Attacked By A Tree

Yesterday was not a good day!!

It was travel day. Since we’ve had a few tire episodes on travel days over the past few years, I’ve come to dread these days. I get really nervous, and usually read while Kevin drives to keep me distracted.

Yesterday was one of the shortest travel days we’ve had, moving from San Antonio to Kerrville, only about 70 miles. I had made reservations at Hill Country RV Park in Kerrville. It’s Spring Break week for all of the Texas schools, so I felt a reservation was a good idea for this week.

I rely heavily on the website RV Park Reviews when researching places to stay. This place had two reviews with an 8 and a 9 out of 10. What were these people smoking?? I also check the campgrounds website for more information. This place had a nice website with good pictures. They also state the following on their website:

AGE AND CONDITION OF RIG:
We prefer to have camping rigs that are less than 15 years old within the park. This is to keep up a nice modern park environment for all users. Special arrangements can be made with the management on a case by case basis if your rig is older. If your rig is becoming run down or is in need of repair, we reserve the right to ask you to perform the repairs or ask you to remove the rig from the park at our sole discretion.

When we arrived, we were quite disappointed. I would say 90% of the trailers in this park are over 15 years old. Most of them look to be permanent residents. The place looks pretty run down. There was no one here to check us in even though we had a reservation. One of the permanent residents was nice enough to come out and talk to us. He called the camp host who told us to take any open site.

There were only two open sites, both of them back ins. We decided to stay since it was only for a week. There are large rocks at the side of the road at each site, and there is a loop road to get to all of the sites. Kevin felt it would be best to go around the loop and come at the site from the opposite side to be able to back in without hitting the rocks.

There is a very large tree on one side of the road. Branches had been cut out of it so it looked like it would be okay to drive under it. There were some large units at the back of the park, so we figured if they got in, we’d be fine too.

As we went under the tree, I felt a bump like we had run over something in the road. Kevin was mumbling something under his breath, so I wasn’t sure what had happened. When we stopped at the site, he went up on the roof and did not find good news.

There was one dead branch of the tree that had cut a slice into our rubber roof about 11 feet long. There are three larger tears and then a long line of smaller holes. Our bathroom skylight also had a hole poked into it. Needless to say, we were not happy!!!

We got set up and a few hours later the camp host came by to collect the rent. We explained what happened, and he suggested we call the owner. I called him and explained what happened. He said he would contact the camp host and get back to us.

The camp host came by a little later and told us we would not be charged for the site for the week and he will be bringing me the insurance information for the campground so we can file a claim with them. He also told me that we’re the third unit to have damage from that tree. One unit actually had the air conditioner torn off the roof. He also told me the owner told him to get someone out here to cut back more of the tree. I sure wish they would have taken care of that sooner!!

So now we have to have the tire damage from October and the roof damage repaired when we get back to Wisconsin. I called the RV dealer and made an appointment for them to look at it on April 15th. Based on my description, they think the entire roof needs to be replaced. That’s at least a week in the shop. We’ll get an estimate for the insurance company and take it from there. In the meantime, Kevin taped the cuts on the roof with duct tape. We’ll see how that holds up.

I had a rough night sleeping because of all of this. I only got about four hours of sleep and then my mind wouldn’t let me rest anymore. How are we going to get this all taken care of? Where are we going to stay? How long will it take? I hate fighting with insurance companies!  etc., etc., etc. I sure hope I can sleep better tonight.

Better days ahead!!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Meeting Blog Friends and a Hike

We had the opportunity yesterday to meet some blogger friends. Susan of the blog Travel Bug and I have been reading each others blogs for some time. She and her husband Bob are staying at Traveler’s World RV Park in San Antonio and were kind enough to invite us over for brunch yesterday.

It was a beautiful day, so after a delicious brunch they invited us to go for a hike at Friedrich Wilderness Park north of San Antonio. Susan belongs to an international organization called Volksmarch. You find hiking/walking events on their website and get credit for each hike you do.

Yesterday’s hike was at a beautiful location wandering through a wooded park. I think most of the trees were cedar. Much of the 10k (6.2 mile) route was pretty even, but there were a couple of sections where we did some stair climbing. An excellent workout on a very nice day. We asked a fellow hiker to take a picture for us.

It took us just over 2.5 hours to complete the hike. During that time we got to know each other better. It seems we have a lot in common, and we look forward to meeting up with Bob and Susan again in the future.

As we neared the end of the path, we saw this beautiful butterfly. Susan identified it as a Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on a Mountain Laurel bush.

So, thanks to Susan and Bob for a great day!!

Today we leave San Antonio and head to Kerrville for a week. I’m looking forward to exploring the Texas Hill Country over the next few weeks.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

San Antonio Day 2

Yesterday we went back to downtown San Antonio for some more sightseeing.

