Inks Lake State Park #3

The Backroads

Precious "Jesus" donkey standing in the bluebonnets. It's called a "Jesus" donkey because the hair on his back forms a cross.

It's late, I've been gone all day and I'm tired. Thought I could write, but I can't. My muse is stuck in a bottle and I can't find a corkscrew. Maybe tomorrow.

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I'm not sure, but I think I found the corkscrew.

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When I left you, we were leaving Inks Lake State Park, right square in the middle of all those lovely bluebonnets. We were prepared. Judy and I had little journal notebooks and pens so that we could jot down exactly what we saw and where we saw it, and of course there were fresh batteries in the cameras. Since that time I have misplaced that little notebook, but Judy who is our family keeper of everything has it all written down. I know all the general areas that we covered but if I mention anything specific you will know that I have called Judy and gotten the information. I did, however, retain all of my photos. Never lose sight of those important things.

We headed sort of north/northwest toward Lake Buchanan and found that every backroad we took was brimming with wildflowers...mainly bluebonnets. I think that 2007 must have been a banner year for the bluebonnets for we were not disappointed at any turn. Bobby was driving and was not used to my command of , "Stop, stop quick!" Therefore, we spent a lot of time backing up, because I found my self issuing that command quite often. He was a great sport and soon was anticipating our stops. He would see a bluebonnet growing inside a discarded old tire and realize that Judy and I would certainly want a picture of that. And so we passed our day driving slowly and stopping all around the Highland Lakes area...Lake Buchanan, Marble Falls, Fuzzy's Corner (Judy has that written down,) Kingsland, and a beautiful area between Longhorn Cavern and Inks Lake. There was no place we turned that wasn't full of beauty. We stopped to take pictures of bluebonnets in front of rocks, in front of old rotted trees, in the middle of cracks in the road, in pastures filled with the reds and yellows and pinks of all the other wildflowers. We stopped at a wonderful roadside park and had our lunch of crackers, cheese, bologna, pickles (Judy's homemade dills,) apples and oranges. We could not have picked a more beautiful dining room. There is never a day more beautiful than one spent with people you love in the middle of one of God's masterpieces. And that's where we were, in the middle of one of God's great watercolors.

What a great day! Late in the afternoon we headed back to ol' Trusty, our little pop-up who was quitely waiting for us to return to Inks Lake. Tomorrow, we were headed to Fredericksburg by way of the Willow City Loop.

Kicked back after a long day of starting, stopping and backing up

Goose Island State Park

GOOSE ISLAND STATE PARK

Sunrise over the pier at Goose Island State Park

The first trip that we took with our trusty little pop-up was to Goose Island State Park on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Now, this might just be the place that you would like to spend your winter months if your normal abode is somewhere up north. As a matter of fact a number of people with the "big rigs" were parked there for as long as they could possibly stay. Several of them mentioned that this is where they came every year. We found this out when people would stop and ask about our little pop-up or wonder what we were having for breakfast. They were attracted by the smell of bacon and onions cooking on the outside grill, and had to stop and say how good it smelled. They had just had their breakfast on the inside. I love our trusty little pop-up and cooking outside!

Camp site #126--Goose Island State Park

We found our little pop-up quite by accident. We were headed down I-35 towards Austin going to one of our grandson's football play-off games and Skip said, "Look, that's what we need." I agreed and on our way back the next day we stopped, and all of a sudden it was ours! It's an older model with an interesting history...seems a young girl lived in "trusty" while attending school at a nearby university. She and her St Bernard shared the living quarters until she graduated. It made an adequate apartment for a couple of years with plenty of room to sleep, a table at which to study and write, a small refrigerator and a small stove and sink. I'm assuming she must have parked somewhere near a place that had a bathroom. Anyway, "Trusty" had now changed hands and started on a new history.

