SeaWorld San Antonio; Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Since it’s Christmas Day, I wanted to wish everyone Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. 🎄

We went to SeaWorld in San Antonio to see the holiday lights. One doesn’t really think of the sea in connection with landlocked San Antonio, but there ya go.

SeaWorld

We first checked out the sea lions:

Sea lions

Since we happened to be nearby when they were about to start a Sea lion show, we thought we’d check it out:

Sea lion show

We sensibly sat outside the splash zone, aka deliberately spraying water jets zone:

Sea lion show

So cute:

Cute

Sea lions

Snowmen:

Snowmen

Reindeer

A very Texan boot tree:

Boot tree

Plastic bottle tree:

Plastic bottle tree

Turtle:

Turtle

Fish:

Fish

Ducks and flamingos:

Ducks and flamingos

Jenn:

Jenn

Dinner:

Dinner

Swag:

Swag

Lights:

Lights

Again we happened to be nearby when they were about to start a nativity show, as told by animal puppets, with some live animals, so we attended that too (way too loud):

Nativity show

Lights reflecting in the water:

Lights

A musical performance:

Performance

Lights:

Lights

A Sesame Street Christmas parade:

Christmas parade

Then we headed to the Orca Encounter, for a little more animal exploitation… but they were keen to point out how many animals they’d rescued and otherwise helped:

Orca Encounter

Some videos of the orca:

More lights:

Lights

SeaWorld

It was a fun evening.

Ingram, Texas and Stonehenge II

We noticed a place called “Stonehenge II” on a map when looking for nearby attractions, and had to go take a look at it. We’ve been a couple of times to another Stonehenge replica, the Maryhill Stonehenge in Washington, just north of the Oregon border.

This one is in Ingram, Texas, a bit less than an hour south of the Pecan Valley RV Park (which is “nearby” in Texas terms):

Ingram, Texas

Some murals in town:

Murals

We first stopped at Hunter House Cafe for brunch:

Hunter House Cafe

We’re in Texas, so of course I had to try grits:

Hunter House Cafe

Jenn had Huevos Rancheros:

Hunter House Cafe

Then we proceeded to Stonehenge II:

Stonehenge II

Plus a couple of Easter Island head replicas, for reasons:

Stonehenge II

It’s 90% the height and 60% the width of the original:

Stonehenge II

Fort McKavett State Historic Site

We visited Fort McKavett State Historic Site, a 150-year-old fort in West Texas, from the Texas-Indian Wars of 1850–1875, with a museum, some ruins, and several restored structures.

Entrance

The visitor center and museum is in the restored hospital building:

Visitor center

Some museum exhibits:

Museum

Another angle of the hospital building:

Hospital

Officer buildings:

Buildings

A schoolhouse, that was used from 1874 to 1956:

School

Ruins of the commanding officers quarters:

Ruins

Sun

Ruins

Other officer quarters, restored:

Officer quarters

Headquarters:

Headquarters

Pole

Barracks:

Barracks

Ruins of barracks:

Barracks

Officers quarters:

Officers quarters

A “sink”:

Sink

Officers quarters

The “Dead House” (morgue) behind the hospital:

Dead House

Other side of the hospital:

Hospital

A fascinating look at a slice of regional history.

South Llano River State Park

South of Junction, Texas is the South Llano River State Park. We’ve got a Texas State Parks pass… so when driving around town, we decided to check it out:

South Llano River State Park

Info sign:

Info sign

The visitor center:

Visitor center

Signs

An electric & water-only campground (a bit too small for us, though we might have fit in some sites):

Campground

A major feature of the park is a wildlife refuge, including a turkey roosting area, where wild turkeys roost in the pecan trees overnight:

Info sign

Turkey roost area

We didn’t see any turkeys, though did see one of the small deer:

Deer

At a river access point, an interesting idea: a box of trash bags:

Trash bags

The river:

River

Some subsidence:

Subsidence

River

Junction, Texas

The Pecan Valley RV Park is about 8 miles (12 minutes) west of Junction, Texas, the nearest city.

I thought that it might be interesting to post about towns we explore, in addition to travel days, RV parks, and attractions (please do let me know if this is actually interesting!).

So here are a selection of photos of Junction from a few visits there:

Junction, Texas

The Post Office:

Post Office

The grocery store:

Grocery store

Grocery store:

Grocery store

Junction, Texas

A roadside attraction, the Deer Horn Tree, made of hundreds of deer antlers, in front of a processing shop:

Deer Horn Tree

Junction, Texas

When in Texas, of course we have to have BBQ:

BBQ

Birds on electrical pylons:

Birds

Back to Pecan Valley RV Park:

Back to Pecan Valley RV Park

Big Bend National Park

We spent a day visiting Big Bend National Park in Texas, our last national park for the year, and our last new one until we visit Death Valley in March.

An interactive map of our route:

Entrance sign:

Sign

Persimmon Gap Visitor Center near the northern entrance:

Persimmon Gap Visitor Center

We asked the ranger about picnic spots; he told us about a secret picnic spot that isn’t normally mentioned, since they don’t maintain it; a couple of shelters, but just one table. So we had a picnic lunch there:

Secret picnic spot

Hazy mountains and views:

Mountains

Panther Junction Visitor Center, which includes a post office:

Panther Junction Visitor Center

You know I enjoy relief maps:

Relief map

Gift store:

Gift store

Mountains

There’s even a gas station, very unusual for a national park:

Gas station

Mountains

Chisos Basin Visitor Center:

Chisos Basin Visitor Center

Window View Trail:

Window view trail

The Window:

Window view trail

Mountains

Hole in a rock:

Mountains

Castolon Visitor Center area:

Castolon Visitor Center

Old barracks from 1919, that burned in 2019:

Castolon Visitor Center

Mountains

Moon over mountains:

Mountains

A scenic drive.

McDonald Observatory Star Party

In addition to the little star party at our RV park, we also attended a larger star party at McDonald Observatory in the mountains north of Fort Davis, Texas.

It was a little cloudy, and the moon was about halfway, neither of which made for ideal viewing, but it was fine for viewing bright objects like the moon and planets.

Star Party

The evening started with an introduction and constellation tour in an outdoor amphitheater:

Star Party

Then everyone lined up to view selected targets via some telescopes, including the moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn:

Star Party

We then headed to the visitor center, and looked at their exhibits:

Visitor center

And of course the gift store (though shockingly didn’t buy anything):

Gift store

Back outside:

Outside

Stars

A different experience than the campground star party; not as personal, more waiting, but more clear views through the telescopes. I’m glad we did both.

Gage Gardens

A surprising hidden gem in Marathon is Gage Gardens, a 27-acre park tucked away across the railway tracks from the downtown shops.

Gage Gardens

Rose garden, dormant in winter:

Gage Gardens

Lots of grasshoppers:

Gage Gardens

A painted cow:

Gage Gardens

A delightful garden in a delightful town.

Marathon Sky Park Star Party

Our neighbor at the Marathon Motel and RV Park hosts a star party each clear night, where he and another guy talk about the moon, planets, and stars, and show several of them through a couple of telescopes and high-powered binoculars for anyone interested (no reservation required, other than big groups).

A sign for the star party by the office:

Star party sign