Well, it's been another good week at Rio Concho West (RCW), my new hometown, out here on the edge of the plains.
And we've been reminded that we live on the edge of the plains recently. The winds blew in last weekend. The gusts were quite strong, and I started to think this must be spring rather than late Autumn. The wind even blew some of the Christmas lights out of place on the edge of my roof, so I had to get the ladder out and put many of them back in place.
Donna and I started the week by watching a movie at our local theater. We decided on the latest Brad Pitt movie, Allied, and we weren't disappointed. I enjoy movies set amid the backdrop of World War II. This one had lots of intrigue and, for Donna, quite a bit of romance. I did feel the ending was a bit anti-climatic, but that is probably just me.
Following the movie, we went to Zentner's Daughter Steak House for a late lunch. This place has some of the best lunch specials in town. We hit it on the day when they offered a KC sirloin steak. The steak was really good, but we didn't care for the sides all that much. But it's hard to complain when you get a good steak with 2 sides, a salad, and drink, all for $8.95.
I've been cruising around town looking for a new propane grill. I guess this really isn't the best time of year to do that. In so many places, their grill sections have been replaced with holiday decorations. I think I've been just about everywhere in town that sells grills, and we've narrowed our choice down to one location. We'll head back this coming week and probably bring one home.
We have regularly scheduled checkups next week with our family doctor, so we went in for lab work on Friday. After that, we stopped at our local H.E.B. and picked up a few items. After running home to put things in the fridge, we went out for lunch at Subway. I had seen their commercial on TV for a Reuben sandwich and thought I'd give it a try. I was a bit disappointed, to be honest. Now, we both like Subway, and it is one of our go-to places when traveling. We like to eat light while on the road, so I normally get a 6 inch Black Forest ham sandwich while Donna gets a salad. We're almost always satisfied, but I think I'll pass on the Reubens there from now on.
The rain moved in last night, and it is still sprinkling this morning. So far, we've received half an inch or so, and we should get more before the rain moves out late tomorrow. The temp is hovering around 50 degrees. We prepared for this by defrosting some stew meat. Donna has a big pot on the stove right now, and it's just about ready. That great aroma has drifted from the kitchen into the office, and I'm really getting hungry. This is one of my favorite meals, and we'll be eating this for the next few days while it is wet and cold outside.
Well, that's all the news from Rio Concho West, where the streets are wet and the old folks are huddled around their fires.
This blog follows Keith and Donna Cameron as they enjoy retirement. 01/24/05
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Post-Thanksgiving Status
Well, it's been another good week at Rio Concho West (RCW), my new hometown, out here on the edge of the plains.
A couple of weeks ago, I was busy getting things checked out. This week, it was Donna's turn. She started the week on Monday by visiting the eye doctor. The next day, she visited her dentist. Donna is very regular in her visits to these folks while I tend to only visit them when I need to. I suppose that's why she seems to be holding up much better than I. People we meet generally tell Donna how well she looks; then they cast a glance at me and simply laugh in a pitying sort of way. Go figure.
In between visits to these places, Donna was busy getting things ready for our Thanksgiving feast. She made 2 pies, a pumpkin and a chess. Donna loves pumpkin pie during the holidays, but I prefer an old-fashioned chess pie. I believe this may have been the finest chess pie she has ever made. Then she started to work on all the other dishes, such as dressing, cranberry sauce, rice-broccoli casserole, sweet potatoes, lime jello mixed with pecans and other sweets, and numerous other little things. I keep trying to get the old woman to cut back on how much she prepares, but I don't think she can.
This year, rather than smoke a whole turkey, we bought 2 turkey breasts. For the past 20 or 25 years, I've smoked turkeys for our Thanksgiving dinners. I usually start late the night before, then get up every few hours or so to add charcoal, wood, and/or water, whichever is needed. To be honest, I've grown tired of doing that. So this year, Donna graciously consented to cook the turkey breasts in the oven. They turned out great, and I hope this is a tradition we continue.
I walked over to the club house on Tuesday morning to get a haircut. I love that my barber is a 3 minute walk from my back door. This is just another great aspect of living at RCW. While there, I turned a couple of books into the library. We have a really nice library at the club, and it operates on the honor system. So, you just mosey in, select a book or 2 or 3, and take it (them) home. Once finished with your reading, simply return and repeat the process.
