BBQ in Luling and Palmetto State Park

Christmas decorations in downtown Luling



Besides good Mexican food, we have also missed Texas Barbeque.  Since we were headed back to San Antonio for a few Christmas parties and get togethers with friends we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have some good BBQ along the way. We had always wanted to visit Palmetto State Park and the city of Luling was just a few miles away from the park and famous for really great BBQ.  In fact, Luling is on the official “Texas BBQ Trail.”  I had not realized that Texas had a BBQ Trail.  So that was the plan and we worked up our appetites as we drove along I-10.                                

 

City Market Barbeque

Our lunch served on paper

We stopped in downtown Luling at the City Market.  Downtown was decorated for Christmas which added to the charm.  The family-owned City Market has a back room where the BBQ pits are located and where you place your order.  After weighing out your BBQ, it is wrapped in paper and you carry it out to the large tables that you might be sharing with other customers.  There are no forks in this place so lots of finger licking and napkins are in order.  The ribs and brisket were cooked to perfection and we did not go home hungry.

 

Yeah, it's messy but really good!

Full and happy we headed to Palmetto State Park and had a nice afternoon hiking the trails and enjoying this ‘cozy’ park.  Located just south of I-10 on the banks of the San Marcos River, Palmetto is practically in the small town of Ottine.  The geology of the park makes it very unique for the area.  Layers of rock and clay trap a lot of the ground water making the park very boggy.  This abundance of water makes a perfect habitat for the Dwarf Palmetto Palm (thus the park’s name), which usually grows farther east.
 

Dwarf Palmettos in the park

David and Maya in the 'swamp'

 

David, Maya and I hiked the trails and boardwalks of the park enjoying the feel of being in a swamp.  It was the perfect time of year to visit.  I’m not sure we would have wanted to be there during the heat of the summer and mosquito season.  Although we didn’t see or hear any evidence of the ‘Swamp Thing’ that supposedly roams the park, that was OK by us.

Water tower that pumped water from an artesian well

A sign put up by 'Swamp Thing?'