Ren Faire Trips III (Plantersville, TX) – Oct 2003 & Oct 2004

TEXAS RENAISSANCE FAIR (PLANTERSVILLE, TX) – OCTOBER 2003

The fall had come around again, and it was time for our trip to Texas Renaissance Fair.  We were hoping to make this a regular occurrence now, and I’d done pretty good job at assembling a set of garb.  Between the cotton shirt I had (although I rolled up the annoying puffy sleeves) and the blue kilt, I had a good start when paired that with my black leather boots.  Lacking a sporran, I used all the various belt pouches I had put them on my adjustable belt (so I could carry my wallet, phone, camera, etc.).  Connon said I looked like the Scottish Batman.

Ken had just brought down a bunch of swords for us, so that part of my garb was complete.  They were better than the swords I’d previously gotten.  Connon opted to become a pirate this year, so we would have clashing tartans.  Aurelia had found a nice noble women’s dress to wear, and expected Connon and I to defend her honor.  Open your purse first, m’lady, and then we’ll talk.

Brian drove this time, and Connon and Aurelia wanted to ride in the back of his truck (as opposed to being packed into the small extended cab he had).  That was fine for the first part of the way when it was sunny, but the closer we got to Navasota the worse the weather looked.  Three-quarters of the way there, the skies opened up and down poured.  There was no safe place to pull off the route we were on, so Connon and Aurelia took shelter under a tarp in the back.  By the time we were able to pull off the road, they were both drowned rats, and they decided to stay in the back under the tarp.  They really couldn’t get any wetter than they were.

It had stopped raining by we arrived.  We were able to get a nice close parking space, and saw there was mud and puddles everywhere.  I swapped my footwear for my hiking boots, which were better made for this (and more comfortable to wear on a day of walking around).  Our drenched companions had dried themselves as much as they could.

Inside the Ren Faire, there were many puddles inside, and much of the pathways had been turned into muddy trails.  In a sarcastic way, we noted this was really capturing the “real feel” of Medieval Europe.  Since I was among the clean, I had to paraphrase Monty Python and say that I was “some sort of king, because I didn’t have shit all over me.”

As the day went on, the sun came out and dried the walkways, although there was still some mud along the grassy areas.  Many of the guests just ignored it, as they were having a good time.  I didn’t mind my hiking boots getting covered with mud, as they were much easier to clean than the leather boots I’d originally considered wearing today.

With any outdoor venue, you’re at the mercy of the weather, and you just have to go with the flow.  Vendors know how to pack things up quickly to protect their stock, but nothing will stop rain from flooding the booths.  A large number of places we stopped in to look at were still in the process of bailing out.  By this time, Aurelia had pretty much decided this was going to be the only outing she’d ever get from this dress.  Between the drenching she got on the way here, and the mud which was getting caked on to the hem, she had quickly abandoned any pretense of being a noble woman.  I don’t think she was ready to throw the towel and be a serving wench yet.

The seating areas at the shows were equally wet, although some dried quicker than others.  Water is not good for wool, and I didn’t sit down a lot.  We enjoyed another round of the “Ded Bob Sho,” which was just as amusing as it was last time.  The shrouded entertainer (who looked like an executioner) and his animated corpse puppet (who spoke in the most bawdy manner) poked fun any unsuspecting person in the crowd.  Brian and Aurelia spent more time watching the performances, as Connon and I strolled around.  The shows are fun, but I like interacting with the other people who’ve come in garb, and immersing myself in the role.  It’s like being at SCA event again.

One thing which was nice was to see things I hadn’t seen the previous year.  Any annual event needs to keep things fresh for their returning guests, in addition to having the “crowd favorites” which people always come back for.  While the snake-dancer woman was highly interesting to watch, what got my attention was a musically-themed act we stumbled across was called “Wild & Thorny.”  Made up of two ladies named Iris and Rose, they played bawdy bar-style tunes from the female point-of-view.  It was like a slightly cleaner version of John Valby, but still pretty R-rated.  We all laughed at the routine, and at the conclusion of the act I bought two most-current CDs (as well as the companion song book).  I know I’d be burning a copy of these to pass on to Shawn, because he’d appreciate the twisted humor.

TRF had a giant pirate ship constructed, and at various points during the day they’d toss out “free booty.”  Whatever giveaway stuff and free samples they wanted to hand out, they call out it was a certain amount of time before “walking the plank,” and then a crowd of people would gather around.  At the prescribed time things would be toss over the side, and the awaiting public would scramble for whatever goodies they could get.  Some items would be dropped close, and others cast out pretty far, so you didn’t have to be next to the ship for a chance to have stuff you’re your way.

I stood on the edge, and watched the scramble, as it was a pretty interesting cross-section of humanity.  I clearly saw a cat-of-nine-tails coming towards me.  The guy next to me saw it too.  Like gentlemen leaping for the garter belt thrown at a wedding reception, we both jumped for the prize.  My reach was just a little longer, and I was able to snatch it.  The guy was clearly not happy I’d beaten him too this, but that’s the chaotic nature of it.  I saw the cat-of-nine-tails was clearly leather, not some plastic knock-off, so it was worth the effort I’d taken to get it.  If it had been some cheap copy, I probably would’ve just handed it to the person next to me.  Other than wadded-up shirts (none of which were coming close to me), there wasn’t any booty I wanted, and strolled away from the ship.