Although quite good (the books fill an entire side room in the club house), our library still has limits. I have more or less adopted the practice of checking out 2 or 3 books for trips we take in our trailer since there is no time limit. But when I'm home for a while, I prefer to go to the Tom Green County Library and check out books there. In addition to checking out books, I also spend quite a bit of time browsing the magazines there, such as Texas Highways and True West. This week, I checked out some Hercule Poirot mysteries as well as a book on Adobe Walls, an historic site in the Panhandle of Texas.
Since Donna and I were busy Tuesday morning, we decided to eat out. We opted for Joe's Italian on South Bryant, a place we haven't eaten in 2 or 3 years for some reason. I don't know if Joe's Italian is a chain or not, but we find places by this name in several places, including Big Spring and Longview. Our Joe's has some of the most reasonably priced lunch specials in town. The special changes each day, and costs only $6.99 for the entrée and a salad. This is not the greatest Italian food you'll ever eat, but it is quite good and, as I said, reasonably priced. We both ordered spaghetti and meatballs, and we enjoyed our meals.
The kids arrived Wednesday, and that is when I started drinking. Heavily. It didn't help. The little monsters still tormented me.
But Donna and I endured with minimal damage. The main meal was great. Donna is really a good cook, and her skills have not diminished over the years. I especially love her dressing, and there is a corn and cream cheese concoction she makes that I wish she would make more often. We sent quite a bit of food home with the kids, much to my dismay. I'll have to speak to the chef about this alarming breach of protocol.
On Friday, the kids left and Donna and I started returning to normal. I put the whiskey bottle away until the next visit. Life is good again. Late Friday afternoon the clouds rolled in and we got half an inch of rain. Rain is always appreciated out here.
Well, that's all the news from Rio Concho West, where life moves along just a little more slowly than in the real world. And that's exactly how I like it.
A couple of weeks ago, I was busy getting things checked out. This week, it was Donna's turn. She started the week on Monday by visiting the eye doctor. The next day, she visited her dentist. Donna is very regular in her visits to these folks while I tend to only visit them when I need to. I suppose that's why she seems to be holding up much better than I. People we meet generally tell Donna how well she looks; then they cast a glance at me and simply laugh in a pitying sort of way. Go figure.
In between visits to these places, Donna was busy getting things ready for our Thanksgiving feast. She made 2 pies, a pumpkin and a chess. Donna loves pumpkin pie during the holidays, but I prefer an old-fashioned chess pie. I believe this may have been the finest chess pie she has ever made. Then she started to work on all the other dishes, such as dressing, cranberry sauce, rice-broccoli casserole, sweet potatoes, lime jello mixed with pecans and other sweets, and numerous other little things. I keep trying to get the old woman to cut back on how much she prepares, but I don't think she can.
This year, rather than smoke a whole turkey, we bought 2 turkey breasts. For the past 20 or 25 years, I've smoked turkeys for our Thanksgiving dinners. I usually start late the night before, then get up every few hours or so to add charcoal, wood, and/or water, whichever is needed. To be honest, I've grown tired of doing that. So this year, Donna graciously consented to cook the turkey breasts in the oven. They turned out great, and I hope this is a tradition we continue.
I walked over to the club house on Tuesday morning to get a haircut. I love that my barber is a 3 minute walk from my back door. This is just another great aspect of living at RCW. While there, I turned a couple of books into the library. We have a really nice library at the club, and it operates on the honor system. So, you just mosey in, select a book or 2 or 3, and take it (them) home. Once finished with your reading, simply return and repeat the process.
Although quite good (the books fill an entire side room in the club house), our library still has limits. I have more or less adopted the practice of checking out 2 or 3 books for trips we take in our trailer since there is no time limit. But when I'm home for a while, I prefer to go to the Tom Green County Library and check out books there. In addition to checking out books, I also spend quite a bit of time browsing the magazines there, such as Texas Highways and True West. This week, I checked out some Hercule Poirot mysteries as well as a book on Adobe Walls, an historic site in the Panhandle of Texas.
