House Update: February 3, 2013

Our house is coming along nicely. The brick is up all around the house, cabinets are being installed throughout. Sheet rock is up in all rooms, and the fireplace is installed. It's looking like a house now.

Front of house

Main room, with fireplace and patio visible. Home is a patio home, so houses are close together.

Kitchen has lots of cabinets. Pantry behind kitchen is 8 feet deep.

Back of house showing garage, which has 2 storage rooms, one quite large. One of the things that attracted us to this floor plan was the large amount of storage it provides.

I had the builder raise my sink area in the master bathroom.

When we return from our next trip, we should see lots of changes in the house. I do think we will be in before April 19, our contract completion date.

Good Eats: Cooper's BBQ, Llano, Texas

If you've been following my blog then you know that I love barbeque. One place I've stopped at for many years is Cooper's. The Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que franchise now has locations in several cities in the Hill Country. About a year ago, we discovered a new location in Junction and enjoyed a good meal there. On our return trip from Bastrop State Park, we stopped at the location in Llano, a place I had visited a number of times on my travels between West Texas and Austin back in the days when I worked and traveled frequently.

Cooper's is a mix between the traditional meat markets I really enjoy and the more commercial establishments that most people are accustomed to. You begin your BBQ journey outside at the pits. The pit worker will raise the lid, and you select your meat and tell him how much you want. In addition to beef brisket, you can get pork, ribs, chicken, sausage, and probably one or two other types of meat. He'll ask you if you want sauce; if you do, he'll douse the meat in a bucket of sauce, then slap it on a tray.

Take your tray and enter the building at the first door. Give your tray to whomever welcomes you. That person will weigh and price your food, cut it up, and wrap it in butcher paper. Take your package of goodies and move down the line, getting any sides or desert you want. They have good selections. At the cashier, get your drink and pay up. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, and our bill totaled nearly $30, but we would take food home with us.

Find a table; you may have to share with someone else as all seating is communal bench style. Help yourself to drinks and beans (the beans are great!). White bread and jalapenos are available on the tables. Dig in and enjoy.

The food is good, and I want to stress that. I'll eat here again and again. But I do prefer the more traditional meat markets like those in Lockhart. We ordered brisket, half a chicken, and sausage. All was good. I think Donna prefers this type of commercial sausage that is tighter than what we had at Smitty's a few days earlier, though I prefer the more traditional sausage. Donna seemed to enjoy her chicken as there was soon nothing in front of her except a pile of bones.  My beef brisket was good.

On the Road: Bastrop, Texas, to San Angelo, Texas

When we left Bastrop State Park on January 28, 2013, we returned to San Angelo in a roundabout way. I'm not crazy about big cities in the first place, but when pulling the trailer, I really try to avoid highly populated areas. So I came up with a route that bypassed Austin.

Bastrop to Angelo, 261 miles

We left our campsite pretty early in the morning. We followed Texas 95 north to Elgin, where my family and I lived when I was in the 4th and 5th grades. This stretch of 2-lane highway is very busy as there are a number of subdivisions along the road, not to mention the Bastrop Federal Correctional Institution, the Camp Swift Training Center, and other places of activity.

At Elgin, I really wanted to drive through town and see how it has changed over the years, but decided against this since we had a long trailer in tow. Instead, I opted to follow the highway, which bypasses the downtown area. From Elgin to Taylor, traffic decreased considerably on Highway 95. Much of the countryside is rich farmland, and I enjoyed this stretch of road.

We drove straight through Taylor, a city which has enjoyed a lot of growth over the years. I was surprised at how much the city has grown on the north side of town. A few miles north, just after crossing the San Gabriel River, we turned west on Highway 29. This was a lovely stretch of highway paralleling the San Gabriel River to the south. The countryside mixed beautiful trees with open patches of farmland.

We entered Georgetown from the east. This is a beautiful old town that is struggling to retain its identity as Austin encroaches from the south. Home of Southwestern University, founded in 1840, the city's population has grown to almost 50,000. I can remember passing through here as a child when no more than 3,000 or 4,000 residents called this beautiful town home.

