Canyon of the Eagles, Burnet, TX

Burnet (pronounced Burnit – or as the locals say Burnit, Durnit, Learn it!) is located in the Hill Country region north of San Antonio and west of Austin.  It is the Bluebonnet Capital of Texas! We think Texans want to keep tourists on their toes as a lot of their towns are not pronounced as you would think. Boerne is pronounced Bernie; Manor is pronounced Manor, and Gruene is of course pronounced Green!

For those of you following the series Texas Rising on the Discovery Channel, the county and the town of Burnet were named after David Burnet, first provisional president of the Republic of Texas.

We arrived at the Canyon of the Eagles Resort in Burnet on December 2, 2014 for a couple of weeks. The resort is located atop a mountain overlooking Buchanan Lake.  The lake, like most lakes in Texas, was very low, actually about a third of the lake was dry.

Christmas Flamingo in the Front Window and Wreath on Door

Guided Nature Walk at Canyon of the Eagles

Canyon of the Eagles is a 940-acre nature preserve leased from the Lower Colorado River Authority. Colorado feeds all of the lakes in this chain. Because Inks Lake and Lake LBJ produce hydro-electric power, during droughts Lake Buchanan can keep little or no river water. Canyon of the Eagles takes its name from the American Bald Eagles that nest within the surrounding area from October through March each year. However, due to the drought, there were no eagles! But we heard there was an eagle’s nest in nearby Llano, about 32 miles from Burnet.

The preserve has 14 miles of designated nature trails, so one morning, we took advantage of a guided hike around the preserve. Our certified naturalist was very informative as she described the area’s flora and fauna and experienced the rugged natural beauty of the park, and watched for the endangered Black-capped Vireo and Golden-cheeked Warbler.

 

Tufts of Fur Along the Trail

Leaf Cutter Ants

Watch out for Snakes!

Kayaking at Inks Lake State Park

While researching places to stay in the area, Sharon came across Inks Lake and although our RV was too large to camp there, we did want to kayak on the lake. We took advantage of the weather and headed to Inks Lake State Park to kayak, located just a half hour from Burnet.

The pink rock outcrops jutting up through the surrounding limestone are Valley Spring Gneiss, a pinkish granite-like metamorphic rock formed from recrystallized sedimentary rocks.  Shallow temporary rainwater basins called vernal pools form on rock outcrops that support a wide array of wildflowers, grasses, forbs, mosses, lichens and ferns.

There were plenty of ducks. But the Hooded Merganser, an extravagantly crested little duck, stood out….he was the only Merganser in the lake so we think he liked hanging out with the common ducks!

Hooded Merganser with Mallards & Ducks

 

Created as a means of flood control, Inks Lake is the second in a series of six lakes which make up the “Highland Lakes Chain.” Two dams form the boundaries of Inks Lake – Buchanan Dam to the north and Inks Dam to the south.

Longhorn Cavern State Park

We took a scenic winding road from Inks Lake to Longhorn Cavern State Park. Connected by a shared history, Inks Lake and Longhorn Cavern State Parks boast spectacular geological features, evidence of prehistoric occupation dating to more than 8,000 years ago. The cavern was created over thousands of years by the dissolving and cutting action of water on the limestone bedrock of the area. Fossil remains show that many Ice Age animals once occupied the cave.  Longhorn Cavern is one of the few river-formed caverns in Texas.

Our colorful tour guide shared many stories and legends that had developed around Longhorn Cavern as we toured the 1 ¼ mile hike through the cave. Eastern Pipistrelle Bats call the cavern home. This species doesn’t congregate as most bats do, so only about a dozen can be found in the cavern.

 

 

 

 

 

Natural Formation - Looks Like a Dog

Earliest records indicate that the Comanche Indians were the first to use the cavern. They came in about 400 years or so before anyone else did. In more recent history, the cavern was used as a Confederate stronghold where gunpowder was manufactured in secret during the Civil War. The cavern is also rumored to have been the hideout of Sam Bass, a legendary Texas outlaw in the 1870s.  There is no evidence that Sam Bass ever visited the cave, but stories like this one drew tourists as early as the turn of the 20^th century. By the 1920s, the main room served as a dance hall and concert venue, including a dumb waiter to the kitchen upstairs.

 

Dumb Waiter

Dance Hall

Highland Lakes Squadron WWII Air Museum

We both like museums and history so one day we toured The Highland Lakes Squadron Air Museum which is an all-volunteer non-profit unit of the Commemorative Air Force that dates back to 1951. Their primary mission is preserving American military aviation history.  The museum featured a collection of authentic WWII artifacts as well as a working aircraft hangar where WWII aircraft are brought back to life.  