Aside from the weather issue we had at the beginning, this was another great visit to TRF.  On the way out, we noticed a few patrons were being attacked by a small group of kissing wenches.  Connon stepped aside to give them some money, and directed them towards Brian.  I saw what Connon had done, and noticed the wenches applying their lipstick, so I stopped and pretended to adjust my boot laces.  I slyly pulled out my camera as I did so.

Brian was quite surprised when he was attacked, and had a series of smooches placed on his cheeks.  The guy who was dressed as a wench made the affectionate motions, but didn’t follow through when he saw it wouldn’t be well-received.  Aurelia didn’t realize this was happening until it was well in-progress, and saw Connon and I laughing hysterically.  Brian was a good sport about it, but he still told Connon and I in “express terms” what he thought of this.  I’m sure when we go to TRF next year (or if we going to a different Ren Faire before that), Brian will get his digs against Connon and I.  This is the stuff that friends do to each other for fun, so I’ll be curious to what he comes up with.

TEXAS RENAISSANCE FAIR (PLANTERSVILLE, TX) – OCTOBER 2004

When it was time to go to TRF this year, Brian and I would be meeting Jose and Margaret there (with some people they knew).  Since I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to wear my kilt, of course I was going put it on for that.  With change of jobs and different living situations, the Ren Faire trips weren’t happening as frequently as I’d liked them to be.  The plans to rejoin SCA that fallen through, and the other “medieval re-enactors” I’d encountered had acted in the same manner as the “Vampire LARPers” I met (as in not knowing when to come out of character, and come back to the mundane world).  Thus, I rode the current situation right now, and looked forward to a time when I could have more frequent attendance.

There were new shows which we hadn’t seen before, and we went to catch those while Jose’s group watched “Ded Bob.”  Off in one corner of the grounds was an area designed to look like a Roman amphitheatre, and that’s where we saw the comedy skit called “Testiclees and the Sack of Rome.”  This was certainly in the “not for children” category, as the risqué act was filled with toilet humor.  The name of the show was a giveaway.  It was extremely funny, and really pushed the envelope at this public venue.

We didn’t walk around the area as much to check out the merchants, which is one of the things I like to do.  That also is a great chance to do some people-watching.  I didn’t too many things which got my attention on this trip.  One group was pretty interesting dressed as Spanish Conquistadors, accompanied by their Indian squaw.  It was amusing to see a rather un-PC attired party, but it was all in good fun.

One thing which got my attention was hearing a violin play the theme to “Last of the Mohicans.”  Now first I thought I was hallucinating, but soon found the band E Muzeki performing this tune with an Arabic-sounding edge to it.  Just like many of the music festivals I’d gone to (like Irish 2000, back in NY), this was a great way to find music you might not hear anywhere else.  As I saw on their album E Muzeki had covered Led Zeppelin's “Kashmir,” I was sold.  Gimme a copy!

The day was warm, and besides the above what money I did spend was on beverages to stay hydrated.  I was amazed at how much beer Jose was putting down, and the fact that he was still functioning.  I’m sure he sweated a good chunk of that out while we were watching the jousting tournament, and he still had Margaret to drive back.

The majority of the group wanted to be back in Austin to have dinner, so we didn’t spend a lot of time at the festival.  To me, it felt like we spent longer on the road (getting there and back) than we actually spent at our destination.  It was a day out with friends, but overall not as good as any of my previous trips.  We could’ve had the same hang-out experience locally going to First Night on South Congress, or one of the many street festivals which happens in Austin.  I’d certainly like to go back to TRF, but I’d want to be able to spend more time there, and be able to soak up more of the atmosphere.

The only other Ren Faires I’ve been able to make since the above was Camelot Fantasy Faire out in Lockhart, in March 2006, when Lee and I went.  This appeared to be a fairly new operation, as it looked like a field had been hastily cleared on shrubs and vendor tents put up.  Excalibur Fantasy Faire was no longer in existence, and it felt like this one had been put together at the last minute to make up for it.

As an outing, it was fun for us to wander around, but it wasn’t really that memorable.  The day was overcast, and it felt like it wanted to rain the entire time.  I didn’t wear the kilt, because of the potential weather.  We talked about the possibility of going to TRF together in the fall, and even trying this again next season when it was better organized.

Lee and I did make it to TRF that fall, but not in the manner we had planned.  Rob and Colleen decided to have their wedding there, and as guests of the wedding our admission would be covered.  The flipside of that was we were at this venue for the wedding (and associated reception), so it didn’t leave a lot of time in the day to wander the festival site.  We weren’t part of the wedding party, and they were the ones who got lavished on by the host location.  That was another instance of us spending more time in the car travelling than we actually got to spend at the destination.

Unfortunately, various factors have kept me from returning to TRF in any fashion.  There’s a Celtic Festival in the fall one weekend in October, which I can get my fill of shows and Ren Faire-type vendors (as well as the people who come in garb, so the people-watching can be done).  Of all the Ren Faires in Texas that I’ve been to, Texas Renaissance Festival is by far the best, and that is my recommendation for anyone who wishes to go.

For current information on the places visited:

Texas Renaissance Festival:  http://texrenfest.com/

Society for Creative Anachronism:  http://www.sca.org/

E Muzeki:  http://www.emuzeki.com/

Irish 2000 Festival (NY):  http://irish2000fest.com/

Austin Celtic Festival:  http://austincelticfestival.com/

            ###  30  ###

Ren Faire Trips II (Smithville, TX & Waxahachie, TX) – March 2003 & May 2003

EXCALIBUR FANTASY FAIRE (SMITHVILLE, TX) – MARCH 2003

Connon told us about a Ren Faire that was open for a few weekends in the spring, and was much closer to us than TRF was.  That sounded like a good day trip for us to do, so we all drove out to Smithville, where the Excalibur Fantasy Faire was.  If I thought we were going through small town Texas to get to TRF, this was more so.  We were out on roads with no houses in site.  But Connon knew where he was going, and lead us here with no problems.

