April 8, 2010. Canyon Lake, Tx. Ideas.

It all started as a way to save money. Years ago, one of the maintenance workers for Texas Highways suggested that it would be cheaper to plant wild flowers than to cut the grass on the median and sides of the highways and roads. No one believed it, but the idea got a chance to shine, and it has been shining ever since. Lady Bird Johnson pushed the idea when she saw how beautiful the roads looked so the idea became popular and many land owners sowed seeds along the roads adding to the beauty. Other states have tried to replicate the practice but never as successfully. Maryland roads shows plots of wildflowers here and there in the Spring. But in Texas, every road and every highway is ablaze with colors. It is a spectacular display, all begun as a way to save the Texas Highway's Department a bit of money.

We found the wild flowers beside the cement company. As we had just been wandering home, we were not sure what road we had been on, so we just back tracked and reversed our path and fortunately found our old route along River Road and finally on Hunter Road. The road along the Guadeloupe River is very pretty, with four crossings of the river from New Breunfels to Satler. The water is green and the cliffs steep, making for a picturesque drive. It's a favorite drive for us. In the summer, scores of kids tube down the river, but at this time of the year, the only thing we see is butterflies and RVs. Twice on this trip we have driven River Road, and were happy to do it.