Potter's Creek, Canyon Lake, TX - Day 2

Potter’s Creek is a Corps of Engineers park on Canyon Lake located about 15 miles from New Braunfels.  It is on Hwy 306 which runs between Hwy 35 and Hwy 281.  The nearby town of Canyon has numerous restaurants, cabins, and RV parks if you don’t want a more rural setting.

The grass was pretty much brown about two weeks ago but quickly greened up with the rain we had.  Sunday about noon the tenters started leaving so the park was back to its more normal quiet.  This is a beautiful time of the year to be here.  It is a lot more busy in the summer.  Canyon Lake is very popular for boating and fishing.  

RV spots with water and electric are $24/day ($12/seniors with national park pass).  

There are very nice restrooms for each loop, some cabins, a boat ramp, and a dump station.  There are some shady spots and some directly in the sun (not bad at all for now but pretty toasty in the summer).

There are a lot of deer which roam freely through the park.  

There is also a large flock of geese.  My resident bird expert, Birdie, told me that they are Egyptian geese so they look a little different from what you might expect. 

All in all, it was a wonderful visit.

Potters Creek, Canyon Creek, TX - Day 1

I arrived at Potter’s Creek about 2:00 PM.  It’s not far at all from San Antonio but I decided that I had plenty of time to get to Wichita Falls since I wasn’t making a stop at Lake Nocona and I have a fellow WomenRV friend that is staying here at Potter’s Creek and it would be a relaxing place to set up the RV and get things put away in their proper places.  I don’t open the slides when we put the RV in our driveway at home because it is at too much of a slant to put the slides out so things just kind of get loaded in, clothes on the bed, etc., (the bed is in front of the closet).  Anyway, I got a nice spot with afternoon shade and proceeded to back the 5^th wheel in.  Took a few minutes, had a nice man on a scooter offer to do it for me (ha, ha), but managed okay on my own as it wasn’t a speed contest.  Just had to jump out several times since I didn’t have a spotter.  Once the electric was hooked up and the A/C running, the dogs and I made a tour of our loop.  There are several loops for camping here with one of them with reservable spots.  Nancy was out for the afternoon which was probably just as well as I had a bit of work to do with reorganizing the inside of the RV.  By late afternoon, every spot in this loop was taken.  There are a lot of tents here this weekend.  Several people were in the lake swimming.  It is still beautiful here, very warm during the day but cooling down quite a bit at night.  The burn ban here was lifted early this week following last weekend’s good rains.  The grass has greened up, the deer are wandering through the campground.  There is also a large flock of geese.  Campfires were burning tonight for the first time in months.  Even with all the campers, it is peaceful and quiet here tonight.

On the Road Again--almost

The RV has been in the driveway since yesterday and excitement is building.  I'm going to be on the road again, at least for 2 weeks.  DH is working this weekend so the plan was to leave Monday if he wanted to travel along.  He really wasn't enthused about it so I'm heading out today.  Rather travel solo with the longdogs than haul along a wet blanket who would rather be sitting at home.  The dogs ran out and tried to get in the truck the minute I opened the door yesterday, Harley made it into the 5th wheel and was disappointed to get hauled back in the house.  They have had baths this morning.  The laundry will be done in an hour.  Let the packing commence!  Initial stopping point was going to be lake Nocona to visit some old friends who retired there.  Called them last night and they were up in Arkansas so that won't be a stop this time.  Oh, well, plans made in jello.  I am heading to Wichita Falls to visit friends and former co-workers as well as to attend the dedication of a conference room at the 82 CONS where I used to work.  The room is being dedicated to a former co-worker who passed away suddenly and never got the chance to retire.  Stay tuned.

Stonehenge II, Ingram, TX

Today was a great day for a road trip.  It started out with me driving out to Potter's Creek on Canyon Lake to meet up with my friend Birdie.  It's about a 45 minute trip out to the lake but a nice drive.  Once I met up with Birdie, we headed across country on our way to Kerrville to pick up another RVing friend, Shirley.  Both Birdie and Shirley are full-timers that like this area.  I met Shirley out at Birdie's last week so this was the first chance to see her rig.  She has a great Class A motorhome.  We arrived to find her relaxing outside at the KOA where she is staying.  A short time later we were on our way to Ingram to see "Stonehenge II".

