Enchanted Rock

I went to Enchanted Rock, two hours west of Austin, to see this four hundred foot boulder I keep hearing about. The hike up the steep and slippery pink granite was exhausting and unimpressive, but the view of Texas hill country was well worth it. Things get interesting at the top of the dome where the hiking is more a matter of shimmying between boulders, dropping five feet, lowering myself into lightless wet caves. Other hikers set fire to bundles of sage to light the way.

Someone told me not to touch the cacti, so duh, of course I touched a cactus. While busy pulling the thorn out of my finger I heard the rustling of a strange mohawked bird. I later identified it as the scampering roadrunner of cartoon fame. Determined not to go down the same route I came up, I chose a dangerously sloped section of wobbly boulders and crawled gracelessly down the mountain. I could hear other hikers sliding along on their butts and half the pictures I took were mid-panic attack when I debated climbing back up but realized it would be impossible.

After the rock, I drove south to wine country and the quaint town of Fredericksburg. Famous for their orchards, peaches, and a number of wineries, my only purchase was an assortment of chocolate liquers including a peach schnapp and raspberry port made by locals. Full of Sam Houston whiskey ganache, I was ready to head home but spotted a metal cow and followed a sign leading deep into cattle country.

Signs warn of lose livestock which includes the heritage longhorn cattle, as well as some woolly striped cows that I call cow-sheep. (Cow-sheep probably sound like this: Moo-aaahahah). I got out of the car to take pics of an armadillo, the first live one I've ever seen. When it hopped toward me like an armored kangaroo I screamed and backed away, before remembering it's just an armadillo, and I've never heard of a deadly 'dillo attack.

Ten miles later I reached the Benini Sculpture Ranch. It is a working ranch with miles of modern art amongst the cow plop. It's proof that the roadrunner is not the only cukoo in Texas.