Fredericksburg, Texas --- a week with friends

Roger here....  We are nearly back to our home in Mission, Texas.  However, before that last leg through south Texas, we spent a week in Fredericksburg with our long-time friends, Jay and Nancy.  They flew into Austin and stayed at the Hoffman Haus in Fredericksburg.  Dianne and I set up stakes at the nearby Fredericksburg RV Park.  

It was an action-packed week of museums, shopping, driving, eating, music and wine.  We did not take pictures of every place we visited.  Dianne and I have been in the Texas Hill Country many times, so picture taking seemed redundent.  Also, we were too busy enjoying ourselves. However, we did take a few photos.

LBJ RANCH --- TEXAS WHITE HOUSE

We spent half a day at the LBJ Ranch and Texas White House near Johnson City.  The ranch is both a  Texas State Park and a National Park.  Dianne and I have been there three times, but always discover new bits of interesting information. 

Dianne took this photo inside Air Force 1/2, the air liner that transported LBJ to and from the LBJ Ranch from larger military facilities in Texas.



LUCKENBACH...

In my humble opinion, you cannot experience the Texas Hill Country without a visit to
Luckenbach 

We timed our visit for a time when there would be music.  

On this early evening the music consisted of two performers doing their acoustic thing.  The guy in the middle was quite good.  Notice the roosters in the picture below.  There were probably ten of them (all very colorful).  They added a great deal of humor to the performance as they actually walked up the live oak trees in the performance area.  They flew over our heads from branch to branch and frequently performed with the musicians adding a hearty cock-a-doodle-doo.  After about 30 minutes, they flapped their way back to the ground.

HONDO'S...

Sticking with the music theme, we ate dinner at Hondo's in Fredericksburg.  The burgers and onion strings were delicious.  The music was great and very Texas-y.  Dianne and I had not eaten at Hondo's before, but certainly will in the future.

Eating German food is a requirement when visiting Fredericksburg.  We typically reserve that experience for Auslanders.  However, a local employee at a wine-tasting venue recommended Otto's.  The food was good, but pricey.  We shared desserts that were excellent.  The menu was limited.  Jay and Nancy treated us to the meal.  Thanks!  We will probably return to Auslanders in the future.

COOPER'S OLD TIME PIT BARBECUE...

Since we are already talking about food, let's continue that theme. The four of us jokingly referred to our week as a consummatory tour of the Hill Country.   No day was more emblematic of that statement than the day we drove to Llano for authentic Texas barbecue (followed by pie in Marble Falls and wine tasting in Stonewall).  Cooper's Old Time Pit Barbecue is our favorite barbecue place in all of Texas.  We have written about it before, but as a recap... you pick out your meat as it comes out of the pit outside; it is wrapped; then weighed; payment is made after picking up a beverage; beans are carried to the table;  everything is dumped on butcher paper for consumption.  The meat actually melts in your mouth.  Among the four of us we ate brisket, ribs, and pork chop.

On a different day we experienced another iconic barbecue restaurant near Driftwood.  Salt Lick Barbecue (in the middle of nowhere) is different kind of experience.  Also delicious.

BLUE BONNET CAFE...

The eating did not end on the day we ate at Cooper's.  We decided to drive to Marble Falls for pie!  Dianne and I had never been there before.  Our stomachs were full, but the draw of some of the best known pie in the Hill Country at the Blue 
Bonnet Cafe guided the car.  The picture below is of Dianne's cherry a la mode.  We also had chocolate cream and coconut cream --- so very, very good.  At that point I did not want to eat again for days.

BLUE HOLE REGIONAL PARK...

On one of our longer driving days we drove to the quaint town of Wimberley to do some shopping.  Wimberley is the town that was pretty much washed away in a tragic flood (multiple deaths) two years ago.  The town seems to have recovered, maintaining its quaint atmosphere.  On our way to the Salt Lick Barbecue for lunch we stopped to stroll around Blue Hole Regional Park.

If I had grown up near the Blue Hole, I would have gone swimming there on every summer day (as I did in Fall Creek in my hometown in Pendleton, IN).  

The clear water of Cypress Creek, surrounded by Cyress and Live Oak Trees is an idyllic place to swim.  It is still open for swimming during the summer months.  

