Tourist Town Central

Finally, we made it to Fredericksburg. We have been within 100 miles of the town for the past month. Everyone we talked to said this was the place to go. They said we would love it there. It is a very popular tourist destination for locals and visitors alike. And the German influence may get us that Rye bread we have been so wanting.

We were pleased on all counts with this town. They definitely know they are a tourist town. The main drag along the highway is the 'historic district', home to restaurants, bakeries, candy and fudge stores, granite and iron shops, boot and hat stores, gift shops, wine stores, antique malls, patio stores and museums. There was also a park across from the Court House with German heritage items as well as a skating rink.

For $10 a piece and the cost of skate rentals we could have skated on ice. Maybe next time.

There was a statue commemorating the earliest treaty signed in the area with the Commanche and German Settlers back in 1847.

One could spend days taking in all the sights and sounds of Fredericksburg. We had been told by folks in the town as well as others prior to coming here that the spring time is really the best time to see Fredericksburg. That is when the wildflowers are blooming. Apparently the area around Fredericksburg is famous for it's wildflowers, and the bluebells which bloom in May.

Our first purchase in town was at the Walmart. I found the rye bread I was looking for. Each day we were in town another loaf was aquired. It was sooo goood, and definitely hit the spot.

We went antiquing for a friend, finding a good selection of items requested. For a tourist town, the antique malls were very reasonably priced. That was nice to see.

A pair of boot jacks

an old spur

some hand forged branding irons

In the granite and iron store, there were stacks of granite slabs (obtained from the local area) that one could have made into tables of any size. The tables averaged about $3000, but one could purchase a cutting board or lazy susan for $100-200 depending on the colors in the granite. I was so tempted to get a cutting board, but Ward said we didn't the extra weight in the RV. He is so practical like that, hmm.

Our last stop was at a funky patio store we saw on the way into town. It was filled with bright colored metal figures, ceramic pots, metal art, and so much more.

They even had a singer / guitar player on a small stage outside amongst the patio art, entertaining customers.

The weather in this area had turned quite cold since Christmas day, and the forecast was predicting rain and 50 degree temperatures for days to come. With that in mind I checked temperatures for various areas of southern Texas and we made the decision to leave the area for a month or so, and head to Corpus Christi. The plan is to come back to Austin / Fredericksburg around the end of February when the weather is to be a bit nicer. We also made the difficult decision to put the bike back on the rack before leaving town. It hasn't seen that rack since Van Horn, Texas in mid October.

Next stop Luckenbach, for a quick picture at the post office. Then we head on down the road.

A Trip To Mecca

Today Ward and I thought we would go into the historic district of Fredericksburg for a few hours, and check out the town. The plan was to wander around town until one o'clock or so, when temperatures warmed a bit, then we would head up to Enchanted Rock. It's a State Park about 20 miles north of Fredericksburg. Story has it the Native folk of the area considered it a sacred place, but nowadays people simply go there to climb to the top.

I checked the weather conditions for the area and today seemed to be the best day for our pilgrimage. Temperatures were going up to 65 degrees, which would be the best we would get for several days. The only issue was the north wind blowing at about 15 MPH, yikes.

After a morning of wandering through shops downtown, and a nice bowl of soup at a local cafe / bakery, we headed out. The wind turned out to be quite a challenge, but we made it to the Enchanted Rock State Park. There was a line of cars waiting to get to the entrance and make payment. We didn't mind because we were out of the wind and the line moved fairly quickly.

Once we parked the bike Ward and I both looked at each other, then the rock, and back at each other, saying it likely was not the smartest thing we have done by walking around town all morning before coming out to the Enchanted Rock for a trek to the summit. We agreed that we would not take the trek too seriously and just go part way up the 450 foot climb. Looking up the rock, you could see a long line of hikers making their way up. It looked like pilgrims on their way to Mecca, with those at the summit becoming tiny specs in the distance.

I was surprised at how many people were at the rock, climbing to the top. Some folks had walking sticks, others had dogs with them. There were a lot of kids hiking up the rock with their parents. Some smaller children road in packs on their parents backs. Then there were the ones that were jogging up the rock.

Ward and I just took our time, slowly walking along the trail and clambering up the rock face. We actually made it quite far up the rock, which surprised both of us. Ward is in this picture, making his way up the rocky steps.

We each went as far as we thought prudent. Yes, I left Ward in the dust, or on a nice rock in the sun and went a bit further up the rock.

Ward was right beside me in this picture, sitting on his rock. I got to the top of this section of the rock, up a fairly steep incline before I made the decison to stop.

