Places Visited:

Texas: Georgetown, Marble Falls, Blanco, Pedernales Falls SP,
Luckenbach, Wimberly, Canyon Lake, Johnson City, LBJs Texas White House NP, Fredericksburg, Texas.

Saturday, May 10, 2003
Live Oaks at Berry Creek RV-Park. It is near Georgetown and has
50-amps is the only redeeming feature of this full hook up park. $15.

We have now taken time to locate the two COE parks on Lake Georgetown
a short drive west of town. These are definitely the places to stay
when visiting Georgetown. There is another NEW commercial RV-Park not
far from town that is catering to RV'ers visiting the area. It is
full so they must be doing something right. It is the New Life
RV-Park 1200 county road 152 phone 512-931-2073. The COE parks are
Cedar Breaks Park located on the south side of the lake very near the
dam. The other is Jim Hogg Park located on the north side of the lake
at the end of Jim Hogg Road. For reservations at either COE park
1-877-444-6777.

Georgetown was having market day on the square in downtown. All types
of vendors surrounded the square with a plethora of "stuff". Then
there was a parade typical of small town parades, with beauty queens,
sheriff, horses, high school marching band, a Wells Fargo stage coach,
and politicians. Joyce and Mother also shopped in the quaint Shoppe's
surrounding the square. Lunch took us back to the Monument Café where
we had one of the daily lunch specials "enchiladas verde". The were
good but none of us have a clue what part verde played in the name
since nothing was green in the casserole. Sometimes my mind wonders
too much but enchiladas verde would indicate green enchiladas to me.
Oh well, forget it. I did.

After lunch it was back to the square for more shopping. Don't they
ever get tired of looking at stuff? Dang that bench was getting hard.
However, it was easier to nap with a full stomach. When Joyce's
shopping desires had been satiated we loaded up in the Saturn and
headed to the candle factory where Mother wanted to see candles being
manufactured. Too bad they were selling candles but not making any.

Finally it was time to head off and see some of the countryside. We
drove through the city's San Gabriel Park that runs along the north
side of the San Gabriel River. It is a very nice park. Then it was
time to check out the COE parks on Lake Georgetown west of town. Now
that we know where they are we will stay with the COE the next time we
visit the area. On the way into and out of Jim Hogg State Park we
passed through an upscale residential area. The only thing different
about this neighborhood of nice homes and yards was the "lawn
ornaments". While many country estates have concrete deer ornaments
in their yards. These folks have live deer. We passed places that
would have up to four deer lying in the yard under the shade of a
large oak tree like a pack of hunting dogs around a cabin. It was
funny. Some yards had elaborate 8 foot fences to keep the critters
out while others obviously fed them. From what we could see the deer
were like wild birds that city slickers feed and enjoy so much. I was
thinking that it would be neat to look out your window and watch the
deer in your yard.

Once back at the motorhome I got a call from Bob Giddings who is a
"virtual" friend I met on the RV newsgroup rec.outdoors.rv-travel. Bob
has lived in Georgetown for a long time and still has a home here that
he is trying to sell so he can "hit-the-road" in his RV. Bob stopped
by to see us and swap "road-stories". Bob has unsurpassed writing
skills and publishes wonderful short stories when he is on the road.
The only place I know of to read about his travels is on the
newsgroup. I wish the he would send them via e-mail.

Sunday, May 11, 2003
We drove 108-miles Blanco State Park- Blanco, Texas. Full hook up or just water & elect.
$14

We left Georgetown this morning and headed west on Texas 29 to Burnet
then turned south on US 281 to Marble Falls. The corn and wheat
fields growing on the "black-belt" land east of I-35 are history. West
of I-35 rainfall is insufficient for "dry land farming" also the soil
is thin and not conducive to farming. Rolling hills of cedar, post
oak and cactus are prevalent.

