is the perfect day to celebrate this spicy little guy.

We took him to Petsmart to pick out a new toy. He got an avocado squeaky and loves it!

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $ 157.35
Camping memberships: $18.65
Food: $48.86

Miles driven: 594.9 (364 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 3

Campground Recommendations

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Kansas Campground Reviews

Kansas was fun to explore and it has so many artsy and quirky things to see. The people are hard working and friendly.

Kansas State Fairgrounds

Hutchinson, KS • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Full hookup

Happy Vegan Campers Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson Kansas campsite 37 — Site 37

We stayed here for one week and paid $30 per night. This fairgrounds allows campers provided they do not have a big event going on like the state fair. There were only 4-5 campers during our time there. We loved that it had full hookup. We also enjoyed walking the fairgrounds with our dogs and seeing some of the weekend events like mustang adoptions and an art fair. We did not like that after a couple of days we were told we had to take our tent down. (May 2024)

Strataca: Travel 650 feet below ground to a salt mine. We paid for the extra tour of the 1940-1950s part of the mine which was left exactly as it was found.
Wichita: We enjoyed sight seeing this city. The Village is a free steampunk art installation in the artist’s yard. The Troll and The Keeper of the Plains are on a nice path next to the river.
Two Old Cranks: Small thrift store in Hutchinson with good prices on new and used items. I found a cute brand new dress for $9.

Fairway RV Park

Ellsworth, KS • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Full hookup

Happy Vegan Campers Fairway RV Park in Ellsworth Kansas water hookup — Site 43

We stayed at this campground for six days. The campground is not fancy and most of the sites do not have the electricity turned on but we had a list of sites we could choose from. This appears to be a campground which is used by workers (men with lots of equipment in the back of their trucks) and it was very quiet. There were no loud parties or other hoopla. You can hear road noise but it wasn’t too bad. Overall, we felt this was a great location to reach a lot of cool things in Kansas. Note: There were two 50 amp and two 20 amp outlets but no 30 amp outlets. Water hookup is down in a hole. Cost was $30 per night but cheaper for weekly and monthly stays. (May 2024)

World’s Largest Ball of Twine: In Cawker City, KS you will find a ball of twine of epic proportions. It draws people from all over and has a neat backstory.
Coronado Heights Castle: Just outside of Lindsborg, KS is a hill with a stone castle built in the 1930s by WPA. The views are gorgeous.
Lindsborg, KS: This town is proud of its Swedish heritage. You’ll find shops and friendly people.
World’s Largest Belt Buckle: In Abilene, KS you be able to climb to the top of the a huge metal belt buckle for a photo opportunity. It is near a beautiful park with flowers and fountains.
Lucas, KS: This small town is for lovers of quirky art. You’ll find a museum full of miniature versions of the world’s largest things (entry is free). You find a store with lots of pieces for sale from local artists (prices are reasonable). The Garden of Eden was created by one man and is definitely worth a walk-by. There is also a public restroom which is not to be missed.

Double D RV Park

Park, KS • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Full hookup

Happy Vegan Campers Double D RV Park in Park Kansas — Site 6

We stayed here for one night. The price is high at $55 per night but they do offer free laundry. A number of sites are pull through. The woman we spoke to, Amber, was friendly and efficient. Park is a very small town and we didn’t see much to do in the area. (May 2024)

Campground Recommendations

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Days #180-181 of Our Epic Trip

4-29-2024
H: 80ºF L: 47ºF
VBRO, Amarillo, Texas

We went to the Cadillac Ranch which, according to one source, was erected by a group of art-loving hippies and an eccentric billionaire in 1974. Ten Cadillacs, ranging from a 1949 Club Sedan to a 1963 Sedan de Ville, were planted fins up in the ground and graffiti has been encouraged over the years. They even have a food truck selling spray paint.

Happy Vegan Campers Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo Texas

We also stopped to see the 2nd Amendment Cowboy.

