Here were some of the loons that were very prevalent in the area. I was able to get fairly close to them and observe them fishing and supping on their catch. Meanwhile, nearby kittywaits were diving into the water and presumably getting their own dinner. A very nice paddle, not withstanding the wind which would gust significantly throughout the day. Tomorrow we head south to visit some of our friends from the Alaska Caravan. They live closer to Houston and we'll visit a night before heading on to San Antonio. Ya'll take care.

The day was a bit cool (in the mid sixties) and pretty windy, but very clear and crisp. A good paddling day in my book. The main event out here was the birds, tons of them. Kittywaits, seagulls, loons, grebes, ducks, a few terns, herons, large snowy egrets and crows. I couldn't pass up this shot into the sun (sort of) with these gulls perched on the old tree snags.

A lot of stuff nearby in the town of Livingston, but the main attraction for me was close proximity to the water. Northshore RV Resort is a very nice park with all the ammenities including wifi and phone hookups. But the best thing is the water. The lake is very low right now and a bit of a challenge for the larger boats. This is a boon for me though as I do not have to worry about others wiping me out. I had the whole lake to myself. Here in my classic foot shot, you can see some of the hazards to navigation due to the low water. Some were a concern to me because you can't see all of them. Some are just below the surface, a big concern to someone paddling in an inflatable kayak.

Leaving Aunt Nelle's & Uncle Leroyce's house on the 26th, we traveled south arriving at the Northshore RV Resort in Onalaska, TX. About 13 miles west of Livingston, TX, this park sits right on Lake Livingston. We've been here for 2 nights already and extended one more so that I could get a little paddling in before we shove off. The first couple of days were taken up with some cleanup and maintenance following the Thanksgiving holiday. I had to drive in some rain getting down here and the result was a rig so dirty I think it had an effect on the drag coefficient.

Thanksgiving 2005

Well, we're past the 2005 Thanksgiving holiday and a bit larger to prove that fact. Our family reunion rotates between my Aunts and this year Aunt Nelle had the pleasure of hosting the event. Anut Nelle is the lady sitting on the right side near the end with the pink top on and Uncle Leroyce is behind her in the red shirt. A great time with fantastic food and company. There house sits on Lake Tyler and is a wonderful place. We dry camped in their neighbors yard for the 3 nights we were there. Christa and I are on the left side surrounded by lots of extended family. A few families didn't show, but there was plenty to have a good time. 

Also on the grounds, is this terrific scale railroad and train display. Not running during our visit, the track had the look of being run regularly. Very nice detailing and spans some 20' to 30' across. The Garvan Gardens boasts to be the largest Private Garden in the US. Most of the land is unimproved with many primitive trails for good hiking. Almost surrounded by water (Lake Hamilton) the Garden is a great retreat to escape whatever ails you. Today we are preparing to roll. We will be moving on tomorrow, heading down to Texas for Thanksgiving with the extended family at our annual reunion. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and enjoying some really good cooking.

There are numerous treats on the trails including this wonderful bridge spanning a tumble of large boulders where a waterfall flows beneath.

While you walk along the trails, you'll be treated to a number of Coy filled ponds complete with waterfalls feeding into them. Not many leaves now, but I suspect that in the spring and summer this can be a pretty dark place with the thick canopies of foliage overhead.

Of course, we are here in the late fall and so are treated to a bit of flash though the major color is past.

The entrance is a bit hidden and is under construction as well. When they are finished, this should have a bigger wow effect upon entering the grounds. As it was, we weren't sure if we wereat the entrance to a garden or a utility shed. I assure you, that does not impune upon the Garden itself.

Yesterday, we took a tour of the Garvin Woodland Gardens near Hot Springs, Arkansas. This is a unique garden compared to those we have seen previously. Where those were very formal, this one tends to have a wilder look.

After dark (and after picking Lucy up) we went for a drive up the West Mountain Drive to the scenic viewpoint. Talk about make out point, this is a classic. Plenty others were already in the know, take my word for it. Anyway, I figured I would take a picture of the night overlook. 

After the Fordyce we did the obligatory shop trip in the Downtown Historic District. 

The Fordyce even offered a state of the art Gym. Simple by todays standards, but probably pretty effective. 

The Fordyce's primary claim to fame was that of a premier bathouse favored by the rich and influential. In its day this must have been a real eyepopper. Excellent tile and marble work, beautiful stained glass windows and sunlights, trimmed with amazing woodworks and plaster treatments this place was the "it" spot. Natural hot springs tapped into the bath house provided water heated to an average temperature of 143 degrees. Trained masseus and chiropractic service providers offered there guests a truely luxurient experience. If this place was restored to its original opulence, the bathhouse would still be something of great physical beauty. This is a picture of the mens shower room with a wonderful fountain as a centerpiece. 

