I had planned to head to Mustang Island State Park on the Gulf of Mexico – near Corpus Christi – after Austin. Then I looked at the map and realized that it would be a whole lot of driving. If I didn’t have an appointment in Tucson, I might have made the trip.
But, sometimes plans are set in jello – not carved in stone.
I took at look at the map and decided to head for South Llano River State Park near Junction, Texas. It wasn’t far from I-10, which is the route I plan to take as I go west. The sites were easy to back into because the paved sites were outlined in white paint. Each site had a lovely sheltered picnic table and water and electricity hook ups. Incidentally, Llano is pronounce LAH-no.
I had a pleasant couple of days, and meeting some new folks is what made it special.
The first people I met pulled in with an Airstream right after I got set up.
We got to chatting and it turns out that they are from Buffalo, which is my hometown. In fact, they live near where I used to teach and not far from the apartment I shared with my friends back after I graduated from college. (a long, long time ago…)
They left the next day, but I have a feeling our paths may cross again.
On my drive to the park, I noticed a lot of signs pointing out historical markers. There were four of them in the few miles between the intersection and the entrance to the park. I wondered if this was an historically significant area, so I decided to go see what they said.
The first one memorialized a dam that is no longer there. I could get a glimpse of the river through the trees, but entrance to the site was prohibited.
It sound like John James Smith was an interesting guy who came to Texas from Illinois in the 1840s. He served in Mexican War and served as a Texas Ranger. He also fought in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He eventually settled here and lived until he died at the age of 102. I looked around, but it seems that the house is no longer standing.
Cows are still standing in the fields, though.
On to the next marker.
Isaac Kountz was herding sheep for his father when he was killed by Indians. I noticed the stairs behind the marker and thought I’d see where they lead.
I imagine this marker was the original marker for Isaac Kountz. It looks like there might have been a plaque on the marker, but it’s not there any more.
This marker was right by the cemetery. At one time there was a settlement here. Now it looks a little dead.
Where’s that rim shot when you need it?
And that was the last marker. I kept driving to the grocery store. One of the things I read in a brochure I picked up said that there were 45 deer per square mile in Kimble County. That explains what they sell at the grocery store.
And it’s good to know that these are patented hunting blinds.
They had all sorts of devices for feeding deer, as well.
I never knew there were so many different ways to feed deer. It was very interesting.
In the center of town was a Deer Horn Tree built in 1968 by the Kimble Business and Professional Women’s Club. It stands in front of the Kimble Processing plant, which seems to be a suitable location.
I stopped by the river on my way back to my campsite. I had never seen people taking their dogs for a swim!
Whoa, doggies!
That dog was really into swimming!
https://www.facebook.com/kalamazookim/videos/10153460233456989/
What a happy little river!
Back at the campsite, a neighbor who saw me back in and realized that I was traveling on my own. she was impressed and came over to meet me. She ended up inviting me over for dinner with her partner and a friend who had come to camp for the night. They had the cutest Casita camper.
This is a photo of a Casita I found on the internet – not the one across from me. It was small but quite comfortable.
After dinner, another camper was rolling in. It was dark by then, but the white lines helped guide them in. They also had four people in their party, so they had plenty of spotters. We got to talking, and a rug they had in the entrance made me think of the hat I made for Mardi Gras. I went back to my trailer and got it to show them. The woman I showed it to said that her husband would love it, so I gave it to him.
So I met some lovely folks, spent a few nice days at a nice campground and saw some interesting things. I count that at a win. The next day, I packed up and hit the road for my next destination.
And, I wouldn’t mind returning.