Willow Loop is Wild with Wildflowers

Yesterday was a really great day. After being gone for a week to the Pink FlaminGoes GTG and then having rain off and on for the following week, I was afraid I might have missed the wildflowers up around Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country. After seeing a couple of posts, I decided that I would take a chance and head up there for the day. Ignoring Hwy 1604 and I-10 in favor of back country roads, I headed out Hwy 46 to Boerne. Wow, guess I haven't been out this way in a while because it has really grown up significantly going into Boerne. Lots of new houses. Leaving Boerne, I ignored Hillary the GPS and headed up the highway through Sisterdale. Not a lot of flowers but some. Pretty quiet in Sisterday unless something is going on there although people are always visiting the Sisterdale Winery. It was also quiet in Luckenbach although there were a few people walking around.....it was still morning. Fredericksburg had lots of tourists enjoying the ambience. I passed through without stopping and headed north on Hwy 16 towards Llano. Spots of color appeared here and there with more showing up as I neared the Willow City Loop. The Willow Loop is prime wildflower viewing in the Hill Country. Once you actually enter the loop, you are passing through private property.....working ranches so you need to keep that in mind at all times. These ranchers are gracious enough to share their property so stay on the road, do not cross over the fences, and watch out for cattle since you may actually be driving through the pasture rather than having a fence between you and the cattle. You will cross over many cattle guards that separate one area from the next. Now, for the eye candy which speaks for itself.

Most of the pictures were taken through the open window as I paused on the road.

Picturesque entrance into a homestead.

Lots of wide open vistas across the hills.

Even though this was a Monday, I saw at least 4 or 5 groups of motorcycle riders out enjoying the scenery. So much for the wild motorcycle gang imagine some people manage to conjure up.

The Willow Loop itself is a narrow country lane with crumbling edges. It is wide enough for two cars to pass......just. Do not take your motorhome through here. And always remember that ranchers live all along this route so do not impede their way or pull onto their property so that we can all continue to enjoy this beautiful wildflower viewing area.

I took many pictures which I plan to break into a number of posts so that loading them isn't a problem for anyone. Stay tuned for more in the next few days. This year wasn't a banner year like 2010 but it was a very good year!