While most Ren Faires usually go for the standard “medieval Europe” feel, Excalibur was different as they had a unified them and a storyline.  Designed around the Arthurian Legends (as if the name of the place wasn’t a give away), the Knights of the Round Table would try to bring peace to the lands by defending Morgan Le Fey.  At the top of the hour, there was a short (few minutes) sequence that advanced the tale a little more, and culminated in a grand battle (demonstration event) at the end of the day.  I liked that concept, as it gave some variation for those that worked at the Ren Faire.  (The rest of the time, the troupe wandered around the grounds, and interacted briefly with the attendees.)

In addition to the vendors of food and things, there were smaller groups that wandered around to interact with guests, or just to provide amusement.  The knight “galloping” by, followed by his servant making a clacking sound we found highly amusing.  For those that don’t get the reference, watch the first few minutes of Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail, and you’ll get it.

There were shows to watch, and we made sure to hit a number of those as we went along.  Sometimes the shows, strangely enough, found us.  The following was a great example of such, and I wish there was a picture record of it.  Unfortunately as I was involved in it, it was hard to pull the camera out.  Additionally, I was separated briefly from the group, and it was Connon who figured out what was going on.  He didn’t have a camera hidden anywhere within his kilt, and I think he was more amazed at what was going on.

I was heading back from the restroom when I passed Morgan Le Fey, and her minions.  There were half-a-dozen goblins, and a troll bringing up the rear.  The goblins of course were shorter people, hunched over, wearing green make-up, and acting like poor Ferengi.  The troll was a large, line-backer sized person in similar green make-up.  While all had leather jerkins on, the troll carried a large (four-foot-long shaft) war hammer.

I watched the train go by, and then the troll snarled at me.  Being fun, and getting into the feel of the event, I immediately growled back at him.  The troll stopped to face me, and we proceeded to snarl back and forth at each other.  If we were at a Star Trek convention, then we would’ve appeared like two Klingons greeting each other.

Morgan Le Fey then took notice, and commented this was an “interesting distraction.”  The goblins quickly encircled me, each making little hissing sounds.  I crouched down with my hands up in a defensive posture, and make a quick side to side motion with my head as I bared my teeth at the goblins.  I then looked back at the troll, and stared him in the eye.  I remained still, but did that subtle “come at me wave” Morpheus did to Neo in The Matrix.  The troll hefted his hammer, and smacked it in his palms.

At this point, other guests had stopped to see what was happening.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw Connon looking surprised as I was being ganged-up on.  Looking at the troll, I gave a quick smile to convey that I knew this was all “in-character” and in fun.  He gave a brief smile which acknowledged that, and did a similar nod towards Morgan Le Fey.  This wasn’t part of the day’s “programmed show,” it was a random occurrence, and the actors at the faire need to stick to the script.  Besides, it’s probably bad form to look like a guest was being accosted.

Morgan Le Fey then told her minions to come along, as “there wouldn’t be much sport with a lone opponent.”  I retorted that only the troll would provide any sport to me, and gave another smile.  I could tell the guy playing the troll was trying to hold that “mean exterior” and not laugh.  The troll then turned away with a grunt, and joined Morgan Le Fey as she strolled away.  The goblins followed, and I could hear a few muffled chuckles.  I’m quite sure once these guys got to a “backstage area” (out of sight of guests) they all had a good laugh about it.

I didn’t see Connon around.  No, I didn’t expect him to “back me up in this fight,” but I wondered where the hell he went.  Turns out he ran back to where the group was sitting to tell them I was being attacked by a band of goblins.  No one believed him, or apparently took him seriously.  A few moments later I rejoined my friends and filled them in on my little “encounter.”

During the rest of the day I looked around for the troll again, because I wanted to comment to him that I enjoyed our meeting.  I didn’t see him again.  We went from shop to shop looking around for him, hoping to encounter him.  Brian found a place which was selling sword canes, and bought one with a cobra motif for a handle.  That looked pretty cool.

We ended up having a great day here.  The location may’ve been a little remote for location, but it was pretty close as far as distance was concerned.  While I looked forward to going back to TRF in the fall, I wanted us to come back here again next spring.  I could hit a Ren Faire twice a year, I think that would be awesome.  Most of my SCA garb doesn’t fit me any more, but now was the time to start rebuilding it piece by piece so I can blend in with the crowds at bit more.

SCARBOROUGH FAIRE (WAXAHACHIE, TX) – MAY 2003

This is the tale of Sir Connon, a kilted warrior who sought renown.  With his trusty blade handy, Sir Connon cautiously made his way through the cedar woods.  He’d heard a damsel’s cry of distress, and investigated.

Sir Connon came upon a maiden tied to a tree.  There was no evidence of brigands or even a dragon nearby, so Sir Connon was not sure how this lady came to be in this predicament.  He sensed there could be a trap, and moved closer.  “M’lady,” he announced.  “I am the honorable warrior.  How did you come to be fastened this way?”

“An evil sorceress did this.  Please free me,” she pleaded.  “I await your rescue.”

“Then free you I shall.”  Sir Connon went to undo the bonds.  Something flashed before his eyes, which caused him to become disoriented.  The next thing the kilted warrior knew, he was now prisoner and his precious blade at his neck.  The lady gripped his sword knowingly, and smiled in a manner unbecoming of a proper lady.

