Amarillo and Lake Meredith

March 18-20, 2022

We were back in Amarillo, in Texas, staying at Fort Amarillo. We liked it and decided to stay there each time we were in Amarillo. It snowed, there was a wildfire close by, and it was windy by Texas standards, but we still liked it. Monica was going to be working in the office there, so we'd be at that campground a lot. We were only there for two weeks, but we had plans for the weekend.

We realized that we felt like we were camping all the time, so we hadn't planned any camping getaways. We decided to spend the weekend at Lake Meredith, a big lake and National Recreation Area north of town. We wanted to come back to Fort Amarillo and the same site, so we just kept it for the weekend, too. It meant we could leave a lot of our stuff there, so it wasn't a bad idea. We even had time to go to the Alibates Flint Quarries and do the ranger-led hike. We'd probably do it again, too, because it was really interesting.

When we got to Lake Meredith and our campsite, we found someone in it. That was a first! We parked the motor home in the boat trailer parking area (it was huge) and went down to the bait and tackle shop as they were also responsible for campground reservations. After they made a call, it turned out the couple with a fifth wheel in our spot were regulars and got their reservation mixed up. Rather than have them move, we just took their actual spot, the one next to them. It worked out just fine.

We also found out that the fifth-wheel owners also owned a great restaurant in town, All About Burgers, Etc. in Borger, Texas. After setting things up, we headed into town to get a burger. The owners, Cim and Daniel, were so nice! They bought our dinners, and we promised to hang out at the campground once they were off work and relaxing.

It's so funny how you meet new friends sometimes! It turns out we really got along with them and their friends who came to visit, and we had a great time all weekend. It will be so fun to get together with them each time we are in Amarillo, and hopefully they can get together with us at campgrounds near there.

Of course, we were there to check out the lake, so we were on the water the next day. The lake was really nice! It's long, with steep canyon walls on both sides at times. We cruised out to the end, and when it started getting too shallow, we turned around and headed back. We had to check out most of the coves on the way back, as we always do.

Then we saw a beach. It was a long beach, and two boats were already there. We pulled up to the shore between them, and there was still a ton of room around us. We killed the engine and got ready to get out and enjoy the sand. Margot wanted to readjust where the boat was, turned the key, and the boat wouldn't start.

Margot tried a few things, but it was dead. So, she jumped out and walked over to the boat that was nearest to us. A couple guys from that group brought over a battery and jumper cables, thinking the battery was dead. They couldn't get it jump started, so it was something other than the battery. Our other neighbors were also dead in the water, so it was a bit of a circus.

We called up to the bait and tackle shop, and they said they could tow us in for $75 if we could wait. That sounded like a good deal. Then, a pontoon boat with some fishermen on it came by and asked if we needed help (Texans are so nice, every single time!). They offered to tow us in, so we took them up on it.

It was slow going, and we were still pretty far from the boat ramps. When we got there, they slung us into a slip. They wouldn't take any money, so we promised to pay it forward when we could.

Monica walked up to the car and boat trailer (it's a steep and long walk!). She went by the motor home to pick something up, and Cim and Daniel were there with their friends. They offered to come help, so we all went down to the water. Margot had managed to paddle the boat over to near the ramp, and as we got there the old, wood paddle snapped in two. Even with this comedy of errors, we managed to get the boat onto the trailer, and we were out of the water.

Our new friends helped figure out it was a bad starter, and they even took us around to find a new one. We couldn't find one, of course. So, boating was out but camping was in!

We went back to Amarillo, and on Monday they came up to our campground with our rebuilt starter! Everyone worked on the boat, and the starter was the trick. Awesome!

We are so lucky to have met our new Texas buddies, and we can't wait for another camping trip with them. I guess that makes us Texans!