Amistad Nature Trail

 

Adventure Location: Del Rio, Texas

Today's Date: 3-31-2022

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We got Sierra parked at the main boat ramp parking lot in preparation for a tour of the Nature Trail. After running the camera through a set of remembering how to do it practices we were ready to get busy. The Nature Trail starts at the far NW corner of the ramp parking lot and runs out on a finger of territory for a few hundred yards. It is a nice set up with big 360 degree views everywhere.

There are a few nice timber steps to get you from the parking lot down to the trail level and easy walking after that. We entered the trail and noticed that it was all severely dried out except for a very few spots of plain dried out. A lot of the vegetation looked like it will not survive for next year.

Here is a picture of a prickly pear cactus dried very badly. Those pads should be three quarters of an inch thick this time of the year instead of being all dried out.

We walked hopefully to find clusters of surviving plants here and there in case some rain actually falls in time. Nearly none were found. This was the best looking of the tail cactus type of plant we saw.

We traveled the entire trail searching for hope and almost all the way back to the start we finally found one one inch blossom trying its best to do good.

We do hope some proper moisture comes in in time to keep some of the roots alive and have the Nature Trail survive. It is one of the better ones we have seen in our travels. And in the past has been a pretty good place for trying to have tooooo much fun with a camera.

Bridge Support

 

Adventure Location: Del Rio, Texas

Today's Date: 3-30-2022

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We got Sierra parked at the Governor's Landing parking lot and hit the trail that goes to the water under the bridge crossing Amistad. We have walked it many times in the past but today we had a special purpose.

It is a pleasant trail but with loose surface rocks and shells so care is required. It does give a nice view of the lake from high up and a great water level viewing when at the bottom. Some folks are known to swim from the shore in this area.

Here is the lake view from at the waters edge. The lake has pretty blue water nearly always. The clarity is usually at least four feet and frequently a lot more. Notice the bridge supports at the water line.

Have you ever wondered what the bridge support looked like inside? Well tonight you get to see inside one of them thanks to the OFM and his miraculous camera work and some holding his breath.

And there it is like a concrete dungeon holding up that huge bridge way up above this level. Now that is a picture you will not see very often. But the OFM brings it to you from his efforts at trying to have tooooo much fun. He he he

In The Box

 

Adventure Location: Del Rio, Texas

Today's Date: 3-29-2022

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A few days ago we were wanting an item from Amazon but did not have a location to send it to for delivery. Being very mobile sometimes has a drawback associated with it. Well, the Amazon site asked if we wanted to use their drop box system since there was a box near us. The OFM had no idea how it worked so we asked for an explanation and to our surprise got a nice clear full explanation of how to use it.

So we went online and found that Del Rio had a drop box only five minutes from our normal lunch location. OK let us give them a chance we thought. The order was placed and they came back with an acceptable receiving date of today. So the OFM took the chance and ordered the item. Now we had to wait about five days for the receipt day.

The email came in about noon that the package was ready to be picked up. We also found out our special one time code to “open the box.” Whatever that meant.

However further instructions with the code told how to use the code. Our trouble was not having any idea what the delivery system looked like. So we went over to the location before lunch.

We had the address and a name to look for for the delivery point. As we drove on a main street in old Del Rio this is what we saw.

So we whipped right in and parked, The OFM grabbed his note with the code and walked up to the blue boxes of several sizes. The instructions were clearly printed and clearly composed. He punched in the code number on the keyboard and a door popped open and hit him on the arm. Reaching inside the box our package was retrieved and checked for the correct name. Then we stepped back to Sierra and pitched it into the back seat. The OFM hopped into the driver seat and headed out toward lunch. Check out this----total elapsed time to park, retrieve the package and get back on the street was less than three minutes. The OFM cannot walk to an RV park mail delivery spot and back in that short of a time. This was great. It may allow us to receive packages when we are camped in remote locations like now, if there is a delivery box somewhere in reasonable range. This new fangled stuff might even add to our trying to have tooooo much fun time.

277 North Walking

 

Adventure Location: Del Rio, Texas

Today's Date: 3-28-2022

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Last night the OFM nearly broke his nose on the computer keyboard with his head flopping down with tiredness. We talked him into going to bed without trying to write a blog for the night. It was only 2100. He assumed a sleeping position and was out. About 0745 this morning he finally stirred a little. Good grief he was beat from all the fun. We discussed the situation out here and agreed on the new blog policy. Also the rest of the OFM Team members pushed him to back off a little on all the physical stuff that was wiping him out at night. He needs to give the old body better rest to recuperate properly.

So this blog entry is about a nice short walk on old highway 277.

Old highway 277 dips into a valley that used to be a major fishing creek before Amistad Reservoir came to be and flooded the valley. When the lake is low like now the old road and a couple of bridges are visible again and gives a person a great surface to walk, run or ride a bike. Our story is about the north end of the road.

