Rain in Austin

Some of our adventures along the way on our summer tour are planned and scheduled ahead. Some are not. I'll let you decide which type this was -- but I'll have to call it Stop # 8 and 1/2!

It rained in Austin last night; a nice hard downpour with thunder, lightening, strong winds and a little hail. We rejoiced in the storm because Austin, too, has been suffering from a drought.

This morning on our walk we decided to hike to the falls to see what difference last night's rain had made. First we hiked to the Lower Falls.

before the rain

after the rain 



It was amazing to see what a change several inches of rain had made in the size of the Lower Falls. Now we were curious; what would the Upper Falls look like? We headed off to see.

before the rain





after the rain



While we were admiring the overnight changes in the falls, we decided to take some pictures of each other sitting on the rocks near the Upper Falls. The camera, of course, was at home a 20 minute walk away. So we decided to use Bruce's cell phone camera.

I positioned myself in a sitting position on the edge of the rock shelf overhanging the pool at the base of the falls. Bruce handed me his phone so I could take his picture, and it slipped from my hand. Over the edge of the rocky overlook it bounced; and then down, down, and down until it landed on the rocks at the water's edge. There, about 12 feet below us, it lay open and face down but with no apparent injuries!

Now what? Not only was that gadget half of our available phone connections but it contained names, addresses and data about family, friends and other important contacts. Memos and data were stored away in there as well as our schedule for the coming months.

Bruce immediately went searching for a path down to that lower level. The only way down was now blocked by the high water! He was quite discouraged when he returned to where I was guarding the fallen phone from my perch on high.

As we were brainstorming other possibilities of rescue, a young couple came down the path carrying fishing poles. We must have looked worried because they asked if anything was wrong. Bruce's response was to ask, "How good a fisherman are you?" The young man hemmed and hawed and then replied, "OK, I guess. What's the problem?" We explained the situation and Bruce asked if he thought he could snag the phone with his fishing hook. He didn’t think so.

So they joined us in looking for a way down over the cliff to rescue the phone. No luck. He and Bruce decided that the best chance was to get a rope to secure one of them to rappel down over the rock cliff. Bruce headed home to get his strong, car-towing nylon cable for the job.

As the three of us waited for Bruce to return, the young man decided Bruce’s idea was worth a try: He dropped his fishing line down over the edge of the rock cliff. Patiently, painstakingly, and persistently he attempted to "catch" the phone on the fish hook. I had little hope that he could but suddenly I heard him yelp, "I've got it!" and I could see that his pole was bending as if he had snagged a huge fish. Slowly and carefully he lifted the line until the hook and phone appeared above the rocks. His wife quickly grabbed the phone saving, it from another rocky fall.

I could hardly believe my eyes! I immediately dusted it off and tried to call Bruce to see if the phone was still in working order. I couldn't get through -- and then I realized that I was dialing the number of his phone which I was using! When I called my phone, which Bruce had taken with him, the call went right through and I was able to share with him the good news of our morning miracle.
　

after the rescue

I wonder if there’s always that much excitement when it rains in Austin?

Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library

Our summer tour this year is starting out to be a very busy time.  There are so many interesting things to do here in Austin that we are discovering a new adventure every day.

 

 

Today, our Stop #7 was at The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.  This time Rebecca stayed home to keep Blayde company and Willis went sight-seeing with us.

 

LBJs Presidential Library is located on the northeast corner of the University of Texas campus in the downtown area of Austin.  Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Service is adjacent to the library as part of the U.T. campus.

 

We spent some time reviewing the historical exhibits on the main floor.  Pictures and notes transported us back to the eras of the 1960s and 70s and reminded us of events we had nearly forgotten: Kennedy assassination, civil rights demonstrations, the Vietnam War, race riots in Detroit,  "the War on Poverty," Medicare and Medicaid, and the "Six Days' War" in the Middle East.  They were turbulent times for our nation and for this man who had been thrust into the presidency by tragedy.

 

On the floor above, Level 4, the exhibits focused upon LBJs presidency.  One of the most memorable was a display of the metal dogtags of the members of the military from Texas who were killed in Vietnam during LBJs presidency.  It was chilling to view row upon row of silent metal tributes to lives cut short too soon.

 

 

A reconstruction of LBJs Oval Office in the White House of his day (seven-eighths scale size) was the main attraction on Level 10. 

 

 

His desk he brought with him from earlier political offices and his rocking chair sat in stark contrast to the elegant couches provided for his guests.

 

 

Lady Bird Johnson's office, too, has been recreated, and the Medal of Freedom presented to her by President Gerald Ford in 1977 is on display.

 

 

The tenth floor of the library gave us a lovely view of the downtown Austin skyline.

 

 

We enjoyed seeing the city but were glad to return to our peaceful and quiet camp sites at the State Park.  There we discovered that a sticky stowaway had taken up residence on the tire of our rig.

 

 

 

What excitement will Stop #8 bring?  Even we, ourselves, don't know yet!





















Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Research Center

Perhaps we are becoming addicted to wildflowers (but there are worse bad habits, you know!). Stop #6 today in our Rosenberger Summer Tour of 2013 was the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Research Center in Austin, Texas.

