Thursday, March 28, 2013

FREDRICKSBURG

Of course it was no secret that our first stop back on the road was to be Fredricksburg. Here's our funny story to go with this city.

We came through for the very first time during our trip last year - November 2011. Entering along 87 from the north we realized that it was a neat place - so we stopped fairly quickly on Main Street and began to walk. We got as far as the park and then went around the back way to the Visitor's Center - returning to the truck via the park.

As we were driving out along Main Street to carry on along the 87 we realized that we had missed more than half of the businesses on main street!

Well today we were back to right a wrong and finish what we had started! After all, we had seen enough to know that this was our kind of place.


The shortest drive to Fredricksburg from New Braunfels is to cut through on the 1888. This leads to the  1376 which goes right by Luckenbach, Texas.  

Since we stopped in last year we drove right by yesterday. 

It wasn't too long before we arrived in Fredricksburg from New Braunfels. It was later in the afternoon by this point. We didn't leave NB until around lunch time - we were awaiting confirmation of our hoped for summer job! The exciting news came through that we were hired. In the end we had two Parks to choose from - Muncho Lake Provincial Park in BC - wayyyyyyyy up north - or Jubilee Regional Park in Alberta. We choose Jubilee for several reasons but mainly because it comes with a house. By the time we get there we'll have lived in the van for six months - more than enough!

We parked on a side street close to the main downtown park in Fredricksburg - we were going to do a little stealth camping for the night. We figured that we had chosen a pretty good place. The three of us had dinner and then we headed to the playground.


A family photo!




Cassia joining in with the sharing of the peace pipe.


The Vereins Kirche Park is very nice.


I LOVE the stone buildings so prevalent in Hill Country - here's an example across the street from the park.


After the playground and park we began our walk along Main Street. It was early evening by this point but we wanted to get a walk in - we were on a mission.


Texas Gourmet Foods! Worth a visit in the morning.


Our little cowgirl couldn't go without a horse ride - actually this is Cassia's first time on an electric animal ride - she was quite impressed with it all.


We did have a plan to go out for dinner but opted instead to eat in and find dessert as we walked. Boy were we happy with ourselves that we found this place - Clear River Pecan Company - pretty quickly. 




Mmmmm - I had the Raspberry Sorbet - the dark coloured one. Very good ice cream if you ever come this way.


Your kind of place Audrey! 


Good thing that Cassia couldn't see past the ice cream - not sure how we would have talked her out of these. 


LOVE the packaging - they WOULD have been good but I just took a picture.




Lots of neat buildings to take pictures of as we walked.








My kind of place - good thing it was closed. You would have been right there with me - right Teri?!


The busiest restaurant on the strip.










For the history buffs....


The best thing about our walk was that all the stores were closed - Derek and I knew that we could have dropped some serious $$ in this town given the chance. There was one place - the Fredricksburg Brewery - open however....




The back area looked like Octoberfest central.


Derek had actually bought his jug of beer already but he came out to the sidewalk to get Cassia and I to show us around. Or - errr - take us to Germany!




Derek bought one of these jugs of award winning Pioneer Porter made popular by the London Porters of the 18th century. Until we had a sip we were both pondering the price of $18. But that first sip took that all away - now that is GREAT beer. Well worth the price.




Another - good thing it is closed - store. LOVE LOVE LOVE the colours!


The sun was setting on our evening walk.






Our last stop - the Fredricksburg General Store - it was very similar to the Gruene General Store where we visited last year. Cassia managed to talk us into ANOTHER dinosaur.

It was getting dark and cold so we quickly walked back to the van for the night.

Since we had parked beside a construction site we were up very early - about 7:00am. While Cassia and I hung on, Derek moved us over to the Visitor Center parking lot a few blocks down.


A very nice Visitor's Center - we picked up some reading material for our trip north. We decided to continue our Main Street walk and hit a few of the stores that were closed the night before that we really wanted to visit.




With a Master's Degree in Architecture I really appreciated the design of The National Museum of the Pacific War.




Someone was really thinking!


First stop - coffee and breakfast.






