Texas Hill Country
Pedernales Falls State Park
December 16, 2017
“If you want to hear music, you have to go to the Hill County.” These were the words of a woman we met in Santa Fe. She sent Francie a text suggesting towns to visit, places to see, and venues for good music and food. For starters, though, we watched the Veteran’s Day parade in the historic town of Bandera, and then started our quest of Hill Country music.
“If you want to hear music, you have to go to the Hill County.” These were the words of a woman we met in Santa Fe. She sent Francie a text suggesting towns to visit, places to see, and venues for good music and food. For starters, though, we watched the Veteran’s Day parade in the historic town of Bandera, and then started our quest of Hill Country music.
A little bit of everything at the Bandera Veteran's Day Parade!
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No music quest can be complete without a couple of visits to Luckenbach where music can be found every afternoon and evening. (Nobody sang about Waylon, Willie and the boys.....but we kind of heard it in our heads anyway!)
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We found nice RV parks in Kerrville, Stonewall, and Fredericksburg. Stonewall and Fredericksburg are in the heart of Texas wine country, where many of the vineyards featured music in the afternoon. What could be better on a nice warm November afternoon than sipping wine and listening live music! Maybe attending a Gospel Music Sunday brunch at Hilltop Café with blues artist Johnny Nicholas!
One day we rode our bikes over to the Johnson ranch for a visit; that is President Johnson’s Ranch. The ranch was known as the Texas White House. Many of the legislative accomplishments of the LBJ Presidency were hashed out by congressman gathered under the live oak tree in the front yard. Both the LBJ boyhood and ancestral home in Johnson City and the LBJ Ranch are working ranching operations.
Johnson Homestead, Johnson City
Livestock at Johnson Ranch in Johnson City
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LBJ's signature made in the wet cement in 1952 when he bought the ranch in Stonewall, Texas.
Livestock at the "Texas White House" in Stonewall.
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Visiting the ranch gave us a new insight into LBJ, the man not just the politician.
Two stories told by the park docents stayed with us -
Imagine yourself as a new legislator or an aide flying into the Texas White House in Air Force “One Half” for the first time.
Two stories told by the park docents stayed with us -
Imagine yourself as a new legislator or an aide flying into the Texas White House in Air Force “One Half” for the first time.
After spending an exhausting day under the live oak tree discussing and arguing political agendas, the President asks if you would like to see the ranch or maybe go to Johnson City. You climb into the white Lincoln Continental convertible along with President and the Secret Service driver. This is a memorable moment in the making. The President is turned in the front seat speaking to you; he has your undivided attention. For some reason you look up and realize you are driving off the road into the Pedernales River.
In a split second, you feel the car careening over the embankment, but no water is rushing into the car. When you look up LBJ is watching your face and chuckling as you realize you are on a hidden road that is actually crossing the river.
LBJ and Ladybird driving on the river!
Our guide of the President’s home told us that the house was remodeled to the time era of Johnson’s Presidency. When in the kitchen, she explained that the staff from the White House was brought in to cook when the Johnson’s were entertaining official dignitaries. One morning Lady Bird told the cook to make several pecan pies because they would be returning in the evening with several important guests. Later in the day, the cooking staff learned on the TV that the guests would not be arriving. It was November 22, 1964. Secret Service informed all of the staff, “There will be new security measures since this is now the home of the President of the United States.”
The guide’s story was even more poignant because before arriving in the Hill Country, we had stopped in Dallas and visited the Sixth Floor Museum. We looked out the same window as did Lee Harvey Oswald when he fired the rifle that assassinated JFK.
The guide’s story was even more poignant because before arriving in the Hill Country, we had stopped in Dallas and visited the Sixth Floor Museum. We looked out the same window as did Lee Harvey Oswald when he fired the rifle that assassinated JFK.
After a wonderful visit with our kids in San Pedro, California, we started our plans for visiting Austin; we were in a RV park 30 minute outside of the city. Since Austin is the capital of Texas, a tour of the Capital Building was a must. As we reached the door, Mike realized he had the knife he always carries in his pocket. Returning to the car was a 4 or 5 block trip. We hoped security would hold it for him. When the security officer said, “Take everything out of your pockets and put it in the bin to be scanned,” with a guilty look on his face, Mike held up the knife. The security guard replied, “It’s ok. Put it in the bin; this is Texas.”
The tour of the Capital was very interesting and the building like so many of the others was stunning. Just as other state capitals, the building became too small for the growing government. Rather than create another building or build extending wings to the original structure, they built an underground extension to the existing Capital. When looking out the north side of the building, we could see a line of skylights in a garden like area.
Saturday evening we returned to the capital grounds to listen to more music and see the lighting of the Capital Christmas Tree. The tree was stunning with its array of changing light.
The evening was the start of the Christmas spirit for us. On Sunday we met our friends from Oklahoma City for dinner and an evening listing to the blues in the Skylark Lounge, featuring 60’s STAX recording artist Soul Man Sam and guests. By now, we had gone out to hear live music and stayed out late in the evening more often in the last month than in the last 7 years! Definitely enjoyed the Hill Country!
A few days later we found ourselves staying in a Corp of Engineer Park along Canyon Lake which is 30 miles from San Antonio. After returning one evening from San Antonio, the unthinkable happened. It started to SNOW. It was like some of those first wet snows we experienced up Chicago and Michigan. In minutes the car was covered.
Canyon Lake CoE Park
When it warmed up we visited the Alamo, which is a must when in San Antonio. The city was beautiful, but we left earlier than we had originally planned. We found ourselves drawn to our winter home in Mission, TX like a horse to the barn. We have been traveling in the RV since the end of March and the idea of being in the same spot for a few months was extremely appealing.
Weihnachtspyramide or Christmas Pyramid.
A German tradition thought to be the precursor to the Christmas tree tradition.
Fredericksburg, Texas
