Texas Hill Country and Natural Bridge Caverns

 

Natural Bridge Caverns - stunning!

The chance is slim to none that we would ever move to Texas, but if we did, Texas Hill Country would be the place to land. Rolling hills, vibrant green grass, actual trees, a Crayola box of spring wildflowers, and lots of breweries (wineries too, if that’s your thing). I think Rog described it best, “The Napa Valley of Texas.” Google Texas Hill Country cities and Fredericksburg is considered top for wine/tourism, while New Braunfels provides family-friendly fun and booming growth. We're visiting both!

Greetings from Fredericksburg, TX!

We rolled into Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park in Fredericksburg on Friday, 4/17. The campground is just one of several park amenities including a small airport, event venues, a golf course, swimming pool and tennis/pickleball courts. Sadly, we don’t play golf, the pool was closed for the season, and it was too windy for pickleball. But the campground was lovely! Riley perked up with the cooler temps and soft green grass. He is over the desert with it's sharp rocks and stabby plants. We took the pups on walkies to explore the campground and park. 

Puppies are loving the cool green grass.
They are not fans of the prickly desert.

Right next to our campsite was a beautiful community pollinator garden. The garden attracted lots of butterflies and was party-central for the birds too. We had a gorgeous pair of cardinals visit each day. Raney loved watching them out the bedroom window in the morning.

Vibrant blooms in the pollinator garden...

 

...attract beautiful (mating) butterflies. 

The Mr. and Mrs. 

We walked downtown Fredericksburg and poked our heads into several of the shops. One nice thing about having limited space, it makes it easier to say no to most of the touristy kitsch. We did have a fantastic lunch at Belly Up Brewery where the true highlight was the to-die-for peach cobbler. So yummy and, sorry, no pics. I never put my fork down. Lol. We also visited the Fat Ass Brewery, mostly because I found the name amusing. It was nearly deserted on a Sunday afternoon, but the décor was fun - old cars and trucks and plenty of gearhead memorabilia. For those of you who like wineries - they are everywhere!

Lots of fun stuff to see inside and outside at the Fat Ass Brewery.

Why, thank you. Lol. 

Our next stop was Sun Retreats Texas Hill Country which is located less than a mile from Randi and Jose’s house in New Braunfels! Since there’s no place for the RV at Randi’s, it was so nice of them to make sure we had a place to park nearby. Lol. Remember when I said Mother Nature seemed hell bent on making the weather interesting? Well, we’ve had heat, cold, wind, and now we got rain. On Monday, 4/20, the day we arrived in New Braunfels, we had over 4 inches of rain in 24 hours and a Flash Flood Warning. The good news, we were on high ground so not in any danger, just very soggy.

 

When it rains, it pours (at least in Texas). 

Beep, Beep, Beep and then we got this! 

I will not bore you with all the details of our week, there is nothing photogenic or blogworthy about doing massive loads of laundry, vacuuming, mopping, grocery shopping, etc. Too bad, otherwise I’d be a star! Lol. To our credit, we did two of the workouts that our trainer Robyn sent us (our motivation was an exercise room with air conditioning) and gave the puppies a spa day – nails, ears, and baths (our motivation was stinky puppies, lol). Rog did several small projects on the rig, including installing a new stereo/GPS system. Unfortunately, he found that the trim ring and maps were missing.  He bought the unit from Crutchfield’s and their customer service folks were very responsive. They already shipped the trim piece, now we just need to get the maps sorted out. I’ll wait until Rog gets it all finished before taking a picture. In the meantime, we are enjoying having the new stereo, speakers, and subwoofer, no trim or maps needed to play some tunes. And a hopefully final update on the electrical gremlins: Rog replaced the fluorescent light fixture and its faulty ballast with an LED. No more ghostly flickering when the lights are supposed to be off. Yay!!

Thank you, Robyn. (I don't really mean that. Lol.)

A visitor at Randi's house. Love the lizard side eye. 

