Bug's Guidebook to Texas.

[Bugman]

This month we head south on I-35 to San Marcos, located in Hays County about 30 miles from Austin. Pictures will be up shortly.

http://www.sanmarcostexas.com/about-san-marcos/community-information/condensed-history-san-marcos

 

[kered]

Is this where they first introduced people to peyote and cheap whiskey?

 

[Bugman]

One of the gems of Central Texas, San Marcos Springs are the headwaters of The San Marcos River. A popular amusement park stood there 1951 - 1996, when the springs and land were purchased by Texas State University in San Marcos and is now Aquarena Center, devoted to the preservation and study of this state treasure. These pictures were taken at the entrance to the center.


http://www.aquarena.txstate.edu/

 

[Bugman]

A. B. Rogers built an hotel on the site in 1928. Today the building is home to a conference room, research center and gift shop, and Discovery Hall. There are only a few modest exhibits now but the Hall will be completed later this year.

These pictures were taken from the roof top of the building. The structure in the foreground of the first picture is one of the towers which supported a gondola like system that ran throughout the park.

 

[Bugman]

A few pictures of the old hotel.

 

[milagros317]

Very interesting photos. Thanks for sharing them all here. 😀

 

[Bugman]

Very interesting photos. Thanks for sharing them all here. 😀

Thanks Mils. I have a few more I'll post soon.

 

[Bugman]

Three of the star attractions of Aquarena Springs were Ralph the swimming pig, the Mermaid Show and the glass bottom boats.

Ralph and the mermaids are long gone but some of the boats have been refurbished and are in use. I bought a ticket for the 10 o'clock tour and was the only one on board other than my guide, Justine, a nice young lady who is also a TSU student. As we were returning to the dock another boat was pulling out. There was a young lady standing on the dock holding a rope tied to the boats bow. She didn't let go soon enough and into the water she went. I'm glad to report she poped right up and was fine, but probably cold as the water stays about 72 degrees year round.

Sorry about the first picture, its kind of blurry.

 

[Bugman]

The last of my boat tour pictures.

 

[Bugman]

After leaving the springs I stopped at Sewell Park, on the southern edge of the TSU campus. There is much more to see in San Marcos, and we'll revisit the city in a later thread.

 

[milagros317]

Interesting boat tour. Thanks for sharing the photos. 😀

 

[kopfhorer]

I love your travelogues, Bugman!

 

[Bugman]

Interesting boat tour. Thanks for sharing the photos. 😀

I love your travelogues, Bugman!

Thanks guys, I enjoy sharing things about my adopted home. There is so much to see in Texas I'll never get around to it all, but I want to see as much as possible.

Oh, an intresting fact: Evidence has been found around the springs dating the first human habitation to some 12,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest such sites in North America.