We were fortunate to be able to drive to San Antonio and spend Thanksgiving week with my youngest daughter and son-in-law. My wife and I commented on the trip down and back on how the terrain wasn't as barren as we had expected. Actually starting with the Loess Hills in NW Iowa we really enjoyed watching the scenery all the way down.
Our kids made sure we had plenty to do and see during our visit, with photography always in mind. Our first day included a trip to Guadalupe River State Park. This is a very nice park with some very Minnesota style(private) camp sites. The image above is of the Guadalupe River and although it was quite low I was impressed with the clarity of the water and the greenish tint to it.
The next two images were taken in Landa Park in New Braunfels. What a beautiful spot and the birds were really loving the creek that ran through it. I was able to get close to the Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron you see above. Back in Iowa they would have high-tailed it in the opposite direction as soon as I stopped the car.
We also enjoyed th town of Gruene. This city has a really fantastic old mill turned into a restaurant over looking a great view of a river valley and the food was wonderful. Also many of the old homes are restored and turned into retail shops.
If you are looking for a place to shop for antiques and Texas sauces and condiments I would recommend the the little town of Fredericksburg. There are also several local vineyards you can visit. Surely there is something for everyone here.
The highlight of my visit was the trip to the San Antonio Spanish Missions. There are five left and they were built between 1710 and 1730. I found the two we visited really interesting and well maintained. If you are a history buff, I think you'd really enjoy that trip.
Needless to say our visit went really quick and a great time was had by all. We are hoping the kids will return to a closer location when their stay is over in six months. Leaving them was again very hard, knowing it might be six months before our next trip. Thank goodness for cell phones and the internet.
Love the above fiery trees pictures- really beautiful- was that actually the colors?
Posted by: Heather Dalen | December 22, 2008 at 08:51 PM