WILLOW LOOP...

We took several drives around the Texas Hill Country outside the city of Fredericksburg.  A highlight was a quiet trip through the hillside ranches along the Willow Loop.  We crossed small bridges over quiet streams and saw an abundance of wildlife --- lots of deer, a fox, and lots of cattle.  

We tried to offer Jay and Nancy a wide perspective of the Texas Hill Country.  We spent half a day at the exceptional Nimitz Museum of the Pacific War.  We strolled and shopped down the wide, wide streets of Fredericksburg, we sampled wine at several wineries (on four different days) --- Grape Creek, Becker, Messina Hoff, Terre de Pietra, and Hye.  We visited the iconic Wildseed Farm (where we always spend some money).

On our last evening together, we drove to Old Tunnel State Park at dusk to watch three million Mexican Free Tail bats burst from an old railroad tunnel.  We have done this before from further away, but on a clearer day.  It was pretty dark before the bats emerged, so the views were not all that clear, but suffice it to say, they flew all around us as they flapped their way into the sky.  It is always an amazing and unique experience.  

Here's a link to the video Dianne shot at the bat tunnel in September 2012 when we were there before.   It's an awesome sight.

September 2012 bat footage

Unfortunately, after the bat flight, we stopped by the local What-a-Burger for a quick bite to eat.  These fast food restaurants seem to be around every corner in the state of Texas.  We caught them at a bad time.  The restaurant was filled with loud and misbehaving young children whose parents sat on the other side of the restaurant ignoring the chaos --- not the best impression.

After our days together, Jay and Nancy moved on to Austin for dinner with friends before their flight back to Indianapolis.  Dianne and I are staying two additional days before a one-day drive back to our home at Retama Village.

Hiking in the Colorado Rockies -- Monarch Lake, Rocky Mountain NP

My Two Lucky Ladies During a Hike Around Monarch Lake

Roger here...  We had two more days in Grand Lake, Colorado.  We needed to make the most of them.  The weather was gorgeous.  Guess what?  We went hiking.

MONARCH LAKE LOOP in the Arapaho National Forest....

Our first hike (dog friendly) required a drive to nearby Granby, followed by a nine-mile drive on a well-maintained dirt road through the Arapaho National Forest to the trail head.

Monarch Lake

The view that greeted us at the trail head was jaw-dropping.  

The beginning of this four-mile loop offered spectacular views of the idyllic islands in the lake.  It was difficult to pick the best pictures, so I am including three.

This view of a very green peninsula jutting into this nearly black lake was also worth a photo.


As the four of us strolled along the shoreline, signs of autumn appeared on lichen-covered rocks.

What a beautiful day to enjoy the best hike we have had with our dogs since leaving Mission, TX in May.  

Lake views on the right.  Rock formations on the left.

Before we started our hike at the trail head, a local lady told us that we were likely to see moose in the marshy area beyond the lake.  Yay, moose! When we arrived at 
that portion of the hike, we found a colorful vista, but no moose :-(.

The trail led us deep into the forest at the far end of the lake before changing direction for the return hike.  We forded small streams as we walked along the creek that fed the lake.  Bandido was much more agile than me. That is why he went across first.

There were other interesting features along the way.

Hmm.  Do we cross along the log or hop along the rocks in the water?

Another interesting "bridge"

Watch your footing?  A blind step could result in a sprained ankle.

Near the end of the hike we stopped to eat the cheese sandwiches in our packs.  I begged Dianne to not take another picture of me with a mouthful of food.  She ignored me.  She is getting even for the punk hair style shot of her from the previous post.

A nice bridge crossed the creek in the photo below, but Dianne thought the dogs might like to splash across.  

She was correct.  Dianne is always correct.  

She crossed the bridge and called to the dogs as I released them (one at a time).  Bandido crossed tentatively, smiling the entire way.  Tequila bounded across without a care in the world.

The photo of Monarch Lake below was taken at the end of the hike, from the dam near the trail head.  So pretty.

After the hike I visited the very small grocery store in Grand Lake to get the fixin's for fish tacos.  It was like a visit in time, back to the '50s.  I made a mess in the kitchen in order to give Dianne a belated birthday dinner.  They turned out pretty well (pat on the back :-).  (He even made the sauce from scratch with a whole row of ingredients from our pantry.   -- D.)

