Texas Hill Country and Christmas

I have been super busy hunting for Big Foot the last few weeks. It turns out the hill country west of Austin and north of San Antonio is prime Big Foot territory as it is home to many breweries, distilleries, wineries, and meaderies. That doesn't even factor in the shear number of smoked meat establishments and Big Foot could be anywhere. This will take a lot of investigation and I have been doing my best.

Instead of the normal format, this post I will include mostly pictures and sprinkle in commentary where appropriate. With all of this investigating, it is tough to remember where I have been. To compound this issue, I have been traveling with S&S so I am not always able to rely upon my credit card receipts as a tickler system.

First off, let's start with the natural beauty of the area. We took a hike to Pedernales State Park. For some reason they insert an extra "r" before the "d" but who am I to judge. The people of Burlington pronounce "Bohners Lake" as "Boners Lake" and Brett Favre has the "r" moved before the "v". Frankly it is less painful than pronouncing the city Blanco as "Blank-o". Don't get me started on Amarillo, but I digress.

Cool feature

River runs through the park but you can hike all over it (other than the other side)

If the water starts rising, you have to get the hell out of there as flash floods occur and are quite deadly,

We also did a cave tour. The name of the cave was "Cave Without A Name". Yep, that is the name. Turns out it was a beautiful cave with tons of features and is still an active cave (wet and growing). I was really impressed as I enjoy a good cave/cavern and this was feature filled.

I took lots of pictures but you can't really appreciate a cave from pictures so here is a sample

S&S along with an unidentified man

Finally we also toured the Alamo at night. If you have not been to the Alamo, it is a small fort (frankly no different in size from most castle/forts I saw in Ireland and Scotland) but San Antonio has developed the area around it to be an entertainment district along with the river walk. We were able to purchase beer and walk around and drink our beer as we strolled along the river. Truly a beautiful area and really good beer from a brewery that we later visited (Alstadt).

Tree that is hundreds of years old but lit up and actually lovely

Now onto the Big Foot hunting. Surprisingly Big Foot was not at any of these places when we were there but signs point to possible visitations. Let's look at the venues I have toured so far (to be fair some may be missing - like for sure some are missing. I get caught up in hunting and I forget to take pictures. The bourbon also seems to not be helping my photo taking. I could do a better job but it turns out I likely won't). I will be forced to go back to some of these destinations to ensure you can enjoy the space vicariously. Oh and to look for Big Foot.

Pecan Street Brewery

Fiesta Winery

Free Roam Brewing

Texas Mead Works

Alstadt Brewery

Outdoor art at Garrison Brothers Distillery

Garrison Brothers Distillery

I know some have doubted my expertise as a Big Foot expert, but C was kind enough to get the diploma from Bigfoot University framed so I can prove that I have a Doctorate of Sasquatch. I will not require you to refer to me as Dr. Braxwood but I would not object.

Official Diploma, Feel free to zoom in if you do not believe

I had a wonderful Christmas this year and despite the frigid temperatures, none of my water lines in the RV froze. I was able to maintain a constant temperature in the trailer and only went through one 30lb propane tank in the 4 cold days (Thursday through Sunday). As we now move back to seasonal temperatures here in Johnson City (70 by Thursday) I reflect on how fortunate I have been this past year. I am truly blessed to be on this adventure hunting the creature and not having to suffer the indignities of another meeting to talk about something on a topic I couldn't care less. This sabbatical thing has worked wonders for me. I am recharged and ready to go and yet I also know that I will never work a corporate job again.  

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year. I will not post again until 2023 so see you in the future. For those that do not know, Amy and I were married on New Year's Eve and this is our 29th anniversary. I am looking forward to whatever the new year brings and I hope it brings y'all peace and happiness.

Thor

braxwood.com

FAQ

Route

Louisiana and into Texas

Our adventure takes us into Louisiana and Texas. I wanted to avoid the popular touristy places in Louisiana as I suspected that Big Foot might not want to hang around crowds. I successfully avoided tourists and interesting places to visit. Perhaps too successfully. I was in the Lake Charles area and near a city named Sulphur. That should provided the vibe. It also rained for 5 of the 7 days I was in Louisiana including a nice storm that didn't cause any tornados where I was thankfully.

I was in a state park that had just reopened up this year after suffering extensive hurricane damage. The upside of that was that every site was paved and level with full hook ups. In addition, the bath house was clean and modern and there was even laundry facilities which is unheard of in a state park. I even ran into a guy that I had seen at the county park in Mississippi. He was from eastern Oregon and was traveling around the south to avoid the winter. 

The park had swamp areas and a river that ran through it so there were a lot of opportunities to go for a walk. During these walks the dogs had a lot of opportunity to sniff out for Big Foot but were unable to find the creature in the park. We also failed to spot an alligator despite plenty of signs warning us.

Ozzy pees in the face of danger.

Lucy was tired this day as it was 80 degrees outside. Being a vagabond is tough!