You drive into the 277 North Campground and park at the far end where the road is blocked off. A full lake brings the water right to that gate so the length of the walk depends on the lake level. Here is the view looking south from the gate.

Our walk to the closest bridge was about a mile and a half round trip. Here is the view looking back at the starting point from the end of the bridge. As you can see it is a nice uphill going back.

The area is in a severe drought situation so nearly everything is dead to a crisp. Here is the view looking west at the new 277 bridge over there.

And now we get a look to the east up the creek. The OFM has walked all over most of this visible area enjoying finding little trinkets like fishing lures lost by fishermen.

At the north end of the bridge is an old boat ramp that fishermen used to put in boats for fishing here when it was just a creek headed for the Rio Grande River to the west.

The walk is an easy walk on the old road surface but the uphill does get you into aerobic breathing. Yep we carried about a bottle of water and needed it.

When the area is getting decent water, this is a very green walk and in the spring lots of desert flowers will be blooming with critters to entertain you.

In good seasons it seems to be a good location for some decent exercise and entertainment from the critters in the brush around you. In other words a nice place to try to have tooooo much fun.

New Trail

 

Adventure Location: Del Rio, Texas

Today's Date: 3-27-2022

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New style of the blog publishing for now. Too much going on even after dark. Blogs will be published at any time day or night as the adventures allow time to publish. This is a great way of living.

We had seen this trail for a couple of years and never stopped to check it out. We got Sierra parked at a wide spot in the road and headed out to see what there is to see. We know we have seen folks hauling stringers of fish out on this trail in the past.

You start by heading west from the limited and unofficial parking area that would be under water if the lake was full.

We know now that the trail winds along the lake finger and is near a very fishable finger of the lake. In fact it is the upper end of the finger that The Fishing Hole blogged about a few days ago.

These were the watch birds keeping an eye on what is happening in this area.

The trail winds on westward with short trails down to access spots along the shore area. It is fairly easy walking we found out.

After about twenty minutes of walking the shore turned to the right and got more cliffy. We soon spotted a couple of folks working over the first of the cliffs along the shoreline.

As the finger got bigger things got rougher so the OFM called it quits to any more forward progress. Check this far shore view and look for the black dot near the far shore.

Here is what a telephoto shot of the object showed us.

That certainly looks like a nice way of trying to have tooooo much fun.

454 Boat Ramp Playground

 

Adventure Location: Del Rio, Texas

Today's Date: 3-25-2022

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We chose today to show the 454 boat ramp and picnic and play and fish and swim and mess around area. It has really been upgraded on the roads and general use areas. There are more clean porta cans and trash containers than in the past.

This is the entry on road 454 looking toward the boat ramp about three miles away.

After passing the entry sign it is a nice ride on the road all the way to close to the boat ramp. Then it is graded gravel down to the ramp parking and launching area.

On both sides of the road before you get to the ramp area is public use areas for your enjoyment. This is an area of cliffs and rocks of all sizes. It is basically a free for all parking wise and the admission cost for all this is zero dollars. Here are a few random pictures of the general area. Also keep in mind this is a lake that is 50 feet low at this time and also this is a finger off the body of the main lake.

Tonight's sunset was weird. It went through about four different “styles” while setting. This was the last style.

This country is always giving us surprises as we are trying to have tooooo much fun.

The Old Fishing Hole

 

Adventure Location: Del Rio, Texas

Today's Date: 3-24-2022

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A couple of days ago the OFM took to wanting to get busy fishing so we did. We motored on over to the boat ramp area of hwy 454 and got a good parking spot near The Old Fishing Hole. This is a place we fished before when the lake was only about 20 feet low instead of the 50 feet low now. It certainly made a lot of difference to the access of the area.

As the OFM meandered over to the edge of the hilltop we parked on, he got a bit cautious. Things had changed a lot since the last time in the area over a year ago. He stopped and looked over the edge of the steep slope toward our former fishing location and went into a NO WAY mode.

So we looked around a bit and found a makeshift trail down the slope to the floating dock moored at the water. As we navigated the trail we came upon some nice yellow flowers in bloom.

The trail took us to the floating dock/pier. It is definitely a volunteer trail but still a decent one. We fished the banks on both sides of the dock and then carefully stepped onto the dock. It proved to be very stable and the OFM was glad.

This is very rock cliff country. Here is the view to the left of the dock,

Then an about face to enjoy the view to the right of the dock,

This would be a great location to work over the area from a kayak. Nope we will not be the kayakers to do that but we do plan to do more meandering while shore fishing in the future. A large 30 inch range charcoal gray catfish did do a roll at the surface close to the OFM to show that there are still fish in the area. But we got no bites in the twenty minutes we were there. Then it was back to the Castle to grab a few pictures of the setting sun. This one was chosen to show.