They were spicy and DELICIOUS! -- D.

COYOTE VALLEY TRAIL at Rocky Mountain National Park....

After the longish hike around Monarch Lake on the previous day, we were looking for something a little tamer on our last day in the area.  We found it in the national park along the Coyote Valley Trail.

We spent about an hour strolling along this short, flat trail on the edge of the Colorado River.

Huge Mountain Meadow

We hoped to see a moose along this trail where they are frequently spotted.

The grassy areas near the river certainly lent themselves as ideal moose habitat.

The frosty depressions in the grass along the trail were very likely where moose (or elk) bedded down the night before.  However, no moose sightings for us --- again.  (The closest we came to seeing a moose other than the one shown in our previous blog was a BIG pile of very fresh moose poop in our campground; alas, he (or she) did not venture through our site to get their picture taken on my wildlife cam.  -- D.)

So tiny here!

The Colorado River flowed next to us throughout our walk.

The mountain vistas along the trail were ever present on the far side of the grasslands.  

The yellow color on the mountains were aspens wearing their autumn colors.  The photo below is a close-up of the same view.

(We literally watched the aspens turn to gold from day to day during our week-long stay.   Each day brought more and more golden vistas. -- D.)

Our time near the west end of Rocky Mountain National Park has ended.  After a successful (white knuckle) drive through two Colorado mountain passes and trips around Denver and through Colorado Springs, we are enjoying some quiet time at one of our very favorite full-hookup campgrounds.  We actually altered our travel southward so we could stop here for a weekend.  

This is our fourth visit to Mountaindale Cabins & RV Resort.  It is nestled in a tiered fashion along the side of a mountain about 15 miles south of Colorado Springs, CO.  During one evening doggie walk around the campground, we saw two does with four fawns... 

...then further into the campground we came upon six bucks with huge antlers wandering through the campground. 

They were very interested in Bandido and Tequila and stopped to watch us, just as we stopped to watch them.   Our doggies were very good; after one initial bark from Bandido, they stood quietly sniffing the air and looking at the deer.

Looking at our campsite, you can see why this is such a relaxing place.  The pink granite graveled campsites are huge and shady.  The imaginative landscape architecture and beautiful flower gardens add to the feeling of tranquility.

I called for a reservation one week before our arrival.  We were very lucky to get the last spot that was available for our three-night visit.  Whew!  There have been many improvements since our last visit, including cable TV for a portion of the campground, and excellent wifi --- truly excellent wifi.  Next summer we've decided upon a trip to a single point rather than an extensive loop with multiple stops.  This will be that single point. We've made reservations for the month of August.


PET PICTURE OF THE DAY...

This is a picture of the dogs getting a drink of clear mountain water in the creek on the Monarch Lake Loop just before bounding across the creek to Dianne.  We only let them drink from streams in pristine mountain areas.  

Top Ten Lists - Restaurants

Roger here...  After a couple of "real-time" posts I am going to do another retrospective from our first five years of travel in our motor home.  This time the Top Ten (actually 20) list will include our favorite places to eat.  We tend not to eat at chain restaurants since we want to experience the food from the local area.  We also do not tend to eat at expensive, dressy places.  As with all these lists, we know we missed some great places.

We may not have pictures of all of them, but we sure do have memories of the food.

1.  Bowpickers, Astoria, Oregon.

We were with our friends, Jay and Nancy.  Jay wanted Fish 'n Chips.  The internet suggested Bowpickers.  We expected a pub-type sit-down restaurant.  What we found was two young ladies frying fish in an old "Bowpicker" boat on top of a hill.  We drove right by it the first time wondering what the long line was about.  We then discovered that the long line was about Bowpickers.  We placed our order outside and picked it up outside.  There were a couple of picnic tables, but most people (including us) ate in the car.  The menu consisted of fish 'n chips or a large order of fish 'n chips.  One could also pick up a bottled water or soda from a cooler under a tree.  We all agreed that the fish 'n chips were the best we had ever tasted.  We liked it so much that Dianne and I waited in line a second time before we moved from the area.

2.  Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que, Llano, Texas.

