TEXAS South

We left Bandera and the San Antonio area, turned south on November 6 and headed into the Rio Grande Valley.  The Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas. It lies along the northern bank of the Rio Grande, which separates Mexico from the United States.  As we approached the southern end of Texas, the landscape took on a different view again from what we had seen in the North.   The landscape is somewhere between green and dessert. There is no shortage of trees. However, large trees are not that common. The grass is usually patchy unless someone pays a substantial price in time or money. The best part of the landscape here is the sun and the moon. 

We stayed at Retama Village in Mission. Retama Village is located within the 2,500-acre Bentsen Palm Development Master Planned Community in Mission and has access to the multitude of ecological wonders surrounding this very special community. Located within walking distance are the World Birding Center Headquarters at Bentsen-RGV State Park (the top birding sight in the U.S.), the North American Butterfly Association’s new International Butterfly Park (the largest outdoor butterfly park in the world), and thousands of acres of state and federally protected pristine wildlife habitat including lakes, parks, and the Rio Grande River.

Retama is an interesting mix of luxury RV sites with cabana or upscale RV homes and regular homes all surrounding a large clubhouse and pools.

We went to the National Butterfly Center and also to the Bird Sanctuary, both were really interesting and worth while trips.  The butterfly park has over 5 acres of gardens designed to attract butterflies.  We got to meet several of the over 100 varieties of butterflies that routinely make the Valley their winter home.  

We also got to see some of the rare species of birds that are rarely found elsewhere, including one that we thought was right from the Jurrasic Park movie.   We tried to get some better pictures of it, but it was fast and elusive, especially when it ran up the trees.

After a week in Mission we headed east along the Rio Grande and then north to Corpus Christi.  It is the 5th largest port in the US and we routinely saw large tankers and freighters heading out to sea.  We had a great time playing on the beach and in the surf on Mustang and Padre Island.  One day we drove out to the beach with new friends we found in our RV park who were from Port Hardy.

We could see oil drilling platforms out in the Bay and the tankers heading out to service them.

Along the many marinas of Corpus Christi we found some very interesting and big yachts but also an actual replica of Christopher Columbus' ship the Pina.  This was built by the historical society according to the standards, materials and sizes that the original was built in 1492.  This ship was sailed from Portugal by the society to the "new world" and has now found a home in Corpus Christi.  It was unbelievable that a ship this small made it on one of the most famous voyages in 1492.

On our last day we visited and toured the USS Lexington which has now been permanently berthed in Corpus Christi, having retired from the Navy in 1991.  The Lexington is known as "The Blue Ghost" and is one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the United States Navy.  The Lexington was given the nickname "The Blue Ghost" by the Japanese.  Part of the reason for the nickname the "Blue Ghost" was the fact that Lexington was painted dark blue, and was the only carrier not to wear camouflage. This aspect was used to demoralize the Japanese, as they could not sink Lexington since she was believed to be so heavily defended. The "ghost" portion of the nickname comes from the fact that the Japanese believed that they had sunk the Lexington no less than four times during the course of the war, leading Tokyo Rose to give the ship its nickname.  

We toured the entire ship including the hanger deck, Captain and Admiral's quarters, the Bridge and below decks.  Here's Susan on the Bridge.

And Kerry besides a Cobra Helicopter,

In the battle of Leyte Gulf, the Lexington was introduced to the kamikaze when a flaming Japanese plane crashed near her island, destroying most of the island structure, spraying fire in all directions and killing many sailors.   Today, a large Japanese flag hangs on the superstructure (to the right of the Bridge) where the plane struck.

We then headed back to Fort Worth where we caught a plane to fly to Mexico and the Mayan Riviera to visit Judy and Eric, Trevor and Shannon, Kyle and Mya.  We had a great time, the weather was perfect and the company better.

We also met some interesting animals, including the Lemur and the Iguana.

A great time had by all.  Judy and Eric are staying down an additional week, however we returned to Fort Worth to collect our boys and head off into New Mexico.  We've spent about a month in Texas and now we are making our move into the West.

TEXAS North

We entered into Texas, the Lone Star State on October 27.  Texas – the land of no individual income tax or corporate income tax.

We entered from Arkansas through Texarkana and our first views were the Texas flatlands.  We headed direct for Dallas, our first stop and then on to the city of Aledo, just west of Fort Worth.  

Our first glimpses of Dallas were of very large buildings on a very flat plain, and freeways with up to 6 lanes in either direction, excluding two exit lanes as well.  Needless to say it was interesting driving, with all the traffic and all the things to see outside the windows.  Dallas was founded in 1841 and was formally incorporated as a city in February 1856. The city's economy is primarily based on banking, commerce, telecommunications, computer technology, energy, healthcare and medical research.  Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States.  Susan sure took some excellent photos through the front windshield or the window beside her chair.  We  went through some interesting weather changes as well, from wind and drizzle to brilliant sunshine as you can see from these photos.

Immediately after leaving Dallas we found ourselves in the land of outlet malls and shopping plazas and then into Fort Worth.

We spent the next week in Aledo at the Cowtown RV Park and finished up all our Christmas shopping and driving around the Texas plains.

On October 31 we headed south through Austin, the Capital City and San Antonio before heading west into the Texas Hill Country and the town of Bandera.   Bandera was founded 1852 as a cypress shingle camp, and the site of a Mormon colony established 1854 and is one of the oldest Polish communities in the U.S.  Outside being known as the Cowboy Capital of Texas and a highly touted spot for weekend motorbikers, Bandera is also known as the place where Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie visited while taping their reality television program, The Simple Life 2. They "worked" at the Bandera County Jail.   

We camped at the Holiday Villages of Medina community RV park.  It is full of black Oak trees, scrub and hundreds of deer.  

There is a large wildlife park next door, where we saw Elk, Caribou and at a ranch down the road, buffalo.

And we really has some beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

If you look at a map of this area, you will find Medina Lake.  It is a 5000 acre lake and the internet abounds with photographs of it, but when we saw it, it was, because of the 2 year long drought, down over 40' and has virtually disappeared.  Here is what it looks like now.

Even the roads are posted for runoff and watch for water on the road.  There certainly was none around where we were.

We also visited the town of  Fredericksburg.  Fredericksburg was founded in 1846 and named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. Old-time German residents often referred to Fredericksburg as Fritztown, a nickname that is still used in some businesses. The town is also notable as the home of Texas German, a dialect spoken by the first generations of German settlers who initially refused to learn English.  Fredericksburg is the birthplace of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz.

And we had a chance to visit Sister Creek vineyards.  This winery is built inside an 1885 cotton gin.

On our last day we visited the Alamo in San Antonio. Construction began on the present site in 1724. People worldwide continue to remember the Alamo as a heroic struggle against impossible odds — a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. For this reason, the Alamo remains hallowed ground and the Shrine of Texas Liberty.

This is a Oak tree which was transplanted over 80 years ago within the grounds of the Alamo.

This is the lower floor of the original two story attached building to the original Alamo mission building. The remains of the war damaged building was ordered demolished about 100 years ago.

And then we headed off south towards to the Valley of the Rio Grande.