This was our itinerary....period. Walt and I had been to the small town of Gonzales southeast of San Antonio and done their driving home tour. Beautiful homes, from small to grandiose, have been renovated and are being lived in. So we thought we would head that way...but first lets go through New Braunfels and have breakfast on the square :) Then maybe we should check out Seguin and stop by Tuesday Morning to see if they had the items my interior designer had requested I pick up...doesn't that sound snooty? My interior designer...LOL...aka my daughter who is going to take on the project of the new house. Oh look, over there, there is a Nutcracker Museum...let's go. And that is how the entire trip went...if one of us wanted to check out something the other was game. We will do this again!
Gonzales was founded in 1825 as the capital of Emparsario Green DeWitt's Colony. Still bothered by the Tonkawa and Comanche Indian tribes, the Mexican government sent a small cannon to protect the colony. This is the cannon that fired the first shot of the Texas Revolution. As the Mexican and Texan political situation deteriorated, the Mexican government requested the return of the canon lest it be used against them. HA! Sara DeWitt and her daughter made the "Come and Take It Flag" out of her wedding dress. Obviously, it did not work since the cannon resides in the museum in modern day Gonzales.
Before we got to Gonzales, we stopped at Palmetto State Park, which was once home to a polio rehabilitation complex. The park is full of dwarf palmettos (duh, who would have thought by the name?) who thrive in swamp like conditions. The palmetto thrive here due to a swamp and oxbow lake within the park. Only individual or small clumps of the palmetto are found west of the park boundaries. The park is also home to many species of birds, and a vacation spot for many many more. As well as birds there are many species of mammals and (shudder) reptiles which luckily we did not encounter.
Here are some of the views along the half mile hike we took...including the vulture colony....a bit spooky but fascinating also. With anything, especially nature, photos do it no justice. You have to see it in person to really appreciate it, I hope you get the chance.
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| Monsters in the woods!!!! |
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| Eye of the monster! |
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| Built by the CCC |
We rounded the corner to the tower and all you could hear was "WHOOOOSH" as almost a hundred of these hard working birdies flew into the trees. Vultures!!!! I had a very female moment when I breathed a sigh of relief when a man walked around from the other side of the tower...not sure what he could have done but at least he was a male. Shame on me for thinking that.
This artesian spring is next to the tower so the aroma of the water (was that nice enough) could be a draw to the vultures. We did not tarry.
A quick stop by the jail in Gonzales for brochures and advice on where to have lunch yielded both...the owner of a restaurant a block away was there and highly recommended it. We took her recommendation and had a good lunch then went back for the brochures. Instead we picked up Leon who was a docent and about to do a driving tour. We jumped in the van and took off. He has written a booklet about the ghosts of Gonzalez, and of course ghost lover that I am I had to stop and donate $7 to his retirement fund. I will give you the same answer he gave me when I asked about a ghost in a particular home "you'll have to buy the brochure". Here is a sampling...some have ghosts, others don't...you'll have to buy the brochure.
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| Gonzales County Courthouse |
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| The doll house - when I last saw it it was for sale for $625K, today it is for sale for $450K |
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| Sarah Ponton Eggleston dog trot house |
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| Belle Oaks Mansion |
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| The Carriage House at Belle Oaks |
This is just a sampling of many beautiful homes of all sizes, plus a couple of public buildings. It ended and we headed back to Belle Oaks Mansion because that is where we were spending the next two nights...in the Carriage House! A beautiful home that was owned by C. E. Dilsworth and is now home to bed and breakfast guests, including us.
The inside of the big house was beautifully appointed. We didn't go upstairs but I am sure it was as lovely as the downstairs.
After checking in we unloaded the car and looked around outside...just as pretty as inside even though it is the dormant season for the most part.
The bottom shot is Pat enjoying wine on our porch. The carriage house was so perfect. She and I shared the sitting room and the kitchen but each had our own bedroom and bathroom. Wish more B&B's had these type of set ups.
But then it was time to say goodnight so we could rest up for the next day...
After a delicious breakfast we headed over to the DeWitt cemetery to pay our respects to family there.
Green DeWitt moved here from Missouri in 1826 with his wife and family after successfully petitioning the Mexican government for an Empresario Grant to settle 400 Anglo American southwest of Stephen F. Austin's colony. His wife Sarah, received another grant of which one acre was set aside for a cemetery. The oldest known grave site here is that of their grandson Jonas DeWitt (1850-1851).
Still trying to get out of town we stopped by the Oak Forest Bridge. The 140 foot bridge was completed in February 1910 to span the Guadelupe River. It is now a part of the trail system.
We finally left Gonzales to explore and drive around other small towns in the area...lots of cute cute CUTE little cottages and bungalows that I want to buy and live in....since they were not on a historic homes tour or for sale (dang it) I appreciated their privacy and did not take pictures.
One however I did because I don't think any living person was living there...but do believe some non-living beings were around watching.
Found in Waelder, Texas - obviously haunted to me. I LOVE THIS HOUSE!!!! I WANT THIS HOUSE!!!! I WANT TO LIVE IN THIS HOUSE!!!!!
The resident ghost evidently was having a party....with some friends that came in from afar. They can come see me at any time.
On down the road we went, stopping for a Geocache in Weimer, a bite of lunch and some retail therapy in Schulenberg, a trip to the courthouse in Columbus...as well as a few other spots.
The dome is over the main courtroom and is truly ten times as beautiful as this photo shows.
We stopped by three of the Painted Churches outside of Schulenberg...
Ammannsville
Of course I found some weathered wood and rust to shoot.
Dubina
of course :)
Praha
Wasn't able to look inside due to the restoration going on.....
The construction of these little prayer chapels is made of bits and pieces of petrified wood and tabby along with the stone.
Shrine of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
and then there was this place that we skipped and ate at Ina's in Schulenburg, however if you ever need a homemade wiener....
Our ....where.....ever..... trip was a roaring success, and there are plenty of little Texas town that need an economic boost :)
Hopefully I will catch up on the Georgia trip and the Grand Canyon trip soon.
