Oct. 18

We decided to take a trip to Los Maples State Park and then over to Guadalupe State Park where Mike and Carlyn will be Camp Hosting from Dec, 1 thru May 1 of 09. In looking over the route we decided to go to Guadalupe State Park first to eliminate driving against the sun on our way back home. We did not get away until late.
So back to Hondo and then north on sr173 toward the hill country, about 5 miles north and to Bandera, TX, known as the original Cowboy Capitol of the west. An intereting little town all in its original old west style and it appeared that any renovations was kept in the same theme. Being Saturday there was a lot going on, street fair, car show, etc.
We picked up sr16 east through Pipe Creek and picked up sr46 to Boerne. Mike said, while we are here and it is after noon we had better eat at the Hungry Horse Cafe. What a place. It is all done in western moteif with plain old wooden tables with the paint coming off and rickety old chairs. You place your order at the counter from a huge menu with everything from hambergers, salads to fried green beans. When your order is ready they call your name and you go get it. Man, what servings. I had a salad and it covered a large platter with 2 containers of dressing, bleu cheese, of course. It was a delicious salad with everything you can imagine in it. Then it was on to Bergheim then to the Guadalupe state park. A very large park with many camping spots for tents as well as other RV's, in fact they were full with nothing available. Mike got to visit with many of the employees he had worked with and met some new ones that he would be working with in May. We took a tour of the park and through some of the camping areas. Very nice secluded spots with lots of trees and shade.
It was getting late and it was a couple of hours drive west to Los Maples, we decided to head back toward Hondo and home and make the Los Maples trip another day when we would have more time and not have to drive after dark. All but the first and last 15 or so milew was in the hill country, always interesting territory with many large homes setting on the bluffs overlooking the ranch lands. We did take time to stop at DQ for a treat in Hondo.
Did I tell you they have bugs here every evening. Just as the sun is going down you will see hundreds of butterflies, mostly yellow, just floating on the breeze. I do not know where they come from but they are everywhere. If you are driving they just coat your windshield and front of your vehicle. You just have to soak them to get them off, so we do not like to drive at dusk. After it gets dark they just go away, where I do not know but you only see them as the sun is going down.