Along the San Marcus

One of the highlights of my travels was spending a week at Palmetto State Park located about fifteen miles from Gonzales Texas and about the same distance from Lulling. Palmetto State Park is a unique and special place. It is situated along the San Marcus River which has high banks meandering along on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. The park was created here to protect an odd occurrence of Nature. Preserved and protected in the park is a prehistoric world of dwarf palmettos and bubbling mud pits from deep beneath Texas. The river and park sports kayaking and paddle boats, fishing ponds and tall old growth hardwoods. As I walked along the river trail in the early morning, I was sure I spied an Ivory Billed Woodpecker, but I was unable to get a photograph as it was elusive. In the end I resolved myself to accept it was probably a Pileated Woodpecker. I have seen a lot of the work of the Great Depression era CCC rockwork in Texas State Parks, but the cottage/meeting hall at Palmetto is extraordinary. Located high on the banks of the San Marco and constructed to blend into the natural elements of the deep woods, its sandstone rock construction and cedar shake roof make it truly organic. The original construction in the 30’s had a Palmetto frond roof which would have made it really special. Also there is a gravity feed water tower which has been pumping water into the palmetto swamp since its construction. The painting “Along the San Marcos” captures the essence of the tall trees and mystery hiding around every bend. The hardwood forest is dense and the undergrowth of dwarf palmettos and dappled wild flowers inspired the work on a sunny afternoon. - Bartke