#134 (65): Texas Hill Country + Austin
Palo Duro, Buffalo Gap, Georgetown, Fredericksburg, Austin, Dripping Springs, Portales NM
March 6 - 23, 2024
Left Wednesday, March 6, first night at Buffalo Lake (not even realizing how close we were to last year's Hereford city park). This is major ranching land, and SMELLY feed lots or dairies. P.U. Nice no-frills park in a wildness park, pick of spots, only 1 other guy there plus one later, so did see some deer in the distance while Bill joined the road zoom meeting. Overcast and cool all day but sunny the next morning. (Only later did we realize how close we were to Hereford from last year, the free city park.)
Thurs, Mar. 7 - Palo Duro, site #15 Did some bike riding on trails (nice one from campground to Trading Post) and the park roads, went to the bird blind at the trading post and later got ice cream for dessert. The trading post is almost as packed with miscellaney as EA's Viddlers; never saw that in a park before. Put out some birdseed and got some beautiful cardinal families. Then I noticed movement out the window and saw about a dozen turkeys RUNNING toward the picnic table where the food was. How did they know? That was that, they almost never left, but if they did they came back. Messy poopers.
38° Fri am. Very light snow flurries at 3:40 PM
Friday Mar 8 - Crappy day, overcast, windy and cold - 38 degrees before wind factored in so drove to Canyon, the nearest town. Not much there but some big overpriced antique junk stores (that never had a vintage wahoo game), so after the sports store guy said Amarillo was only 15 minutes north we went there. Had lunch at pretty nice Public House ("pretty nice" considering we normally would have been at In 'n Out Burger had there been one...). Later I heard Amarillo had a nice train station, wish we had known that before. Probably was night near it as we drove around, surprised at how big the city was. Stopped at a JoAnns to check the Wool Ease dye lot and what a nice store! Santa Fe's is small and messy and filthy.
Side note: Driving north on I-27 south of Amarillo following Fred Sanford's truck driven by the white boy, the smell of weed was SO strong it filled our truck at 60 mph (he was going 45) so much so that I was afraid if we got pulled over we would be arrested. Went to Sad Money store by the park on the way back. Waste of a nice space.
Saturday, Mar. 9 - Abilene, site 86. Actually we ended up southwest of Abilene at Buffalo Gap, about 8 out of the big city. We had navigated to a grocery on the way out of town, where the goofy bagboy walks your groceries out for you so no one steals the carts... Didn't see any bums around there but he told me the east side of full of them. I will avoid the east side. Driving now thru a small town on tree-lined road we learned it was the small town of Buffalo Gap when what do I see, but a sign with the name Perini... took a moment but it finally dawned on me that our neighbor orders smoked meats from them. Later we went to their little shop at the corner, bought nothing but enjoyed looking, and drove past the big steakhouse ranch. Not prepared to dine there but got a look.
Sunday, Mar 10 - Sunny day at first for the long drive to Fredericksburg. Nice drive, and shocked to see Main Street FILLED with spring breakers! Stayed in the first night and will get out early to shop without crowds. But we did want to ride so tried to get to a trail, missed it by 8 miles, oops, only to find it coming back and learn it is privately owned, you have to pay, wear a helmet, and they close in 30 mins. Oh well.
We are at Oakwood Private RV camp in Fredericksburg #9. Jammed in there.
Monday, Mar 11. Doing all the shopping/looking today, but starting at the pie store behind the museum. Got a half Chocolate Pecan Pie and wow was it good. Made that last at least a few days, maybe... Walked end to end on Main Street to get from the German Kitchen store to the Amish store at the other end. They even had wooden kibbie boards! But ours is still better. Came back (to eat pie) then back out again, again buying nothing, something about these Texas shop offerings, either too expensive or nothing I need or care to have, except some silicone straws and goats Milk lotion. Always on the lookout for dice and stone marbles. Close but not the right ones. Almost got some perfectly sized clay water filtering balls from an interesting antique store, but at $6 each I thought not. One drop to the floor and I bet it would break. Tried to go to Opa's smoked meats but he is closed for renovations. Couple more stops then back to basecamp for happy hour Kibbie outside. Then the very bad decision to walk across the street to dinner at Hilda's Tortillas Mexican. Place was packed, only 2 servers, my food was edible but Bill was sure he was eating dogmeat. Didn't sit well with him. But I sure did enjoy the short walk over. The CG is about 2 miles from Main Street not too far out but it seemed like a fun choice, just not a tasty one.
