23 - 26 May - Deep in the Heart of Texas

As always, we're on the road again.  This time we're headed east for the great state of Texas.  The Lone Star State, where everything is bigger as we're about to find out.  The trip through eastern New Mexico and west Texas is not the scenic beauty that we've experienced so far, that is unless you like seeing flat land filled with oil wells and oil pumping equipment.  The land is covered with them.  I'm surprised at the density and most of them appear to be active.  Looks like we have an oil boom going on in the U.S.

 

Welcome to Texas.  Looks like the state line sign has seen it's better days.

 

 

The oil fields.

 

 

I'm not sure if this was Lady Bird Johnson's Beautify America program but the highways are lined with colorful wildflowers as we head east.

 

 

You may think this is some kind of abstract art but it's not.  It's rain as the camera see's it.

 

We've been lucky with the weather so far, beautiful sun filled days with just a sprinkle of rain here or there or a dusting of snow but our luck just ran out.  As I try to find a place to park in Austin the sky's let loose with a torrent of rain.  Finally an open parking space to the side of the capitol building and the rain slacks off to a drizzle.  Enough funds into the parking meter for the next hour and I make a mad dash to the capitol building.  It's huge, as you would expect in Texas.

 

 

 

The building from the parking lot.



 

Inside looking up into the dome.  The lone star in the center.

 

Six flags have flown over Texas since the European exploration of the area began under Cortez in 1519.  That history is represented by the following:

 

 

Texas as a Republic

1836-1845

 

Texas under Spanish Rule

1519-1685; 1690-1821

 

 

Texas under French Rule

1685-1690

 

 

Texas under Mexican Rule

1821-1836

 

 

Texas as a state in the United States

1836-1861, 1865-present

 

Texas in the Confederate States

1861-1865

 

 

The Texas House of Representatives was in session voting on budget issues.

 

Following and enjoyable and interesting tour of the capitol building, it was time to leave, or so I thought.  It had been raining with lightening and thunder occasionally.  Walking out the front of the capitol building I am greeted with torrential rains again.  Figuring this will pass quickly, I joined the others waiting for a break in the weather on the front capitol steps.

 

 

View from the capitol steps as I'm ready to leave.

 

About fifteen minutes later - the buildings in the distance have disappeared.

  

 

The school kids make a break for it.

 

One lone soul headed our way.  Check the wind too.

 

After about half an hour it started to ease up.  I thought, here's my chance and luckily for me, if I get drenched I'm in the RV and I can change my clothes.  I made it, only having to change my shirt, but the rains continued.  At least we're able to head off to New Braunfels and settle into our camp site for the night. Tomorrow's another day and it's off to San Antonio to see the Alamo and the River Walk.

 

We wake the morning of the 24th and head off for breakfast.  Delicious eggs, bacon, and wonderful local pancakes, the house specialty.  Guess what, it's still coming down and hard.  Luck is on my side and there's a parking spot that can handle the RV right by the front door.

 

I'm only here once so I assume the rain eventually has to stop and head out for the Alamo. 

 

 

That's a silly place to put a lake, right in the middle of the road.  Oh, that's no lake. That's the result of ten inches of rain.

 

Guess it's happened before,"Watch for Water on Road"

 

Well, what to do now.  Oh, there's a Starbucks right here.  Go have a mocha and wait it out.  After an hour it did stop.  The only problem was finding a road that didn't look like a parking lot.  So much for the interstates, the trusty ole GPS came to the rescue.  Side streets and normal business streets offered the ticket.  Within a half-hour we're down town at the Alamo and River Walk.

 

 

The Americans that fought at the Alamo

 

The Alamo

 

Originally named Misión San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly seventy years. Construction began on the present site in 1724. On the 6th of March 1836, General Antonio López de Santa Anna led the final assault before daybreak. By sunrise the battle was over and Santa Anna's forces were victorious.

 

 

 

The layout of the grounds.

 

Just a few blocks from the Alamo is San Antonio's famed River Walk.  The San Antonio River Walk is a public park, a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath approximately 5 miles of downtown San Antonio.  Lined by bars, shops and restaurants.

 

 

Map of the River Walk area

 

 

Down to the River Walk

 

Umbrella's on the table.  A good idea.

 

I didn't find a troll under the bridge.

 

Dick's may have been the Last Resort but I didn't need a last resort.  I found a hot fudge sundae that did the trick.

 

In spite of the record rainfall we managed to achieve our objective.  Now it's back to New Braunfels to settle in for the evening and ready ourselves for heading east to Louisiana and Arkansas.