RV Lifestyle Story and photos by Rex Vogel A short trip to this smoke-flavoured town should be on any food-lover’s bucket list. Dubbed the “BBQ Capital of Texas,” Lockhart is easily one of the most legendary barbecue destinations anywhere. While you couldmake it a day trip, you’ll need several days or more to eat your way through it. Your itinerary includes the BigThree: Black’s Barbecue (open since 1932), Kreuz Market (established in 1900), and Smitty’s Market (since 1948). You’ll be consuming a lot of meat, so be sure to stop for breaks. Proceed in any order you please. Lockhart has one more stop in store for you: Chisholm Trail Barbecue (opened by a Black’s alum in 1978). There’s a drive-through and BBQ sandwiches if you so please, but you can also head inside for a full-plate lunch packed with smoked turkey, sausage links and moist brisket with such sides as mac and cheese, hash browns and broccoli salad – because you should probably get some greens. But there’s a lot more to Lockhart than just smoked meats. This “little city with a big heart” – as the town slogan goes – retains much of its wild cowboy roots and will show you an entirely different perspective on Texas. Check out the Jail Museum for its take on Norman castellated architecture (a popular style for jails during the time period; it was built in the mid-1800s). Golfers can look out on the rugged Texas scenery while enjoying a round of golf at the Lockhart State Park Golf Course, which also has RV camping, an on-site swimming pool and a fishing hole. Forsyth Park, Savannah, Georgia The General Sherman Tree is the world’s largest tree, measured by volume. It stands 83.8 m tall and is 11.1 m in maximum diameter at the base. Sequoia trunks remain wide high up. At 4.3 m above the base, the Sherman Tree is 4.3 m in diameter. A fence protects the shallow roots of the Sherman Tree. Help protect the tree by staying on the paved trail. Two trails lead to the Sherman Tree. Parking for the Main Trail is off Wolverton Road (between the Sherman Tree and Lodgepole); just follow the signs. The 0.3 km trail has a few stairs and is paved. As you walk, you’ll enter the Giant Forest sequoia grove. Exhibits along the trail explain the natural history of giant sequoias. Hundreds of sequoias grow in the Giant Forest sequoia grove. The Congress Trail, a paved 1.2 m loop that begins near the Sherman Tree, offers excellent opportunities to see notable trees. Big Trees Trail, a 0.6 km loop around a lush meadow, has interpretive exhibits about the natural history of giant sequoias. For a longer walk, explore the many trails in the area. Beyond the Giant Forest, more sequoia groves await. Forsyth Park is a large city park that occupies 12 ha in the historic district of Savannah. The park is bordered by Gaston Street on the north, Drayton Street on the east, Park Avenue on the south, and Whitaker Street on the west. The park contains walking paths, a café, a children’s play area, a Fragrant Garden for the blind, a large fountain, tennis courts, basketball courts, areas for soccer and Frisbee, and is the home field for Savannah Shamrocks Rugby Club. From time to time, concerts are held at Forsyth Park. General Sherman Tree, Sequoia National Park, California Lockhart, Texas Worth Pondering… I was here, I saw this and it mattered to me. —Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel CSANews | WINTER 2022 | 31
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