We never knew
Texas was so beautiful and with so much to do!
This regional map of Texas shows that it is comprised of seven
regions. We are scheduled to stay in all
seven regions. Texas is nothing like we
imagined, except for an earlier stay in Amarillo in the Panhandle Plains where
is was flat and desolate! The Hill Country features low rolling hills with cedar trees and cactus. The Hill
Country was actually our favorite region, a place we plan to return to again.
We arrived at the
Medina Lake RV Resort on November 1, 2014.
Medina Lake is located in the Hill Country region.
Come to find out Medina Lake has been empty for about three years due to a severe drought. No kayaking here! The park was located in a very natural setting and our site was surrounded with oak trees and cedar trees. The park wasn’t very full so we had our pick of sites.
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| Mike connecting to water, electric & sewer |
We would be here for three weeks so we got comfortable. Mike hung Sharon’s bird feeder on a tree near the front window, high enough so the deer wouldn’t get to it and far enough out so the squirrels couldn’t get to it. Sharon hung the two chimes and hot air balloon whirly gig we got at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. It didn’t take long before the cardinals, wrens, and titmice found their food source just outside our RV “picture window.”
And it didn’t take
long before the deer found us too! Mike
was outside working on the RV with his nose in one of the basement compartments
when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
After the second time of thinking it was Sharon, he turned around to
find a deer nosing his shoulder. You can see Mike was trying to make a new friend. The
deer were fearless, probably due to people feeding them. We did not feed them, but enjoyed their daily
visits. Sharon got a visit too while
sitting at the picnic table!
We took a walk all over the park and down to the lake where we discovered more deer and lots of yellow flowers. We discovered an old chimney left behind by a previous owner who, come to find out moved their house, but left behind the chimney.
The lake was overgrown with trees and bushes and we actually saw a pick-up in the lake bed travelling from one side of the lake to the other. The lake must have been beautiful when it was full. It was a shame to see all of the high end homes surrounding the lake who have lost their value. Greg, a Realtor friend back home once told us if you plan to purchase property on a lake, be sure to do your due diligence. That was years back when Mike’s dream was to own a fish camp (so he could be a fishing guide and fish all day) and Sharon could manage the park and clean cabins and sell bait!!! Thank goodness we chose the RV dream instead!!
Mike called Sharon outside when he discovered a roadrunner in the field behind the RV....our first roadrunner! He was fast, but we were able to catch a couple photos!
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| Sharon in her wake-up attire! |
Our friends, Susie and Greg, from Florida gave us a Sourdough pancake starter before we left home. So we have made a tradition every Sunday to make the pancakes....the best we have ever had!
We very much enjoyed our stay at Medina Lake. It was relaxing. Mike puttered and Sharon planned our trip to Yellowstone in the summer.
Bandera…Cowboy
Capital of the World
But we decided to
tour Bandera on Veteran’s Day and we were on a mission to get Mike some cowboy
boots! The town was quaint with old
buildings and it was part of the Old Spanish Trail. We stopped at the Dogleg Coffeehouse for some
coffee and a bite to eat. Sharon’s
coffee cake was a little too sweet even for her. Since we were now charged up on caffeine and
sugar, we took a walk down one of the back roads to see the restaurant where we
were to cook our steaks, there were cowboys and cowgirls hitched up at the
local saloon!
We found a store that sold cowboy boots so Mike tried some on and Sharon gave her opinion, and they agreed on a nice pair of Justin Apache Boots. It may have been a mistake to wear them though, as we did a lot of walking and Mike wasn’t used to wearing boots!
A day isn’t
complete without a good lunch, so we found the local BBQ, Mike’s favorite food!
We both had a brisket sandwich, something Texas is famous for. Come to find out
they eat their brisket with pickles and onions, a strange combination that
Sharon did not partake in! But Mike thought it was delicious!
Later in the day
after walking through a huge two-story antique shop, we stood at the corner and
watched the local parade, complete with horses and fire trucks.
San Antonio – The Alamo, River Walk & Missions
Of course, we
always have to take advantage of what an area has to offer. First on our list was to visit San Antonio.
We always heard so much about the Riverwalk and The Alamo, and we also
discovered five Old Spanish Missions.
