Fredericksburg, TX day two

We had a very busy day today, I got so tired I wished for another day here! It's such a neat little town whose original settlers were Germans--a tourist trap my Dad would say, but not so much as Branson etc. We began the day with fresh strawberries so how could anything go wrong? Started out back at Johnson City at part of the Johnson National Historic site, this is the farm of his grandfather. There were several really neat buildings, some longhorn cattle, chickens(chooks to the Aussies) running about loose and a really amazing live oak tree it's roots partly out of the ground and branches laying gracefully on the ground, very old I think. We took pictures, of course, when we get home and Larry downloads the digital and I get my prints back I'll post some of the best ones. After that we went to the Second part of the LBJ National Historic Park, his ranch (the Texas White House.) They have a nice driving tour around the park with a cd telling about everything, music playing (LBJ liked "Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Head",) LBJ, Lady Bird and others telling stories etc. They give tours of the inside of the house, and the dairy barn etc but we opted out as Larry can only walk so much.
Then we went to the Wildflower farm, a commercial garden center where I would be completely overwhelmed if I shopped for plants! I did buy some seeds for the hill in back though.
We stopped back at the trailer for lunch, to turn OFF the coffeepot (I'm really spoiled by one that turns itself off at home) and to turn the air conditioner ON! It was quite hot, I am not ready for summer heat--oh, who am I kidding I'm never ready for summer heat! Then we went to The National Museum of the Pacific War. It turns out that Admiral Nimitz was born here in Fredericksburg. It was a beautifully done museum complete with a Japanese mini-sub, a B-29, and a camp as on one of the islands--complete with rats! I think every possible facet of the war in the pacific from Pearl Harbor on was covered. They are adding on more space too! Definitely, worth a trip here just for that!
You'd think that all that would be enough for one day but we read about an abandoned RR tunnel that was the summer home of MILLIONS of bats and after the disapointment in Austin we decided to drive to it and watch them fly at dusk. The park folks told us not to expect too much as it's early in the year so the bats are not all here yet and they don't always come out until after dark. We were sitting on bleachers waiting for the time they'd flow last night when they began POURING out of the tunnel. Thousands, I'm sure. They poured out of the tunnel grouped up and flew away in huge masses. It was amazing, truely amazing.

So, it's a long post for a busy day. Tomorrow we're off for Dallas/Fort Worth.

German food!

We arrived here in Federicksburg, TX about 1:30 pm and set up our little home away from home, got the pups settled in and went to town for Snitzel! I don't think that's spelled correctly but the food was pretty good and we had Black Forest Torte for dessert so it was a hit! Then I got to visit a really nice Quilt shop and actually bought some fabric. Most of the time I don't buy fabric unless I have a project in mind, well that and the fact that I am overwhelmed by all the fabrics and the choices are too hard to make (I have the same problem in a bookstore or garden center!)

Tomorrow we are heading out fairly early (on this trip early has meant 10ish) back to Johnson City for the LBJ National site, then to the state site at his ranch. Then it's to the Wildflower farm, so I can buy some seeds (or plants) for the hill in the back, I figure if I seed it to wildflowers and plant some daffodils I might not have to mow! Then, we're going to a museum here on WWII in the pacific. I think I'll like that one as my Dad served in the Phillipines. Somewhere in there we'll have lunch/supper and return for rest!

Weird Austin, Tuesday Evening

Today has been a day of "not quite." We drove to Buda, TX to visit a trailer parts store (need tie downs for the new tv and better wheel chocks) and to visit a Quilt shop. Found tie downs and couldn't figure out how they'd work on a flat panel, hummmm. The quilt shop was closed. We did locate a Border's Bookstore, I've finished all the books I brought along so I needed more. Larry is of course still Kindling, he found another book to order though. Also found Target etc. and a really good Tex-mex place to eat lunch. Then we tried to see the bats--Austin has one of the largest urban bat colonies around under the Congress Street bridge and we drove all around that bridge and couldn't find a place to park! So No bats. Bummer.

The trailer is clean, again, and ready to go tomorrow. We've had a couple of days of rest and relaxation which we needed. I even did some cross-stitch yesterday, more tonight I think.
Tomorrow we're off to Fredericksburg via Johnson City--more LBJ sites and a little german town, Larry's hoping for snitzel!

