Sunset – Page 6 – Wandering Dawgs

Gulf Islands National Seashore

March 7, 2016July 14, 2017Posted in Birds, Florida, National Parks, RVing, Sunset, WildlifeTagged beach, Ft. Pickens, Gulf Breeze, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Nature, Osprey, Pensacola Beach23 Comments

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
–Jacques Cousteau

A beach with perfect sugar white sand only a five minute walk from our campsite. I think I am in heaven!

Gulf Islands National Seashore at Ft. Pickens

Our home for a week is Ft. Pickens Campground in Gulf Islands National Seashore on Santa Rosa Island. I’ve been doing a lot of walking on the beach and beach chair sitting.

Ready for Beach Chair Sitting on the Gulf of Mexico

We’ve taken a couple of hikes on the half-mile Blackbird Marsh Nature Trail near the campground.

It is nest building time for Ospreys and several nests can be seen in the area. Ospreys are frequently seen soaring over the campground and a few of the nests can be viewed close up from the nature trail.

And the sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico are breathtaking!

More of the Fort Pickens area coming up in my next post.

Sunsets, Geocaching, and Exploring around Eastbank Campground

March 4, 2016November 14, 2018Posted in COE Park, Georgia, RVing, Sunset, WildlifeTagged Alligator, Chattahoochee, geocaching, Jim Woodruff Dam, Lake Seminole, snowbirding18 Comments

Our latest RV journey took us past many pecan orchards in south Georgia before we arrived at our first destination, Eastbank Campground on the banks of Lake Seminole. Although located in Georgia, the closest town is Chattahoochee, Florida. From our campsite we were treated to a beautiful sunset our first night.

Sunset over Lake Seminole at Eastbank Campground

The campsites are large and many are waterfront. It was a great place to wind down from the hustle and bustle of being at home.

Foggy morning on Lake Seminole at Eastbank

We tried geocaching in nearby Chattahoochee, Florida. Our first two attempts were a bust but we enjoyed looking around the train car at the Heritage Park.

We ended the day watching another beautiful sunset.

Another beautiful sunset over Lake Seminole

Our second geocaching excursion took us to part of the Chattachoochee Nature Trail along the Apalachicola River.

No amount of looking over, under, and around the boardwalk helped us find the geocache but I found something better. A baby alligator was sunning himself beside the boardwalk.

Palmettos beside the boardwalk on the nature trail

We were determined to find the geocache at the train car so we returned there and Henry found it!

Later we drove to the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam to take a look. The dam and locks were constructed for navigation, hydro- power and recreation purposes on the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint River systems.

Our last sunset over Lake Seminole.

Our first trip of 2016 is off to a great start!

My review of Eastbank Campground can be found on Campendium.

A stop beside the Alabama River

May 7, 2015Posted in Alabama, COE Park, Road Trip, RVing, Sunset, WildflowersTagged Alabama River, Lownesboro Alabama, Mississippi River, Prairie Creek Campground9 Comments

As we traveled east from Louisiana to Alabama on I-20 we crossed the Mississippi River into Vicksburg and stopped at the Welcome Center to take a break. It was drizzling rain but we were still able to have a beautiful view of the mighty Mississippi.

The mighty Mississippi River in Vicksburg, Mississippi

Cannon display at the Mississippi Welcome Center in Vicksburg

Barge in the rain on the Mississippi River

After our short stop we continued on our journey. Our destination was Prairie Creek Campground near Lownesboro, Alabama, the first Corps of Engineers park we ever stayed in. Were we pleasantly surprised back in 2007 to find big sites, paved pads and a well maintained park. Ever since that first stay in a COE campground we look for them whenever we are traveling.

Our second visit to the campground did not disappoint. When we weren’t enjoying the view of the Alabama River from our site we took a drive to explore the dam.

Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam

Walking down to the river

Alabama Wildflowers

Alabama River

The sunsets were gorgeous right from our site.

What a great ending to our spring road trip!

More of the beautiful Texas Hill Country around Inks Lake

April 7, 2015August 13, 2015Posted in Birds, Restaurants, Road Trip, RVing, State Parks, Sunset, Texas, Tourist Attractions, WildflowersTagged barbeque, birding, bluebonnets, Cooper's BBQ, Devil's Waterhole, Inks Lake, Llano Texas, Longhorn Caverns, Scenic drives, Texas brisket13 Comments

Bluebonnets lined the roads around Inks Lake

Inks Lake State Park in Burnet (pronounced BURN-it DERN it) was our home for the 4 nights before Easter weekend. Thanks to my friend Tim in Arlington for recommending this park.

We arrived early in the day and were able to get a beautiful waterfront site. The bad news is we would have to leave on Good Friday because the park was full for Easter weekend. I knew we would love the area when we saw bluebonnets lining the roads to the park.

Our waterfront campsite was a great place to watch ducks, geese and all the water activities. We saw people paddling canoes and kayaks, floating on tubes, and fishing from motor boats. The sunsets were gorgeous.

Mallards at Inks Lake

Dove at Inks Lake

Canada Geese at Inks Lake

Hooded Merganser at Inks Lake

Turtles on a log at Inks Lake

Sunset at Inks Lake

I love talking to locals to find out the best places to see. We stopped at Longhorn Caverns State Park one morning to ask about the tours. The ranger had seen me taking pictures of bluebonnets beside the road and he told us about a great scenic drive south of Llano. We were headed to Llano for lunch so we were off on a bluebonnet hunt after we stuffed ourselves with brisket and ribs.

