A trip to the beach…Corpus Christi, Texas.

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Greg Alford

FEBRUARY 9, 2015

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT CORPUS CHRISTI. We’re planning to spend some time at the beach along the Texas Gulf Coast after we leave the Hill Country at winter’s end. But where? When it comes to great beach destinations, the state of Texas doesn’t immediately come to mind. Barbecue, yes. Bikinis, no. But the truth is, the Texas Gulf Coast offers 600 miles of sparkling coastline, dotted with quaint seaside towns, incredible views, abundant seafood and beautiful soft sand beaches to explore. And of course fishing…some of the best saltwater fishing in the entire world is in the Gulf.  Padre Island, Mustang Island, Port Aransas and Rockport are just some of the popular destinations in the Corpus Christi area. We decided to go take a look.

Read more »

Categories: Animals, Jeep, Texas | Comments Off on A trip to the beach…Corpus Christi, Texas.

Sunday brunch and a movie…

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Greg Alford

JANUARY 25, 2015

brunchSUNDAY BRUNCH AND A MOVIE. Our Buckhorn friends have brunch most every Sunday at the cafeteria on the nearby campus of Schreiner University. Afterward, they take their dogs to the park so they can run around and get some exercise. We don’t have a dog, but we always have good appetites on Sunday morning so we usually join them for the breakfast part of their Sunday outing. After breakfast today, we went to the local Cinema 10 theater complex to see the recently-released movie American Sniper.

Read more »

Categories: Buckhorn Lake, Eateries, History, Kerrville, Texas, Texas Hill Country | Comments Off on Sunday brunch and a movie…

Bandera, Texas: Cowboy Capital of the World…

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Greg Alford
bandera1

Hitching post on Main Street in downtown Bandera, Texas.

JANUARY 24, 2015

After lunch at the Inn of the Hills in Kerrville today, we decided to drive 25 miles down the road and check out the town of Bandera.

COWBOY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. In a rugged county filled with hills, rivers, and a sprawling lake, the town of Bandera holds a really big place in the hearts of Texans. Located in the Texas Hill Country less than a half-hour from Buckhorn Lake, Bandera reminds us of a different, more authentic era, when a handshake was all the contract you needed, self-reliance was the norm, and chivalry was a given. There is a spirit of independence and individualism here that speaks of the cowboy tradition of hard work and hard play. Bandera has played an important role in keeping the American traditions of the Texas cowboy alive.

Read more »

Categories: Texas, Texas Hill Country, Wild West | Comments Off on Bandera, Texas: Cowboy Capital of the World…

Camp Wood, Texas…where time stands still!

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Greg Alford

JANUARY 20, 2014

campwood

We crossed Camp Wood Creek several times during our drive in the country today.

A TOWN WHERE TIME STANDS STILL. If you enjoy going to the theater on Saturday night, don’t expect to make it happen in Camp Wood, Texas. About the best you can do is visit a biker-friendly bar called Harley’s Hideaway for some beers before having dinner at Two Fat Boys Barbecue. Or you can shoot some pool, throw darts or even do a bit of dancin’ at the Boots and Buckles Club. Only about 600 folks call this little hill country town home. It’s rural, back country Americana. Just the kind of place I’m always looking for as we travel.

Read more »

Categories: Animals, Scenic Byways, Texas, Texas Hill Country | Comments Off on Camp Wood, Texas…where time stands still!

LBJ National Historical Park…

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Greg Alford

JANUARY 16, 2015.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

“The Texas White House.” I was surprised to see how modestly it was furnished. 

LYNDON B. JOHNSON RANCH, TEXAS. It’s bright and sunny this morning at Buckhorn Lake. Recent rain makes the great outdoors look clean and crisp…the lake sparkles as if covered with diamonds. A perfect day to saddle up and take a ride to the LBJ National Historical Park.  Located just an hour’s drive from Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country, the park protects the birthplace, home, ranch and final resting place of Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States.

LBJ’S LEGACY. After his presidency ended in 1969, Johnson returned home to retire. His desire to leave a legacy of his ranching accomplishment and to demonstrate the cultural and conservation practices associated with ranching prompted President and Mrs. Johnson to donate a portion of the LBJ Ranch to the LBJ National Historic Site. Johnson stipulated that the ranch remain a working ranch, and not a “sterile relic of the past.” To that end, the National Park Service maintains a herd of Hereford cattle descended from Johnson’s registered herd and manages the land as a living demonstration of ranching the LBJ way.

