Heading West: First Stop Fredericksburg, Texas

The day finally arrived when it was time to leave Harlingen, Texas to start heading west. Having already voiced my opinion on Deep South Texas, you probably won't be surprised to hear that I was more than ready to leave. But no matter where you are, after you spend four months in one spot, you do end up forming attachments. In our case, old friendships were renewed, and new friendships made; the friendly staff in our favorite Mexican restaurant knew what we wanted without having to ask; we had bonded with the local golf course. In subtle ways, Harlingen, like everywhere else we stay, had taken on shades of "home". So even though we were both more than ready to move on, there was still just a twinge of sadness when it came time to say goodbye.

We left Harlingen yesterday (March 26th), planning to arrive in San Diego on April 5th. This gives us 11 days to get there, about twice what we need, so we decided to meander our way west, stopping along the way for a day or two, here and there, if something looks interesting. Yesterday we got 350 miles and stopped in Fredericksburg, Texas for two nights. Our original intention was to take a day to play golf at the 18-hole golf course attached to the RV Park where we are staying. But unbeknownst to us, today was set aside for a high school golf tournament, so we weren't able to get a tee time. Instead, we took advantage of the Ladybird Johnson Live Oak Nature Trail, also on the park grounds, and were treated to beautiful birds, lazy streams, blossoming trees, and winding trails through a butterfly habitat, riparian woodlands, and meadows of blooming blue bonnets (lupine). The trail abuts the golf course we couldn't play on, and you might notice how forlorn and wistful Dan looks as he studies the course in the picture below. I think he enjoyed the hike anyway! J

 

 

The Murals of Downtown Harlingen

At first glance, there isn't much about Harlingen that makes it stand out from any other small town in south Texas. The warm weather is the primary draw for most people who flock here during the winter months. But as is usually the case, there is a hidden gem or two everywhere you go if you just take the time to look for it. For us, it was the murals painted on the walls of buildings in downtown Harlingen. Dan and I took a walk one day with our camera and map, and went on a mural treasure hunt. Below are some of the pictures we captured that day.

Port Isabel & South Padre Island

While staying in Harlingen, we were lucky enough to have our friends Jerry and Leslie from Nevada visit in their Winnebago for a month, and another mutual friend, Jim, from California fly in for a 9-day visit. One day while they were here we toured nearby Port Isabel and South Padre Island. Port Isabel is small town in extreme Southern Texas and the gateway to South Padre Island. A 2-mile long causeway called the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge connects Port Isabel to South Padre Island. Located on The Gulf of Mexico, there are many fun things to do in the area, including boat tours, parasailing, shopping, walking on the beach, visiting the Port Isabel Lighthouse and Lighthouse Keepers Cottage, visiting museums, and checking out other historical sites. The day we were there we shopped, admired the pelicans, walked along the beach, visited the lighthouse, and went to the South Padre Market Days, where local artisans displayed there wares. It was a fun day spent with good friends, and here are some pictures of our outing.