Some Texas Impressions and Sights

Texas has some amazing rest stops. One today is a combo of rest stop, playground, picnic area and safety center for severe weather.  Texas public campgrounds have very large sites and are well maintained. Last night we were at Lake Whitney State Park and no one else was camping in the loop we chose. Just the way we two Old Fuddy Duddies like it!  There were many mule deer, several flocks of meadowlarks wintering here, and coyotes yowling in the moonlit night.  And black vultures are so numerous perched on utility poles and trees that we call them pigeon vultures.  This section of Texas has long stretches of semi arid land with some cattle, a few horses and a couple of very fat goats. We blasted through San Antonio, Dallas, Austin on major roads.  The secondary roads have some sad little communities with run down homes, empty store buildings and not much happening, but if you need Walmart or a dollar store, they abound.  We are in Del Rio right on the USA/Mexico border. I start biking tomorrow and I have observed that there are some major hills - not all of TX is flat!