I would like to say that I made it almost to the top, but I believe there was still quite a hike ahead of me if I was to continue. You can see the summit in the distance in this last picture. It was not in the cards for me to try making it the full distance. Well, not if I was going to make it back down again.

You can see the 'start' marked in the photo in the top right corner. Ward made it quite a ways up, his mark is to the left in the photo. I got  to the top of one section of the rock, up a steep incline and marked my spot in the photo in the bottom center.

The view from where I made it was quite nice. I stopped several times during my accent to take photos.

During the trek down the rock Ward and I were both glad we each turned around when we did. We could feel it in our legs as we came to the end of the path and back to the motorcycle.

Here is another view of how far we made it up the rock.

Next time maybe we should bring water, oh, and not go hiking all morning through shops downtown.

That's about it for now folks. 

Itchy Feet Are Here Again

It was nice while it lasted, electricity I mean. We stopped in Menard for a couple of weeks, paying for camping at the local RV spot, Stockpen Crossing. We have not paid for a camping spot since early July in Fargo, North Dakota. Back then, we just wanted to turn on the air conditioner and cool off. But this time I felt like stopping and putting down roots.

Ward and I had been talking with real estate agents in the areas around Brady, Mason, Menard, Junction and Eldorado. The plan was to find a small acreage or a lot in one of the smaller towns where we could stop, maybe spend a few months, or something. I was not sure if we were after a place to live, or just somewhere where we could stop and relax for a while. A lot of people who go down south for the winter actually go to a specific RV park, and spent 6 months in the same place, year after year. We have been travelling, continually moving, and it was starting to get a little old. So, we stopped, plugged into the Matrix, and got ourselves a steady supply of electricity and water.

While in Menard, we made side trips to small towns checking on property, and looked at a few likely prospects inside the town of Menard as well. I kind of like Menard. And I like a few of the properties we looked at. The price was right, and by-laws would accommodate our needs (being able to park an RV on a city lot, and the ability to have a Llama or goat in our yard if we so chose). Oh, ya!! Menard has so very few by-laws that even the mayor has goats, 20 of them if what we were told was correct. One realtor referred to Menard as "anything goes Menard" because of their laxed laws. Also, the folks in the sleepy little town of Menard are very friendly.

Having said all that, you would think I would be sending out my new mailing address and setting up a patio and BBQ pit next to the RV. You would think invitations would be sent to one and all to come on down and join us. So close, so close. But I just could not commit. When push came to shove, I just was not sure I wanted to take the plunge. Was it the lack of internet service? I don't know. That's available at the library in town, and at the McDonalds in Brady. Was it the inability to get cell phone service? No, one could generally get service at the top of the hill, well usually, kind of. Was it because the radio station reception was sporatic and we have not been able to get any TV stations with our cheap old Radio Shack TV antenna? Or is it that we like just plain travelling, and we got itchy feet again? Maybe we're not ready to make the big decision on where our hats will hang.

We had a good stay in Menard. I did some baking in the toaster oven I packed. We plugged in the coffee maker and toaster. I baked some very delicious German dark rye bread that took care of a rye bread craving I have been having. And we had ourselves a wonderful couple of weeks fishing on the San Saba River. Word is, there are catfish in the river, and they like chicken livers, but the guy at the hardware store said it was too cold for them to be biting. Personally, I didn't care if I caught a fish or not, it was just nice sitting on the bank of the river, fishing, and reading a good book. Our evenings were spent reading or watching movies, never worrying about using too much electricity. Then we spent a quiet Christmas day in the RV, cooking chicken breasts, home made stuffing, and roast potatoes in our handy dandy electric frying pan.

I guess we took a vacation from our vacation. Well, we pulled up the stakes this morning and headed south. We made it to Fredericksburg, finally. And I must say, these people know they are a tourist town. Tonight we are staying at Walmart, but tomorrow we'll be checking out the town.

We are on the road again, taking in the sights and sound of South Texas Hill Country.

 

Let's Buy Some Hill Country, Maybe

Hill Country is amazing. And we haven't even gotten to the gem in the valley around Fredericksburg. I know, it's just down the road, but we got side tracked. Ward and I have been spending time in Mason, Menard, Junction, and the surrounding areas. We have been stopping in at Court Houses and real estate businesses and have been talking with the locals.

