Little Road Tour

Blum, Texas

Weather: low 43 degrees, high 47 degrees, rainy and cold

The rain started here about noon, and is still falling as I write the blog. Not to worry, though. We're snug and warm in our RV home.

After our busy day yesterday, I thought we would probably stay around the campground today. However, it's hard to keep us down when there's countryside to be explored. About 1000 hours, we decided to go see what we could find around Meridian and Clifton. We have been through those little towns many times in the past, but never explored around them.

Our first stop was before we got to Meridian, at the site of what used to be the Union Hill School, built back in the 1800s to serve the farm and ranch families that lived in the area. All that's left are the front steps and a slab. A plaque at the site gave a brief history of the school, including the fact that the students kept their horses in a barn at the back of the school. I can imagine at that time, the school, along with the local churches, was the center of social life for the area.

As we drove along after leaving the school site, we saw a flock of about 12 turkeys as they were feeding their way across a field. The next wildlife was several deer at different locations. This area is loaded with deer.

The first little town was Meridian, the county seat of Bosque County, with a population of about 1500. Like many of the towns in Texas, they have made an effort to preserve their history, including the courthouse, which is still being used for everyday business. We drove around town, checking out some of the old houses and buildings. Many of the older houses are being refurbished.

When we left Meridian, we drove out to Meridian State Park to check it out. The park is located on Meridian Lake, and has RV sites. The sites are a little small for our RV, but would do in a pinch.

The next stop on our tour was Clifton, the largest town in Bosque County, with about 3600 people living there. The town has a Norwegian influence due to the people who moved there from Norway in the 1800s. It appears to be rather prosperous, with a couple grocery stores, hardware and lumber stores, and several fast food restaurants. After driving through the downtown area, which seems to still be alive and vibrant, we drove west into the countryside a short distance. Apparently, without realizing it, we blundered into the area that was settled by the Norwegians long ago. Following signs, we found the community of Norse. Isn't that a fitting name for the area? A Lutheran church and graveyard was there, with many Scandinavian names on the headstones.

By this time, it was after lunch, so we decided to stop at Bunkhouse Bar-b-que. Good choice, as the lunch of brisket, sausage, potato salad, cole slaw, and Texas toast was all excellent. Even though we ordered the half order lunches, we had plenty left for supper, and it was just as good tonight. On the way out of town, we stopped at Sulak's Czech Bakery and Meat Market to see what they had. The only thing we found that appealed to us was the Jalapeno Cheese Bread, so we bought a loaf.

By this time, the rain was falling steadily, so we decided to go home and burrow in. We had a good day, doing the things we like to do. Simple, but fun.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Meridian, Texas: Top Of The Hill Country

Not all who wander are lost.