No School today so we head out to Brazos Bend State park

 

 

 Brazos Bend State Park

 

Haley trying her first taste of GooGoo bar.  GooGoo bars are an iconic sweet from Nashville, Tennessee 

 

 

 

Nashville

 Three nights in Nashville with friends Wally and Kathy Oliveira, Pat Holgerson and Tom Matthys.  Grand Ole Opry, Lukas Nelson at the Pinnacle, and so many other performers in the bars on Broadway Street.  Broadway street gets hopping by noon and the bands are playing all day long. 

 Country Music Hall of Fame

Our Home away from Home

 Broadway Street

 

Lukas Nelson at the Pinnacle

Gaylord Hotel

 Grand Ole Opry

  

Goodbye to Mohammad - When we first met him at the airport, he was an Uber driver. When we said goodbye at the end of trip, we were friends. Quite a story as he made himself available for all our  shuttles around Nashville. Surprise that when we got to the airport for departure, he didn't charge us saying friends don't charge friends. 

  

West Texas Roadtrip

 There are interesting places in west Texas that I have thought about visiting but just never found the time. My longtime friend, Erwin Lehmann, was game for a trip to see these treasures so the two of st us headed West on Interstate 10. First stop was Caverns of Sonora near Sonora, Texas. This cavern is rated the most beautiful cave in Texas.  Our guide (just call me "Z") took us on a journey of about 2 miles that descended 150 feet.  What separates this cave from all the other Texas caves is the number and beauty of the helictites.  

 

Helictites

Called soda straws long, delicate-looking and hollow

 

 

Next we traveled south toward Juno, Texas to visit with Pedro Nieri at the Moore Ranch. Pedro and Donna Nieri were our next door neighbors in San Marcos and we quickly became friends. Two married couples in an apartment complex of college students.  We were very lucky that Sally had someone to depend on right next door during my absence for Army Basic Training.  Many good times as couples up until Donna's passing in 2010.  

 

 

 Traveled to Pandale, Texas on the Pecos River where Erwin and I stayed the night in a cabin near the low water crossing where Ed Waley, Mike Sanders, Willie Dan Rowell and I began our storied four night canoe trip down the Pecos River. 

 

 

Stopped while this six foot Bull snake crossed the road 

 

Pandale Cabin

Over to the left of this photo is a section of the old low water crossing..

Pecos River

 

 

This beautiful little snake is the Prairie Ringneck 

 

 

 

Sunrise on Pecos River from the new bridge

 On to Seminole Canyon State Park, we took the Fate Bell guided tour with Lance. The pictographs are some of the best preserved of the Pecos River Style and date back around 5000 years.

 

That is Fate Bell Rock shelter in distance.

 

 

 

 

Fate Bell Shelter

 

 

 

Looking out from Fate Bell Shelter 

 

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About seventy miles north of Del Rio is Loma Alta. Thirty miles of rocky road from Loma Alta, Texas to Devil's River Natural Area. Another 5 miles of even rougher road and you are at the parking area for the hike to the Devil's River. The Devil's River is the most pristine river in Texas and a majority of the river flow comes from a series of springs flowing from the base of the bluff at this location. The springs are named  the Finegan springs after the original landowner and produces about 15,000 gallons of crystal clear water per minute. 

 

Bull Snake on Dolan Creek Road

 

I caught this one- it was such a beauty!

Devil's River - Nice swimming hole 

 

 

Finegan Springs
 

 Finegan springs