Cannon Beach is known for its miles of soft sand beach with spectacular views of monolithic stones and is one of the biggest  tourist attractions in Oregon. It is a located 75 miles west of Portland in Clatsop county, Oregon.  In 1846, a cannon from the US Navy schooner Shark washed ashore just north of Arch Cape, a few miles to the south of the community of Elk Creek. The cannon, rediscovered in 1898, is in the city’s museum and a replica of it can be seen alongside U.S. Route 101. The community of Cannon Beach was originally named Ecola but in 1992 it was renamed Cannon Beach based on its history. The town has a population of around 1500 people.

We had visited the Canyon beach in September 2001 as part of our Oregon and Washington trip. It was our first vacation as a family of three ( my elder daughter was just 4 months old) and surprisingly she was no trouble at all. We had a great time and I hope she also enjoyed seeing the natural wonders at a very early stage of her life.

Haystack Rock

The cannon beach is recognized by its well-known landmark, the Haystack Rock. At 235 feet (72 meter) it is the third largest coastal monolith in the world.  It is an intertidal structure and can be reached by the land at low tide.

The rock is protected as part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge as well as a designated National Wilderness Area. The area below the rock is referred to as a Marine Garden covers an area within a 300 yard radius from the base of Haystack Rock.  The tidepools in the Marine Garden have diverse and  rich with marine life such as starfishes, anemones, crabs, algae, and many others. The marine life in and around the Marine Garden is very vulnerable to human disturbance, collection is prohibited and extreme caution needs to be taken when walking in and around this area. There is a small cave system that penetrates the rock and can be seen from the coastline.

Near Haystack Rock are the Needles, two tall rocks rising straight out of the water.

There are over 2,000 seabirds that nest on Haystack Rock each year. The Tufted puffin, Pigeon guillemot, Black Oystercatcher, Pelagic cormorant are some of the birds that can be seen on the rock.

Events

One of the most popular events in Cannon Beach is the “Sandcastle Day” occurring during the month of June every year. More information can be found at http://www.cannon-beach.net/cbsandcastle.html

Every year thousands of whales make a 10,000 mile round trip journey southwards  from Alaska’s Bering and Chukchi seas to the lagoons around Baja California, where they mate and give birth before returning north. The “Whale Watching” weeks are from December 26 to Jan 1st and March 20 to 27. Ecola State Park and Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center are the closest whale watching sites.

T hose living on the Oregon coast have a front-row seat for one of the most spectacular events of the natural world—the migration of gray whales. Each year, thousands of these gentle giants make a roughly 10,000-mile round-trip south from Alaska’s Bering and Chukchi seas to the lagoons around Baja California, where they mate and give birth before returning north.

Map

A map of the City of Cannon Beach, prepared by the State of Oregon and the Federal Highway Administration, is available for download.

http://www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us/docs/News/CannonBeach2006.pdf
View Cannon Beach, OR in a larger map

Links

The following are some useful links..

http://www.cannonbeach.org/

http://www.whalespoken.org/

http://www.oregon.gov/visitoregon.shtml

http://www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannon_Beach,_Oregon

Album

Slideshow

Watkins Glen State Park is located at the edge of village of  Watkins Glen, New York, south of Seneca Lake in Schuyler County. It is one of the most  popular parks in the New York’s Finger Lakes region. The glen descends 400 feet through the 200 feet high cathedrals of rock, creating 19 waterfalls while traversing 2 miles. The lower part of the park is next to the village and the upper part is open woodlands. The park provides spectacular views of water sculpted rocks and waterfalls.

Gorge Trail

Watkins Glen State Park is best experienced by taking the Gorge Trail which follows the glen creek past the cathedral rocks and the waterfalls. The trail is accessible from the Main, South and Upper entrances.  We were traveling with a 4 year old, so to minimize the walk we parked our car at the Main entrance and took a bus to the upper entrance.

We walked down towards the Main entrance along the 1.5 miles long Gorge Trail, a dirt and stone trail with steps and bridges. It was one of the most spectacular walks. We were surrounded by majestic rocks and the meandering creek added to the beauty, carving its way through the rocks , creating beautiful waterfalls and pools as it flowed through the gorge.

Spiral Gorge and Pluto Falls

The first landmark in the Gorge Trail when walking down from the upper entrance is the Mile Point Bridge. This is actually 1 mile from the main entrance. The Indian trail and South Rim trail meet the Gorge trail at this point. Beyond the mile point bridge is a a dark and narrow passage with dripping springs,  sculptured pools, and thin Pluto Falls (picture below),  named after the ancient Roman lord of the underworld.

Rainbow Falls

Beyond the Spiral Gorge is the Rainbow falls. You can walk under the rainbow fall and in the afternoon on a sunny day you might catch a rainbow formed near this fall.

Glen of Pools

Above the Central Cascade is the Glen of Pools a series of sculptured pools and potholes. The creek winds through the rocks and falls into a pool.