In addition to hugging my daughter, it was also lovely getting some kitty cuddles. Flint (black and white) and Cleo (tabby) warmed up fairly quickly and were delightful hosts. They shared their bird TV and offered to help out whenever food was involved. Lol. The kitties haven't had much exposure to dogs and since Raney and Riley are a LOT of dog, we kept the pups at the RV. They were quite content to hang out at the coach.

Cleo and Flint, my grand-kitties.

Kitty cuddles!!

Bird TV. It never gets old!

Raney and Riley were content to hang out at the RV.

Randi, Jose, and I hit a few estate sales on Saturday morning. One of the sales had an extensive collection of dragons and medieval style décor. Randi fell in love with a gorgeous Windstone dragon, these are highly collectible but he had some damage and she got a great deal. Such a handsome guy! I think he needs a name, what do you suggest? We also just spent a good deal of time hanging out together, watching anime (K-Pop Demon Hunters was actually pretty good). Randi and I also did a lot of, as my gamer daughter calls it, “theory crafting” for her wedding. Lol. Hopefully we’ll have more details to share soon!

So handsome, what would you name him?

We had lots of great food too. Randi made dinner several evenings including her amazing Guinness Beef Stew. We picked up a delicious chicken enchilada casserole and my favorite key lime pie from River City Catering, and went out to Guadalupe Brewing Company and Pizza Kitchen. Rog smoked a pork shoulder on the Treager for pulled pork sandwiches. Randi and Jose brought chips and her homemade tomatillo salsa verde and firewood for a campfire and Smore’s. Good times!

Randi's Guinness Beef Stew was insanely good.  

Pulled pork sammies for dinner, and...

...Smore's for dessert!

Randi brought some bling for the campfire.
The dancing blue and green flames were mesmerizing. 

On Sunday, 4/26, we went to Natural Bridge Caverns outside of San Antonio. The caverns are privately owned and operated and they are totally worth a visit. The caverns are named for a natural bridge of granite that spans a giant sinkhole. 

The namesake natural bridge.

Randi and Jose. Aren't they just adorable. 😍 

In 1960 four college students got permission to explore the sinkhole. They crawled through a small opening down 125 feet of tunnel that narrowed to only 11 inches at one point and came out into a fantastical cavern. We chose the Discovery Tour which lasted a bit over an hour and wound through stunning formations. Luckily no crawling was necessary, cause you know that 11 inch opening would be a dealbreaker. Lol.

I'll stick to the lighted walkways, thank you very much. 

Hall of the Mountain King.

Considering that the formations grow at the rate of about an inch every 100 years, the huge columns are mind boggling. But, I really love the intricate patterns and interesting colors too. I tend to go a little nuts taking pictures, so feel lucky that you are only seeing a small fraction of them. Lol.

The Watchtower.

The big formations are awesome,
but I also love the fine detail and colors. 

Tolkien trees or a giant jellyfish? What do you see?

The recent rains had raised the water table so that areas that are normally dry had beautiful blue green pools of water. Earlier in the week, areas of the caves were flooded and they offer a modified aquifer tour. I think we hit the sweet spot, we got to see water in the cave and we didn’t miss any of the tour!

Emerald Lake.

Loved these stairstep pools.

The King's Throne.

Bomb Burst!

Couple pics in the Cavern.

On our last evening, I finished off our final two loads of laundry, kissed my baby girl goodbye and went back to the RV to start prepping for our departure in the morning. Rog was getting ready for bed when I heard some colorful language. Uh-oh. Not a drip inside during the torrential downpours, but the 90 degree temps coupled with 90% humidity caused so much condensation that the rear air conditioner above our bed had decided to make it rain - indoors. Blankets, sheets, mattress pad – everything was soaked! I called Randi up and asked if she’d be up for a while and could I please come back and use the dryer (again!). Rog turned the rear air off and two dryer loads later we were back in business. Rog was thinking he might have to install new air conditioner gaskets, no small project. He turned to YouTube University and found that the most common cause of the indoor rain is a blocked condenser drain. A quick trip up onto the roof and he found that a piece of foam insulation had shifted and was totally blocking one of the drains causing the water to pool and then, of course, find its way onto my bed. Ta-da! So happy when it’s a quick fix and not a major headache.  