We started at the Alamo. The Travis Letter was gone, so this time there was no line to get into the sanctuary. This building was originally a mission built in 1724 and called Mission San Antonio de Valero. In the early 1800s the Spanish military used it as a fort and named it Alamo in honor of their hometown.

We had already been here in October of 2002, so we looked around a bit and watched the movie. There were lots of school groups, and the grounds were still quite crowded.

The Alamo is located right in the heart of downtown. I read there is a law that doesn’t allow tall buildings to be built near it. If you take a close-up picture, it looks like there is nothing around it.

But, if you step back a bit, the view is quite different.

There is a bronze reproduction of The Travis Letter in front of The Alamo. I finally got a chance to read it. Travis was the commander during the famous thirteen day siege in 1836. It is a powerful letter, but I would not have stood in line for hours to see the original.

We left and went to the River Walk to have lunch at Joe’s Crab Shack. I really like crab but wasn’t going to spend $30 to $40 to eat them. They had a limited lunch menu, so I had coconut shrimp instead. It was very good. Kevin had fish and chips which was also good. Kevin also had a mug of beer. The total bill with tax and tip was $28. Now that’s more like it.

After lunch we decided to take one of the trolley tours of the city. We had already visited everything we wanted to see, but I like just listening to the narration on these tours. We had a $2 off coupon so it was $18 each for an hour tour. Our driver was very informative, and we feel we have now learned everything we want to about this city. I doubt we’ll come back.

One of the points of interest on the tour was the Tower of the Americas. It was built for the 1968 World’s Fair. We went to the top while we were here in 2002. There is a revolving restaurant up there. We also learned that although the River Walk was begun in the 1940s, it wasn’t until the World’s Fair that most of the restaurants and shops were added.

After the tour, we walked a couple of miles south on the River Walk. This took us to a neighborhood called King William District. The area was inhabited by German immigrants in the 1800s. They built some beautiful homes. Our tour guide had told us that tin roofs and wrap around porches were the German style of building.

This one has been turned into a bed and breakfast.

We made our way back to the main touristy area of the River Walk and had some happy hour margaritas at Café Ole. The regular price is $8, but the happy hour price is $3 and that includes a basket of chips with salsa. Since we had such a large lunch, this was all we needed for dinner. There were lots of people about on a Friday night.

Couples would probably enjoy a romantic ride in Cinderella’s carriage. I’m guessing its not a cheap date.

We walked around a bit more and then headed home. We definitely enjoyed visiting San Antonio again. The River Walk is really a gem. Traffic on a Friday night was a nightmare. Today we are staying home. After three straight days of touring, we need a do nothing day!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

San Antonio Missions

I had read online that there is a 10 mile walking/biking trail that goes between all four of the missions in San Antonio. Yesterday our plan was to start at the south end and bike to all of the missions.

We started at Mission Espada. The park employee there told us that the trail is under construction and was closed until the third mission. So, we looked around and drove to the next spot.

Mission Espada was founded in 1690 in east Texas and moved to San Antonio in 1731. They built a series of aqueducts for farming near this mission. Parts of that system are still in use today. Some friars still live in the quarters to the left of the church. They had beautiful potted plants outside.

Our next stop was Mission San Juan Capistrano which was moved to San Antonio from east Texas in 1731.

There was a man doing some painting on the inside walls. Its very interesting how different each of these churches are.

We continued our trip by driving to Mission San Jose, which was founded in 1720. This is the best known of the missions and is where the main visitor center is located.

This picture of the sign outside showed what the church would have looked like in its prime. They painted the outside with beautiful designs.

We watched a very informative movie about the people of these missions. In the early 1700s there were several independent Indian tribes in south Texas. They were being threatened by the Apache from the north and the Spaniards from the south. Many of them decided to live at the missions for safety and food.

These mission communities were only in existence for about 80 years. European diseases wiped out over 70% of the Indian population. However, the mingling of the Indian and Spanish races and culture survived. Spanish became the predominant language, most of the Indians had converted to Catholicism, and their culture was lost forever.

All of the missions are still active Catholic churches. Even though I am not Catholic, walking into these small churches fills me with a real sense of reverence due to their age and the history that has happened in these places.

We were finally able to access the bike path. We rode about 4.5 miles to the final mission on the trail, Mission Concepcion, which was transferred from east Texas in 1731.

The bike trail is along the San Antonio River and is actually an extension of the River Walk. We could have ridden all the way to downtown. It’s a good thing part of the trail was closed. It was hillier than I expected. I don’t know that I would have made it the entire way.

Also, Kevin’s bike got a flat tire just as we arrived at the last mission. We ended up locking them up and walking 4.5 miles back to the truck. We certainly got our exercise yesterday.

