Situated 20 miles west of San Antonio Texas sits the small town of Castroville. So whats in this little town? Well, not much with the exception of a nice RV Park, a new Walmart, a few restaurants and stores. But there was one thing that was hard to ignore and a clue that  spring was well underway.  Poppies! Lot and lots of poppies!

And Blue Bonnets!

A local resident who was a Viet Nam veteran, dedicated his property to poppies (the worldwide symbol for those who served) with the sole purpose of raising money for The Wounded Warrior Project and disabled veterans.  This place is a photographers delight or just a place to walk among the flowers to appreciate the beauty. All that is asked is a donation for the cause.

The American flag flew in WWI

Now I know you’ve heard that everything is BIG in Texas! Well how about a moth? Not just any moth but a Humming Bird Hawk Moth! This guy is three inches long!

The other thing that’s big is the weather. We were front row and center for several severe thunder storms which spawn tornados and golfball size hail. This one had us huddled in the parks storm shelter hoping the tornado would miss us which it did by just a few short miles!

And just like that it clears and we can get back to the tasks at hand. Relaxing!

We were so pleased that our good friends Sal & Susan Holt joined us for a weekend with their 2016 DutchStar. 

There are a lot of things that have taken us by surprise in Texas but….okay c’mon really, Cows in the woods?? Next to the RV Park??

All in all, Castroville was an okay place. It was nice to see green again and Susan had a lot of great photo opportunities.

Castroville Welcome Center

It seems we’re lost, MIA, AWAL!  Well, not really. We’ve been quiet for a while because we decided to put on the brakes and enjoy  winter in the Texas hills. Since early January we’ve been in the small town of Kerrville at Buckhorn Lake RV Resort smack dab in the middle of Texas hill county. This park thus far is by far our favorite with its beautiful grounds and friendly staff.

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The outdoor bar and grill at Buckhorn

The Island gathering place at Buckhorn

The view in front of our coach

We’ve been traveling now for seven months and have enjoyed so many great places and have seen so many beautiful sights. We’ve met and made friends with people from all over the country traveling as we are. Staying a week or two here and there, moving on, and doing it over again, we found ourselves getting worn out! And then throw in a trip back to Michigan to be with our family for the holidays, it was time to stop and relax!

The hill country is beautiful in its own right with it’s winding hilly roads and ranches that go on for miles. There are water foul, horses, deer, cattle, goats, sheep and even zebra (No! I’m not kidding!) ostrich, gazelle and other exotic animals.

The Guadalupe River winds its way through deep canyons and under canopies of trees forming an arch from shore to shore. It ranges from wide and deep to just a narrow stream.

The weather here has been fabulous with temps in the sixties and seventies with a few mid eighties thrown in here and there! This is our idea of winter. We’re told however August is a few degrees hotter that hell!!

Everything in Texas is big….Including the rain!! Weather systems originating in the Gulf dump rain at incredible rates resulting in flash flooding. Roads in low areas are quickly flooded in rushing water.

We often look for places that are off the beaten path and are local favorites. Bill’s Barbecue was such a place. What it lacked in ambiance it made up for in “to die for” beef brisket! The home-made potato salad and cole slaw was fabulous as well!

Bill’s Barbecue

Sooooo good!!!

Back in the 1800, the US Cavalry thought it might be a good idea to import camels to ride in order to fight the Indians. Camp Verdi was the sight of that failed experiment. The General Store still exists and has been restored to include a popular restaurant.

Camp Verdi was an army post in the 1800s that experimented with soldiers riding camels to fight the Indians.

So! Lets be clear! Our idea hiking is, for the most part, a leisurly stroll arond the RV park! So when the park ranger at this 5000 acre nature park pointed out an easy and short trail, we were in! Her idea of “easy” and ours was a little different!!

Backpacks? We don’t need no stinking backpacks!

Texas version of an “easy” trail!

I’m not sure…….does this  qualify as yard art???

We visited the Texas Ranger Heritage center. This was one of those “Hey! What’s that?” kind of a stop! The bronze sculptures were amazing!

A fitting tribute to the Texas Rangers

Some of the most friendly and interesting people are traveling the USA and Canada in travel trailers, fifth wheels, and motorhomes. Our neighbor and now good friends Pat and Jim from S.Dakota have been traveling a number of years. Jim is a retired airline pilot and now flys a 45′ motor coach .

IRV2, which is a social forum for all who wonder was the catalyst of this chance meeting in Texas hill country. Ironically, we all travel in the same make and model of motor coach! Sal and his lovely wife Susan (far left) hosted a get together at their  beautiful home after which we had a great dinner at PoPo’s, a local restaurant. From our left, Kirk & Vicki from Honolulu Hawaii, Bruce and Jo Ann from Oklahoma. Theres no doubt we’ll meet again!