Central Cascade

Beyond the Rainbow falls and glen of pools you will come across the Central Cascade. It is the highest waterfall in the park and plunges down 60 feet.

“Beyond the Central Cascade is the  high Glen Cathedral area. Lover’s Lane meets the Gorge Trail here which leads to the Indian Trail at the Suspension Bridge. If the Narrows are like a rainforest, then the Cathedral is like a desert. On a clear day, you will notice the sun soaking the dry gorge walls beside the trail.  These ledges support drought-resistant grasses, wildflowers and shrubs typical of a dry field. An interpretive panel here features the plants that grow in both sunny and shady sections of the gorge. ” – http://nysparks.state.ny.us/

Cascade Cavern

Beyond the glen cathedral is the “Narrows” region where the creek flows through the closely spaced rocks. Beyond the Narrows region is the “Cascade Cavern”.

This was my favorite part of the park. One of the most spectacular falls with a 50 feet plunge and a 6 feet crest. The glen creek pierces the rock and it seems the falls emerge from a roof of rocks. You can walked behind the falls along the paved pathway. The approach to this falls provides a wide angle view and is one of the most popular falls in the park.

Once you pass the cavern cascade you will pass through the sentry bridge towards the main entrance tunnel.

It is a beautiful place. Take your time through the trail and enjoy!

Maps

The following link has the trail map for Watkins Glen State Park

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/attachments/WatkinsGlenTrailMap.pdf

Useful Links and References

The following are some of the links which have useful information on Watkins Glen State Park. I have referred the following links to refresh my memory regarding this visit during 4th of July weekend, 2005.

http://nyfalls.com/watkinsglensp.html

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/142/details.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watkins_Glen_State_Park

http://falzguy.com/watkins-glen-state-park.html

Taughannock Falls State Park is located in the Finger Lakes region, near the south western edge of Cayuga Lake. It is in the town of Ulyses (New York), 10 miles north west of Ithaca and 25 miles north east of Watkins Glen State Park.  The name “Taughannock” comes from the Delaware Indians, referring either to chief Taughannock or the word taghkanic, meaning “great fall in the woods.

The main cataract the falls has a huge drop of 215 feet (66) meters and is one of the highest east of Rocky Mountains. It is even higher than the Niagara Falls ( the American Side) by 33 feet. Although it is taller than Niagara, the volume of falls is significantly lower than Niagara Falls and it is not fair to compare with the behemoth of falls.

Taughannock Falls

The Taughannock creek pierces through the majestic rocks (as high as 400 feet) and falls 225 feet below providing visitors a spectacular view.  This is the main attraction of the Taughannock Falls State Park and is best viewed by taking the .75 mile Gorge Trail which takes visitors to the base of the fall.

There are three main trails, the north rim trail, the south rim trail and the gorge trail. Both the south and north rim trails are around 1.5 miles long and the Upper falls are accessible through these trails. The north rim trail has the Falls overlook which gives a spectacular view of the falls.

Since we had a 4 year old we had to pick the Gorge trail which is the most convenient trail and took us right to the bottom of the falls. A few minutes into the gorge trail we came across the lower falls but did not spend much time there and went straight ahead to the main attraction, the Taughannock Cataract.

Rock Formations

Near the base of the falls is the black colored Geneseo Shale which is around 90 feet thick. Above this is the tan colored sherburne siltstone. The ‘caprock’ over which the falls descend are the sandstone of sherburne formation. The rocks above these on the side of the falls and along the rim are the Ithaca formation.

Lower Falls

The lower falls can be accessed a few minutes into the gorge trail. The Tuaghannock Falls State Park has three major falls, the upper falls ( accessible from the north and south rim), the middle or main falls ( Taughannock Falls) and the lower falls. The Tuaghannock creek eventually flows into the Cayuga Lake ( one of the finger lakes). The lower falls has much wider crest (70 feet) and cascades down to just 20 feet.

We spent more time in this area on our way back from the Main falls. This has beautiful cascades and ideal for waterfall photography. I had the luck of getting two good shots of the cascades.

Park Information

The park is accessible from the east via route 89 from the Cayuga lake side and also from the route 96 on the west.

The Park is open all year Mon-Fri, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. It is open on nights and weekends during summer and  camping is open from March to mid October. The Rim trail is closed in winter.

There is opportunity for many recreational activities like beach swimming, boating, fishing, hunting, hiking and picknicking. The park size is 783 acres and has 76 campsites and 10 cabins.

Map

NY State parks official web site has a very informative map.

Nearby Attractions

• Watkins Glen State Park
• Buttermilk Falls State Park
• Ithaca Falls
• Cascadilla Gorge
• Robert H. Treman State Park
• Many wineries are also closeby

Useful Links

• http://nyfalls.com/taughannock.html (this site has beautiful photographs and useful information)
• http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/62/details.aspx
• http://www.taughannock.com

The Shops at Legacy is an urban lifestyle center with unique shopping centers, award-winning restaurants, lounges, bars, live music and a hot spot for night life.  The place gets livelier by the evening, especially the weekends are  full of energy with lot of partying, music and dancing. This is “the” place to hang out, chill out, relax and unwind. Get the stress out of your system..