Happy Vegan Campers 2nd Amendment Cowboy in Amarillo Texas

Then we went to Palo Duro Canyon State Park which is the second largest canyon in the US. It was so beautiful! We hiked part of the Lighthouse Trail but Marcel started to overheat so we turned back. Talking to other hikers, apparently the last 300 yards of the trail climbed a steep incline that required both hands and feet so Marcel definitely wouldn’t have faired well.

Happy Vegan Campers and family at Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Canyon Texas

Happy Vegan Campers at Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Canyon Texas lizard

4-30-2024
H: 89°F L: 50°F
Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

We had a wonderful visit with Alex. The boys seemed excited to spend time with him. We drove back to our campsite in Oklahoma. We were happy to be home and relax. Another storm blew in but we still got to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Happy Vegan Campers Lake Thunderbird State Park in Norman Oklahoma view from campsite 9

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $61.36
Camping memberships: $7.46
Food: $0

Miles driven: 480.6 (152 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0

Campground Recommendations

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Days #174-179 of Our Epic Trip

4-23-2024
H: 79°F L: 53°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

Our new water tank finally arrived so we picked it up at Camping World. Daniel was able to install it easily and now we can boondock if needed.

Happy Vegan Campers new water tank for Cherokee Wolf Pup 17JG

I learned about the rock wall in Rockwall, TX. It’s east of Dallas and was found in 1852 by three farmers digging a well. The wall is 20 miles long and 7 stories deep. Some believe it was created by giants. You can watch a History Channel video about the rock wall. I won’t spoil the findings of the forensic geologist but it was very interesting.

4-24-2024
H: 77°F L: 60°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

Hung out at camper all day. It was a beautiful day. Definitely feeling grateful for our lifestyle.

4-25-2024
H: 79°F L: 68°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

We drove to Fort Worth to pick up a part for the Tesla. Daniel is going to fix the Tesla’s falcon door himself.

We have really enjoyed all the downtime over the past two weeks. We’ve been able to better organize the camper and shift some weight to the back of the camper.

4-26-2024
H: 82°F L: 65°F
Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

We traveled north into Oklahoma today. We are going to miss Texas. The people (hey Stacy!, hey peeps of Encore Sunshine), the cities, the countryside, the wildlife – all will be missed.

We are staying at a state park for one week. Our campsite is right next to the lake. It was super windy when we arrived and the camp host told us some really bad weather is coming.

Happy Vegan Campers Lake Thunderbird State Park in Normal Oklahoma campsite 9

After setting up, we took a drive to check out the local area. We saw the best clouds as we were driving – they were huge and the picture doesn’t do them justice.

Happy Vegan Campers clouds in Norman Oklahoma

4-27-2024
H: 79°F L: 66°F
Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

The campground cleared out today because a bad storm is coming. We enjoyed a quiet day at our site next to our neighbors who also have a pit bull.

Happy Vegan Campers Lake Thunderbird State Park in Norman Oklahoma campsite 9

The rain started in the evening and by 8:30pm we found ourselves taking shelter in the bathroom (built of cement blocks in 1960s per the camp host) for a tornado warning. The wind was pretty horrible for about 20 minutes, up to 45 mph. When we got back to the camper, we found a few things had fallen over due to the camper being pushed around by the wind but nothing was broken.

4-28-2024
H: 77ºF L: 59ºF
VRBO, Amarillo, Texas

We are driving to Amarillo, TX today to meet Daniel’s son, Alex. On the drive there, we passed a town in Oklahoma called Dead Women Crossing. It got its name from an unsolved murder of a woman.

We stopped in Shamrock, TX to charge the car. The chargers were at an old Conoco station which now houses a cute cafe and visitor center.

Happy Vegan Campers Route 66 Old Conoco Station Shamrock Texas

We also passed by a leaning water tower. The Leaning Tower of Texas was moved 34 miles to Groom, TX and tilted onto two legs with a bulldozer as a marketing ploy by Ralph Britten. Mr. Britten had a truck stop and restaurant off of Route 66 and wanted to draw in more customers. Apparently, people driving by would rush in concerned the tower was going to fall on the building and Mr. Britten would assure them it was fine and encourage them to dine at his restaurant.

