Thru The Midwest We Go (April 12th to 22nd.) 2012

Edwards Mill

Dripping Springs

     

Our journey continues back to Michigan and Oklahoma State is next. So our stop was at "Natural Falls State Park" in the Northeast Area of the State just outside the Arkansas border.  There we walked the paved trail to the "Dripping Springs" which was a very scenic area.  We stayed a couple of days until the rain and tornado warnings subsided.  Proceeding into Bentonville Arkansas, of course we had to visit Walmart's Corporate Headquarters and  Sam Walton's Visitor Center (his first original store being a Ben Franklin) which told his history and contribution to society and the tremendous growth of his vision to sell a little bit of everything at a competitive price for all consumers.      
                    

Walmart World Home Office

Sam Walton's Original Store / Visitor's Center

                                                                                         

War Eagle Mill

                                                                   

Our stay was not complete without visiting the War Eagle Mill located in the heart of the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas built in 1832.  This working mill also contained a country store with a vast array of fresh organic flours and mixes.  Upstairs you could find unique hand-crafted items made by local artists and the top floor contained the Bean Palace Restaurant with homemade comfort food.
     We traveled into Missouri and stopped at the "Table Top State Park" near

Original Beverly Hillbillies Classic 

Branson, Missouri one of the Hottest Tourism Spots in the U.S. and called the "Midwest Musical Theatre Capital".  However, a tornado cut through the center  of Branson on February 29th of this year and damage was still quite evident.  We spent most of our time at the College of The Ozarks  where the "Original Beverly Hillbillies Classic Car" was  on display and the Edwards Mill sat amongst its beauty.   There was also a great overlook of the Taneycomo Lake with the Ozark mountains surrounding it.                                                               

World's Largest Toy Museum 

          

                         

Driving through Branson we came across the "World' Largest Toy Museum" and saw many of the Famed Theatres.

Dawt Mill near Tecumseh, Mo.

   Our next stop was Montauk State Park  in Salem, Missouri.  Here was the Finest Trout Fishing in the Midwest and is located near the Headwaters of the Current River.  Anglers descend for the official trout season (March 1 - Oct. 31) and during the winter weekends for catch and release.  There is a Trout Hatchery, The Montauk Gristmill, a Lodge and several Cabins on the premises.  The park was gorgeous and a must return.  Mike tried his hand at Fly-Fishing because it was a beautiful spring day to enjoy.  Two other Historic Mills were in the area so we took a drive to visit them both.  The Dawt Mill which is still in operation today (May to September) to grind corn into meal and is still run by the water powered turbine just as it was over 100 years ago.  The Hodgson Water Mill is the Most Picturesque Mill in Missouri which once provided electricity using the power of the stream flowing by.            

Hodgson Water Mill near Sycamore Mo.

               






Montauk Gristmill

                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                      

Mississippi River Ferry Ride

 We proceeded through Missouri and landed at Hawn State Park in Ste. Genevieve (not without stopping by the "World's Largest Rocking Chair" along Historical Route 66 in Cuba, Mo.).   Many visitors believe this state park is the loveliest of Missouri's State Parks with forests of pine and oak, sandstone bluffs and canyons and clear sand-bottom streams.    Truly a nature lover's paradise.  The weather cooled down a bit and it rained but the sun did shine before we left.  Since we were near Ste. Genevieve Mo. settled in 1740 (an Older French  Colonial Village), we decide to adventure Across the Mississippi River via The Ferry which became very interesting with the Strong Currents of the River. Land-HO Here We Go Thru Illinois!!
                                                                      
                                                                                    

World's Largest Rocking Chair

                                                                                            

                                                               

Texas Finale (April 1 - 12), 2012

 

Cattle Drive at Stockyards in Fort Worth Texas

               Heading northward, we stayed overnight in Blanco State Park in Blanco, Texas.  Very nice campgound on the Blanco River  and a favorite swimming hole for cooling off  with the best showers we have found!!!  We then proceeded to Lake Whitney South of Fort Worth  for a few days at Thousand Trails Campground (one of our membership parks).  Very nice park which we spent the time doing camp duties like laundry and cleaning our motorhome.   Still venturing Northward to the Town of Granbury to visit with a retired friend of Mike's in the Town of Granbury. We stay at the nearby "Broken Spoke Campground" thanks to our Passport America Membership. Around the Town Square of Granbury was quite quaint with shops, restaurants, and a theater;  within the square featured Statue of General Granbury and the Hood County Court House.  While there, we visited Fort Worth to watch first hand the World's Only Daily Longhorn Cattle Drive right through the National Historical Stockyard District. The Stockyards Station has many ways to entertain and feed you. So a return trip to the Stockyards would be worth it for us. For the first-time Mike had a chance to try his hand at mechanical bulling-riding. He did pretty well until he fell off laughing. Another worth while tour was to see millions of dollars being printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Western Currency Facility just outside Fort Worth.  There are only 2 printing facilities; the other one being in Washington DC.  [ Sorry No Photos or Cellphones ]       Buddy even enjoyed the time to meet and play with some big guys at Gateway Dog Park.