The campsites at this park are exceptional. You have a choice of camping at the back of the park where the sites are beautifully surrounded with trees and shrubs. They are very spacious, quiet, secluded and private...plenty big enough for the "big rigs." No one should have trouble backing their camper into one of these spots. The back of the park is also home to many tent only sites. If you choose to be right on the Gulf of Mexico, they also have a number of open sites right on the water. These sites all have shelters, water, electricty and close neighbors. It's all a matter of choice. All of the sites (seculded, tent,open) are well maintained and have clean bathroom/showers nearby. I might also mention that although you are right on the water...you can toss out a line and catch a fish from the fron of your campsite...there is no swimming here. The bottom of the Gulf at this point has an oyster shell bed. That means sharp and painful for bare body parts!

What Goose Island does have is BIRDS! Lots and lots of birds! it is a bird lovers paradise. I didn't know that I was a bird lover until I went to Goose Island. Of course I have always enjoyed birds, listening to their songs, watching them flit from tree to tree, but I had no idea about their names...mockingbird, cardinal, robin, sparrow...but that all changed after we went to Goose Island! Luckily I had binoculars and a camera in the pickup. Soon I had a book with pictures and names of birds. Now, I never go anywhere without that book.

White Pelicans waiting for the fishermen to toss their bait.

We arrived at Goose Island in January. That just happened to be a migratory time for a lot of birds. We took the trail to the front of the park, where the land meets the water, and were just in awe at the number of birds we had never seen before. Luckily for me, they were just getting a bird watching tour organized, and of course I joined the group. Skip chose to sit and observe the gulf and its inhabitants from a bench. He's not quite as excited about birds as I am. The tour was conducted by a couple from Chicago, and THEY KNEW THEIR BIRDS! They come to Goose Island every year and give two tours a day. And, they showed me so many beautiful birds. I saw: White Ibis, Ruddy Turnstone, Long Billed Dowitcher, Brown Pelicans, White Pelicans, Laughing Gulls, Herring Gulls, Long Billed Curlew, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Double Crested

Cormorant,Great Blue Herring, Tri-colored Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Pintail Ducks, Bufflehead Ducks. Those were just the ones I saw that one morning on the trek along the coastline and out onto the long pier (in the picture above). What a great morning! I only went that one day because we used Goose Island as our base of operations and during the day we visited other parts of the bay area.

Great Egret

CAPROCK CANYONS STATE PARK #3

OUR LAST TRIP WITH "HUNTER"

The dog traveling with us on this trip was "Hunter" our faithful old friend of 11 years This was his last trip. We now have a new faithful friend called "Dolly". She will never take the place of Hunter, but we sure do love her.




We finally got all those vehicles loaded and gassed up and started off on our lengthy drive to the Caprock Canyons State Park in far west Texas. It was after noon when we arrived and since all sites are on a "first come" basis, we were a little nervous about being able to find a good site for the tents. Not to worry! Even though there were a number of people in the park we were able to find two tent sites side by side in the Little Red Tent Camping Area. There are only ten sites in this area, and I think they are the best in the park. The site we really wanted was already taken when we got there, but would you believe by the next evening they had left. So, we just hurried on down to the office and changed our spots and there we were with the best two tent sites in the entire park. They overlooked a beautiful canyon with a shallow river running through it. It was a great place for the kids to meander along the river bed looking for whatever or pretending to be tracking the Commanches. At night we sat on the point in front of the tents laughing and talking and counting the stars. There are so many stars in the Texas sky after the sun goes down! It looks like pave diamonds. Having two sites side by side gave us lots of room for activities such as horseshoes or just kicking back in our big old
canvas chairs and reading or dreaming.






