Texas history
Mansfield Dam and Lake Travis near Austin
We drove up to an overlook site to see the top of the dam. In 1937 construction began on the then Marshall Ford Dam across the Colorado River in Texas. The 278′ tall dam was completed in 1941, was renamed the Mansfield Dam in honor of a local member of Congress. The dam created Lake Travis northwest of Austin.
The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) controls the dam functions
No drones allowed!
Lake Travis has 30 square miles of surface water that winds through the former canyons of the large watershed area of the Colorado River. The lake is as you would expect a center of recreational activities.
Good bye Austin, New Orleans here we come
We said goodbye to family this morning and headed east. Our original plan was to drive to Lake Charles, Louisiana and stay at a casino tonight. On the way we made some cool stops, saw some neat things, and we ended up deciding to stop at the Rio RV Park again for the night. (See our review of Rio RV here.)
Burton, Texas train depot. Built in 1898 to the specifications of the Southern Pacific Railroad, this structure replaced the original from 1870 that had burned.
Neat old building with signage stating “Burton Auto Co.”. Might have been an early gas station.
Burton Farmers (Cotton) Gin built in 1914. Originally steam powered, it continued in operation until 1974.
New Mural in Brenham, Texas
Detail of mural painting
Built in 1870 for prominent banker, lawyer and landowner Jabez Giddings, this historic mansion in Brenham is known as the Giddings-Stone house.
Bishop’s Palace in Galveston Texas is remarkable
Known as Bishop’s Palace, this Victorian style mansion was originally the home of Josephine and Walter Gresham. Gresham was a railroad magnate and hired famed architect Nicholas Clayton to design the home. The structure was completed in 1892, and it survived the disastrous 1900 hurricane.
From 1923 until the 1960’s the house was used as the residence of the Bishop of the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese. It is now owned by the Galveston Historical Foundation. Guided and self guided tours are available for an admission fee.
Happy New Year 2018
We are currently in Texas visiting family in the Austin area. Tonight, New Year’s Eve, we all are in San Antonio. We have had a great time, even though the temperatures are in the 30’s with wind chills (yes, the pesky wind chills we thought we were leaving behind in the north) in the low 20’s.
Glad we brought some cold weather clothing!
Shopping and eateries along the River Walk
We have had a fun day, even though it was a very chilly day! We were able to take the boat ride on the San Antonio River. It was fun shopping at the many places along the River Walk, and of course we visited the Alamo, site of the famous battle that ultimately led to Texas gaining its freedom from Mexico.
The boat rides on the San Antonio river
Pretty view of the River Walk with a pedestrian bridge
Happy New Year 2018 to all of our online friends! We appreciate our fellow bloggers and our fellow RVers. A lot of you fit into both categories quite nicely. We wish all of you the best for 2018. Have a successful, safe and blessed year, friends!
The Alamo
Roadtirement 