Today we had the kind of day we envisioned when we started this whole vagabonding project. That is to say, an absolutely delightful day full of surprises and new sights. We went to see the bluebonnets today. The buzz has been all over the websites, the television and the radio that the wildflowers this year are amazing. We heard today from residents in the heart of the Hill Country of Texas that they've never seen such a colorful season. I'm here to testify that the flowers are amazing. The bluebonnets are about 'peak' right now. As Texans know, there is a small window of bluebonnet perfection, and when it's over they're gone. You never know from one season to the next how good any season will be.
The heart of the Hill Country, where we were today, is on the Llano Drift which is the geological formation that produces the granite the region is famous for, as well as a plethora of other minerals. It's actually craggy as you can see from some of the photos I'm going to direct you to. This is really a rugged landscape with rock outcropppings, and we actually saw a hoodoo on the top of one hill today.
We took the Willow Loop near Fredericksbury which is not even a state road - it's a small winding county road that actually winds thru a series of meadows that are actually canyons. There are fabulous bluebonnets all along the road as well as stretching out into the meadows for acres and acres. There are also loose cows on the road. We never could determine if the cows ate the bluebonnets or not. This road is so small that the traffic is a nightmare on the weekends when the wildflowers are in bloom. This road was an unforgettable experience and as we all know, the viewing of bluebonnets is akin to a religious experience for Texans. We wondered outloud why bluebonnets have such a powerful effect on us. It's a combination of overwhelming beauty, the rarity of actual blue flowers - there just aren't that many true blue flowers, and also the fragrance which is negligible in small clumps, but a delicate, distictive perfume when there are acres of them. It's also the pride of having a specific flower native to the state - there are other lupines - but there's only one Texas bluebonnet. On a Wednesday morning we did get the peak time, but didn't have to deal with much traffic - just other oldsters like us. It was great. There are also many other flowers in bloom right now - the pink flox, the yellow groundsel, the prickly poppy, and the yucca.
You may ask how I know this? Two reasons: First, I have a Texas Wildflower book (naturally), and second, I went to the Wildflower Center which was founded in 1982 by Helen Hayes (yes, the actress), and our own Lady Bird Johnson. Lady Bird was a true radical. In 1965 she decided to beautify America. She was into environmental issues long before it was even an imagined field of study. I can remember the highways bordered by forests of billboards, and littered with all manner of trash. Lady Bird's campaign of beautification changed all of that, and she lavished her ideas along all Texas highways. That's why even in the center of urban Texas, you can enjoy bluebonnets. I must tell you, though, that enjoying them in their natural environment is even more spectacular. The Center is celebrating Wildflower Days right now, but what I really got turned on about were the bonsai trees - native Texas trees - miniaturized. They were amazing.
No day is complete for me when touring unless I can visit a small town museum. Today I took in the Llano Historical Museum. It was marvelous with a real covered wagon, lots of vintage clothes, household items, guns, and even a piano. Llano is the county seat and thus, has a Texas courthouse in the town square - a very familar township style all over Texas. The most interesting things about the courthouse are that (1) it is only one of 3 courthouses in Texas that hasn't been 'added onto', and (2) the only one which is asymetrical. I got a Christmas ornament commemorating the 150th anniversary of Llano - which is a brass cutout of the courthouse. We had lunch at the Acme Cafe which is justifiably famous for their handmade, homemade crab cakes. Then we drifted next door for scoops of BlueBell Ice Cream - it doesn't get better than that unless you get a piece of jewelry.
Yes, I got a new piece today - amazonite - a green stone native to the hill country at the Enchanted Rocks and Jewelry Store. (Any one of my friends KNOWS that I couldn't pass up that shopping opportunity.) Drake got it for me for our 39th anniversary which is Friday.
Yes, all in all, an excellent vagabonding day. If you want to see the pictures of the visit to the Wildflower Center in Austin and the driving day to view bluebonnets, then go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jalyss1/2010CentralTexasTrip?authkey=Gv1sRgCOaJ9fHajYHs4AE#
Let's hope this will work because the pictures are really spectacular.
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