Since there is no time like the present, rather than stay at campgrounds in Alvarado Texas to wait for parts to be shipped to my Texas service center from various manufacturers to repair my mobile home. I decided to homestead at Cedar Hill State Park in Texas which is my first State Park.
During my trip to the park Google map lost its connection after telling me to take an upcoming exit and pass shell. I quickly transferred over to Waze where a mickey-mouse sounding female said, “Make a loop; make a loop; make a loop.” However, there was no place to make a loop to the left-side of the street because traffic was heavy. So, I kept driving and looking for a place to turn around, but I saw nothing!
Finally, there was only one vehicle on the left-side of the street heading towards me. I quickly swung my mobile home out to my right, then back to the left through the turn and bumped the curve on the shoulder which closed the turn-lane and blocked three other lanes now filled with traffic. “god-dammit Danny Boy what a fine mess you got us into.”
No one blew his/her horn; pumped fist, yelled hurry the hell up or let me get in; I’ll turn you around or back you in – like Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC residents. Instead, these Texians patiently waited and watched as I repeatedly backed-up; turned my steering wheel to inch forward until I could clear the far-left curve. Then, I did three taps on my horn as a thank you and took Exit 67-North. Many folks honked back. Honestly, this is when I realized a 30-foot mobile home is long.
It was dusk when I arrived at the park-just in time to hookup my electric and water. I connected my sewer pipe 3-days later. However, prior to entering the park, the Ranger at the entrance informed me the park had an ant problem and recommend I purchase Sevin5 Ready-to-Use 5% Dust to sprinkle a circle around my rv to deter these pests from infesting your residence. The next morning, I discovered lines similar to magic marker lines along many exterior seams of my rv and discovered they were ants. I sprayed these areas with Hot Shot Spray and went to purchase the recommended product from Wal-Mart garden section which kept the ants out once applied.
I decided to research the parks ants problem and discovered, these ants were invasive species called Argentina Ants because they are native to Argentina and Brazil. These ants vary in color from light to dark brown and measures 1/8 inch long. Since their discovery in New Orleans in 1981, it was determined the ants had spread to Texas by 2016. Further, Argentina Ants colonies are huge and support multiple queens which explains the quick infestation throughout many parks and residents in Texas. Trust me, these ants are everywhere. If they enter your dwelling they are extremely hard to get rid of; short of setting-off Hot Shot Foggers or similar products.
Now about the park: Prior to becoming a State Park this land was owned by the Penn Family for over a century and known as Penn Farm an agricultural property used to raise cattle, horses, crops of wheat and/or cotton which is representative of small middle-class farmsteads that once occupied the border of Dallas County.
Do you remember the 1970-1980 Little House on The Prairie tv series? I hadn’t thought about that series or heard the word prairie mentioned until I moved to Sioux Falls South Dakota. This is when I begin to wonder why residents were calling unkept areas with tall weeds, grass, bushes and trees prairies.
Today a Park Ranger told me, “The word Prairie means Meadow which is a French word.” In keeping with that definition, there are many family and solo traveler things to do at this park such as hike and bike on trails; learn about plants and wildlife. Bird watch, fish, attend annual events, swim, sit by the water and dream, use private crafts to go boating or kayaking and enjoy a cookout or favorite meals with family and friends. This park is worth visiting or homesteading if Texas is your destination or a cut-through route during your travels.