 

 

Some of you are old enough to remember that the cultivation and encouragement of native plants and wildflowers was the passion and project of Lady Bird, the wife of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson. 

 

 



  Her passion has been translated into this magnificent center of 279 acres which features about 650 species of Texas native plants.



 The design and architecture of the center is reminiscent of the various stages of Texas history.  Here in the central patio the textured sandstone walkway echoes the era of Spanish missions in the state's early history.  The patio surrounds a beautiful deep, continually bubbling spring.  The buildings are constructed to conserve resources, especially water.

Walking paths throughout the center and out through the surrounding prairies lead the visitor past beds of native plants found in various areas of the state.

 

Hillsides are covered with the colors of familiar blooms such as bluebonnets and purple winecups.



 Plaques such as this identify many of the plants and their habitat.  Education is one of the goals of the center and several groups of schoolchildren were enjoying a field trip there today as we visited.  

 

 Another of the goals of the center is plant research.  This new type of grass is one of their research results.  Habiturf is a type of grass that grows thick, crowding out sand burrs and is soft to the touch of bare feet.  It grows well in east, central, north and west Texas.  Unfortunately, it is not recommended for the southern area of the Lone Star State.

 

These two little turtles, sunning themselves on a rock at the pond near the entrance, bid us a fond goodbye as we left the Center.

 

Stay tuned for Stop # 7.

 

 





Austin's Central Market



Yesterday's Stop # 5 on this year's summer tour found us visiting -- and shopping -- at the Central Market of Austin, Texas.

It is a huge, showpiece specialty food emporium (the term grocery store just doesn't do it justice!) owned and operated by H.E.B.  It's so big that a person could get lost inside and wander around for weeks, but at least they wouldn't go hungry!

Rebecca, foodie that she is, was in seventh heaven. A smile of satisfaction spread over her face as she roamed the aisles of exotic cheeses, types of produce I had never heard of (including lichi fruit from VietNam), breads of at least 3 dozen different types, meat, fish and poultry so unusual I wondered if it had been imported from Mars.

We, who are not foodies but eat primarily to survive until the next meal, were in a state of amazement.  Never before had we seen displayed a dozen different types of olives, fish filets as large as an RV table, nor an entire room displaying so many varieties of wines that the bottles reached from floor to ceiling!  The live orchids offered for sale were beautiful and huge; the assortment of pastries and sweets were almost (but not quite) irresistible..  We did a lot more looking than buying.

It was a very interesting place to visit but I doubt if we'll go back again soon.  It's a real diet -- and budget -- buster!

Stop # 6 is coming up soon!

McKinney Falls State Park

Stop # 4 on our 2013 summer tour was McKinney Falls State Park in the southeast corner of Austin, Texas.

 

We had visited this park last year at about the same time of year and were eager to return.                 

 

We found two lovely campsites close together so Willis, Rebecca and Blayde were our backdoor neighbors for a week.

 

The park is named for the two picturesque
waterfalls on Onion Creek that lie within its territory.

 

The Upper Falls cascades down into a quiet little pool below the path and overlooking rock cliffs and then gently trickles on down toward its destination.

 

 

We discovered that this is National Wildflower week, and the entire park seemed to be celebrating.





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beauty of the open fields was beyond description as we hiked from one falls to the other.  Words cannot describe the glorious colors and varieties of wildflowers we saw as we walked..

  



 

Indian Blankets

 

Rain Lily

 

Pink Evening Primrose



Lantana

 

Prickly Pear Cactus Flower

 

Bluebonnets

 

Wild Onion

We felt drunk with color and aroma by the time we reached our destination, the Lower Falls.

 



Lower Falls

Oh, and a PS: on our way to McKinney Falls State Park, we experienced a unique "Texas thang" which was new to us.  We stopped for lunch at Buc-ee's, a Texas chain of enormous "convenience stores" that stock everything from tee shirts to fresh fruit and sugar-free candy to outdoor barbeque grills.  But they have no "sit down to eat" area.  So we picnicked out in the parking lot between our two rigs!

 See ya' again around stop #5!

 

 





 





 



 



Camels in Texas



Stop #3 on the 2013 Rosenberger Summer tour was a spur-of-the-moment side trip to Camp Verde.  This local attraction is just about 20 miles from Kerrville, Texas, where our RV rally was held.



This post office/general store building was built in 1900 to replace the original swept away in a flood in 1857. The post office/general store quickly became an important part of the military post and the community that grew up around it.





Camp Verde had been built and staffed by the U.S. Army in the late 1840s.  It was established to help protect settlers moving into the Texas Hill Country from Indian raids..

 In 1854, Jefferson Davis, who was at that time U.S. Secretary of War, for the United States of America, proposed a bold new "experimental weapon" for use by the U.S. military: camels.

 

 

 

Davis' plan was to use the camels instead of horses or mules to transport equipment and supplies over long distances.  Congress appropriated $30,000 for the project and the first shipment of camels arrived from Egypt in April of 1856.  Thirty-three camels of various types were accompanied by four experienced camel drivers, who were promptly given American nicknames: Greek George, Long Tom, Mico, and Hi-Jolly.

