As much as I enjoyed spending a lot of time with my family in Fort Worth, TX., I was really glad to get back on the road again and seeing this beautiful country. My first stop was only about 75 miles away so it was an easy drive. I landed at Purtis Creek State Park just outside of Eustace, TX. It is about 4 1/2 miles down a narrow farm road from Hwy 175. At first I thought my GPS was leading me astray, but I continued down the road as it had instructed and came out right at the entrance to the park.
While driving there I got a phone call from my Mom, which I answered and put on speaker. All of the sudden my phone dropped the call. I pulled over to call back but couldn’t connect. That should have been a signal as to what I was in store for. I signed in at the park office and then decided to park at my site and then finish the call. I had trouble but was able to walk to a spot where I could complete my call to my Mom. It was sure great talking with her.
Whenever I get set up in any campsite I always setup my laptop to see if I am able to get a good Internet connection. I could get connected but didn’t even have one bar and kept getting dropped out. I checked my cell phone and was also having trouble connecting with that as well. I have Verizon Wireless for both my Internet and my cell phone. BUMMER!!!!
I do have a Wilson Electronics Dual Band Trucker Mirror Mount Antenna with 3-Way Mount that connects to my Verizon 3G UMW190 which will boost my signal. I hooked it up and have had great reception ever since. Unfortunately I don’t have an amplifier for my phone so if I need to make a call I usually have to walk about 1/4 mile to where I get good reception.
The site the rangers assigned to me had very little shade. When it is 100+ degrees you need as much shade as you can get. I returned to the visitor’s center and they happily changed me to the site I wanted. This is where I am parked for 3 days. It is not completely in the shade but for the hottest time of the day it is shaded.
Be sure to click and then click again to enlarge all photos.
I took a hike down to the fishing pier to check it out. There were two guys down there and they both were not having too much luck catching anything but small fish that they threw back. I could have gone back and got my fishing equipment but didn’t have any bait. I could have driven down to get bait but would have to crawl on my roof and take down the Wilson antenna. Besides it was very hot and they didn’t seem to be having any luck so I figured I would have even less luck,
I took a short hike around my campsite. I was able to follow a trail down to a small creek in back of my site. This next pic is almost half way to the creek looking back to my rig.
Here I am at the creek.
The following pic was taken from the creek area back to my rig. You can barely see the rig. The forest is very dense around here. On a walk yesterday I saw a deer standing on the edge of the forest. Once she saw me she took off into the woods. I was hoping I could run into her again but no such luck.
I am only here for 3 nights and will be leaving here tomorrow and heading to Caddo Lake State Park on the edge of the Texas/ Louisiana border.
Jimbo's Journeys 
I wouldn’t take the deer running from you personally, Jim.
I know what a sensitive guy you are.
The territory you are in is far too warm for this blood. Enjoy.
Ya know, it could be me, but usually when camping… the first thing I do usually ISN’T to see if my laptop can pick up a signal or go checking my phone to see if I got a bar or two. Look I live in the city, and I leave the house without my phone sometimes and have no idea where I’m going and don’t care to let anyone know. And ya know what? I make it back every time. Also, they have these things called books and magazines that are full of useful information… Not like on FACEBOOK where somebody sent you a message to let you know they’re now raising cows on a cyber farm and wanted to send you a glass of milk. You were at a place where you shouldn’t have to check an email. And the part where you chose not to go get bait because you’d have to take down electronic equipment that didn’t really work so great for ya anyway only shows that you missed out. This lake is KNOWN for it’s fishing. You may have been there when it was super hot and the bites were slow, but still you’d have caught something in the evening off that pier. You did however see a deer. Good for you. A real treat is to bring a watermelon as a snack when you get hot and leave the rinds and seeds out on the ground at sunset on the way down to the water. I promise that on your way back you’ll run onto that deer again.