On the way into the park, we had noticed a riding stable advertising trail rides through the park and of course all the kids decided that was what they must do. So, Skip and the older kids went down to check it out and got it all set up for a trail ride the next morning. What fun they had! Now, I'm not into horses and trailriding so I contentedly continued my latest novel. When they returned later in the day all they could talk about was the beautiful scenery and what good horsemen they were. Now, I know for a fact that some of them had never been on a horse, but if they say they are excellent horsemen, I believe them. You know, genes go a long way back and I'm certain we had some really excellent horsemen in our ancestry. Not only can you set up a guided trailride, but if you are the type who travels with a horse trailer behind your pickup, Caprock Canyons has a special camping spot for you....complete with



corral and trails that can be ridden at your leisure. Anyway, the trailride was one of the highlights of the trip for all of the grandchildren. If you go to Caprock Canyons and you're into that sort of thing, then my family has several voices of encouragement. They say, "Do it!"

After the fairly long trailride everyone seemed slightly sore and stiff and ready to just sit around the campfire eating hot dogs and telling tall tales. We sat up until the camp curfew of 10:00 looking at the multitude of stars and telling stories with each person adding their own special version of the story. It was fun and it was great family time. Bed time came, and let me tell you something for which you need to be prepared: the wind! Springtime in west Texas means WIND. Not just a breeze, WIND. Make sure you have plenty of staves and ropes for your tent, make sure they are SECURE, and be ready to spend the night with the wind making strange noises and whistling through your tent. It's not a bad thing, just be ready for it.


Next morning after scrambled eggs, bacon and pork and beans (that's a must for breakfast every day you're camping,) everyone decided they wanted to do some hiking. Again, Skip and I are past the age of serious hiking; however, we do like a leisurely, maybe sometimes brisk stroll. So, it was decided that we would hike down one of the river beds. There were several areas of easy access, and the beds were all dry. This is a smart thing to do if you have small children or you are old like me. It was a great hike. The river beds were smooth with no boulders to climb and no inclines or declines, just straight, easy walking. Now, if there's a storm coming this might not be the trail of choice since these river beds can fill up rather quickly. Heavy rains are not that common in far west Texas, but just be aware. It was awesome to be at the bottom of the river bed and look up at the beautiful red rock formations .

lined with gypsum rising above you. It's a great time for discovery.

If you're really into hiking or mountain biking, Caprock Canyons is a good place to be. The older kids did some heavy duty hiking and related that the trails are beautiful and strenuous.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website, there are 13 trails in all including 6 along the trailway. The trailway is an old abandoned railway that was donated by a railroad entrepreneur and turned into a trailway. It is 64 miles long (not necessary to hike it all at once). There are different starting points and destinations. Water is available at some points at the trailheads and developed primitive camping areas. You must carry water with you and use common sense on this trail. It is possible to camp along the trail if you wish, just register with the office. I understand that one of the really neat trails is the Clarity Tunnel trail. Round trip is approximately nine miles. On this trail there is an old abandoned railroad tunnel that is now inhabited by a population of Brazilian Free-tailed bats. They are usually there from April though October. You can contact the park office about good times and instructions before you go. Besides the Trailway, there are a number of trails inside the park that range from very difficult to moderate.

Our week didn't last long enough, but we all decided that it was a wonderful place to be and that we would return. We haven't made it back as of yet, but we will.

SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

There are about 35 very nice, good size, well-manicured sites for camping trailers and RV's. These sites have water and electricity. Tent only sites do not have water or electricty.

Wheelchair accessible restrooms, picnic areas and campsites are available.
The restroom/shower building and a nice playground are convenient to the camping spots.
The restroom is nice and clean and the shower is clean with hot water, but not too much privacy--just a curtain that doesn't close completely. It's almost a certainty that a number of deer will show up around dusk at the play ground area. They're pretty neat to watch. Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a leash.
There are two developed tent camping areas...The Little Red Tent Camping Area (my favorite), and the South Prong Tent Camping Area. Then there are two primitive camping areas where you need to pack everything in with you. Some people really like this and I'm sure they see beauty that the rest of us don't see.. That's great. I'm just too old. Each of the tent areas has a single chemical toilet (looks like an outhouse). Not too bad actually; however, if you need to take a bath you will have to drive about three miles to the shower. You could walk I guess, but you would need another bath by the time you got back!