So, here's the deal. We love Hill Country, but it is expensive to buy land or houses in the area. Also, most countys will not allow you to park your RV on an empty lot in town and live in it. As for the countryside, it is broken into mostly ranches and there are very few small tracts of land. Most smaller tracts go for big money. We were told our best bet for an inexpensive lot where we could park an RV would likely be in Menard County, maybe Kimble County. We were told we could try Eldorado and Sonora, but further west gets more expensive again, as the oil companies are buying up land for housing of their crews. When we got to Eldorado, we were told they were affected by the oil companies and cheap land would not be found. Not only that, but they are up on the Edwards Plateau, and do not have the water that is found even one county to the east, which is Menard. In Junction (Kimble County), just south of Menard, the realtor said they were starting to get more expensive with tourism, like Mason County to the west of them. So, that leaves Menard County. We had a look around the town, talked to the County Clerk, and had a conversation with a local who may have something to offer. We have also been in touch with a realtor in the area. We will be heading back to Menard to check on things before we make any offers. And we'll spend some time at the RV park in town to get a better feel for the area.

I will leave you with some pictures of the area I was just talking about. Life could be worse than finding our own piece of heaven in this area.
City Park in Junction allows free camping. So, of course we took advantage.

The park is right along the banks of the South Llano River.

We bought briquets, brats, and supplies for s'mores. Oh, yum!

The South Llano State Park is only a short drive from Junction. They have hiking trails through the park, which close at 3pm because the area is also a nesting ground for wild turkeys.

Fort Mason, built on a high hill overlooking the current town of Mason.

Oh, by the way, Menard County is about an hour or two away from Fredericksburg, Austin and San Antonio. Del Rio, a Mexican border town and tourist area, is about 100 miles directly south. Menard is also right on the San Saba River and has the Vietnam Vet Memorial Highway (83) running through it, which runs from the Canadian border straight south to the Mexican border and on to the Gulf of Mexico.

And it is 30 miles west of the geographic center of Texas. Plus, it has an historic ditch, dug in 1756 by the Mission Padres. Check out these pics. The ditch is what really sold me on the town.

 

 

Adios for now, dudes and dudettes!!

We're Eating Pecans Right Off The Tree

From the Panhandle to Big Bend Country and into Hill Country, we are making our way through Texas. As we drove south past Abilene the first thing that struck me as different was the water in the creeks. Up until now the creeks, rivers, reliefs and draws had all been dry. The reliefs and draws must be much the same as washes in Arizona, areas that take on water when the hard rains hit. I remember passing Cherry Creek, Cherry Draw and Cherry Relief all along one road on our way back to Pecos from our trip to Fort Davis. And of course, each sign was accompanied by dry ground. But not in Hill Country. The creeks and rivers are flowing.

Another change in this area is the high mesh fences around tracts of land along the highway. They surround game ranches, filled with deer and exotic animals, and they are everywhere. Going through the small towns there are several different meat processing businesses and stores selling deer feeders, blinds and huge bags of corn, oh, and guns.

The terrain is no longer flat and we are surrounded by forests filled with trees. Cactus are still in abundance, but mostly the prickly pear cactus.

Ward and I found a great little spot to stay for a few days. It was a rest stop just south of the town of Brady. We had been at the Walmart for a few days before leaving. When we stopped at the rest area we both looked at each other and said if we knew this little gem was here we never would have spent any time at that Walmart. The rest area was right beside the San Saba River. It reminded me of Seven Sisters, in Manitoba, with the flat rock formations going into the river. We agreed that it must be a very popular place in the area during the summer.

As per usual, Ward was yacking with every vehicle that pulled in to the rest area. One person, who came down to the river to go fishing with his dog ended up coming back later that night with his girlfriend. We stayed up most of the night with them down on the river. They dropped by again the next night, and we followed them home on the third day. We enjoyed our first cook-out in a Texas back yard where the food was cooked over a fire of mesquite and pecan wood on ‘the grill’, Texas style. Wow! That was some great flavor from the wood. Oh, we had our first homemade mac and cheese. That was awesome as well.

While we were at our new friends’ house I noticed they had pecan trees. It seems these pecan trees are everywhere and many people have them growing in their yards, much like our crab apples trees back home. I was shown how to crack them open and check to see that they were good. There is no need to roast them or do anything to prepare them before eating. So we gathered a few pecan nuts, shelled them, and enjoyed.

Everyone we have met in Texas has been so friendly, but it was really great to actually spend time with people. We got to know them over the past few days and hope to keep in touch.

Our travels have taken us into several small towns in the area, and we love them all. They are filled with old architecture, nice parks and some funky stores. We have been checking on vacant lots and land up for auction by the county in each town as we move further south in this wonderful Hill Country.

Personally, I am looking forward to Fredericksburg and the area, which is populated by German culture. I am craving rye bread and hope to score some in that area. Wish me luck in the next few weeks.

Later dudes and dudettes!