“I’ve tricked you, Sir Connon,” she said.  “You’re mine to do with as I please.  I’m really the sorceress Shari of the Vale.  I have a task for you to perform, and no amount of sniveling will release you from it.”

Sir Connon was brave, so he told Shari that what she wished he would perform with all the skill he had available.  She told him the highland clans were forming a united force to free the realm from the tyrant who ruled with an iron glove.  If Sir Connon joined her crusade, he’d gain much renown, as well as something she’d give only to him.  Sir Connon was powerless to free himself, and knew this was his only chance to escape, but an opportunity to be part of the united clans was something he couldn’t ignore.

“You need not have tricked me, m’lady,” said Sir Connon.  “All you needed to do was ask, and I would’ve gladly joined my brothers in battle for freedom.”  And with those words, Sir Connon marched with his clansmen off to war.

At the conclusion of the battle, the rightful ruler was restored to the land, and Sir Connon was surprised to learn this was Shari.  Now adorned in her regal vestments, Shari gave Sir Connon the promised reward.

“I lost my kingdom because I had no captain of the guard to help me defend it,” she said.  “I make that offer to you, Sir Connon.  Come, be my personal protector, and help stay at my side.”

Sir Connon responded without hesitation.  “M’lady,” he said.  “I shall do so.  I have achieved great renown fighting to regain your throne, and now I look forward for the opportunity to serve you ever more!”

With the ever vigilance of Sir Connon, and wise rule of Lady Shari, the land prospered like it never had before.  So ends the tale of Sir Connon.

We did these pictures while we were getting ready to go to the Scarborough Renaissance Festival, which was located south of Dallas in the small town of Waxahachie.  Chaz and Lily had located a camp ground near there, and had the idea that we’d make a weekend trip of this.  Since not all of us would be able to get out of work at a reasonable time (and it was a three hour drive from Austin), Chaz and his family would go up Friday night and secure the location.  Connon, Shari, Brian, and I would drive up early the next morning and meet them there, which at that point we’d all go to the Ren Faire together.

It stormed the night before, so Chaz never even made it to the camp grounds (they took shelter in a motel).  They called the next morning to let us know the weather report was for it to be very hot and humid today.  Connon and Shay dressed for the event, so Connon could be part of the parade which went along the grounds.  I was slowly finding pieces to rebuild my SCA garb, and decided to dress for comfort.  Scarborough is spread out over a large area (although it’s not as big as Texas Renaissance Festival), and many trees were there to provide shade.  The day was still overcast, but we could still soak up too much sun if we weren’t careful.

We went from place to place, and saw many shows and demonstrations.  Because it was warm that day, we made sure to drink plenty of fluids, and took rest breaks when the opportunity presented itself.  Sometimes we watched the joust or the single combat matches.  Other times we took a moment to nibble a bite to eat.  I liked this vendor of “hanging chairs,” as they were very comfortable.

All during the day I’d been looking around for something to get my gal pal Amy (as it was her birthday next month), and hadn’t seen anything that “jumped out” at me.  Towards the end of our time here, I mentioned I’d seen something a short distance back, so was going to go get it.  Shari decided that she’d tag along, in order to get “woman’s view” of what I thought would be a good gift.  It passed Shari’s okay.  Nearby was a place which was doing tarot readings.  Since Shari and I are both into reading the cards, she said it would be fun if we had someone do our fortune.  Sure, it sounded like fun, and they weren’t going to leave without us (Shari drove, and she had the keys).

Keep in mind that while Shari and Connon are a couple, Shari and I have a sibling-like relationship.  Not sure how that came about, but we’ve hit it off since day one.  When we went to the tarot booth, and were asked what we wanted the reading on, Shari piped up “relationship stuff.”  The cards were shuffled, and laid out one by one.

I’ve seen enough carnival charlatans do “fortune telling,” so I knew how the scam went.  The person doing to the reading will make a couple vague remarks, and the repentant responds by saying how that fits with something specific in their life.  People like to divulge information about themselves to anyone who asks, and that’s how these things work.  Having your fortune told at a fair should always be done “for fun” and not taken seriously.  Someone who can do real divination doesn’t need to ask you anything to give you a good reading.

That being said, as the teller explained what each card represented (and she paused to await my responses), I just nodded and made a couple “un-huh” gestures.  Shari did the same.  We wanted to see how well the person did.  Much of the fortune was dealing with the “closeness of a relationship,” “mutual feelings built upon a good foundation,” and “how well we complimented each other.”  Some of the comments made seem to point me in a direction which was not Amy, and I could see what the reader was getting for her results.

At the conclusion of the reading, I looked at Shari with a smile and said “Well, sis, that’s a pretty interesting outcome.”

Shari nodded her head and responded, “Yeah. From that reading it looks like you’ll stop chasing Amy, I’ll leave Connon, and we’ll end up together.”

The fortune teller’s face got rather red, as it was obvious she assumed we were a couple.  Still, I had fun getting the reading, as it was strictly for entertainment purposes only.  Shari and I had a good laugh about it as we were heading back to rejoin the rest of the group.

We had a full day at the Ren Faire.  Even though I had my camera in easy access, I just wasn’t in the mood to take a lot of pictures.  We all enjoyed our time there, but came to the same conclusion.  We preferred TRF over this one.  While the drive is about the same, we’ll go to that one in the future.  Scarborough is perfectly located for those within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to come and visit.

