Advertisement
Published: August 9th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Bluebonnets
They are everywhere! In town, along the roads, in the fields. We didn't see the peak of the bluebonnets, but were impressed by what we saw. The Prairie and Lake Area of Texas is another area that is different from the ones we have already visited. We were in Waco, Ennis and Waxahachie. In
Waco we went to The Texas Ranger Museum and to see the 1869 suspension bridge over the Brazos River. The Museum had a 45 minute video presentation highlighting the history of the famed law enforcement group. The lives of some special rangers are depicted. Artifacts (especially firearms) used by the group are displayed along with information. The suspension bridge has been restored and a park and paths along the river are the highlights of the park. Only the rotting Carp and debris along the shoreline detracted from the experience.
Ennis is a cute town that has a Czech background. The town has many events throughout the year including the National Polka Festival and the Bluebonnet Festival. We were a couple weeks early for the Bluebonnet peak blooms or the festival. Everyone we talked to says it looks like this will be a good year for the Bluebonnets. The Visitors Center has a map of the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails. Their website is
www.visitennis.org. The Texas Bluebonnets (Lupinus Texenius and any other variety) and
Texas Ranger Museum
An interesting place to visit in Waco, Texas. I had forgotten that the Lone Ranger was a Texas Ranger! wild flowers have started to bloom and have progressed in the week we were in the area. We could see a definite difference between when we arrived at Ennis and when we left.
We’ve never seen Bluebonnets before, so we enjoyed seeing masses of them along the roadways and in the fields. The Indian Paintbrushes were also starting to bloom. As we drove further away from Ennis there were fewer large areas of the Bluebonnets, but some additional types of wildflowers.
One day we went to
Waxahachie. We had lunch and visited various stores. I bought some fabric that had Texas designs on it and will use it as part of a quilt later this year after we return home. We viewed the Ellis County Courthouse. It was built in 1895 of red sandstone and granite. There are faces carved in the stone and the reoccurring female face is said to be the face of Mabel Frame, a railroad telegraph operator with whom one of the sculptors had become enamored.
We went to Atlasta Home near
Ennis, Texas which is a sanctuary for various pigs, dogs and horses. She has 286 Pot-bellied Pigs, 22 feral pigs, 14
Waco Suspension Bridge
Built in 1870 it provided cattle and cowboys who were following the Chisholm Trail the only span to cross the Brazos River. When it was built there was an agreement tht no other structure or ferry would operate within 5 miles of the bridge. Of course there was a fee to cross the bridge! domestic hogs, 43 dogs, several cattle and horses, including 2 Percheron Draft horses. Chris is a wonderful person with a heart of gold. Her eyes sparkle when she talks about her animals. There are some animals who board at her place. It is amazing to walk with her surrounded by dogs and pig of all sizes. She greets them all with affection that they are special and loved. The website is www.atlastahome.org.
The highlight of our time in
Ennis was visiting with a dear longtime friend from childhood. Cindy and Bob have a nice piece of property outside of Ennis. They have a wide variety of animals including dogs, chickens, goats, a horse, pot bellied pigs and peacocks. We were able to park on their property and hook up to their water and electric. It was like old times in our childhood neighborhood, running back and forth between our two houses. We had great visits catching up on everything under the sun. It was fun to get to know their son Todd and daughter Kendra. We had wonderful meals and sat around a beautiful table made by Bob. With having their own chickens, the eggs at breakfast were fresher
Ennis, Texas
Established in 1872. It has a historic downtown area with some building that are 110 years old. In April the garden club sponsers the Bluebonnet Trails. There is a map of the surrounding area, which indicates the roads to take for a driving tour of the prolific bluebonnet areas. than I’ve had in years. It certainly does make a difference!
Our time there was a welcome break. We were able to take “real” showers in the house. I could catch up on laundry and even hung some outside to dry. Cindy knew where to shop, so we didn’t need to spend time getting familiar with a new town. Our dogs got to run around the yard and have the freedom of being off-leash. Lizzie found a job that she was passionate about performing. She kept the chickens away from the fence. She felt it was important, so we let her amuse herself and us with her enthusiasm. It was a group project to wash the RV while we were there. Todd got out the power-washer and got us started using it. Washing the RV took much less time with the 4 of us and a power-washer, than the usual long marathon to complete the task. The final night of our visit we had a dinner out at Bubba’s Barbeque. We liked it better than Rudy’s but not as well as Cooper’s.
This morning it was a tearful goodbye as we headed to our next destination. We have
Czech Heritage of Ennis, Texas
There are various museums, shops, and festivals. Memorial Day weekend is the National Polka Festival lots of wonderful memories and lots of fresh eggs.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.209s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 17; qc: 70; dbt: 0.0836s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb