Abilene, TX

Whistlestop RV Resort (10-14 Apr 23)

Westward ho!  We continue our journey with a stop in Abilene, TX.  Why, you may ask?  For no other reason than it was on the road a good day’s drive away!  We ALWAYS find something to do where we stop.  Abilene was no exception! 

We toured the “Frontier Texas” museum which serves as a regional history museum.  It is a great resource for learning/discovering the life and times of the Western U.S. before it was the United States.  There are well presented timelines of Native American tribes as they ruled the various regions prior to the westward settlement in the 1800s.  Much of the history is presented in story form by holographic representations of period “famous” folks.  The technology used to present the history and the amount of information is a full day if you want to read it all!  It is not a large museum, but with all the information available and just skimming the highlights, we still spent a couple of hours there.  Very interesting and I would put it on the “to see” list if in Abilene!  You also have to check out the largest Texas Longhorn skull and horns ever discovered!  

In an effort to remain true to our craft brewery roots, we also sought out (with some extra effort) the “Grain Theory” craft brewery downtown.  I say with some effort because we originally went to another location where – according to one online resource that shall remain nameless (but should have known) – the brewery (under a different name) existed for a few short months.  Business was actually so good that it had to relocate to a larger venue so it could make enough beer to meet the demand!  So, the Grain Theory was another highlight for sure!  Our bartender, Jaime, was absolutely phenomenal!  She practically read my mind when it came to selecting and pouring the various offerings!  I was partial to their ‘Free Futon’ amber ale!  Loved it!  Tina was more about the ‘Lux Prima’ German Kolsch.  We also swapped travel stories with another RVer, Dave.  He was moving more for work, but we had many stops in common and never lacked for conversation!  

Our culinary highlight and already on the “must do again” list is a trip for dinner to the “Perini Ranch Steakhouse.”  There is plenty to read about if you do on online search, so all I will do is confirm their accolades are well earned!  The only slight surprise is how rustic the venue remains.  Not bad by any stretch, but with all the hype, we had something else entirely in mind.  Anyway, starting with their Jalapeno Bites, we could do no wrong!  Peppers and cheese wrapped in bacon was a marriage made in culinary heaven!  Served in a small Lodge pan over a corn husk, they were mouthwatering! Following a simple, yet delicious dinner salad, we naturally sampled their steak offerings – Tina with a filet and me with a nice, juicy ribeye!  Both were perfectly cooked and delicious, and my mouth is watering thinking about it as I type!  Believe it or not, Perini’s is as famous (if not more) for their burgers.  There may have been a VERY short moment of indecision as you dedicated readers know how much we love our burgers.  We both agreed that is why we have to go back!!  Following dinner, we made the difficult decision to try their Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake!  It was only a difficult decision because of the other choices!  But we were so full that we decided to share one dessert!  Oh – bonus!  Blue Bell ice cream also came with the cake!  We thoroughly enjoyed the meal, the service and the venue.  

Lastly, a quick wrap up on the “Whistlestop RV Resort.”  Not bad by any stretch and affordable.  The sites are ample and can easily handle any big rig out there!  We saw several!  It is a well-kept, yet slightly dusty campground.  Shade was not why we selected this campground!  My only interface with the staff was friendly and the small camp store was well stocked.  Cable TV is available, there is a pool, horseshoe pits, ball courts and plenty to do when you are not doing taxes or blogging!  

Abilene was a fun stop and glad it was in the right place on our way West!