(no subject)

Day 2: This was supposed to be a trip towards Fredericksburg along old Highway 9 (my go to "Nice Trip Into The Hill Country). I took a very long way there, taking time to visit some small little curiosities (The sign SAID there was a "Madla Park" but I didn't actually SEE a Madla Park) as well as exploring a road I'd seen, but not really gone down (Upper Balcones Road south of the Balcones Creek).

I decided at the last minute to go check on the property out in Center Point and began pulling towards Comfort. I love Comfort, but I have so many pictures of the place, and it's so small, that I've pretty much documented all of the old town, so I didn't take any pics.

This may be an issue this trip. Last year, I took a billion pics and saw everything I wanted...so that I may not take as many pics this time around - at least of things I've already seen. Hope that doesn't make this trip boring for y'all.

I decided to take a few wierd side trips on the way, mainly to try and follow the "Old Spanish Trail" auto-route that I've since learned didn't follow the current road as close as I thought.

Unfortunately, one we got to Center Point, we ran into a problem, and had to return home right away. We'll try and finish the trip tomorrow.

I was able to check off a few food destinations: Whataburger (although it wasn't very good! I hope that's not a new thing), Bill Miller's (All The Protein, All The Time) and Las Nieves Tapati'as (BIONICO!)

Hopefully tomorrow will go better and we'll make it into Gillespie County.

(no subject)

Day 3:

Decided to catch up what I missed on Day 2. I made a bee line back to Center Point, but then decided to cut through Welfare and Waring as I didn't go through those sleepy little villages yesterday. Took a few pics, and misremembered what road would take me through Brownsboro, and instead went straight to Comfort (no pics of the railroad bridge, but I got Waring's old railroad depot).

On the other side of Comfort, I went looking for the Old Spanish Trail auto-trail aand found some remnants of the old road. Mostly as swales and a few spots where new roads re being made on top of the old road.

Punched through Center Point to get to my property. Gonna build a home here one day. Dunno when. But I'm gonna. Little worried that the trees there seem to be dying. I'd hate to lose all those old trees, so the family will head up there to see what needs to be done, if anything.

From there, I went to the travesty that's been made of the Camp Verde General Store, but headed down to Bandera Pass. In the last few years, I'd been reading old newspapers from the 1870s and 1880s with one article talking about an Apache chief buried on the north side of Bandera Pass. Natives coming through often left offerings to him. No idea where the grave is, and I couldn't find any signs of any graves. I have an educated guess as to where he might be (if he's not under the road), but in the end, I gave my respects regardless.

From there, I took the old route from Center Point to Fredricksburg, with an eye to picking up a box of peaches for mom. They had a $20 box, and a $50 box. I took the $20 and have no idea what we're both gonna do with all those peaches. I'm thinking cobbler. She's thinking jam.

I had a few more hours of sunlight to burn, and headed down to Albert, TX, one of the few towns in the Texas Hill Country Id never visited. I don't know if it's like this all the time, or if it's because it was Friday, but the dance hall was playing music, there were a food trucks, and a nice happening party. But, like most of the Hill Country ghost towns - it's just a dance hall, a cemetery and a schoolhouse.

From there, I headed home through Kendalia as the light was going and the peaches needed eating.

Food I can check off the list:
Taco Cabana: Taco Cabana has steadily gone downhill since the 2010s. This was just a test to see if they got better. They didn't.
Church's Chicken: Yes, there are Church's in Washington State. NONE are within an hour and a half of driving for me. :)

Tomorrow - family roadtrip to East Texas...not one of the areas I know well, but I've got resources to see what's out there....

So, in Texas, we say "Sir" and "Ma'am" a LOT. I've decided to run a counter of which one I'm called through the whole vacation, more as a sign of "Do I pass?" or "Am I accepted?" than "Are you a jerk?"

One point is awarded to one person, no matter how many sirs or ma'ams they use.

Currently....

Ma'am: Two
Sir: Two