I decided to diversify my searches and went to a rum distillery in the area. Naturally I forgot to take any photos but to make up for that I did buy a lot of rum. Bayou Rum is made from local sugarcane for an authentic taste. They had several flavors of rum and I decided a sampling was in order. The satsuma rum was rather interesting and the person said it went well with lemonade. The coffee rum was also good and would go nicely in a cup of coffee and would also have made our morning meetings so much better. After spending time touring the facility and having a few samples, I realized that Big Foot was not there so I went and had a cajun meal. I couldn't quite understand the lady so I ended up ordering a pork chop which was huge. The seasoning was fantastic. The green beans were unfortunate. Much like the mushy green beans I have detested all my life these were a shade of green that only comes from excessive cooking, canning, cooking, and being exposed to too much water and air. The boudin balls were also interesting and reminded me a bit of haggis, without the oats. I suppose a truck stop was not the best place to sample the cuisine but I thought since it was very popular and the locals all loved it there must be something to it. 

My next stop was back to a brewery. There was one within 45 miles of the campground so that was the one I went to. The beer at Crying Eagle was very good along with the shrimp tacos. A Christmas party was ending as I got there so the place was full of children and a faux santa walking about. It was nice to see people enjoying themselves and it reminded me of the Runaway in Burlington where there would be family friendly events to keep the children entertained while the parents could actually have a decent beer. The only drawback of the place was that there was no seating at the bar. That meant that I was forced to sit alone off to the side but it did let me keep an eye out for Big Foot. Alas, no sightings this day.

I found the split second where there were no people waiting in line. 

After this the storms rolled in and I was forced to hunker down in my trailer. The paved sites came in handy as the grounds started filling up. I suppose the flood warnings for the river that ran through the park were accurate as it was quite wet. The lightning and thunder were prolific but what really was disconcerting were the winds. The trailer shook quite a bit but I was thankful to have a place with solid walls to protect me. 

You can see the tree damage from the hurricane and the water starting to fill up the ground. It was far worse in other places but the rain was coming down pretty hard so I went back inside.

The sky was a touch dark for 10 am but not much could be done. Unfortunately this was the direction I had to drive that day.

I was unable to locate Big Foot in Louisiana but I think that it would be worthwhile to revisit the state. Perhaps trying an area that had more to offer would make sense. One could argue that this was all my fault as I do very little planning or research when picking a place but that would be useless to argue as I don't care.

I made it safely to Texas and stayed at a Harvest Host. In case you forgot, these are businesses that allow you to park in their lot. While not required it is expected that you visit their business and buy something. In the end, a campground would be cheaper as one has a tendency to enjoy oneself when one doesn't need to drive. Brazos Valley Brewing was a great place with great beer. I tried several of their offerings from a hazy IPA, to a coffee ale and a stout.  The food truck outside had some good options and their brussels sprouts were excellent. I was able to sit at the bar which I love but there was another Harvest Host guest that came in and so I talked to a lovely couple from Minnesota for a few hours. It is always nice to meet people on the road and they were no exception. After a fun night just hanging out, I bought several cans to go and the dogs and I settled in for a noisy night's sleep. 

Plenty of brews on tap

#DrinkTexas doesn't have the same feel as #Drink Wisconsinbly but I appreciate the sentiment

Some road wary traveler I found in the bar.

I have now settled into my location for the next month in the hill country west of Austin. There are plenty of strange creatures around here so I will be extra diligent in my search for Big Foot. I am also meeting up with S&S who we last saw in the Dakotas. I have joined a few more online groups with the intention of meeting more people on the road. The nomadic life on the road can get a bit lonely and while Ozzy and Lucy are fantastic company they lack a certain humanness that one does need. I will continue to hit breweries, restaurants, distilleries, but I may need to widen my search criteria in my hunt for Big Foot.

As always, 

Thor

braxwood.com

Gulf Coast - Alabama and Mississippi

My hunt for Big Foot has taken me to the twin mono-vowel states along the Gulf coast. Alabama and Mississippi both had something to offer in a hunt for the elusive creature. Alas, I was not successful this time and I have some theories why but more on that later.

I started my search for Big Foot in Alabama. I spent Thanksgiving Day at the campground and went to dinner at restaurant in Foley - Local and Company. The food was excellent and I enjoyed the Chilean Sea Bass on risotto much like the first pilgrims did in New England. Ok, they didn't have that but they also didn't eat the turkey and green bean casserole most people eat so I am being traditional by not dining like them. Besides it is more important to be thankful and less important to eat turkey so I was thankful. Disappointed that there was no Big Foot at the restaurant but thankful I could enjoy a fine meal.

RV park was right on the water. Ozzy enjoyed it very much.

 

Thanksgiving dinner. Really delicious along with beet and goat cheese on arugula salad. Just like grandma used to make. 

