Salado Texas

Salado Texas Shopping

Located directly Interstate 35 in central Texas, Salado may very well be the best little art town in the entire state. Salado Texas is located north of Austin and south of Waco and Interstate 35 is probably the heaviest traveled highway in the state. Salado's Main Street and vicinity is filled by over sixty unique shops and artists galleries. Inn fact, Salado has one of the most unique art galleries in Texas. If you're into antiques, fine art, pottery and southwest collectibles and more, then Salado Texas should be on your Texas vacation planner. Salado is a blend of history and Texas folk art and is one of the best Texas day trips you might make. If you're traveling along Interstate 35 between San Antonio and Dallas it's definitely a great side trip.

Together with the very unique shopping in Salado are several excellent hotels and bed and breakfast inns. Located right in the middle of Texas Wildflower country, you can enjoy carriage rides and leisurely walks and if there's a golfer in your group, Mill Creek Golf Club offers a championship course. Mill Creek features three nine-hole courses designed by world renowed architect Robert Trent Jones Jr.  The casual atmosphere of the facility, the beauty of the environment and the classic test of the golf course combine to provide one of the finest golf experiences in Texas at very affordable rates. I've played this course several times and it's a good one. Mill Creek also offers condo rentals which are very near the golf courses.

Main Street, Salado Texas

Salado Texas has been around a long time. It's right on the way south from Dallas towards the Texas Hill Country. Salado was first incorporated in 1867 for the sole purpose of building a bridge across the Salado Creek which runs though the center of town. You'll find many historic sites around Salado. The Stagecoach Inn is the oldest continuously run hotel in the state of Texas.

The George Washington Baines House in Salado is on the National Register of Historic Places. Baines was the great grandfather of former U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson. George Baines was a minister and founded several Baptist churches and newspapers in Texas. Baines was the third president of Baylor University and reportedly had baptized Sam Houston. George Washington Baines was certainly an active figure in early Texas.

White settlers first appeared in the area around 1834. In that year, a settlement where Salado is today, was right on the western fringes of the Texas frontier. In fact, settlers in that specific area were under Indian attack often. Nearby was Parker's Fort which was the site of a brutal Comanche attack killing and kidnapping the entire Parker family. This was the attack that years later produced the half breed Comanche leader and warrior Quanah Parker. Parker was also the last Comanche leader to surrender in the 1870's ending the decades long Comanche War. As years went by, the frontier line in Texas would have kept expanding westward as more people came and the army forts were established accordingly. Texas was a very volatile region in the mid 1800's.

Store on Salado's Main Street

As Salado history goes, the town was right in the line of progress. The old Chisholm Trail ran right past the town going from south Texas past Salado and eventually to the rail heads in Kansas such as Abilene. At one time in the mid 1800's, the Overland Stage and Pony Express stop ran right through the town. Several popular figures overnighted in Salado Texas including Robert E. Lee, Sam Houston and General George Armstrong Custer. There are also tales that the legendary train and stagecoach robberl Sam Bass and the James brothers may have passed through town as well. When you visit Salado you'll see The Stagecoach Inn which was involved with the old stage line. The hotel was founded in 1861 as the Shady Villa. The Van Bibber family bought it in 1941, beginning the heritage of Salado's Stagecoach Inn and it's famous dining room. The dining room has an old-fashioned atmosphere with many wood details including homey shelves and cupboards. The Stagecoach Inn itself is a historic site where the wheels of progress, the stagecoach, made it's regular stop.

There are more than a dozen historic homes found in Salado. Today, many have been converted into restaurants, shops or B and B"s.The Baines House mentioned above is now a Salado B & B. The main house was the home of George Washington Baines. Another Salado B & B that I'm acquainted with is the Rose Mansion. The main house was constructed in 1870 by Major A.J. Rose and has four bedrooms. Three of them fireplaces. You'll also see Rose family memorabilia and a  great collection of antiques. This B and B was featured several times in Southern Living Magazine between 1996 and 1999.

