Barton Springs and Barton Creek Greenbelt, Austin, TX

Located among the hills in south Austin is Barton Springs and the Barton Creek Greenbelt. There are about 9 miles of trail here running along the creek in a narrow limestone bluff canyon.  Lots of foliage, a bit jungle-like in places.  We have been there twice to explore most of the trail system.

Once again, you are in the middle of Austin and the trail goes under the freeway at one point.  There is also that trash thing that you get in larger cities.  Unfortunate, but seems to be a fact of life here.  Not to discourage, we really enjoyed the trail especially starting from the Scottish Wood Trail entrance which took us by several small waterfalls.  The first trip down there we started from Zilker Park and it rained about half the time we were on the trail.  Wet limestone is very slick and we only went 2 miles one way on the trail that day before turning back due to the slippery surfaces.

Barton Springs is damned up at Zilker Park creating a 3 acre man made swimming pool which remains a constant 68 degrees year round.  To cold for me but I'm sure refreshing in the summer months!

The Scottish Wood Trail starts off with this steep half mile limestone loose rock staircase.  Just keep it in mind if it is a rainy day!

This is your reward, though, at the bottom of the "staircase"

Sculpture Falls

Twin Falls

Texas State History Museum and 6th St. on the weekend!

This beautiful museum does justice to displaying the history of one of our largest states.  Well worth a look when in Austin!

recreation of the Alamo

 A special exhibit, the reassembly of the excavated sunken French ship the "La Belle".  Carrying families and supplies to what all hoped would be a lucrative trading colony at the mouth of the Mississippi, she sank in 1686 in Texas's Matagorda Bay.  After 300 years she was located and her remains brought here to be reassembled.  Very cool!

 All of the wooden pieces of the La Belle were found with Roman numbers etched into them.  Apparently, the ship was originally actually built from a "kit"!

a model of the ship in the foreground with the actual display going up behind it

 Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, a several block section of 6th St. downtown is blocked off for weekend street partying!  Every week!  Every other bar, restaurant is playing live music, the mounted police are out and it is a happening place!

no, it was not that warm;)

Buescher State Park, TX

12 miles past Bastrop and Bastrop SP is Buescher SP.  Very similar to Bastrop in terrain, it boasts a nice sized lake as well.  The fire spared most of this park so it was a different hiking experience.  We did see the usual suspects though with a new addition...a Black Vulture!  Had not seen one before.

Black Vulture

Buescher Lake

 Love this mossy looking growth!

McKinney SP, Upper Falls

We went back to McKinney SP to do the Onion Creek Trl which starts at the Upper Falls.  Very similar to the Lower Falls but prettier I think.  On the trail, we saw 3 coyotes cross the path in front of us one at a time.  I have never seen that before and asked at the front gate visitor center.  We were told due to lots of nearby clearing of land for home building they were seeing more coyotes.  But in a pack in the day time....that was a first.  Hmmmm.

Upper McKinney Falls

Onion Creek

even on a grey day, this guy took a nice pic!

 Standing on the falls you can see a building through the trees.  This was the visitor center until just over a year ago when a flood, raising 42 feet above the creek, flooded the building and damaged the foundation.

 Fallen oak leaves in the little pools look pretty!

Balcones National Wildlife Refuge, TX

Balcones NWR is located NW of Austin about 40 miles.  We went hiking there this past weekend and what a beautiful day is was!  We went to the Doeskin Ranch entrance.  The variations in the trail were really nice from the Indian grass plains to the forested hills.

 Maybe all thats left of the Doeskin Ranch.....

 On the way home, we drove by the Flatiron Ranch winery.  Lovely place!  Wine was good, prices were better than the last winery we went to but tasting fee was $10ea.  You do get to keep your glass though.  They were having a fair and the place was crazy!