Read more »

Categories: History, Museums, National Parks, Texas, Texas Hill Country | Comments Off on LBJ National Historical Park…

Grey skies and black ice…

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Greg Alford

JANUARY 8, 2014

wintry

The weather forecast calls for a “wintry mix.” Read about it.

IT’S COLD IN THE HILL COUNTRY!  So cold that we’re having second thoughts about spending next winter here, even though we love the area. Perhaps we’ll return for a visit in the fall but leave for the Gulf Coast or Florida right after Thanksgiving.  Who knows? Anyway, the low temperature last night here at Buckhorn Lake was just 19 degrees. The national weather service forecast is for highs this week in the mid 30’s and sustained winds as strong as 20 mph! A “wintry mix” of sleet, snow and freezing rain is predicted. Even with our new heated water hose, which combines a drinking-water-safe hose with a self-regulating heat source encapsulated in an all-weather, PVC coating,  I wasn’t able to wring even a drop from the kitchen sink when I tried in the middle of the night! I know the hose works…we tested it before we installed it, so I guess the water must have frozen at the source by the post, before even entering the new hose. Fortunately we can use the drinking water from our tank. UPDATE: We wrapped the water pipe on the post with insulation tape and now our water has been flowing freely, even though the cold temps continue. We learn as we go, although I’m going to try to avoid these weather conditions in the future.

Read more »

Categories: Buckhorn Lake, Kerrville, Texas, Texas Hill Country | Comments Off on Grey skies and black ice…

The Sculpture Prayer Garden…

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Greg Alford

JANUARY 7, 2015

cross

The Empty Cross in Kerrville.

THE CROSS AT KERRVILLE. On 23 acres of land visible from Interstate Highway 10 in the Texas Hill Country, at the same latitude as Israel and mid-way between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, lies the Sculpture Prayer Garden and the reddish-brown contemporary sculpture named “The Empty Cross.” The two million dollar landmark weighs 77 tons and stands 77 feet 7 inches tall.  It was erected by  The Coming King Foundation for the express purpose of drawing people to God and blessing all those who visit the prayer garden. (Hearing that, I figured I should visit…I need all the help I can get!) When the cross was raised in the summer of 2010, the TCKF President stated, “Like the American flag that was raised in World War II at Iwo Jima, we believe God will use the raising of “The Empty Cross” to energize and inspire Christians across our land to rise up and fight for the Christian principles that founded this great country.”

A NINE YEAR STRUGGLE. Raising the cross capped a 9 year epic struggle, which included threats and attacks by atheists and other opponents and a lawsuit filed by neighboring landowners. These problems reminded me of those back home in San Diego  which have been endured for decades by those who support and maintain the Mt. Soledad Cross in La Jolla, California.

Read more »

Categories: History, Museums, Texas, Texas Hill Country | Comments Off on The Sculpture Prayer Garden…

Happy New Year! And memories of 2014…

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Greg Alford

NEW YEAR’S EVE. KERRVILLE TEXAS.

Happy New Year Road Sign with dramatic clouds and sky.HAPPY NEW YEAR! As the lights dim on 2014 and the curtain opens for the New Year, we reflect on the year just passed. And what a year it was for us…truly an adventure, full of discoveries, surprises, and lessons learned. We explored twelve states, made some good friends and learned a lot about the ourselves and “the art of traveling.”

REMEMBERING 2014. What a year it was for us! It began with some close-to-home travel in California. After a couple of warm, sunny months in Palm Springs, Temecula, Julian and Sweetwater Summit, our friends Stan and Therese were in our rear view mirror with their RV on a caravan with us to the Colorado River…Parker and Laughlin. We spent several weeks with them, laughing, dining, telling war stories and enjoying the River and the sunshine, before we parted ways and they headed to Cavitt Creek Falls in southern Oregon. It was tough saying good bye, because we didn’t have any idea when we might see them again. That’s one of the perils of making friends on the road.

Read more »

Categories: Holidays | Comments Off on Happy New Year! And memories of 2014…

Christmas sights around Kerrville…

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Greg Alford

 

A POTPOURRI OF HOLIDAY PICTURES. DECEMBER, 2014.

Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas.

DSCN2833

An outing to Fredericksburg for Christmas shopping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read more »

Categories: Buckhorn Lake, Holidays, Texas, Texas Hill Country | Comments Off on Christmas sights around Kerrville…

Day trip to Camp Verde…and a town named “Comfort.”