Stonehenge II was originally located on a ranch in the rural Hunt area.  It all started in 1989 when Doug Hill tipped a huge limestone block up on it's end in a field on Al Sheppard's ranch.  After looking at it for a while, they decided to add another couple blocks to make an arch so it would be more noticeable.  Once the arch was complete, it reminded Al of the original Stonehenge in England and he commissioned Doug Hill to build a Texas Stonehenge.  It is not an exact replica as it is much smaller and all the arches are still standing.  It took nine months to build the Stonehenge which is cement over a wire frame.  After a trip Al took to the Easter Islands, replicas of the statues located there were added to the group.  Al also planned to add a replica Alaskan totem pole to the tableaux, but died in 1994 in his seventies before realizing that portion of his dream. His nephew, also named Al Shepperd, now owns the ranch.

In June 2011, Stonehenge II and the Easter Island monuments were moved to the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram.

An interesting and unusual sight right here in Texas.

Stonehenge II and Easter Island Heads

Address:

120 Point Theatre Rd S., Ingram, TX

Directions:

Relocated to the grounds of the Hill Country Arts Foundation. I-10 exit south into Kerrville. Turn right when you get to Hwy 27/Main St. Take Hwy 27 to Ingram (about 5 miles). At the second light in Ingram go straight through the intersection toward Hunt, which will put you on Hwy 39 (Hwy 27 will angle off to the right toward Mountain Home). After the light, watch for the Johnson Creek Bridge; immediately after the bridge you will see the sign for the Hill Country Arts Foundation on the left.

Phone:

830-367-5120

Dinner at Gristmill In Gruene, TX

Late Wednesday afternoon we headed out to Gruene, TX.  It is just on the far edge of New Braunfels so it was a short trip.  We were on our way to have dinner at the Gristmill..  The Gristmill is located real close to the water tower so you can't miss it.  They have been in business since 1977 providing unique Texas-style dining in an 1870's cotton gin overlooking the Guadalupe River.

As you walk through the parklike grounds, you pass the "Company Store" which sells various Gristmill souvenirs.

This really is an old cotton gin.  As you walk in, they ask you if you want to sit inside or outside.

My husband quickly chose inside.  It is sort of funny because "outside" is completely outside on a patio area.  "Inside" is under the roof, the back wall is brick but the whole front side is open with only screening between you and the outside.  In the "winter", they have plastic covers that drop down in place of the screen.  Good thing we don't have many mosquitoes or other bugs because there really aren't any doors.

We had a delicious dinner with baby back ribs for me and grilled trout for my husband.  You get two sides but they are huge and could easily be shared.  I think there are lots of take-out boxes leaving with people.

The flowers on the grounds were so pretty that I just had to take a couple of shots.  These plants are up against Gruene Hall which is next to the Gristmill.

These plants are a sort of barricade between parking on the street and the grounds of the restaurant.

Gruene is a fun place to visit so be sure you don't miss it if you come to New Braunfels or San Antonio.

Rainy Day Fun

Gretchen, where are you?  It was your idea.  I told you she wasn't going to like it.  Don't you run back outside.  It'll be your turn next.  Where is that goody-two-shoes Harley?  Harley, dogs are supposed to do this.

Oh, no.  Not the sink, Mom.  I'd rather have a bath than get held over the sink.  I promise I won't do it again.  I won't, I won't, I won'tttttt.  Oh, yeah, that's right, this is the second time.

Hey Gretchen!  Wait for me.  I'll be right there.  She's bound to open that door again.  Act like you have to go potty real bad.  She's a sucker for that one.  Help, Help!

NOTE:  Gretchen spent her share of time at the sink too but she doesn't make a big deal out of it.  Harley was rolling over laughing on the floor because he didn't want to get his feet dirty anyway.

Rain, Wonderful Rain

It's raining in San Antonio!  Now for some, that might be bad news.  For us, we are thrilled.  We had a fantastic thunderstorm before dawn this morning.  I woke up and made a mad dash downstairs to unplug the laptop just in case.  There were flashes of lightning and booms of thunder--it was wonderful.  We got some good hard rain and, after lunch, it is still raining.  Granted it is not heavy but it is still coming down.  The dachsies are a little less thrilled than we are but Gretchen heads out undaunted to take care of business both before and after breakfast.  Harley also gritted his teeth and headed out to take care of things.  Willie, on the other hand, will hold it until his eyeballs are turning yellow.  He knows I'm keeping close tabs on him so there are no "accidents" due to an aversion to "weather".  It will be a quiet day of watching movies, reading books, and using the computer.  Well, the movies will come into play after hubby watches every available "Top Gear" program available including those he has automatically recorded on the DVR.  But surely that will happen pretty soon, right?  I mean it is going on 2:00PM.  I have more books upstairs and I can finish reading all the blogs I follow.  And it is still raining!   Woohoo!!!!!