Since Donna and I were busy Tuesday morning, we decided to eat out. We opted for Joe's Italian on South Bryant, a place we haven't eaten in 2 or 3 years for some reason. I don't know if Joe's Italian is a chain or not, but we find places by this name in several places, including Big Spring and Longview. Our Joe's has some of the most reasonably priced lunch specials in town. The special changes each day, and costs only $6.99 for the entrée and a salad. This is not the greatest Italian food you'll ever eat, but it is quite good and, as I said, reasonably priced. We both ordered spaghetti and meatballs, and we enjoyed our meals.
The kids arrived Wednesday, and that is when I started drinking. Heavily. It didn't help. The little monsters still tormented me.
But Donna and I endured with minimal damage. The main meal was great. Donna is really a good cook, and her skills have not diminished over the years. I especially love her dressing, and there is a corn and cream cheese concoction she makes that I wish she would make more often. We sent quite a bit of food home with the kids, much to my dismay. I'll have to speak to the chef about this alarming breach of protocol.
On Friday, the kids left and Donna and I started returning to normal. I put the whiskey bottle away until the next visit. Life is good again. Late Friday afternoon the clouds rolled in and we got half an inch of rain. Rain is always appreciated out here.
Well, that's all the news from Rio Concho West, where life moves along just a little more slowly than in the real world. And that's exactly how I like it.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is an old holiday celebrated not only in the United States but in Canada. Many other countries also have some form of harvest festival. The first celebration in the United States of giving thanks for a good harvest is often traced back to Plymouth in 1621. Later, various states celebrated the harvest on different dates. It was not until 1863 that President Lincoln issued a proclamation fixing the date in the U.S. so that all states would celebrate the holiday on the same date.
I find this appropriate.
In 1863, our country was in the middle of a bloody war that often pitted brother against brother. We were, indeed, a house divided. One of the reasons for issuing the proclamation was to provide some sense of unity between North and South. However, the South refused to recognize the date established for another decade or so. Today, though, Americans observe Thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday of November.
Today, our country is once again divided, this time along political lines rather than geographical boundaries. Still, the division is deep, so much so that numerous recent news stories have dealt on families who will be bypassing spending time together this year because of these divisions. Now is the time when we could all use a little more tolerance, a lot more understanding, and a great deal of forgiveness.
Rather than dwell on those things that divide us, I choose to be thankful for all the blessings we have in this country. I am thankful to live in this country. Despite the many challenges we face, this is still the best place on earth to live.
Here's wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and the start to a wonderful holiday season.
I find this appropriate.
In 1863, our country was in the middle of a bloody war that often pitted brother against brother. We were, indeed, a house divided. One of the reasons for issuing the proclamation was to provide some sense of unity between North and South. However, the South refused to recognize the date established for another decade or so. Today, though, Americans observe Thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday of November.
Today, our country is once again divided, this time along political lines rather than geographical boundaries. Still, the division is deep, so much so that numerous recent news stories have dealt on families who will be bypassing spending time together this year because of these divisions. Now is the time when we could all use a little more tolerance, a lot more understanding, and a great deal of forgiveness.
Rather than dwell on those things that divide us, I choose to be thankful for all the blessings we have in this country. I am thankful to live in this country. Despite the many challenges we face, this is still the best place on earth to live.
Here's wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and the start to a wonderful holiday season.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
The Week at Rio Concho West
Well, it's been a quiet week at Rio Concho West (RCW), my new hometown, out here on the edge of the prairie.
I've been trying to get back into a walking routine after our recent trips. Walking is easier when we travel because we hike and take interesting walks to places we've never or have seldom ever been. But walking at home can be work because you see the same places again and again. But I seem to walk more when I'm home. I've probably walked 15 or so miles this week; hopefully, I'll work up to about 20 this next week or so.
We started the week off by visiting what has been one of our favorite local eateries, Taste of the Himalayas. When the place first opened a couple of years ago, the food was great. But as time has gone by, the food quality has declined. Most of all, it has simply been inconsistent. The establishment has also recently come under new management, and several changes have resulted. When we ate there this past Monday, we were both disappointed. In fact, after we paid and walked out, we stopped on the steps outside, looked at each other, and agreed that we should not go back for a while. We simply did not enjoy it as we once did. So, we'll scratch it off our list of "go to" eateries and replace it with another one. We'll give it about 6 months or so, then try it again to see if it has improved. If it hasn't, then we'll probably mark it off our list for good.
