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The Ghosts of San Antonio

Sculpture in downtown San Antonio called La Antorcha de la Amistad which is Spanish for The Torch of Friendship. “I have no doubt of the time being close at hand when I will be rewarded for letting my tongue speak what my heart thinks.” Davy Crockett, August 11, 1835 I knew Davy Crockett as the King of the Wild Frontier, but didn’t know he was in the Battle of the Alamo. Growing up in Canada, I knew nothing of the Alamo except the most basic of facts, and what I remember about Davy Crockett, I most likely learned from Saturday morning cartoons imported from the USA. The Historic Menger Hotel When my ghost-fascinated friend offered to put us up for a night at the historic Menger Hotel in San Antonio, I jumped at the chance! When her purpose of doing so was to go ghost hunting in the most haunted hotel in Texas…. I agreed... because there’s no such thing …

Blanco State Park: A River Runs Through It

Rivers weave in and out of hills and rocks or they flow straight, the water slowly making its way past mud banks, forests, and communities. They sparkle in the sunlight while birds fly above and fish dance below their surface. They provide food to eat, water to drink and cool us off from the hot sun on a scorching summer day. We lay on the banks looking up to the blue sky and think “this is what life is all about!” The beauty, the comfort, the happiness. But the reality is, we can’t truly appreciate the relaxation of a warm summer day along the banks of the sparkling river if we didn’t also know hunger and hardship. What the river gives, it can also take away. Blanco State Park is located in the city of Blanco, Texas, in the county of Blanco, along the Blanco River. You probably get the idea of how important the river is to this area as it lazily runs through the 104-acre state park, …

Regrowth at Bastrop State Park

I left Livingston, Texas, and began to work my way towards the Gulf of Mexico. I was planning to spend the night in a Walmart parking lot when I came upon a sign for Bastrop State Park in the same area. I made a split-second decision and decided to drive into the park to see if they had a campsite for the night. I like having electricity and my successful spontaneous Alabama Gulf stay was still confidently fresh in my psyche. I crossed my fingers for roads that fit my camper or a place I could easily turn around should a suitable site not be available. Over time, I’ve learned that worrying is needless 99% of the time, and it was no different today. Not only was there plenty of space available; they even had pull-through sites, so no need to back in! The Pineyhill section of the campground offers full hookups and is positioned on a ridge that overlooks a valley of trees on one side …