The good thing about this place is that it does not just cater to the adults. We often frequent this place with our kids. Our favorite part is the road strip ( Lone Star Drive) near the musical fountain. Our kids look forward to visiting this place. Their favorite part is having Gelato at Paciugo Gelato and sitting and watching the fountain.

Musical Fountain

The musical fountain is one of the main attractions at Shops at Legacy. The lights and fountain are coordinated with music and offers viewers a kaleidoscope of colors. I like to call it “Dancing Fountains”. This place is ideal for night photography and I take real pleasure in taking pictures of the fountain. The music near the fountain comes from speakers under the drain covers around the fountain. If you stand on them you can feel the beats

Live Music

Sambuca 360 and Twenty2 have live music inside the restaurant every evening. We actually enjoy the live bands playing near the fountain. They normally position themselves next to Cafe Istanbul restaurant and opposite of Gordon Biersch. We have seen the bands playing over the weekend till midnight. To get the event schedule please visit the official web site of Shops at Legacy.

All the restaurants (Cafe Istanbul, Gordon Biersch and RA Sushi) are packed to capacity during the weekend when the bands are playing.

Our last visit to this place we were lucky to hear this lady singing (photo below). She sang the “Single Ladies” song by Beyonce to perfection. The kids also enjoyed the song. They ask me to play her video again and again.

Restaurants

The following are some of the restaurants and bars in the area.  There are so many to choose from catering to all kinds of taste. For detailed list of restaurants please visit the official site of Shops at Legacy.

Gordon Biersch

“Fresh, hand crafted beer and premium, made from scratch food… all served up in a friendly and fun atmosphere – that’s what the Gordon Biersch experience is all about.” – Gordon Biersch

RA Sushi

“There is never a dull moment in the RA. The music is pumping, the mood is upbeat and the atmosphere is as stimulating as a big bite of wasabi. We know you like to have fun and we do too.” – RA Sushi

Coast Global Seafood

“Plano’s Freshest Seafood Experience. Jet-fresh seafood prepared simply yet creatively in a delicate balance of exploration and restraint.” – Coast Global Seafood

Paciugo Gelato

“One spoonful of Paciugo Gelato is all it takes to be transported to the street corners of Italy. Serving the most authentic Italian dessert, Paciugo Gelato (pronounced “pah-choo-go”) offers a distinctive array of more than 200 flavors to appeal to every customer’s palate.” – Paciugo

Mi Cocina

“Founded in 1991, Mi Cocina serves the best in traditional Mexican dishes – all in a modern, contemporary setting. You’ll discover that no two Mi Cocinas look alike. For the highest quality ingredients and caring service, it’s Mi Cocina.” -Mi Cocina

Cafe Express

“Cafe Express is the creation of the Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group. The Café Express menu is the work of renowned chef and co-owner Robert Del Grande. Robert, as one the inventors of modern Southwestern cuisine, has always stressed freshness and flavor.”  – Cafe Express

Sambuca 360

“360, an Americal Grill, features moderately priced comfort food and live music nightly. The music format changes nightly and feature fun high-energy dance bands. 360 will open for lunch, dinner, social hour and late-night, starting at 11 am daily.” – Sambuca 360

Cafe Istanbul

Here is a complete review of Cafe Istanbul..

Map

View Shops at Legacy in a larger map

Slide Show

The Balloon Festival is one of the biggest events in Plano, bringing together approximately 100,000 people each year both local and from different parts of the country. This festival is held over 3 days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) every September. This event provides a kaleidoscope of different colors and shapes of hot air balloons with a back drop of beautiful blue skies. It is a delightful visual feast. There is plenty to do in this festival during the three full day programs. There are  food stalls involving around 40 vendors providing variety of food items. There is live entertainment provided by various bands and there are activities for kids also in a special “Kids Corner”. Of course the main attraction are the hot air balloons. You can view the preparation and lift off balloons of different colors and shapes. The night provides other opportunities, the Balloon Glow event and the fireworks. All in all the festival with all its variety is a great experience for all ages and a must see!

This year (2009) is the 30th anniversary of Plano Balloon Festival!

Location

The Plano Balloon Festival is conveniently located at Oak Point Park. It is located on Spring Creek Parkway between Jupiter and Parker Road intersections. We were there to see the 2007 balloon festival and had parked near the First United Methodist Church and then walked to the Balloon launch viewing area on the side of the Collin County Community college. The following is the address:

Oak Point Park
2801 E. Spring Creek Parkway
Plano, Texas 75074

Sky Diving

The balloon launch is preceeded by an air show at 5:00 pm on all the days ( Friday, Saturday and Sunday). This is a special treat for the adventurous. The RE/MAX parachute team will be jumping from their plane over the park and land right in the middle of the launch field. Below are the photographs from the 2007 balloon festival. One of the sky divers was carrying a huge American flag and the whole crowd was cheering as he landed right in the middle of the park.