On Wednesday, Donna and I hopped on the RCW bus along with some other inmates and took a ride over to the Rio Concho Manor for lunch. For the low price of $6.50 (no tipping allowed), we can go through the buffet line and pile on as much food as our trays will hold. The catch is you can only go through the line once, but once is more than enough for us. This past week, I loaded my tray with fried chicken breast, BBQ brisket, mashed potatoes, pinto beans, salad, jalapeno corn bread, and finished it all off with some very rich chocolate cake. And to top it all off, I had a great time visiting with my fellow inmates both on the bus and at the lunch table. That's a pretty good deal. Note that these prices are for Rio Concho residents only; non-residents pay a bit more.
On our last camping trip, we were in quite a bit of rain, so when we arrived home, the truck was pretty dirty. So earlier this week, I took the truck down to our local Gentle Touch Auto Wash on Parkview Drive. These folks do a good job. I purchase the 5 washes for $25 card, which entitles me to 5 exterior car washes for $25. Actually, they give you 1 free as a bonus, so you really get 6 washes for $25. The truck gets an excellent exterior scrubbing, and the good folks there wipe it dry at the end. That's a pretty good deal these days. I then brought the truck home and touched up the outside and cleaned the interior. I like driving a clean vehicle.
Friday, the Computer Club at RCW met. We're all trying to learn the ins and outs of Windows 10. It's always fun watching a bunch of old geezers get together to try to figure out new technology.
Donna and I have never done much decorating at Christmas, but the boss lady decided this year she wanted some lights outside. The bad news is that we don't have any lights for outside, so we've spent some time this week shopping for lights. There are just too many choices out there, but we finally decided on some blue lights to line the eaves of the house. The good news is that I don't have to hang them. One of the many services provided by the good maintenance people here at RCW is Christmas light hanging. I guess they probably got tired of watching old folks fall off ladders trying to hang lights and decided to take the job over themselves. Regardless, sounds like another good deal to me and just one of the many, many reasons we decided to move here.
On the home front, Donna and I are trying to get ready for the invasion of the body snatchers, who arrive Wednesday and expect to be fed a Thanksgiving feast. Yeah, Courtney and her ruffians are on their way, so I ask you folks to pray for Donna and me. We've been doing lots of shopping and Donna is pulling out all her recipes. I look forward to stuffing myself. I just hope we survive.
We had our first freeze of the season Friday night. We have 3 local TV stations, and they reported temps from 29 to 32 degrees, so I don't know which is the most accurate for our location. Now it really feels like fall. Our nights will continue to be cold now, but our days get up to the 60s or 70s, and that is great weather for me. I did a 4 mile walk yesterday afternoon in short sleeves, so I'm happy.
Well, that's the news from Rio Concho West, where the streets are wide, and some of these old folks drive just too dang fast.
I've been trying to get back into a walking routine after our recent trips. Walking is easier when we travel because we hike and take interesting walks to places we've never or have seldom ever been. But walking at home can be work because you see the same places again and again. But I seem to walk more when I'm home. I've probably walked 15 or so miles this week; hopefully, I'll work up to about 20 this next week or so.
We started the week off by visiting what has been one of our favorite local eateries, Taste of the Himalayas. When the place first opened a couple of years ago, the food was great. But as time has gone by, the food quality has declined. Most of all, it has simply been inconsistent. The establishment has also recently come under new management, and several changes have resulted. When we ate there this past Monday, we were both disappointed. In fact, after we paid and walked out, we stopped on the steps outside, looked at each other, and agreed that we should not go back for a while. We simply did not enjoy it as we once did. So, we'll scratch it off our list of "go to" eateries and replace it with another one. We'll give it about 6 months or so, then try it again to see if it has improved. If it hasn't, then we'll probably mark it off our list for good.
On Wednesday, Donna and I hopped on the RCW bus along with some other inmates and took a ride over to the Rio Concho Manor for lunch. For the low price of $6.50 (no tipping allowed), we can go through the buffet line and pile on as much food as our trays will hold. The catch is you can only go through the line once, but once is more than enough for us. This past week, I loaded my tray with fried chicken breast, BBQ brisket, mashed potatoes, pinto beans, salad, jalapeno corn bread, and finished it all off with some very rich chocolate cake. And to top it all off, I had a great time visiting with my fellow inmates both on the bus and at the lunch table. That's a pretty good deal. Note that these prices are for Rio Concho residents only; non-residents pay a bit more.