 

 

Exhibits included a turret from a B-24 bomber, a cutaway radial engine of the type used in the AT-6/SNJ, a WWII machine for making dog tags, a WWII instrument flying trainer (Link Trainer), and an air-to-air missile.  Guns from United States, Germany and Japan, knives and bayonets, various home front items, newspapers, uniforms, helmets, aircraft and ship models are on display.  

 

 

Flying aircraft in the hangar include a 1944-model C-47 “Bluebonnet Belle,” 1944-model AT6 Texan, 1939-model PT-19, and 1946 L-17 Navion. These old warbirds can fly!

 

Plane Mike would fly in for his 60th Birthday

Mike’s 60^th Birthday Flight on AT6 Texan

Sharon found a cool birthday present that Mike was sure to enjoy to celebrate turning 60.  Mike would be flying in an AT6 Texan which is a WWII 2-seat trainer used to train fighter pilots.   Finally, once the weather cooperated and the pilot was able to fit him into his schedule. The pilot, a young top gun nick-named Doogie Howser, flew his own plane to Burnet.

Pilot flew in his own plane

Mike and his Pilot

Mike and his pilot took flight in the trainer.  He was like a little kid in a candy store, a grin from cheek to cheek! Sharon of course had to document the event so with camera in hand she shot many photos and videos!

Although the AT6 is Aerobatic Certified, that would require parachutes.  Mike explained that he always wanted to fly in a performance plane, so the pilot took the opportunity to put the plane, and Mike through its paces with near vertical climbs and descents along with knife edge turns and simulated strafing runs over Lake Buchanan. The pilot was ecstatic since his usual customer was less adventurous which also resulted in a longer ride!

Fort Croghan Museum and a Step Back in Time

Fort Croghan was established in 1849 and was the third of the first four forts established by the United States government to protect settlements from hostile Indians. The fort was named for Col. George Croghan, War of 1812 Hero and, later, Inspector General of the U.S. Army.  The fort consisted of 1600 acres. It was decommissioned in 1853.

One evening during the Christmas Holiday, we toured the museum, 

 

 

Then we took a step back in time as we strolled the pathways lined by luminaries through the fort grounds. Costumed re-enactors who were celebrating Christmas as the pioneers would have in the 1800s welcomed visitors.  The blacksmith was busy at work, two soldiers demonstrated their guns at the Powder House, families cooked on a wood fire in one of the cabins, a school teacher and her student were reading by candlelight in the School House, and dulcimer musicians played while hot cider and cookies were served beside the Christmas tree.

Blacksmith working by light of lantern

 

 

Holiday Arts & Crafts in Burnet

The Historic Square of Burnet features buildings from as early as the 1870s and offers a variety of unique shops and eateries.  We walked the square and enjoyed a brisket lunch at the Post Mountain BBQ.  It was so delicious that we came back and purchased more brisket to freeze for enjoying another day! 

 

 

We also stopped at the bakery and purchased a delicious loaf of home-made apple bread. That afternoon we stopped at the Pickers Paradise Flea Market and Sharon picked up a glass cake plate and Mike found an antique Fire Truck belt buckle.  Later that evening was the annual holiday arts & crafts fair featuring the local Burnet Gunfighter’s and other folks dressed in period costumes.

For dinner we stopped at Twenty-Three Hundred Cafe and had their pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes and gravy special and listened to a group of local musicians playing Christmas music in the back room!

Christmas Cookie Decorating

Sharon decided not to make her usual Christmas cookies so she talked Mike into attending a Holiday Cookie Decorating Workshop offered at Canyon of the Eagles. It was fun and we both competed to see who could decorate the winning cookie! We each went away with our own tin of cookies!

 


Roasting S’mores over the Campfire

On one cold evening, we walked through the woods to the fire pit at the Canyon of the Eagles Lodge. We were bundled up nice and warm. The staff had already started our fire and it was crackling and popping! Mike loaded up the roasting sticks and Sharon got the graham crackers and chocolate ready! Mike toasted his marshmallows until charred black, while Sharon liked her marshmallows light golden brown! We enjoyed the starry night sky and our home-made dessert until the fire burned out!

 

Shake, Rattle & Coil Reptile Program at Canyon of the Eagles

It was probably more for kids, but we attended a hands-on program featuring a number of non-venomous reptiles. Sharon’s favorite were the pair of Chameleons.  It was an interesting program, especially seeing how the two kids reacted to each animal.

Starry Night at On-Site Eagle Eye Observatory

Canyon of the Eagles features the Eagle Eye Observatory and scheduled programs with an on-site astronomer named Jim.  The observatory looked like a small storage building with a gabled roof and once inside through a series of ropes and pulleys, Jim opened the roof up to the night sky.  We attended two programs. The first night there was a full moon which was too bright to view the stars. 

