Incredible Bluebonnets!

After visiting my mom in Fredericksburg today, Tom and I grabbed lunch at McDonalds and headed out Highway 16 to hopefully catch a few glimpses of bluebonnets in the hill country. A few years ago Tom had  ridden his bike in one of the widflower rides, and wanted to show me the big, long hill that was so tough he had to get off and walk. We decided it must have been on the Willow City Loop, so we looked for the sign and found it easily enough.

First we stopped and ate our lunch, then we saw a house that had a huge field of tiny light bluish purple flowers. It looked so peaceful. Then there was just a scattering of various flowers here and there.

When we reached Willow City we turned right on the Willow City Loop and I was surprised at how narrow the road was and also how many vehicles we met coming our way. Next we saw a lookout point where several cars were parked and found a spot to park. There was a beautiful valley and some hills in the distance but no wildflowers, just lots of cedars and varying shades of green leaves budding on the trees. We got back in the car to continue on our way and before we knew it there were thickets of bluebonnets along both sides of the road, in the pastures, growing out of rocks, everywhere! There was a gigantic hill in the distance with a steep, rock wall cliff!

I tried to capture it from inside the car since there were no lookouts to stop at. Soon we came to this beautiful valley with rambling meadows filled with bluebonnets and other wildflowers.

The bluebonnets solidly lined the sides of the roads and the view of the valley was so picturesque.

We were able to park alongside the road and I had a heyday snapping bluebonnets and other beautiful flora.

We enjoyed the flowers and view so much that we turned around and drove it again the opposite direction.

Then we headed toward Cave Creek and continued on towards Sandy so I could show Tom the route my school bus took for a few years when I was in high school.

We also saw lots of "white prickly poppies" otherwise known as thistles. They looked so pretty in the bright sunlight, and I told Tom how deceitful they are to have such a pretty flower, but be so prickly.

Our Sunday afternoon excursion was a wonderful diversion from the everyday hustle and bustle of Austin!