Intro
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3 4 5
Hill Country
Natural Bridge Caverns Pedernales
Falls
Hill Country
The next day we drove north into Texas Hill Country. Before arriving in
San Antonio, we had expected stereotypical dirt and sagebrush, dry land flat to
the horizon. But southern Texas is neither brown nor flat. Its rolling
hills are covered in green. And in April, this part of the country is
known for its wildflowers. As a result of a highway beautification
campaign by Ladybird Johnson, many highways are paralleled by seas of
bluebonnets (Texas' state flower) and carpets of red and yellow Indian
paintbrush [above]. Although 2002 was not the best year for wildflowers, we caught
glimpses of the magnificence that a good year could offer.
Natural
Bridge Caverns
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Within a 2-hours' drive north of San Antonio are numerous state parks that
offer camping, hiking, swimming, fishing, rafting, and other diversions.
Our
first stop was not a park but Natural Bridge Caverns,
Texas' largest "living cave." Discovered in 1960 and opened to tours
in 1964, it is still as it was found, except for some lighting, walkways, and
handrails for safety.
A guide took us on a 1-mile, hour-long walk about 230 feet
down at the lowest point. Subterranean chambers included "Sherwood
Forest," the "Castle of the White Giants" (50 ft wide, 50 ft
high, and 250 ft long), and the "Hall of the Mountain King" (100 ft
wide, 100 ft tall, and 350 ft long). [At left is one of the rooms, with columns
that towered far above our heads.] |
| Stalactite, stalagmite, flowstone, and
column formations included the "Bomb Burst," the "King's
Throne," resembling an ornate throne draped with curtains, the
"Chandelier," and even "fried eggs," squat, flat calcite
formations. Water dripping into pools and underground rivers added sound
effects.
The limestone formations were amazing in color, shape, number and size. Many
of them were incredibly large, especially given that they are created at an
average rate of only 1 cubic inch every 100 years!
We were awed by
this natural spectacle, which photographs can't do justice. Cameron had never been in a cavern before, but even we
grownups found it to contain the most interesting rock formations we'd ever
seen. |
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After lunching at a picnic table on grounds outside the cavern, we
continued north on highway 35 to New Braunfels and San Marcos, then
northwest to Johnson City (named for the President's forebears).
Pedernales
Falls State Park
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From there it
was a short drive east to Pedernales Falls State Park.
The falls [left] did not contain much water, and the angle of their descent is shallow,
but they run over interesting 300-million-year-old limestone strata.
We enjoyed scrambling over the rocks, then walking the quarter-mile Hill
Country Nature Trail [below].
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| But most fun was finding a slow bend downriver,
close to the park's campground, where we could wade and swim.
The water was cool
but not cold, and Cameron spent much of his time searching for fish and frogs in
the shady shallows. Amy was a bit unnerved by the many signs warning that flash
floods could appear at any moment, but we enjoyed a perfectly idyllic
afternoon.
Our return south offered a special experience: a real Texas thunder and
lightning storm! After enjoying clear, sunny skies all day, the storm was a
surprise, and we were glad to be in the car.
The thunder was deafening through
our roof, and the lightning flashed ominously in the distance. The rain fell in
sheets so thick that we had to slow considerably on the freeway because we could
only see a few feet in front of our car!
Once we'd driven through the storm, we
were rewarded by not only a single rainbow...but a triple one! Texas was
smiling on us! |
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We dined that night at the Texas Land and Cattle steak house. Is it typically
Texan that patrons are expected to drink their beer from the bottle? The steak
was good, however.
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