 

The second night was much more exciting as the knowledgeable astronomer aimed the Eagle Eye’s high tech telescopes toward the night sky for us to observe deep-sky objects such as star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. We even witnessed a meteor travelling across the sky.  The 16-inch Ealing “educator” Cassegrain Telescope offers research quality view of the moon and distant stars, while the 12.5-inch Newtonian telescope offers a vibrant eye of the night sky.  The telescopes were old and had to be manually aimed.   The Newtonian was over 50 years old. The barrel was made of wood that was beveled to form a light-tight seal. It was as much a work of art as it was functional.  Although they both had motorized mounts to track the objects, once they were located.

We spent from dusk until almost midnight learning about the stars through the telescopes but also from the computer program that was capable of viewing the galaxy. Another treat was the distinct sound of howling coyotes off in the distance!

Winery Tours

One day we took a scenic drive around Lake Buchanan to the Fall Creek Vineyards on the other side of the lake in a little town called Tow (rhymes with cow, of course).  It was an unexpected site in the middle of nowhere, but a beautiful property located on the northwestern edge of Lake Buchanan. The vineyard was founded in 1973 by Ed and Susan Auler.  Ed, a fourth-generation Texan took over the family’s Fall Creek Ranch in 1970.  After taking a trip to France to research French cattle breeds for their ranch, they spent three weeks touring vineyards and realized the topography and soil were similar to those of their ranch. And so began the experiment with grapes. Fall Creek Vineyards began wine production in 1979. The Aulers were known as the “First Family of Texas wine,” pioneers of the industry who created the “Texas Hill Country” wine region.

We spent the afternoon tasting wines and ended up purchasing a case of our own private stash!

With the low water levels, the Lake Buchanan area was very depressed, and it was unfortunate to see that so many lakeside businesses don’t exist anymore.  We even signed up for the Vanishing Texas River Cruise that cruises from Gorman Falls on the Colorado River to the head of Lake Buchanan, but it was cancelled a day before because the water was too low to get to the boat. So we didn’t get to enjoy the interesting history and scenic beauty of Lake Buchanan during this trip!

Pier showing the low water level in Lake Buchanan

Mike standing at boat ramp on Lake Buchanan

Lake Buchanan showing water level from road

Neighborhood watch goats!

Longhorn alongside the road

Out of Business

Another day we drove to a 13-acre winery in Burnet called Perissos Vineyard and Winery.  This winery was owned by a young family with two cool dogs.  This too was located on a beautiful piece of property surrounded by rolling granite hills. The wines we tried did not appeal to us, but we enjoyed the cheese plate and our surroundings.

Up on a hill from the winery you could see a huge mansion called the Falkenstein Castle.  The owners rent it out for special events like weddings.  They did not allow tours because they live on the premises, but the castle sitting upon on the hill was an awesome sight.

Lake Buchanan at dusk where there was water!

Tis the Season

Being our first time away from home, friends and family, we decided to enjoy all of the beautiful Christmas light displays and holiday activities that we could!

First we headed to Llano to see if we could find that Eagle's Nest, but there was no sign of it! So we stopped for lunch in the town square.

 






In the town of Lampasas we discovered Eve’s Café that served German cuisine so we stopped for dinner. We had Wiener Schnitzel and Spätzle noodles.  We selected some German desserts to take home for later!  On the way into town we noticed a display of Christmas lights along the river so we stopped and took a walk.

Another day, we drove to Marble Falls to tour the town.  Situated under Marble Falls’ legendary Old Oak tree on historic Main Street, Old Oak Square features some of the Hill Country’s best shopping and dining.  We enjoyed the quaint charm of the 100-plus-year-old building while shopping in the unique shops. We ate lunch at Houston’s Depot, a local favorite.

In our Christmas tradition, we wanted to make some donations to local fire departments to help with their “Helping Hands” program during the holidays to help deserving families by providing Christmas gifts for their children, like we had done for years to the Sarasota County Fire Department.

We actually visited the Burnet Fire Department and talked with the Fire Chief.  He gladly accepted our donation as they didn’t raise as much as they had hoped to.  And since we especially enjoyed our stay in Kerrville, Mike contacted the Fire Department there and mailed a check to them as well.  And we couldn’t forget our hometown of Sarasota, which we also donated to. It fills our hearts with joy to know that these kids will have a special Christmas! 

And since we would not be home for Christmas to exchange gifts with family and friends, we suggested that they make donations to their favorite charities in our name and we thank those of you who did! We are sure it made a difference in someone’s life!

Some of you may also remember the YouTube Christmas video we had fun creating for your entertainment!  That won’t happen again!  Ho Ho Ho

Our next blog will take you to Bastrop State Park in Texas where we spent the last two weeks of 2014!

Mike & Sharon

“The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions – the little, soon-forgotten charities of a kiss, a smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment.”

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)