A Texas Day Trip

Taking a day off from cleaning houses, I planned a pleasant drive from my suburb of Austin, TX, to Fredericksburg, TX, with a friend of mine. We looked forward to the antique shops, the restaurants, the wineries, maybe even the National Museum of the Pacific War. So much to see and do in Fredericksburg! And we go through scenic Horseshoe Bay and historic Johnson City along the way.

Less than two hours to get there, less than two hours back, would leave us several unhurried pleasant hours to sample several of the high spots. Summer is almost over, kids are back in school, good weather, less traffic. The best time to make the day trip. So we thought.

The road to Fredericksburg is not an interstate. It is rather narrow in places, especially in the most rural places. And it was in one of those most rural places that we encountered a caravan of modular homes in transit on flat bed trailers. Despite the clear roads and the good weather all of these elephantine constructions managed to fall off their trailers, blocking the road. Totally. And probably for a long time.

Rural. Far from towns. Far from cranes and tow trucks. Should we turn back?

Well, no. The Texas Highway Patrol indicated that there was a path around the logjam.

The Texas Highway Patrol is fantastic. Johnny on the spot. Dependable. So we pressed on.

The detour was on to county roads, then on to ranch roads, then on to ranch land. We drove over cattle guards – which are pipes laid in the roadway to allow vehicles to pass but to impede livestock from stepping over them. Cattle guards really work. But, as we soon found out, cattle guards means that there are cattle about. Lots of cattle, in the road.

It’s hard to make time while traversing fields that cattle claim as their own. Until you come upon the next cattle guard and get back to more of a road. But once embarked on the path we just carried on, hoping for the best. Hoping it would be short.

Detours through ranches and cattle are not short. But we did not know that until we were familiar with many cows. A U turn in a pasture did not occur to us.

Yes. We eventually did make it to Fredericksburg. And a very late lunch. And time in just a few shops. Then it was time to return.

The roads had all been cleared for our return. The drive was warm, sunny, swift and glorious. A great end to a weird day.

God bless Texas!