Richmond, Texas

This stop didn’t have an entrance sign or a campground loop.

We pulled in to stay with Kass, someone I’ve known since my first trip to Texas in 1996. Over time, she and Gary became our consistent connection to this part of the country. Many visits to Texas over the years included time with them.

This time, the rhythm of the place was different.

We set up behind a large barn at the back of her property. There’s a wide concrete pad with power, positioned far enough from the house that it feels like its own space. Easy to get in, easy to settle.

From the rig, the view opens out instead of closing in. One side looks over a pasture with a handful of horses that move slowly throughout the day. The other direction faces a large estate home that looks like something off the cover of Hotel California. Not close enough to feel like a neighbor, but always there in the background.

Everything sits on acreage, so nothing presses in.

It’s quiet in a different way than a park. No foot traffic. No loops. No one passing through.

We arrived on March 11 planning to stay about a week. That stretched to the 20th, and then again to the 29th. It ended up being our longest stay in one place since we've been on the road.

We used it as a base. Sam was flying in and out of Houston for work, and being close to IAH and Hobby made the back-and-forth manageable. Having a fixed place to return to gave the whole stretch some structure.

Most days settled into a mix of work and time around the property.

I was still working remotely, so part of the day stayed structured. The rest filled in with whatever needed attention. Clearing weeds, resetting parts of the garden, cleaning up branches, handling small maintenance tasks that had been left alone.

But it wasn’t just project work.

We spent a fair amount of time talking. Going through old photos. Sharing meals. Cooking together. The kind of unstructured time that doesn’t happen when a visit is short.

There’s a different pace when you stay longer. You stop trying to fit things in and just move through the day as it comes.

Gary had passed earlier this year after a short illness. I’d only ever known them as "Kass and Gary", and being there without him changed the feel of the place, even though nothing about it had physically changed.

So the time there carried a mix of things. Practical work, conversation, and just being present.

My mom came through for a couple of days while we were there. We kept things simple. Time outside, some time at the pool, no real structure beyond being there and spending time together.

By the end of the stay, the property felt a little more in order. Not different. Just a bit of spring preparation.

Takeaway

Not every stop is about access or activity.

Sometimes it’s about staying long enough to settle into someone else’s daily life, and making yourself useful while you’re there.