When it started to get hot in the mid-Atlantic, we did what all cruisers or RV’ers do, we left for cooler climes! In our case, we headed through PA and southern NY ending up in upstate New York, the Adirondacks. Besides cooler weather, we also found friendly people in small towns, good kayaking, and some picturesque old church buildings.
An old stone church. Beautiful. But not meeting due to the crazy virus!
Interesting way to get rid of old shoes. Wonder who started the tradition?
We found an outfitter who was unable to do any guided tours due to the virus. He was selling off some of his kayaks and we couldn’t resist.
Turns out kayaking adds a pretty good upper body workout to our regular walking regime.
Beautiful scenery, delightful sunsets and rainbows over the lake! Who could ask for more?
We stayed in the cool of the Adirondacks for all of July and the beginning of August, then it was time to move on.
But if not…
With the COVID swirling around, it was time to focus on outdoor activities. Simple goals: enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, get some exercise, and avoid crowds. The answer was easy: hiking! So we started our trek northward (to stay out of the hot mid-Atlantic temps) looking for spots to camp and hike.
We started in Cunningham Falls. Close to home with a pretty hike through the woods to the falls.
Then we headed further north to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania: Pine Creek gorge. The gorge is a 50 mile stretch of river along the Allegheny plateau. We didn’t camp right at the gorge, but down the road a bit at Hills Creek state park. After seeing both, we like the camping at Hills Creek better. But the views into the gorge are pretty special.
Besides the views, though, the hiking around the small lake at Hills Creek was really pretty.
This spot was called Beaver Hut, but we couldn’t find any evidence of recent beaver activity. And certainly no huts anywhere that we could spot.
Then another short leg due north to Watkins Glen, NY. One interesting tidbit was that we saw our first black bear on this trip right after crossing the state line into NY. A big bear was ambling through someone’s front yard along the side of the road.
The hike through the gorge at Watkins Glen was remarkable! Nineteen waterfalls and over 800 steps along the trail. Due to the virus, the trail was one way hiking only – uphill of course. So we hiked up and then followed the south rim trail back down. We enjoyed it so much that we went back the next day and hiked it again, this time using the north rim trail for the return trip.
Seems like many of the waterfalls erode the rock in a circular pattern. Several of the pools were almost perfect circles.
In a couple spots the trail goes behind the waterfall. A great way to cool off!
Interestingly, the fractures extend across the gorge, showing how erosion cut deeply through the rock after the fractures occurred.
A cairn forest!
Now we’ll head further north – up into the Adirondacks. Still avoiding the high temperatures and enjoying more slices of God’s creation!
But if not…
Northeast Texas and social distancing
In early March, we worked our way north in Texas until we reached the big town of Little Elm. That’s where Lyn’s brother Pete and his wife Gretchen live on a small ranch, complete with their own herd of long horn steers!
We camped and visited for a few days on the shore of their lakefront. A beautiful spot and a great time catching up.
At this point, the COVID-19 news was heating up and so we decided to stay isolated and move to a couple of small state parks in Northeast Texas. The campsites are pretty spread out and most of them were empty. We read, walked and tried to assess the news as the virus spread across the country.
The state parks are all situated on small lakes. Lots of great spots to hang out together while avoiding the growing chaos.
The pollen in spring is amazing. Keeping it at least somewhat at bay.
One of the nice features of the wooded parks was that we could take several long walks each day without running into any crowds. At one park, we had one other camper who liked to walk as well. We would meet up while walking and stand on opposite sides of the road comparing notes and plans. Much of the discussion was about the likelihood of Texas closing the state parks. We agreed it was possible, but unlikely. So much for our wisdom…
By the end of March it became obvious that things were going to get worse before they settled down and that the country could be in for a long and difficult journey. We made the decision to abandon the south and to drive to Pennsylvania to our daughters house. They have a nice parking area with a 30 amp RV plug on the side of the garage. Perfect for a longer shelter in place stay if needed.
Now we take our daily walks with the kids, watching spring slowly arrive in PA. The flowers and the trees are all starting to bloom. The weather is up and down with jackets one day and shorts the next.