(Bonus) Sunday & Monday - Mar 10 & 11 - Fredericksburg. Monday was so perfect couldn't bear to be in a museum so am saving Nimitz for next time. Tried to ride on Sunday but drove 11 miles out of the way on Llano road looking for trail... when we came back and found it, it was only about 3 miles from town. But, it was a private trail, helmets required, with weird hours, so skipped that. So instead went to Wildseed (packed) out on 290, getting 5 more packs, wow, yard is going to look great, I hope! Ate in tonight cuz the Oscars are on and we have cable - staying at the Oakwood RV, about 2 miles from Main. Spot #9
Tues & Wed, Mar 12 & 13 - Georgetown #96, first night without having to run the heat. humid tho. 66 outside this morning, not even a blanket on the bed. Drove in from Fred on Tues, on hwy 290, winery after winery, holy cow. Also LBJ's boyhood home and white house ranch; only stopped at that. Nice drive on mostly 2 lane roads through ranch land. Got busy at Marble City and Burnet. Set up in spot 96 in Jim Hogg Park, getting a compliment on how well we work together from the newby neighbor watching nextdoor. If he only knew. Took a short bike ride, big park but mostly just CG, not much to ride. It's spring break so full of kids and families having a good time and a fire.
Wed was town day/Brother day. Have a 1pm lunch date with Peter & Leonora but went early to wander the square, totally forgetting to tour the courthouse and driving to a shopping center with Kohls. Oh well. Met for lunch at Wildfire and afterward went back to their house on Highlands Bluff Drive, literally off our park road, forgot how close it was. Played with 2 of the 3 dogs, one was too nervous. Had a nice visit and finally left at almost 6 and hit Randalls grocery for a few items. Weather was overcast, humid, windy, warmish, always looking like it was going to rain. The official flower for the city of Georgetown is the red poppy, and the visitor center gave me a pack of seeds when I made a purchase.
Thursday, Mar. 14 - Short overcast drive to Emma Long State Park #13 outside Austin (very hilly), finally going to give the city another try. Bad timing as SXSW is going on so we will see how that goes. Seem to be in a ritzy part of town, huge mansions on the hillsides on our way to the park, which had a winding 6 mile drive to the dead end entrance. It's on the "Lake" which really looks like a wide dammed river. A couple of boaters and jet ski's braving the cool overcast weather, always looking like rain but never coming. First day just did a short walk, was going to ride but we left the batteries in the trailer (geez). They had a special trail for motorcycles and bikes, never saw that before. So drove around a bit instead. Fed the birds but took a day for one cardinal to discover it. Nice old city park with huge old growth trees, in fact, the "lake" had a seawall of cypress knees which lined the banks. Cool, and no photos... Huge homes across the water, weird that they look at the park but ok. Later earned podcaster Joe Rogan has a house over there about a quarter mile east.
Friday, Mar. 15 - All day and night the weather people are warning and warning we are in for big storms and 2 inch hail. Nothing. If anything there was a break in the clouds for sun! Fought our way thru traffic for west side Austin, finding a parking spot at 8th & Guadalupe, thinking we were near a history museum. But it was closed for construction. Had an hour on the meter so did some fast walking and saw some great historic victorian homes, some wild looking bars were it nighttime, then *lightbulb* isn't VOODOO donuts around here? It was so we found it. They had the filthiest front door I have ever seen. Gross. But the best donuts. Before that and next door was the Driskill Hotel so did a quick lobby tour, that was a bonus. But it gets better... drove near the Capitol, the onward along Guadalupe for the smallest In 'n Out burger ever! In a college area, but the BEST ever. I wrote to headquarters to share the news. Next stop was the Botanical Gardens, nice but would be better when things are blooming, and it's right along the noisy highway. Came home and had a Portland creme donut for dinner. Oink oink. Still waiting on the big storms that never came.
Saturday, Mar 16 - Pedernales State Park #46 next. Drizzly, misty, foggy gross wet morning leaving Emma Park, still waiting for threat of hail, thank God we didn't get it but anyway, made a short drive even way longer letting the truck GPS guide us on some super back roads to Pedernales. We had stopped at an intersection for Total Wine, Whole Foods and Einstein's bagels (see a pattern here?), and should have turned to the left, but since we turned right she found the next road to that destination so off we went thru some remote ranch land, even to a STREAM CROSSING with WATER RUNNING OVER IT. OK, not dangerously but wtf?? Over we went down the steep the one-lane-wide cement path before I could convince him to turn around, even if we could which we couldn't have. Anyway, that was close to the park so we were within 2 miles. Nice old park! Big spaces with lots of trees. I had taken an allergy pill earlier, bad idea, so could't keep awake, but later since it was supposed to rain (and didn't), we drove back 12 miles to Dripping Springs, another distillery boozy destination with a very small downtown of more useless $$ crap. Went to Deep Eddy distillery which is more like a big bar. Got a souvenir jar and headed out. I am barely conscious, so tired. Hit the H-E-B for some St Patrick's corned beef for tomorrow and headed back. Made dinner and couldn't wait to go to bed, I was first in at 10 and slept till 9am next day. Guess I did miss the rain and lightning at 2am. DARN! Bill said it was so loud he couldn't believe I slept thru it. Tired, and deaf I guess.
