What’s with Texas driving? The first thing you notice when you exit a freeway is the quick and sometimes sharp exit to a frontage road paralleling the freeway. As you exit you need to watch for traffic on the frontage road coming in on your right while trying to maneuver into the correct lane to make your turn up ahead. It really throws people the first time they encounter this. Entrances to a freeway are the reverse of the exit maneuver again from a frontage road.
Another Texas traffic oddity is the practice of driving on the shoulder on a two lane road where no passing is possible. Slower traffic moves to the shoulder which is as wide as a regular lane, while traffic passes. This also takes some getting used to as the shoulder in some places is not wide enough to drive on especially when encountering a bridge. It is more like Russian roulette.
I won’t even try to explain how to get from one side of the freeway to the other at an underpass. That one really throws people the first time they encounter it.
It is hard to get moving in the morning here as the sun doesn’t come up early in the central time zone. It has been 8 AM most days before I am up. Of course, it is also cold so that keeps me in bed longer.
After getting going this morning we drove to Kerrville to visit the Western Art Museum. We had tried to do this on one of our first trips to Fredericksburg years ago but it happened to be closed that day. Our recollection was that the museum was a cowboy museum; however, it is an art museum. Nothing spectacular on display but then again we didn’t pay for admittance as the local grocery chain H.E.B. paid for all of February.
A large bronze casting in front of the museum.
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After lunch we drove north of Fredericksburg to Enchanted Rock State Park. This is a granite dome much like those in Yosemite National Park. Unfortunately, this was not the weekend to visit as it is Valentines weekend and Presidents day, hence a three day weekend with the park jammed with boy Scouts, and families camping and hiking. The entrance fee was $6 each and every parking spot was filled.
We got one of the last spots and decided to hike the shortest trail to the summit. This trail is only 0.6 of a mile but most of it is up. The summit is 1825 feet and is a classic dome. Clyda made it to the base of the dome and decided to stop while I went up further to take a few photos. There really isn’t much to see except more Texas brush and post oaks in all directions.
Crossing the river on the way to the Rock.
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The Rock.
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Seepe up hill from here.
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Looking back down.
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We returned to town and topped of the fuel tank in the truck and picked up a few groceries at H.E.B.
More Olympics tonight.