On our last camping trip, we were in quite a bit of rain, so when we arrived home, the truck was pretty dirty. So earlier this week, I took the truck down to our local Gentle Touch Auto Wash on Parkview Drive. These folks do a good job. I purchase the 5 washes for $25 card, which entitles me to 5 exterior car washes for $25. Actually, they give you 1 free as a bonus, so you really get 6 washes for $25. The truck gets an excellent exterior scrubbing, and the good folks there wipe it dry at the end. That's a pretty good deal these days. I then brought the truck home and touched up the outside and cleaned the interior. I like driving a clean vehicle.
Friday, the Computer Club at RCW met. We're all trying to learn the ins and outs of Windows 10. It's always fun watching a bunch of old geezers get together to try to figure out new technology.
Donna and I have never done much decorating at Christmas, but the boss lady decided this year she wanted some lights outside. The bad news is that we don't have any lights for outside, so we've spent some time this week shopping for lights. There are just too many choices out there, but we finally decided on some blue lights to line the eaves of the house. The good news is that I don't have to hang them. One of the many services provided by the good maintenance people here at RCW is Christmas light hanging. I guess they probably got tired of watching old folks fall off ladders trying to hang lights and decided to take the job over themselves. Regardless, sounds like another good deal to me and just one of the many, many reasons we decided to move here.
On the home front, Donna and I are trying to get ready for the invasion of the body snatchers, who arrive Wednesday and expect to be fed a Thanksgiving feast. Yeah, Courtney and her ruffians are on their way, so I ask you folks to pray for Donna and me. We've been doing lots of shopping and Donna is pulling out all her recipes. I look forward to stuffing myself. I just hope we survive.
We had our first freeze of the season Friday night. We have 3 local TV stations, and they reported temps from 29 to 32 degrees, so I don't know which is the most accurate for our location. Now it really feels like fall. Our nights will continue to be cold now, but our days get up to the 60s or 70s, and that is great weather for me. I did a 4 mile walk yesterday afternoon in short sleeves, so I'm happy.
Well, that's the news from Rio Concho West, where the streets are wide, and some of these old folks drive just too dang fast.
Friday, November 11, 2016
Getting Back to Normal at Home
We returned home earlier in the week from our latest trip. We've been trying to get back to normal ever since.
Whenever we return home, I always have lots of mail to go through and other personal business to catch up on. We usually need to get out and pick up some groceries as well. And Donna always has lots of laundry to do. On short trips (anything less than 2 weeks or so), we normally don't do laundry and just let it build until we return home, so Donna usually just moves into our laundry room and lives there for a few days.
I've also been trying to catch up on some other tasks I've been putting off. I've not seen my dermatologist since we sold our home last December, so I set up and appointment with her for next week. And I haven't had an eye exam since 2014, so I set up an appointment with my optometrist and went in yesterday. My vision seems to change quite a bit in between visits. Since my last visit, I've noticed that my far away vision has improved a bit, but my up close vision has declined some. As a result, I've been using some of those reading glasses you can pick up in any pharmacy the past several months. I do quite a few crossword puzzles and I read a lot, so I've really been relying on those reading glasses lately. I've never had to use them before. Just another sign of approaching old age, I guess.
Last time I got new glasses, I decided not to go with bifocals, and that was a mistake. I started using bifocals about 2000 or 2001, and I had no idea how much I really relied on them. But when I got my new pair in 2014 or so, I opted to just go with full vision glasses and I quickly realized that was a mistake. When driving, for example, I could see fine to drive, but I couldn't clearly read the speedometer, radio, and other items on the dash. And when eating, I couldn't see my food clearly. And since I often do puzzles while watching TV, I was actually having to switch between my regular glasses and my reading glasses. So, with my new pair, I have returned to bifocals, and I can already tell the difference.
Last night, we had our monthly dinner at the Rio Concho West clubhouse. We've missed the past 2 months, so we enjoyed the dinner last night. We've come to enjoy these get togethers, as we always meet new people, visit with folks we've previously met, and enjoy some good food and usually some good entertainment of some sort.
