Rendezvous up to now!

There have been a lot of changes in the past year.  New hobbies have come and others, while not necessarily done, have become less frequent. Others have been front and center.

One such hobby is Mountain Man rendezvousing...  What is that?  It is part living history/interpreting and another part skills.  Where else can you dress in funny, outdated clothing and throw tomahawks at wood blocks, start fires with lenses, shoot targets with natural wood bows, and shoot eggs with reproduction flintlocks!  All while hanging out with some really good people!

One of our first outings!  Christmas at Old Fort Parker, 2018

Bevil's Rangers Gun Club Rendezvous, 2018

Top - Stephanie won the sharpshooter competition, showing off her medal. 

Center and Bottom - Sadie learning to build a fire with Mr. Raymie!

Southwestern Regional Rendezvous 2019, Aquilla, Texas 

The Southwestern was a new experience for us.  We have always done weekend events, but the SWRR runs for 10 days.  In spite of a torrential downpour and cold nights, it was a blast!  They even had a Highland Games Day!  Sportin' the Fraser colours!

  And there is always time for music!

 Copperhead Ridge, 2020

This was our first event in 2020. Due to illness in the family, we did not get to attend its inaugural year.  But we day tripped it this time, and had a fantastic time!  Thanks, Don!

Left - Sadie exploring the creek at Copperhead Ridge.

Right - Just waiting for our turn to try our hand at the pistol competition

Fergus enjoys these things as well!

She gets better every time!

The end of the Mountain Man Run involved shooting an egg at around 50 yards!  I was just as surprised as everyone else when I hit it 1st try!  .50 Caliber Shenendoah Flintlock!

 Stephanie is usually on the other side of the camera, but Sadie took this one.  Good job!

This year may be a slim one for the Mountain Man stuff due to obligations and conflicting schedules.  The Southwestern, for example, does not line up with our Spring Breaks this year as it normally does.  The Rocky Mountain National may be a possibility, however.  Who wants to go?

San Antonio Trip!

Again, traveling down Memory Lane I realized that my posting of summer travels never happened.  So August began with a last minute trip.  After all, Stephanie was heading back to the classroom and Sadie's adventure into Third Grade began in just a few weeks

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Before summer was over we wanted one last hurrah!  And Sadie has never seen the Alamo.

In the last year she has become very interested in Davy Crockett.  She has seen the movie (Disney) and we've watched the Alamo (with Billy Bob Thornton).  She even has a coonskin cap!

This picture was taken in the spring. See, coonskin cap!

So, we made plans to head to San Antonio.  It was a short trip, but we were able to find a neat little hotel in Hotels.com near the Alamo called The Hotel Gibbs.  From our window was a cool view of the mission.

View from our room at The Emily Morgan.  The hotel as a hospital clinic once, and is built on the old homesite of Sam Maverick (which was built over a fort wall).

After settling in we walked the Riverwalk and had Sadie's favorite - Tacos!

The next day, we went exploring:

The Centagraph. Not getting into politics, but I hope it stays right where it is.  You can look up the controversy on your own.

There were several awesome statues on display.  We were told that there were to be placed at various places downtown eventually.  And of course, there was one of Crockett!

After we left the Alamo we went on the Mission Tours (San Antonio Missions NHP). There are 4 total missions and several related sites!  When in SA, don't miss these treasures!  It can get hot, so plan accordingly!

And of course, we finished the day on the Riverwalk with (you guessed it!) Tacos!

When in SA, you eat Tex-Mex, right?  Isn't there a law or something?

The last day before heading home we visited the Alamo again and the Menger Hotel.  General Lee once stayed here, and Theodore Roosevelt recruited many of his Rough Riders here!

Left - One of the statues getting ready to be placed for display. We could not tell who it was.

Outside the Menger.  Is the statue for sale?  Can I afford it? 

It was a good trip, and some good memories were made.  Certainly it was a good way to wrap up a Texas History summer!

Summer 2019 Travels - Bummin' around Texas!

So as I was thinking about summer and summer plans I realized that last year's trip blog was written but not posted.  So here it is.  I am hoping to be a bit more active here in the coming months!

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As the summer draws to an end, it comes to a time to reflect.

This summer was strange.  Normally a long adventurous trip is in the cards, but not so this year due to various reasons that needed to be dealt with.  So, several short trips were in order.

With the end of the school year (for me) and the homeschool year (for Sadie and Stephanie), we had made plans for a return to Glacier Basin campground in the Rocky Mountains, but several job interviews fell right onto the time we had planned to go.  😒

Therefore, with a one-year old camper at our disposal, we made plans for Dinosaur Valley (which I blogged about several weeks ago).  Several weeks later, we set out for Huntsville State Park.

Campsite in the Coloneh Loop Which means "Raven".  I didn't realize how hilly is was down there.

Sadie and Fergus

Camping can be relaxing!

The only hike we had time for this trip. 

Paddle boats, Kayaks and Canoes

 We also visited the Sam Houston Museum in Huntsville (Thanks, Taylon Black!) and paid our respects to the General at the massive statue on I-45.  

Houston's law office

A view from the porch.  

Checking out the old buildings on site at the museum.

And, Washington on the Brazos.  Stephanie took some pictures, but I do not have access to them right now.

We visited Barrington Farm as well, which was the property owned by Texian President Anson Jones.  We had a chance to visit with out friend Laura Fisher, who is a living historian and interpreter there.  In fact, our visit have her a chance to get away from weeding the period garden.  It is a neat place, but for some reason at the time of this writing I could find no pictures that we took!

I did find this one!  Texas Independence Hall - where the Declaration of Independence of Texas was signed!

One of the oldest pecan trees in Texas.  It's parents were from a 1000 miles away, in Mexico.  The seed was thought to have dropped off of a wagon by some weary traveler heading to Texas!  Cool!

It was a nice little summer vacation with a chance to explore some Texas History!  Highly Recommended.