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Greg Alford

DECEMBER 22, 2014. CAMP VERDE AND COMFORT, TEXAS.

One of the reasons we’re so enjoying our winter stay in Kerrville is that there are lots of places to see and things to do in this part of the Texas Hill Country. As you’ve already seen if you’ve been following my recent blog posts, some of these things are truly unique and many are rich in local historical significance. Things don’t get much more unique than ranches with herds of exotic African animals. And they don’t get much more historic than the Alamo in downtown San Antonio! Anyway, our Buckhorn friends, who’re real familiar with this area from their previous stays here, took us on an outing today that included historic old Camp Verde and afterwards to the little town of Comfort, Texas. As always, we’re glad we’ve got such great local tour guides to point us in the right direction during our winter stay in this area.

verde2CAMP VERDE, TEXAS.  About 10 miles from Kerrville on the road from San Antonio to El Paso  is Old Camp Verde, which was an United States Army facility established in July of 1856. The Camp was the headquarters for the U.S. Camel Corps, which experimented with using camels as pack animals in the Southwestern part of the country. Unfortunately, the camels didn’t get along well with the Army’s horses and mules, which would bolt out of fear when they smelled the camels. The soldiers didn’t much like the camels either, because they were difficult to handle and they smelled awful to boot! The Camp was abandoned in April of 1869. Ruins of the officers’ quarters remain to this day, and the site is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Read more »

Categories: Animals, History, Kerrville, Texas, Texas Hill Country | Comments Off on Day trip to Camp Verde…and a town named “Comfort.”

Ranching and exotic animal hunting near Kerrville…

Posted on December 14, 2014 by Greg Alford

DECEMBER 13, 2014. It was cold and blustery at Buckhorn this morning, so we decided to put the town of Kerrville in our rear view mirror and take a drive in the country. We wanted to see some of the large ranches outside of town and get some photos of the animals we hoped to find there. Heading the Jeep north and east toward Harper, our first stop was at the Ridge Marketplace on South Ranch Road 783, where we had lunch in the Cafe with our friends Dan and Robyn. This is their second winter at Buckhorn, so they’re our source for local restaurant and attraction recommendations. Good choice, you guys!

ridge

Entrance to the Ridge Marketplace, a great spot for country comfort food dining. 

CAFE AT THE RIDGE. The Cafe at the Ridge is about seven miles from Kerrville, on Harper Road. It’s a country marketplace with not just a charming, rustic cafe but also a fabulous on-site bakery and a garden area with tempting handcrafted gifts and treasures from the Hill Country. Everything on the cafe menu is “made from scratch” and served by the nicest servers we’ve found so far in the great state of Texas.  I ordered a grilled center-cut pork chop, served with a mushroom-sherry cream sauce. It came with potatoes mashed with the skins and fresh rosemary, fried green tomatoes, a garden salad with cold, crisp greens and a tasty house dressing and freshly baked cornbread from the bakery. The dessert offerings were tempting, but after such a large lunch I had to decline. We’ll return soon to try the chocolate meringue pie or one of the other homemade bakery items. This place is going on our list as a “go to” dining spot in the area. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and live entertainment at night…can’t beat it.

Read more »

Categories: Animals, Kerrville, Texas, Texas Hill Country | Comments Off on Ranching and exotic animal hunting near Kerrville…

Thanksgiving Day, 2014…

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Greg Alford

 November 27, 2014.

BUCK2

Thanksgiving Dinner Venue.

THANKSGIVING DAY. At Thanksgiving, we enjoy a delicious meal, create new memories and give thanks for a year that’s coming to an end. It’s appropriate to reflect on all that’s occurred in the past twelve months and how we’re going to prepare for the new year that’s coming.  We give thanks for all the things that have happened and for how they found their way into the puzzle of our lives.

thanks We awoke to bright sunshine and a crisp, clear day here in the Texas Hill Country. Fall colors are in their full glory. Orange and red foilage dots the hillsides but winter is approaching fast and  leaves are rapidly falling from many of the trees here in the park. The gardeners and groundskeepers work all day raking, blowing and collecting the leaves as they fall in an effort to keep everything tidy and neat. They do a terrific job…the grounds are always beautiful and immaculate.