The Alamo
Texas is famous
for The Alamo, an iconic shrine to Texas Liberty. It is more than one building. The most famous building is the church of a
Franciscan mission named San Antonio de Valero, the oldest of San Antonio’s
missions. The mission consisted of a
large rectangular compound. Houses,
storerooms, offices, and workshops outlined its perimeter. Construction on the church began in the
mid-1750s.The mission compound closed in 1793 and the structure was left unfinished with four high walls but no roof. But the mission did not remain empty for long, as the Spanish military replaced the missionaries. The old mission gained a new name – The Village of the Alamo Company – after this company took up residence there.
In 1821, Mexico
declared its independence but the soldiers, then citizens of the new nation of
Mexico, stayed right where they were. By
the time of the Texas Revolution (1835-36) people knew the compound as just the
“Alamo” (the Spanish word for
“cottonwood”) in honor of their hometown Alamo de Parras, Coahuila. The Alamo was home to both Revolutionaries and
Loyalists during Mexico’s ten-year struggle for independence. It was this large compound which included the
roofless church that Texans defended in the epic “Battle of the Alamo.”
It was an amazing tour of 300 years of history and the story of thirteen fateful days in 1836. Here is a facsimile of the Travis Letter known worldwide as the “Victory or Death” letter, the plea for help written at the Alamo by Lt. Col. William Barret-Travis on February 24, 1836 while under siege by Mexican troops under Santa Anna. The letter has come to symbolize courage and sacrifice. The Alamo fell on March 6, but Texas soon won its independence.
The Riverwalk
At the Main Plaza,
we walked down a flight of stairs which came out to the Riverwalk, the number
one tourist attraction in Texas. It was
a cool morning, a nice day for a stroll along the banks of the San Antonio River
to explore this urban oasis.
The Riverwalk was
lined with shops and people eating at the many restaurants, the sound of music,
people walking their dogs and cruise boats along the river. We ate at the Paloma Grill and watched the ducks and their ducklings swim from side to side dodging the cruise boats. It was a delightful experience.
Old Spanish Missions
At San Antonio
Missions National Historical Park is a snapshot of the colonial days and the
Spanish influence in the early 1700s.
The Alamo is only one of five historic missions within the city. The park encompasses the other four missions
that were established along the San Antonio River by Spanish explorers. We
drove a twelve-mile route and explored each mission.
The missions’ peak
period lasted from the mid-1700s to around 1780, and then they dissipated in
the early 1800s. Pressure from enemy
Native American tribes, as well as the French, along with rampant disease, led
people to flock to the missions for a new way of life, religion, and culture.
Today, the four
parishes within the missions remain active with weekly church services,
weddings, and funerals, providing a vibrant link to the past for both present
and future generations.
Mission
Concepcion
The mission of
Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion was transferred from East Texas in
1731. The church looks essentially as it
did in the mid-1700s as the mission’s center of religious activity. Colorful geometric designs once covering its
surface have long faded.
Missionaries worked to replace traditional Indian rituals with religious festivals teaching Christian beliefs. Carvings of the saints and objects of adoration were popular images of Catholicism among the Indians.
Mission
San Jose’
In 1720 Fray
Antonio Margil de Jesus founded the best known of the Texas missions, An Jose y
San Miguel de Aguayo. San Jose was the
model mission organization and a major social center. We especially liked this mission for its
unique architecture and rich fields and pastures.
The village was central to a successful mission, and the layout of the mission compound shows how important the community’s life was. Massive stone walls were for defense. The mission residents learned to use firearms to fend off Comanche and Apache raids. Their skill – plus imposing walls – discouraged enemy attacks.
Mission
San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan
Capistrano was originally San Jose de los Nazonis in East Texas. In 1731 it was moved to its permanent
location on San Antonio River’s east bank.
Its fertile farmland and pastures would soon make it a regional supplier
of produce. Orchards and gardens outside
the walls grew peaches, melons, pumpkins, grapes, and peppers. Its irrigated fields produced corn, beans,
sweet potatoes, squash, and even sugar cane.
In 1762 Mission San Juan’s herds were said to number 3,500 sheep and nearly as many cattle.
Mission
Espada
Although this
mission was closed for renovations, we walked the grounds to get a glimpse.
Founded in 1690 as San Francisco de los Tejas, this oldest of the East Texas
missions was moved to the San Antonio River in 1731 and there renamed San
Francisco de la Espada. Espada looks
nearly as remote now as in the mid-1700s.
