On our recent Texas road trip, we spent time both going and coming in Fredericksburg, an old German-influenced town in the Hill Country near the center of the state. Even before I moved to Texas, I had always loved the soft patina of Texas limestone, the predominant building material in this area. Paired with rough wood siding and beams, the pale yellow stone has a naturally weathered look that I’ll always identify with central Texas. Equally weather-worn is the split wood siding on a few historic log homes and even a few newer doors and walls.
Speaking of weathered …
Always seeking a quick hike wherever we are, here we decided to climb Enchanted Rock, a huge dome of pink granite that rises from the earth just outside Fredericksburg. A billion years ago, this rock was a pool of magma, parts of which pushed up through the earth’s surface, cooled and hardened, and turned into granite. Over time, the surface rock and soil wore away, forming the domes here today. We were fascinated to read that the domes are but a tiny part of a huge underground sea of granite. The entire batholith covers 62 square miles, but most of it is underground.
Enchanted Rock has numerous eroded layers, with pieces expanding and falling off even today on the curved surface. At the high point now, the main dome is 425 feet high, and the entire exposed rock spans 640 acres.
And that’s it for our three-day getaway a few weeks ago. I’m on my way to Ecuador now for some much higher climbs, so stay tuned!
Elaine Bryan said:
Loved the Texas landscape, and the photos. Waiting eagerly for Ecuador!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
Coming right up! Landed late last night and getting to hit the ground this morning!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Weathered – Sign – What's (in) the picture?
Dave Ply said:
I like the door picture. I wonder how long it’ll be before the door matches the wall?
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
I loved that door, too! I got the impression that the door and the siding had been stained those two different colors, so they may never match! Iliked their roughness, though.
LikeLike
The Snow Melts Somewhere said:
Ooh, Ecuador! Exciting! Looking forward to hearing about it!😄 And lovely photos, as always! I love that kind of rustic, homey look that says everything’s alright… weathered or not!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
I’ve always been drawn to rustic, weathered, worn surfaces. They have a softness and broken-in look that appeals to me. I even like faded and distressed jeans better than nice crisp ones!
LikeLiked by 1 person
PurplePumpernickel said:
Beautiful! What lovely buildings and such wonderful natural formations!
Have a wonderful time in Ecuador!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
Thanks! I just love that limestone, and I’d been wanting to climb Enchanted Rock for years. Ecuador is, as you might imagine, quite different! Hope to post something soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Curt Mekemson said:
Peggy’s brother lives in Georgetown, not very far away from Fredericksburg. So, I’ve been in and out of the area several times. In fact, one of my ancestors was a sheriff in the Georgetown after the Civil War and once ran for Governor of Texas. –Curt
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
I’d almost call you more of a Texan than I am after a mere ten months here, Curt. Or at the very least an honorary Texan (if that’s an honor!). I think we’ve driven through Georgetown a few times, but I don’t recall stopping. I have years worth of exploring ahead of me here!
LikeLike
Curt Mekemson said:
Texas is big enough to provide a lifetime of exploring…
LikeLike
Bama said:
The other week I read a blog post on Quito, and the city looked so interesting! I wonder what you’ll have to say about it. Can’t wait to hear your stories from Ecuador!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
I had read lots of intriguing articles and posts, too, Bama. Unfortunately, we arrived to terrible weather, and the main hike I had planned took place today in hail, snow, thunder, and lightning at an altitude of 16,000 ft. Very sad!! Hoping for better weather (against all odds if the forecast is right) in the upcoming days. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
LikeLike
Bama said:
Oh no! I really hope the weather will improve. In the meantime, I guess you can visit indoor attractions, or churches, or just read some books? I’m crossing my fingers for you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
badfish said:
Are you going to the Galapagos? If you don’t already have boat reservations, you can get last-minute discounts at travel agencies who sell tickets. I think you need to change the title of your blog to Both Feet Out that door.
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
You always make me laugh! And right now I WISH we were going to the Galapagos islands because our weather is quite awful. (See response to Bama above. 😦 ) We did not go to the coast because we needed more time for that and didn’t want to give the Andean hiking areas short shrift. So …. here we are getting drenched and muddy and wishing for last-minute Galapagos discounts!
LikeLiked by 1 person
badfish said:
yeah, but it’s going to make a good post, eh!
LikeLike
awtytravels said:
Lovely buildings, I wonder how they look from the inside!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
We were in a number of them (some of these and some others) and they are picturesque with great, rough beams. Maybe not somewhere I’d want to live long-term but pretty appealing for a look!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lisadorenfest said:
Those Texas Limestone buildings are beautiful yet lonely with an ‘endless expanse of the Texas plain’ feel to them. But it is the kind of romantic lonely that I like, not a bad lonely. And you know I love the Enchanted Rock pics! Enjoy your trip!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
I agree! The topography itself in many parts of Texas has a lonesome feel to it, but it can be soothing. Not sure I could live in some of the settings (like the desert) long-term, but people do and they love it. The Hill Country, on the other hand, is so pretty with its rolling hills and quaint little towns (and of course, Austin, which is popular for many very good reasons!).