During the time that Dianne and I did some work-camping for Amazon in Coffeyville, KS, one of our fellow workers told us that we MUST have barbecue at Cooper's when visiting the Hill Country of Texas.  So we did.  

The entire process for getting the food at Cooper's was foreign to us as non-Texans (at the time).  The first step was to wait in line outside along the street.  After arriving at the outdoor smoke pits, step two involved pointing to the cuts of meat that we wanted (brisket, ribs, chicken, sausage, pork chops, whatever was on the grill).  The meat was then wrapped in butcher paper and handed to us.  Step 3, we went inside where the meat was weighed and a price was rendered.  Step 4, we picked up other food from a cafeteria line and paid.  Step 5, we dipped ourselves cups of beans from a nearby table.  Step 6, we found a spot at one of the picnic tables.  Step 7, we opened up the meat and spread it out on butcher paper (no plates).  Step 8, we stuffed ourselves with too much delicious food.  

What a great experience!  We liked it so much that we took our friends Chuck and Cindy there when they visited.  It is rumored to be George W. Bush's favorite barbecue place, and there was indeed a photo of "W" eating there at Cooper's.

3.  Julian Pie Company,  Julian, California.

We drove up into the southern California mountains after spending a hot day in the desert.  The hike that I selected that day was not to Dianne's liking, and she wanted some pie!  Being the smart guy that I am, I drove straight to the small town of Julian.

It was worth the drive.  The picture shows Dianne's apple pie with cinnamon ice cream.

4.  (tie) Po Pigs BO-B-Q, Edisto Island, South Carolina.

Dianne somehow found this place while we camped by the ocean.  It was attached to a Shell gas station.  Cafeteria-style, we selected the barbecue that we wanted, put it on the tray, and found a place to sit.  Paper plates and plastic utensils --- didn't matter.  Each table had a variety of sauces to sample.  The food literally melted in our mouths.  Now we understand South Carolina barbecue.  Yum.

5. (tie).  Voodoo Doughnuts, Portland, Oregon.

We were with our daughters and granddaughter when we made this mandatory visit to one of Portland's biggest tourist attractions.

This was another one of those places where waiting in line, outside, was required.

The wait gave us plenty of time to decide which confections we wanted to eat on the spot, and which we wanted to take back to the motor home for breakfast the next day.  The variety was endless --- bacon maple, pretzel, chocolate chunk, anything you could imagine.

Our granddaughter, Kaia, seemed to like it, but she was certainly not the only one.

6. Suire's.  Kaplan, Louisiana.

(pronounced Sweers)

We followed another travel blog, Laurie and Odel, for a long time before we

Ever seen so many types of rice???  True Cajun Country!

 started our own travels.  Laurie noted that this grocery/cafe in the middle of nowhere had the best po boys she had ever tasted.  They drove 50 miles out of the way...

... to eat there a second time.  She was right.  I crave that taste after only one visit.  Dianne and I split a catfish and a....

...shrimp po boy.  I want another one now!

Fifty miles out of the way does not seem far for a grocery store at the crossroads of two county roads in Louisiana when the food is that good. Looks like the New York Times found it, too.

6. (tie) Auslander.  Fredericksburg, Texas.

The same co-worker from Amazon who steered us to Cooper's in Llano...

... told us about Auslander in Fredericksburg.  He also told us about Luckenbach.  He gave such good advice.  The German food at Auslander is something we experience almost every year when we visit the Hill Country.  

We took Chuck and Cindy there a few years ago.  Great food!  Great German beer.  When we agreed to large tankards we had no idea that it would come in vessels the size of a milk jug :-)  We did a lot of walking after we ate.

8. (tie) Pine State Biscuits.  Portland, Oregon.

We were with our daughters and granddaughter when we had breakfast here.  Robyn's boyfriend, Atul, gave us a list of places we

should see and places where we should eat.  This place was quite a find.  Located in a small Portland neighborhood we found some of the tastiest breakfasts we have ever eaten.  To the right is a fried chicken, bacon and egg biscuit with gravy.

I don't remember what this was, but I guarantee it was amazing.  (Actually it was sausage gravy and biscuits with a perfectly-cooked egg on top. -- D.)   Probably not good for you, but amazing.  (We later saw this restaurant featured on the TV program Diners, Drive-ins and Dives -- D.)