Tonight, we have tickets to our local theater (Angelo Civic Theater) to see a production of Greater Tuna. We really enjoy the theater. Donna and I started attending plays back in my college days, when the first play we ever saw together was Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. We've seen many good plays over the years.
So, we are gradually getting back into a routine here. When we returned home earlier this week, we discovered 1.2 inches of rain in our gauge. We also had rain Wednesday and Thursday, and I emptied 1.5 inches from the gauge yesterday. We've really been blessed with good rain all year.
We have no more trailer trips planned for 2016, but we may take one or two quick overnight trips. Otherwise, we are looking forward to spending time at home for the upcoming holidays.
Whenever we return home, I always have lots of mail to go through and other personal business to catch up on. We usually need to get out and pick up some groceries as well. And Donna always has lots of laundry to do. On short trips (anything less than 2 weeks or so), we normally don't do laundry and just let it build until we return home, so Donna usually just moves into our laundry room and lives there for a few days.
I've also been trying to catch up on some other tasks I've been putting off. I've not seen my dermatologist since we sold our home last December, so I set up and appointment with her for next week. And I haven't had an eye exam since 2014, so I set up an appointment with my optometrist and went in yesterday. My vision seems to change quite a bit in between visits. Since my last visit, I've noticed that my far away vision has improved a bit, but my up close vision has declined some. As a result, I've been using some of those reading glasses you can pick up in any pharmacy the past several months. I do quite a few crossword puzzles and I read a lot, so I've really been relying on those reading glasses lately. I've never had to use them before. Just another sign of approaching old age, I guess.
Last time I got new glasses, I decided not to go with bifocals, and that was a mistake. I started using bifocals about 2000 or 2001, and I had no idea how much I really relied on them. But when I got my new pair in 2014 or so, I opted to just go with full vision glasses and I quickly realized that was a mistake. When driving, for example, I could see fine to drive, but I couldn't clearly read the speedometer, radio, and other items on the dash. And when eating, I couldn't see my food clearly. And since I often do puzzles while watching TV, I was actually having to switch between my regular glasses and my reading glasses. So, with my new pair, I have returned to bifocals, and I can already tell the difference.
Last night, we had our monthly dinner at the Rio Concho West clubhouse. We've missed the past 2 months, so we enjoyed the dinner last night. We've come to enjoy these get togethers, as we always meet new people, visit with folks we've previously met, and enjoy some good food and usually some good entertainment of some sort.
Tonight, we have tickets to our local theater (Angelo Civic Theater) to see a production of Greater Tuna. We really enjoy the theater. Donna and I started attending plays back in my college days, when the first play we ever saw together was Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. We've seen many good plays over the years.
So, we are gradually getting back into a routine here. When we returned home earlier this week, we discovered 1.2 inches of rain in our gauge. We also had rain Wednesday and Thursday, and I emptied 1.5 inches from the gauge yesterday. We've really been blessed with good rain all year.
We have no more trailer trips planned for 2016, but we may take one or two quick overnight trips. Otherwise, we are looking forward to spending time at home for the upcoming holidays.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Rainy Times at Kerrville
We spent several days and nights at Kerrville-Schreiner Park and really weren't able to do much. The weather simply did not cooperate.
Our main purpose in visiting the park was to use it as a springboard to go to Lost Maples State Natural Area. In most years, this would have been the ideal time to visit the park and view the maple trees in all their colorful glory. However, this year, the weather did not cooperate. We just have not had the cool weather needed to produce that wonderful color in those trees. Still, Donna and I did journey to the park on Monday. However, it rained on us most of the way there and the fog was pretty thick. So, once we arrived, we simply did a quick run through and returned to Kerrville. Maybe next year . . . .
The trip to and from Lost Maples was not all in vain, though. The drive from Kerrville along first Highway 27 and then Highway 39 was beautiful. The highways follow the cypress-lined Guadalupe River as it winds and dips through western Kerr County. Of course, resorts and other getaways line the road all the way to the little community of Hunt or so. If you've not been on this road, it is certainly one of the drives in Texas you must take. On our return trip, we took FM 337 to Medina. This road follows the West Prong of the Medina River for most of the route. From Medina, we followed Highway 16 north back to Kerrville. This highway follows the North Prong of the Medina River for several miles. This is really wild country, and I can't stress enough that you should adhere to speed limit and other warning signs along this route. The country is beautiful, though, and worth the time it takes.
