North to Marble Falls, Texas

North into the heart of Hill Country, we found Santa temporarily grounded due to mechanical problems.





In Johnson City we visited the boyhood home of President Lyndon B. Johnson
where he lived for 10 years and attended public school.

Downtown Johnson City.



The city was named for the pioneer Johnson family who were ancestors

of the President.  The family ranch lands surround the area.

Lunch at the Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls.  We got there in time for the
"Pie Happy Hour" which starts at 3 pm.



President George & Laura Bush enjoy eating here.



Pies are one of their specialties.

How about a plate of Texas style chicken fried steak, fried okra, homemade biscuits, cornbread and healthy salad?

 Lemon cream pie was our choice to share.

The sign confirms we are in oil country with gasoline under $3.00.

Marble Falls was named for the Colorado River waterfalls which flows over marble outcroppings. 

Texas pink granite mined from the nearby Granite Mountain was used to construct the State Capitol in Austin, TX.  A special railroad spur was constructed for this project.  These panels show all the different colors of
granite sliced from this mountain.

Granite is still quarried and shipped all over the world.

Last stop is the town of Llano which became the county seat in 1856.  The town was settled in 1842 by 600 families from Europe.

Courthouse is constructed of marble, granite and sandstone and built in 1892.

The state of Texas was orginally under Spanish & Mexican Rule.  In 1836, it became independent and formed 23 municipalities.  The state now has 254 counties which is more than any other state. 

Llano County shown in red has the 34th oldest historical courthouse.

As you might recall, in past posts we have shared many courthouse photos because we are intrigued by their architecture. 

Bandara, Texas

Bandera bills itself as the "Cowboy Capital of the World". Rodeos are held twice a week during the summer.

The town was founded in 1852 as a workcamp to make cypress wood shingles. The original jail and courthouse are some of the oldest buildings in Bandera County. The Main Street has the feel of a frontier town with cowboys and horses.



The General Store sell merchandise which attracts tourists and dude ranch visitors.

                                                              

An old fashion soda fountain greets you when you enter the store.

Cowboy rubber boots covered with wild prints might be popular with the tourists.



This sign above the soda fountain always makes us
chuckle.

Headed to the Old Spanish Trail Restaurant for lunch.

The sign said "Straddle a saddle, eat at this old bar".



 

The  dinning area with tin ceiling is decorated for Christmas.

Note the lights on the deer antlers.



One block off Main Street the local bars are waiting for weekend motorcycle riders.  A hitching post is made available for cowboys.

        

 
City park is decorated with Christmas lights and displays sponsored by local business groups.

The river provides a nice scenic background for the park.

Heading home we passed through the tiny village of Medina, the Apple Capital of Texas.  The main attraction is the Love Creek Orchards store, bakery & restaurant.

Fresh apple pies right out of the oven.  The apple nut bread was our choice to take home.

Meeting the Fenwicks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the holiday season, beginning with Thanksgiving we
met several new neighbors in the park. 



Our first neighbor arrived the same day. Larry came over to say hi and welcome us to Texas.

We became friends with Larry & Lyn an intreresting and accomplished couple from the northern part of Texas. 


After retiring, Larry obtained his pilot's license and bought this nice toy. The Fenwicks use the plane to fly to their second home, a family residence they saved and restored to life.





Lyn is an award winning author with two published books.  She has established a blog about her writing career.  Meet Lyn at www.lynfenwick.blogspot.com





Buckhorn RV Campground Kerrville, TX

Buckhorn Lake in Kerrville, TX is our base camp to tour the Hill Country. The amenities and large sites with great views makes this campground a good value.  It is $20/day on a monthly rate. This place is labeled a resort!

The windmill round-about is the main entrance to the various types of campsites in the park.

These RV sites face a series of ponds and landscape.

Across the creek which runs through the park is The Club where RV owners can lease the land and build Casitas or homes.

The pull thru sites are spacious with nice landscaping.

We picked the site closest to the bridge with a view of the creek and The Club.  The bridge sits on top of a dam that created a large pond at one end of the campground.   The adults only area called The Executive overlooks the pond.

One RV owner celebrated the Christmas season by erecting this railroad scene with three working trains and all the town landscape. It was lighted at night which created a festive mood in the park.  All the structures in the park are decorated with Christmas lights.

How about a Koi fish pond at your site in the Club area?

 

Our favorite Casita with RV pad has a Tuscany design.

This site probably would cost about $130k with refundable $40,000 deposit. You lease the land for 30 years at 5 year intervals.

 

 

 

 

 

Boerne & Gruene Texas

A driving tour took us to a couple of small towns on the outskirts of San Antonio.  Boerne (pronounced BER-nee) and Gruene (pronounced green).

Boerne was founded in 1849 by a group of German settlers who wanted to create their own utopia with clean air and beauty.

 Downtown has several unique buildings.

The local Farmers Market is held at the Herff Farm.

A three piece band entertained visitors with country music.

Lunch was at a local Texas BBQ that came highly recommended.

First stop when you enter the restaurant was to pick your meat. A group of firemen in front of us each took a portion of beef brisket, sausage, chicken and ribs.

Large jars of Jalapeno peppers on each table to spice up your meal even more.

Next stop was the Gruene Historical district outside New Braunfels. This Bed & Breakfast was the original house owned by Henry Gruene.

Gruene was founded by Henry Gruene in 1872.  He was a busy man.  Besides being a farmer/rancher, he built the first gristmill, cotton gin, saloon, dance hall and blacksmith shop.

One of the oldest saloon and dance hall in Texas.  The place was swinging with live music and line dancers.

Fredericksburg, Texas

The Marktplatz is the center for holiday activities in Fredericksburg.  The city was founded by German immigrant families in 1846  The Christmas tree contains handcrafted ornaments made by Hill Country Artists.

The 26ft. tall wooden Christmas Pyramid was handcrafted in Germany for Fredericksburg.  The wooden pyramid acts like a carousel as each level revolves with Christmas figurines. 
 

The historic buildings retain traditional German and frontier styles.  There are about 700 historical structures in the town. Note the elephant carving.

The former Bank of Fredericksburg is a standout building.  Tourists love the old world atmosphere, shopping & restaurants.