Then of course there is the Wild Horse Camping Area that has the equestrian sites. There are about 10 or 11 sites.

If I were you, I wouldn't even consider Caprock Canyons in the summertime. It's hot and the rattlesnakes are out! I'm serious about the rattlesnakes. If you are hiking in the late spring or summertime, I would suggest you wear long jeans and boots, and be careful where you put your hands while climbing. They can be very dangerous. We've not been there in the fall, but I'm sure that it is wonderful starting about mid-October. We were there in March, and I'm thinking March and April are good times to go.

There are a number of animals in the park: Mule and White-tailed deer, Auodad sheep, raccoons, coyotes, bobcats (we saw 2) foxes and opossums. Of course, the state Bison herd is also housed at this park. They have a LARGE acreage just for the Bison at the front of the park. They are not always easily seen, depends upon where they are grazing.

There is also a small lake near the front of the park (Lake Theo) where there is good fishing for bass and catfish.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR. FIND TIME FOR CAPROCK CANYONS STATE PARK.

CAPROCK CANYONS #2

Skip and grandson, Chandler just sitting Skip, Troy and Kyle unloading the bikes One of our tent campsites. We had two
and talking...one of the beauties of right next to each other. Lots of room.
camping...you have time to talk.



Mid-March blew in blustery and cool just like it always does in west Texas. We loaded our trusty little chalet, the kids arrived with their cars and pickups loaded down with their tents, bicycles and all their camping gear, and we headed west into Indian Territory!

Really, during the early to mid 1800's this part of Texas was the home to some of the most savage Indian tribes in the country...the Commanche. They created havoc all over the plains and into central Texas and Mexico. They robbed and pillaged and murdered and kidnapped. They were feared by all, even other Indian tribes. Before you go to this part of the country, you really should pick up some books or other reading material about Quanah Parker, the last great Indian Chief and the son of Chief Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker. Cynthia Ann Parker was a white captive who was captured by the Commanche at the age of eight when the Indians raided her father's fort near current Mexia, Texas. She grew up as an Indian and later married Peta Nocona who would become the war chief of the Nocone Commanches. They had three children, two boys Quanah, and Pecos and one girl Topasannah. Their story is one of the great stories of Texas history and the American West. Cynthia and her daughter were eventually captured and returned to the Parker Family where they remained unwillingly for the rest of their lives. Topasannah became ill and died and Cynthia in her grieving starved herself to death. The place where the Texas Rangers and soldiers under the command of Sul Ross killed many Indians and captured Cynthia Ann and her daughter was on the Pease River not far from the town that would eventually bear his name, Quanah, Texas. This all happened in the area of Texas that you travel while getting to Caprock Canyons from the east-north east.

After his mother's capture, Quanah was taken in by the Quahadi Commanches (the original tribe of his father). They were known as the most warlike of all the Commanches and Quannah who had vowed vengence on the white man was one of their most feared warriors and later became the war chief of the Quahadis. They terrorized the frontier for years while being pursued by the US Army. They were never captured, but their number grew smaller and with the loss of the massive buffalo herds which were their life line, they finally gave up and allowed themselves to be moved to a reservation in Oklahoma. Quanah was a smart man, and immediately changed his ways. Being the great leader that he was, he was able to help his people prosper and he eventually became a wealthy man who was a close friend with Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was the person responsible for getting Congress to declare the Wichita Mountains (near Lawton, Oklahoma) a National Wildlife Reserve. He then had many buffalo brought to that reserve. All of this was done at the request of his friend, Quanah Parker. Quanah was so well respected by the people of the area that he was elected sheriff of Lawton, Oklahoma in 1902.