After we arrived, we received word that Texas did decide to close all the parks. So we are settled in for however long it takes for the pandemic to run it’s course. We are blessed to be safe and we know we are in His hands.
But if not…
In the middle of the Hill Country in central Texas is a small town named Johnson City. Turns out that Johnson City is not named after LBJ, the president who lived here. It’s actually named after his grandfather who settled here, ran a ranch and raised a family.
It’s clear who really owns the land.
Air Force 1/2 it’s called
The family cemetery plot. Both LBJ and Lady Bird are buried here.
School house that LBJ went to.
Grandfathers house. The house LBJ was born in.
A local farm restored to circa 1917. No power, no running water, still operated as a farm by volunteers, complete with a smokehouse, canned vegetables etc. Interesting talking to the volunteers.
Blanco River
Pedernales (pronounced Perd e nallis) Falls State Park. A beautiful spot for hiking, but swimming isn’t allowed at the falls area. Signs say the water can go from placid to raging overflow flood in as little as 5 minutes. So swimming is banned for 2 miles downstream from the pools. They are beautiful to hike around, though.
Surely must be the the State Flower…
Our neighbors right next to our campsite. They seemed to be on a schedule. Come out in the morning and stare at the campers, run across the field back to the barn late each afternoon.
The CCC built most of the structures at the campground including this amazing stone bench. Looks like a great place for youth groups!
But if not…
While we were hiking in a wildlife refuge along the coast, we met a man from Houston who worked for the Texas Parks and Recs. We got to chatting about things to do and places to see and he highly recommended a visit to the Texas Hill country north of San Antonio, particularly the area around Fredericksburg. He told us about a place called Alamo Springs, which laid claim to the best burger in Texas. Given that tall claim, we had to test it. Turns out there was more to the area than just the burger.
It was a great burger! As were the onion rings!
The Texas rangers are building a Heritage center near Fredericksburg. The pavilion and some initial work is done, with much more to follow.
An early chuckwagon with what, at the time, were lots of innovative features making it possible to feed cowboys during a cattle drive on the Chisholm Trail.
The 5 character traits that exemplified all Texas Rangers. This is the wall of honor, listing the names of the over 500 Rangers who have died in the performance of their duties.
Notice the different outfits representing Rangers through the years. Horseback was a common theme, though.
A partially restored Army outpost.
A cell in the stockade. No bed. Maybe 2 feet wide by 7 feet long with a single small window and very thick walls.
Who knew? Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz hailed from Fredericksburg Texas!
The Pioneer spirit was everywhere, even in the building architecture.
Lots of history in the Hill country. But about 10 years ago, someone decided to try growing grapes and making wine. Now we heard that there are about 100 wineries in the vicinity, along with several breweries and a couple distilleries. Not all change is good.
But if not…
We really don’t like cities. Between the traffic, the noise, the crowds,… But San Antonio has one endearing feature that we decided was worth a visit – the Riverwalk.
The Riverwalk is a 15 mile long urban stretch of restaurants, shops and neat walkways all about 1 level below the main streets. The Riverwalk apparently originated as a flood control project following a 1921 flood that killed several people. A diversion channel was built, shops opened along the channel and the rest was history.
But if not…
Seeing the Alamo in San Antonio has always been on our list. What we didn’t know before is that the Alamo is only 1 of 5 Spanish missions along the San Antonio river. The 5 missions were built in the early 1700’s as the means for Spain to extend their presence in the New World. The idea was to convert the indigenous people into good Spaniards which, at the time, also meant good Catholics.
The Mission Road along the river connected the 5 missions to New Spain (now Mexico).
Mission San Jose is the best preserved and most extensive of the 5. Each mission had a large central plaza where families camped/lived, a granary for storing food, a convento where the missionaries lived and a chapel. Eventually a perimeter wall was added to protect the inhabitants from Indian attacks. The walls also contained housing for the resident families.
The Chapels were amazingly ornate with beautiful stone work.
These curved pillars were fascinating – an ingenious way to hold up the walls starting with a vertical column.
