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Category: 2024

Burnet, TX

Burnet, TX

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Burnet is a typical small town with roots dating back to frontier days nestled in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Known for its scenic beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and historic charm, Burnet offers a relaxed and inviting atmosphere for residents and visitors alike. The town sits on the shores of Lake Buchanan, one of the Highland Lakes, making it a popular destination for fishing, boating, and water sports enthusiasts. History buffs can explore attractions like the Fort Croghan Museum, which showcases artifacts from the area’s frontier days, or take a stroll through the historic downtown district with its quaint shops and eateries.

As was the case further south, the wildflowers were vibrant and plentiful in the area around Burnet and Lake Buchanan. The picture at the top of this post is an area behind the RV park that would typically be underwater. Instead, it’s covered in Bluebonnets.

We were lucky to be in town for the 41st annual Bluebonnet Festival which included live music, a carnival, food, and lots and lots of shopping. From Arts and Crafts vendors to Wiener Dog races, there was something for everyone. The festival includes one of the biggest and best parades in central Texas. Marching bands, antique cars, horses, fire trucks, special performing groups such as the Sunrise Beach Lawn Chair Brigade and Hill Country Plungettes brought a smile to everyone’s face, from the very young to the young-at-heart and ours. Approximately 150 entries lined up for the hour-long parade. On the banks of Hamilton Creek, the Annual Lakes Area Rod and Classic Car Show was also held although we didn’t make it over to that.

Just west of Burnet is Lake Buchanan and the park we stayed at was on the south east corner of the lake adjacent to the dam. Like many of the lakes in Texas that are suffering from drought, Lake Buchanan is also very low.

This picture was taken from an area that should be underwater but the lake is about 25′ low (46.5% full). Note that the water level is well below the gates at the dam.

Park Review – Lake Buchanan RV and Cabin Resort

Site 23
Deck near the clubhouse and pool
Swimming pool and hot tub
Playground

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Location: Burnet, TX
Type: Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 12:00/11:00
Site Quality / Amenities: Sites were gravel and each site had a picnic table but nothing else. There were some larger trees scattered around the park as well as some small rock formations. Sites are FHU with 30/50A electric. They also have cabins for rent if you don’t have a RV to stay in. Other amenities include a store on site, laundry facilities, fitness room, guest lounge, clubhouse with kitchen, fishing, boat ramp with dock, swim dock, pool with hot tub, a large covered pavilion, nature trail, dog walk and playground.
Access: Reasonably easy access from TX-29 west of Burnet then north on FM-690.
Staff: Our only interaction with staff was at check in and they were friendly and efficient.
Cellular/WiFi: We had decent Verizon coverage and the park had WiFi but we didn’t use it. Site 23, had a good clear view to the north and Starlink worked great from there.
Restaurants: We didn’t end up eating out in the area but there were several possibilities.
Nearby parks: On the north end of the lake is Canyon of the Eagles which has a small restaurant, 61 guestrooms and a small RV park. The RV park is beautiful and does have a few sites up to 87′ in length. In our judgement though the road through the camping area is small and winding and there are a lot of low trees. Although you could obviously get in and out of there with a big rig it’s hard to imaging doing so without getting a few scrapes. Because of that, we probably won’t plan a trip there in the future. Inks Lake State Park is also just to the south and is very nice but hard to get into due to the popularity of the park.
What we liked: Nice clean park with good views of Lake Buchanan. The common areas were very nice for swimming, hot tubing and just relaxing in the hot Texas weather. Sites 1-25 are mostly good but check the satellite view for spacing and trees.
What we didn’t like: Sites were just basic and were made of gravel which can track inside as well as getting messy in rainy weather.
Verdict: This is a good alternative to staying at Inks Lake State Park should it be full.

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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