We saw many ducks and shore birds along the river. There were also lots of turtles sunning themselves on the rocks. This was really a big guy.

I would definitely recommend visiting these missions to anyone staying in San Antonio.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

San Antonio Day 1

On Monday we traveled from Port Aransas to Hidden Valley RV Park in Von Ormy, just south of San Antonio. I am always so grateful when we have an uneventful travel day.

The campground is just okay. The cost is $170 a week. There is no bath house. They do have an old mobile home they call a clubhouse which has a bathroom with a shower campers can use. We have a FHU 50 amp site with adequate free wi-fi. We chose this place solely for its close location to San Antonio.

Tuesday was very windy again, so we stayed put. Yesterday we headed to downtown San Antonio. Our plan was to go to the Alamo and wander around the River Walk. There has been a special exhibit at the Alamo for the last month called the Travis Letter. Yesterday was the last day before the letter goes back to the archives in Austin.

The Alamo was packed with people. The line to see this letter was hours long. No thanks. I’m sure the history of this letter is significant to Texans, but no way were we dealing with those crowds. We’ll go back to the Alamo on Friday.

We walked to the Mexican Market and browsed through the shops there. Prices were quite a bit higher than in Mexico. A large bottle of vanilla was $2 in Mexico and $10 here. Glad we bought some while in Mexico in January. Then we headed to the River Walk. Along the way we passed San Fernando Cathedral, built in 1750. It is the oldest cathedral sanctuary in the United States.

 

The alter is very ornate and beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An interesting fact about this cathedral is that three of the heroes from the Alamo are interred inside the left door of the cathedral. Travis, Crockett and Bowie were laid to rest here in 1938.

We were in San Antonio about 10 years ago for a long weekend. Since that time the River Walk has been expanded both north and south of the main downtown area. These expanded areas are not crowded with shops and restaurants. Yesterday we walked about 3 miles along the north section. It was a gorgeous day to enjoy the scenic, beautifully landscaped path. Many flowers are blooming along the way. I think this was some type of lilac bush. It sure was pretty.

Some of the bridges have had works of art added to them. The ones we saw were mainly for night viewing, needing lights to show them off. There are also several murals along the side walls, as well as waterfalls and fountains.

This bench looked like wood, but it was actually made out of cement. There are plenty of benches along the river.

After walking about five or six miles, we ended up at the main tourist part of the river. We had margaritas and a nacho appetizer at one of the Mexican restaurants. Total bill $23. Its not cheap to eat at these places along the river, but we had an outside table and enjoyed this little treat. There were quite a few Mallard ducks and pigeons hanging out. This mama duck had lots of babies to keep track of.

There are tour boats that will take you along the river. We did this last time we were here. It’s a fun activity.

We met our friends Rodney and Debbie for dinner. We had met them while working at Amazon. They suggested meeting at Rudy’s BBQ. This was our first experience with Texas BBQ. You stand in line, cafeteria style and order your meat and sides. We ordered a full rack of baby-back ribs, 1/4 lb. brisket, 1/4 lb. turkey and one sausage as well as beans, cole slaw and potato salad for the two of us. All of this plus a beer and soda for just over $20. The brisket was a little tough. The turkey was excellent and the ribs were good, too. I’m not a big sausage fan, but Kevin said it was good.

We spent a few hours catching up with Rodney and Debbie. Thanks for introducing us to Texas BBQ. It was great seeing you guys again. We all plan to be back at Amazon this fall, probably working the same shifts again.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Goose Island State Park

Before leaving the area, we wanted to head north one more time and visit Goose Island State Park. Friday was a beautiful day so we headed to the ferry.

While waiting in line for the ferry, we again saw several dolphin. This guy was quite close to us, and he had something in his mouth. I’m not sure what he has, maybe a fish.

We stopped at the Goose Island State Park office to get our vehicle pass using the Texas State Park annual pass we purchased while in Mission. There was a line with several people checking in for campsites. A fight almost broke out over some of the waterfront sites. If you want a particular site that bad, make a reservation!

We drove through the park to get a lay of the land. We stopped by the waterfront sites and walked out onto the long fishing pier. If we ever come back to this area, we would definitely stay in these sites at this park. They have 50 amp electric service and water. Each site has a shelter over the picnic table. The sites are on a channel, so I think there wouldn’t be as much wind and salt spray as parks with sites on the Gulf of Mexico.

Our next stop was actually back out of the park several blocks away to see The Big Tree. It’s on park property, but not in the main section. According to the sign, this coastal live oak tree is  over 1,000 years old. It is 35 feet around the trunk, 44 feet tall and 89 feet across the crown. Wow! There was an interesting timeline on the sign highlighting events in history this tree would have witnessed at different stages of its life, from Native Americans to Spanish explorers to Civil War soldiers passing by.