                                                            

Bull Riding at Stockyards

       

Hood County Courthouse Granbury

Our next destination was over to Dallas.  There was an Army Corp. of Engineer Park just north of Dallas called Hickory Creek. The sites were beautifully set on Lewisville Lake about 30 miles north from Downtown.  

                                                                                        

McKinney Ave. Trolley

In Dallas, we of course took the free Trolley along McKinney Ave. through the Art District and  to the Uptown neighborhood.

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge

We also were lucky to ride on the newly opened Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (oil heir) by architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava soaring over the Trinity River connecting West Dallas to downtown.  It is also the first steel bridge built in Dallas over the Trinity River.                                        
        

Location of First Shot at JFK.

Of course we had to visit the grassy knoll and the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (Texas School Book Depository) -- to view the permanent exhibition of the life, death and legacy of President John F. Kennedy.  Here we relived that tragic moment in history and we also visited the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza which represented an "open tomb" to symbolize the freedom of President Kennedy's Spirit.

Famous South Fork Ranch

                                        Our final destination in the Dallas Area was the South Fork Ranch in Parker, Texas where the famous "Dallas" TV Series was filmed.  From 1978 to 1991 this show kept viewers gripped as to who shot JR.  We toured the Ranch, The Ewing Mansion and saw Jock's Lincoln Continental.  They are doing a new sequel of "Dallas" with most of the original cast to be aired on TNT in June of this year.  Now South Fork is still a working ranch and has ten event ballrooms for social, corporate and convention events and sprawls over 300 acres.  We were fortunate because a baby calf was born that morning in one of the barns.
                                                                                          

President Eisenhower's Birthplace Home

         As we are about to depart the State of Texas we thought why not check out one more of their State Parks in Denison. The last time we were by this Eisenhower State Park is was Full and this time we are the only campers in their Armadillo Hill Camping Area overlooking the Texoma Lake.  This State Park, Veterans Monument and State Historic Site was named in the honor of the First American President born in Texas, Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower our 34th President.  Eisenhower was born on October 14,1890 in the downstairs bedroom of the family's rented house in the Town of Denison and now a State Historic Site.  This concludes our Texas adventures and we move northward through Oklahoma.                                                                        

Eisenhower Veterans Monument

                                                                           



                                                                        

Pedernales S.P. (Johnson City)/ LBJ. Historic Site, TX ( March 28 - April 1st) 2012

Overlook View of Pedernales Falls

Pedernales Falls was our next destination.  Here more than 20 miles of meandering trails make this park a hiker's haven in the Texas Hill Country located 32 miles west of Austin, Texas.  The beautiful falls of the Pedernales River flow over tilted stairsteps of layered limestone.  Swimming and fishing in the river can be enjoyed by water enthusiasts and we spent one afternoon enjoying the river along with Buddy. In Johnson City, we enjoyed the National Park Visitor Center and the site of LB Johnson's boyhood home.                                                                           
                                                          

Up Stream Pedernales Falls

Now for the touring part.  We headed to Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site, but not without stopping in Hye, Texas where Garrison Brothers Distillery the makers of Texas's Only made Bourbon was located.  Dan (the owner) and Stephanie took us on a tour of this newer established distillery and we were even allowed two samples of the very fine bourbon.  After many educational trips to Kentucky and Tennessee Dan Garrison has perfected  his recipe for a good fine smooth bourbon using rain water, wheat (grown on his farm), barley and corn.  Since this bourbon was to age 3 years in brand new oak barrels, mass distribution will be taking place in the next couple of years.  However, the local party store did sell bottles of Garrison Brother Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey of which we acquired.

LBJ Boyhood Home

Now on to the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site in Stonewall.  This was a free tour except for the Texas White House.  Back in 1971, the Johnsons donated a portion of the LBJ Ranch to the National Park Service.  However, with the stipulation that the LBJ Ranch remain a working ranch.  Here Hereford Cattle still roam the ranch and the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm demonstrates the rural life in 1900-1918 where canning, butchering, gardening, butter is churned and even lye soap is made,  Here also lies his birthplace home, a small schoolhouse where he attended his first years, and the cemetery both President Johnson and Ladybird Johnson lie, there's even a runway, LBJ's Presidential Airplane and hangar are located here.  The ranch is sprawled along the Perdenales River and is known for its wildflowers and wildlife.  Their ranch became known as the Texas White House because many Cabinet and Legislature Meetings took place on the front lawn under the 300 year old Oak Tree.  Once the business was done, BBQ dinners were served alongside the river banks in a park-like surroundings.  A very natural and tranquil setting for sure.                                                                      

