Beautiful Guadalupe River State Park, 2/25/2018

At last, a day with sunshine! We packed lunch and headed out to Guadalupe River State Park (about 40 miles the Admiralty RV Park in San Antonio). 

The admission fee is $7/adult and a map of the park is provided at the entrance gate. Picnicking, camping, hiking, birdwatching, fishing, kayaking, and swimming (weather permitting) are popular activities here. 

Parking near the Guadalupe River, our first stop was at the Bird Viewing Blind. 

Bird feeders and a water feature attracts many birds to the area behind the blind. We spent quite a bit of time here enjoying antics of the various bird species. The most common sighting was of northern cardinals (both male and female) and American goldfinches. 

Below is a cardinal and chipping sparrow. This small sparrow is migratory, traveling to southern states for the winter months. The second photo is a black-crested titmouse.

Squirrels also visit the area to take advantage of the fresh water source. 

We walked to the nearby Discovery Center. 

Educational opportunities and interactive hands-on displays can be found inside. Skins and skulls of mammals found in the area are part of the ‘touch” and learn portion of the center. A coyote skin and skull is shown below.

Behind the center is an amphitheater used for educational programs at the park.

We explored the Discovery Center Loop Trail and part of the Cedar Sage Trail.

A hummingbird and butterfly garden is also near the Discovery Center. Of course, the plants to attract them are not yet in bloom. 

Following the Bald Cypress Trail, we came to the banks of the beautiful Guadalupe River. Huge bald cypress trees line the banks and large limestone bluffs can be found on one side.

Some kids and dogs (including our Sadie) enjoyed swimming in the cool river. Rocky beaches in some areas make for easy access to the water. 

The massive root structures of the bald cypress trees were amazing, and made for a treacherous route on some parts of the trail. 

We continued along the trail enjoying the different features of the river. Because the river is unregulated by dams, flash floods can be sudden and dangerous. Sometimes the water reaches the tops of the limestone cliffs. Rapids provide kayaking and tubing fun, especially when the river is high. 

Picnic tables are positioned along the river. We grabbed our lunch from the car and ate at one of them.

While eating we saw about 10 kayaks pull in here for pickup by a trailer. And we saw some kayakers paddling downstream...looked like a lot of fun!

During the summer months this park can get very crowded and sometimes visitors are turned away when the maximum number of occupants has been reached. 

This was one of our favorite hikes to date in Texas (excluding Big Bend National Park that has fantastic trails in a very remote setting). It is just beautiful here and the weather was perfect the day we visited. Loved it.

For additional information about the park, go to tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/guadalupe-river.

Reflections - Four Years, Feburary, 2018

Twenty eighteen is the year I am 65 and John is 70. Our sweet doggy, Sadie, will be 8 (which, if you count the first year as 14, equals about 60 dog years). AND it is four years since we sold our house, furnishings, boat, vehicles, etc., and began our retirement years as full-time RVers. 

We traded in these three vehicles during the purchase of our Monaco Monarch motor coach, a 1982 Corvette, 2005 Night Train Harley Davidson, and a 2012 Toyota Tacoma TRD (we still miss the Tacoma).

And we traded in the BMW for a Mini (we have since traded our original one for a Mini Countryman).

And we sold Destiny, our 36’ Trojan Sport Fisherman Yacht (which we miss the most).

Here is a picture of our house and yard the last winter we were in PA. We have never missed that cold weather!  Now we follow the sun. 

It was one of the best decisions of our lives!! Even though we had literally NO experience RVing, we made the leap and have never looked back. It has been so liberating. And interesting. And FUN! 

Every day I am grateful that we made the decision to pursue the full-time RV lifestyle. Seeing and learning about our country’s natural and cultural history is fascinating; I never grow tired of it. And the best part is my wonderful husband, John, who walks hand-in-hand with me on this amazing journey. Our sweet doggie, Sadie, gives us joy every day and shares in our adventures, too. 

Visits with family and friends have become even more important in our lives. It is always a treat to see those we miss and love. And it is fun to meet new or reconnect with old friends across the country as well. 

The only real hassles we have encountered have been repairs to our RV which can be expensive and, sometimes, stressful. But we remind ourselves of the cost of maintaining our home, vehicles, and boat. 

This lifestyle is not for everyone for a myriad of reasons; but for us, it’s a dream come true! 

Our mantra continues to be: 

Live as if there’s no tomorrow.

Learn as if you’ll live forever. 

Thank you for sharing the journey with us.

Two Parks, One Hike, 2/24/2018

After several rainy days, the afternoon looked more promising for some outdoor time. We have come to enjoy the Texas State Parks very much, so we decided to go to Government Canyon State Park for some hiking. 

When we stopped to pay the $6/adult entrance fee, we learned that only one trail was open (recent rain made all others very muddy and virtually impassable). And on that one open trail, dogs were not permitted. That’s not good!

We picked up a map (because we will likely return when more trails are open). Dogs are never permitted in the backcountry area of the park, but there are lots of other trails here where they are.

The ranger at the entrance gate provided us with a one-hour pass so we could go to the Visitor Center without paying the day-use fee (which I very much appreciated).  

There are exhibits on the exterior of the building and a separate building for educational programs. 

The gift shop has books, information on this state park and others, and a park ranger that provided information on hiking opportunities. I purchased a few postcards (which I always do!) and some of the brochures.

The Discovery Trail (the only one open) is near the Visitor Center, but, of course, we did not hike it because we could not bring our sweet doggie, Sadie, with us. 

For additional information about the state park, go to tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/government-canyon.

The park ranger at the entrance also provided us with a list of local parks with hiking trails (including which ones allow dogs). From the list, we randomly selected the Phil Hardberger Park (Natural Area) to visit. 

This is a 311-acre park with about 6.5 miles of hiking and biking trails, two dog parks, playgrounds, picnic facilities, and basketball courts.

We hiked the 1.2 mile Water Loop Trail first where there are both natural paths and boardwalks. There are epiphytes (air plants) all over many of the trees here as well as moss-covered oak limbs.

When we were on the Geology Trail (.8 mile) we came across these two young deer. 

Check out that white tail!

There were lots of families (and their pets) enjoying the Sunday afternoon in this park. We appreciated the tip from the ranger at the state park about this place. For additional information about the park, go to www.philhardbergerpark.org.