BIG BIG COUNTRY

 We left Medina Lake TT on Friday morning and headed west. My pictures don't show you the vastness of the scenery. It is just amazing.

 The speed is 80 but in the RV we only go 60, especially when I was driving.

 It was a little breezy and there were signs warning of high cross winds,  so we weren't surprised to see wind farms.

 We stopped in Fort Stockton,  that is one big road runner. I have seen one real  road runner so far.

 We stayed at this Passport park. Price was good but it was a little rough, We did stayed two nights so we could  go to Big Bend National Park.

 It was a long straight ride on 385 to the park. Only three cars passed us the whole 140 miles!

 Picture this to your right and to your left and as far as you can see. I felt like a small speck in the world.

 Finally we reach the park and the views continue.

 We stopped but didn't have our passports with us so we couldn't go over to Mexico.

 You can cross the Rio Grande by row boat, then ride a mule to Boquillas, the Mexican village, have lunch and come home.

 We drove to the Boquillas overlook to have a picnic lunch. The Rio Grande!

 There were items for sale on the rocks, with a can to put your money in.

 As we were eating our lunch this horse and rider came up the cliff.  Larry asked him if he spoke English, he said a little and then he talked with him. He is the one who made the items and lives across the river in Mexico.He said as long as he doesn't go any further, they don't bother him. We purchased a road runner. We then read in The Pasiano, Big Bend's newspaper, that it was illegal to buy these items and was considered contraband and would be seized by officers and the Mexican merchant would be arrested for illegal commercial operations. Oh my.

 At Panther Junction visitor center we watched a very informative movie on this National Park. We only saw a tiny portion of  Big Bend NP, but were willing to go home after we made reservations to come back and camp here for a week in March. When leaving the visitor center I saw javelinas, they do smell like skunks. They are not pigs but peccaries.

 Our last adventure was a hike.

 We made it to the canyon.

 All along the trail were stone piles to mark the path. It was supposed to be cold and windy today so I had dressed in layers. I was down to short sleeves by the end of the  hike.

 On the drive home, miles and miles of beauty and isolation. I can't wait to come back and see the night skies (It is the darkest area in the US with no artificial lighting.) explore all of the areas, go to Mexico, and spend a whole week here enjoying Big Bend.

CHRISTMAS TIME IN TEXAS

 Lynda and Bob flew into San Antonio at 9:30 Christmas Eve. Bob usually sleeps in a tent when they come for Christmas, but the weather has been too cold. We rented a Get Away cabin at the park  for him this year. We surprised him with it saying that is where Santa had delivered the gifts.

 At noon on Christmas Day we went to the activity center for dinner.

 There was turkey and ham, and we all brought a covered dish and a desert. Lots of good food.

 Medina Lake TT has a lot of deer. I never got tired of seeing them. Bob even got to see a grey fox one evening.

 Thursday was spent in San Antonio. Our first stop was the Alamo. then we took a bus tour where we were able to hop on and off at different stops.

 We ate lunch here in Market Square.

 Went down to the River Walk.

 Walked around HemisFair park and the craft shops in La Villita.

 Looked at the Buckhorn museum

 Bob practiced his shooting.

 Stopped at Rita's on the River for a Margarita.

 Larry had one here 6 years ago and wanted to come back.

 We waited till the Christmas lights were just coming on to take the barge ride on the river. Unfortunately it was a cold day and we were ready to head home. For dinner we had to stop at Whataburger and let them experience it.

 We had driven around the country side with them on Christmas Day, so Friday Bob suggested we go back to Bandera and eat at Busbee's and walk around the town. Unfortunately some of the stores were still  closed.

 The most amazing thing about this area is the lake, that isn't.  Six years ago we have beautiful pictures of this lake, but it dried up two years ago.  Talk about drought. This was the boat ramp into the lake at the park.

 Looking up at Thousand Trails floating dock from the lake bed.

 The only water left is this little bit over by the dam miles away.  This dam had formed a large lake and now it is gone, so sad.

 Bob and Lynda flew home early Saturday morning. It was sure nice having them with us for Christmas. Family and friends are a special part of the holiday.
 Tommie and Andre invited us to sit with them the first Sunday we went to the Methodist church in Lakehills.   We really enjoyed talking with them. They had us over to their home on Christmas Eve and we had them come visit us after church the next week.We even started off the new year with them at their house. The best part of our travel is meeting and getting to know such interesting people and the hardest part is saying goodbye.

MORE OF LBJ

 On December 16 we moved to Medina Lake TT, which is in Lakehills,TX, north of San Antonio.  We were about 75 miles south of LBJ ranch so one beautiful day we took the drive through the hill country to take a tour.

LBJ lived at this home in Johnson City from the age of 4. We had a nice tour through it with a park ranger. It did not sound like LBJ had a very easy childhood. This house had no electric or running water when he was growing up.

 You drive 12 miles down the road to the LBJ ranch.  This is where he was born and lived for the first 4 years of his life. He started school here.  He returned as President 53 years later to sign the far-reaching Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

 His first home was right up from the school.

 Across the road from the house is the Johnson family cemetery.

 He died January 25, 1973 and Lady Bird died in July 11, 2007. They both died here at the ranch.

 There home, on this still working ranch, was known as the Texas White House.

 There were two deer heads mounted on the tree. I'm not sure if they were the Christmas decoration or are always there. We had a tour through the house but no pictures were allowed to be taken.

 Whenever anyone visited the President he didn't have them sign a guest book they put there name in a square of wet cement. It was fun reading them.

 I never knew there was an amphicar.

 He would have scared me driving it into the river.

 The presidential plane. The only way to travel here inTexas.

 It was a beautiful drive home through the hill country.