2014 Deep in the Heart of Texas Tour

Saturday, May 17, 2014
Planned by John Hughan
The famous song "Deep in the Heart of Texas" celebrates the natural beauty of this great state, and that's exactly what we'll experience as we journey deeper into the heart (center) of Texas. We'll enjoy a guided tour of a Texas natural geologic treasure, peruse a quintessentially Texan collection of memorabilia, and enjoy fine Tex-Mex food with an equally fine view to match – and naturally carve up some twisty hill country roads in between!
8:30am - Meet at the "Y" in Oakhill (US 290 and SH 71), in the parking lot in front of Gatti's;
(get directions)

Driver meeting at 8:45am;

Take off driving at 9:00am.

Coffee and bathrooms are available at several locations nearby.

We will arrive at approximately 9:45 am at Jacob's Well Natural Area for a guided tour. Jacob's Well is an artesian spring that flows out of one of the deepest underwater caves in Texas – literally deep in the heart of Texas! It surges up thousands of gallons of water per minute and acts as headwaters to the beautiful Cypress Creek that flows through Wimberley, sustaining the Blanco River. This geologically and naturally significant formation used to be a sacred meeting place for Native Americans, has more recently been explored by cave scuba divers, and also happens to be on a stunningly beautiful plot of land!
As an added bonus, a brand new area will have just been opened to the public in time for this event, so even if you've visited before, there will be something new for you this time. The guided tour will cover be tailored to our interests but can include topics such as the area's geology, birds, plants, fossils, and groundwater. There will also be two tour options: one taking the direct route to the well and back (0.3 miles round trip) for those who only wish to see the well and learn about the area, and the other involving a 1.5-mile hike through the newly opened area for those so inclined. Whichever you choose, make sure to bring anything you normally would for an outdoor activity (e.g. comfortable walking shoes, water, sunblock, bug repellent, etc.)
Leaving Jacob's Well, since cowboys feature in the lyrics of our event's namesake, we will take a short drive through Wimberley along the lovely River Road that hugs the Blanco River on our way to Pioneer Town, arriving at approximately 11:30 am. A reconstructed western town of the 1880s, Pioneer Town features an opera house, emporium, ice cream parlor, log cabins, a house made entirely of soft drink bottles, and our main attraction, Jack Glover's Cowboy Museum. The museum is home to a collection of peculiar western memorabilia and artifacts unlike any other in the state, including an authentic 19th century hand-carved horse-drawn hearse, period six-shooters, Jim Bowie's silver mine deed, early memorabilia from the American humorist Will Rogers (Jack's cousin), and countless photographs and curios collected from Jack's friends, among them Bob Hope, Richard Petty, Johnny Crawford, and a host of American presidents! And then there's the curator Jack Glover himself, recently turned 90 years old and widely known for having a lifetime's worth of fascinating stories to go with his collection that he's happy to share with visitors to his museum.
Finally, we'll journey even deeper into Texas to conclude our event with lunch at Baja BBQ Shack on the edge of Canyon Lake, arriving around 12:45 pm. There we'll feast on Tex-Mex in their second-story private dining room, taking in a panoramic view of Canyon Lake and the surrounding area. Baja BBQ Shack will have a customized menu for us featuring some of their most popular dishes. The cost per person will be $19.
If you have a two-way radio, bring it. They enhance the enjoyment of the drive!

Who is attended

Name
 Year Model People Lunch
Name
 Year Model People Lunch
Mustafa & Aaisha Albayaty 2005 5?? 2 2 Herb Looney 2006 M3 1 1
Randy & Sherry Allen 2006 M5 2 2 Joe & Leslie Lupo 2011 1M 2 2
Larry Allison 2003 X5 2 2 Luis Marti 1984 533i 2 1
Louie Alnufaie 2007 530i 2 2 Jonathan Martin 2012 128i 1 1
John Beneat 2011 M3 2 2 Jair Martinez 2004 M3 1 -
Don & Esther Bishop 2007 Z4 2 2 Zackary & Stephanie Martinez 2003 M3 2 2
Daniel Briggs 1989 325iC 2 2 Glenn & Sandy McConnell 2006 M3 2 2
Jesus Brisita 2008 335xi 2 2 Kenneth Meyer 2007 335i 2 -
Tom Brown 1995 325iC 2 2 David & Bianca Nhan 2012 135i 2 2
Linda Cavazos 2011 135i 1 1 Carl Nybro 2010 328i 2 2
Marco & Mary Beth Cordon 2013 M3 2 2 Phil Nybro 2007 328i 3 3
Tom & Gay Dawson 2004 330Ci 3 3 Dan Parker 2015 Z4 1 1
Armando DiMeo 2011 1M 2 2 Marco & McLean Pena 2010 X5M 2 2
Greg Donsbach 2003 530i 1 1 Alvaro Picos 2003 M5 2 2
Jason Echols 2011 M3 4 2 Kenneth Reed 2001 M3 1 1
Jonathan Espiritu 2003 M3 2 - Al & Angel Ridgley 1987 325i 2 -
Andrew Flores 2008 328xi 3 3 Lazarus Salinas 2006 M3 1 1
David Francis 2006 Z4 2 1 Terry Sayther 1989 318iT 2 2
Rick Garcia 2006 325i 1 1 Mike & Jean Sevel 2008 328i 2 2
Fito Gonzalez 1983 533i 1 1 Joe Sexton 2002 M3 1 1
Jose Gonzalez 1987 535is 2 2 Alan Solis 2002 325Ci 2 2
Bryan Gunderson 2013 M5 1 1 Jay West 2011 135i 1 1
Bob Heimann 2010 Z4 1 1 Ben & Kayla Svensson 2004 M3 2 2
Ben Hendrix 2011 M3 2 2 John & Maria Swann 2011 Z4 2 2
Ken & Carol Hollins 2003 M5 2 2 Bart Whatley 1993 325iC 1 1
John & Corey Hughan 2011 M3 2 2 Paul Wilson 2011 335is 1 1
Sridhar Kamma 2012 M3 1 1 Don & Susan Yule 1998 M Rdstr 2 -
          Total 54 95 82