Texas RV Travel blog

The Fredericksburg and Northern Railroad (F&N RR) reduced the commute from San Antonio to Fredericksburg from two weeks by wagon to one day by train. Expensive to build and maintain, the railroad was shut down as soon as highways made train travel obsolete.

As you leave Fredericksburg on 290E, turn right on Old San Antonio Road to retrace the path of the F&N RR.

Many farm homes, log cabins and rock walls that predate the railroad remain today.

You pass ghost towns that were once thriving railroad towns: Cain City, Grapetown and Bankersmith, to name the ones whose remains you may still view today. After Bankersmith you will notice you are steadily climbing. This is the divide between the watersheds of the Pedernales and Guadalupe Rivers. Once past Bankersmith, you will see the raised roadbed of the railroad. For the next ten miles the road and the railbed will cross many times.

Stop at the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area, about four miles past Bankersmith. Rather than climb the divide, the railroad engineers decided they must pass through this hill. The tunnel is now home to over 3000 Brazilian Free-Tail Bats.

As you continue, you will come to a junction with FM 473. Continue straight ahead towards Comfort. Turn left at the first small road, River Bend Road. Continue on as the road narrows and sweeps toward the Guadalupe River. Soon you will see a railroad bridge, still standing proud after 100 years.

Continue on this River Bend Road and you will come to a low water crossing over the Guadalupe. From this vantage point, you may appreciate the size of this bridge.

Notice there is not a rail bed nor road leading to or from this bridge. The bridge leads to nowhere. It is but a phantom of the Fredericksburg and Northern Railroad, left behind when the tracks were pulled up in 1944 and shipped to Australia and Alaska.

To return to civilization you may continue on River Bend Road to until it ends at a T. Go to the left and you will return to FM 473.

Tags: Old San Antonio Road, Fredericksburg Northern Railroad, bridge to nowhere, Old Tunnel WMA, Pedernales River, Guadalupe River

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For 20 years I have heard folk talk about dinosaur tracks in the Blanco River. Some people state they are downstream from Five Mile Dam outside of San Marcos. Others swear they are on private property down river from Blanco State Park.

Following directions in the book, Roadside Geology of Texas (Spearing, 1996), we found the dinosaur tracks last weekend on our journey back from Fredericksburg.

The Sauropod tracks are in the Blanco River bed west of Blanco, Texas. To see the tracks, the water level must be low, so this summer is perfect for viewing!

Take US Highway 281 South from Austin to Blanco, turn right onto FM 1623, and look for County Road 103 on the left. Turn and park safely by the low water crossing.

Stand on the low water crossing facing downstream. Walk to your left toward FM 1623 and enter the riverbed. Gingerly walk about 150 feet and you cannot miss these tracks! There are about 20 of them and they lead right into the water.

You must cross the river and walk quite a way to see the next sets of tracks. With the water low, there is a danger of slipping on algae covered rocks, so walk carefully. It is better if you walk in the water rather than on the land. Snakes snooze on the rock ledges next to the river.

Look for the gravel bar that lies roughly in the middle of the river. You want to walk down the right side of this gravel bar.

You will know that you are heading toward the right place when you see the Cretaceous limestone outcropping depicted in the picture to the left.

Continue to walk toward the limestone overhang, looking toward the gravel bar. Soon you will spot tracks radiating from the gravel bar toward the bank and then curving back toward the sand bar.

While these tracks are not as numerous the Theropod and Sauropod tracks in Dinosaur Valley State Park, these three Saurapod trackways in the Blanco River bed will amaze you.

Step into the footsteps of dinosaurs. Sit and ponder the time that has passed since these huge, herbivores walked the Earth.

Tags: dinosaur tracks, Blanco River, sauropod trackways

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We drove the 13-mile long serpentine Willow City Loop, one of the wildest roads in Texas. Pictured below is the view from the highest point on the country road before we descended into the breaks carved by Coal Creek.

As we descended into the canyon, we saw huge gray and pink granite boulders tossed around like the building blocks of some giant petulant child.

Then we passed smooth stones scattered about the landscape. Legend has it that the smooth rocks are stars that fell into this valley.

Tall cliffs shaded the dense undergrowth, natural grasses and pools of water left by the rain. Cattle guards rattled our undercarriage, but protected the horses, sheep and deer that wander freely in this protected valley.

We passed through a milenia of geologic history, including a serpentine quarry, before the road ended at Highway 16. Where Willow City Loop ends is a short drive to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.

Formed of granite, the inselburg (island mountain)

Enchanted Rock is the most famous of the formations in the Enchanted Rock batholith (underground rock formation uncovered by erosion), and the second largest rock mountains in the US.

We were unable to hike because it began to rain again, but the park ranger allowed us to enter to view this mountain. We are returning next month, so there will be more pictures, God willing and the creeks don’t rise!

Tags: Willow City Loop, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, grey and pink granite, batholith

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On Friday, we drove a leisurely Texas Hill Country backroads ramble through Wimberley to Blanco to Fredericksburg. We sidetracked to so that Michael could see Luckenbach. The town, really just a dancehall, post office and a creek, was made famous by the song Luckenbach, Texas, sung by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

Fredericksburg is a town built by German immigrants in the mid-1800s. The town is laid out with precision: Main Street will accommodate a U-turn by a wagon pulled by a team of 16 horses; from the center of town toward the west, the first letter of each street spells out COME BACK; to the east from downtown, the first letter of each street spells WELCOME.

The center of Fredericksburg is the MarketPlatz, and the heart of MarketPlatz is the Vereins Kirche (community church). The Vereins Kirche is now a museum with exhibits focusing on the history of the area and rotating photographic exhibits.

On Saturday morning, we attended the Seventh Annual Renewable Energy Roundup, held at MarketPlatz. It was raining and then the weather turned hot and humid. We walked through the fair, viewing exhibits, asking questions about rainwater harvesting and solar power, and visiting friends.

Across from the MarketPlatz there is an Oak tree that evidently had been damaged by wind or lightening. Rather than cut the tree down, an artisan with a chain saw shaped the damaged tree into a striking sculpture. The base is an eagle and the top two branches are eagles. To the left is a closeup of the bottom of the tree.

When we left the fair, we drove around the historic part of Fredericksburg, but did not take a walking tour as we had planned. It was just too hot!

Above is the Admiral Nimitz Museum, probably the most recognizable landmark in Fredericksburg. There are many historic buildings in the downtown area. Surrounding neighborhoods sport log cabins and homes with gingerbread trim, shake shingles and huge trees. Fredericksburg is a very clean and beautiful town.

Tags: Fredericksburg, Texas, Renewable Energy Roundup, Hill Country backroad ramble

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Airstream BaseCamp

Airstream partnered with Nissan Design America and Kelty to produce a tent-trailer hybrid, the BaseCamp. Sleek styling includes 20-inch wheels, wraparound windows, low profile and classic aluminum skin.

The attached tent extension, engineered by Kelty, doubles the available living space. The interior can be outfitted as a workshop, camper, combination camper/toy trailer, utility trailer or home office by adding available options such as sofas, cabinetry, appliances and sink.

With a gross weight of 2,000 pounds fully loaded, the BaseCamp does not need a monster truck to tow it. With an MSRP about $20,000, you will not need a second mortgage either.

Download PDF with more information and floorplan.

Tags: BaseCamp, hybird tent trailer, Airstream BaseCamp, Kelty, Nissan+Design+American”

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