While on the Mountain Tower, we read historical information on surrounding sites. One of the major points of interest is the Fordyce Hotel and Spa. Now a visitor center and museum, we picked that as our next stop. 

Christa had to check out some of the steam vents. I had to lay the ole guilt trip on her to get her to step out on to the tower deck. 

One of the views from the tower is this one overlooking some of the hot springs in action. At first I thought they were trash fires or some such, but on looking through the available telescope, I could see they were indeed steam vents. They are scattered all through the valley, I counted at least a half dozen fairly large ones. 

One of the first Attractions we hit was the Mountain Tower. Seemed like a logical choice as we could look over the city from on high and see what there is to see. The tower is some 60' high, add that to the hieght of the mountain and you have viewpoint some 600+' above the city. 

One of the nice ammenities offered by this park are a couple hiking trails. They are not long but interesting and make for a good walk with Lucy. She seems to really appreciate a place she can wander bit freely. 

The name Cloud Nine is apt as this park is on the top of a hill. Some nice views are to be had although today proved to be overcast and chilly having rained all the previous night. Winter indeed seems to be swooping down to us. Nevertheless, we stay for a few days more as there are some attractions we have decided to check out a bit further. 

Hot Springs, AR

Arrived yesterday evening and staying at the Cloud Nine RV Park. Much nicer than the reviews in the Trailer Life Directory gave for this park. Full hook-ups, 50A, and level sites. The park offers real nice ammenities and friendly personnel to check you in and give you the "dope" on local attractions. The park is on US 70 about 8 miles short of Hot Springs proper. 

Lucy overseeing my efforts of pulling in lines prior to our departure for Hot Springs, AR. We awoke to a beautiful, if cool, fall day. Brisk and clear, it should provide a nice day for a drive. 

Georgetown, TN

Camping at the Agri-center in Germantown, TN. We have found another good deal camp spot and once again its provided by a city. Once before we found a good deal in Puyallup, WA, staying at the county fairgrounds. This camp experience was almost as good. Though we didn't have full hook-ups we did have water and 30A electric. There are full hook-up sites (30A) available, but we went one of the E/W sites for our one night stay. The site was fairly level and spacious. The key to really enjoying these sites is catching them in between events. The Agri-center has very nice grounds from what we could see. We only stayed the one night, but driving through the following day we found the grounds to encompass a fairly large area. I would stay here again and recommend the site to others. 

As we were to learn, the caverns are not totally devoid of a population. We found this guy taking a snooze on the ceiling and not disturbed in the least by our close proximity. Supposedly he is in some sort of semi-hyberative state moving occassionally for a food break. Alone in this part of the cave he has been here for a couple months. A larger population of his (or her) kind live in a "wild" cave adjacent to this cavern. And like this guy we will be making our occassional move down the road. Tomorrow we head for Memphis, TN, and might check out Graceland, but will most definately check out some BBQ. I hear they have quite a name for it up here. See y'all around. 

This is the official wishing pool. Tossing coins here is allowed because the water does not drain out and is basically a stagant pond (only clear). Only about 4' wide, maybe 7' long and about 10" deep, the coins go to a worthy cause. 

Inside the main cavern, I think I remember Bobby calling it the Crystal Palace (but I could be wrong), we were able to see a fairly large chamber in excess of 25 feet in height and probably something like 30 yards in diameter (these are just guesses). Well lit and paved we were able to see plenty of living formations. 

On this day, I drew Bobby here for a guide. A smart young guy who gave a knowledgeable tour of the caverns. I was pretty fortunate in that there was only myself and one other old guy on the tour. I had almost taken the tour earlier (a short walk from the campsite), but just as I was heading for the door - a school bus with about 60 1st graders pulled up. We decided to go into town for supplies instead. I came back a few hours later. 

The front entrance to the caverns and gift shop. At $10.95 per adult ticket, I found this to be a very good deal. The trip is about 45 minutes long and an easy 1/3 mile hike through the walking tour part of the caverns. There is another 5 miles of on your belly- through the mud caverns that can be done on Saturdays or by prior arrangement. One can even camp overnight in the caverns if one is so disposed. 

A Spelunking Adventure

Well - tourist style anyway. Walking up to the entrance to the Raccoon Caverns near Chattanooga, TN, I notice the entrance is an alpine style house. This place is built right over the entrance to the caverns.