Our time here is coming to a close and we will be moving on soon. Where? Well,  we’ll figure it out!

You can’t visit Texas and not try to find the infamous Texas longhorn cattle.  Though not as numerous as they once were finding them was not as hard as we thought. As a matter of fact, we were only 30 min away from “The Stockyards” which once was the heart of the Texas cattle trade.

“The Stockyard Yards” is located in the heart of Fort Worth. Its like stepping back in time with its old buildings, arena, museum and hundreds of corrals that once held an abundance of livestock. Today it’s no longer used as a stockyard. It’s been cleverly converted to an assortment of shops, saloons, restaurants, and museums.  Rodeos and live entertainment are also on the menu. You’re likely to see the local sheriff and his deputy strolling the streets looking for dirty rotten  scoundrels! 

The Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum has quite the collection of  classic carriages of all types which have been carefully restored.

Classic carriages. only part of the large collection at the Cowboy Hall of Fame

And then there are the Longhorns! Now I’m a city boy. My exposure to farm animals has been mostly limited to county fairs and the petting pen at the zoo!  Believe me when I tell you these suckers are BIG!! The span on the horns alone is five to six feet!

Beef with Attitude!

Twice daily the herd is driven down the street. Now thats something you don’t see every day!

“Stand back!You may need to make a fast get away!” …..What did he say???

The cattle are moved along through the streets and then back to the corral. The cowboys surround the herd and keep them together. It’s quite a sight to see!

Mom and her youngster!

…So In the midst of the big city …a little slice of the old west and gone days of the cattle drive…..

and rotten Scoundrels!

As we make our way east across Texas we land in the town of Abilene. This is not a tourist town by any stretch of the imagination! It’s quite a change from the mountains and mesas of Colorado and Utah and New Mexico!

Just south of Abilene is the small town of Buffalo Gap. The emphasis here is SMALL!  The area was settled in a natural pass through which bison herds traveled. There’s a post office, a school, a small neighborhood, one restaurant, a carry out/gas station….And a really cool historical village filled with old buildings dating back to the mid 1800s to the 1920s. Welcome to the Buffalo Gap Historical Village!

The town Court House and Jail

You weren’t going far with this tethered to your ankle!

Authentic right down to the cob webs.

Believe it on not its still a registered jail that could house inmates!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Court is now in session!

This log cabin would have been home to eight to ten. Since everything was made of wood the cabin would have been infested with lice and other insects.

Going to the doctor..I think I’ll pass!!

Physicians office circa 1920

The Blacksmith barn and adjacent building full of antiques.

the Blacksmith Shop and adjacent building full of artifacts and antiques

Ford Model “T”

Mid 1920s gas station next to the bank. Hey! The first drive through!

This little guy, about a month old, is the self appointed mascot of Buffalo Gap Historical Village. He’s guarding the cash register!

Abilene did have an awesome Welcome Center which included an interactive museum called “Frontier Texas.” The displays were a combination of artifacts and hologram actors who were replicating the lives and experiences of several cowboys and Indians in and around Abilene.

The technology for the displays was very as if you were with a live person!

A fabulous antique gun display!

We enjoyed visiting both attractions but our stay here was, well let’s just say uneventful!

Our next stop is Arlington TX. We’re looking forward to flying back to Michigan to be with our family for the holidays! Proof positive that all who wander are not lost!

Merry Christmas to all!

Waking up in Cortez CO., the temp outside is +14! Its time to move south and make our way toward Arlington Texas.Our first stop is Albuquerque New Mexico. Desert, mountains, big city, movie sets & Rt 66! It is all here!

As big cities go this one is no different in that the traffic is crazy, you can shop till you drop, and find just about any type of cuisine you desire. But if your favorite is Mexican……you’re definitely  in the right place.

Albuquerque sits at the foot of the Sandia Mts. The view from the top is pretty spectacular!

Albuquerque view from the Sandia Mountain Crest 10678 Ft

Albuquerque is also the place where Nuclear power became reality.

As a child, I remember my father talking about building a fallout shelter because some fool parked a bunch of warheads 90 miles off the coast of Florida. I remember my grade school teachers giving us instructions on what to do in the event of an atom bomb. Looking back now and seeing pictures of the absolute and total destruction suffered by Japan in WWII, we were so naive! Thank God it never happened.

The Museum of Nuclear Science and History is representative of the good and bad of nuclear power.

B-29 Super fortress similar to the “Enola Gay”

A replica of the atom bomb “Fat Man”that destroyed Hiroshima

Thirty-five miles north is the small artist town of Madrid and the setting for the movie ” Wild Hogs”.  Maggie’s Diner was built here specifically for the movie and then turned over to the city and is now privately owned. If you want a sandwich you’re out of luck. There is no food. Just lots and lots of “Wild Hog” apparel and souvenirs! Of course I bought one!!