This is Mother's Day and we had planned to stop by the Blue Bonnet
Café in Marble Falls for lunch. The Blue Bonnet Café is written up in
virtually every publication having to do with gastronomical delights.
Ride Texas Magazine names it one of the Best in Texas while Travel &
Leisure Magazine in its May 1999 issue named it one of Americas top
100 Breakfast Restaurants. We were not the only ones planning on Blue
Bonnet Café for Mother's Day lunch. Although we arrived at 11:00 we
still had a 15-minute wait. Those that came later were waiting much
longer. Their specialty is home-made pie. We did not get to their
specialty because we were full to overflowing with lunch. This was a
good experience.

Our destination of Blanco was only 45-miles south of Marble Falls. It
was an easy trip on US 281 through rolling hills, fenced range land,
dotted with cedar, mesquite, post oak trees and punctuated with
outcroppings of limestone.

After setting up the motorhome in Blanco State Park we got in the
Saturn and drove to Pedernales Falls State Park about 20-miles north
east of Blanco. The drive is through typical Texas Hill Country
terrain crossing several dry gullies with flood gauges showing that
during bad weather the roads flood over these areas. Cactus are in
full bloom with large yellow flowers with orange throats. They are so
beautiful to view. Cactus are also good to eat when fixed like green
beans. We are looking for a Mexican restaurant that serves this so
Mother can sample cactus. On the way to Pedernales Falls Mother
spotted her first deer we have seen many but this is the first time we
did not have to point it out. She is getting much better at spotting
these critters. Pedernales Falls is fairly spectacular with water
flowing over a wide rock bed stair stepping into pools then falling
again into another pool as it makes its way through the park.

From Pedernales Falls we head west to Luckenbach near Fredericksburg.
Luckenbach is the place in Texas made famous by the 1976 song by
Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. The hit song "Luckenbach Texas"
was #1 on the Country Charts for six weeks and is still regularly
heard today. Today Luckenbach is much as it was when Willie and
Waylon sang about it. There is a population of three (3). It was
originally established as a trading post between the early German
settlers and Comanche Indians who lived in the area. The natives of
Luckenbach remained friendly to the Indians and honored their treaties
that had been made with the United States. That was over 150 years
ago. Carrying on that tradition Luckenbach remains the friendliest
place on the planet. Hill Country Musicians Jam every Friday,
Saturday & Sunday. The Jams are not organized. Anyone who has an
instrument (usually guitar) just arrives and starts playing, everyone
who feels like it sings along. The rest sip a beer or coke. The
place consists of 10-acres a Dance Hall, Beer Joint and General Store
surrounded by huge oak trees and a creek. Bike clubs make Luckenbach
a regular stop on their weekend runs. We felt like this was where
Mother should spend some "quality" time on Mother's Day. Don't you
agree. After all she is such a very big Willie Nelson fan! VBG

The trip back to Blanco from Luckenbach was on country roads as we
searched for turkey and deer. We only saw deer, sheep, goats, cattle
and llama.

Monday, May 12, 2003
Blanco State Park- Blanco, Texas. Full hook up or just water & elect.
$14

Wimberley was our destination. On the way to Wimberley we saw an
advertisement for an RV-Park down a country road so we headed off to
investigate for future use. The park did not turn out to be much but
the drive was scenic and we passed a ranch with a large heard of goats
being guarded by a Great Pyrenees dog. Great Pyrenees are bred as
guard dogs for sheep and goats. At birth they are separated from
their mother and put with the sheep or goats. They have very little
contact with people and grow up thinking they are a sheep or goat,
just the biggest and baddest sheep or goat in the flock. If a coyote
ventures by looking for a goat to dine on the coyote will get the
surprise of his life just before he becomes "the victim" of the
baddest goat in the flock.