Happy Vegan Campers Leaning Tower of Texas in Groom Texas

The drive was so pretty with a ton of little, fluffy clouds. You can see for miles and miles in this part of the country.

We are staying at a VRBO that is a 100 year old craftsman’s style house. Alex met us at the house and Peter loved lying in his lap. Then we went to a bar and played pool, Daniel and I against Alex. Alex is pretty good!

Happy Vegan Campers VRBO in Amarillo Texas

Happy Vegan Campers dog with family Amarillo Texas

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $92.04
Camping memberships: $22.38
Food: $153.23

Miles driven: 798 (323.5 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 4

Campground Recommendations

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Oklahoma Campground Reviews

We loved our short stay in Oklahoma. OKC is a surprising gem of a city. The whole state seems to have great cell phone coverage (we use Verizon).

Lake Thunderbird State Park

Norman, OK • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Electric/Water

We stayed at this campground for a week and paid $30.68 per night. There are several camping sections of this state park. We stayed in the Little Axe section which is on a peninsula. It was very windy during our weeklong stay. We had site 9 but we would recommend sites 44-49 as they are lakeside but will not receive as much wind out of the south due to mature trees providing a buffer. Some of the sites are close together and the bathrooms could have used some attention. Overall, we liked this state park and we were surprised that the park was minimally occupied. Daniel was particularly impressed with the dump station which had a built-in cleaning flush system – he feels it was the cleanest set-up he has seen and should be standard at campgrounds. Note: There are some 50 amp/full hookup sites at this park. (Apr/May 2024)

Bricktown: Older area of OKC with fun bars and restaurants, quirky museums, and vintage shops.
Bricktown Riverwalk: You can walk on both sides of this small canal past restaurants and bars. It reminded us of a small, newer version of San Antonio’s Riverwalk.
Myriad Botanical Gardens: Wow! Right in the middle of downtown is a gorgeous park offering water features, beautiful landscaping, dog park, performing stage, kid’s garden, carousel, and more – all FREE!! The Crystal Bridge Conservatory does charge for admission.
Downtown OKC: The downtown area is very walkable, clean, and we felt safe.

Tonkawa Casino RV Park

Tonkawa, OK • ⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Full hookup

Happy Vegan Campers Tonkawa Casino RV Park in Tonkawa Oklahoma — Site 10

We stayed here for two nights and paid $32.98 per night. The campground is small with just 18 sites. It was clean and pretty quiet although we could hear highway traffic. It offers full hookup with 50 amps for a decent price. We didn’t like how close together the sites were and the website says campers have access to the hotel pool but it was really far away to walk to. In fact, the campground is facing the back of the casino and hotel and there were no access points in the back. Also, the casino allows smoking so it’s really not a healthy environment to hang out in. Overall, this seems to be a good layover stop. Note: We were told they do not take reservations – it’s first come, first served. Pay at the gas station register in front of campground. (May 2024)

Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge: About a one hour drive to the west is an awesome opportunity. This wildlife refuge offers a digging spot for hourglass selenite crystals. This is the only place in the world you can find these crystals and you can dig for them for free at this park.

Campground Recommendations

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Days #169-173 of Our Epic Trip

4-18-2024
H: 87ºF L: 61ºF
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

We had a relaxing day just hanging out. I think we both needed some significant downtime and our current campsite is perfect for that because it’s private and quiet. I wish we could say we were productive but we really weren’t.

4-19-2024
H: 70°F L: 54°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

We ran some errands today. Amazon pickup, checking on the order status of the water tank for the camper, and some clothes shopping. I’ve lost weight so I’ve had to donate a lot of my clothes because they don’t fit anymore.

While driving today we saw some horses in a backyard next to a post office. They were just hanging out watching the comings and goings of the locals at the post office.

Happy Vegan Campers horses watching post office

4-20-2024
H: 58°F L: 48°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

It rained all day today. It was real rain too not just the sprinkling that we noticed counts as a storm in Texas.