We were sad to leave Randi and Jose, but I can’t say we’ll miss the heat and humidity. Our next stop is a Harvest Host site in Waxahachie, TX. We’re keeping a close eye on the weather because there are some serious storms brewing and we’d really like to avoid any additions to our list of crazy weather!

Bull Riding, Balmorhea, and Seminole Canyon

Bull Riding (or not). Lol.

We left New Mexico for Texas on Saturday, 4/11, but it seems we brought the wind with us. Considering the monstrous storms and damaging hail that other areas are experiencing, we really aren’t complaining. Rog fought El Paso traffic, the wind, and what we can now add to the list of things never to do again – visited Costco on a Saturday in an RV. Ugh. After what Rog succinctly described as, “a shitty day’s drive,” we pulled up to our Harvest Host site, Three Missions Brewery, expecting a cold brew and quiet evening.

What the…?? The gate was closed and there was clearly a large event in progress. It looked like a busy Saturday Farmer’s Market! Booths, food trucks, live music, dancing, and all with a rodeo theme. Rog drove around the block while I frantically called to figure out what we were supposed to do. The owner, Rick, a super nice guy, answered and told us where to turn in and park. Although there must have been a hundred cars and trucks, he had helpers direct us to a spot at the back of his 10 acres where we had plenty of room. It turns out Rick was hosting a mini-rodeo/bull riding event! The brewery was a super fun place, in an authentic adobe building. We snagged a couple brews and wandered around, scoring some jerky and grabbing dinner from a food truck. Although without cowboy hats and boots, we felt severely underdressed for the occasion. Lol. 

Three Missions Brewery.

Rick came by to let everyone know when the bull riding was about to start. Woohooo! I’d only every seen bull riding on TV and seeing the enormous and irate bulls up close and personal gave me a whole new appreciation for the sport. I think those cowboys may have already taken one too many knocks to the head. Some of the guys barely made it out of the chute, others hung on a little longer and only one guy made it through his round. Not something I’ll be trying, thank you very much. I want to pet the cows, not piss them off. Lol. This was a perfect example of one of the joys of travel, you just never know what will happen. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but this was a great ending to a tiring and stressful day.

Out of the chute and hanging on for dear life!

Woohoo! (or is that YeeHaw?) Style points either way!

A successful ride and (somewhat) graceful exit. 

This guy did not fare so well.
I love the satisfied look on the bull's face. "Yeah, I did that." Lol.

Our next stop on Sunday, 4/12, is a favorite of ours, Balmorhea State Park in Balmorhea, TX. The attraction here is the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1936. This is no tiled, chlorinated rectangle. It’s a V-shaped pool that covers 1.75 acres and holds 3.5 million gallons of water. The depth ranges 3 feet to 25 feet, and it is fed by the San Solomon Springs that put out about 16 million gallons of water a day. As if that isn’t awesome enough, a large portion of the pool is a natural habitat, so you get to swim among plants and with thousands of fishies.

Picture of the pool when it was completed in 1936.
The campground where we stayed has replaced the barracks.

Just a small portion of this amazing pool.

That's no pupfish!

We had temps in the 80’s, but it was overcast and windy. (Shocked, are you?) We hit the pool twice during our stay, but it was just a touch chilly for my admittedly water-weenie self, so we didn’t stay in very long. The pool was nearly deserted both times, with less than a dozen hardy souls in the water. I did have fun trying to get pics of the fish and resident turtles, but those tiny adorable little fishies have attitude and teeth! Not sure when they decided to stock the piranha, but I was not amused. Lol.  

Fishies!!

In addition to the pool, the park has reestablished two ciénega – spring-fed wetland ecosystems found in arid landscapes. These habitats are critical for native wildlife including endangered species. Balmorhea is home to seven desert fish species including tetras, catfish, and the endangered Comanche Springs pupfish and the Pecos gambusia. (I saw no mention of the piranhas. Lol.)

The ciénega provides important natural habitat.

Turtles!

A canal system connects the springs to the ciénega.

