Monday, August 27, 2007

(7) Gonzales Texas, an Elks Rv park

Gonzales Texas
Elks Care Rv Park

Zipping along after a cold front moved across Texas and into Louisiana that brought lots of rain, I was able to travel through Houston on Sunday. If you tow a camper or drive a big rig, you know what good luck that is. Houston’s highway system would normally be completely congested, but traveling through on Sunday, it was a breeze. I was able to take I-10 right through the city without having to use the outer loops and except for needing to watch closely which lane to be in, it was rather exciting to see the high rises and the myriad of overpasses curving one on top of the other.
Oh, a big aid in driving in Texas, is that they print the highway numbers right on the pavement, so you know well in advance, which lanes you need to be in. Right on Texas.

I wasn’t able to stay at the Palmetto State Park, because it had some flooding issues along the banks of the river, so I was directed not more than a block away, to the Elks Care Rv Park. A simple Rv park across from a Children’s rehabilitation hospital run by the Elks. The Rv park is only $14.00 a night for non members. I also discovered that the Palmetto Park had lots of mosquitoes, so being in the Elks park up on a slight hill, provides a nice breeze and less of the biting critters at night. It’s also one of the quietest parks I’ve ever been in. Even though I’m right next to the road, cars go by only occasionally.

The wild flowers are in full bloom and the pastures and trees have all new fresh green growth. The recent rains have been good for this part of Texas making it look lush and alive. They tell me without rain, this area can look mighty dry and dusty. You’d never know it by the way it’s looking on this spring day.

I went into the biggest town in the area, Gonzales, and discovered it was the start of Texas’s freedom stand. They shot the first canon before the Alamo and many of their sons went to the Alamo to fight. They only had one small canon that had been given to them my the Mexican Government to fight off Indians. The Mexican’s wanted it back after Texas decided it wanted it’s independence. Hence the flag with the canon saying “Come and take it”. Oh, the town has a population of about 7,200 and has many historical homes. I had a private tour by one of the local historical guides. Starting at the old Jail house, which had the last hanging in 1927. The fellow to be hanged, pleaded his innocence and said if he was hanged he would put a curse on the Court House. Since that time, the 4 clocks on the tower, would never keep the same time. A couple of years back, they finally hired someone to “fix” the clocks once and for all, and although they started to keep the same time, the Court House then was struck by lighting 3 times and other miss fortunes have occurred since then. Hmmmm.

The town of Luling has a water tower in the shape of a watermelon…… that’s about it.
Some towns are just tooooo small to write about.

I did go back to Gonzales to get a little shopping out of the way and have lunch. While at the Laundromat, a gal recommended Espinosa’s a real down home cooking restaurant. It was so good, I went back a second time.

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