We had heard that there were some Whooping Cranes near The Big Tree so we drove around the area looking for them. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any.

We went back to the main part of the park and wandered around a bit. I enjoyed watching some white and brown pelicans competing for scraps from people cleaning their fish.

We have white pelicans on Beaver Dam Lake where we camphost in the summer, but they are always quite a ways out in the lake, and I’ve never seen them up close. They sure are beautiful birds! As you can see, they are considerably larger than the brown pelicans.

We drove to the wooded camping loop, and I spotted the van of our neighbors at the RV park we were at in Mission. They had told us they were coming to this park to be the bird hosts for the month of March.

We stopped to say hi, and I told them how we had looked for the Whooping Cranes but didn’t see any. They offered to drive back over to the area and see if they could help us find any.

Sure enough, they turned down Fourth Street and they spotted two Whooping Cranes in a field. We even saw some fly overhead.

The metal container is a corn hopper that has been put out for them. The cranes eat blue crabs, but with the drought Texas is suffering, there are very few crabs for the cranes to eat.

These birds were at one time almost extinct. There are now thought to be between 400 to 600 in the world, and they are still on the endangered list. How cool to see them in the wild with only so few in existence.

A big thank you to Ed and his wife for taking the time to go with us. Ed even had his scope, so we got to see the cranes up close.

As we came through Aransas Pass on our way home, we saw quite a bit of smoke. There was obviously a good sized fire somewhere. We saw one fire truck and one police car heading in the direction of the fire.

We continued on to the ferry to head back home. We have seen many types of vehicles on these ferries, from semi trucks to all kinds of RVs and other cars, trucks and SUVs. While waiting in the line to board the ferry, we saw a very unexpected vehicle exit one of the incoming ferries. It was a fire truck from Port Aransas. As soon as it left the ferry, it turned on its siren and lights and took off.

Later we heard on the news that the fire in Aransas Pass was a large grass fire and several surrounding departments had been called for help. In fact, 60,000 acres ended up burning along with one mobile home. A nearby RV park and other area residents had to be evacuated. Between the drought and frequent high winds there have been many days with high fire warnings during our stay here.

We leave here on Monday to spend a few weeks exploring the Hill Country of Texas. We very much liked the city of Port Aransas, Marina Beach RV Park and the birds, dolphins and sea turtles we’ve seen. What we didn’t like so much was the weather. We had some very nice days, but the coast is just too windy. I doubt we’ll be back.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Frolicking Dolphins

Yesterday we had very strong winds all day with gusts in excess of 50 mph. It was warm and sunny, so we had the door open for a while. By the end of the day, everything inside was covered with a layer of dust. This morning I wiped down every surface.

Today was finally a beautiful day. We got out and walked around for three hours. We had actually walked out to the jetty last week too, but the tide was high and the rocks were slippery so we didn’t walk out very far. These people must not have been aware the water was rising, and their truck ended up being stuck. Luckily, the other truck was able to pull them out.

We also saw this pelican on the jetty that day. He was so close to the fishermen. I’m sure he was hoping for a handout. I’m not sure why he is so much more colorful than the other brown pelicans, but isn’t he amazing! He is definitely giving me the evil eye :)

Today the tide was low and we were able to walk all the way to the end of the jetty. The water in the channel was the calmest we’ve seen it. It was just an absolutely gorgeous day!

We saw several sea turtles. Usually, all you see is their head pop out of the water and they’re gone again. One of them was finally nice enough to stay near the top long enough for me to get a few pictures.

There were several large ships waiting out in the Gulf to be allowed into the channel. Last week we saw one of these large ships coming down the channel with dolphin jumping in front of it. I was really hoping to see that again today. The pilot boat was going out, so we figured one of the large ships would be coming in soon. Sure enough, a large ship came in and some dolphin were having a good time jumping in front of it. What an amazing sight!!

Do you see all three of them in the last picture. Click to enlarge if you want a better look. I was super excited to see these dolphin frolicking out in front of the ship!!

At the end of the jetty, there were several boats with lots of fishing poles in the water. If you enlarge the picture, you can see the fishing boats on the right, a pelican on the water in front of the boats, the pilot boat coming back in on the left and several large ships waiting to enter the channel.

This lady looked like she was having a good time out on the paddle board.

Along with the boats at the end of the jetty, there were many, many people fishing on the rocks of the jetty. We saw two different guys pull in very large fish. I overheard one of the guys say he had caught his limit of five for the day.

One of the blogs I follow regularly is written by Judy. She often ends her entries with a picture of the backside of something titled The End. This one is for Judy.

The End

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!