Glamping Days

My drive today took me from San Marcos, TX, to north of Houston. It should have been just 3 1/2 hours, but I always keep under the speed limit with the trailer, made a longish stop, & spent a fair amount of time behind oversized loads where they couldn't be passed; it was a leisurely trip.  The landscape changed about every 30 minutes. Though mostly low rolling hills, there were 3 flat areas, & the vegetation varied from a mix of all deciduous trees to a mix of all evergreens to virtually all pines to virtually all live oaks. There were fields with horses & cows scattered all along the way. It's been hot & humid here in TX, much warmer than expected for Feb, with highs in the low 80s & lows about 65 - ugh.  My stop was at the a Buc-ees. This one, though very large by travel plaza standards, was smaller than the other 2 Buc-ees I've been to. I love these places.             The Buc-ees logo is everywhere.       ...

Feb 17 - 18 A couple of plans for my time here fell through plus I'd scheduled an unscheduled day. That left me a lot of free time. I got motivated to plan an upcoming trip, so that & just pottering around the campground occupied me for the last 2 days. Last night, there was one of those amazing sunsets that goes on & on & moves all around the sky.     5:19pm                                         5:23pm                                                                             5:26pm    5:31pm                                                 ...

Today, a friend & I spend much of the day planning a trip we'll be taking this summer. These pics were taken around Pecan Park, my home for 5 nights. The big draw here is the adjacent San Marcos River, a very popular spot for tubbing in the warmer months. 

I'm staying by San Marcos, TX, for a few days, because it's central to several people I'd hoped to visit in the area.  Today, I had a lovely visit with my brother-in-law & his wife. We took a short hike in Lockhart State Park up to this viewpoint.                                                   On the way to & from going to meet them for lunch, I snapped these pics of some interesting buildings in New Braunfels. The first one was taken from the car, but while I was stopped at a light.  

As I pulled out of the campground this morning, the peahen was having her breakfast.  The first pic is by the campground at Caverns of Sonora, near Sonora, Texas, on the western edge of the Hill Country. The next pic was taken a bit further east off of I-10.  I arrived late this afternoon at Pecan Park Riverside RV Park near San Marcos, TX, where I'll be for 5 nights. 

The west Texas landscape is so brown & boring this time of year that today's drive made me yearn for these bougainvilleas back in AZ. This is typical west Texas.  Not sure that it comes through in these pics, but this county-sponsored rest area along I-10 was beautifully done & so well integrated into the surrounding landscape.  This fella is the welcoming committee at the campground at the Caverns of Sonora near Sonora Texas, my home for the night. The live oak trees here indicate that I've entered the Texas Hill Country - it's beautiful & quiet here.