Last weekend wrapped up our crazy three-day travel adventure, and on Sunday we finally arrived at Mountain View RV Park with absolutely stunning views of the Guadalupe Mountains. After several long travel days, seeing the mountains rise up in the distance made every mile worth it.
When we arrived, we were greeted by Regina, Jay's wife who together they own Mountain View RV Park Texas who personally showed us to our campsite. The park features large pull-through and back-in sites with full hookups, laundry facilities, showers, and beautiful bronze-painted statues scattered throughout the property that add a unique charm to the entire campground.
While talking with Regina, up rolled Jay on a motorcycle that somehow looked like a road bike and a desert bike had a baby. As we chatted, William mentioned that we were still hoping to solve our ongoing TPMS issues, which have been a thorn in our side since the beginning of this journey. William asked if Jay happened to have any blocking or cribbing that he could borrow to jack up the trailer.
One thing you'll quickly learn about Jay is that if it can be built, repaired, welded, fabricated, or fixed, he probably has the tools or equipment including heavy equipment to do it.
"I most certainly do," Jay replied.
A few minutes later, he delivered exactly what William needed.
The week started with us admiring Guadalupe Peak and El Capitan Peak in the distance. The views from the campground never got old.
Wednesday morning, William got to work. The trailer was jacked up, the wheels were removed, and it was time to make a trip into El Paso.
Jay once again came to the rescue by recommending a local tire shop called Americas Tire Repair.
When William arrived, he met the owner, Lorenzo, and his wife. Over the last ten years, they had grown their business from a small garage operation into a full-service tire facility capable of handling everything from passenger vehicles to semi-trucks. Their shop now features multiple tire machines, alignment equipment, and a Hunter HD Elite balancing machine which is made for big semi wheels.
While waiting for the wheels, William learned that Lorenzo's nine-year-old son is both a regional and state Taekwondo champion.
Then things got interesting.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lorenzo spotted a snake inside the shop. Immediately, both he and William switched into "snake duty" mode while Lorenzo's wife calmly continued balancing wheels as if this happened every day.
With the wheels finished, William spent the rest of the day running errands, stocking up on supplies, and making a few Amazon returns before heading back to the campground.
His original plan was to smoke a brisket or pork butt as a thank-you dinner for Jay and Regina, but Costco had other plans. Both were sold out, so he picked up a tri-tip instead.
When William returned, we finally got the TPMS sensors paired with the truck, and for the first time everything appeared to be working exactly as it should.
That evening, we were treated to one of the most beautiful night skies we've seen on this trip so far. The temperature was perfect, there was a light breeze, and we spent the evening simply looking up at the stars.
Thursday became practice day for the smoker.
William hadn't smoked anything in quite a while, so he decided to do a test run with the tri-tip on the Traeger. It turned out to be a complete success. With nothing more than salt, pepper, and Traeger's Prime Rib Rub, the tri-tip cooked in about an hour and a half and rested for thirty minutes before being sliced.
By Friday, it was time to host dinner.
Once Krysta finished work, we jumped into cleaning mode. At one point, Krysta joked that she felt like they were cleaning for the President of the United States.
William quickly pointed out that, technically, they were cleaning for the President of Mountain View RV Park.
As dinner time approached, a massive dust storm rolled into the campground.
And when we say dust storm, we mean dust everywhere.
The wind was blowing so hard it burned your eyes. To keep the smoker going, William ended up moving it underneath the tongue of the trailer for protection.
If you can picture William crouched under the front of the trailer wearing glasses, with a white towel wrapped around his face while trying to smoke a tri-tip in a dust storm, it was quite the sight.
Despite the weather, dinner turned out fantastic.
Jay and Regina arrived, the tri-tip finished perfectly, and we enjoyed a meal of smoked tri-tip, baked beans, and mac and cheese. With empty plates and full bellies, we spent the evening learning more about how they built Mountain View RV Park and hearing stories about life in West Texas.
We wrapped up the evening with delicious key lime pie and strawberry pie.
Saturday was considerably less exciting.
Mainly because it was approximately 1,768 degrees outside.
At least that's what it felt like.
Even the dogs wanted absolutely nothing to do with being outdoors.
Before we knew it, Sunday had arrived and it was time to pack up once again and continue our journey.
Where did we end up next?
You'll have to check back next week to find out.
Until then, we'll keep chasing sunsets, collecting stories, and enjoying every mile of this adventure.
See you next week from the road! 🚐❤️