We ate some fast food for dinner, and went to the camp to spend the evening.  At that point we realized it was an RV camp, not a “camping” location.  We’d still brought tents with us, but there weren’t any other amenities.  The lake we were near had signs posted not to go swimming, and the air was so still that evening that it remained hot.  I decided I wasn’t going to swim, but would go over to boat launch and wade in to immerse myself in the cooling water.  Connon came with, but only as my spotter.  He didn’t think the weather was too bad.

The latrine of the camping area looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a month, and smelled that bad.  Shari reported the ladies side was no different.  Chaz’s family had their own tent, and the rest us packed into a pair of two-person tents.  Inside, without the air moving, it felt so stuffy to me.  There was no way I’d be able to get any sleep that night.  I just grabbed my sleeping bag, and plopped down in the bed of Shari’s truck.  I doubted it would rain that night, and I’d take a few biting bugs over an oven of a tent.  Either there were no bugs out that night or I was pretty exhausted, because I was out like a light.

The drive back to Austin was nice, as Connon and I sat in the back of the truck and talked gaming-related things, as well as personal stories.  There weren’t a lot of good places to stop and get food though.  The camp ground (which I never even knew the name of) was pretty nasty, and wouldn’t want to go back.  But if I was in the vicinity of DFW again, I’d give Scarborough another visit.

For current information on the places visited:

Excalibur Fantasy Faire:  http://www.excaliburfaire.com/

Texas Renaissance Festival:  http://texrenfest.com/

Society for Creative Anachronism:  http://www.sca.org/

Scarborough Renaissance Festival:  http://www.srfestival.com/

Iris & Rose (“Wild & Thorny”):  http://www.iris-n-rose.com/

            ###  30  ###

Ren Faire Trips I (Sterling, NY & Plantersville, TX) – Aug 1999 & Sept 2002

STERLING FAIRE (STERLING, NY) – AUGUST 1999

Americans have a love of Renaissance Fairs probably because we’ve never had that culture as part of our history.  Medieval things were long gone by the time the exploration of the New World really began.  We have this dream-like quality about how nice the Middle Ages were, and try to re-create the best aspects for fun.  It should come as no surprise to anyone that England (and other European countries) were never big on the Ren Faire idea.  Strangely enough, I know that England has similar-themed ideas, but done as re-creation of the American Old West.  The British Empire did somewhat have a “western” period with the expansion of Australian colonial period in the late 19^th Century; but English “Western Faires” capture all the best part about the American Southwest.  That’s just a little interesting tidbit there.

Ever since I became a member of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) back in 1990, I’ve gotten my medieval fix by going to their events, thus I’d never actually attended a real Ren Faire.  The closest Ren Faire located to me was out in Sterling, which was about an hour north of Syracuse (or an hour east of Rochester).  While that really wasn’t that far of a drive, Sterling was only open during weekends in July and August.  For me to be able to fully enjoy it (which wouldn’t happen after a long drive to get there), I’d have to be already in the area to make it happen.  I had some time off coming up, so I made plans to head out to Rochester where Brian was living, so we could attend this.

Once inside, we started off by watching a jousting tournament.  The King who officiated this got to sit in a nice shaded building, while the rest of the audience sat out in the open on this bright, cloudless sunny day.  Sterling is open “rain or shine,” so I’m glad we were there when it was shine.  If it’d been raining, we would’ve been sitting in mud.  Yeah, there weren’t any benches to sit on, so we parked our asses on the grass.  The jousting arena needed to have natural rises for the audience to be, in order to provide better views.  It was difficult to see the combatants, but we got good looks at the people in front of us.

We escaped to the shade to get something to eat, and partake of some of the carnival games.  We had demonstrations at SCA events where someone could try things out, but this was no where near that skill level.  Ren Faires are made for the masses, so things need to be safe and simple (as opposed to the SCA, which is essentially a closed party).  Throwing the balsa wood javelins into a hay bail provided a few moments of interest.

Since the shows seem to have more interest, we went to watch the Mud People’s comedy routine.  We were smart enough to stay to the back, as those who were in the first ten rows had mud slung at them.  I had my nice white McKrells concert shirt on, and that’s something I wanted to keep in good condition.  The Mud People’s show was a lot of physical comedy, which normally wasn’t my bag, but the environment made it funny.

When I was at the SCA events, it wasn’t uncommon for someone to “step out of character” and snap a few pictures (especially if it was for the newsletter).  SCAers were usually pretty okay about the brief “break in character” as it was an admiration of how well someone’s garb had been put together.  A couple knights I encountered here (which appeared to be part of the Faire, as opposed to dressed-up visitors) had some nice armor that I wanted to take a shot of.  While I was allowed the shot, there was a quite a bit of resistance in doing it.  No, I’m not going to steal your soul; I’m getting your portrait.  It was nice to stay in your 14^th Century persona for the day, but don’t be so tightly wound about it.

I’d heard so many things about how good Ren Faires were, and really had more fun at Medieval Times (which was a highly commercialized event).  Sterling was interesting, and I’m glad I went, but I wanted to find other Faires to go to so I’d have better experiences.

TEXAS RENAISSANCE FAIR (PLANTERSVILLE, TX) – SEPTEMBER 2002

I’d been in Austin for a month, and the job prospects so far hadn’t been the best.  Because I was living with Brian and Chaz, I didn’t have to worry about the roof over my head or where my next meal was coming from.  Chaz suggested a “fun day” where we’d drive out to Navasota to go to the largest Ren Faire in Texas.  I figured I could swing the cost of admission this once, and eat pretty sparingly while I was there.