Lift Off

After the air show the balloon teams start preparing for the lift off. They lay down the balloon basket and the envelope on the ground and do all the preliminary checks.  The ballon is partially inflated with the cold air from gas powered fan. Once the envelope is inflated, the burner is started and within minutes the basket rights itself and the pilot and passengers hop in to the basket while one of the crew members hold the tether.  The the hot air from the burner fills up the envelope and.. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 , 4, 3, 2, 1, 0… Lift Off!!!

Balloons in Flight

It is beautiful sight to see different colors and shapes of balloons slowly lift off one after another. The crowd gets all excited and everybody is ready with their cameras to capture these memorable momments. The blue sky is slowly filled with the medley of vibrant colors of the balloons.

Balloon Shapes

The hot air ballons come in all size and shapes which add to the fun for all ages. The kids really enjoy watching the special shapes of balloons. We were lucky to see the Woodrow C. Greenleaf, Felix the Cat, The Energizer Bunny, Miss Daisy, Pandy the Panda Bear, Airabelle the Cow and Chesire cat.

This year (2009), the special shapes will nclude: Darth Vader, High Jack, Miss Daisy, Oggy the Friendly Dragon, and Woodrow C. Greenleaf.

Balloon Glow

Friday and Saturday evening is the “Lite up the Night” event with the  balloon glows. The balloons provide a breathtaking sight as they inflate and glow after it gets dark. This is a must see!

The burners light up the balloons and give them a flourescent colorful look in the dark. Initially the balloons are lighted up individually and towards the end there is coordinated glow show. At the count of 10 the burners of all the balloons are lit up and it is a delightful sight.

GO AND GLOW – PLANO ISD NIGHT…Every Plano ISD student and staff member pre-k thru 5th grade gets a FREE ticket to the festival for Friday Evening.

Balloon Rides

“To book a ride at this year’s festival contact Air Venture Balloon Port at 972-422-0212

Spectators will have an opportunity to purchase a balloon ride during the Festival Weekend.  Flights will be offered on a first-come-first-serve basis and will be flown weather permitting, and at the individual pilot’s discretion.

Passengers must be over the age of 10 and in good health.  If you are pregnant, recently released from the hospital, have current broken bones or casts you will not be able to qualify to purchase a ride. Passengers under the age of 18 must have parental permission or the parent must fly with them. Riders are accepted at the discretion of the ride operator. All passengers will be required to sign a release form provided by the Festival ride provider.

Ticket booth location:  The ride booth will be located near the Main Entrance and will be open prior to each launch. If the flight purchased is unable to fly, the monies will be refunded. If a passenger wishes to fly at another time, the ticket for that flight will have to be purchased.

Projected Ride Cost:  $250.00/person.” – Plano Ballon Festival Official Site

Fireworks

Saturday evening catch the BOOM, BANG, and SPECTACULAR Sight of the best firework show in town.

Fees

$5 per person 1-time admission
$8 per person day ticket – 2-time admission
$4 per person discounted admission 9:00AM – 3:00PM
$1 off for Seniors 65 and over
Kids under 36 inches – Free

Parking

Collin County Community College Spring Creek Campus
Oak Point Recreation Center – Jupiter and Spring Creek Parkway
First United Methodist Church – Parker and Spring Creek Parkway

$10.00 per car plus per person entrance fee
Limited Handicap Parking Available

Pedernales falls state park is located in Blanco County (Texas),  10 miles east of Johnson City and 30 miles north west of Austin, 75 miles from San Antonio, 230 miles from Dallas and 230 miles from Houston. The closest city to Pedernales Falls state park is Johnson City. The park is on Pedernales river and covers an area of 5221 acres. This was actually a private property known as Circle Bar Ranch and was purcased by State of Texas in 1970. This park opened to public in 1973.

This park offers great diversity to the visitors. The visitors can indulge in activities like swimming, wading, tubing and fishing. There are a number of picnic areas and campsites within the park. There are also numerous hiking, biking and equestrian trails. The main areas of attraction are the falls area, the beach and the Bird Blind.

The detailed map of the park can be found  here.

Our trip to Pedernales Falls state park was planned for  the Memorial Day weekend in 2009. We decided to base ourselves at Marble Falls, around 34 miles north of Pedernales Falls State Park.

We started from Dallas on May 23, 2009 at 12:00 and reached our hotel (Quality Inn) in Marble Falls at 3:30 pm. We spent that day in and around Marble Falls (details here). The next day we started at around 10:45 for Pedernales Falls State Park.  We drove down 281 south towards . There is lodging available if one wishes to stay very close to the park.  After we reached Johnoson City we drove down Ranch Road 2766 East towards Pedernales Falls State Park. The ride was beautiful, undulating roads going up and down with forest on both sides. This area is prone to flooding and you will see markers by the side of the road showing the depth of the water, especially where the road is sloping down ( see the photo below).