Mission San Juan Capistrano was less developed than the others. The chapel was actually a facade built around the granary. But the land was fertile and so this mission supplied much of the food for the others.
Mission Espada was the oldest of the missions and was originally established in East Texas before being moved to the San Antonio river in 1731. It was the only mission that made bricks, which can still be seen in the construction detail.
Mission Concepcion was the northernmost of the 4 missions south of San Antonio. The Alamo is located in what is now San Antonio.
The Alamo. Probably the most visited, least preserved of the 5. But since there are a lot of visitors, it had a very touristy feel. While the others were open for wandering around, the Alamo had guards, concession stands (souvenir picture??) and the granary is now a gift shop. They also didn’t allow photography in the chapel, perhaps hoping to sell their pictures instead.
But it also told a very strong story about the culture of Texas independence. The 13 day siege during the battle for Texas independence against President-General Santana is a central part of the Texas mystique.
We visited during the middle of the anniversary of the siege.
Some French visitors learned that the rifles used by the defenders were made in France!
Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie were among the most well-known of the defenders to die in the siege.
Visiting the missions was great. It gave us a bit of a window into the times and conditions of the day and, more importantly, into the Texas psyche.
But if not…
While we were at Padre National Seashore, someone told us about a small county park up the coast a little ways. It sounded intriguing so we headed that way. Turned out to be a fascinating week. The park was beautiful, as long as you faced the beach. If you turned around, the view included the largest chemical plant in the country and a huge LNG exporting pier. We could occasionally hear the engines of a ship at the LNG dock, but otherwise we really didn’t notice the plant while we were there.
We asked a few locals for some recommendations about places to go and things to see. They turned out to be good recommendations. Dinner and a show, Texas style (BBQ & Nunsense), several wildlife refuges, a fish hatchery and a planetarium. The show at the planetarium was all about Betelgeuse, a star in Orion that has dimmed considerably over the last year. There is some speculation that it might be about to go super nova, which would really mess up Orion since Betelgeuse is one of his shoulders. We’ve since read that it seems to be getting a bit brighter over the last couple weeks, so no one really knows what’s about to happen. Well, God knows. But He won’t let us know til it happens.
Brians BBQ. Great place for brisket and pulled pork and some local Texas atmosphere.
A funny, off-Broadway play with a small cast.
A lot of our stops this season seemed to involve beaches. Hmm – maybe says something about us?
Local wildlife, mostly rattlesnakes. Signs were everywhere and almost everyone told us they were serious. The weather was cool enough so none came out – thankfully!
Flowers blooming. Spring!
Our campsite with an LNG ship loading up in the background. We were told that the dock was originally built to import LNG. But, thanks to fracking, the dock was converted to export it instead.
More warnings. Locals told us the snakes don’t like mowed grass or gravel trails. So we stayed out of high grass!
Bird watching platform
Intracoastal Waterway along the Texas Gulf coast.
Thankfully it was too cool to test the truth of the sign!
The beaches along the Gulf coast have been some of the flattest we’ve ever seen. There’s not much tide, but the little bit there is covers the entire beach up to the dunes. Camping on the beach is also allowed, although the high tide marks made us wary.
Storms are coming!!
One day we drove up the barrier island to Galveston State Park. The weather was iffy, but held until we had a chance to see the park. Bad weather moving in is always dramatic and beautiful.
Spoonbill Cranes in the pouring rain.
A small water moccasin…
4 year old alligator
Mom alligator
3 year old alligator
Baby cat fish…food for juvenile alligators.
1 year old alligators
This sign was right next to the bunch of babies and about 20 feet from the momma alligator.
Aquarium and fish hatchery
Outdoor fish hatchery
After Quintana, we’re heading inland. No more beaches for awhile!
But if not…
Padre Island National Seashore, Texas
A kite festival, the beach and sunshine make for a perfect weekend!!
He quieted the sea with his power!
The National WWII museum in New Orleans is one of the best museums we’ve ever visited. Originally the D-Day museum, it now tells the story of the whole war and doesn’t sugarcoat anything. It’s very moving and well worth a visit.
The visit starts off seated in a troop train and progresses from there through the various campaigns and battles.
But if not…
