We’ve never camped in the heart of a major city before but we were pleasantly surprised the experience turned out to be such a positive one when we needed it the most. John was scheduled to be examined by a team of doctors at MD Andersen Cancer Hospital over the weekend after a prostate cancer diagnosis. At the time, we lived in Bandera, a small town 5 hours away one-way but we know we wanted the best medical care for John, and MD Andersen has an outstanding reputation. We had never been to Houston before but we were up to the adventure because we wanted to make the trip with an emphasis on fun, not just dread. We packed up our Thor ACE 27.2, our gear, 3 small dogs and set off on our journey.
We thought we had given ourselves plenty of time to get to Houston but because of traffic congestion due to construction on the interstates for miles, it took us hours longer than we predicted. We ended driving at night next to jersey walls, some call them k-rails, in what seemed like narrower and narrower lanes all the way to the city. Traffic was thick and it was slow.
It was a relief when we finally arrived through the gate and went to the office for our assigned spot. The park was quiet and we could see the reflections of palms over the lake. We carefully backed into the spacious site and commenced getting our rig ready for the night since we were pretty exhausted. There was even room to unhitch the toad, and park our Jeep next to the RV. We were eager to see what the first light of dawn would show us before John’s appointment the next day, as we already knew the park had potential.
As their website says, Lakeview RV Resort offers on-site, stocked fishing lake, sparkling swimming pool, jacuzzi, business center, professional-grade laundry facilities, fitness center, and two electric vehicle charging stations. Lakeview provides a complimentary shuttle service to the Texas Medical Center and the MD Anderson Cancer Center every 2 hours on weekdays but we decided we preferred to drive our Jeep instead.
We awoke to a hot, muggy morning. In fact, the humidity was kind of shocking to us but we slowly got used to it. It felt like Florida. A sidewalk leads around the lake. The lawn was very green and manicured. A short walk around to look at the amenities really impressed us. They even had a dog washing station, as well as complimentary coffee and popcorn bar, EV charging stations, exercise equipment, free wifi and high speed internet. We decided to enjoy their spa and pool every chance we got while we were there. It’s important that you do not park your rig over the end of the patio.
The pool features a waterfall and a shallow area at its entrance. The area was impeccably manicured and maintained which really made you feel like you were at a resort. There was plenty of spacious seating around the pool, as well as lounge areas with televisions and refrigerators for guests. Staying at such a nice place really relieved some of the stress we had about John’s appointments at MD Andersen.
Although we spent much of the day at the hospital, it was great to come back to somewhere you could relax and feel like you were on vacation behind its gates. What we saw between the resort and the hospital was a typical big city, complete with a few homeless encampments. We went to a H-E-B grocery store to pick up some provisions and felt like ducks out of water. We were used to a slower pace since we lived in the country. Having been used to driving in Los Angeles just a few years before, suddenly big city life seemed a bit overwhelming.
Lakeview RV Resort also has a guest lounge with comfortable sofas, table games, weights and a library. This is where you find the internet area, as well as other amenities.
We used the pool and spa first thing every morning and had it completely to ourselves. Pets are not allowed in these areas but are acceptable in other parts of the park. Ours seem to prefer luxuriating within our air conditioned RV. Perhaps other campers were doing the same thing in theirs.
In fact, we really didn’t see many others at the resort at all although most sites were occupied. We’re not sure if it was because of the heat or if commuters had gone home for the weekend.
The resort also offers immaculate restroom and shower facilities in addition to a spacious, clean laundry room with washers and dryers.
We enjoyed wandering around the park, alongside the lake and in the facilities. It really is the nicest park we’ve ever stayed in and we highly recommend it. There’s even a little RV store near the lake, although we didn’t find the chance to check it out.
We were impressed with not only the RV resort but also MD Andersen Cancer Hospital itself. John underwent some exams and labs over the weekend. We met his team of doctors and discussed his treatment options. Thanks to technology, John will be able to complete some of his follow-up labs nearer our hometown and not return to MD Andersen for six months unless further issues are discovered. They assured us we could contact them via phone whenever we wanted to with questions or concerns.
Thank you MD Andersen Cancer Hospital for your exemplary medical treatment options, research, and care. Thanks too to Lakeview RV Resort for providing such a nice park to enjoy during a stressful time.
Learn from our mistakes. We encourage other campers to check the local traffic and construction conditions before you go and factor it into your travel plans. You may be able to detour around the worst areas. Like most travelers, we prefer to get settled into a campground before sundown.
We left the Resort on Sunday afternoon headed home to Bandera. Traffic wasn’t an issue as it had been on our arrival. We were even able to stop at a Buc-ees in New Braunfels on the way back. That’s another experience all onto itself. If you haven’t been to a Buc-ees yet, go when you can. We’re sure you will love it too.