The Wimberley glass company was our first stop in Wimberley. A top
notch glass blower / artist has his shop in Wimberley. The shop
includes a sales building/display room and a manufacturing or
"creation" building complete with seating for 40 to 50 tourist. Artist
Tim De Jong starts with a glob of clear hot molten glass that he
attaches to a long steel pipe by inserting the pipe into the molten
glass then withdrawing it. As the glass cools somewhat he inserts the
pipe again much like a candle maker repeatedly dips the candle in wax
in order to make layers. After a sufficient quantity of glass has
adhered to the end of his steel pipe he rolls the molten glob of glass
around on a table shaping it to look somewhat like a small fat sausage
hanging off the end of his 6 foot long pipe. Then he rolls his clear
molten glob into colored glass particles where the small pieces of
colored glass adhere to the semi-molten clear glass on the end of his
pipe. In the piece he was making for us he was using blue colored
glass pieces. The blue colored glass pieces stick to the outside of
the clear glass like pepper sprinkled on a slice of tomato. The glass
glob has to be inserted back into the furnace where the green coloring
melts and blends with the clear glass. He has to repeat this process
three times in order to get the color he is looking for. Once the
color is correct it is time to actually blow into the tube in order to
make the pitcher. By blowing into the pipe while constantly spinning
the pipe the glass expands. Now there is a long hollow green sausage!
Next his assistant takes another pipe and gets a glob of molten clear
glass on it. Working together they attached the second pipe to the
other end of the sausage. Then in a really cool move the artist dips
a long thin steel rod into a pot of water and holds the cool wet rod
on the molten glass as he rotates the sausage around and around. Next
he tapped the end of his pipe and the piece cleanly broke where he had
run the cool rod around the hollow glass sausage. Now the glass was
attached to the other pipe from the other end but now the end of the
pitcher was open. While still spinning the piece he heats it again
and starts using tools to make the outside perfectly round and shaped
like a pitcher. Then he used a steel rod to form the lip of the
pitcher and spread the top opening of the pitcher. While he is doing
this the assistant has another tube with clear glass that she is
coloring bright yellow. This is going to be the handle. With the
color of the handle just right together they stretch the yellow handle
glass into a foot long piece of small diameter molten glass. With a
deft movement the artist attaches one end of the molten handle to the
pitcher then quickly makes a few moves with his steel implements and
the other end of the molten handle is attached to the pitcher. The
temperature of the glass has to be just right for this procedure. Too
hot and the glass flows like water. Too cool and it is like well__
glass. Somewhere between 950 degrees and 1000 degrees glass becomes
molten. It has to be molten to connect the handle to the pitcher. If
it is too molten the handle will not maintain the "handle shape". Too
cool it will not adhere to the pitcher. Both pieces have to be the
"right" temperature. At the moment the piece reduces temperature to
where it will no longer be molten the pitcher is quickly transferred
to an oven set at around 950 degrees. That temperature is just below
where glass becomes molten. Pieces are collected in that oven all day
then it is set to gradually cool over the next 24-hours. Without
gradual cooling the glass pieces would shatter. The process of
gradual cooling is referred to as annealing. It is the same process
used in making steel and other metals.

Friends in Pensacola can view Joyce's yellow pitcher with a blue
handle that will be prominently displayed somewhere in her kitchen
when we get home. Please comment on it as it will make me feel
better. VBG

We ate lunch at the "Burger Barn". The best part about this place was
the homilies liberally sprinkled around the joint: "If some folks had
horn's they'd wear them off buttin'in" "If you don't want it to get
out don't tell it here" "Burger Barn the best feed bag in town". As
for the last little ditty________ well I am not sure it is actually
fact. VBG

Before leaving Wimberley we took a scenic drive down "River Road". You
have to get a map of Wimberley in order to find "River Road" but it is
worth the trouble. The 2-mile drive has to be one of the most scenic
drives in the entire country. The drive is along the Blanco River
with beautiful cypress trees lining both sides of the river. The
cypress give way to massive pecan and live oak trees on the higher
ground. Limestone outcroppings seem to present themselves in such
spectacular formations. Words just cannot describe how the limestone
cliffs and outcroppings intermingle with the trees. Immaculate yards
and homes line the river in an unobtrusive way. When visiting
Wimberley take time to experience that scenic drive then do lunch at
the Mexican Restaurant "Juan Enrique's" on River Road. I think it is
the best place in town to dine, at least that is what the glass artist
told us and we are fairly sure it will be better than the Burger Barn.