Read more »

Categories: Buckhorn Lake, Eateries, Holidays, Texas, Texas Hill Country | 3 Comments

The Lone Star State…

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Greg Alford

 

IMPRESSIONS. OBSERVATIONS. THINGS WE’VE LEARNED SO FAR.

loneWe’ve been in the great state of Texas for just about a month. We’re enjoying everything about the place. We’re in no hurry to leave. Everything is large. Lots of Space. People are genuine. And friendly. Beautiful countryside. The pace is relaxed. There’s little pretension. The food is wonderful. BBQ is king. Ranchers are nice people. Children are polite. Everyone calls us “Ma’am” or “Sir.” People respect each other. Courtesy is widespread. Manners matter. Lots of cattle live here. Cowboys are for real. “Y’all” is a real word. Goats are handsome. Artificial lakes are everywhere. Texas Hill Country is fun. Folks wear boots. Rodeo’s are real. People attend church.

Read more »

Categories: Buckhorn Lake, Kerrville, Southwest, Texas, Texas Hill Country | Comments Off on The Lone Star State…

Cold weather in Kerrville…

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Greg Alford

KERRVILLE, TEXAS

cold

For a guy like me who wears shorts 90% of the time, this weather is pretty unwelcome! I even ordered a couple pairs of warm long pants online from Orvis yesterday…can’t wait for them to arrive!

NOVEMBER 15, 2014. IT’S COLD IN KERRVILLE! I’m glad we left Wyoming, pushed through Colorado and headed to Texas when we did. It’s only been a few weeks since we were in Casper and yesterday the temperature there dipped to 27 degrees below zero! I don’t know what we’d have done in that kind of weather. It’s been as much as 30 – 50 degrees below normal this week, from Wyoming and Colorado all the way south to Texas where we are right now. Apparently the cold air has come straight from the polar region. Here in Kerrville, we’ve had high temps in the 40’s and nightly lows of about 26 degrees. This evening there’s a wet fog swirling around our site…what I imagine “London Fog” would be like. The pattern is expected to continue for about the next 6 days. I guess compared to what the rest of the country is experiencing, that’s not bad. But to a couple of travelers from San Diego, that’s bone-chilling cold! (The high temperature back home in San Diego today was a balmy 71 degrees.)

Read more »

Categories: Buckhorn Lake, Holidays, Kerrville, RV Cooking, Texas, Texas Hill Country | Comments Off on Cold weather in Kerrville…

Veterans Day, 2014…

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Greg Alford

NOVEMBER 11, 2014

iwo jima

Every day should be Veterans Day.

Categories: Armed Forces, History, Holidays | Comments Off on Veterans Day, 2014…

“Californian to Texan” Translation Guide…

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Greg Alford

NOVEMBER 11, 2014

KERRVILLE, TEXAS. We’ve been “Winter Texans” now for about 3 weeks. We like it here in the Lone Star State. We’re gradually gettin’ the hang of things and learning our way around town. The way folks talk…with that Texas accent and drawl that seemed very pronounced when we arrived…has become almost unremarkable.

We now almost expect young people to be polite to their elders and we know the difference between a longhorn and a prairie dog.  I know that the State Capital is Austin, the state flower is bluebonnet, the state bird is mockingbird and the state tree is the pecan. However, a local told me the other day that even though I’m making good progress transforming from Californian to Texan, it can take years to make the full conversion…to really talk like a Texan.  In an effort to assist me, he offered the following…

“CALIFORNIAN TO TEXAN TRANSLATION GUIDE” 

chart

hat

Categories: Texas | Comments Off on “Californian to Texan” Translation Guide…

National Museum of the Pacific War…

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Greg Alford

NOVEMBER 8, 2014

frederickmuseum2FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS. This was our second day-trip to Fredericksburg, located just 25 miles east of our winter home in Kerrville. Today we returned to visit the National Museum of the Pacific War. It is a prominent nationally significant institution, despite its location in the little rural Texas town of Fredericksburg.  The museum is the only institution in the United States dedicated exclusively to telling the story of the Pacific and Asiatic Theaters in World War II. Its stated mission is to honor the eight million Americans who served in the war against Japan and the more than 100,000 who gave their lives. The belief is that the best way to honor them is to truthfully and respectfully tell the story of their struggles, sacrifices and triumphs so future generations may learn the price of freedom.

Read more »

Categories: Armed Forces, History, Museums, Texas, Texas Hill Country, World War II | Comments Off on National Museum of the Pacific War…