Navasota River Trip

Well we missed the river clean up trip down the Navasota River with the Boy Scouts due to weather conditions and lack of boats, so we decided before we left we would do our own trip.  It was quite nice canoeing down the river just the two of us; the weather was great and it was so peaceful!!

 

The river is dammed at various points to form Lake Mexia, Springfield Lake (in Fort Parker State Park), Joe Echols Lake, Lake Groesbeck, Lake Limestone, and Martin Lake. Tributaries of the river include Big, Little Cedar, Sand, Bowman, Panther, and Holland creeks. The river traverses flat to rolling terrain with local shallow depressions, surfaced by clay and sandy loams that support water-tolerant hardwoods, conifers, and grasses. The river was probably named by Indians, who called it or another stream in the immediate area the Nabasoto.  In 1727 called the river the Navasota, the name it has been known by since that time. The community of Navasota is located in a bend of the river in southwestern Grimes County. Numerous archeological sites have been found along the river, which served early settlers as an access route into the area. By 1860, however, river transportation had declined, as the first railroad lines reached the Navasota community. Our trip took us from the Confederate Reunion Grounds to Fort Parker State Park.
 

If you would ever like to take a peaceful canoe trip I would highly recommend it.  You can rent boats at Fort Parker State Park and they will take you the Reunion Grounds to put in.  Have fun and relax!!!

 

Vist to Waco

Our time at the Confederate Reunion Grounds went fast and as time was ending we realized that we had not gotten to all the places we wanted . . . . so it was time for some road trips.

First we headed to Waco to explore as there is so much there that we have not seen - did not get to all of it but did hits some of the places we wanted to.  Spend time at the Texas Ranger's Hall of Fame and Museum

 

Then off to the Suspension Bridge, Riverwalk, Spring Park & Cattle Drive Sculpture and Vietnam Memorial.  The suspension bridge was built in 1870 and was for cattle drives crossing the Chisholm Trail.  It was the larges suspension bridge built west of the Mississippi at the time it was built.  The Riverwalk is on the west side of the river and extends from Baylor University to McLennan Community College via Cameron Park.  This area is used for large festival and the big 4th of July on the Brazos each year.  The Vietnam Memorial is near the end of the walk and speaks for itself.

 Our next stop was the Dr. Pepper Museum.  Dr. Pepper is the oldest soft drink in America and was created by  a pharmacist Charles "Doc" Alderton in 1885 in Waco.  What fun to walk through and see all the things we remembered as kids and then to go to an old fashion soda fountain shop.

There is so much to see around Waco and we only wish we had had more time.  If you get the chance go and check things out.  There are old Victorian homes, Baylor University, Parks, Zoo, Texas Sport Hall of Fame, and much more. 

Hope we get the chance to check more out another day.

Free Time between Workamping Jobs

Sorry I have gotten behind on posting, we finished up our assignment at Confederate Reunion Grounds and have been moving around. 

We left CRG on October 12, after three months workamping there.  It was a wonderful place and one that we really enjoyed.  Learn more about the civil war there than we every learned in school.

We arrive that evening at Park on the Lake on Lake Conroe, it was raining and they had us just set up across from the office for the night.  The next day we were given a great spot and were able to get the dogs out. 

After a few days at the Park on the Lake we went to Tomball and stayed at Spring Creek Park - a county park with free hook ups for one week a month.  It was close to home and we got to spend some time with family and friends.  While there the high schools of Cy-Fair School  District had a track met and it was cool to watch it.

Kylie loves her pose!!





We got a chance to see some of our kids and grand kids for dinner.  Ms Kylie loves to take pictures and always takes my camera . . .

On the morning of October 16th we left and headed for Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.  We decided to make it a two day trip and not to rush as there was no real need.  We needed to be there by the evening of the 17th as Brian and Hunter were  going to join us; Fred and Brian are doing on mud run on the 19th.  We drove our first night to Frog City RV Park in Duson, Louisiana and then had a great dinner at LeJean Seafood in Lafayette.  Fred made it safely across the bridge in Lake Charles and Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge again (he just hates driving across high bridges-lol).

Swamp land around the Visitor Center as you enter Louisiana at the Texas border.  Neat place to stop and look around.

Spillway between Lafayette and Baton Rouge.  I remember when this was built and still love the drive over it.

 The "famous Mississippi River Bridge" at Baton Rouge.  Fred hates driving across it.

This pig looked like it was wandering around the side of the road and the truckers and even Fred slowed down to look.  As you got closer you realized it was not real but it did make people slow down - lol

We made a stop at the roadside rest stop at the turnoff to Bay St. Louis and felt small in the mist of all the truckers

Now on to Bay St. Louis and the Mud Run!!!