Our next stop was at the dam on Canyon Lake. Just before we got to
the dam we noticed what I thought was a "scorched earth" mining
operation. Later we learned that that is where the river gouged a new
course last summer when they had the massive floods in this area. It
seems that when the area got over 50 inches of rain in 6-days it was
more water than even the Corps of Engineers Canyon Lake Dam could
handle and water flowed over the spillway for the first time ever. In
fact so much water flowed over the spillway that it gouged out a new
path creating a canyon several hundred feet deep and over 100-yards
wide as it made a new path to the existing river bed. That had to
have been a spectacular sight to behold.

Our next stop was at one of the RV-Parks Joyce and I had stayed in two
years ago when we were in this area. We wanted to show Mother a
massive pecan table that the park had in their recreation room. This
table is around 20 feel long 4 to 5 feet wide and 4 inches thick cut
out of one gigantic pecan tree. A very talented individual had been
able to visualize this magnificent table being cut out of a 4 inch
thick diameter cut of the trunk. Of course anything this massive has
to be mounted on something substantial and it is. The legs or should
I say foundation for the table are native limestone rocks mortared
into supports on each end and in the middle. The table is a marvel of
artistry, ingenuity, imagination in addition to being a tribute to one
ancient and magnificent pecan tree.

The RV-Park with this table also has cabins along the river as well
operating a tubing operation. The river runs by the RV-Park and both
are situated on a bluff overlooking the bridge over the river as the
road follows the river to Gruene. We got to see the table but while
talking to the owners they showed us pictures of the "flood" last
summer. The River rose 40 feet. They had pictures of the river as it
flowed over its bank. The pictures were totally unbelievable. Over
4,500 homes were either destroyed or significantly damaged.

Outside a restaurant in Canyon Lake was a neon sign "Smoked Turkey
Tails $1.00". I laughed about smoked turkey tails when I read it. The
girls thought I was making it up so we doubled back to make sure I had
read it correctly. Sure enough it said "Smoked Turkey Tails $1.00".
When we stopped laughing we needed to know more! What exactly is
"Smoked Turkey Tail"? How many of them should you get for a $1.00?
Are they a Texas thing or do other states also serve "Smoked Turkey
Tail"? Comments! Answers welcome.

>From the RV-Park we headed to Cranes Mill COE park where Joyce and I
had spent one night two years ago. The park on Canyon Lake is loaded
with deer and we wanted Mother to experience feeding wild deer. We
saw lots of deer then spent time feeding a group of 6. As we left we
threw several cups of corn on the ground. Within a few minutes 8 deer
were munching on the goodies. A little farther down the road we fed
another group of deer. The only disappointment was none of them would
eat out of our hands.

Mother spotted more deer today. She is getting good at this.

Somewhere along the way we watched a roadrunner looking for a lizard.
This was a first for Mother. They look just like the cartoon
roadrunner and act the same way. You have to laugh when watching them
dart about, it is a spontaneous thing.

Next we stopped to look over an emu farm. Now Mother is familiar with
what an emu looks like. She says the word pops up in her cross word
puzzles all the time.

Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Blanco State Park- Blanco, Texas. Full hook up or just water & elect.
$14

Our first stop today was LBJ's boyhood home in Johnson City, Texas
14-miles north of our motorhome in Blanco. LBJ's boyhood home is
operated by the National Park Service. Additionally, the National
Park maintains a nice building with displays and two small movie
theatres. One of the theatres features an LBJ film while the other
features a Lady Bird Johnson movie. We enjoyed both movies and the
docent led tour of the family home. One of the things we learned here
is how LBJ wanted to improve life for the average family. When he was
elected to Congress from this district of Texas he pushed for and got
rural electrification for this area. That was in the 1930s prior to
that no one around here had electricity.