We also wanted to walk the new River Trail in Kerrville. The easternmost trailhead is located at Kerrville-Schreiner Park, so we hoped to head west along the trail a few miles and then return. However, the weather just did not cooperate. As we were heading out the door of the trailer for our walk, the rain began to fall. We waited a while, but it just did not let up. Instead, we ended up going to the movies that day and watching The Accountant with Ben Affleck. We did enjoy the movie.
The only sort of outing we had any luck with was a day trip to Castroville on US 90 just west of San Antonio. I had been wanting to visit this place for quite a while. This little village was settled by Henri Castro in 1844. He brought in settlers from Europe, mainly Alsace in eastern France, and the area today retains the influence of that group, especially with its architecture. It is really a picturesque little village. However, we picked a Saturday for this trip, and we should have opted for a weekday. I should have known we were in trouble when we passed through Bandera and saw all the crowds there. Booths lined the square, and some sort of gathering was taking place along the Medina River. This time of year is really an active time for markets and other activities in rural areas. In Castroville, there were a number of events going on. Some were at local churches, some along the road in neighborhoods, and some at other locations. Cars and people were everywhere. I hope to go back at some time when nothing is going on so that I can walk the side streets and admire all the unique homes and buildings.
Our main purpose in visiting the park was to use it as a springboard to go to Lost Maples State Natural Area. In most years, this would have been the ideal time to visit the park and view the maple trees in all their colorful glory. However, this year, the weather did not cooperate. We just have not had the cool weather needed to produce that wonderful color in those trees. Still, Donna and I did journey to the park on Monday. However, it rained on us most of the way there and the fog was pretty thick. So, once we arrived, we simply did a quick run through and returned to Kerrville. Maybe next year . . . .
The trip to and from Lost Maples was not all in vain, though. The drive from Kerrville along first Highway 27 and then Highway 39 was beautiful. The highways follow the cypress-lined Guadalupe River as it winds and dips through western Kerr County. Of course, resorts and other getaways line the road all the way to the little community of Hunt or so. If you've not been on this road, it is certainly one of the drives in Texas you must take. On our return trip, we took FM 337 to Medina. This road follows the West Prong of the Medina River for most of the route. From Medina, we followed Highway 16 north back to Kerrville. This highway follows the North Prong of the Medina River for several miles. This is really wild country, and I can't stress enough that you should adhere to speed limit and other warning signs along this route. The country is beautiful, though, and worth the time it takes.
We also wanted to walk the new River Trail in Kerrville. The easternmost trailhead is located at Kerrville-Schreiner Park, so we hoped to head west along the trail a few miles and then return. However, the weather just did not cooperate. As we were heading out the door of the trailer for our walk, the rain began to fall. We waited a while, but it just did not let up. Instead, we ended up going to the movies that day and watching The Accountant with Ben Affleck. We did enjoy the movie.
The only sort of outing we had any luck with was a day trip to Castroville on US 90 just west of San Antonio. I had been wanting to visit this place for quite a while. This little village was settled by Henri Castro in 1844. He brought in settlers from Europe, mainly Alsace in eastern France, and the area today retains the influence of that group, especially with its architecture. It is really a picturesque little village. However, we picked a Saturday for this trip, and we should have opted for a weekday. I should have known we were in trouble when we passed through Bandera and saw all the crowds there. Booths lined the square, and some sort of gathering was taking place along the Medina River. This time of year is really an active time for markets and other activities in rural areas. In Castroville, there were a number of events going on. Some were at local churches, some along the road in neighborhoods, and some at other locations. Cars and people were everywhere. I hope to go back at some time when nothing is going on so that I can walk the side streets and admire all the unique homes and buildings.
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Kerrville-Schreiner Park
After several days at Blanco State Park, we took a short trip to spend some time at another favorite park of ours: Kerrville-Schreiner Park in Kerrville, Texas.
This 517 acre park on the southeast side of Kerrville was originally a city park, then was transferred to the state for several years before returning to the city in 2004. Many state maps may still show this as a state park, but your annual park passes will not work here.