The historic Barton House

Another stop to make while touring Salado is The Central Texas Area Museum. This museum was established by a group of interested citizens of the Central Texas area and received its area charter from the State of Texas in 1958. The museum opened a year later. The Museum is housed at present in a beautiful old rock building more than 100 years old just a few hundred yards from the picturesque clear spring-fed Salado Creek. A major purpose of the museum is to tell the history and development of Central Texas. You'll be able to enjoy an excellent collection of Texas pioneer artifacts as well as a lot of research materials.


Salado is the perfect stop for a food or shopping break while traveling on Interstate 35. The Salado Historical Society also offers a driving tour of the village available on both CD and Cassette format. Their website is www.saladohistoricalsociety.org. Other nearby fun vacation or trip stoips are the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame Museum in Waco Texas and the famous and historic Driskill Hotel in Austin.

(Photos from author's private collection)

Big Sur California / A Western Road Trip Like No Other

Big Sur coastline

If you have an opportunity to take a California vacation and your plans include a road trip in the central part of the state, you will be very well rewarded including a drive on California Hwy 1 along the simply magnificent Big Sur coastline. I have driven this route several time over the years and I will say there is no other quite like it. The pictures on this page will give you a good glimpse of just how beautiful this stretch of California coastline is.

A Very Popular California Destination


If your road trip through the California Big Sur turns out to be more than a day trip and you decide to stay awhile an enjoy the area, there are an abundance of Big Sur campgrounds. Big Sur camping has long been a favorite for many tourists and northern California locals. There are also some very unique hotels in Big Sur. One favorite is Deetjens Big Sur Inn.This Big Sur Inn happens to be on the national Register of Historic Places and is currently operated by the Deetjens Big Sur Inn Preservation Foundation. This Big Sur Inn was actually built over a span of three decades from the 1930's to the 60's. Deetjen's Big Sur Inn offers both rooms and cottages.

Rugged cliffs of Big Sur

Additional great lodging in Big Sur California is the Big Sur River Inn. The Big Sur River Inn is directly on Hwy 1 and nestled alongside the scenic Big Sur River. The Big Sur River Inn has been in operation since 1934 and among other things offers the visitor riverside dining. Like so many other tourist areas of California, the land which today's Big Sur River Inn is situated on dates from 1888 when Jay Pheneger acquired a 160 acre parcel from the U.S.l government. Pheneger gave his name to the creek that bounds the River Inn to the south. Barbara and Michael Pfeiffer, who had already homesteaded and were farming near Pfeiffer Beach later purchased the Pheneger property. A significant event in the area of Big Sur certainly was the eventual paving of the section from Carmel California on southward through Big Sur. The inn has been operated, added to and grown ever since the 1934 opening. It is still operated by both members of the Pfeifer family along with family friends.

Big Sur River Inn

For the campers out there, Big Sur campgrounds have plenty to offer. Big Sur camping presents a lot of options. You can enjoy the state parks in Big Sur or try the privately owned campgrounds. The is stream side camping as well as ocean side camping on the high bluffs. Bluff camping is situated on the southern end of Big Sur. Both tent camping and RV camping is available. One popular camping spot is Big Sur Campground and Cabins. The emphasis is placed on family camping and lodging. Tent and RV camping on the forest floor is featured while you can enjoy an inner tube on the cool river. Several styles of cabins, from rustic tent cabins to fully equipped cabins with kitchens and fireplaces are also featured.As you can see, lodging and camping choices in Big Sur California are quite varied. Also, there's something to fit all travel budgets.

People sometimes wonder what the boundaries are for the official Big Sur California historic region. There are actually a few definitions. First of all, there really are no "official" boundaries. One includes ninety miles of coastline from the Carmel River south to the San Carpoforo Creek. This definition extends Big Sur to about twenty miles inland. Some other sources extend the area to only about twelve miles inland. Other people have considered the Big Sur California region to be roughly between Carmel and San Simeon along Hwy 1. One of the reasons that Big Sur makes a fine weekend road trip is that the northern boundary of the area is only about 120 miles south of San Francisco. In fact, there are so many historic and fun stops along the route from San Francisco to Big Sur that a visit there can easily be made into a week long California vacation. Two excellent combination trips along with Big Sur California are the Carmel Mission in Carmel-By-The-Sea and the Mission San Juan Bautista. Both are between San Francisco and Big Sur and you'll pass both of them on your drive.