Cooper's Barbeque in Llano, Texas — Cooper’s Barbeque in Llano, Texas

Indian Paintbrush

Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush along Park Road 4

Bluebonnets beside a stream

Boots and bluebonnets

Beth in the bluebonnets

One afternoon we toured nearby Longhorn Caverns. During prohibition the cavern was privately owned and the cavern was run as a honky tonk and restaurant. In one of the large rooms was a bandstand with tables set up all around. When prohibition was repealed the owner gave the land to the state of Texas.

Crystals in Longhorn Cavern

This dog was formed naturally

Longhorn Cavern

Eastern Pipistrelle bat about three inches long at Longhorn Cavern

Longhorn Cavern State Park

Built by the CCC in the 1930’s at Longhorn Cavern State Park

One morning we took a hike on the Valley Spring trail in the state park. The trail started out beside the lake and wound through the woods with wildflowers growing beneath the trees.

Blondie getting her feet wet at Inks Lake

Deil’s Waterhole on Inks Lake

Bluebonnets beside the Spring Valley trail at Inks Lake

Top of the waterfall

Beside the waterfall

Waterfall at Inks Lake

Inks Lake State Park has moved up near the top of my list of favorite state parks. Our site was a back in paved pad with water and electric hookups, a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern hook. We had a huge area beneath shade trees to set up our chairs and watch the world go by. There are two fishing piers, a marina and boat launch, canoe and kayak rentals, playground, camp store, and several hiking trails. Click to read my campground review of Inks Lake State Park.

Exploring the Texas Hill Country around Canyon Lake

April 5, 2015May 26, 2015Posted in COE Park, Parks, Road Trip, RVing, Sunset, Texas, Tourist Attractions, WildflowersTagged barbeque, bluebonnets, Canyon Lake, Cranes Mill, Dripping Springs, Fredericksburg, LBJ Ranch, Luckenbach, Salt Lick, Texas dance hall, Texas Hill Country, Wimberley13 Comments

There is so much to see and do in the Texas Hill Country we could have stayed a month and not seen in all. Unfortunately, we only had about two weeks to explore this beautiful area in the heart of Texas. The hill country includes San Antonio and Austin and extends west about 200 miles. Driving through the area on mostly twisting, two lane roads we saw canyons and creeks, dance halls and wineries, historic sites and ranches, quaint small towns and old homesteads, green grass and more wildflowers than I ever imagined. We dined on barbeque and schnitzel and I bought a cowboy hat!

Our first home base in the hill country was Cranes Mill, a beautiful Corps of Engineers park on Canyon Lake near New Braunfels. We enjoyed driving on the country roads to explore the area. The bluebonnets were really starting to bloom and we saw more and more each day.

The first order of business was to eat some Texas Barbeque. One of my brothers lived in San Antonio for a few years and told us not to miss the Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas. We started out our first full day in the hill country driving the back roads to have our first taste of brisket, ribs, sausage and turkey. After our delicious lunch we stopped to visit the Dr. Joseph Pound homestead. Dr. Pound and his family settled there in 1853 and raised 9 children. His descendants lived in the home continuously until 1983.

Salt Lick Barbeque

Buckboard used by the Pound family

Ball Moss on live oak at the Pound Homestead

Pound Homestead in Dripping Springs, Texas

On a beautiful sunny Friday we took a drive to Luckenbach and a winery near Fredericksburg.

Luckenbach, Texas

Luckenbach Dance Hall

Music on a sunny Friday afternoon

Down in Luckenbach, Texas, ain’t nobody feeling no pain

Luckenbach, Texas

Fat Ass Winery, Fredericksburg, Texas

We enjoyed touring the LBJ State Park and Historic Site in Stonewall. Lyndon Johnson was our 36th president and spent much of his presidency at his ranch on the Perdanales River. Adjacent to the ranch is the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm, a working farm which recreates a Hill Country farm at the turn of the 20th century.

The driving tour of his ranch goes around the air strip where he would land in a small plane he called Air Force One Half because Air Force One was too large to land on the landing strip. President Johnson left the ranch to be enjoyed by all the people so there is no charge to tour the park.

Hog at the living history exhibit

Saddles at the LBJ Ranch

At the LBJ Ranch

In the show barn at the ranch

Bluebonnets on the LBJ Ranch

Air Force One was to big to land on the landing strip so he called this plane that flew him from Austin “Air Force One Half”

We also enjoyed visiting some of the towns in the area. Many of the older buildings in the hill country are made of stone because of the lack of wood for building.

Gazebo in New Braunfels, Texas

Henne Hardware in New Braunfels – since 1857

Comal County Courthouse in New Braunfels

One of the stone buildings in Fredericksburg

Home in Gruene, Texas

On a sunny Palm Sunday we strolled through the town of Gruene where we enjoyed music at one of the oldest dance halls in Texas. Our Sunday drive continued to the artistic town of Wimberley and a walk along the banks of the Cypress Creek.

Gruene Water Tower

Gruene Hall is one of the oldest dance halls in Texas

Gruene Hall on a Sunday afternoon

Totem beside Cypress Creek in Wimberley

Cypress Creek in Wimberley

While driving around we passed many interesting ranches and the Albert Dance Hall and Twin Sisters Dance Hall. Although we were still a little early to see the bluebonnets in all their glory we enjoyed seeing patches of them beside the roads.