It was Spanish policy that missionaries make mission community life like a Spanish village’s life. To develop a solid economy, they taught mission Indians vocations. Mean learned to weave cloth. Blacksmiths who were indispensable, repaired farm implements and broken metal tools. Others learned carpentry, masonry, and stone-cutting for building elaborate buildings. Espada was the only mission that made bricks, which you can still see.
To end our day, we
parked along a side street while Mike went into the bank, and it started to
drizzle, so Sharon stayed in the car and waited. Sharon couldn’t resist taking a photo of this
interesting bridge!
Hiking in Government Canyon State Natural Area
Mike found a place outside San Antonio called Government Canyon and signed us up for a guided hike. It was chilly that day but we went anyway and we were the only two who signed up, along with the two volunteer guides and a husband who tagged along!
The preserve is
named for the old military road that once carried stagecoaches from Fort
Government Hill (now known as Fort Sam Houston) to Fredericksburg and on to El
Paso.
We all agreed we would take the Joe Johnston trail part of the way and then the Overlook Trail, and then return via the Joe Johnston trail, for a total of about four hours.
The Joe Johnston trail was a 5.7 mile round trip hike along a historic 1850s route leading to the Zizelmann House. The house was built in the 1880s and was once a way station for troops and travelers. It was built out of hand-chiseled limestone blocks and although it is now boarded up, fenced against intruders, and in serious need of repair, it still exudes a lot of charm.
It was an uneven rocky and steep hilly trail making it a challenging hike. Glad we had our walking poles!
The Overlook Trail
was an additional mile hike that lead up to an 80 foot cliff that overlooks the
canyon and a creek below with visible Dinosaur tracks. It was a spectacular view. We then hiked down
to the creek to view the Dinosaur tracks up close. The area is an active research area and
scientific study is still underway.
There were two
types of trackways: sauropod (round) and theropod (three-toed). There is one sauropod trackway and two
theropod trackways. It is impossible to know which exact dinosaur made which
tracks but the most likely candidates for the tracks are Acrocanthasaurus (theropod)
and Sauroposeidon (sauropod). It is estimated that there are nearly 200
tracks. Based on the geology of the
limestone in which the tracks were found, the theropod tracks date back 110
million years. The sauropod tracks
occurred after the theropod tracks.
We headed down the trail to see the tracks close up.
We headed down the trail to see the tracks close up.
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| Bottom of Cliff |
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| Dinosaur Tracks |
The guides were very knowledgeable naturalists explaining the different plants, including the sprouting bluebonnets which must be beautiful in the spring, something Sharon is hoping to see before we leave Texas. And there are wild hogs that have taken over the canyon, rooting up the ground everywhere. Closed to hunting, the hogs get trap-shy easily.
It also protects
an oasis of rich natural communities, including habitat for several endangered
species. The nearly 40 miles of hiking
and biking trails range from rugged canyon land to gentle rolling prairie. Stone buildings and other structures give
glimpses of the natural area’s ranching heritage.
Our First
Rodeo
We had never seen
a rodeo and we were in Texas so we found a placed called The Texas Rodeo about
an hour away from Medina Lake. We always like taking a drive on the back roads
taking in the scenery and local color.
When we arrived
there were several cowboys with their chuck wagons cooking up some grub for the
other cowboys and cowgirls.
It was freezing cold but we were prepared with warm socks, gloves, hats, warm jackets and towels to sit on. We had made reservations to have dinner first at the on-site restaurant and enjoyed a sizzling steak!
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| Cowboy Mike...Nice Hat! |
It started to drizzle while we walked around the grounds which included a huge stage and dance floor, an outdoor food court with picnic tables, and local vendors selling cowboy hats and jewelry.
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| Dance Floor |
Then we headed to
the rodeo bleachers. The rodeo was under roof with a cowboy walking a couple of
Longhorns around the ring to entertain the audience until show time.
Enjoy the show below!
Before our long drive back to the RV park, we stopped at the restaurant once more for dessert and a hot cup of coffee. We enjoyed a local cowboy singing and playing his guitar.
Our next adventure
begins in Kerrville, also in the Hill Country, where we will look up friends, Mike and Marilyn, who we
met in Santa Fe. Mike and Marilyn live
in Kerrville year round, but travel in their RV when the mood strikes
them.
Always great to
hear from everyone! Take care,
Mike & Sharon
“In character, in manner,
in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 – 1882)