Lost Maples

As you all know, Texas is not the mecca for fall foliage. Fall just so happens to be my favorite time of the year and I didn't want to miss it twice. So Eric, Bentley and I decided to drive 3 hours to Lost Maples State park in Liverpool, TX. It's about 70 miles West of San Antonio. The maples that give the park its name are remnants from the Ice Age so Eric and I were pretty excited to see them and to spend some time hiking in the cooler weather especially since the park is known for the best foliage in Texas. Keep in mind that this is in the middle of nowhere (I'm talking people on horseback to "ride" into town "nowhere") and the wait to get into the park stretched about 2 miles down the road and the wait once in line took about another hour or more.

Well it just so happens that the "best" foliage in Texas in peak season is pretty darn pathetic. Definitely not worth the drive and the $12 entry and probably not worth the effort of bending down to lace my shoes. But, it was nice to be outside and to breath some fresh, crisp, fall air. There's just something about the smell of decaying leaves and the sound of them crunching under your feet.

Bentley was a big hit with everyone...from his haircut to his dip in the spring...people were actually taking photos of him and we got a lot of oohs and ahhs when we were taking the photos of him on the rock with us.

However, the hit of the trip just may have been the $1.94/gallon fill up on the way there! Don't get me wrong, it was pretty (more so the landscape than the trees...check out the water color...amazing!) but being from the east coast, I guess I'm a bit of a fall foliage snob. I hope that our Big Bend trip over Thanksgiving is much more worth the drive. It's a little further...9 hours one way. Unfortunately the B-dog has to sit this one out. No dogs allowed there :(
Enjoy the pics...

This was pretty much how the Bentster spent the rest of the evening...pooped out.