Eclipse 2024

Eclipse 2024

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Before the 2024 eclipse, I thought I had seen one before but I think I had only seen partial eclipses. This was a magical event with constant fear we’d miss it all because of clouds. Throughout it all we had short breaks and at totality the clouds just moved out of the way. Later that night I went and cleaned up the pictures I had taken and thought, oh well they weren’t that great but then I looked for better ones on the internet. There may be better ones now but at least right after, mine were as good as most others I could find.

All of the non-totality pictures were taken with my cell phone with only a filter on the lens. The totality ones were taken with our “good” camera on a tripod and no other special equipment. Imagine what you could take with several $1000’s of dollars of equipment!

Just beginning
We were afraid the clouds were going to get in the way
Just before totality there was a break in the clouds!
Totality!
Closer look at solar flares
Flares continued to be visible throughout totality
Another closeup of the flares
The sun just coming out of the moon’s shadow. Within seconds we went from total darkness to bright again.
On the back side, sun starting to uncover
Stonewall, TX

Stonewall, TX

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Stonewall is perhaps most famous for being the birthplace of President Lyndon B. Johnson, whose family home, known as the LBJ Ranch or the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, is a major attraction in the area. In fact, the ranch is almost across the street from the Peach Country RV Park. We didn’t tour the ranch this time as we had done that during a previous stay in the area. Aside from its historical significance, Stonewall is surrounded by beautiful rolling hills, vineyards, and orchards, making it a scenic destination for wine tasting and outdoor activities. As we were here during the Texas wildflower season, we spent a while exploring places looking for the best wildflowers.

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San Antonio, TX

San Antonio, TX

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San Antonio, Texas, boasts a rich and diverse history deeply intertwined with the fabric of American culture. Founded in 1718 by Spanish settlers, it was initially a Spanish mission and presidio (fortress) called San Antonio de Béxar, established to secure Spain’s claim to the region and convert indigenous peoples to Christianity. The most famous of these missions is the Alamo, which played a pivotal role in Texas history during the Texas Revolution in 1836. San Antonio later became a key hub for trade, military operations, and cultural exchange, with influences from Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American cultures shaping its identity. Today, it’s renowned for its vibrant arts scene, historic landmarks like the River Walk and Spanish colonial missions, and its celebration of multicultural heritage.

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Calliham, TX (Choke Canyon State Park)

Calliham, TX (Choke Canyon State Park)

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Choke Canyon Lake about 24% full, the nearby grassy area should be underwater
Javalina in our site

Park Review – Choke Canyon State Park

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Location: Calliham, TX
Type: State Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 2:00/12:00
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads / pads. Each site has a covered patio, a fire pit and a lantern pole.
Access: Off TX-72 West of Three Rivers, TX.
Staff: We had minimal interaction with staff.
Cellular/WiFi: Verizon worked slightly but only with our amplifier and external antenna. Starlink was great as we had a clear view of the north sky.
Restaurants: Live Oak Restaurant in Three Rivers served good food at reasonable prices.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look closely at any other parks nearby. We did drive by a few and they were pretty rough looking.
What we liked: We saw wildlife while we were there including numerous types of birds, javelina, wild turkeys and deer. They have signs posted about alligators being in the park but we didn’t see any. The park was fairly quiet even on the weekends.
What we didn’t like: We were in site 107 and although it worked it was a bit challenging to get into due to a post and trees near the site entrance and trees at the back and side of the site. We had to park the truck sideways across the front of the trailer. The sites are water and electric only with no sewer so stays for us are limited to a week or less.
Verdict: This was typical of most Texas State Parks if not on the better side of most. It could have used some TLC in places, particularly in regards to trimming some of the low trees along the roads. This might be a good stop if heading down to the South Padre / Brownsville area but check the sites for trees and other obstructions as well as length first.

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El Campo, TX

El Campo, TX

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El Campo is situated in the center of the Coastal Plains of Texas. Because of the bountiful native grasses, these plains were used as open range for cattle by Spanish explorers, later by Mexican cattlemen and then settlers brought in by Colonist Stephen F. Austin. After Texas won its independence from Mexico, German, Irish and Swedish immigrants moved into the area and cattle production remained the principal income of the people.

In 1882, a railroad camp (section No. 230) was situated where El Campo now stands. The little camp was first called “Prairie Switch” because it served as a switching point on the Houston-Victoria Railroad and a shipping point on the New York, Texas and Mexican Railroad. In fact, during the mid-1880s, El Campo was the largest prairie hay shipping point in the entire United States.

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