Entrance:

The park entrance is clearly marked. Once inside the park we reached the visitor center where we paid the fees. The fee is nominal, $5 per adult, kids are free. We took the kids to the restroom, took a few pictures and then headed towards the falls area.

Falls Area:

At the entrance to the fall area there is this big warning sign. This is a flash flood area and within minutes the whole area can get flooded. If you see water level rising immediately go to higher ground. Please read the following sign carefully and be prepared. The morning we went there it was a little cloudy and it had rained and we were worried but then the sky cleared up and it was a perfect day.

The walk from this sign to the actual falls area will take you around 15 minutes.  There are benches (made from tree trunk) built alongside the trail in case someone needs to rest. The trail ended into the falls area and we were all excited to see the beautiful falls area.

The area is wide open with cascading falls and there is lot of areas to explore. We spent lot of time near the accessible area, taking pictures, wetting our feet in the falls water and just relaxing.  The easily accessible area has a smaller cascading fall with the pool beneath. The limestone rock formations are very beautiful and the water marks on the rocks show the level of water that can be reached during heavy rains. The different layers of limestone rocks can be seen on the two sides of the river falls area. The rock is porous and water seeps below the ground and emerges as clear water springs downstream.

Upstream:

After we had explored the easily accessible area I was itching to go upstream to explore further. There is no easy marked route to go upstream. One has to kind of go up through the rocks on the side of the falls and find the way through to the upstream area. The little one is just 3 years old and for safety considerations we could not all go up. Soma volunteered to stay with the little one and me and my elder daughter found our way to the upstream area. We had to hop, skip and jump over many bushes and rocks and it was lot of fun. My elder daughter was a great sport and willing to explore all the areas. I would highly recommend going upstream since the view is beautiful. We came across a circular hole in the rock and another piece of rock stuck within that hole.

Hearts:

We were lucky to come across many heart formations on the rocks, the sign of mother nature’s love towards this place. We were even blessed with a heart like cloud formation ( not exactly a heart but pretty close). It was a perfect day and we were glad that we were spending the day in such a relaxed environment surrounded by the natural beauty.

Rocks:

The limestone rocks have lot of perforations on them caused by flowing water. You can see these perforations on the rocks throughout the park. Some of these are heart shaped.

Fauna and Flora:

The park offers diverse fauna and flora. There are abundant Opuntia cactii plants throughout the park. We saw blooming Yucca (Spanish Dagger) flowers throughout the park.  The yellow opuntia flowers are beautiful and bees and butterflies  are seen hovering around them for nectar. Also there are lot of wild flowers.

Beach Area:

After spending a few hours in the falls area, we had our lunch in the picnic area. There is no food available inside the park so be sure to carry your own lunch and drinks/water. We drove towards the swimming area downstream.  After parking our car we had to walk down the stairs to the swimming area ( took us around 10 minutes). This is downstream from the falls area and lot of people were swimming in this area. It was getting warmer in the afternoon and was the perfect time to take a dip and chill out in water. We saw small fishes in the stream. Suddenly I felt a little ticklish on my toes and found out that the tiny fishes were nibbling on my toes. The kids did not want to be part of any of that and went a little downstream where the stream was flowing fast. We all swam in the stream for a while and after we had our fill, we started off towards our next stop, the Bird Blind.

Bird Blind:

The Bird Blind is also a must see. We love taking photographs of wild life and this was the perfect opportunity.

We saw the following birds:

• Red Cardinals
• Mountain bluebird
• Hummingbirds
• Painted bunting
• Male Red Winged Blackbird

After the bird blind it was time to head back to our hotel. It was a most satisfying day and we all had our fill. We had our dinner in Marble Falls area and retired in our rooms. Next day we had breakfast at the hotel, checked out and headed towards our home.

Not so fast . What about other areas on our way back. We decided to check out Lake Buchanan (just a little out of our way back home). We went to  Lake Buchanan beach access, took a few photographs, let the kids have some fun in the water and then again headed back home.

Wild Flowers:

This is part of Texas Hill Country known for its beautiful wild flowers. Different seasons take different colors. We stopped where ever we would find colorful blanket of wild flowers.

Other things to do:

There are trails including the Wolf Mountain Trail (7.5 miles) which passes through small creeks and circles round two hills in the south section of the park. There is also a camping area nearby which is primitive overlooking the river canyon (Refer to the map). There are biking trails, equestrian trails and fishing opportunity in the park also.

Maps:

View Pedernales Falls State Park in a larger map

Marble Falls is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country on the Colorado River.  It is centrally located 47 miles northwest of Austin and 85 miles north of San Antonio, in the middle of the Highland Lakes area, the largest chain of lakes in Texas.  The town of Marble Falls, located on Lake Marble Falls, is only 5 minutes from Lake LBJ. Marble Falls is 240 miles south of Dallas and 215 miles north east of Houston.

