Texas Hill Country

Some time to explore

We are volunteering in LBJ State Park in Texas for three months. After two months on the road, we were ready to settle in for a while. I think we are turning into whimps. This area deserves more than just 1 month to explore. We will miss the wildflower season but caught it two years ago.

Before President Johnson passed away, he had established the donation of his ranch to the National Park System. Maybe he didn't want his legacy to only be about the Vietnam War. He was responsible for Medicare, Headstart, Voting Rights and Civil Rights Acts. He actually signed more legislation than any other president other than FDR who had three terms compared to his 1 1/2.

The ranger gave an insightful and interesting tour.

Lady Bird Johnson, the first lady, had quite a history of her own. I won't go into it here but she had a good head on her shoulders.

It takes quite a bit of time to visit the state and national parks along with the national park in Johnson City but well worth the effort. There is also the Presidential Library in Austin.

Air Force One was too large for the runway on the ranch. The President and other officials were shuttled from Bergstrom AF Base by LBJ's smaller jet, "Air Force One-Half" as he called it.

Cycling in Hill Country has its own hazards. Traffic is quite low in the small towns and hilly back roads. But you never know what type of critter that will cross your path.

This mom cow was not letting us pass until all of the calves were safe.

Riding through the national park was jaring as we crossed some wicked cattle guards. We startled a couple of black angus (big cows) as we passed through a field. They charged out

out of the trees just missing us. Once was enough for me. I don't care how many online bike routes say it is a great ride.

We finally found an armadillo that wasn't roadkill. He moved faster than I expected.

Blackbuck antelope were brought from India and have no hunting limit they are quite prolific like the deer in Texas without predators . They also quite speedy as they cross the road.

Our ride while on duty.

Our job as maintenance host is 3 four hour days per week. That's a lot of time to get to enjoy the area.

Christmas is a big deal in Texas Hill Country. Fredericksburg has a tree lighting or parade every weekend in Dec and Johnson City went crazy with their beautiful lights. 

LBJ State Park has a huge Christmas lighting celebration and volunteers bake over 800 cookies in the week leading up to the event. This is the 75th anniversary celebration making it an even bigger deal and as they say "all hands on deck."

 Our campsite overlooks pecan and oak trees that the deer and cardinals visit everyday.

Sauer Beckman Farm

The Sauer-Beckman (Living history) Farmstead is a living history farm, presented as it was in 1918. Interpreters wear period clothing, do the farm and household chores as they were done at that

time, and conduct tours for the visitors. Part of their demonstrations is cooking what they grow and  in season. On our "working" days, we can have lunch with them for $1 donation.

They are quite tasty. We pass on bean and cornbread day or sausage and cabbage.

Hanna hard at work making bread in the very warm kitchen. They use a wood stove for cooking and no running water. Lunch always smells so good when we arrive.

One of the local volunteers spinning wool from the sheep into yarn.

Kids making candles to decorate the farm for Christmas.

Johan Friedrich Sauer and his wife purchased 188 acres along the Pedernales River and moved here with their four children in 1869. They built a log and rock cabin for the family, with a sleeping loft and a porch. As their family grew, they added rooms to the structure. By 1885, they completed a two-story stone dormitory for their 10 children.

Several German farming families made their homes on land that is now part of the park.

The Danz family built their dogtrot (porch in the middle of the rooms) cabin on a scenic spot overlooking fields above the Pedernales River some­time in the 1860s.

Hye Market and Post Office

The Hill Country is dotted with small towns like Hye with a post office that is also a great place for lunch just down the road from us.

Enchanted Rock State Park

Enchanted Rock is 17 miles from Fredericksburg and has fascinated humans for thousands of years. Most of the stories are rooted in fancy rather than fact.

Tonkawa Indians thought that ghost fires flickered on top of the dome. The odd creaking and groaning coming from the dome frightened them. Geologists say that the dome creaks and groans as temperatures change. As for the ghost fires, the rock glitters on clear nights after rain. The glittering is reflections from collected water.

One story tells of an Indian maiden who saw her tribe killed by an enemy. She threw herself off the top of Enchanted Rock, and her spirit haunts the rock still. Another

story tells of a young Spanish soldier who rescued his true love just as Comanches were about to burn her at the base of the rock.

We reserved our day pass for an entrance between 8:30 and 10 am. By 11 am the park was getting busy. 

We took the Summit Trail to the top of the hill while few people were around. By the time we had climbed back down and headed to the Loop Trail. The Rock was getting busy.
We didn't feel any ghosts.

If you come without an entrance pass, watch for flashing yellow lights along the highway that will signal closures due to capacity, weather or other emergencies. We had our pass and no signs were flashing.

Enchanted Rock was much steeper that it looked.

Going down, we were glad we were wearing our grippy hiking boots.

Our travels have evolved over the past 18 years. We thought volunteering would be a short term thing but have found staying in a place for a little while a good fit. We like contributing to the parks and living in a lovely place while seeing the sites. It is fun having a different window view every so often. Sometimes, it is good to just stop and enjoy a quiet day with my friend.