Something’s Brewin’ in Shiner, TX

Nestled below the triangle of Houston, Austin, and San Antonio is the old Czech-German town of Shiner, home to a beer by the same name crafted at the 101-year-old Spoetzl Brewery. Currently owned by Carlos Alvarez of Gambrinus Brands, the Spoetzl Brewing Co. of Shiner, is the last of the original Texas breweries. Their classic Shiner Bock is a God given blessing. “little brewery in Shiner” © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved The original brewery was founded in 1901 amid an Austrian, German, and Czech farming community near the railroad tracks on the banks of Boggy Creek. The early efforts did not go well and the brewery was leased to Oswald Petzold and German brewing craftsman Kosmas Spoetzl in 1914. Carrying a family recipe for a Bavarian beer made from pure malt and hops, Spoetzl began to produce beer in wooden kegs and bottles. The following year, Spoetzl purchased the brewery. After 1916 the beer was packaged in glass returnable bottles; aluminum kegs were first used in 1947, nonreturnable bottles came in 1958, party kegs in 1964, and cans in 1970. During Prohibition, the brewery produced ice and near-beer and, and according to some sources, regular beer as well. After his wife’s death in 1921, Spoetzl considered returning to Bavaria but was convinced by his daughter to retain the business. With repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the business resumed, with the introduction of “Texas Export,” a new product later known as “Texas Special” beer. Sales... Read more

Mark’s RV Garage Episode # 1 Released

The first episode of the Internet based RV how-to TV show titled “Mark’s RV Garage” is available for viewing at www.rvconsumer.com and on You Tube On this episode of Mark’s RV Garage learn how easy it is to extend the life of your water heater tank, take an inside look at what the KOA in Kissimmee Florida has offer in amenities and attarctions, see what Mark won’t leave home without in his RV Toolbox, get an insider look at what’s happening in the world of RVs for 2011 and much more. Episodes of Mark’s RV Garage will be archived at www.rvconsumer.com for easy retreival and viewing. Episode # 2 will be availabe for viewing on 21 February 2011. Happy RV Learning, Mark Polk www.rvconsumer.com  Read More →

The Zen of Boondocking – Part I

Bob Difley When the first self-contained RVs appeared on American highways, the concept of a full service RV resort had not even become the germ of an idea. The idea behind the RVs was to become independent of electrical, water, and sewage systems–to be self sustainable while seeing the wondrous scenic landscapes of this great and diverse country. The independence was the beauty of RV camping. Then campgrounds and hook-ups came along and the RVer evolved from wanting to be free of tethers to the RVer demanding campgrounds with hook-ups wherever he wanted to camp. Campgrounds turned into resorts with amenities to match the luxurious vacation hotels and spas–with price tags to match. And many RVers lost their ability to camp without life-supporting appendages, just like early humanoids lost their tails when they stopped swinging from trees. But unlike the humanoids that lost their tails, RVs did not lose their ability to camp without the life-supporting tethers. In fact, they became even more adaptable, efficient, and practical for camping independent of support systems well beyond the dreams of the early adapters. Giant water supply tanks and waste tanks, generators, solar panels, high efficiency electricity-storing batteries, full size refrigerators, massive amounts of storage and pantries, efficient heating and cooling systems–and many other improvements–now make camping without hook-ups–boondocking–almost as easy as staying in a full hook-up... Read more

Electric Vehicle update – Quant EV

By Bob Difley This article may be of little importance unless you own a motorhome with a built in garage, or are ready to tow a flatbed trailer for your dinghy. However, it does illustrate where the Electric Vehicle (EV) technology is taking us and what we may expect to see somewhere down the road. The vehicle described below is the creation of the Swedish company Koenigsegg. You can read the entire version the Electric Forum’s article here. The Koenigsegg Quant The 2009 Geneva Motor Show will go down in history with regards to Koenigsegg and the release of the long-awaited Quant electric vehicle. This is a four seater sport car which is manufactured using the latest photovoltaic coating, the latest aerodynamic technology and the latest electric power motor technology. In many ways this is the holy grail of the electric car industry so far and has caught the attention of manufacturers and consumers around the world. The electric power This is really the ultimate electric powered vehicle on the market at the moment and uses the latest NLV solar technology which makes full use of the whole surface of the vehicle. Powered by electric batteries and said to be capable of travelling 500 km without a physical recharge this is only the tip of the iceberg with regards to the technology under the bonnet. As we suggested above, the photovoltaic coating of the vehicle actually captures energy from the sun, while driving, creating solar power which then tops up the cars electric power... Read more

