Hello again, dear readers. What a fantastic visit to central Texas have we enjoyed! We have always driven through Texas with a single minded focus on getting through this massive state as fast as possible. How pleasant it is to get off the interstate and explore the back roads!
We started off enjoying the special Pecan Valley campground and exploring the tiny town of Junction via bicycle. The campground was really special. It was just far enough away from the interstate that there was no road noise. It was a wide open field at the end of a working Pecan Orchard, and had chickens and goats wandering the grounds keeping the insect population down. We rode into town for lunch and discovered a HUGE planned community in the works. Im not sure that the developer is having any luck, it had “launched” in 2023, but was looking a bit deserted. But the lunch was delicious and it was nice to be on our bikes again.
We left Junction, headed for Austin, and cut off the interstate to head through Fredericksburg. There are probably Texans reading this who know about the area, but for us it was a wonderful surprise. We were headed to the LBJ National Historic Park just because I thought a little history would be a good diversion. Little did we know we were heading into the infamous Texas Hill Country which is now a very large Vineyard and Winery destination! At the risk of sounding like a west coast wine snob, I had NO IDEA Texas made wine, nor had SO MANY wineries to choose from. It was impressive to say the least! Since we hadn’t known about it, we didn’t plan for it, and therefore did not stop and partake. But there is no doubt that a trip back, specifically for that, is in order! We made it to LBJ Ranch, which was an interesting scenic drive around the ranch he and Ladybird loved until the day they both died. It includes the final resting place for both of them. I was too young to remember his presidency, and only know the historical accounts of how his role in Vietnam broke him. But it’s clear he and Ladybird left a huge mark on Texas and they still honor that.
We arrived at the East Austin Koa on Tuesday night, with plans to stay through Saturday night. I had stumbled on the fact the the annual Texas Book Fair was scheduled for the weekend and I was not going to miss it. So I got busy figuring out what we needed to see and do! We started off with a hike at McKinney Falls State Park. A historical site, most known for the falls along the Onion Creek, it includes the remains of an early Texas homestead, last owned and run by a series of freed slave families. It was a great find. Then we decided to head downtown to Sixth Street, for a little lunch and to scope out the music scene its known for. Granted, it was broad daylight when we were there, so we just hope it looks prettier in the dark and after a few drinks….. We were going to have a chance to find out the next night cause I had bought tickets to a show called Esther’s Follies. Advertised as SNL like, it sounded like fun, and the early show was at 7pm, so well within our window of getting home at a decent hour. Making it a date night, we gussied ourselves up and headed down to Ladybird Lake for a pre-evening stroll, then headed over to a swanky steak house for a lavish dinner, then back down to Sixth Street for the show. Oh. My. Gawd. Was that worth it! We laughed so hard. If you find yourself in Austin, dear reader, please don’t miss it!
The next day I planned on a day of self-care, so a pedicure and a hair cut were on order. Not knowing anything about Austin neighborhoods, but figuring the girls at the University of Texas would know the places to go, I found a couple of well reviewed places near the University. So we used it as a chance to tour that district and have some lunch. On our way in to get a peak at the football stadium, we stumbled on the LBJ library – so a little MORE history fell into our lap. It was an interesting museum, he messed up big time with Vietnam but he really loved this country and wanted to make it a better place. As Dale said, we learned a few things we didn’t know we needed to learn. Then Dale dropped me off and the girls of UT are right, two pleasant experiences for me. Then an Uber ride home, and I learned about a couple more things we shouldn’t miss in Austin. Gotta love those Uber and Lyft drivers!
Saturday dawned a beautiful sunny day, and Dale drove me down to the capital for the book fair. And might I say, fair readers, BOOK NERDS UNITE! Dale could not believe all the people wandering around the grounds, looking at books, listening to author discussions, buying book nerdy gifts and knickknacks. He lasted an hour, and then left me to my own devices. I was in heaven. Four author discussions and several passes through the exhibitor tents and I had a wonderful day! Dale decided to drive back to Rainey Street – the more “grown up” Sixth Street scene and meet me for dinner. We had a nice evening, but thought maybe the guests in the area had about ten years, max, on the “kids” doing the Sixth Street scene. By the end of the day, I was starting to visualize a perfect girls vacation….starting with wine, and ending with books.
Then we left for Waco. If the only thing you remember about Waco is the horrible FBI incident, rest assured, we went there because I have been fans of the HGTV juggernauts, Chip and Joanna Gaines. But we had arrived on Sunday, and the Magnolia Silos complex was closed. So we enjoyed a river walk along the Brazos River and ended with a tour of the Dr. Pepper Museum. Again, we had no idea that Dr. Pepper was created in Waco. The museum was a fun little tour, and we ended up frustrated with the fact that they not only keep the original formula a secret, but also the reason why they named it Dr. Pepper!
We spent the night in another wonderful RV park just south of town. Literally setting up just before the wind and rain showed up. We were supposed to have thunderstorms overnight, but those never materialized. But we were up and out and parked in front of the Silos by 8:30, ready for opening at 9am. We were the first to enter the Magnolia Market, and received an ovation from the staff. Twenty minutes later, and getting ready to move onto another part of the compound and the storm from last night had finally shown up. It was raining sideways. It blew one of their lampposts over! They were kind enough to offer us plastic ponchos, and it was enough to keep us going, but I have to believe that the experience is much more fun when the weather is beautiful and you can enjoy the grounds. No sightings of Chip or Joanna either. But what a great third stop of a girls vacation for the future!
We left Waco with the weather still very dreary and made our way to Texarkana for our last night in the great state of Texas. So what we have previously only ever done in 3-4 days, we did in 14 days. And of course, there are still parts of the state we haven’t explored, but for now, they are not part of our bucket list. And with that, dear readers, we are ready to explore the southeast part of our country for the next couple of months!
Until next time!
Yours, Lady Wanderingwise
Weise's Wanderings 
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