Donna and I always camp in the Deer Field Loop, which is in the park section on the south side of Highway 173, locally known as the Bandera Highway. This camping area offers about 20 full hookup sites; there are other camping areas south of the highway, but only Deer Field has FHU (full hookups). FHU sites are also available in the Pecan Loop and Sycamore Circle camping areas north of the highway, near the Guadalupe River. We've always avoided these camping areas because they are so close to the highway and we are concerned about highway noise. Also, the north section of the park is where the action is, especially during the summer. Since that section fronts the river, you have a lot of day use activity there, such as swimming, fishing, and kayaking. It is much quieter in our section of the park.
There is no WiFi in the park except for the recent addition of a hot spot around the headquarters building. OTA TV reception is also poor. Local radio, though, is quite good.
We like that the RV sites are pull-thru. However, the sites in Deerfield Loop on the north side of the road tend to have sewer hookups that are slightly uphill from the pads, whereas those on the south side tend to have sewer hookups slightly downhill. This is because of the natural slope towards the river. I have a trailer that does not enjoy a lot of clearance above the road, so in many parks I find that the opening for my storage tanks is sometimes lower than the sewer connection. Things don't drain uphill too well in my experience. Our previous trailer had higher clearance, and I seldom encountered this situation, but I experience it quite often in the Coachmen. This natural slant also means that you'll probably have to level your rig.
Since I've reported on this park before, I'll not repeat what I've already said. Instead, I'll just provide links to previous reports. As with Blanco, we've found this park to be a good jumping off place to area activities, and I'll link to those reports as well.
We have 2 or 3 activities planned for our stay here. Since we do not have WiFi, I'll probably wait until we return home to post.
This 517 acre park on the southeast side of Kerrville was originally a city park, then was transferred to the state for several years before returning to the city in 2004. Many state maps may still show this as a state park, but your annual park passes will not work here.
Donna and I always camp in the Deer Field Loop, which is in the park section on the south side of Highway 173, locally known as the Bandera Highway. This camping area offers about 20 full hookup sites; there are other camping areas south of the highway, but only Deer Field has FHU (full hookups). FHU sites are also available in the Pecan Loop and Sycamore Circle camping areas north of the highway, near the Guadalupe River. We've always avoided these camping areas because they are so close to the highway and we are concerned about highway noise. Also, the north section of the park is where the action is, especially during the summer. Since that section fronts the river, you have a lot of day use activity there, such as swimming, fishing, and kayaking. It is much quieter in our section of the park.
There is no WiFi in the park except for the recent addition of a hot spot around the headquarters building. OTA TV reception is also poor. Local radio, though, is quite good.
We like that the RV sites are pull-thru. However, the sites in Deerfield Loop on the north side of the road tend to have sewer hookups that are slightly uphill from the pads, whereas those on the south side tend to have sewer hookups slightly downhill. This is because of the natural slope towards the river. I have a trailer that does not enjoy a lot of clearance above the road, so in many parks I find that the opening for my storage tanks is sometimes lower than the sewer connection. Things don't drain uphill too well in my experience. Our previous trailer had higher clearance, and I seldom encountered this situation, but I experience it quite often in the Coachmen. This natural slant also means that you'll probably have to level your rig.
Since I've reported on this park before, I'll not repeat what I've already said. Instead, I'll just provide links to previous reports. As with Blanco, we've found this park to be a good jumping off place to area activities, and I'll link to those reports as well.
- Kerrville-Schreiner Park (May 2015)
- Hike Report: Kerrville-Schreiner Park (May 2015)
- Kerrville-Schreiner Park (June 2015)
- Museum of Western Art, Kerrville, Texas (June 2015)
- Hike Report: Kerrville-Schreiner Park (June 2015)
- The Coming King Prayer Garden (June 2015)
- Kerrville-Schreiner Park (October 2015)
- Stonehenge II (October 2015)
- Hike Report: Hill Country State Natural Area (October 2015)
- Hill Country Drives (October 2015)
- Good Eats: Classics Burgers and "Moore" (October 2015
We have 2 or 3 activities planned for our stay here. Since we do not have WiFi, I'll probably wait until we return home to post.
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