Texas (State Parks) - Wed., Apr. 23

Today's "T" word in the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge is Texas. More specifically, Texas State Parks we love.

Let's start with the one Susan and I Volksmarched yesterday:

This 10K (6.2 mile) walk hike started out in fine fashion ... straight up the rock. When we arrived at 8:45 a.m., the temperature was perfect at 68 degrees. However, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, so we were happy to start with the hard part first, get it out of the way.

Enchanted Rock - a pink granite batholith

This pink granite "rock" may look big to you, but you're only seeing a fraction of it. This solid rock covers 100 miles underground. What you see is hard rock that has not eroded as fast as the hills around it. Batholith = a very large, irregular-shaped mass of igneous rock, epsecially granite, formed from an intrusion of magma a great depth, esp. one exposed after erosion of less resistant overlying rocks. (World English Dictionary)

Yes, we both had to stop to rest, but I had the camera so it only looks like Susan is resting. Bwahahahaha.

Scenery from part-way up the rock.

Lots of resting on the way up.

The views of Texas Hill Country are getting pretty great now.

The top of the rock has its own little ecosystem. There are small ponds and islands of greenery.

At the top of Enchanted Rock.

Coming down!

Here we are, we survived the climb.

Here are photos of the hike AROUND the big rocks in the park on the Loop Trail, a little over four miles.

Wildflowers in bloom

Unique rock formations

Cacti in bloom

Cousin Itt's family

Strange erosion patterns.

Wine cup wildflower

Raccoon tracks in the mud.

Cacti blooms or berries?

 Susan investigates and, "Yeowch! Those have prickers on them!"

Susan investigates cacti "blooms."

Known as an exfoliation dome, this granite rock continuously "sheds" its outer layers of rock as it expands and contracts. The result is large, curved sheets of rock that can break up and eventually slide down. I wouldn't want to be under one of those slabs when it thunders down!! Regardless of their size, these granite fragments can be pulled down the rock by gravity or held in place by friction. Very interesting geology stuff going on here.

Granite batholith "shedding"

Texas earless lizard, and a fearless one at that!

Toward the end of our walk, a few puffy clouds moved in, we had a nice breeze, and a shady path to keep us a pleasant temperature.

After our walk we were hungry and Fredericksburg was just a few miles down the road. Wheeler's Restaurant was our choice. Susan had a burger, fries and onion rings. I had the #10 German plate with a beef sausage, hot potato salad, red cabbage and sauerkraut. Very tasty.

A couple of other Texas State Parks we really like are: McKinney Falls and Palmetto.

Our pull-through site at McKinney Falls

One of two swimmin' holes at McKinney Falls

Palmetto State Park

Darren and Susan at Palmetto State Park

Travel Bug out.