Down on the Rio Grande

April 29, 2015 - Terlingua, TX

Yesterday we spent visiting Rio Grande village,  a Hot Spring, and the Boquillas Canyon where the little Rio Grande disappears into some amazing stone.  Started out the day birding and learning about the 3 species of Prickly Pear cactus that are living here.  Some with thorns, and some without (Blind Prickly Pear)

The geology here is mind boggling and incredibly varied:

I can't pass up a Hot Spring, even in the desert!  Luckily they've been suffering from unusual cold weather the past few days, so it was only in the 70's today.  Water temp is a consistent 105 deg.  The Rio Grande (in the background) is more like 75 and that is Mexico on the far bank!

If you ever get down this way, hike into the Boquillas canyon where the Rio Grande has cut some enormous vertical cliffs.   You might be serenaded by a Mexican on the far bank, who conveniently leaves a Tip Jar along your trail.

But know that even some places are too lean for grazing down here:

Made it to Big Bend! Viva Terlingua!

April 29, 2015 - Big Bend Resort and Inn - Terlingua, TX

Talk about the ghosts of Townes Van Zandt, and the sounds of Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Emmylou Harris even the Flying Burrito Brothers. I feel like we've teleported back in time to another place entirely.  From the vast open spaces of the Big Bend National Park, to the funky, alternative community in Old Terlingua, this place is out of control.  Going to break these posts into days.

Arriving in Big Bend we were happy to see that we're in time to see the blooming cacti and other desert flora, including the Yucca:

We knew we were in the desert when we parked at our campsite:

But our first day in the Big Bend National Park did not disappoint.

Vistas everywhere you go:

Hiking into the Santa Elena Canyon was a treat:

And there were no shortage of peaks to think about climbing toward, including these Mule Ears.

Seminole Canyon State Park, Amazing little find!

April 29, 2015 - Terlingua, TX - Writing about Seminole Canyon State Park


Writing about our last stop, Seminole Canyon State Park near Comstock, TX.  We found this little park and campsite completely by accident.  Arrived at 2 PM and managed to join a 3pm volunteer led tour of the Canyon floor which featured instruction in the local flora, and a history lesson of the ancient people who lived there, leaving pictographs, and petroglyphs, 3,000 - 4,000 yrs
Before the Present, pre-dating Mesa Verde!  Oldest in the US.

Not a lot of water in west Texas.  These ancient cultures were ruled by Shamans (here's a cool sculpture).

There is evidence of their kitchen work (mortars in the stone for crushing grains).

And pictographs:

And much older fossils in the rock:

We're fortunate to be here in a time of desert blooming wildflowers cactus and other flora:

San Antonio - Spanish Missions, Riverwalk, Alamo, Tower of the Americas

April 26, 2015 - Seminole Canyon State Park - Comstock, TX

We left Castroville and the San Antonio area this morning traveling into the desert West Texas.  Haven't seen any roadrunners yet but we're looking.

San Antonio is a great little city, especially during their 2 Week Fiesta when the whole community turns out for music, food, carnival rides, MULTIPLE parades, art exhibits, etc. etc. etc.  The city was much more crowded than during normal times and it was a festive atmosphere.

They've got this amazing, National Park Service managed string of Missions running along the San Antonio river, begun under the Spanish Church in the 1730s.  We visited Mission San Juan, one of the largest:

 This is the Church at Mission San Juan.  We also visited one of the best preserved, Mission Concepcion.

Another great resource of the city is the Paseo del Rio, or Riverwalk, you can be serenaded by Mariachis as you sip a Margarita or sample some Tex Mex Fare

 Or take an architectural history tour on one of the riverboats (or simply use them as a water taxi).

Especially nice at night.

 We also had a blast at the Observation tower, 4 D theater with a "flyover" of Texas, and the lounge at the Tower of the Americas, built for the 1968 Worlds Fair, and standing 75 stories.

And we can also recommend the Briscoe Museum of Western Art.  Absolutely First Class, with a nice sculpture garden and fabulous examples of paintings both modern and classic.

Great city, will look forward to coming back here.

We've seen "miles and miles of Texas"

April 25, 2015 - Castroville Regional Park, Castroville, TX - West of San Antonio

We continue to cross Texas, quite a big place.  Today will be in the low 90's in Central Texas Hill country here, but we had hail last night in big thunderstorms.

First, you know you are in Texas when:

Here's a snapshot of the different terrain we've been camping in:

Dense hardwoods and softwoods in East Texas:

Beachside in Galveston Island:

Beachside in Rockport, TX (Goose Island StatePark)

View from our picnic table:

And now we're headed through Hill Country to the desert West.  Here's a typical "green roof" (from Mission San Juan).

We had a lot of fun visiting the Strand, the revitalized downtown, shops and restaurant district in Galveston.  Here are some shots:

It was even fun watching the bottlenose dolphins swim by the jackup drilling rigs along the waterfront.

From Galveston we headed South and West along the Gulf Coast to Rockport, TX, near Port Aransas and Aransas Pass where we had arranged to go fishing with Capt. Billy Trimble.  He had a nice 20 foot long, shallow draft flats poling boat and we spent a wonderful day Redfishing.  I caught my first and a few more, and had many more chances.  Billy is a legendary guide and real sportsman conservationist!

Another feature of Goose Island is that it is home to a:

Specifically, that is a Texas State Tree, 1000 year old Live Oak, pretty impressive (except for the unbelievably aggressive mosquitoes)

Camping on the Beach in Galveston Island State Park!

April 20, 2015 - Galveston, TX - Galveston Island State Park

Beaching and birding on Galveston Island.  Drove down yesterday from Coldspring, TX, where we chilled for a couple of days about an hour north of Houston.  Had lunch with our friend Rich Mizuno and his son Ethan (yum Mexican!) in Kingwood on the way down to Galveston.   Pelicans, Ibis, Roseate Spoonbills!

 

But backing up a little, after leaving New Orleans we spent a rainy - Thunderstorm night in Lake Charles, LA - home to Zydeco music and great Crawfish boils. Try out Steamboat Bill's if you get the chance. Here's the scene of devastation with 3 lbs of crawfish done-in.

And if you ever find yourself passing through Conroe, TX on a Saturday afternoon, take in a tour of the Southern Star brewery and sample a cold one!

 

Galveston is a birder's paradise, lots of shore and marsh birds and others.  We've seen indigo buntings, orioles, yellow warblers, laughing gulls, least terns, white Ibis, and many more we couldn't identify.  Here's the intrepid birder at work:

And our lovely campsite right on the Beach!

It rains in New Orleans!

Update - April 16, 2015 - Sam Houston Jones State Park, Lake Charles, LA - Crossed the state of Louisiana today, lots of rice fields.  Arrived to thunderstorms (again!) here in Lake Charles.  Spent yesterday mid-day in the French Quarter in New Orleans.   Here's the waterfront:

Most fun was watching the deer roam the campground.  There were actually 5 in one group this morning.

More flooding pics.

Grilling at our site!

Yesterday afternoon we spent part of the time at the campground beach on Lake Pontchartrain.

Last of the update:  Connie's shower friend:

April 14, 2015 - Fontainebleau State Park, Mandeville, LA - On the banks of Lake Pontchartrain.  Nice little park here, hiking trails, access to the Lake, convenient to the North Shore of the Lake, and only 40 minutes from downtown New Orleans.

Live oaks abound:

But we're on day 3 of rain here.  Local flooding, can't wait to dry out.