Ancient civilizations. Pueblo People. We all have studied them in our educational past to some degree. And like most, I erased most of what I learned from my memory banks shortly after the history test! Fast forward to the present and we find ourselves standing on the very ground these people called home some eight hundred years ago. “Ground” being a relative term as most of their houses were on canyon alcoves, several hundred feet up!

Our journey to the cliff dwellings begins at the Welcome Center where we get an education on the physical challenges we’ll encounter visiting  “Balcony House”, a 800 year old archeological  site. The 23 mile drive there has many scenic turn outs with stunning views of the valley below. Off in the distance is Ship Rock which is 50 miles away.

Visitor Center

The shiprock

Yes you can see forever!

Thirty two foot ladders, narrow passages on hands and knees barely eighteen inches wide, and a vertical rock face all some five hundred feet above the canyon floor.

32 foot ladder…straight up!

Leading our way was Ranger Ted. He was a wealth of knowledge on the ancient Pueblo way of life and has a true passion for the preservation of these sites not only here but through out the country.

Ranger Ted explaining how a “Kiva” would have been used.

This Kiva would have had a roof covering and access was by a ladder. The center hole in the floor was a fire pit. The square opening was for ventilation entering on the top of the wall.

A Kiva, used kind of like a family room.

Balcony House

Looking up toward the ceiling.

Inside the Dwelling, used for food storage.

Getting to this site certainly had its challenges. Getting out? That’s another story!

Narrow passage leading to the 18 inch wide tunnel.

Susan hugging the wall and not at all happy about the climb that’s ahead!!

..Why? Because she’s afraid of heights!!

Chiseled steps in the rock face did help with the climb. But it’s still a looooong way down!

There are over 600 cliff dwellings in Mesa Verte. Some are very visible. Some are not. Some are in a state of advanced ruin and some are amazingly preserved.

Cliff Palace

Square tower

Decorative painting on the wall.

Spruce Tree House

View from the storage area in Balcony House. These canyon walls were home!

Fires started from lightning strikes plague this area and thousands of acres have burned in years past. The most recent in 2002 scorched 30 thousand acres before it was extinguished. Sadly, 200 years will pass before this land will recover!

Juniper and Pinion Pine trees seen here grow on the Mesa. The ancients used these trees for shelter and fire, the bark for sandles and (are you ready for this…..) diapers! 

The Courthouse

Traveling from Colorado to Utah, the lush green of the mountains ranges is gone and the rock and sage brush of the desert is now in our window. Our destination is Moab Utah. Off in the distance, red rock plateaus, huge rock spires and deep canyons dominate the landscape. Entering town, we cross the Colorado River and pass Arches National Park.

It seems that every other vehicle  here is set up for off roading. Jeeps, trucks, quad runners, side by sides, and dirt bikes are everywhere! Our Ford Focus is a little out of place! Mountain bikes are popular as well. You want outdoor adventure? Moab is the place!

Arches National Park is one of the most visited parks in the country and the day we were there was no exception. Cars were backed up from the entrance 3/4 of a mile! Once past the gates we could see why. This place is beautiful! Erosion from millions or years of wind, sand and water has sculpted the sand stone in unique ways, some even defying gravity.

Balance Rock

Mother nature even has a sense of humor by carving some of the towering formations in the shape of animals and native indians!

The Sheep

Does the center rock formation remind you of a squating indian wrapped in a blanket?

Driving through the park we see just how it got its name.

Turret Arch

North and South Window Arches

South Window Arch

Broken Arch

Skyline Arch

look close! Do you see the climbers?

Our highlight of the day was hiking to Sand Dune Arch. The trail started like this….

And then went to this….

And finally to this!

These folks thought it was a good place to test out their art skills. I looked……Nope! No numbers! 

The Fiery Furnace

We had the bad fortune of experiencing part of the reason this land looks the way it does. On our last night here, the night was clear, the moon was full, stars in the sky…….45-70 mph winds!! Needless to say we didn’t sleep well!!

Full moon from our Moab RV site

Full moon in Moab

The Colorado River carving its way

Moab has bike trails everywhere. This trail started by crossing the river. How do you make a bridge look different than any other?

You add art!

Bridge art

Bridge art

Driving along the river, the road has little to no shoulder. Wandering off the road here will surely mess up a paint job!!

We look at the map and decide to head in a certain direction with a specific goal in mind. Maybe its a National Park, or a certain city or quaint town. There’s plenty of literature advertising, and websites for these but the road there is just a line on the map!

So off we go with no expectation of what the miles will bring, just about how long it will take to get there,.. give or take. No where in the advertising did it say that around each corner the view out the windshield will astonish you! No where did we read that along the way we will find some place to stop and just marvel at the landscape and be grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful country. And no where did we read that at the end of the day we would find ourselves miles from the hustle of the cities and surrounded by nature with painted trees and  crystal blue skies.