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Bert Johansen
04-19-2007, 1:52 PM
In the "Hill Country" of central Texas we have an annual event that nature provides every spring—a huge out-pouring of spring flowers. Yesterday, SWMBO and I drove to Fredericksburg and a noted nearby route called the Willow City Loop. Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.



Bert

I created a temporary web page with more photos and text. I'm not sure how to add a link, so you might have to copy and paste this URL.

http://www.shininghorizonschool.org/willowcityloop

Greg Stanford
04-19-2007, 1:56 PM
I was a student in San Marcos & lived in Wimberly, beautiful country.

g

Don Bullock
04-19-2007, 3:59 PM
Love those bluebonets!! Thanks for the breath of fresh air.

Keith Beck
04-20-2007, 10:04 AM
Bert,

A little off topic, but...

I've been giving some thought to moving to Texas hill country when I retire from the Navy. I used to work with a guy from Uvalde and he was always telling me how nice the hill country is and backing it up with pictures of some really picturesque spots. That, in addition to the lack of state income taxes and the fact that they don't tax military retirement pay is making it very inviting.

Can you offer any other input on some nice towns in the area? I want to move somewhere that's not as congested as the Hampton Roads area, but I still want to be fairly close to some urban amenities (i.e., Woodcraft, Lowes, Home Depot :)). Median house prices also come into play. BTW, what are the summers and winters like in that area?

Any feedback you (or any other hill country natives) may have would be most appreciated.

Keith

Bert Johansen
04-20-2007, 12:08 PM
Keith, the hill country of Texas is a very popular area for retirees. San Antonio has a huge military medical complex including a good VA Hospital, so being an hour's drive from SA would be good. There are many nice towns within an hour of San Antonio, and you will need to spend some time in the area to see what you like. My advice would be to rent a place for a year in the hill country after retiring and scout around until you find what you want.

Winters here are very mild, with typically a few days of barely below freezing weather. Summers are scorchers, so A/C is a must--including your wood shop. We also have high humidity quite a bit, so I keep a dehumidifier going when the A/C isn't on.

Best time is right now. Fall is also nice. Good luck!

Keith Beck
04-20-2007, 4:16 PM
Bert,

Thanks for the info. Fortunately, I've got another old shipmate that lives in San Antonio, who said I could come visit him and get a look around the area before I decide whether I want to more there. Guess I'll have to take him up on it.

Glad to hear that the winters are mild. I for one, absolutely hate cold weather. Too many years stationed in San Diego and Hawaii I guess. :) Too bad they're both way to expensive for me to retire at. The traffic in San Diego has gotten pretty bad since the last time I was stationed there too.

I figured the summers would be pretty hot down your way, but I didn't think the humidity would be that bad. That's one of the things that changed my mind about retiring in Pensacola. Guess I'll have to suck it up.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Keith

Belinda Barfield
04-21-2007, 9:32 AM
Thanks for the nice breath of Spring.