Before the dam was built to form Lake Marble Falls on the Colorado River, there were falls of marble giving the name Marble Falls to the city.  The falls are now under water and only visible on those rare occasions when the lake is lowered for repairs. “Lake Marble Falls is the 4th lake in the Highland Lakes string of lakes on the Colorado River in the central Texas Hill Country. Lake Marble Falls is a normally constant level lake and is popular for boating, and waterskiing. It is 5.75 miles long and 1,080 feet wide in the widest area.” -source www.highlandlakes.com

Over the memorial day weekend we decided to spend some time around the Hill Country of Texas. The main area of our interest was Pedernales Falls State Park. Marble falls is conveniently located near Pedernales Falls State Park and also is close by to other places of interest. So we decided to base ourselves in Marble falls.

We started on May 23, 2009 at 12:00 and reached our hotel (Quality Inn) in Marble Falls at 3:30 pm. After resting a while, we went for a drive around the town.  We went north on 281 from our hotel and took a left on route 1431. The Granite Mountain is after a couple of miles on the left.  We saw the quarry (what’s left of Granite Mountain). Quarrying of the pink and red granite began in the 1880s for the construction of the Texas State Capitol. Wish we could get some for our counter top .

We also went south on 281, crossed the bridge over the Lake Marble Falls (Colorado River), and west on 71 to check out the Horseshoe bay area. Here are a few pictures of the river from the other side of the bridge.

There are two waterfront restaurants right next to the bridge on the 1st street. River City Grille has a live band playing on the outdoor deck on tuesday, thursday, friday and saturday. It is a very lively atmosphere. Right next to River City Grille is Chilis which offers a great view of the lake from its outdoor seating deck. All the photos below are from the Chilis deck. We were also lucky enough to catch a rainbow over the lake. We really enjoyed the view and food. This is a great place to relax and unwind.

Blue Bonnet Cafe located in Marble Falls is “World Famous” for its home style cooking. “The classic cafe that earned a worldwide reputation for good food and friendly service opened in 1929 on Main Street in Marble Falls, Texas. The Blue Bonnet Cafe moved to its current location on Hwy 281, blocks from Lake Marble Falls, in 1946. Contrary to common belief, the restaurant is named after a blue “bonnet” or hat, not the popular Texas wildflower. The legendary reputation of Blue Bonnet Cafe has traveled far and wide. We hear stories of customers running into people across the country and around the globe who know about us. We’ve even had people in Antarctica recognize our t-shirts.” – Blue Bonnet Cafe web site.

There is plenty to do in Marble Falls. Boating, Fishing, Golfing and Swimming are some of the things you can look forward to.

Things to do in Marble Falls:

• Wine Tasting – take the Texas Wine Tour and check out all the local vineyards and sample their wines
• Longhorn Cavern State Park – take a tour of a nearby cave
• Events – Marble Falls has a number of cool and fun events like Lake Fest, 4th of July Celebration, or Mayfest – plan your trip around one of them
• Nightlife – try Patton’s on the patio for good music on a small patio, House of Blue Lights for live music and a fun crowd outdoors, or The Range for more intimate music in a nightclub setting – all are within two blocks of each other
• Restaurants – try the Falls Bistro & Wine Cellar for casual elegance, Blue Bonnet for breakfast, Russo’s Texitally Café for Italian and a view of the lake, Patton’s On Main for more unique cuisine, or Chilli’s or River City Grill both of which have outdoor patios overlooking Lake Marble Falls
• Camping or Lodging on the Lake – Lakeside RV Resort and the Hampton Inn are on the shore of Lake Marble Falls near the dam
• Explore the Area – visit Horseshoe Bay, hike and climb Enchanted Rock, take the kids to Rockhopper Family Center, or visit the birthplace of President LBJ at LBJ State Park in Johnson City

Places Nearby:

• Inks Lake Park
• Pedernales Falls State Park
• LBJ State Park
• Lake Buchanan
• Longhorn Cavern State Park

Marble Falls Map:

All Aboard!

This ride is inspired by the award winning book by Chris Van Allsburg, and the hit movie “The Polar Express” by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. It gives an opportunity for families to experience their favorite holiday classic come to life in this magical ride to the North Pole. The ride starts off with the resounding “All Aboard” call made by the train conductor, the families boarding the train with all the starry eyed kids dressed in their pajamas unable to contain the excitement of all the fun they are going to experience in the magical ride to the North Pole. The ride will be filled with joyous Christmas Carols, delicious cookies and hot cocoa, dances and last not but the least the chance to see  Santa Claus and his elves and receive their own sleigh bell as the gift. For those who have not read or seen the movie the following is the synopsis of the story:

“A young boy lies awake in his room one snowy Christmas Eve, excited and alert.

Breathing silently. Hardly moving. Waiting.