I had not really intended to give a history lesson, but this area is so full of colorful, interesting characters and places, I just couldn't help myself. I certainly would encourage you to pick up books not only about Quanah and Cynthia Ann Parker, but also about Charles Goodnight, one of the great Texas ranchers who was responsible for saving some of the buffalo. His ranch covered many, many miles of the prairie that you will travel over while getting to Caprock Canyons. And then, don't forget Captain Sul Ross. All of these people have great stories to tell. You do yourself a disservice is you don't read about them. You can visualize them in the canyons and on the buttes of beautiful Caprock Canyons State Park.

Well, guys, it's late and I must get some sleep. I'll talk about camping in the Caprock Canyons State Park tomorrow. Don't forget to pick up books or at least Google the colorful Texas characters who were so important to Texas history.

CAPROCK CANYONS STATE PARK #1

CAPROCK CANYONS STATE PARK

WOW!!!!

If you love the outdoors, you are GONNA LOVE THIS PLACE! No matter where you live, you are going to drive and drive and drive just to get to the entrance of this park. While you're putting all that mileage on your vehicle you're thinking, "Where in blazes is this place?" Well, let me tell you, it's a long way from any place but Turkey, Texas. As you drive these many miles of "not a lot" you can't help but wonder what kind of a park can this be...no trees, no flowers, just lots and lots of flat land as far as the eye can see.

You arrive in the little town of Quitaque, Texas, turn at the sign that says CAPROCK CANYONS STATE PARK and keep driving for a mile or so. Then, there's the gate. You drive through and you are still thinking to yourself, "Was there a reason we chose to come here? Who talked us into this?" Just about the time those thoughts pass from your mind, you see it, beautiful red rock canyons and rock formations. Oh, it takes your breath away. And now you're thinking, "I can't wait to tell my camping buddies about this place!" Just wait. The best is yet to come...the peace, the quiet, the stars that you feel like you can reach up and grab, and the total absence of any city lights. Oh, My! This is NICE!

We found Caprock Canyons by accident. We had been to Gruver, Texas (in the very top of the Panhandle) to the funeral of a family member. On the way home we had time to spare so we decided to take the route that was designated "scenic" on our Texas map. That was Hwy 207 right straight out of Gruver. Now, it takes a long time to drive that highway until you get to the designated "scenic" part of the map. Even after you get to that part of the map you are wondering if maybe the map maker didn't make a mistake in labeling this area. We drove and drove and occasionally I would say, "Oh, Skip, Look! Way out there on the horizon...there's a windmill!" And of course we saw a few cattle and acres and acres of land with great irrigation sprinklers covering them. But the main sight was the horizon where the blue of the sky met the brown, and sometimes green, of the land. As we were laughing about how scenic this route was, the earth suddenly opened up in front of us. It was amazing. It was breathtaking. It is hard to describe. An author named Henry Chappell once labeled it as "Mountains Beneath the Plains."

That's what it is. Deep canyons with pinnacles rising to the top of and sometimes above the highway. And, the highway dipped and curved and ascended and was totally "scenic." We were not disappointed. We continued along this path, pulling over at ever possible point so we could enjoy this beautiful, stark landscape knowing that it would soon end and we would be back to the flat plains of Texas. It did end. And, about the time it ended, Hwy 207 ended and we turned left on Hwy 656 toward the little town of Quitaque. When we reached Quitaque it was getting late but we saw a sign for Caprock Canyons State Park. Being the State Park lovers that we are we decided to check it out even though we didn't have our camper with us. We were not too excited, it didn't look too special, but then like I said before, it hit us! It was late afternoon and the sun was shining on these spectacular red rock formations, painting them a beautiful warm orange as only the setting sun can do in that special time before it disappears. As we dipped down into the valleys and climbed the inclines we were amazed. The road through the park is only about six or seven miles long, but it was a beautiful six or seven miles that was heavily populated by white tail deer. We were only there for a little while but we declared that we would be back soon, and we were going to bring the family. And that we did. We came back for Spring Break. That foray will be described in my next blog. In the meantime, get out your map and find Caprock Canyons 'cause you're going to want to go there. See you in a day or two.