Daniel made a wonderful chocolate pudding/dip for us with only four ingredients: sweet potato, dates, plant milk and cocoa powder.

Happy Vegan Campers chocolate pudding chocolate dip

We watched the Mercy For Animals Gala which stated at 9:45pm our time. To be honest, that’s past our bedtime but we stayed up and watched the whole thing. It was in Los Angeles, otherwise we would have gone. Well known people like Moby, Tabitha Brown, and Maggie Baird were presenters. They raised over 2 million to help factory farmed animals. If you aren’t familiar with what takes place in today’s “food” system, please look at Mercy For Animal’s website especially their undercover investigation section.

4-21-2024
H: 65°F L: 49°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

Happy Vegan Campers Lake Texoma in Gordonville Texas

We took the boys for a walk down to Lake Texoma and then on a trail through the woods. It was pretty although muddy from yesterday’s rain. We turned around once we heard gun shots getting closer and closer. Ah, Texas.

4-22-2024
H: 69°F L: 43°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

Happy Earth Day! We explored Dallas/Fort Worth today. We went to Forth Worth Water Gardens which is right downtown. Very pretty!

Happy Vegan Campers at Fort Worth Water Gardens Texas

We drove around Fort Worth and finally saw some cacti blooming.

Happy Vegan Campers cacti blooming in Fort Worth Texas

Next we drove through the Fort Worth Stockyards but we didn’t stop. With the history of the place and the multiple cows on display for photo opportunities, it was just too depressing. We really hope that someday people will be able to see the cognitive dissonance.

We then drove to Grapevine, TX to see a giant glockenspiel with two cowboys, Nat and Gil, having a shoot out. Unfortunately, the clockworks were undergoing repair. We did find a YouTube video of it and, honestly, we felt there was too much talking and not enough action.

Lastly, we went to the Parr Park Rock Art Trail. It’s a nice paved trail lined with painted rocks. It was awarded the Guinness World Record in 2021 for the largest display of painted stones with 24,459 rocks. It was started during the pandemic to spread joy.

Happy Vegan Campers Parr Park Rock Art Trail in Grapevine Texas

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $0
Camping memberships: $18.65
Food: $92.43

Miles driven: 508.4 (157.3 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0

Campground Recommendations

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Days #165-168 of Our Epic Trip

4-14-2024
H: 85°F L: 62°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

What a wonderful day to relax! It was sunny and warm and just perfect for a walk down to Lake Texoma.

4-15-2024
H: 77°F L: 66°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

We saw a movie today – Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. It was very cute and brought back memories of the original Ghostbusters. We recommend seeing this movie if you liked the original Ghostbusters.

4-16-2024
H: 83°F L: 64°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

This morning we had just settled down outside to enjoy our coffee when a horrible buzzing sound came from an electrical panel 15 feet from our campsite. It was buzzing and had a big red light on top. When we first got here and picked our site, we noticed it was a little stinky. Daniel assured me that he could take care of the odor and he did so by wrapping plastic wrap around the sewer access. Today, the maintenance men found an issue with the pump in the sewer and were able to fix it quickly.

Happy Vegan Campers sewer issues at campsite Q46 at Thousand Trails Lake Texoma in Gordonville Texas

It was a bright, sunny day with lots of blue skies and just a few little wispy clouds – including a pink cloud. It was hard to see through the trees but it was pink and the rest of the clouds were white.

Happy Vegan Campers pink cloud at Thousand Trails Lake Texoma in Gordonville Texas

4-17-2024
H: 83°F L: 63°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

We explored the Chickasaw National Recreation Area in southern Oklahoma. This park has several natural springs, both fresh water and mineral water. This park was once Platt National Park and had more visitors in the year 1914 than Yosemite or Yellowstone National Parks. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps did a lot of work on the park including rerouting streams to create a natural pool and the “Little Niagara Falls”. Since the National Parks system became more focused on preserving natural landscapes, this small park lost its National Park designation in 1976.

The park has wonderfully wide and well maintained trails, a herd of buffalo, and a beautiful nature center reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Fallingwater” house with a stream running underneath (the building was designed by his understudies).

