Monthly Review January

 

Monthly Review January

Places visited:

• Historic Downton Kerrville, TX
• Highlight, beautiful day to walk using a computer widget tour of 30 historic buildings.
• Lowlight, it was a look at the outside of the buildings only.
• The self-guided tour was informative, and it was a nice sunny day for a stroll.
• Pacific War Museum Fredericksburg, TX
• Highlight, a well thought out museum with multimedia displays well laid out to present one area of interest at a time.  Seeing Slim Bawb at Hondo’s on Main was the true highlight of the day for me.
• Lowlight, it was big with a lot of reading of information, an overwhelming amount of information to absorb.
• The layout was modern with small rooms for each topic covered, the lights were low, and the path was twisty from room to room.  With WWII in the pacific as the topic, it was emotionally overwhelming for me as well.
•  By the River Campground Kerrville, TX
• Highlight, the 70 acres here that you can hike around and be near the river, Turtle Cascades, and an unnamed cascade up the river a bit.  I like to walk every day and it is a lovely place to walk and see ducks on the water and deer on the land.
• Lowlight, our campsite is narrow, but we only had neighbors on both sides about half the time and it does look out to the water, and I like that.
• People here are genuinely friendly, and the grounds are well kept, I am glad to be here.
• River Trail Kerrville, TX
• Highlight, peaceful walk on Tranquility Island with the river on both sides.
• Lowlight, the path curves away from the river at times.
• It is a great trail for a get away from the city streets without leaving town.
•  Coming King Sculpture Garden
• Highlight, beautiful sculptures on a hilltop.
• Lowlight, it was cold and windy the day we went.
• It is a simple place, with multiple prayer gardens.  Glory to God
• Schreiner Mansion Kerrville, TX
• Highlight, saw the interior of the first floor.
• Lowlight, volunteers had limited information on the history and we could not tour the upstairs.
• I believe you could skip the tour of this house.
• Lost Maples State Natural Area Vanderpool, TX
• Highlight, a beautiful day showing me the Texas I have always imagined.  We started in a canyon and rose to the top for wonderful views.  
• Lowlight, I live to far away to walk this park in the Fall when its full of color.
• I found this in a list of the nine best hikes in Texas Hill Country and it deserved to be on it, 8 miles of wonder.
• LBJ State Park and National Historic Site Stonewall, TX
• Highlight, the ranch is awe inspiring, wide open spaces on a beautiful day, I understand why LBJ loved it here and bought it all back.
• Lowlight, you can no longer go into the home due to structural issues.
• I strongly recommend that you check out this place if you are in the area.
• Luckenbach, Texas Luckenbach, TX
• Highlight, admittedly the song had some influence on me wanting to go here and boy I am glad I did.  The place has a simple vibe of let’s play/listen to some music and I love that.
• Lowlight, it was not crowded at all for a Friday, mostly likely CoVid related, felt safe but it would be nice to see it in a non CoVid time with a full house.
• The band we saw ShAnnie were excellent.  I have missed going out to see live music, it was wonderful.
• Bandera, TX
• Highlight,
• Meeting Kelly the chuckwagon cook was so sweet.  He is a gentle but true cowboy that has been driving this chuckwagon since the days of Roy Rogers.
• Lowlight, no gunfight drama in the street on the day I visited.  
• The Cowboy Capital of the World is touristy so take it for what it is, it did not disappoint.
• Kerr Wildlife Management Area Hunt, TX
• Highlight, the drive there and back, beautiful hill country.
• Lowlight, you drive down one road and see no animals.  
• This is a place that you do not need to visit.
• Greune, TX
• Highlight, lunch at the Gristmill Restaurant, oh it was so good.
• Lowlight, it is touristy, a lot like Long Grove.
• Greune was a town built by one man who led others and when he passed and hard times came the town floundered.  It is amazing to see all he built, a shame that he left no one behind to take it into the future.
• Garner State Park Concan, TX
• Highlight, on top of Old Baldy an accomplishment to climb it and rewarded with great views and some additional trails too.
• Lowlight, planned on seeing a cave on another trail there but Jim's legs said, not today.
• Garner was nice, more strenuous but not as nice as Lost Maples but good.
• San Antonio, TX
• Highlight, the Mission Trail, each one had unique features it was interesting to see and imagine what is was like hundreds of years ago
• Lowlight, lots of places closed in downtown, felt a little weird.
• I am not much of a city person, so San Antonio was nice but a city.
• Enchanted Rock State Park, Fredericksburg, TX
• Highlight, the hike, summit was not too difficult and the variety on the rock and the other trails was great to traverse through including seeing rock climbers.
• Lowlight, telephone wires messed up my shot of the entrance sign.
• A great place for a hike, the rock is enchanting, and the place is peaceful.

My overall favorite place of all the places in January was Lost Maples State Natural Area.  It felt great to hike there.  It was the first time that Texas felt like what I imagined it was like. Jim’s overall favorite place was Enchanted Rock for its hiking.

My favorite trail was the West trail at Lost Maples.  Beautiful weather, a hike through varying terrain, perfect.  Jim’s favorite trail was Enchanted Rock trail.

Our favorite day in January was when we went to LBJ state park visited the farm, then drove all over LBJ’s ranch at the National Historic Park on a blue-sky day.  Dined at a German restaurant in Fredericksburg and finally heard live music in Luckenbach Texas.

My favorite picture:  Taken on a rainy day walk here at the campground.  This tree hangs on even as the river erodes away and exposes its roots. I like the colors, the entwined roots and the white water.