2022-04-10 Fredericksburg Bluebonnets???

As you can tell from lack of posts, not much has been going on since my hip surgery in February. That progressed okay but kept me from any time on the road. Finally, I was off to a rally but I left home early so I could check out the bluebonnets this year.

I headed up to Fredricksburg since it was on my way to the rally. I checked in to the Oakwood RV Resort. Parking was challenging because, while they have pull-throughs, they are extremely narrow with a concrete island in between. The first site had the neighbor's slideout opened over the picnic table in my site. The second site they gave me was a bit of an awkward angle and I didn't ace it. Right away a guy in the next row came out just insisting that I just needed to back up a few feet and pull in again. I explained nicely that I was pulling a toad and could not back up. After the third time he insisted I should just back up I said....you are in that fifth wheel right? Well, I don't think you want to pay for my tow bar so I won't be backing up. Luckily, I had just enough fractions of an inch to go slowly forward without scraping my tire. I really wanted a back-in site but they only had 30 amp and would not let me use a dogbone to come down from 50 amp. 
 

Next I was off to tour the Willow City Loop, one of my favorite drives. unfortunately, it was almost totally devoid of bluebonnets or any wildflowers. I should have mentioned that Fredericksburg had flashing signs on the roads leading in to town about severe fire danger. It was beyond dry there.

Next stop, Wildflower Farms.

While their normal flower fields were pretty barren, they did have one field that was obviously planted and watered well where you could see bluebonnets.

Otherwise things were pretty barren.

A few brave flowers poked up around the fence posts.

And in a little flower bed.....

Otherwise, bluebonnets were limited to decorations.

It was pretty hot so Harley napped in the RV with the generator running while I toured but he did get out to sniff a few flowers before we left.

 Hopefully the Texas Hill Country will get some good rains soon to help with the drought and next year will be a better year for bluebonnets.

Wild Flowers on the Willow Loop

I had make a second trip to catch more of the wildflowers. Every post along the front of the ranch has a cowboy boot on it.

Lots of cattle guards to keep the cattle on their own ranch. Just one of the reasons you aren't supposed to go out into the fields.

Lots of shades of blue in each bluebonnet.

Everyone is watching everyone else.

They are keeping the bluebonnets corralled up.

Bluebonnets, Mexican hats, and little white daisies.

The bluebonnets are less than a foot tall....just above the grass.

The prickly pear cacti are blooming too.

Another kind of succulent with new growth coming out of the red buds.

These calves are just chilling in the yard.

We weren't the only ones on the road today. A classic car club was meeting in Willow City when we stopped and these guys were already on the road ahead of us.

Some kind of vine has overpowered this tree and broken it down. 

There was water in all the little creeks and runoffs this year and it looks like a lot more water ran through at one time and deteriorated this bank along the road.

 

When we finished driving the loop, we drove back into Fredricksburg and had lunch at Burger Burger. The food was good and it was lovely out on the patio.

 

 

Ah! Glorious Spring Brings Bluebonnets

Monday morning dawned with an overcast sky but I set out for Canyon Lake to meet up with three other RVing ladies. Birdie is a fulltimer and Lyn is from San Diego. 80 years doesn't slow her down...she was passing through our area on her way back to San Diego after another GTG in Florida. Sage took the photo....both she and I are both anytimers. Lyn switched from a truck camper to this cute little trailer last year.....her large dog is older and needs a ramp to get in/out of the truck and camper so now they can continue with their RV travels.

Lyn picked a perfect time to visit Texas. We headed out towards Fredricksburg to show her the Texas Bluebonnets. The sun was out by the time we reached the Wildseed Farm outside of Fredricksburg.

We stopped to make sure Lyn got her fill of bluebonnets.

Bluebonnets are definitely a theme right now.

But the poppies are also in bloom here.

Then we headed further on to the Willow City Loop to see the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush in their natural habitat. This is actually a ranch road but the ranchers are gracious in letting the public travel through here. You are not supposed to go out in the fields.....the land is private and the cattle are not all behind fences. It is a narrow road and traffic is horrendous on a weekend during the bluebonnet season. We saw one couple coming through in a small class C which isn't wise as narrow as the road is but as we were coming out on the other end....a real fool was coming into the area pulling a 5th wheel. One rancher has old cowboy boots on each of his roadside fence posts.

Old farm equipment is pretty scenic too.

Even without the wildflowers, the views are pretty scenic here.

The bluebonnets fit right in with the cacti and primroses.

They are also at home with the Indian Paintbrushes.

Ranches are nestled down in the valleys.

As you can just see on the far right, you go across numerous cattle guards as you go from one ranch to another.

This year there is even abundant water in the streams.

As you can see, this is a narrow road. I managed to catch this with only one car showing.

It's especially narrow where the water crosses.

 

This is such a beautiful drive but weekends are a zoo. I feel for the people who live along here trying to get in or out on the weekend but they are gracious for the few weeks that everything is in bloom.

Bluebonnets in bloom can bring a smile to anyone's face. It takes at least an hour to drive the loop because you will be going real slow to take it all in. I hope there are several more wildflower trips for me over the next couple weeks.