Barbecue Central and much more: Luling, TX

Entering Luling from Interstate 10, you’ll notice the world’s largest watermelon rising up 154 feet from a melon patch. Never mind that this impressive specimen is made of steel and comprises the tank portion of the town’s water tower. The horizontal green and white stripes combine with the shape of the 56-foot-diameter storage tank, to create a great watermelon effect. ‘Cow Jumping Over Moon’ is located in a field on Pierce Street. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved Located on the banks of the San Marcos River, about 45 miles south of Austin, Luling has all the elements of the perfect Texan small town—historic buildings, great barbecue, quirky history, viable downtown, lively harvest festival, a noon whistle, vintage stop signs, and eclectic shopping. However, there’s more. The center of this rural town lies along railroad tracks where oil field workers first pitched their tents—and freight trains continue to rattle on through. This is Texas as it used to be! Old oil pump jacks around town are decorated with quirky plywood paintings of animals and a variety of characters—a cow jumping over the moon, a shark, see saw kids, and a yokel devouring a large slice of watermelon. Many of the wells are still active, sucking up black gold under people’s lawns, in local parks, and near businesses and train tracks. The 1885 Walker Bros. Building, in the heart of downtown, houses the Central Texas Oil Patch Museum, which pays tribute to the area’s oil industry and... Read more

Campers Choose Their Favorite Campground for January

Woodall’s is searching for North America’s Favorite Campground, and is asking RVers and campers to help us. Throughout this year, campers have multiple opportunities to nominate their favorite campground by going to www.woodalls.com/myfavoritecampground and casting their vote. At the close of the year, a grand prize winner will be named North America’s Favorite Campground, but Woodall’s will be counting the votes throughout the year, and announcing the monthly winners of the sweepstakes as well. The campground that received the most votes in the month of January was Candy Hill Campground, in Winchester, Virginia! Read more about Candy Hill Campground here. Pismo Beach The second place winner was Pismo Coast Village RV Resort. Situated midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles in the California Central Coast, Pismo Coast Village RV Resort is located right on the scenic Pismo Beach. This award winning resort is conveniently located within walking distance from downtown Pismo Beach shopping, restaurants, and the famous Pismo Pier. Pismo Coast Village RV Resort features 400 full hookup sites, each with complimentary wireless internet access and cable TV, and offers many great amenities including a General Store, heated pool, arcade, restaurant, laundromat, bicycle rentals, and miniature golf. Only ten votes separated Pismo Coast Village RV Resort from January’s third place winner—Normandy Farms Family Camping Resort. Just 30 miles from historic Boston, Normandy Farms... Read more

ANSWERS TO YOUR QUARTZSITE QUESTIONS

 By Barry & Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers  We’re packing up this morning, but before we head out of Quartzsite to get on the road again, there are some questions posed in last night’s  comments section that I’ll try to answer: “To be happy you must be free; to be free you must be brave.”  This seems like an appropriate occasion to repeat that Norse adage. Some of you are taking this place too seriously.  You can make reservations and you can research everything there is to know about the area and local events, or you can do it like we did.  You drive anywhere within five miles of town, look around, find a place near other RVs parked in the desert and turn off the engine. Your neighbors, who were once as timid as you about the RV experience, will tell you more than you need to know.  It’s that simple. Now, in answer to Chestnuts, the best way to find information about the place, other than putting in “Quartzsite” in your Internet browser, is to call or visit the Chamber of Commerce.  And don’t worry about our landlords, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  They aren’t going to tell you anything that your neighbors can’t. To Drew, who is apprehensive, I refer you to Paragraph 2 above (the one with the italics).  As commenter Thomas said, “It’s truly an experience that should not be missed.”  As for the honey wagon, the service that visits campgrounds to drain the tanks, we’ve heard that it has been available in past years but... Read more

QUARTZSITE IV — LOTS MORE TO SEE & DO

 By Barry & Monique Zander,  the Never-Bored RVers   Need It Or Not, It's Here © All photos by Barry Zander. All rights reserved Our stay in Quartzsite, Arizona, continues until Wednesday.  Monday we swooped by the booths in the area near the RV Show big tent to see if there were any more bargains we couldn’t pass up.  With money intact, we went exploring a few of the nearby attractions. In case you are in Quartzsite now or were here for the RV show, you may be wondering about some of the erroneous statements made in our previous three blogs.  There’s a reason for mistakes – not a good one, you understand – but it’ll have to do, and I’ll get to that in a moment below. But, first, I wrote earlier that there are no banks here.  There is actually one, Horizon Hi Jolly -- Quartzsite's #1 Photo Op Bank, and we passed it everyday without noticing it.  In our sojourning Tuesday, we turned west onto Main Street, where we discovered dozens of businesses we hadn’t seen before, including at least four national fast-food outlets and other restaurants, more gas stations and numerous more flea market-type places, selling everything from farm equipment to … well, just about everything. This place just goes on and on.  It’s overwhelming and can’t be done in two or three days – even if you are gluttons for shopping and actually wanted to. The most interesting “attraction” of the day was recommended to us by a vendor and in comments in previous blogs. ... Read more

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