We lunched at the Hill Country Cupboard on highway 281 in Johnson
City. A big sign proclaims World's Best Chicken Fried Steak (Nearly 3
dozen sold). The part about "nearly 3 dozen sold" was catchy and we
had a good laugh. The most impressionable part of our lunch was the
menu. You may ask how a menu can make an impression. Their menus
were totally unique in that they were a computer generated menu
printed on regular 8&1/2 X 11 inch white paper glued to a brown paper
grocery bag. One page was glued to one side of the folded grocery bag
another page was glued to the other side and yet another piece glued
to the folded over bottom. That part was unique. The grease spots,
ketchup spots, water marks and other stains took "unique" to a
different level if you get my drift. The Cupboard is a place
frequented by locals. Cowboys, field hands, truckers and farm
families mosey in for lunch. This is a no frills place with plastic
checkerboard tablecloths.

Next we drove to LBJ's Texas "White House" otherwise known as his
ranch house where the National Park Service conducts tours of the
homestead including the home that LBJ was born in. The National Park
Service also operates a Living History Museum where docents perform
normal chores and care for a variety of farm animals typical of an
early 1900s family in the Texas Hill Country. Twice each day they
hand milk cows. The milk is put into a hand operated separator where
it is spun at sufficient speed to separate cream from the milk. The
skim milk that is left from that process is left to curdle. Given a
day of standing at room temperature the milk will turn into curds &
whey. Some people like to eat the curds, it did not pass my smell
test to even attempt swallowing any! The curds & whey are emptied
from the pan into a piece of cheese cloth that holds the curds while
the watery whey drips out. The docent explained how the drained curds
can be combined with a small amount of cream to make cottage cheese.
Also the curd can be combined with whole fresh milk and cream then
slowly cooked until a substance similar to Mozzarella cheese is
produced. In addition to all the things they did with milk another
docent was demonstrating a grating contraption they used to make the
"slaw" for sour kraut. We had seen this kitchen tool at other
historic displays but could not determine what it was used to slice
and exactly how it was used. Now we know. The docent was a retired
rancher from the area that had butchered hogs and made sausage all his
life. He demonstrated how the sausage presses worked. He had one
that looked like an oversized caulk gun with a 8" snout as big around
as a sausage. They also had "pig bladders" on display that were used
in those days for balls. They were about the size of volley balls and
tied on both ends to make an oblong ball. They were more the
consistency of a balloon than heavy like today's volley balls or
basket balls. Mother did touch it even though she made a face like
she was touching something gosh awful. The entire experience at the
demonstration farm was extremely educational and we enjoyed it.

Next we boarded a tram and took a 1 & ½ hour tour of LBJ's ranch,
birth place and family cemetery. At the Texas White House we saw the
collection of automobiles, airstrip and helicopter pad. Air Force One
could not land on the 6,000 foot runway because the base was not
sufficient to hold the weight of Air Force One, instead it landed in
Austin or San Antonio and visitors were ferried to the ranch by
helicopter or a smaller aircraft. The ranch still operates as a
1960's ranch complete with prize Hereford cattle.

With the LBJ National Parks behind us it was time to visit the
Wildseed Farms and Market Center near Fredericksburg. It is the
largest wildflower farm in the United States. We were able to see
wildflowers planted in rows to be harvested for seed. You can walk
around 217 acres planted with bluebonnets, poppies and other species
in various stages of growth or bloom. If you are in the
Fredericksburg area make sure that you visit the farm. If you are
looking for wildflower seed check them out at www.wildseedfarms.com.

We drove Mother around Fredericksburg admiring the beautiful churches
one a Lutheran the other a Catholic were stunningly beautiful. While
touring the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park we spotted a wild turkey
roaming around the RV-Park. Where else can you see a wild turkey
strolling through a municipal park? While we are on the subject of
RV-Parks the Lady Bird Johnson Park is one of the nicest places you
could stay when visiting Fredericksburg. With that said there are
several nice commercial parks available also.

We had supper at Andy's Diner on Washington less than 1/2-mile south
of US 290 (turn south at the Admiral Nemitz Museum. This is one of
the original Texas old-time restaurants catering to locals not
tourist. You will not find it in any of the local advertisements.
Enjoy Andy's Diner when in Fredericksburg.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix