Enchanted Rock State Natural Park

This past summer we were toying with the idea of going on a road trip to the Grand Canyon - and how lady luck shines on you when you least expect it! It would have been Horrendous (note the capital H) in the intense heat the region experienced. I digress, the reason I mention this is because a pit-stop would have been to the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.......

It is an enormous pink rock (like to keep topical it being breast cancer awareness month) just outside Fredericksburg, Texas.  It's the largest pink granite monadnock in the US.  The climb is 425 feet and takes you to approximately 1825 feet above sea level.  It's not a hard hike but it's no jog either - alternatively there is a walk around the base of the rock - we're going to check that out later.

Do not be fooled by the calm exterior of C & D..... they were huffin' an' a puffin' like a goodun!!! Once at the top, there are a couple of little oasis type rock pools mit tadpoles, an array of cacti and other flora and fauna and the most spectacular views of Llano County....

Well worth a visit... take a picnic or camp (beware of the enormous ants though)!

There are lots of myths, legends and magical mysteries surrounding the rock:

• Named “Spirit Song Rock” for native legends
• Revered by native tribes as a holy portal to other worlds
• Anyone spending the night on the rock becomes invisible
• Spanish priest fled to the rock pursued by native tribes, disappeared, and returned to tell a mystic tale of falling into a cavern and being swallowed by the rock, encountering many spirits in the tunnels, eventually to be spit out two days later
• Haunted by spirits of warriors of a now-extinct native American tribe who were slaughtered at Enchanted Rock by a rival tribe
• Haunted by a native American princess who threw herself off the rock after witnessing the slaughter of her people
• Alleged sacrifices at the rock by both Comanche and Tonkawa tribes
• Believed to be a lost silver mine, or the lost El Dorado gold
• Bad fortune and death will befall anyone who climbs the rock with bad intent
• Footprint indentations on the rock of native American chief who sacrificed his daughter, condemned to walk Enchanted Rock forever
• Woman’s screams at night are of a white woman who took refuge on Enchanted Rock after escaping a kidnapping by native Americans
• Spanish soldier Don Jesús Navarro’s Enchanted Rock rescue of native maiden Rosa, daughter of Chief Tehuan, after her kidnap by Comanches intent on sacrificing her on the rock. 

Hmmmmmmmm.............

Homecoming Parade

So yes, it does really happen and EVERYONE whoops it up a storm and it really is quite fun... honestly, it is!

The parade is basically the high school and middle school football teams, cheer teams, dance teams, volleyball teams, basketball teams and any other sport team you can muster together parading in front of their proud families on a trail from the school to the football stadium (which, by the way, is humongous!) and not forgetting the band -which looks as though it's every other member of the school NOT in the sports teams!

It also includes the current year's homecoming king and queen nominations - they're now calling them dukes and duchesses (hmmmmm..... I wonder why?) and there are at least two nominations per grade.

This year they had a procession of vintage Corvettes and Harleys too, which was noisy but really cool, and a bunch of local sponsors throwing sweets at the spectators from a variety of vehicles including monster trucks!

Here's some of the parade....

There's also the local cadet squad (girls and boys) putting in an appearance.

Thereafter, it's onto the field where the cheer team welcome the football squad (aaahhhh) and the band strut their stuff, in formation, to some really good tunes whilst also playing for the dance team to put on a display and the cheer team (again) to show us what they're made of.....

I was really impressed with the complexity of the tunes and moves the band displayed - nothing for You've been Framed here!

To end the 'Pep Rally' (no idea why it's called that) the homecoming nominees were introduced to the spectators. There was a lot of audience participation and it was a fun couple of hours. Also, the kids got early release from school that day..... it's serious stuff folks!!!!

Pecan Festival

The Pecan Street Festival came about because a local bunch of people decided to try and re-vitalize 6th Street and its surrounding area and businesses - known primarily nowadays for its music - about 30  years ago and has since become the largest arts and crafts festival in central Texas. The people who run it are a non-profit organisation and donate a substantial amount of the proceeds to both the City of Austin and local non-profit organisations alike.

It comes about twice a year - May and September - and is FULL of interesting art, sculptures, leather work, jewellery stalls to margarita and beer stands, tacos and burgers, live music in several locations and fun things for the kids to do and watch.

Take a look.....

These were all made from scrap metal and were FANTASTIC and very inexpensive!

They even catered for the animals in your life.......

........ and the sign next to the doggy chair reads Sit Means Sit!  The green chair is an average size camping chair - so this really is for the animal lover!
  
The local shops on 6th were open too although the majority of the bars (of which there are plenty) weren't until the evening as this is the major music scene for Austin and doesn't start 'jumping' until at least 10pm!

A good walk round, albeit a tad on the warm side. However, there was plenty to see and buy!