Montana Tours of 2005, April 7, 2005, Enchanted Rock & Ft Worth Star Interview

Before we left the Fredericksburg Texas area we wandered over to Enchanted Rock. We did not really know what to expect, but had been encouraged to run out there. It is supposed to be the second largest outcrop of granite in the United States. That sounded interesting, little did we know just how BIG this might be. The photos will give you some idea, but until you visit this in person, you cannot have a true appreciation for the SIZE!! Here it is:

This fine collection of granite is 1 billion years young! There is a hiking path, for those brave enough to climb. In the photo to the right is a part of the path. Yes, that IS the path, every once in a while there is a marker. Take your time, watch for snakes, have a hat on, and best to have a bottle of water with you, which of course, we did not, cause we had NO idea what Enchanted Rock was all about!

Below:  They call this Turkey Peak. I believe to climb in this area you need special permission, sign waivers, and have all that special rock climbing gear, ropes, stuff like that. Aren't the prickley pears pretty in the foreground?

The view from about 1/3rd of the way to the top. As we were not prepared, remember, no drinking water, and cause of Al's knee, we decided that we enjoyed what we had climbed and the view was great, so, why go further! No sense pushing our luck!

This next photo is of one of the pieces of granite that fell down the hill (small mountain) at some point in time. If you look hard, you will see me standing by the rock to give some idea of size.

After we left the Enchanted Rock area, we went driving around looking at flowers, etc. BUT, first we had to find something cool to drink, so we stopped at the Knot in the Loop Tavern, near Willow City. We ended up being interviewed by the Ft. Worth Texas newspaper, the Star-Telegram, and a few days later, the article appeared, with some quotes from both of us! How fun was that?? Here is a bit of the article:

"WILLOW CITY - The wildflowers weren't exactly in full bloom along the famed Willow City Loop last week, but Al and Carol Stevens couldn't have cared less.

The 13-mile loop, about 11 miles northeast of Fredericksburg, is considered by many to be the premier site for wildflowers in Texas. The flowers are blooming late this year, but the Michigan couple was too busy swapping stories with strangers inside the Knot in the Loop Saloon to care.

"Dang, if this is spring, then I'm coming back every year," Carol Stevens said. "This sure beats springtime in Michigan."

For the Stevenses and thousands of other tourists, searching for fields of wildflowers appears to be as important as actually finding them....

Last week at the Knot in the Loop, which serves as a base for cyclists and car clubs touring the Hill Country, patrons were swapping recommendations about restaurants and good routes.

After soaking up the bar's laid-back atmosphere and the 75-degree weather, Al Stevens, the Michigan visitor, vowed to return.

"The rest of Texas is pretty mundane, but we kept hearing about the Hill Country so we thought we'd give it a try," he said. "We didn't know what to expect, but the food is great, the people are great and the hills are green."