At Georgetown, Highway 29 becomes a 4-land road all the way to just beyond the Colorado River and Buchanan Lake. We crossed I-35 here. This interstate has always been my line separating East Texas from West Texas. I've always breathed a sigh of relief when crossing this line, because traditionally there have been fewer people, less traffic, and less buildup on the west side. But on this stretch of highway, I'm going to have to wait a while. There are a large number of subdivisions and businesses along Highway 29. It really isn't until about Buchanan Lake that things relax.

We passed through Liberty Hill, which not too many years ago was simply a crossroads but today is a growing community with new schools and businesses. Next is Bertram, home of the Oatmeal Festival, then Burnett (which rhymes with "durn it"). From Burnett to the Colorado River, which forms the Highland Lakes in the region, the road is like a roller coaster with easy up and down swales and curves.

At the junction of Highway 261, the road narrows to 2 lanes. Soon the Llano River appears on the south side of the road. This is the beginning of real ranch country, and large ranches dot both sides of the highway. Yes, I'm entering West Texas now.

At Llano, we stop for gas and lunch at Cooper's BBQ. Then we're back on the road on our way to Mason, an historic German community that was home to Fort Mason in the 19th century. Not much remains of the old post that was located on a hill on the south side of town, but the memory of Fred Gipson, a Mason native and author of Old Yeller and Savage Sam, lives on. Mason was also the site of the Hoo-Doo War, one of many notable Texas feuds.

From Mason, we continued west to Menard. There is little traffic, just the way I like it. I'm in my element now. This is beautiful country. There are still good oak trees everywhere, but the views are great and there are fewer houses visible from the roadway. This is the Hill Country, and I love it. This may be my favorite part of Texas.

We soon come to Menard. I've covered this part of the trip before in other "On the Road" entries, so I'll not repeat myself here.

Good Eats: Smitty's Meat Market, Lockhart, Texas

The only American food that I crave in the same manner that I crave Thai curry or other exotic foods is barbeque. So when I’m in Central Texas, I seek out traditional meat markets. Now, I’m not a BBQ snob who argues that Texas BBQ is better than Memphis BBQ or Kansas City BBQ or Carolina BBQ. If you like the BBQ you eat, then I’m happy. For me, though, I like traditional Texas smoked meat. I like a strong smoke flavor, and I usually prefer beef to other meats.

The last time we were in the Lockhart area – almost 3 years ago – we stopped in at Black’s Barbecue, the oldest of the three traditional meat markets in Lockhart, a town designated by the Texas Legislature as the BBQ capital of Texas. This time, our destination was Smitty’s Market, considered one of the top Texas BBQ joints year after year.

Smitty’s was originally called Kreuz Market. In 1948, Edgar A. "Smitty" Schmidt purchased the store and kept the name. However, about 1999, the property was divided among family members. One branch got the Kreuz name and moved to a new location a few blocks to the north of downtown, while the other branch got the building but had to get a new name. They selected the name Smitty’s in honor of Mr. Edgar A. "Smitty" Schmidt.

Smitty's today is owned by Nina Schmidt Sells, Smitty's daughter, and managed by her son, John Fullilove. The eatery has 2 entrances. The west entrance faces the square and enters through the dining room while the back entrance faces highway 183 across a gravel parking lot. We entered through the back, and that’s the way I recommend that everyone enter. As you walk through the door, you can smell the history and the years of smoke. In fact, you walk right past the smokers, and you're warmed by the oak fire.

Step up to the counter and order. I don’t know how others order, but when I’m in a traditional meat market, like Smitty's, I order by meat. For this trip, I ordered half a pound of brisket and 2 sausage rings for Donna and I to share. They don't carry much variety of meat. I don't think they have chicken or turkey, for example; just beef, pork, and sausage. The meat is slapped down on butcher paper, a couple of plastic knives are thrown in, and you get your choice of white bread or crackers. Don’t ask for forks – they don’t have any.