He’s listening for a sound he’s afraid that he might never hear – the ringing bells of Santa’s sleigh.

The time is five minutes to midnight.

Suddenly, the boy is startled by a thunderous roar. Clearing the mist from his window he sees the most amazing sight – a gleaming black train rumbles to a stop right in front of his house, the steam from its powerful engine hissing through the night sky and the softly falling snowflakes.

The boy rushes outside, clad only in his pajamas and slippers, and is met by the train’s conductor who seems to be waiting just for him. “Well, are you coming?” the conductor asks.

“Where?”

“Why, to the North Pole, of course. This is the Polar Express!”

It is a story about a doubting young boy who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

“It doesn’t matter where the train is going. What matters is deciding to get on.”

(-source: The Polar Express)

Our kids love both the book and movie.  We found out from one of our close friends about train rides being offered in some parts of the country to relive the magic of “The Polar Express”. We just had to take our kids for this ride. We live in Plano, Texas and there are two places in Texas which offer “The Polar Express” train rides, The Texas State Railroad in Palestine & West Texas & Lubbock Railroad in Lubbock.

Palestine being closer to our home we reserved our train tickets for the Palestine Depot. There is an option to choose a Climate Control coach when you make reservations. We had made reservation for seats in a climate controlled coach. Palestine is located around 112 miles south east of Dallas. The distance from our house is around 130 miles and it took us 3 hours to reach Palestine. If you are coming from San Antonio, Palestine is 199 miles ( 3.5 hours) in north east. If you are coming from Houston or Austin, Palestine is 165 miles (2.7 hours ) towards north.  We started from our home (Plano, Texas) on December 27th 2008 at 11:30 pm and reached Palestine at around 2:30 pm.

We had reservation for overnight stay at Holiday Inn, Palestine. The staff at Holiday Inn were gracious enough to allow us an early check-in. The place is well maintained, the staff is great, the rooms are great, they have good amenities  and our kids simply loved it. Our kids have pretty good taste and they are pretty good judge of lodging areas. If they like a place then we know we picked the right place. I will highly recommend this place. Our train ride was in the evening and we kind of just relaxed in the room. We all took a short nap.

“The Polar Express departs our PALESTINE DEPOT. The Texas State Railroad has two depots so we want to make sure you know that this particular event departs from Palestine. The Palestine Depot is located approximately 2.5 miles East of Loop 256 in Palestine on Hwy 84. The Physical Address Is: Park Road 70, US Hwy 84, Palestine, Texas 75801. Look for our tall railroad moment at our entrance – it is decorated with white Christmas lights! Please note that this address may not show up on your GPS system, so we suggest printing the attached maps before leaving home. Please remember to arrive at least one hour prior to your departure time. This gives you time to park, unload your passengers, pick up your tickets in the depot, use our restrooms, eat dinner or get snacks, take pictures, and watch as the steam engine makes a grand entrance before you board the train. We are unable to hold the train, so please do not be late. Give yourself plenty of driving time to get to our railroad. Traffic delays, car accidents, and other events may cause delays so please keep this in mind as you plan your trip. We have food onsite for you and your family to enjoy before or after your ride. Enjoy hamburgers, hot dogs, soups, chili, funnel cakes, French fries, and many other food and snack items from our various food vendors. Food from these vendors can not be carried on the train so please keep that in mind…you will have hot chocolate and a treat on board the train. Thank you for coming to our railroad for this magical event!! We are proud to boast as of this date, December 11th, we have sold over 28,000 tickets to The Polar Express™ to visitors from all over Texas, from many other states, and even to visitors from other countries! We hope to create a lasting memory for you and yours!!! Do not forget to wear your pajamas!” - Source: Email Confirmation from Texas State Railroad for our train ride on “The Polar Express”

We followed the instructions in the email confirmation. The distance from Holiday Inn to Palestine Depot is around 5 miles and it is a 10 minutes drive. Our elder daughter was 7 yrs old  and the younger one was 3 yrs old at that time. Both of them wore similar Pajamas and were looking absolutely adorable. The kids love the concept of going in their Pajamas. It was little cold so they had to wear their jackets. It would be ideal if you have warm robes to go along with the pajamas instead of jackets. Myself and my wife decided to not to dress up in Pajamas. We left the hotel at around 5:30 pm. It is advisable to reach at least an hour before the boarding time. Our boarding time was 6:45 pm. We reached the Palestine Depot at around 5:45. We showed our reservation details at the ticket counter and took our boarding tickets. The kids used the restroom. There was a tent outside the depot with benches in it and there were food vendors near the tent.  We had some snacks and then took photographs of the area. Make sure you have your camera or videos ready for the arrival of the train. It will be great if you can take some snaps/video of the train making the grand entrance.