Texas White House

Enjoying Wildflower Farm

   Since we were not far away from Fredericksburg  [we discovered they have the Most Beautiful Town Square we have ever seen], we had to make a stop at the Wildseed Farms, the largest working wildflower farm in the United States.  Rows of Wildflowers were grown to be harvested for seed so we saw various stages of growth.  Now we know why Bluebonnets are the Texas Wildflower -- you see them not only here but throughout Texas.  There was also a self-guided walking trail to see the colorful blooms and a market center that sold everything from seeds to salsas to clothing to gifts.

Buddy Relaxing on Texas White House Lawn  

LBJ / Lady Bird Grave-site

                                                                          

Garrison Brothers Distillery 

Fredericksburg Town Square

                     




            That concludes our Perdernales Falls Area visit.

















                                                                                                                   

McKinney Falls State Park, Austin TX [March 25th-27th] 2012

Upper McKinney Falls

Lower McKinney Falls

         Our Journey led us North to McKinney Falls State Park so we could visit Austin, which is the Capitol of Texas.  Here we found unique waterfalls formed over rock formations which they titled the upper and the lower falls with the water flowing from Onion Creek.  Another great Campground of Texas with lots of trails for walking, hiking and biking, with swimming in the creek.

Falls Formation

                                                                                   
                                                                                 

          Austin was a clean city with a nice looking Capitol.  Many young
people were there because The University of Texas was located beyond
the Capitol.  There was a popular  area on South Congress Ave called SoCo where there were lots of  quirky shops, galleries and trendy  eatery places and bars to music venues.
          Mike had a chance to kayak on Ladybird Lake while Buddy enjoyed the dog park along the shore where he met new friends and had a chance to swim in the lake.  There was a 5 mile trail all around the lake through the city where you could bike or jog along.  Of course it went through the dog park so bikers/walkers had to be careful as they passed through that small section.  Stevie Ray Vaughn's Statue was located along the shore-line as a memorial of the Great Blues Guitar Legend who had died in a helicopter crash in 1990.

Lady Bird Lake / Austin, Tx.

         We enjoyed the best hamburger ever at one of the establishments called Hut's Hamburger which originally opened in 1939.  The best part of the evening was watching the massive bat exodus from under the Congress Ave. Bridge which begins at sunset.  There are over 1.5 million Mexican free tailed bats, one of the largest urban bat colonies in the nation.  This takes place every night from March through October.  We also visited Lyndon B. Johnson's Library which was not a very nice architectural building -- more like a cement block with no windows. I think we are going to head over to Historical LBJ Ranch to see if it's   better looking than his Library. 

Capitol of Texas

Bat  Exodus

                    
                                                                 

Dinner at Hut's Hamburgers

                                                                 








                                                                      
                                                                              

                                                                    
                                                                                             

Palmetto State Park, Luling, Texas (Mar 21-25), 2012

Decorative Oil Pump

World's Largest Pecan

CCC Pavilion

We went though the Town of Seguin, Texas to see the World's Largest Pecan. What a Nut that was to Crack!!  Our destination was to Luling, Texas to see the Historical Zedler Mill / Museum and Park located on the San Marcos River. This Texas Historic Landmark was Established in 1874 as the Luling Community Grist Mill and then in 1883 a Cotton Gill was added.  This town is well known for its many different  Decorative Oil Pumps because the area produces so much oil and you can sure tell by the noticeable odor. The Palmetto State Park (a very nice park) is about 6 miles south of Luling and had many well marked trails which we were able to walk and ride our bikes on. In the late 1930's the CCCorp. built a beautiful stone pavilion overlooking the San Marcos River where picnics, weddings and even scouting events take place.

Zedler Mill and Museum

On the legends of the "Texas BBQ Trail" a dinner trip to Lockhart, Texas was sooo licking good. There's 4 known BBQ restaurants there, which had us feasting at the Black's BBQ, the Oldest in Texas and owned by the same family since 1932.
Our water tank heater hose broke in our motorhome while we were camped,  so we found a RV shop in Sequin and while it was being fixed, we took a short drive to New Braunfels to an area called Gruene Historic District.  Many unique shops and the Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar set in an authentic century-old cotton gin overlooking the scenic Guadalupe River were located here.  We cannot forget to mention and give a big Shout OUT "Happy Birthday" to Our Son Jason who is 25 and Mike's Mother Helen who is turning 87 both on the same day which was March 22nd.                                                               
We Miss and Love Them Both Very Much!!!