Step through the glass doors into the dining area. There is another counter where you can purchase drinks, cheese, jalapeno peppers, and other condiments. Tables are run together, so you’ll share a table with other folks. The place is loud and busy. The ambiance is part of the experience. Our total bill was just shy of $15.00.

I love that smoky flavor on the beef, and I really love the smoked sausage. A small part of my childhood was spent in Elgin, Texas, the home of Southside Market. When we lived there, Southside was located downtown in a smoky old building along the tracks, and the sausage I had at Smitty’s reminded me of that sausage from my childhood. Not everyone likes this type of sausage. It’s very juicy, and the casing will snap open when you cut into it.

I love these traditional old meat markets. I’m glad to see some places do not change, or if they do change, they do so grudgingly. Some of these old joints don’t even provide BBQ sauce, and others, like Smitty’s, don’t have forks. I’m already looking forward to my next visit.

Next time, I'll stop at the last of the big 3 in Lockhart, Kreuz Market. 

A Tale of Two Parks

While in Bastrop, we spent one day visiting a couple of other state parks in the area. Our first stop was Palmetto State Park, about 10 miles or so south of Luling.

I was impressed by Palmetto SP. It is a very well maintained park, though unusual in its layout. The park headquarters is located on Park Road 11, which just west of the park becomes a farm-to-market highway that curves south to Highway 90A leading from Gonzales to San Antonio. So, if you approach from the west, as we did, it appears that the headquarters is on a public highway. Roads split off this highway to the camp grounds within the park. One campground is for trailer camping, while another is for tenters. With the exception of the host site, there are no full hookups.

Restrooms and host site in trailer camping area

Campground near oxbow lake

Trails appear to be well-maintained and composed of crushed rock of some type (granite perhaps?). It is easy to see how the park came by its name, for palmettos dominate the area. With its location along the San Marcos River, the area has a swampy look. An oxbow lake provides a place to fish and boat.

Palmetto Trail Trail Head

Palmettos cover the park; hence, the name

The San Marcos River runs through the park

Oxbow lake, with highway bridge spanning it

About 20 miles north of Palmetto, we visited Lockhart StatePark, just outside of Lockhart. This is a much smaller park with fewer hiking trails than Palmetto. This park is unique in that it has a 9 hole golf course. The camping area, which includes about 10 full hookup sites, actually overlooks some of the holes.

We like to scout out parks such as these to see if we would like to stay at some time in the future. I would like to spend some time at Palmetto. It does provide good fishing opportunities for Donna, and there are enough trails for hiking to keep us happy. Campsites appear level with good shade. It is a swampy area, perfect for snakes, so we would probably plan to stay there in the dead of winter when snakes are less active.

Lockhart offers fewer hiking opportunities, and there is no fishing available, but the sites are quite good, and watching the golfers would be good entertainment. Also, Lockhart SP is just outside of town, so it is easy to get in and out of town for shopping and dining.

Hiking Bastrop State Park, January 26, 2013

During our stay at Bastrop State Park, we attempted to hike the same route we had hiked back in May, 2010. That was not possible, though, for the fire had closed some trails and rerouted others. You can find a review of that 6+ mile hike on my website, Living the Good Life.

The park has 2 maps online: the Map of Park and the Lost Pines Hiking Trail Map. Neither map has been revised since the fire. As you enter the park, staff members will give you one of these maps with hand drawn color-coded lines reflecting updates. The colors match signs you will see along the trails. Also note that the trail east of Harmon Road is, as I understand, closed to all visitors.

As in May 2010, our hike today began at our trailer in the Piney Hill Campground. We descended the slope towards Copperas Creek. Near the bottom of the slope, a fence rail appears that veers hikers left away from the old trail.

Although the fence is relatively new, it has already been damaged by falling trees. The sections of the trees blocking the trail have been removed, but the remainder of the trees lie where they fell.