Raney enjoyed sitting outside, while Riley preferred his couch in the coach. We were parked in the campsite with our bedroom window right next to the pavilion over the picnic table. We woke up every morning to some very vocal sparrows who were nest building under the roof tiles not three feet away. Between Raney and the birds, there was no sleeping in. Sigh.

My furry alarm clock looks so innocent. Lol.

The other half of the morning tag team. 

Three feet from bedroom window to nest means no rest. lol.

Lovely views from the campground.

On Tuesday, we drove to Fort Davis to visit my all time favorite BBQ place, RNR (Rock N Raul’s) Smokehouse. We were absolutely blown away by this place when we visited in 2024 with our friends, Bob and Carole. The brisket, the ribs, the sides, the Cha Cha pie and Nanna Pudding… OMG. Everything was spectacular and, I am happy to report, has stayed that way!

So amazing!

All this magic takes place is a small unprepossessing house on N. State Street in Fort Davis. There is covered outdoor seating, but enter the indoor seating through a red velvet curtain and find a super fun speakeasy vibe with tributes to famous rock ‘n roll artists.

RNR Smokehouse is a gem!
Great food, good folks and a fun place.

We chatted with the owner, Jason, who moved here from Phoenix with his wife and young daughter in 2023 and reopened his Uncle Raul’s Smokehouse which had been a local favorite. He has more than done it justice. We ordered two containers of the board scraps to go for the pups, and he brought out six containers of scraps and two containers of tallow for us! Wow! Riley and Raney are going to think they’ve died and gone to BBQ heaven. Lol. So here’s another don’t miss place if you're anywhere near Fort Davis, TX!

Wow! Raney and Riley are singing the praises of RNR too!

On Wednesday, 4/15, we left Balmorhea for Seminole Canyon State Park near Comstock, TX. Texas Highway 285 was a decent two-lane road with wide shoulders and just enough up and down and curvy bits to keep things interesting. In other words, a great place for me to get behind the wheel. New achievement unlocked: Driving by braille. Ok, so I do tend to hug the fog line which has those bumpy bits to remind you not to stray too far right. (We all need those. Lol.) All I have to say is those on-coming semis look really, really big so you can’t blame me for wanting to stay well out of their way. Lol.

Watch out! Momma's got the wheel.

This was our third visit to Seminole Canyon State Park and we love the history, pictographs, art, trails and finding shells in the desert. (Fun Fact: Pictographs are painted images on rock surfaces, while petroglyphs are carved, pecked, or incised into the rock.) On Thursday, 4/16, we did a nine-mile bike ride on the Rio Grande trail. We rode to the Panther Cave Overlook, where you can just barely see the famous nine-foot-long pictograph painted on the wall of an alcove on the far side of the canyon. You used to be able to take a boat to the site, but with the river so low there is no longer any public access. The cactus are starting to bloom and I couldn’t resist stopping to take some pictures. There is beauty even in the starkest landscapes. We parked the bikes and hiked a little further to the Rio Grande View overlook. The river is still very low, but at least this section had water.

The water in Seminole Canyon is overflow from Lake Amistad.

At the far end of the canyon is the Panther Overlook.
The pictograph is on the far side (blue circle).

The red-painted leaping mountain lion is the most famous of the pictographs in this large alcove.

The desert is blooming!

The Rio Grande.

On the way back we stopped by the Visitor’s Center where they have informational displays and the Maker of Peace statue. We missed the guided tour into the canyon to see the Fate Bell pictograph site. It’s well worth doing, but is only offered certain days of the week. And yes, I managed to score a few “sea” shells. I just get such a kick out of finding shells in the desert. Snails need moisture, but these guys have adapted to desert conditions by sealing themselves inside their shells when it’s dry and waiting for rain.

Limestone ovens from the 1880's used by Southern Pacific Railroad workers.

Great views and interesting displays at the Visitor's Center.

Maker of Peace by artist Bill Worrell is a
17-foot statue inspired by ancient Pecos River rock art. 

And let's not forget... shells in the desert!

Our next stop will be a change of pace for us. We drove through Fredericksburg, TX on a previous trip to Randi’s. It looked like a fun little town so we’re going to stay a few days to check it out.