The morning was cool and grey so we didn't spend much time looking around. We were glad that we had taken the opportunity the night before.

By 10:00 am we were back on the 87 headed north. I'll post about our day on Thursday (today actually) the next time I have wifi - perhaps tomorrow if I get a chance.

Teresa

TODAY'S INTERESTING LINK: If you can believe, we were in Austin the same time that Nomadic Matt was there. I've been following him for a while now. Today he posted a video of himself trying some hot sauce at the Tears of Joy shop while he was in town for the SXSW.











Tuesday, March 26, 2013

SO LONG, FAREWELL

'MOVING ON' was going to be the title of this post - and although it is appropriate - as we ARE heading back on the road again tomorrow - it certainly doesn't capture what we are leaving behind.

Last week the 'then' and 'now' pictures of the cast of the movie - The Sound of Music - was making it's rounds. One of my favourite movies - although it has been years now since I have watched it. If you've seen it - the title of this blog would be familiar. Three words - So  long  farewell - simple but full of meaning. In a way we feel like we are leaving our homeland as well, as this area of Texas has come to mean so much to Derek and I.


This beautiful tree is right by us here behind the Berean Bible Church.


And a close up. When we arrived it was giving off the most interesting - but nice - fragrance.

From New Braunfels, to San Marcos, to Austin to Georgetown - and Burnet now too - we have many friends along this stretch. It almost doesn't seem right that this is only our third visit (twice last year) based on how comfortable we feel here. 

Much of our friendship comes from our brethren through the Berean Bible Church with Pastor Jerry Lockhart and his lovely wife Barbara. Through Pastor Jerry's Sunday teachings and weekday evening bible studies, we have learned so much and have made some deep lasting friendships, eternal actually. When we arrived here for the first time in December of 2011 we had only known of Pastor Jerry through the internet as we were learning about rightly dividing the word of truth and the message of Grace. 



Our home for the last 10 days -- our home away from home.

I remember well Derek saying to me while we were planning our trip through Texas 'I think Pastor Jerry lives somewhere in Texas'. And so he did - and so we contacted him and made a plan to 'stop in'. The rest - is well - history - right?!

Now, in late March of 2013 - we have a second home - here in this beautiful area of Texas.


The title of this post could also have been LEAVING EARLY SPRING AND HEADING TO LATE WINTER ..... 

Although not Bluebonnet - the pride of Texas  - these purple flowers in the Church yard sure say Spring to me.




The wild roses are even in bloom!




We've enjoyed listening to the fountain from the van.

We are not driving far tomorrow - only about 1 1/2 hours - and we aren't leaving Texas just yet. In fact according to THE plan we won't be crossing over into New Mexico until April 6th or so. With our hop over to Fredricksburg tomorrow, for the day, we will be just beginning our 2,000 mile (3,220 km) +/- trip back to Canada. Yikes!

Of course, with all that snow craziness up north we are going to take baby steps all the way while at the same time enjoying the Panhandle of Texas. The first part of the trip will be repeat from last year, but Lubbock to the New Mexican border and beyond will be all new to us. Derek and I have never traveled through Colorado and Wyoming together and Derek hasn't been to these states at all - so lots of adventure still left in this winter's trip.

Our route will be carefully choreographed as we must be crossing into Canada by April 16th due to the expiration of our medical insurance.

We are planning on making some neat stops a long the way - I think we'll all enjoy it - even if the temperatures will be cooler than we have been used to for the last five months.

Yup - we'll be digging out our warmer clothes and maybe even our touqes.

So, we'll see you up the road. It looks like we will have internet on and off during our trip - we'll be doing some stealth camping and urban boondocking as well as parking at a few free City Park campgrounds. I'm thinking that you'll hear from us every few days. 

Thanks to all of our brethren here in Texas for your warm and generous hospitality! See you in the fall.

Later y'all! 

Teresa

TODAY'S INTERESTING LINK: Derek was on a bit of a farming kick today on my facebook page - which led us to find a list of the Top 50 Farm Blogs. While following some of the links I found West Family Farm - a farming family from Greenville, Texas. Derek and I could sure get into that.


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