Happy Vegan Campers Chickasaw National Recreation Area nature center

We also found the acorn of a Bur Oak and they’re huge! I talked to the ranger about the tree’s natural habitat but it seems this tree does not naturally grow in our neck of the woods in Tennessee.

Happy Vegan Campers Bur Oak acorn — Bur Oak acorn

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $0 (Thousand Trails)
Camping memberships: $14.92
Food: $118.82

Miles driven: 219.7 (68.2 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0

Campground Recommendations

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Days #162-164 of Our Epic Trip

4-11-2024
H: 73°F L: 49°F
Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, Texas

We started our morning, as always, with coffee outside. It was cold enough that we needed sweaters and blankets for comfort. Even the boys were cold so Peter appreciated his winter coat and Marcel enjoyed being wrapped up in my quilt. It was 65ºF – I think we have successfully acclimated to warmer weather hence our intolerance for slightly colder weather.

Happy Vegan Campers dogs keeping warn at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose Texas

Luckily, we went to see the dinosaur tracks yesterday because today the river water level is much higher and muddy. We took the boys for a hike at the campground. The trails and Paluxy river are beautiful. The National Park Service designated Dinosaur Valley State Park as a National Natural Landmark in 1968 due to the excellent display of fossilized dinosaur tracks. The best time to visit the park and see the dinosaur tracks is during the summer when the river is pretty dry.

Happy Vegan Campers at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose Texas trail

Happy Vegan Campers at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose Texas Paluxy River

Next we went to Glen Rose, TX, a small town which was so successful at producing moonshine during the Prohibition that it has the nickname of “Moonshine Capital of Texas”. Apparently the surrounding hills were full of stills. Like a lot of small towns in Texas, it now offers cute boutique shops and restaurants. We also ventured north to Granbury, TX which is a bigger town with a nice historic town square.

Happy Vegan Campers dinosaur tracks with hand in Glen Rose Texas

Happy Vegan Campers Somervell County Museum sign in Glen Rose Texas

We stopped by the dinosaur statues we saw yesterday and learned more about them. They were displayed at the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York and then brought to the state park for its grand opening in 1970. They were both sporting eclipse glasses which we thought was super cool.

Happy Vegan Campers dinosaur statues from 1964-1965 World’s Fair at Dinosaur Valley State Park Glen Rose Texas

4-12-2024
H: 81°F L: 49°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

Today we left early to travel north to the Texas border with Oklahoma. We are staying for two weeks near Lake Texoma. We drove through Fort Worth and stopped at a Tesla service center so Daniel could order a part for one of the Falcon wing doors. Then we stopped to charge and met a lovely couple pulling their Airstream camper with a Tesla Model 3.

Happy Vegan Campers another Tesla pulling a camper

After setting up, we took the boys for a walk around the campground. We walked to Lake Texoma at sunset.

4-13-2024
H: 81°F L: 59°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

We really enjoyed relaxing today as our past week has been busy. We found a trail right by our campsite which we will definitely make use of. Given that our campsite is in the woods and offers some privacy, we will probably do a lot of relaxing at this campground.

Happy Vegan Campers Thousand Trails Lake Texoma in Gordonville Texas campsite Q46

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $18.75
Camping memberships: $11.19
Food: $0

Miles driven: 241 (139.9 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 1

Campground Recommendations

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Chocolate Dip/Pudding (vegan, WFPB)

This post contains affiliate links which do not cost you anything but we may earn a small commission which may help offset the cost of this website.

This chocolate dip recipe can double as a pudding recipe. Sweet potatoes pack a lot of nutritional bang for your buck. Sweet potatoes are a big part of the diet of the Blue Zone (containing a population known for a greater life expectancy than the general population) in Okinawa, Japan.

Ingredients

1 large Sweet Potato, peeled and baked
Approximately 1 cup plant-based milk
Approximately 5 tbsp cocoa powder
Approximately 6 dates, pits removed

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor until well blended.

