After pulling a 33’ fifth wheel around the country for seven years, the 17’ trailer would be a whole new experience for us. So, from Rice, Texas to Chokoloskee, Florida, we had plenty of time to test the Casita and more importantly, our tolerance for it. We took our time (stopped to gather rosebuds) over 27 days and 1076 towing miles.
Thanks to the wide weather swings we experienced, the tests we performed on our Casita were quite robust. Before leaving Texas, we tested both propane and electric heat on some nights and the AC on other nights. Multiple random tests with torrential downpours determined the Casita is leak proof. Best of all, in between rain storms, extreme winds, and heat waves, we got to enjoy many of the places we visited and the campgrounds we parked in.
At first, we didn’t want to stray too far from Casita Trailers with our new rig. Given the close proximity to Waco we decided to check out the Texas town that sits on the Brazos River. Believe it or not, there are a couple good reasons to visit Waco, including the fossilized Columbian mammoths at the Waco Mammoth National Monument. The mammoths died in great number near a watering hole not far from Waco, now you can see their bones in an active dig site . A ranger-led tour gives you a glimpse into the fascinating research coming out of Waco Mammoth.
Waco mammoth became a national monument in 2015 
In 1978, two men looking for arrowheads and fossils near Bosque River discovered a large bone of a Columbian mammoth. 
A team of excavators were brought in and between 1978 and 1990, 16 Columbian mammoth were discovered. 
How the mammoths died is still a mystery but recent data indicate a nursery herd of at least 19 mammoths were trapped and drowned in flood waters. 
Where there are mammoth, there are camels. Who knew!
Next, there is the Magnolia Market where you can do a little shopping at the silos. Even if you are not a fan of the HGTV series ‘Fixer Upper’, you can appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit of Chip and Joanna Gaines who turned the old cotton mill grain silos into a shopping complex with specialty stores and food trucks. The silos closed in the 1990s, and the Magnolia Market and the silos grounds opened to the public in 2015, boosting Waco’s tourism.
After Waco, we stayed at a few campgrounds while passing through Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Beautiful morning water scenes, cypress trees and some of the best BBQ we’ve had sums up our itinerary.
Before leaving Texas, we had a quiet campsite at Hanks Creek COE, on Sam Rayburn reservoir. 
Osprey with its morning catch over the reservoir. 
Next stop, Chicot State Park near Lafayette, LA. At the last minute, we got the last available FHU site. Confusing campsite layout! 
It is a beautiful state park and LA offers half off campsites for seniors. Well worth it. 
Next, Cozy Rosy’s right off I-10 in Mississippi. A fun place to spend a night or two. 
It is a Harvest Host, but they offer members discount on FHU sites, which we opted for. 
It’s an old campground with several fulltimers. 
The Shed BBQ is next to the campground. That’s what makes this place special! 
Large beer selection, excellent BBQ and live music every evening. 
And they have crawfish!
We spent the second half of our mini-trip in Florida, beginning with Fort Pickens on the beautiful Gulf Islands National Seashore. We had been outrunning an easterly storm and it finally caught up to us on our first day at the park. After that, a cool breeze and mostly sunny skies gave us a couple of beautiful days to enjoy Florida’s gulf coast.
Friends met us at Fort Pickens with their fourwheeler parked across the street. 
As soon as we arrived, we watched the storm blow in from the southeast. 
Cormorants taking refuge. 
As we headed back to our Casita before the rain. 
Unfortunately, we couldn’t share happy hour with our friends that evening. 
But the weather cleared and we had a couple days of beautiful weather. 
Spent most of my time exploring and photographing the seashore dunes. 
False Rosemary 
Spiderwort 
After that, we had four Florida state parks reserved. We love Florida’s state parks and with our fifth wheel, could not access many of them. Now that size is no longer an issue, it is a joy to pull into a campsite with ease anywhere we want to be. Not only that, we took advantage of the half price discount given to Florida senior residents. And we got to visit friends and family.
Taking a well deserved nap at Blackwater River State Park. 
Blackwater River 
The wet flatwoods near Blackwater River 
Prescribed fires are used to boost the health of the flatwoods. 
Campsite at Falling Waters State Park. 
A boardwalk through the pinelands where the highest elevation in Florida is found… 
leads you to the falling waters. 
Our campsite at Tomoka State Park, near Ormond Beach. 
Beautiful areas to hike at Tomoka. 
While there, we visited Vivian’s sister who brought us to the Sugar Mill for pancake breakfast at De Leon Springs State Park. 
Vivian with her sister at the Barberville Yard Art Emporium near DeLand. 
Our final state park is Blue Spring, what a beauty!
It was a short trip, but a valid test run to prepare us for 5 months of traveling. Stay tuned as we begin to turn our attention to our 2025 adventure.
Changing Views From Our RV 
Glad everything worked out for you both. Anxiously awaiting the next leg of your journey!
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Since we volunteer at LBJ National Historical Park (Johnson City, TX) and then Big Cypress National Preserve (Ochopee, FL), we have taken a similar route. I enjoyed reading this post as we’ve visited many of the same areas – including The Silos (on another trip). Did you visit Big Cypress? Did you eat at HavAnna Cafe? Your Casita looks nice. I look forward to reading about your future travels.
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Thank you for reading our blog. We live on Chokoloskee right across Havana Cafe 😊 love to hike the Big Cypress and when we are around and not traveling, we are paddling and fishing in our beautiful Everglades. Work camping is on our list of experiences to have. Are you living in your Casita when on assignment?
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You’re welcome. You live in such a neat area! We are not work camping, but rather volunteering. We do get a FHU site in exchange for each of working 32 hours per week. We live in our 30 foot Winnebago Minnie. We lived in it 8 months this year as we also volunteered at LBJ National Historical Park before coming to Big Cypress. We did commit to returning to Big Cypress next November.
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Nice blog post and pictures.
MM
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You hit some of our favorite state parks! It’s so easy to travel with a small trailer. Definitely has its advantages. And you didn’t kill each other! I call that a success! Looking forward to your summer adventures!
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