Historic District of Fort Stockton, 3/22/2018

Our decision to spend a week in Fort Stockton was solely based on its location between San Antonio and Carlsbad, NM. While here, we wanted to check out the local attractions in this small town (population around 8,000). On our first day in town, we went to the Visitor Center.

Housed in the original Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railroad Depot (1911), there is lots of information about West Texas and the many things to see and do here. The three sculptures tell the story of a horse getting spooked by his shadow and dumping its rider on the ground. 

Historic silhouettes located near the depot tell the stories of the region’s past.  The two shown below represent early settlers and vaqueros (herdsman of the Spanish colonial period). They would drive cattle between New Mexico and Mexico City.

And two more remember the Comanches who traveled through this area every year and the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Calvary who were stationed at nearby Fort Stockton.  

In front of the Depot is a display of an oil rig and windmill, both common sights in the area today. Petroleum remains the most important economic asset of Pecos County.

Across the street is Paisano Pete, (reportedly) the largest road runner in the world and town mascot. The town has really done a great job making visitors feel welcome.

But my favorite is this one of Pete and John ... on the run.

A brochure from the Visitor Center provides a driving tour with a map that highlights the sites through the historic district. The Oldest House was built in 1859 with adobe walls and a thatched roof. The ruins are shown below.

Pecos County was founded in 1875 and this town was designated the county seat. This courthouse was built in 1912, but three preceded it (original courthouse built in 1875; second in 1878; and, third in 1883).

Across the street from the courthouse is Zero Stone Park, so named for the large stone used as the zero mark for determine borders and boundaries in Fort Stockton. There is a large pavilion in the small park where concerts and other community events are hosted. War memorials can also be found in the park. 

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is an adobe structure built in 1875. Nearby is St. Stephens Episcopal Church, one of the oldest Protestant churches west of Pecos River Originally named St. Marks in 1896, it was moved to this location in 1958.

The old Pecos County Jail (across the street from the Courthouse) is one of the area’s oldest frontier structures still standing. The original jail was built in 1883 and then enlarged in 1913. 

Prisoners were held on the 2nd floor while the sheriff and jailers lived on the ground floor. The last sheriff of the jail retired in 2000 and moved out of his quarters here. Photos of sheriffs of the past and other memorabilia are on display on the first floor. Also shown are handcuffs and thumb cuffs (have never seen these before) and the cabinet where prisoner possessions were kept. 

We toured the second floor cell blocks. Most cells had two sets of bunk beds (sleeping 4) with a common room where prisoners shower. There was also an isolation room and cells for women in a separate area. 

There is no admission charge to tour the Old Jail, although donations are appreciated. 

For additional information about the historic district of Fort Stockton, go to historicfortstocktontx.com/attractions-2/fort-stockton-visitor-center.

Admiralty RV Resort, Feb 21 to March 21, 2018

Rating:  3.0 on a scale of 5

Location: This park is situated on the west side of San Antonio with easy access to main roads, grocery stores, pharmacy, etc. We visited the Texas Hill Country from here and really enjoyed the numerous state and city parks accessible from this location. 

Lot size: The lots here are a little too small for our liking. We reserved 1.5 lots so we had a space to park our car. On several occasions, our neighbors parked their car on gravel on our lot (management notified them that this was against their park policies). 

There are also cabins for rent here.

Below is the layout of the park.

Amenities: There is a large, heated swimming pool here. Near the pool is the laundry room with 10 washers and dryers, so very convenient. However, you pay for the machines with a credit card (quarters not accepted) and card reading errors are frequent and annoying! 

A small dog park is located next to bathrooms at the far end of the park.

There is no cable TV or wifi provided at this park. We ended up getting Spectrum for one month (a cost of $127 for basic cable and high speed internet), plus an appointment for installation. We had to pick up and return the cable device and modem at the Spectrum store where there is always a long wait. The bonus for us was that we terminated our contract in less than 30 days, so we were informed that we will get a full refund. 

Cost: $655 plus electric for the month

Management: This is a well run and busy RV park. The office is open 8 am to 8 pm most nights and receiving mail here is a breeze. The first night we arrived, however, we had electrical issues and had contacted a mobile RV service company. The next day it was determined that we were not getting power from the utility pole at our site. When I spoke with the office about a refund for the day (as we paid for full hook ups), we were informed that they NEVER provide a refund. Also, it was their stance that it was not their “fault” that the 50-amp service was not working at our site. Obviously, I disagreed, but did not push the issue as we had another month planned here. 

General Comments:  Overall, this is a good place to stay primarily due to the location. And we met some nice people here, too. But, the next time we are in San Antonio, I will likely look for another park. 

