We really have some catching up to do! We left Austin mid-week and headed to San Antonio with my mom and dad. My mom loves a picnic, so I was glad we were able to share one with her.
We spent a day checking out the San Antonio missions while Jon got caught up on work after SXSW.
These Spanish missional communities date back to the early 1700’s. They are beautiful buildings, carefully maintained and still used by active parishes.
Afterwards, we thought we would just grab some dinner down on the River Walk. It turns out that most of Texas lets out the same week for Spring Break; this was that week. The sidewalks were bursting and we did our best not to fall into the river. We struck out finding an authentic Tex-Mex restaurant that could seat us in a reasonable amount of time, so we settled for a nice Italian place. They did have a mariachi band, though.
The next day, we took in more of the San Antonio sites, including the Market Square and another Mexican restaurant we had been eagerly anticipating. This place was packed and with a street festival going on outside, we decided to just grab some treats from the bakery. Strike two.
On Saturday, Jon joined us for a trip to the Alamo. The girls and I had just finished reading “A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diaries of Lucinda Lawrence” (Jon and my parents even enjoyed listening in as we read.) That book helped bring the history of Texas “alive” for us, so we were eager to see this historic site.
It turned out that this was one of those places where photography isn’t allowed inside. Maybe it was the atmosphere, but Jon just about took on his own battle with the docents over the independence of the photographer!
While it still wasn’t authentic Tex-Mex, we did find a great place to eat. I loved the made-at-your-table fresh guacamole! Thanks again, mom and dad, for a great lunch.
Between the traffic in Austin and the crowds in San Antonio, we couldn’t wait to get out of the city. We took my mom and dad to the campground we stayed at just before getting to Austin. The girls were excited to show them the deer, and they had tiny cabins so we could be just across the way from my parents. It was refreshingly quiet!
Jon and my dad even worked on a “house project.” They were able to replace a bad electrical part, so that the house batteries are finally being charged up while we drive. It is great to have that working.
The recent rains have made the Texas landscape colorful. The wildflowers, including these beautiful, fragrant Texas Bluebonnets are in bloom!
We moved the RV to Stonewall, TX to visit the quaint, little towns of the Texas Hill Country, and my mom and dad moved in with us for a few days. They were great sports and we enjoyed sharing our routines with them. They even got to experience a Texas-sized storm, complete with torrential rain, hail and howling winds!
We visited a great state park called Enchanted Rock. It is a dome of beautiful pink granite.
Natalie even made it to the top in her cowgirl boots!
Back at the RV for several rounds of our favorite game “Spot It”:
This place was just down the street from our campground:
It was a charming farm, functioning just as a Texas farm did in the early 1900’s.
They produce all of their own food and provide meals for the volunteers and park staff throughout the year. It was inspiring to see how everything in their house had a purpose and nothing went to waste.
We also got to see the famous Texas longhorns:
Adjacent to the farm was the LBJ Ranch, which is now a National Park site. Natalie’s affection for bison has now migrated to its more common bovine relative; Natalie loves cows. Hereford cattle were LBJ’s favorite:
And this is what he called Air Force 1/2, which often carried him to and from his ranch. Cows and planes together; Natalie and Emily were happy! We also got to tour his house (another place we weren’t allowed to take pictures; good thing Jon was working!) and learned a lot of presidential history in the process.
We circled back to Austin because my parents would be flying home from there. Here we are the evening before they would leave, wondering how our time together goes by so fast.
We met my parents the next morning to say good-bye until we return in August:
We found the “family viewing area” at Austin’s airport to wave good-bye and let Emily watch the planes.
I am getting a little work done before heading toward our next destination. I love working outside!
We moved toward Houston, but are camping in a nice, quiet rural area next to the Colorado River. It can get a little warm in the RV by the afternoon, so it is nice to have pools at some of these campgrounds.
A little sunset walk n’ ride. I really do feel like I have been given an incredible gift, to be on this journey with my family.
Nearly every morning here we have woken to misty, foggy weather:
While grocery shopping at the small, local store, Jon found this toxic toy that he remembered from his childhood. I guess you will have to see if we survive for another week…