The History of Big Sur California

Hwy 1 along Big Sur

Like much of California, the first Europeans to lay their eyes on Big Sur were the Spanish mariners including Juan Cabrillo. Cabrillo sailed by in 1542 (two years after Coronado's expedition into New Mexico) but sailed past without landing his ships. At the time, the Big Sur area in general were inhabited by three different Native American tribes. The first European to actually land in the area a travel inland was Gaspar de Portola. Portola landed in the southern region of the area and traveled inland from there to not encounter the sheer cliffs of Big Sur. In 1770, Portola landed in Monterey Bay to the north and worked to establish a mission there with the aid of Father Junipero Serra who established the first California mission in 1769 in San Diego. As most people know, the Spanish missions were established in California for really two reasons. One was to attempt to educate and convert the native population to Christianity. The other was to help solidify Spanish control over the entire Alta California area. In a way, the Spanish military worked closely with the Franciscan friars operating the various missions. A tragic byproduct of European exploration into these land that were once the exclusive domains of the Native Americans was that European diseases were introduced. Just as had been the case in the American western frontier one hundred years later, the Native Americans picked up diseases of which their immune systems couldn't handle and many of the died from this.

When Mexico took over Alta California after the 1820's Mexican Revolt, the lands of the Big Sur were granted to certain Mexican citizens for Ranchos. Mexican governor Jose Figueroa gave almost 9,000 acres of land to Juan Bautista Alvarado for this purpose. Alvarado eventually gave this Big Sur acreage to his uncle by marriage, a Captain John Cooper in exchange for Rancho Bolsa del Potrero. A good historic site to see during your Big Sur vacation is the Cooper Cabin, built in 1861, which is on the Cooper Ranch and is said to be the oldest surviving structure at Big Sur. The Cooper Cabin, also called the Pioneer Cabin, is at the Andrew Molera State Park.

Weather at Big Sur

Weather in Big Sur can vary greatly. In fact, it's almost impossible to give it any generalization. For one thing, weather can vary significantly between two locations only a mile apart. About the only thing you can on the National Weather Service regarding Big Sur is the high and low temperature forecasts. Many people very familiar with the area contend that you'd need dozens of forecasters at various locations to give a true forecast. What in some other areas of the country might be a rainstorm that starts and stops and then people continue with their plans, in Big Sur a rainstorm has the chance of changing your plans for weeks or more. One truism about Big Sur is that rainstorms can and have washed out roads, such as Hwy 1, and it's not too uncommon for the rain to cause slides which also can close the highway. Winter rainstorms at Big Sur can be problematic.

Point Sur Lighthouse location

If you absolutely had to describe weather in Big Sur, you would say that it has a relatively mild climate year-round. Summer and fall are typically sunny and dry. Winter and spring bring on the rainy season. Temperatures on the coast stay fairly constant throughout the year, ranging from the 50s at night to the 70s by day from June through October. From November to May you are looking at the 40s to 60s. Like most California locales, the further inland you go the more temperatures vary. In any event, when the sun goes down at Big Sur temperatures can be quite cool in any season so a good jacket is always something good to bring along.

It should be mentioned that in addition to being one of the world's most scenic drives and best photo opportunity site in North America, Big Sur is also an excellent place for birding. Birdwatching at Big Sur is a popular activity. Andrew Molera State Park offers a wealth of avian life. The park is some 5,000 acres in size and includes the Big Sur River mouth. It's said that the Molera State Park hosts a list of about 379 species. Surprisingly, people, especially locals, were well aware of the birding potential in Big Sur for many years.l decades. The problem mostly was that the area was not readily accessible until it became a state park in 1972. Still, not as many people as you might think took advantage of the birding opportunities until 1992. At that point a non-profit conservation organization, Ventana Wilderness Society, established a research and education center and bird observatory, Big Sur Ornithology Lab, in the Andrew Molera State Park. This research center has been operating ever since. The establishing of the bird observatory and research center increased the awareness of just how popular Big Sur is as a world renown birding site.

Adding a Big Sur California road trip to your California vacation planner is well worth it. It is truly one of the most unique and scenic automobile road trips in the U.S. and adjacent to many other historic sites in the state.


(Photos from author's private collection).