And then it was very late. The time change has got the OFM body schedule really messed up. But it was a great day of trying to have tooooo much fun.

Lots Of Fun

 

Adventure Location: Del Rio, Texas

Adventure Date: 3-23-2022

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Good morning sunrise.

The day ran at a frantic pace all the daylight hours and into the night. Tonight the OFM is seeking a bed to collapse on. Will attempt to do some catching up tomorrow.

What a pile of having tooooo much fun it has been.

New Team Members

 

Adventure Location: Del Rio, Texas

Adventure Date: 3-22-2022

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The wind was ripping this morning until about 2030 tonight and sand was getting pounded into everything including the OFM's eyes. He eventually got a scratch on his right eyeball and that has been a real trouble all day.

Of course he could not let a little thing like a scratch on his eyeball slow us down. We went and picked up two new members of the OFM Teams and also hit up Walmart for some forgotten yesterday items. It sure is nice having services ten minutes from the camp instead of at least a half hour at 65mph. Friend Rick helped the OFM break in the new team members and get them trained. Here is the two new proud team members.

The lake area has changed a bad bit since the lake is so low for so long and the area is in drought mode. We decided that over the next few days we will tour the normal lake access places and campgrounds to show what they are like now.

We are in San Pedro Campground for now. Our next preferred campground is 277 North and subject of tonight's area tour. Please the Amistad NRA website, https://www.nps.gov/amis/index.htm to get the map of the area and the latest changes required by the local circumstances.

We start at the entrance to the campground. The road we are on is the previous hwy 277 roadbed that dipped into the canyon ahead. When the lake has more water the part of the old road in the canyon is under water.

We drive into the campground a short way and find that only one camper is there. When we swung by to visit he told us he had been the only camper there for a few weeks and the other 20+ campsites had been empty. He plans to leave next week to start his northward migration again.

This next picture was taken from the south end of the campground road still looking across the canyon.

At full the lake water would be right under the stop sign. This canyon has been excellent in our past for hiking, exploring old items around the area, catching black bass, white bass, big catfish, carp of all sizes. Fly fishing is popular on this lake because of all the nooks and crannies that get you out of the wind and harbor good fish. We have been told that the crappie fishing is also good but we have not experienced that in this particular canyon.

What a place for trying to have tooooo much fun.

300 Miles

 

Adventure Location: Del Rio, Texas

Adventure Date: 3-21-2022

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After getting the rig ready to roll, we gently rolled over to the dump station to get rid of the black and gray water. The next stop has the fresh water and dump station a few miles away from the campground so we wanted to arrive with empty black and gray tanks and full fresh water tank. That gives us about ten days of easy living until dump time raises its ugly head again.

We got going down the road just before 0900 with 279 miles to go. We rolled well the whole trip even with the variable 20 plus mph winds. The whole rig performed very well for the entire 6.5 hours of travel. There is a huge amount of new road work in progress between Roma and Del Rio Texas. And yes it is needed.

We rolled into the campground in good time to find our friend Rick already there. He says he got a good bit earlier start than we did.

Here is our new back yard.

This is the same site we have been in often in the past, only this time the drought had killed off most of the vegetation. This next picture is from across the center section of the campground. The tree you see has normally been in full foliage, flowers and seeding at this time of the year. Now it is nearly totally dead.

Tomorrow is a shopping day since Del Rio is a full facility type of town including doctors in case the arm infection gets ornery again.

Tonight's sunset was not really spectacular like it sometimes is, but here it is.

Tomorrow we get busy trying to have too much fun again in this area.

Wobbling Walk

 

Adventure Location: Falcon Heights, Texas

Adventure Date: 3-20-2022

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The morning walk was just the usual dusty thorny south Texas brush in the area. The OFM was doing a lot of wobbling as he walked so we had to be extra careful of the footing. It all worked out well for about a mile and a half of sole transportation.

Then we prepared the rig for moving to the State Park and some 120 volt power to do a couple of maintenance efforts before we roll out tomorrow morning. The drive to the new site was about five miles total and the set up went very well. Here is the street side view,

And here is the backyard view.

We got busy with things that needed to be done like vacuuming 463 pounds of sand out of the Castle. We ended up emptying the vacuum and washing it clean of the fine powdered sand so it is nice and ready for another use next year.

Next we got to work on the tires and made sure we got the latest proper pressures to inflate them to from the Goodyear site on the internet. All five tires are now right on the recommended pressure and raring to get on the road to the next location for living.

Along the way an ant stung the OFM yesterday on his left arm. This morning the arm is developing cellulitis it looks like. The OFM man has had that infection before and is treating it with antibiotic crème. The infection has at least stopped spreading.

Then to have an evening picture we went across the street and grabbed a picture of the sunset that actually turned out to look like a jet plane dropped a bomb on Mexico.

Getting bombed would not be a good way of trying to have tooooo much fun.