8. (tie) Amish Acres, Nappanee, Indiana.

Amish cooking.  Oh my.  This tourist attraction was located across the street from where we had our motor home serviced.  It was too tempting to not eat there twice.

The meal started with homemade bean soup, which was followed by family-style fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, noodles....

 

Just like being at grandma's on a Sunday afternoon.

10. ARR Place.  Newport, Oregon.

Retama Village friends, Walt and Mary, used to live in Newport.  Since they were in the area at the same time we were, we decided to meet for dinner.  Walt picked the place.  Walt is a connoisseur of good wine and food.  This small family-owned place, located in a house in a residential neighborhood, had a staff of two:  Robert, the chef, and Amy (his wife) who did everything else.  We had some of the best seafood ever in this interesting little place.  Most of the customers were local --- always a good thing.

11.  Big Wave Cafe.  Manzanita, Oregon.  

Unfortunately, I cannot find any pictures of this place, but we ate there twice.  The freshly caught ling cod was sooo good --- so was the fresh crab eggs benedict.  Our friends, Jay and Nancy helped us find this place.

12. (tie) The Tomato Place, Vicksburg, Mississippi.

A little fresh produce, a few jars of homemade concoctions, a few potted plants, a little spice, 

a counter with two friendly clerks, strings of lights, bright walls, hot sauce, a few tables, a few placards with witty sayings.

Oh, and excellent bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches.

12. (tie) The Diaz Diner, Mission, Texas.  One of the many events at our active winter RV community, Retama Village, is the Friday morning men's breakfast.  We visit several establishments during the time when it is cold up north.  My favorite is the Diaz Diner in Mission.  They have the best omelets, with hot sauce on the side!  The huevos rancheros are not bad either.  Dianne here:  Wives are not allowed at the Friday morning men's breakfasts, but Roger and I have eaten lunch there a few times on our own.  I shot the photo below with my iPhone of the best. chicken. nachos. ever:  

They were so good that I wanted to lick my plate!

14. (tie)  Fat Smitty's,  near Port Townsend, Washington.

Purdue Pete opened a burger joint on the Olympic Peninsula :-).  You would need to be a Boilermaker fan to understand this.  

We passed this interesting-looking place several times during our visit here and decided that we needed to stop for lunch.  Great burgers, fries and atmosphere.  The blackberry milkshakes were pretty darned tasty, too.

14. (tie)  The Boiling Pot.  Rockport, Texas.

We heard this place was great, but we almost did not go in.  Kinda scary lookin'.

 After we did go in we figured out that the graffiti was not only encouraged, but part of the atmosphere.

After placing your order, it is all boiled in the same pot then dumped on your table.  Shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, potatoes.  Yummy and filling.

We left our own little bit of graffiti before leaving.

16. Bonge's Tavern.  Perkinsville, Indiana.

One of our favorite places to eat when we go back home to Indiana is at Bonge's Tavern.  Gourmet food in a brightly painted, ramshackle building in a tiny town. 

On this visit I was with our good friends Jay and Nancy.  Another good friend, Gayla, joined us.  Dianne was in Colorado with our dogs while I did some consulting work for my previous employer.

Great food in a unique atmosphere.

17.  Southside Soda Shoppe. Goshen, Indiana.

We paid a second visit to this place in northern Indiana when we had our motor home serviced.  The food here is probably not good for you, but it is very, very good.  The concoction on the left is philly cheesesteak chili in a soda glass.  

Dianne wanted me to mention that they have homemade rhubarb pie.

18.  The Deck.  Portland, Oregon.

This floating barge anchored in a boat basin on the Columbia River was a great place to have dinner with our daughters and granddaughter.  Good time.

19.  Dupuy's.  Abbeville, Louisiana.

Louisiana.... the best food around.  I don't have a picture of this great Cajun restaurant, but the nearby church spire gives you an idea of the atmosphere of this small town and its eating establishments.

20.  Orlando's.  Taos, New Mexico.

How can anyone not salivate over fine Mexican food like this?

 The pet picture of the day brings back a nostalgic memory of our two whippets for whom this blog was named.  Chaplin and Jasper were enjoying a cup of ice cream in Key West --- their first of many cups of ice cream.  We miss them.