Sunday, sorta drizzled/rained all day so tried to get out anyway. The bird blind, the ped falls which were huge slickrock potholes, also Trammel crossing and the mis-named, Twin Falls. Amazing landscape here, big 100-old juniper trees that the park hates cuz it took over the Jurassic dinosaur grasslands (whatever) and live oaks and all the wet stuff that grows underneath. Lately everything is wet here with 87% humidity.
Monday, Mar 18 - is that the sun I see???? Got out for a bike ride, trying to decide which trail. Ended up on the perimeter trail (75 degrees after a cold, wet yesterday. Humidity down to 40s, after 87%) meant for horses so the usual rocky limestone--like big, 6 inch rocks that can reroute a bike's direction. Tired of that and headed for the Wolf Mountain trail but by then were were tired of the rough ride. Headed back, showered and drove the 10 miles to Johnson City, which we had passed thru last week and just stopped only at the visitor center. This time we parked at the courthouse and did the "town" which included a very nice antique shop and Airstream-in-the-front yard Farm House vineyards for a glass o' wine. Cute place in town, left with a bottle of Chardonnay. Weather a tad nicer, actually wearing short sleeves, about mid 70s, ok maybe one, then high 60s. Pedernales is the rare campground that was situated on top of the hill, not down in a hole by the river that gets dark at 4pm...
Tues, Mar. 19 - Drive to Guadalupe River State Park (#64) near Boerne IN THE SUN! Just about an hour drive to north of San Antonio, and upon arrival we learn most of the park's trails were closed due to lots of rain and mud. But we managed to get in a 5 mile ride and see some river down there. Clouds moved in later in the day and 63 degrees.
Wed, Mar 20 - 74% humidity, cool and overcast, went to the Screaming Goat for lunch, walked a short trail from the CG to the river and saw some beautiful huge bald cypress trees. and no camera. So went back and then walked it again alone. With my phone/camera.
Thurs, Mar 21 - Drove through San Angelo and got him to at least TRY to drive through the old downtown to find The Swig, missed it again--dragging the trailer on side roads is always fun. Trying to decide where to spend the night as nothing around here has very good ratings. Decided on the Water Valley Harper Park like we did several years ago. The power is locked but the water worked, no one is there so we just parked and stayed the night. No one cares... Weather finally getting better, as in partly cloudy and a little sprinkle, but otherwise nice. So basically we were squatters for a night. 47% humidity
Fri, Mar 22. Heading home! Did about a 4 - 5 hour drive today north toward Lubbock (suddenly noticed a big vineyard which is owned by the Farm House Airstream winery we visited in Johnson City. Totally found it by accident after having missed a turn out of Lamesa. Cool, but we didn't stop or go to their tasting room cuz we are on schedule! Not.) but headed rather to Muleshoe to eat at Leal's, an old mexican restaurant I learned about from a chip bag. Glad we did but about the same quality as a grocery store frozen burrito... Good chips tho! Sharp too, sliced the crap out of the roof of my mouth which bled for an hour. (Wondered why everthing tasted like metal.) Stayed at Oasis State Park #12 outside of Portales, then headed back in to town for some peanuts! We also went to the university and visited the Blackwater Draw fossil museum. (Btw, they also have the private label cherry butter line, for $9. Wow this stuff has gotten expensive. I need to stick with the Hatch grocery, still 7 or 8. It was about 12 or 13 in Fred and beyond. And who the hello makes all this stuff and where? They are even in national parks -- have seen everywhere! Where does it come from???)
Saturday, Mar 23 - Heading home today, after a stop in Clovis to pick up a drill battery. But didn't, of course it's not there. Hey. Its overcast again, ugh. 4 hour drive. Might snow tomorrow at home.
Had to pass a lot of things even though we took it slow. Here's the list of what to visit next time: Slaton Harvey House, Boerne, LaMesa downtown, the Bush family home in Midland, Blackwater draw dig site near Oasis (closed this time)
Upon our return home, I get a message that Vic is taking Dad to urgent care after having a bike mishap. Would end up with 2 broken ribs and a collapsed lung and 5 days in the hospital.
RIP: Garrison Brown, Steve Lawrence, Eric Carmen, David Breashears/everest, M Emmet Walsh (character actor)
