Ft Croghan Museum in Burnet, TX

I've been past the Fort Croghan Museum here in Burnet many times and wondered about it but never stopped. It usually looked like no one was there. Well, we stopped and were very glad we did. There is a parking lot behind the museum which explains the lack of vehicles in front. Also, the museum is open April through mid-October on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (10-5). Admission is free but donations are appreciated by the non-profit that operates the museum.

 It is well worth a stop to check out all the exhibits both inside and out.

Fort Croghan was one of the first four forts established in 1849 to protect settlers from hostile Indians. Ultimately there was a chain of forts from Fort Worth to Uvalde.

These cute dolls made by volunteers were for sale to benefit the museum. Each doll has a name and a story.

There is a lot of information available about the history of the area.

There are also lots of exhibits.

The quilt room had lots of beautiful quilts and hats on display.

A lot of the items on display are from the local area, not necessarily the fort but it was all very interesting.

Once you check everything out inside, head outside to check out the many buildings on display. There are only two of the original fort buildings left but there are lots of historical buildings from the area on display with good information provided about each.

The Blacksmith Shop.....in case you are wondering about the green lighting, there was a green panel in the roof letting light in.

This pavilion includes numerous "vehicles" from the early days.

This is the stagecoach house.

Plaque dedicated to an early settler.

This is one of the two original Fort Croghan buildings. It is the Adjutant's Office and Powder House.

This is the Fry Cabin. It was donated by the Fry family and moved from Council Creek.

This is the Kinchloe Cabin. It was donated by the D.B. Raoch family and moved from near Bertram.

Corn Crib used to store crops.

This is the Altman Cabin. This typical "Dog-trot" cabin was donated by the Brown family and moved from Lake Buchanan.

Check out the unusual large tub. Lots of water to fill it and not sure how they emptied it.

This is a typical country school house.

The Vandeveer Cabin was built by Logan Vandeveer on the east bank of Hamilton Creek in Burnet. It was getting some minor floor repair.

This is the Lookout Building, the second building original to the fort. It was originally located on the top of Post Mountain.

By this time, it was really hot outside and we were cooked.  We decided to pay a visit to a local coffee shop called Unshakable Grounds. It was a very friendly place and our drinks were great.

This is the Burnet County Jail with a statue of a longtime sheriff.

Burnet was designated by the Texas Legislature to be the Bluebonnet Capital of Texas. They have a big festival in April but, just so you can see bluebonnets at any time, they have this bluebonnet sculpture at the Visitor's Center.

Lots of other wildflowers in bloom right now along with some of the cacti.

Vanishing Texas River Cruise

The Vanishing Texas River Cruise on Lake Buchanan near Burnet TX has been around since 1982. My first experience with it was as an event connected to a motorcycle rally my husband and I attended in Burnet many years ago. We actually did the eagle tour but that is only offered during fall and winter. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law saw a sign for the cruise and were interested in going on it. When we went online the morning of the tour, it said there were no more online reservations but we decided to drive out there just in case they had openings and, if not, so we could find it the next day. The road you turn off on is only 2 miles from downtown Burnet but it is a long but pretty drive along Lake Buchanan to get there. We arrived and they had plenty of room for us. I suspect they turn off online tickets early so people won't make reservations and then not have time to arrive at the landing.

We were on the far side of the dock. You can sit on the lower enclosed deck with A/C or on the upper deck with a roof for shade.

 

We opted for the upper deck.

It was a beautiful day with a nice breeze and we were very comfortable the whole trip even though the temp was pretty high.

Lake Buchanan is huge but it has it's ups and downs with water level. Texas is often in drought conditions and a few years ago, the lake was really low for a number of years. That led to bushes and small trees growing in what would normally be water which concerned the residents. There are lots of homes and cabins all around the lake. Now they have actually found that those bushes and trees in parts of the lake have really improved the fishing.....a silver lining.

This is the hill country so this is part of the scenery.

We made our way across part of the lake and headed up the Colorado River. This lovely waterfall was a nice surprise.

The tour narrator was really good about giving us all the history of the lake and area, pointing out all the wildlife, and telling us in advance of good photo opportunities.

The area along the river is almost all ranch land so you will see some cattle and deer along the way. See them to the right side?

Okay, now you can see them.

The bluebonnets are long past their time but we did see lots of other wildflowers both along the river and along the roads in the area.

It was a great cruise that we all enjoyed and would recommend.