Weird Austin, Monday Morning

Very chilly this morning, we had to have the heat in the night. This after 80 degrees or so on Saturday! Also windy again. The dogs have been sick so today I get to mop the trailer, after I go buy a mop (that's a chore I usually do at home.)

We had a lovely time yesterday. Spent about 3 hours at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library on the University of Texas Campus. Which is the only Presidential library that is free. I liked this library much better than the Eisenhower one in Kansas. He was a truly remarkable man who got 130 plus MAJOR pieces of legislation passed--Head Start, Student Loans, Environmental Acts, doubled the size of our National Parks System, Civil rights legislation, and on . . . . It's really too bad he inherited the Vietnam war (just as Obama inherited the Iraq and Afghanastan wars) as that seems to be what he is remembered for. I must get a biography to read or maybe his memoirs.

After the library we went to the Lady Bird Johnson (yep his First Lady and by the way her name was really Claudia--I always wondered) Wildflower Center. Lady Bird is another person whose biography I must read! I think in another few weeks it will be truly gorgeous, as it was we saw a huge number of Texas Blue Bonnets. The state flower of Texas, it is protected--no picking or digging up--and grows along side the highways. I think I will get some seed and see if it will compete with all the wild violets in the front yard as it seems to grow everywhere. Somewhat like a weed! I bought a new poster of Bluebonnets to frame and hang in our bathroom, it will be a big pop of color in that all white room!

We still have to go see the bat colony and I intend to visit a couple of quilt shops (they only have two!) Larry wants to hit the RV store for a couple of things--like tie downs for the new tv! I think I'll have to have a nap later as the dogs had me up in the night cleaning up after them! So far they haven't been sick since but I'm not letting them have food until I get to the market to get ground turkey to add to cooked rice! I occasionally wonder if they get sick just so they can have rice and turkey?!

Sunday Morning in "Weird" Austin

I have no idea why but they are wearing T-shirts here saying "Keep Austin Weird" so weid Austin it is! We arrived here on Friday night about 7pm starved and exhausted, having decided it was too much driving to go to South Padre. Austin has a lot of things to see and do so we plan to stay until Wednesday. We had Steak when we got here at the Texas Land and Cattle Co--I have to say it equals "Outback." We have to try some BBQ down here as well, we had some in Hot Springs at McClard's (famous as Bill Clinton likes it, among others. We had ribs (1lb of them) and they were very tender, didn't like the beans or slaw very well.) Anyway, we are comparing BBQ this trip.

Yesterday, we hung around the trailer. That sounds relaxing but in truth I cleaned and reorganized the trailer--we bring entirely too much stuff! Then did laundry, cooked, and we went to Best Buy and bought a new TV for the trailer, all you kids can laugh now! That meant that I had to come back and find a place to put the old TV so more re-arranging of trailer! Larry had to fuss a lot getting the TV set up, finish hooking up the trailer after I ran out some of the fresh water, etc.

Today, we are going to the Johnson Presidental Library and possibly the Wildflower museum if weather and time permits.

I haven't touched a needle since we left home and am feeling withdrawal! Hope to visit some quilt stores before we leave.

We have good signal strength here so I'll try for daily updates.

No reply

Would someone please tell me how to fix it so you can reply if I comment? I thought I had but I guess not.

Thursday, Marshall Texas

My last post was interrupted in upload so you only got to see the title! I hope this one goes better. We left Ft Smith Arkansas and drove on a very hilly scenic route to Hot Springs Arkansas were we stayed in the nicest State Park I have ever seen for two days. I have to say that I have NEVER seen more churches than in Arkansas! Larry said they must schedule services staggered so people can attend all the churches they belong too! I think that's the reason Arkansas has been historically so poor, they have to support all those churches! (That was very tongue in cheek, by the way.) We went to the National Park and did some other messing around, then left today for Texas. Rained in Arkansas then the wind picked up (to about 50 miles and hour) it was a head wind until we turned south. This traveling in the trailer has a few glitches to be worked out as does the broadband card! (No towers, no internet!) We are only staying in this private park one night as it isn't as nice as it sounded in the add, we tried to find the State park here and finally did but decided we wanted a park were we could use the internet and cell phones, we don't like being so out of touch! Tomorrow we're headed south, not sure exactly where to yet, getting tired and cranky! I'm having alot of trouble reading maps in the car, the middle is somewhat blurry from the cataracts and bumping all around, so I have headaches. I can tell you one of the first things I'm doing when I get home is schedule a Doctor's appointment to deal with all this stuff!!