We have not even left yet to return to our favorite workamping job back at the ranch for the summer, and we’re already talking about getting back to Texas next winter. So, I’ve finally uploaded this video of Kristyn Harris singing a fun rendition of ”Been Everywhere” – in true Texas fashion.

If you spend much time in Texas, see how many town names you recognize in this version of the Hank Snow classic. If you like this, you may also enjoy the Rick Moranis lyrics in his satirical adaptation, I Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.

We were fortunate enough to catch Kristyn on camera at the 2012 Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Alpine, where the cowgirls clearly stole the show. Hopefully by the time we return, I’ll have updated our Cowboy Poetry Playlist with more videos from our last visit! For more home movies of local music from all around the country, check out the Musicamericana playlist on our Videos page.

All of my most memorable live music from our past six years on the road, has been in Small Town, USA. A few highlights include seeing Virgina governors jam with the Jug Busters at the Floyd Country Store, the Grassmatics performing Deep Ellum Blues upon request at Artz Ribs in Austin, Michael Martin Murphy (of Wildfire fame) up close and personal in Lake City, and of course every trip we’ve taken back to Luckenbach, Texas. OK, Austin isn’t exactly a small town, but Artz is sure a small venue!

Where have you seen great local music in America?

Please leave a comment to share your favorite musical memories from the road. And check out the Motornomadics Music page for more travel-inspired tunes!

By all appearances, country music is dead in America. The mainstream country pop garbage on redneck radio might seem to indicate that we as a nation have turned a deaf ear to quality folksy tunes, but all you need to do is giddy up over to Texas to know for sure that great American music is thriving.

One of our annual stops for great live music is Luckenbach Texas. During an epic Texas flood or a brisk snowstorm like the one we encountered recently, we try not to let anything stand in our way of this musical pilgrimage.

Luckenbach also has one of the best overnight camping deals in the entire Hill Country Region. For just $15 a night, you get the privilege of boondocking on the property grounds.

What could be better than having your home within stumbling distance of the center of the universe?

Not a day goes by when there isn’t some kind of live music happening. Even the bartenders get into the act.

With no cover charge during the week, that means we give better tips to the band and imbibe on better beer at the bar!

Our last visit included a night with the Doug Moreland Trio. This fun Texas band is straight-up Americana at its best. It’s amazing how three guys can create such a big sound!

One of our goals in life is to have a piece of property somewhere in central or West Texas. With LUCK  and hard work, we hope it’s stumbling distance to the center of the universe, Luckenbach, Texas!

Check out the Doug Moreland Trio for some great music. We’ll have our own videos of their act soon, but for now here’s a sample:

If there’s one thing Jim and I have learned after leaving our conventional life behind, is that every wrong turn or unexpected meeting happens for a reason. You can spend a lot of time mapping your life or your road trip or whatever, but ultimately there is a greater force in control of the shape that your life takes. There are no coincidences.

So what is that force? I don’t think of it as “God” but instead, the power of Intention.

The results of my life are the end result of all of the different types of intentions that I’ve put into it.

From negativity to positivity, every day of my life is a reflection of my choices.

Redefining “Bad” and “Good”

In my previous life, I might have perceived our current situation of being stuck in Livingston while our dog recovers from his illness as something really negative. After all, we didn’t get to fulfill our goal to journey down the Great River Road, and I just broke my Mom’s heart by telling her we can’t come to L.A. for Christmas because of Wyatt’s upcoming vet appointments at A&M.

Despite all this, for now we are making the most of this unexpected detour by remembering all the good that’s right in front of us, like:

1. We get to hang out with some really nice members of the full-time RVing community. There’s no need to explain our lifestyle choice, everyone here gets it whether they’re 80 or 30. Everyone here has an interesting story to share and something to teach us.
2. It’s a chance to hunker down, work on making money and re-build our emergency fund.
3. The weather is fabulous.
4. Escapees park rent is cheap.
5. Finally, getting to meet people who’ve been following our blog for a while, like Stephen from Bunkhouse Tales. This new full-timer showed up in the park this weekend, saw our rig and said “Hey I know those guys!”