Palestine Depot - The Polar Express

Palestine Depot - The Polar Express

The Polar Express made a grand entrance with a loud whistle, its engine decorated with lights. It was late in the evening and dark and the lighted train looked beautiful. There was lot of excitement in the air. Kids were looking all starry eyed at the train anticipating what was in store for them once they board the train. We had the tickets for the climate controlled coach and so we stood in the line for the coach which had climate control, as instructed at the ticket counter and later by the train conductor.

The Polar Express - Grand Entrance

Line to board the train - The Polar Express

At 6:45 PM we started boarding the train. The back rest of the seats in the coach move both ways.  We moved the back rest of one of the seats the other way and our family occupied two seats facing each other. The attendants in the train were dressed in white and were wearing white chef hat. The attendants were in very high spirits and that was building to the excitement. Once everyone had boarded the train, the attendants started handing out the Christmas carol lyrics to every body. Then we heard the honk of the train and the train started moving towards the North Pole . I was just observing my kids and I could see the excitement building up. The attendants started singing the carols and every body joined in, clapping, dancing and merry making. The attendants were able to get the whole coach involved and excited. We all were singing Christmas Carols. The attendants  would randomly pick up some kids and start dancing with them. Even the adults would join the dance. It was a great atmosphere and everybody was having fun.

After some time the conductor came in our coach to check the tickets. Our conductor had a big well groomed mustache and it kind of reminded me of the conductor (Tom Hank’s character) from the movie. The conductor was dressed in a crisp black conductor suit and had a great personality. Everybody was trying to get the snaps of their kids with the conductor. We managed to get a few too. The attendants did not stop their merry making. There was lot of singing and dancing going on and everybody was in the Christmas spirit.

The conductor - The Polar Express

Suddenly we heard lot of noise from one end of the coach. We all got up to see what the commotion was about. There he was dressed in his usual red Christmas suit, Santa was being accompanied by two elves. The kids were all excited and everybody was taking pictures with Santa. We saw he was handing out the “Sleigh Bells” to the kids just as it was in the book and the movie. Santa and his elves came to our seating area and he handed out the sleigh bells to our kids and asked them if they had been good. We took snaps of our kids with Santa and his two elves.

Santa - The Polar Express

Elves - The Polar Express

Our kids were really happy that Santa gave them a sleigh bell. All this was after the Christmas (12/27/2008) and we all were supposed to be taking Santa back to the North Pole. Once we were near the North Pole we saw lot of lights & decorations. The North Pole was all lighted up and looked very magical. The kids were looking out the train window and were excited to see the North Pole. We could see polar bears all lighted we also saw Santa’s little house. The train stopped at the North Pole and it was announced that Santa will be getting down at the North Pole. We stopped for a few minutes and then the train started moving slowly in the other direction. We saw Santa and his two elves standing outside his house and waving at the train. All the kids were waving back at Santa.We could sense a little disappointment in the kids since they were seeing off Santa.

Seeing off Santa at North Pole - The Polar Express

The train picked up speed towards the Palestine Depot and the attendants were quick to step in and get the crowd excited again by lot of singing and merry making. They started serving Hot Cocoa and Rice Krispies to everybody. The hot cocoa was really good and we enjoyed the Rice Krispies too. They also started showing the book (The Polar Express) to the kids and somebody was reading the book on the microphone. After that the singing and dancing resumed.

There was this one old lady (attendant) who put on a red clown nose and started applying red lipstick. She was catching hold of some shy folks and sat on their laps and kissed them on their cheeks.  It was real good fun.

The fun loving attendant - The Polar Express

We slowly reached the Palestine Depot at 7:45 pm and our kids were feeling a little sad that this was getting over. We cheered them up by saying we can come again next year. They seemed to like the idea. We reached the Palestine Depot and sadly we had to get down.

This was a great ride, especially for the kids since they were able to relive the magic of “The Polar Express”. We were very happy that the kids loved the ride and we took a few more photographs and then headed toward Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar for our dinner. After that we headed back to our hotel. We had a good night sleep. Next morning we woke up, had breakfast at the hotel ( free breakfast), got ready and checked out of the hotel. We headed back to home. This was a short vacation and was a perfect one. We all  had a great time and surely we will be back here soon.

Information on Palestine:

Palestine is conveniently located and is close to all the big cities Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio. The following is the distance and travel time from each of the cities:

Dallas:112 miles (2 Hours)

San Antonio: 199 miles (3.5 Hours)

Austin: 165 miles (2.7 Hours)

Houston: 165 miles (2.7 Hours)

Please refer to http://www.visitpalestine.com for information on things to do in Palestine.

Some of the places of interest in Palestine are as follows:

• Elmwood Gardens
• Sweet Dreams Winery
• Texas State Rail Road
• Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility
• Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area
• Museum For East Texas Culture
• Old Town Palestine
• Davey Dogwood Park
• Carnegie Library
• Anderson County Courthouse
• Downtown Palestine
• Howard House Musuem

The following is a Google Map with places of interest in Palestine, Texas.
View Palestine, TX in a larger map

more pictures from our album..