I searched at several establishments for the creature including a drive to Fairhope, I sampled several options at Fairhope Brewing Company and kept a keen eye out for the beast,  I was not successful in spotting my quarry but I did meet a nice couple at the bar. R&C are early retirees and have a home in Wisconsin and a condo in Alabama. In addition they have an Airstream they that take out on other adventures. I had a lovely conversation with them for several hours and it was a blast being able to talk to people living their dream. Before I knew it was dark and I was running late. It is possible that Big Foot walked in and I missed it so I started doubting my finding skills.

Yep, it's a bar. I try to avoid pictures of people which is why you will get these types of photos a lot. I have to quickly snap a picture without anyone in it and not draw attention to myself. In return the pictures kind of suck. As I have mentioned before, the blog is free. Amy would always say when people asked for free legal advice that you get what you pay for. This blog is evidence of that. Besides, this has nothing to do with the photo and yet it is the caption. Really it's just excessive verbosity.

I continued my search and even checked out some model homes while in the area in case Big Foot was looking to buy there. Unfortunately Big Foot was not at the model home and the home was in a crummy subdivision so I am sure that Big Foot would not have liked it. Plus there was no basement or decent tornado shelter which confused me since while in Alabama I had three days that had a tornado watch alert. 

I found another brewery to look for Big Foot but unfortunately I arrived in the middle of a world cup match between the US and Iran. Big Foot is not a fan of metric football apparently since there was no sign of the mythic beast but the beer was rather tasty. Big Beach Brewing had a nice indoor and outdoor space and several excellent options, The crowd was too enthralled in the game so I was unable to ascertain if anyone had seen any cryptozoological creatures. 

Big Beach. Check out the headband on the bartender.. It looked worse in person. Also not really friendly either. Come to think of it, I didn't really like the people there either. You can't cheer every time the ball is kicked unless you are watching a ridiculously boring sport. You don't see that nonsense in hockey. 

After searching the coastal region for a week I decided to try Mississippi. This is my first visit to the state and it greeted me as I expected. The first campground where I had reservations and prepaid was interesting. It backed up to a bayou so it was pretty that way, but it also had a lot of longer term residents and a bar. Knowing my love for hanging out in bars for the social aspect, I was bitterly disappointed by the obnoxious odor emanating from the place. Since it was apparently the place one would check in, I had no choice but subject myself to the putrid smell of cigarettes. There are no laws on this topic in Mississippi so it is up to each business to decide. While the libertarian side of me appreciates that, the side of me that breathes does not.  The first site they offered was 20 feet deep which was great for the truck but really not ideal for a trailer. In addition there was no water available. The next site had water but I could not hook up electricity and the sewer drain was three feet in the air. Despite paying, I decided one night in hell was enough and found another campground. I ended up in Kiln, MS at McLeod County Park. This was the nicest public park I have ever been in and nicer than nearly every private one too. Every site had a concrete pad along with water, electricity, and sewer drain. In addition, there were numerous trails in the park and the dogs enjoyed several hikes. I realize they were pooped out after 2 miles when we started this adventure, but we were able to do 5 miles one  day with no one needing to be carried. The weather was ideal although it did rain a couple of days. The highs were in the mid to upper 70s and it was quite nice. There were about 200 sites and only 5 to 8 people in there for my visit.  

Water along the park.

Lucy and Ozzy on a pier on the nature trail. 

I was also close to a brewery by random luck and I decided to take a look for Big Foot over several days. Lazy Magnolia is a micro brewery that also packages their beer for sale. I sampled their wares and even tried their food. On one occasion I met a nice couple from Iowa who have been snow birding down here for the last several years, I had a lovely time with them and picked up some good tips. As luck would have it, the brewery had some short fills and unlabeled beers and they gave me a case of beer. It pays to be nice. I was not able to find Bug Foot there but getting a free case of micro brews made up for it.

Lazy Magnolia. Nice place and nice people.

As I mentioned I was concerned that perhaps my searching skills are not what they need to be. I have been geocaching on occasion to continue to hone my abilities and was successful in places as diverse as the Isle of Skye in Scotland and the Florida coast. Unfortunately at the park in Mississippi I was unable to locate two caches. I realize that a film cannister is smaller than a Yeti, but I have the GPS coordinates of the film cannister and do not have that for the larger creature. I will need to practice more as this is concerning. It reminds me of when B and C were living at home. When C and I didn't want B to find some food we would "hide" it by moving it down a shelf. This was generally quite successful and I am beginning to wonder if that is my problem. It is possible that Big Foot walked right passed me already and I missed it. I will need to redouble my efforts in the future.

I am off to Louisiana next and that is my first visit to that state. After a week there I head out towards Johnson City Texas and the hill country. I am looking forward to being settled down for a month and it should be interesting. I have a list I am working on for where to winter over next year and it will be nice to see how Texas is in the winter. As long as I can avoid freezing cold, it will be fine. 

Until next time,

Thor

braxwood.com