Enchanted Rock S.N.A. Texas

[venchka]

A mini-review of sorts.

My wife & I spent parts of 3 days in the shadow of Enchanted Rock. On Monday, May 18, 2009, on our wedding anniversary (don't ask how many), we both hiked to the top of the Rock. The event was documented with my 4x5 Zone VI camera, Fujinon-W 125mm/5.6 lens and Arista-EDU Ultra 200 film. A very nice place to visit with a large camera and film.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/enchanted_rock/

We stayed here.

http://www.troisestate.net/

I should have a photo or two from the expedition ready in a week or so.

[Dan Fromm]

Wayne, I had no idea you were so rich. We always stay at the Llano Motel in Llano. Doesn't change our view of ER.

Did you also drive the Willow City Loop?

Cheers,

Dan

[venchka]

Dan,

I saved up for 41 years and splurged! I wanted to drive up to Llano but there wasn't time. Next trip. Willow City Loop? I'll investigate.

[Bruce Schultz]

That's a nice B&B. Now I've got to get to work and make some money. You probably just cost me about $600.

[venchka]

I'm your Pusher Man!

Caution: The Trois Estate is not your every day chain establishment. It's not perfect. Heck, there aren't even locks on the room doors. No keys. Just a sliding bolt to keep critters out. It is unique. It is charming. Breakfast is AWESOME! Good photo opportunites on the grounds as well.

One regret: They only sell wine. I didn't bring my own bourbon. It would have been nice to celebrate our climb and photographic expedition with some Maker's Mark and watch the sunset.

[anchored]

Hello Fellow Texans... I've been to Enchanted Rock quite a few times in the ancient past, but only twice over the past couple of years... perhaps will be driving by it this upcoming weekend after Friday's visit to San Antonio Missions.

As I recall stayed at the Llano Motel the last time there... as I also recall wouldn't recommend it, nor the little diner very near it.

Wayne... did you shoot the Rabbit Ear rocks on the way up? I had planned to last trip, but a photographer and a near-to-fully nekkid model had the structure tied up during prime light. Too bad I wasn't carryin' the 35mm camera and long lens instead of the big ol' camera.

Glenn

[venchka]

Glenn,

Rabbit Ear Rocks?????????? I gotta plead ignorance. Show me & next time I will shoot them! I promise! And I will take a 35mm camera & long lens in case I run across one of those nearly nekkid models.


Maybe it was something like this?

http://onetalentsource.com/workshops/images/MMM.jpg

[Dan Fromm]

Glenn, the Llano Motel ain't nothin' much, but when I've been there the price was right.

Which little diner didn't you like? There are a couple.

[rdenney]

The last time I visited Enchanted Rock, we stayed in Fredericksburg at a little B&B whose name now escapes me. It was nice but on Memorial Day weekends, Fredericksburg is apparently crowded. The place was utterly unlike the old days, when I went there as a young highway engineer in the Austin District of the Texas Highway Department.

The first time I visited ER was at age 9, while attending summer camp near Marble Falls. Pretty impressive stuff for a flat-land furriner from Houston.

Rick "who misses pink granite" Denney

[venchka]

For an even flatter land, read "bowl", furriner who spent half his life exiled in New Orleans in the company of my wife who spent her entire pre-Katrina life in New Orleans, scaling the heights of Enchanted Rock was a fitting accomplishment given our advanced years.

Wayne, who is now a full fledged, card carrying, tax paying Texican temporarily exiled in Houston.

[anchored]

Wayne - they sure look like those two rocks... the name I applied myself... basically two monoliths at a slight angle running away from each other. I'd show you a distance photo of them but like I said... the model and photographer and their crew stole the time of good light and I only walked away with a very poor image (even image is givin' too much credit to it). Oh... the model I saw had FAR less clothing, and the photographer had a fairly large "crew."

Dan - I do recall the Llano Motel did have very reasonable rates... we stayed there because the weekend we picked was very busy with tourists, all the hotels/motels in Fredericksburg were filled, and the State Park had no camp sites available. I don't recall which diner we ate at.

By the way... if you haven't already seen this area... next time you go to Fredericksburg area, be sure to visit the "Grapetown" area. As I recall it's less than 10-miles from Fredericksburg, boasts a school and schoolmaster's house (both on private property), also has the ruins of a Wells Fargo wagon station nearby, and lots of old German immigrants houses and barns and outbuildings (dating to the 1880's as I recall). This area is one of my favorite places in central Texas!

Glenn

[venchka]

Glenn,

I did see a pair of large rocks off to our left and the last big loose rocks before the dome got bare. In fact, I was muttering to myself that if I went over there and photographed them that would be high enough for me. About that time I realized that Lisa had wandered about 50 yards uphill and was waiting for me to catch up. I never did photograph the two lone rocks. Calling them rocks is an understatement. They were the size of small buildings.

Thanks for the tip on Grapetown. I'm pretty sure I saw a Grapetown Road sign somewhere.