Texas Hill Country

We are still in Lakehills near Kerrville/San Antonio. Today we took a little drive into Bandera. It is about 10 or 15 miles but the roads are pretty curvy. Went through Pipe Creek and it was pretty dead for a Saturday afternoon.

Bandera claims to be the "Cowboy Capital of the World" due to the fact that many professional rodeo cowboys (and bull riders, I expect) hail from Bandera. The short main street sports several restaurants, cantinas, and a hotel. The Old Town Square Historic Hotel (http://dot-banderasquare.com-1287615.namezero.com/index.html) has been "totally remodeled" according to the brochure. The remodel included new plumbing fixtures, beds and other custom furniture, lighting, etc. Each room is named and each is an historic story, i.e., John Wayne Room, Pancho Villa Room, and the 8 Seconds Room. Before you go jumping to conclusions, the time a rider has to stay on the horse or bull for a score is 8 seconds.

We didn't take a look at the rooms, but the exterior is quite a sight. We decided to check out the restaurant for a late lunch. It had a fair number of customers for the time of day. We chose the outside seating so we could watch the bikers and other traffic as we ate. The restaurant proclaims "Bubbaque Served and Spoken Here." However we elected the overstuffed enchiladas and home make onion rings to start with.

The iced tea was very good, served with lime slice, and the onion rings were excellent. Unfortunately our meal was served quickly after the onion rings, so we didn't get to savor them for fear our Mexican food would chill. I was a bit disappointed in the enchiladas and all the cheese made the plate quite greasy. Overall, though, it was a pleasant afternoon dining experience.

In the next block was a dance hall and another cantina. It looked like most of the crowd were motor cycle riders taking a break from their Saturday outing. Lots of music and long neck beer bottles could be heard and seen from the street.

As we made our way down the street after lunch, we spied a man on horseback, which isn't too unusual in Bandera. However, his companion was riding a longhorn steer bareback. The steer had a bit and reins and was enjoying being the center of several photographers. (Yeah, I forgot to grab the camera again.) A little further down the main drag we noticed a saddled horse waiting patiently in one of the parallel parking spaces.

Bandera has a history of producing much of early Texas' milled goods. From clothes to flour to wood, the eight mills in operation in the 1870's provided food, shelter and clothing to many Texans. The old jail was still being used, but for a water district office.

Bandera certainly cannot compare with the likes of Fredicksburg, but it is definitely worth a stop if you are in the Texas Hill Country.

As you may have guessed, I didn't make a flight to Cincinnati. The five flights that would have put me there in time for the party were way oversold. We'll just have to wait a little longer to meet the new in-laws.

Keep checking back on us. I'll try to get more travel information, personal opinions and yes, pictures up here soon.