Website: www.admiraltyrvresort.com

Visiting LBJ Country, 3/16/2018

About 75 miles from San Antonio is Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site (tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lyndon-b-johnson). Next to it is the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park that is located on the LBJ Ranch. We began our visit at the State Park that is located on land purchased in 1967. 

Our first stop, as always, was at the State Park’s Visitor Center Complex where we picked up maps of both parks. 

Here is the map of the State Park. 

There are exhibits about the LBJ Ranch and presidential years as well as the history and wildlife of the area (Texas Hill Country) in a building attached to the Visitor Center

Also in the Visitor Complex is the Danz log cabin (c 1840). Built in the dog-trot style, it is two cabins with a breezeway. 

We took the Paseo Del Arroyo Nature Trail to the Sauer-Beckmann Farm. It was wonderful to see this redbud blooming!

A mural of the history of the area since 1900 is displayed at a pavilion along the trail.

In a field nearby this bull and our sweet doggie, Sadie, started a stare down. Chickens, sheep, and cattle are part of the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm (1915-1918). 

Everyday chores (milking, egg gathering, caring for livestock, cleaning, butter churning, cheese making, plowing with horses, canning) happen year-round at the farm. Period furnishings can be seen in the family home.

The farm was originally settled in 1869 by Johann and Christine Sauer. They had ten children and one of them, Augusta Sauer Lindig, served as a mid-wife at the birth of LBJ. And, we know Augusta’s great-great-great niece. Wow!

Continuing on the nature trail, we wanted to check out the bison. More than 30 million bison roamed the plains in the 1500s. A period known as the Great Slaughter (1874-1877) almost eliminated the southern bison herd. By 1888, less than 1,000 remained. Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight gathered orphaned bison and raised them on their ranch. Descendants of that herd were donated to the Texas Parks in 1977 and became the official Texas State Bison Herd.

Across the Pedernales River from the state park is the LBJ Ranch. 

We hopped in the car and drove to the LBJ National Historical Park stopping first at the Junction School. LBJ learned to read at age four in this one-room school. 53 years later, Johnson returned as president, to sign the Elementary and Secondary Education Act at this location.

The entrance to the National Historic Site is next to the school. 

LBJ was buried at the Johnson Family Cemetery in January, 1973. Generations of Johnsons are buried here. Ladybird’s grave is next to her husband’s.

Near the cemetery is the reconstructed home where LBJ was born in 1908, the first child of Sam and Rebekah Johnson. He lived in the house until he was about 5. Rebuilt in 1964 for guests visiting the LBJ ranch, today it is furnished with period pieces.

LBJ’s grandparents lived out their lives in a modest farmhouse located near his birthplace. Longhorns can be seen in several areas of the ranch. 

As we drove to the Show Barn, we saw several deer running through the fields. 

The Show Barn is the center for present day ranch operations. Cattle are cared for here and prepared for sale or shows. LBJ maintained two herds: one for beef and the other for breeding livestock. Shown below a goat and her twin kids and a cow and her twin calves.

In 1953, LBJ built a 3,000’ grass landing field on the ranch to improve his travel time between the ranch and Washington, DC. By the time he was president, he had upgraded it to a 6,300’ asphalt landing strip. Even so, Air Force One was too large to land at the ranch. Therefore, LBJ (and his guests) would fly to Austin and take either a Sikorsky helicopter or the Lockheed Jetstar shown below to the ranch. It is half the size of Air Force One.

The Visitor Center has displays of LBJ’s legacy. 

The home on the LBJ ranch was known as the Texas White House when he served as President. It overlooks the Pedernales River. Tours are offered ($3/per), but we did not see the interior (as we had our sweet doggie, Sadie, with us). 

The Secret Service maintained a presence with the Johnson family for 47 years (beginning in 1961). While at the LBJ Ranch they stayed in this small house near the family home. 

Vehicles that LBJ owned are displayed in the airplane hangar. The 1915 Fire Truck was restored with bench seats and presented to LBJ in 1964 by the town of Brady, TX. He would transport visitors around the ranch in it. His car of choice was a white Lincoln Continental convertible; below is a 1966 and 1967 models he owned. The all-terrain hunting vehicle (1934 Ford Phaeton) was equipped with a wet bar and used to take guests deer hunting in it. I checked them out while John and Sadie waited for me outside. 

We enjoyed our visit to both parks more than I had expected. There’s a lot of interesting history to learn hear about those that settled in this part of the country and the lifestyle of farmers and ranchers in the Hill Country. 

There is also a Visitor Center and Historical Park buildings in Johnson City, where LBJ grew up. For additional information about the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, go to www.nps.gov/lyjo.