A major trail junction soon appears along the creek bottom where two new bridges have been constructed. A new trail runs northeast from this junction, eventually coming out at the parking area on Park Road 1A just north of the Copperas Creek Campground (see map).

New bridges along Copperas Creek

At the parking area, we turned south along the road for a short walk before veering off east on the Lost Pines Trail. A short distance in, we came to the Scout Camping Area.

Signs suffered in the fire, too.

At a trail junction, we decided to take the right fork to visit Fehr's Overlook Shelter. On our previous hike, we had taken the left fork. Much of this trail was a respectable ascent picking our way through fallen trees. The shelter had suffered damage. The bottom of the shelter, made of stone, survived the fire, but the roof has been recently replaced. The view is good.

Fehr's Overlook Shelter sporting its new roof

View from the shelter. Note Highway 71 in the distance.

After our climb to the shelter, we returned downhill and took Roosevelt's Cutoff to the north. On our previous hike, we had journeyed farther east, to Harmon Road. However, I wanted to see the pond on Roosevelt's Cutoff. The pond has traditionally provided a home for the endangered Houston Toad, and I wanted to get a glimpse of it.

Pond on Roosevelt's Cutoff

At the junction of Roosevelt's Cutoff and the north loop of the Lost Pines Trail, we headed back west. After a short walk, we crossed park road 1A and visited the scenic overlook. As with Fehr's Overlook Shelter, this structure also sports a new wood roof. In the past, the Scenic Overlook Trail descended directly from the shelter over a series of short switchbacks with a rail fence. Now, however, the trailhead is next to the road in the parking area for the shelter. It gently descends the slope of the hill until it reaches the bottom and rejoins the old trail.

Trail head at Scenic Overlook parking lot. This once was the Scenic Overlook Trail, but it may now be called the Bracken Fern Trace Trail. I'm just not sure.

From this point, we followed the trail back towards our campground, eventually turning off on the Pine Warbler Trail to come out near the Group Barracks near the pool. The trail along Copperas Creek has many new bridges. They are sturdy and are built to last.

One of my favorite bridges in the park. Notice the stone work leading up to the bridge.

Yeah, the area is sort of a waste land now, but this is still an enjoyable hike. I'd like to return in 2 or 3 years to see how much the area has recovered. And I'm happy to report that a lot of people are on the trails. During our hike in May 2010, we encountered only 1 man, a jogger near Roosevelt's Cutoff. On our hike in January 2013, we probably encountered at least 20 people. This is a great opportunity to watch a burned area return to life.

Bastrop State Park: Before and After

During our stay at Bastrop State Park in May, 2010, I took a number of pictures. On our recent post-fire visit, I thought it would be interesting to take pictures of the same locations as my previous pictures. Below are my attempts at this; I think these are interesting pictures illustrating just how much the fire has changed the appearance of the park.

BEFORE: Entrance to Piney Hill Spur Trail. Note: edge of pavement visible in lower-right of picture.

AFTER: Entrance to Piney Hill Spur Trail in same location as above. Fence has been added to keep people away from steep slopes and to keep them on the trail.

 

BEFORE: Rocky outcropping near Roosevelt's Cutoff on Lost Pines Trail. Especially note small tree in right part of picture with branches forming a sort of U.

AFTER: Note same tree in right of picture

BEFORE: Junction of Roosevelt's Cutoff and north loop of Lost Pines Trail.

AFTER: Junction of Roosevelt's Cutoff and north loop of Lost Pines Trail.

BEFORE: Entrance to Lost Pines Trail at Park Road 1A near Scenic Overlook

AFTER: Entrance to Lost Pines Trail at Park Road 1A near Scenic Overlook

BEFORE: View from Scenic Overlook

AFTER: View from Scenic Overlook. Note that roof is different.

BEFORE: Our site -- #13 -- taken from the front of the trailer. Note all the plant growth. Picnic table is made of concrete.

AFTER: Site 13, but from a different angle. Notice location of picnic table and pole.