Meandering

Wednesday, we visited a couple of small towns near the campsite. Well actually, near is relative since these were as far as San Antonio, just the other direction! Among them

Ingram and


Hunt, with it's copy of Stonehenge!


It sounds like these just started as a joke, with one fella setting a stone in the middle of the other one's field. Then the owner of the field had him make more so that it is 60 percent as tall and 90 percent as large in circumference as the one in England. It also has Easter Island-type statues


Then we went on to Fredericsburg, which is a larger town. This town is one we hope to return to since there is so much to see. We were close enough and early enough to visit a couple of sites.
Fort Martin Scott is a pre-Civil War military outpost. This is the only original building, although there were several others to depict how the officers lived.

The Texas wildflowers were out in full bloom



We also took a look at the grounds of the National Museum of the Pacific War. It was very touching. There was a monument to each of the last ten presidents to have served, starting with President Truman and ending with George W. Bush. It is sad that there is a trend of non-service in the more recent presidents. Seems it should be a qualification since they are Commander-in-Chief!

There are plaques all around the walls of those who served in all of the wars,

as well as a Japanese Peace Garden.

But it was to late to see the inside. So that will be another day.
On the way home we stopped in Comfort just to see this monument.

The Nueces "Treue Der Union" Monument : Those in Comfort at the time were openly sympathetic with the Union cause. Friction between the Confederates caused 65 men to leave the area and go to Mexico. The group was surprised and attacked by soldiers on the west bank of Nueces River about 20 miles from Fort Clark. Nineteen settlers were killed and nine wounded. Confederate losses were two killed and 18 wounded. The nine wounded settlers were captured and executed a few hours after battle. This is one of only six National Cemeteries permitted to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff in perpetuity. You can't see the flag very well in the picture, but it is at half mast.
All of the above towns were settled by Germans in the early to mid 1800's. And I always thought it was the Spanish and Mexicans who were the early settlers of Texas! Click here for more information on these towns.
Another full and interesting day! Today our plan is to go to LBJ ranch and historical site.