Texas Renaissance Fair (also known as TRF) is actually located near Plantersville, in a small hamlet called Todd Mission.  Once we got off the main highway, we went to progressively smaller and smaller roads.  We were out in the small town area, much like where I grew up in New York.  At one point we weren’t sure if we’d find it, until we saw a group of cops directing traffic towards a place with a hastily-marked “Ren Faire” sign.

There was a huge field to park in, and it was nicely ordered with a line of trees.  Depending on where and when you arrived, you might have shade when you left.  It was about a two hour drive for Chaz and I to get there, and we’d be looking at that on the way back.  We enjoyed going around the area, and seeing the various vendors.  There were a lot of things which would’ve gotten our money had we let them.

One thing that I noticed here which was very different than what I’d seen in the past (and pleasantly so) was the number of people who were in costume.  I was used to just the employees being dressed up in period stuff.  But there were so many visitors here decked out in fantasy outfits, it made the whole experience rather fun.  These were serious Ren Faire people, considering some of the costumes they had.  I liked the drow lady, as it takes a lot of dedication to wear face paint all day.

The layout of TRF is designed like a big horseshoe from the main entrance, with a couple of additional cross-spurs so you don’t have to travel in the outer circle to get from one place to another.  A crier goes around to let everyone know when the parade is going to happen.  The parade contains various individuals, grouped by theme, who march around the outside parameter.  It goes without saying that I enjoyed seeing the cadre of Highlanders.

We learned that a good number of those involved in the parade were made up of campers who spend the entire weekend at the ren faire.  That reminded me of some of those weekend events I had when I was doing SCA, mixed with those times the Argyle troop of Boy Scouts would camp (as an exhibit) at the Washington County Fair.  We had to live day-to-day on-site (eating, showering, sleeping, and such), but also having a lot of fun being a constant part of the festivities.  As Boy Scouts, we were only required to wear out official shirts (with a minimum of two buttons buttoned).  I’m sure we stayed much cooler (temperature wise) than these guys in the black leather armor, who incidentally looked much cooler (style wise) than we ever did.

It was a great experience coming out here, as the weather was nice the entire time.  There were numerous shows (comedy skits and Shakespeare-style performances), as well as demonstrations.  It was fascinating just watching the blacksmith forge a sword, and the interesting smells that came from the leather tanner.  This was quite the sensory experience, and it felt like a living community.  This was something that we’d have to return to.  The show we watched that we enjoyed the most was called the “Ded Bob Sho.”  A guy had a skeleton puppet (“Ded Bob”) he manipulated, and the puppet was rather on the rude side.  Trust me, if you’re wearing anything interesting in the audience (and are sitting up front where it’s easy to see you), you’ll be a target.

Knowing that TRF was only open for just over a month’s worth of weekends in the Fall, I was quite sure that by this time next year I’d be in the position to enjoy the experience even more.  Even though it had been years since I’d done anything with the SCA, the positive energy I had from here had me considering rejoining the group so I could be one of the people who spent their time here.  That’s something to look forward to for the future.

For current information on the places visited:

Sterling Renaissance Faire:  http://www.sterlingfestival.com/

Society for Creative Anachronism:  http://www.sca.org/

Texas Renaissance Festival:  http://texrenfest.com/

            ###  30  ###

Wonder Works Park (San Marcos, TX) – July 2003

I’d driven down from northern part of Austin to San Marcos in order to meet a lady I’d been talking to over an internet dating site.  There had been enough intelligent conversation going on, so neither one of us appeared to be a psycho to the other.  After meeting at Bobcat Stadium (on the campus of Southwest Texas State), we’d set out for the target of our meeting.  When we were making the arrangements of what to do, I commented how much I enjoyed going to InnerSpace Caverns a couple months back, and Louise had mentioned there were caves here we could go to.  Worked for me.

The cave system is known as Wonder World Park, which was the first commercial cave opened in Texas back in 1903.  Unlike InnerSpace, Wonder World was formed by an earthquake at some point in the past.  The Balcones Fault Line pretty much runs right under Interstate 35, and is still occasionally active today (although there aren’t any signs of “building pressure” like the New Madrid or San Andreas faults).  The draw for this was to see how two radically different-looking tectonic plates come together here.

We descended into the cave by a series of stone steps.  I noticed it was very dry in here.  Our guide informed us this was not a “living cave” (like InnerSpace), so there weren’t any rules against touching things.  This cave had been opened to the outside for so long, that any natural formations stopped growing long before the first white settlers came here.  Because of the coolness that comes from being underground, this was a place where natives went to escape the heat.  The guide pointed out some black soot marks along the walls as the result of the cave being used as a speakeasy during Prohibition.

One of the first chambers we went into also had some fallen stone blocks in it.  That was the result of the earthquake that created the cave, and those blocks were so wedged in, they weren’t going anywhere.  Since this area has such sparse geologic activity, there’s only the smallest chance these will move if there happens to be another tremor.

The guide mentioned there was some natural phosphoresces in this section, and that’s why there’s a door to shut this off from the rest of the caves.  He said this dust gets on everything in minute quantities.  Once he turned out the light, we were instructed to wave our hands in front of our faces, and we’d be able to see that.  The lights went out, and I started doing it, because I wanted to see this natural occurrence.  There wasn’t much of a glow, but something ever so slightly.  Given time to allow our eyes to adjust to the darkness, we might be able to see it better.

