MARCH 31, 2015 SOUTHWEST TO NORTHWEST TRIP, AZ, CA, OR, WA, Vancouver, more

Southwest to Northwest
March 31, 2015

Left Houston about 8:00 this morning, with first stop being lunch with Matt in Austin.  The wildflowers are in full bloom - bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush and lots of others, yellows and whites, and we made a few stops to enjoy them around Brenham.

Arrived at Matt's shortly after 11:30 and he invited us in to see his new deejay equipment. Quite a complex machine and he demonstrated many of the features.

Then we headed to Sap's Thai Restaurant for lunch.  Colorful ceiling lined with umbrellas.  They were also selling some Thai jewelry and other items that we recall seeing in the markets at ChiangMai.   Greg had a curry, I had pineapple fried rice and Matt had a noodle & chicken dish.  Large portions and tasty food!  Matt is looking good, going to the gym regularly and eating healthier.

We said our good-byes and headed west on I-90 which was quite congested for the first hour or so and then got more into country and small towns.  Went by the LBJ ranch and through Fredericksburg both of which we've been to and both of which looked pretty busy.  Fredericksburg is a German enclave which has grown into quite a tourist attraction with shops, vineyards, restaurants, etc.

We passed many goat farms (Like Dream Kids), cattle, bison, and many exotic game ranches with ibis, axis, fallow and other kinds of deer, antelope, etc. some of which were visible from the road.  Some of the ranches also featured private bird hunting - we assume quail?? though we did see a few wild turkeys along the way.  Lots of sheep as we got closer to Del Rio.

The countryside is dry and rocky, with more hills as we get closer to our destination.  We pass Armistad Lake/Reservoir which a huge lake that straddles the border. The further we get from Matt's the fewer cedar and evergreens we see and more yellow bushes which we learn are flowering black acacias.  They are everywhere and a scourge to those with allergies we learn.  But beautiful.

Long drive to Seminole Canyon, which is near the border with Mexico.  We pass one check point but are waved through after a few questions, like if we were citizens and whether we had any prescription drugs with us. They did have dogs sniffing all the vehicles.

 Still quite a few wildflowers along the road which we later found are prolific due to recent rains.  When we reach the state park at Seminole Canyon, the office is closed so we self-register and find a nice primitive campsite.

  I am scrambling around, exploring the area around the campsite, wondering at the proliferation of varieties of wildflowers when I notice a sign, blank from the rear.  I walk around to see what it says.

 Yikes!  I am hoping it is still a little cool for them to be out and about!

Pineapple fried rice (from lunch) for dinner, we read a bit, look at a few photos and call it a night.  The weather is great - probably near 60 and we get a good night's sleep with the windows open.  No hookups are no problem!  Only one other big rig in our camping area and they are far enough away that we don't notice each other.