 

Camp Verde had been chosen as the location for the "camel experiment" and that first load of camels and drivers arrived at that destination in August of 1856.  A second load of 40 animals arrived the following spring.  The camels passed every test of their ability, carrying heavier loads and traveling longer distances than the horses and mules used by the military for transport.

 

Then the nation was torn in half by the Civil War.  During the winter of 1861 Fort Verde was captured by the Confederacy.  Four years later when it was recaptured by the U.S. military, the Fort's camel population had risen to more than 100. 

 

 Despite the success of the "camel experiment," the War Department needed all available funds for the reconstruction of the South after the devastation of the Civil War.  So the use of camels by the U.S. army had to be halted.  The Camp Verde fort was deactivated in 1869.

 

The gift shop at Camp Verde keeps the spirit of the "camel experiment" alive in art work and wood carvings of camels which they offer for sale along with many unique and decorative items.  The restaurant offers a variety of delicious food options -- but none of them include camel meat, and we were glad!  What a fun and informative day we had at Camp Verde.



New Horizons RV Rally

Our journey to Stop #2 on the Rosenberger Summer Tour of 2013 was an interesting experience.  We were traveling with two other couples, Willis and Rebecca Coombs and Ken and Lee Marks.  We're used to traveling alone, so caravanning  took some adjustment.  Little decisions -- such as coordinating potty stops, deciding where to stop for lunch, and finding someplace big enough to park our three trucks and over 100 feet of fifth wheels -- required lots of communication.   The "up side" of our three-unit parade down the highway was that we always had wonderful, congenial company at every stop and a rich variety of ideas and suggestions of activities.

April and May are the perfect time of the year to travel in the Texas Hill Country, the area northwest of San Antonio and southwest of Austin.  It is the area originally settled by German immigrants because the the scenery was so reminiscent of Germany.  





 

Texas tends to be a flat state so these scenic hilly views make it a prime tourist destination.  Spring is also the highpoint of the wildflower season and, as we traveled, we were delighted by the colors that greeted us along the roadsides.  Yellow, orange, white, and an occasional patch of bluebonnets, the Texas state flower.

 

 

 

 

Our destination for our Stop #2 was Buckhorn Lake RV Resort near Kerrville, Texas, in the heart of the hill country.   The "New Horizons' Owner's Group RV Rally" was held there from April 29 to May 4.  Since we, and both of our traveling companion couples, live in New Horizons fifth wheels, we wanted to spend that time getting acquainted with others who do and learning new tips and ideas which might make our RVing journeys more pleasant.

 

Although our GPS lady did not know where the RV resort was located, we did finally find Buckhorn Lake RV Resort.

 

 

 

It is a lovely resort with all conveniences we could ask for: full hook-ups, laundry, fitness center, meeting rooms, banquet hall, and two swimming pools.  Cowboy Western is the theme for the park, focused around this working -- lighted at night -- windmill.

 

 

 

We arrived on Saturday, two days before the rally began, to take advantage of a generous "pre-rally" rate the park offered.  We settled into our assigned sites, just beyond the windmill, on the right.   

 











 

 

New Horizons RVs are made by a small company in Junction City, Kansas.  They do not have dealers but do all their construction under contract with the potential buyer who, with the help of the staff, designs the unit they are ordering.  Every unit is built with the highest quality of workmanship but, as you can imagine, there are not a lot of this brand of RVs on the road.  The newest unit at the rally was VIN#915, meaning that only nine hundred and fifteen have ever been built.  Therefore, it was quite an unusual sight to see thirty-five New Horizons rigs gathered in one place.



 

 

 

What fun to meet and greet other couples who are facing the challenges and joys of living on the road in an RV similar to ours.  The units vary in length from thirty feet to forty-one feet, from 96 inches to 102 inches wide, from no slide-out rooms to four, and from plain and simple to fancy and elegant.  One of the rally activities we enjoyed the most was the Open House when any couple who wished to opened their rig for touring by others.  What a variety of designs, décor, uses of space, and size.  We all agreed, however, after the Open House was over, that the most beautiful unit we had seen that day was our own "Home Sweet Home."

 



 

Workshops included sessions on "Health Care on the Road" (which Rebecca Coombs and the two of us presented), several craft sessions, generators, preventive maintenance, workcamping on the road, line dancing, backing and parking an RV, and photography.  Several evenings we "oohh'ed" and "aahh-ed" over pictures of "great places" some had visited.  One afternoon, the owner of the New Horizons company shared with us for over an hour about the new developments at the company.

 

The food, of course, forced us to abandon our diets -- and even the thought of eating carefully! -- for five days.  A Bar-B-Que, two catered meals and a carry-in dinner had a seriously negative effect on our personal scales!

 

 

 

 

We'll stay an extra night here at Buckhorn Lake RV Resort before we take off for Stop #3 on Sunday morning, May 5th.  Come on along, and travel with us via the internet, if you're brave enough!