Unfortunately the lights came back on about a minute later, and the guide commented that he always catches at least one person doing that.  (I was the only adult doing it, but a couple of the pre-teens present had done as instructed.)  I mentioned I could see something faint.  The guide then said there’s really nothing in the cave which would do that.  But a two other women commented they were able to see my hand starting to glow, so there must be something.  I didn’t know them, and the guide didn’t seem happy when that fact was pointed out.  Perhaps there is some natural phosphoresces in here after all.

We went further into the caves, and followed the steps which had been built into the area.  This gave a nice view of the size of the interior.  Even though this had been open to the outside, it was still much cooler here than the inside.  Wonder Cave didn’t stay a constant temperature as InnerSpace did, but it kept within a predictable range.

One area the guide brought us into had a well in it, as this collected the water which seeped into the cave (and continued down to the Edwards Aquifer).  We were told this was a wishing cave, which people tossed coins into.  The guide also wanted us to each look down the well and guess how deep it was.  To me, it sounded like we were going to be shown some sort of optical illusion, thus a chance to learn something.  Each visitor in turned looked down this well, and I’d positioned myself to be the last.

Looking down the well, there was no real frame of reference to judge depth.  The sides were wet, and the water so clear and still, you couldn’t tell where the surface was.  There was a light overhead which illuminated to the bottom, and I could see the change which had been tossed in by others.  The reason I’d gone last was a chance to prepare what I was going to do, which was something I learned from playing table-top role-playing games.

I flicked a penny into the well, and once it hit the surface (thereby creating some ripples), I had a point of reference.  From how long it took the coin to hit the water, and then subsequently sink the bottom, I was able to approximate the depth.  I told the guide the water level was about ten feet down, and the bottom of the well about thirty feet below that.

The guide appeared rather shocked at what I’d done.  If there hadn’t been any coins down there, I wouldn’t have thrown one in to begin with.  He said the well depth was thirty-eight feet, and the water level started eight feet down.  The other visitors thought that was a pretty clever idea.  The guide asked if I’d been here before, because of the trick I used.  I said it’s the same idea as checking a chasm depth by throwing a torch down to watch the light disappear, or a stone down to listen for the sound of it hitting.  I just applied the same logic to the problem.  Louise was mildly amused, but I think it was more at the guide being unimpressed at what I did, than what I actually did.

We continued to work our way through the cave, going down a few steps here and there.  It was so subtle that we’d been descending; there was no way to know how far deep we were.  We were about to find out.  The guide mentioned there was one final chamber to come into, and it was the lowest point of the area.  He added it rather visually striking because of the fossils it contained.  He’d said we’d be able to get an idea of how far underground we were too.  As we filed into the chamber, the guide looked at me and said “Okay, smart-guy, give someone else a chance this time.”  Whatever, dude.  Everyone has had their chance.

The cavern we entered into was roughly sixty feet in diameter, and had a height of about forty feet.  This was the largest area we’d been in the entire tour, and certainly the most impressive.  I noticed a few people looking to the side in an effort to spot fossils, but the majority had seen them when they looked up at the ceiling.  Saying the area was crammed with fossils would be too conservative of an estimate.

We were asked what type of creature did we think we were looking at, and how would fossils get into the ceiling.  My camera didn’t have a zoom, so the above shot is exactly what I saw.  I waited a few moments as the other visitors attempted to answer.  A few had said trilobites, which was a good guess, but didn’t match the shape.

Finally the guide looked at me and asked what I thought they were.  I said they were shrimp.  The guide seemed to get a little flustered and said (in a rather accusatory tone) that I had been here before, as I was correct.  I replied again that I hadn’t, and these critters on the ceiling look really no different than the appetizer my house-mate orders from Red Lobster.

When asked how they got there, I said the logical reason was there had been a layer the shrimp had been set down in, which has since eroded away.  The guide appeared rather unhappy that I knew this, and then went on to explain that in greater detail.  Hey, I’ve studied the geology of the area and learned something, so sue me.

The last leg of the tour was that we wouldn’t be coming back the way we came.  We were herded into an elevator which would do more than just bring us back to the surface.  Within moments the door opened, and we filed out into the Texas Observation Tower high above the area.  At 190 feet, this tower’s height was equal to the depth of the cave we’d just left.  This was a nice treat, and a good way to end the trip with something very tangible the average visitor could understand.  We weren’t able to stay up in the tower more than a few minutes before we were brought back to the surface, as there was another group coming behind us.

Snide comments aside, I thought the tour guide did a pretty good job, and thanked him.  I didn’t the warmest reply back.  Passing on the petting zoo, Louise and I went on to the last portion of the area, known as the Anti-Gravity House.  This was made at various angles, and contributed to a lot of optical illusions.  Water seemed to flow uphill, and marbles rolled against gravity, due to the way this was designed.  The structure wasn’t very big, but enough to give you idea (and to give others behind us some vertigo).

Overall, Wonder Works Park was an interesting diversion, and something that should be seen once.  Since I’d been to two caves in the area, it did make me want to look for other nearby similar things.  I knew the region was riddled with caves, and it’d be fun to visit as many as I could.

For current information on the places mentioned:

            Bobcat Stadium:  http://www.txstatebobcats.com/sports/2010/7/29/FB_0729105705.aspx

            Wonder World Park:  http://www.wonderworldpark.com/

            ###  30  ###

Johnson City (TX) -- Dave’s Family Visits the Austin Area – March 2003 (Part Six)

DAY SIX (18 March 2003):  JOHNSON CITY

Today’s journey was suggested by Earl.  He’d commented at dinner the previous night he wanted to head out to Johnson City, to see the birthplace of LBJ.  That seemed like a good destination, and I plotted the route in order for us to get a good start to the day.  From Austin, we went west on Route 290.  Everyone got a chuckle when we passed ACC’s Pinnacle Campus, although not because it was the only tall building in the area.  That place was one of many locations of Austin Community College.  The mirth came from the place in Glens Falls (one of the places I got my schooling from) was Adirondack Community College.  We are so easily amused.