Notes

You can bake the potato in the microwave. After peeling the potato, cut it in half. Wrap the potato halves in a wet paper towel and microwave on high for approximately 5-6 minutes until it is soft.
Adjust milk, cocoa powder, and dates to desired thickness, chocolate intensity, and sweetness.
We use a NutriBullet to blend the ingredients and store the pudding dip in the refrigerator.

Campground Recommendations

5-6-2024H: 71°F L: 54°FKansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

5-7-2024H: 80°F L: 46°FKansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

5-8-2024H: 77°F L: 53°FKansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

5-9-2024H: 76°F L: 50°FKansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

5-10-2024H: 78°F L: 50°FKansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

Stats

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5-1-2024H: 81°F L: 63°FLake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

5-2-2024H: 76°F L: 65°FLake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

5-3-2024H: 78ºF L: 60ºFTonkawa Casino RV Park, Tonkawa, Oklahoma

5-4-2024H: 71°F L: 60°FTonkawa Casino RV Park, Tonkawa, Oklahoma

5-5-2024H: 69°F L: 52°FKansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

Stats

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Fairway RV Park

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4-29-2024H: 80ºF L: 47ºFVBRO, Amarillo, Texas

4-30-2024H: 89°F L: 50°FLake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

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4-23-2024H: 79°F L: 53°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-24-2024H: 77°F L: 60°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-25-2024H: 79°F L: 68°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-26-2024H: 82°F L: 65°FLake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

4-27-2024H: 79°F L: 66°FLake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

4-28-2024H: 77ºF L: 59ºFVRBO, Amarillo, Texas

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4-18-2024H: 87ºF L: 61ºFThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-19-2024H: 70°F L: 54°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-20-2024H: 58°F L: 48°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-21-2024H: 65°F L: 49°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-22-2024H: 69°F L: 43°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

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4-14-2024H: 85°F L: 62°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-15-2024H: 77°F L: 66°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-16-2024H: 83°F L: 64°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-17-2024H: 83°F L: 63°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

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4-11-2024H: 73°F L: 49°FDinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, Texas

4-12-2024H: 81°F L: 49°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-13-2024H: 81°F L: 59°FThousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

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Ingredients

Directions

Notes

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5-6-2024
H: 71°F L: 54°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

5-7-2024
H: 80°F L: 46°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

5-8-2024
H: 77°F L: 53°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

5-9-2024
H: 76°F L: 50°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

5-10-2024
H: 78°F L: 50°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

5-1-2024
H: 81°F L: 63°F
Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

5-2-2024
H: 76°F L: 65°F
Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

5-3-2024
H: 78ºF L: 60ºF
Tonkawa Casino RV Park, Tonkawa, Oklahoma

5-4-2024
H: 71°F L: 60°F
Tonkawa Casino RV Park, Tonkawa, Oklahoma

5-5-2024
H: 69°F L: 52°F
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, Kansas

4-29-2024
H: 80ºF L: 47ºF
VBRO, Amarillo, Texas

4-30-2024
H: 89°F L: 50°F
Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

4-23-2024
H: 79°F L: 53°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-24-2024
H: 77°F L: 60°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-25-2024
H: 79°F L: 68°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-26-2024
H: 82°F L: 65°F
Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

4-27-2024
H: 79°F L: 66°F
Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman, Oklahoma

4-28-2024
H: 77ºF L: 59ºF
VRBO, Amarillo, Texas

4-18-2024
H: 87ºF L: 61ºF
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-19-2024
H: 70°F L: 54°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-20-2024
H: 58°F L: 48°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-21-2024
H: 65°F L: 49°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-22-2024
H: 69°F L: 43°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-14-2024
H: 85°F L: 62°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-15-2024
H: 77°F L: 66°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-16-2024
H: 83°F L: 64°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-17-2024
H: 83°F L: 63°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-11-2024
H: 73°F L: 49°F
Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, Texas

4-12-2024
H: 81°F L: 49°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas

4-13-2024
H: 81°F L: 59°F
Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, Gordonville, Texas