We had a blast last night getting to know this ex-Wall Street suit -turned-long-haired-nomadic-photographer. He’s been on the road one year now, and loves the lifestyle, but has reached the same kind of turning point where Jim and I were after our first year on the road;

do we continue living this very free lifestyle and make our own rules as we go, or fall back into the safe routine of “normal” living that people expect from us?

You see, a few months ago, Stephen also ran into our long-time RVer friend Kevin, founder of NuRvers. If that wasn’t a sign that this guy needs to follow his full-timing dream, I don’t know what is.

Stephen, the Universe is telling you something. If you’re reading this, I know you know the answer that’s right for you . . .

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, hope yours was just grand. While we anxiously wait for news on when our Wyatt can come home (he’s still at Texas A&M vet hospital), we couldn’t ask to be in a better place.

The folks here at Rainbow’s End in Livingston are the best. It doesn’t matter how long you’re away or even if you’ve never been here, they always go out of their way to make you feel like one of the regulars.  We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner with over 100 people yesterday, and a casual potluck with Thanksgiving leftovers tonight.

Jim and I are definitely among the youngest members here. One of the best parts about being the kids in the park, is that we get the benefit of learning from these adventurous souls who choose the full-time RV lifestyle while we were still in grade school.

Photo by Dennis, RVDrivingSchool.blogspot.com

For example, tonight we sat with a fascinating couple who defied all expectations about what “getting old” means. She was 81 and he was 88 years old but they didn’t appear to be older than 70-ish. They’ve been full-timing for 25 years, and have no plans to stop. As former hobby pilots, this couple has led a life of non-stop adventure that included worldwide travel as well as RVing. I asked the wife what her secret was to keeping young, and she simply said:

“Stay active! Always!”

I love talking to elders who refuse to utter the words “I’m getting Old” and continue to live life to the fullest. They really do prove that age is just a state of mind. I never want to forget that.

Leaving the Stillwell Ranch experience was like slowly acclimating back into society. Even the tiny burg of Alpine seemed like a big city after living within the desolate lands of the Big Bend.

To lessen the impact of immersion, we meandered up the Panhandle through the smallest Texas towns while staying ahead of devastating tornadoes and hailstorms.

One of our first stops was the Roy Orbison Museum in Wink.

“Football, oil fields, oil, grease and sand”

That’s exactly how Roy once described his hometown. It’s still true. But really, how can you resist a town called Wink, especially if it’s the home of a famous rock star?

Jim and I are only old enough to remember Roy from his Traveling Wilburys days, but are well aware of the influence his amazing voice had on 1960s rock and roll. Since I can’t resist a good tourist trap, I had to see the museum honoring his memory.

Don’t blink, or you’ll miss the free Roy Orbison Museum on the main drag.  Each June, the town honors their most famous resident with a Roy Orbison Festival and Pretty Woman beauty pageant. It’s a small place with a massive collection of memorabilia including his trademark sunglasses and even the high school yearbooks he illustrated while attending Wink High.

Wandering into Waylon Territory

As we continued up the Panhandle looking for more fantastic free city parks to pass time until our date with RV America in Loveland, a Days End Directory listing for “Waylon Jennings City Park and RV Campground” caught my eye.

Located just west of Lubbock, I wondered, could this park be named after the Waylon Jennings? Yep, shore is!

Waylon grew up in Littlefield, a small cotton growing town that’s hanging on by a thread. Of course every small town needs a liquor store, and Littlefield has two.

Turns out that one of them is owned by Waylon’s brother James, but we didn’t know this at the time, and stopped at the spiffier competitor up the road. Bad decision. Duh!

We missed Waymore’s Drive Through Liquor Store and Waylon Jennings Museum, which features a collection of Waylon memorabilia, including his first guitar and a a framed platinum record of “Wanted! The Outlaws” the LP that put Outlaw Country on the radar.

If you catch his brother James on a good day, he might even give you a ten minute tour of Littlefield and show you landmarks like the house where Waylon grew up and a popular corner for fistfights back in the day.

Waylon was one of the greatest country musicians who ever lived. He deserves so much more than shrine enclosed in a liquor store. I hope some day his significance is properly honored with a dedicated building.

Don’t underestimate the Panhandle, it’s full of fantastic freebies, free camping and nifty little attractions like these.

Just be sure to avoid the stinky parts and visit when there’s less of a chance of a tornado tossing your rig into Oklahoma.