That was reinforced when on the edge of Johnson City we stopped at a place called Hill Country Cupboard.  The sign out front noting the chicken-fried steak being “so good” that “nearly three dozen sold” was irreverent enough that it got out attention.  It was a good place to stop for second breakfast.  Besides, Mum had been saying that she wanted to have some chicken-fried steak since she got here, and that seemed like a good candidate.

The place wasn’t much to look at inside, as it appeared to be pretty standard.  It reminded the family a lot of the Auction Bar Restaurant (back in Argyle, NY) where they frequented.  Hill Country Cupboard had their menus pasted to paper bags, and its little things like that which provide interesting character to an establishment.  The portions were large, prices reasonable, and the food was good.  This was such a good find.

Route 290 had done this weird zig-zag were it joined a road going north & south before branching off and continuing west, right near where we stopped for second breakfast.  (Had we continued north, we would’ve eventually ended up back in Burnet and Marble Falls where we were the day before).  As we were getting close to Johnson City, we also noticed there were a lot of signs for wineries.  Mum commented that she like to take one of the wine tours here.  Sue responded that she’d rather go back over the Sam’s Boat to get another beer.

An easily-found sign led us off the main route to President Johnson’s boyhood home.  There wasn’t much square footage inside, as all the bedrooms were small.  There didn’t need to be much space beyond the kitchen, because most people worked outside the home.  The house was filled with artifacts from that time period of LBJ’s birth.  There was also a representation of the house which his ancestors had lived in (both from the 1860s and a modern representation).

The style of this home was called a “dog run.”  It’s said the open area in the middle allowed the dog to run through it.  The bedrooms were separated from the kitchen & living area, which may’ve made it easier to entertain guests.  It also meant having two heating units, for those occasions when it did get chilly in Texas.  The benefit to the house design was the middle area was shaded most of the day, so it made a cool place to have meals.  And because it was covered, it was a good place to sleep on those hot evenings because you didn’t have to worry about being rained on.

Parts of this homestead are still a working farm, and there was a short hiking path nearby.  I was more interested in the nature hike than the cows in the bar, but we hit a bit of both.  We noticed a tree off the path which looked like its come straight out of Hell.  The branches were all twisted, and going off in many different directions, but rarely up.  I’d seen a couple trees like this near the Alamo too.  Earl’s into naturalist stuff, so he knew all about it.  I just thought it was interesting to look at.

Only a few miles down the road was the ranch where LBJ lived after he retired from the Presidency.  His grave is on the premises, too.  Lady Bird still lives here, so the mansion is not open to the public for tours.  While she’s probably gotten used to a constant stream of strangers parading through her yard, it must be difficult not to be able to wander outside whenever you want.

The guided tour we were given showed us some interesting thing, including the old cars that LBJ liked to collect.  One of his relaxations was to simply go for a drive.  The stream which ran through the mansion grounds had something built specifically into it, so LBJ could pull a prank on his guests.  He had a tiny blue car, which he referred to as his “aqua car,” that he’d tell people could float, and to demonstrate that, LBJ would proceed to drive into the stream.  But where he’d enter in, there had been a cement barrier constructed which was wide enough for a car to drive over.  I’m sure it never too long for his guests to figure out what he was doing, but it apparently gave LBJ some fun.

Once we’d seen everything at LBJ’s mansion, it decided it was time for a mid-day snack.  Some ice cream would be nice.  Notice the pattern with my family?  As we all grew up in dairy country, the thought of going to get ice cream was a common one.  On the drive out here, I didn’t recall seeing any place that we could’ve stopped at, and we didn’t want to wait until we got all the way back to Austin (as it’d be too close to dinner then).  Looking at the map, a place called Fredericksburg was close by and seemed to be larger than the surrounding areas.  The appeared to be a good place we could find something.

It wasn’t that long of a drive, and right on the edge of the town we found a Diary Queen.  That worked for us, as small cones of creamy goodness were enough to hold us over.  I, of course, got a milkshake.  It’s easier to handle when in a vehicle.

When we arrived back in Austin, and had a good dinner, it was time for me say my good-byes.  The family was flying out at 10.30 the next morning, so it had made no sense for to take that day off.  Once they were dropped off at airport, it wouldn’t be too far into my work day, so I might as well continue to make money.

During the time here, Bruce had been very comfortable with driving around the area, so everyone was in good hands getting back to the airport.  It had been a great time having them down.  There was so much to see in the area, and my parents looked forward to coming down on regular visits to enjoy even more.  The others even mentioned returning with them so they could also experience what the Austin area had to offer.  New things had been found which I could continue to enjoy, and I’d start exploring further to find other places to take the clan to the next time they were down.

For current information on the places visited or mentioned:

Hill Country Cupboard:  http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Overview/493/hill-country-cupboard

Johnson City:  http://johnsoncity-texas.com/

Johnson City Wineries:  http://www.johnsoncity-texas.com/business_category/vineyards.html

LBJ Boyhood Home:  http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ggl01

LBJ Ranch (National Park):  http://www.nps.gov/lyjo/index.htm

            ###  30  ###