We arrived in Kerrville for our 12 day stay there nestled in the trees of Kerrville-Schreiner State Park.
We got Gypsy settled into this pretty spot in the trees. Then it was off to do some of the things you can't do in the wilds of Big Bend.
First up was a bath for the Navigator. He went from dusty beige back to brown in a matter of minutes. Then on to the grocery store. An actual supermarket.........not just a tiny expensive store. And a drive around Kerrville to familiarize ourselves with where things were.
City of Kerrville Offices. I love the natural stone buildings in the Hill Country.
The next morning we set out for a day of exploring.
Oh, the trees, the green grass, the water...................this IS Paradise.
Our first stop was in Camp Verde. Camp Verde was a U. S. Army facility established on July 8, 1856.
The camel logo is everywhere. The camp was the headquarters for the U.S. Camel Corps which experimented with using camels as pack animals in the southwester United States. The Army imported camels in 1856 and 1857, using them with some success in extended surveys in the Southwest. The camels did not get along with the Army's horses and mules, which would bolt out of fear when they smelled a camel. The soldiers found the camels difficult to handle and they detested the smell of the animals.
Today Camp Verde is home to the Camp Verde Store and Restaurant. What an amazing place. There is no attention to detail forgotten here.
The store has been here for 150 years but talk about an upgrade.
The array of amazing products and fine food items are gathered from artisans and producers around the world.
In ways it is like stepping back in time but then it feels like new too.
The original store was built in 1857 but was destroyed in a flood in 1900 and this two story stone structure was built soon after 1900 to replace it.
Today the camels are beloved even though they were hated by the soldiers way back when.
Even the bathroom was exquisite. The smell of the soaps and lotions stayed with me for hours.
Amazingly almost everywhere we have been there have been no crowds. There was hardly anyone at Camp Verde other than employees.
Easy on the eyes..........stone buildings and metal roofs.
On to Bandera and into the Fickle Pickles. They sample their pickles and they are delicious. But, at $9.99 for a small jar we just couldn't bring ourselves to indulge further.
Bandera bills itself as "The Cowboy Capital of the World".
It is the County Seat of Bandera County and has one of those great Texas Courthouses.
There is a sign on Main Street, in front of the Fire Department, which states that Bandera was founded by Roman Catholic Immigrants from Poland. Many of the residents still living there today are descended from those original Polish immigrants.
The population is less than 1000. Today their main industry is tourism with many popular Dude Ranches in the area.
There were so many great murals it kept me busy snapping away.
It was lunchtime so we stopped for some Texas BBQ. Sid's was voted Best BBQ in Bandera and we could clearly see why. Best pulled pork I have ever had. The location is an old converted service station with picnic tables out front. It is owned by Sid and his son Brick. If you are ever in Bandera stop in..............you'll enjoy it.
Back on the road we found that there is no shortage of animal sightings in the hill country. Not sure what this vulture was waiting for here. The deer seemed pretty alive.
Texas is home to many exotic animals. Since 1930 exotic animals have been brought to Texas. Many now roam wild but many are bred on ranches that sell them to Exotic Hunt Ranches. It takes the joy out of seeing them when you know where they are bound. One advertisement went as follows: "Hunting Exotics in Texas is a year-round event. There are currently no season regulations or limits on Exotic Game animals in Texas with the exemption of the Aoudad Sheep occuring in the Palo Duro Canyon area. We hunt Exotics and Whitetail Deer on multiple ranches from Junction, Kerrville, Mountain Home,Austin, San Antonio and all across South Texas".
The day was overcast but warm. The cloudiness did not detract from the beauty.
Next up Medina, TX.
Bandera may be the "Cowboy Capital of the World" but Medina is the "Apple Capital of Texas".
If you have apples you make apple pie. Oh my oh my was it delicious. Walt even had apple ice cream on his.
I believe these are fallow deer and I was happy to see they were roaming free.
Texas has Flood Gauges in low spots. That must be why so many Texans have high pickups so they can determine their capacity to cross.
Just good ole cowboy fun. Miles of boot topped fence posts.
Green grass, water, flowering bushes and trees budding out made a perfect day for me.
Last stop of the day. Stonehenge II in Ingram.
Stonehenge II is a replica of the original Stonehenge monument located in the Texas Hill Country. Stonehenge II was conceived by Al Shepperd and built with the help of his friend and neighbor, Doug Hill.
I did my Senior Paper on the original Stonehenge in England. Way back then in the dark ages it was attributed to the Druids but that has now been pooh poohed as a supernatural folk tale. But, I know the real thing would be so much more than this chicken wire covered with concrete replica.