Our First Gem

Frances and I had said that one thing we hope to accomplish on our trip was to discover unknown parks and places to visit. South Llano River State Park in Junction, Texas is the first such place.  The land that is now the park was a ranch started by the Buck family. Mr. Buck was looking for a favorable climate for his son who had tuberculosis. unfortunately the son died two years after moving to the ranch. In the nineteen-seventies the Buck family donated the land to the state of Texas to form the state park.

The park has become a destination visit for bird watchers. Over 250 different species of birds have been identified in this park. While Frances and I are not knowledgeable or trained in bird watching we got caught up into it along with everyone else. There are blinds across the 2000 acre Park setup so that you can sit and wait to see birds. For the first time ever I saw a Vermilion Flycatcher fortunately someone pointed it out to me. The big prize that was being sought this year was the yellow cheeked warbler. Apparently the bird is on the endangered list but had been spotted by a bird watcher in the park earlier this year.

The park is filled with multiple herds of deer and has a subspecies of turkey known as the Rio Grande turkey. We saw and heard the turkey and we also saw deer throughout the park. It made us feel a bit like being back in Alabama.

What I've loved about the mornings here is that they are completely free from condensate or dew so when I get up in the morning everything is nice and dry. Of course birds are singing constantly everywhere you go so there's always music to accompany you. Frances and I got in 7 or 8 mile hike through the Hill Country that offered some views of the surrounding County. We stumbled on this park by chance. We were looking for a place halfway between Austin and Guadalupe Peak, and while not quite halfway, this was the best location that the Texas state park system offered us. it was a very pleasant surprise to discover what a wonderful park this is.