Hmmm, trip so far has been less than satisfying. Rain, snow, hail, and not a single view of the Andes mountains, unless you count the base (and even that is seen through dense, low clouds and misty rain). I think we’ve hit a particularly bad stretch of weather; temperatures are 20 degrees below normal and the precipitation is pretty much ruining everything. Five days left and we are headed into deeper mountains and from all forecasts, WORSE weather! How’s that for perky Lexie news?! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
lisadorenfest said:
OMG I so feel your pain. You set out to Quito giddy with anticipation of how awesome it was going to be and Mother Nature decides she has other ideas. But I know you. You will find someway to turn this into an awesome experience. I don’t know how, but you will. No pressure. Hugs from Thailand
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
Thanks for the vote of confidence! We are trying …
LikeLike
lisadorenfest said:
I tried and failed to find this link for about a half hour last night before responding to your message. So I said ‘f’ it, sent my response anyhow, then continued my search this morning. And lo and behold, there it was. Yay I thought this link from David duChemin might cheer you on
LikeLike
Sue Slaght said:
Have a fabulous adventure in Ecuador. Looking forward to hearing about your plans. Enjoy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
Thanks, Sue. Starting poorly, unfortunately (details above if you want to read whining!), but we are hoping for the best from here on out. I know your trip has been fabulous, and I can’t wait to read more!
LikeLike
J.D. Riso said:
Batholith. Thanks for the vocabulary lesson. Looks like a fun climb. Have an awesome time in Ecuador!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
8th grade earth science put to use! I always loved those words like monadnock and delta, mesa and escarpment. I admit I did see Enchanted Rock referred to as a batholith, though – not sure that one would have stuck in my head!
LikeLike
Manja Mexi Movie said:
Lovely buildings, fascinating trial and Ecuador! Wow! Happy hiking!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
Keeping fingers crossed for better hiking prospects in the coming days … so far we’ve climbed in hail, snow, thunder and lightning! 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Manja Mexi Movie said:
Aaah! Sounds strenuous. I hope there is no trial ahead, only a trail in better weather. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Liesbet said:
Looks like a fun walk! I drove through Hill Country once, in the spring, which was lovely and colorful. Enchanted Rock and Fredericksburg sound familiar, but I might have visited those namesakes elsewhere in the country. Enjoy Ecuador! I’m curious as to whether you’ll make it out to the Galapagos…
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
We did not plan to go to the Galapagos this trip. To do it right, we needed more days than we had because the hiking was the top draw this time. I very much want to go someday, though!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Alison and Don said:
Wonderful photos. Have a fabulous time in Ecuador! You planning on climbing volcanoes?
Alison
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
Yes! We did but what a crazy (miserable) day! More coming soon!
LikeLiked by 1 person
AndysWorldJourneys said:
wow!! who knew there were places like this in Texas? You will LOVE Ecuador. Great country can’t wait to see your impressions of it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
We’ve had a rough start, Andy! Things were better today (after three pretty bad ones), and we hope we can stay bon this more positive trajectory!
LikeLike
restlessjo said:
Amazing landscape. Lexie! Looking at the comments Ecuador’s not sounding like a lot of fun. Hope it works out for you. 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
We’ve had a few bright spots, but it seems this might be one of those partial travel failures for some reason. We still have a few days left, so we are keeping our spirits and hopes up!
LikeLike
restlessjo said:
Fingers crossed (but not eyes 🙂 )
LikeLike
Shelley @Travel-Stained said:
That Enchanted Rock is one giant boulder! 😉 Ecuador!! Curious to see what you’re getting up to there. Happy new year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
That rock was otherworldly and so fun to climb! Ecuador has been up and down, and I’m not just talking elevation, although that’s true also! 🙂
Hey, twice now I have gotten emails that you have a new post up, but when I go to your blog, there is nothing new there. Is there a problem that you know of? One was a post that seemed to be from Naia’s viewpoint (I forget the title) and this last one was called “Q.” But the last one I can see is the K-Spa one.
LikeLike
Shelley @Travel-Stained said:
Well, the Q one was posted by Naia without my realizing it. Haha…she’s way too savvy with my phone already. And the Naia’s viewpoint one, I think it was originally posted under the wrong date (in 2017), so it probably disappeared when I fixed that…it should show up at the top of my blog under featured posts. 🙂 Hope your trip to Ecuador is still fun despite the ups and downs. We only passed through the Quito airport there, so I shall have to learn about the country from you…
LikeLike
twobrownfeet said:
I’m going to start with Ecuador! Wow! I can’t wait to read about your trip and I’m so excited for you. Ecuador does feature on our list, maybe sometime in the near future! 🙂 Loved the captures of the sloping rock. It’s not easy to capture the curvature while climbing. You did a great job!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
Thanks, Cheryl! I took so many pictures of that granite behemoth! The slopes, the tiny detailed colors of the granite, the cracks, etc. – it was all so elemental and cool.
Ecuador has been a bit of a trial, mainly because of the weather, but it is a naturally beautiful country, especially outside of the cities. More to come as I get home and start writing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hoarder Comes Clean said:
I’d never heard of Enchanted Rock – what an apt name. We just got back from a Caribbean trip (my first) so for the first time I am thinking about more Central and South American places — looking forward to hearing more about your Ecuador adventure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
It is a perfect name for a great big rock that is more captivating than one might imagine! I have enjoyed so many countries in Central and South America, and I’m sure you’d love a trip to many of them, including Ecuador. I can’t say it’s been my favorite of them, but we have had some unique experiences here. Looking forward to Caribbean-themed upcoming posts from you!
LikeLike
Green Global Trek said:
I too love limestone, but for me I associate it with Jerusalem where my sister used to live, it is used on so many of the buildings there and has such a wonderful texture and color. All your photos are fabulous. I love the pink granite at Enchanted Rock ~ what an interesting and most unusual surface to hike on!
Peta
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
Oh, Peta, I’m with you! The limestone in Jerusalem is the warmest, most wonderful color and texture. Add in the Mediterranean light and you’ve got the best stone look in the world! I could not get enough of it in the summer of ’15 – I’ll never forget it.
That pink granite on Enchanted Rock was even more beautiful up close; it had flecks of yellow, blue, orange, and a bunch of other hues in it. Super fun to see and hike on!
LikeLike