We exit and make our way to the main square of downtown New Braunfels, where we see a whole bunch of little craft tables set up and people in German folk outfits. We stop and wander about for a while, looking at birdhouses, glass etches, pottery, pressed wildflowers, clothing, and all kinds of other goodies...but no sausage! Guess we weren't at Wurstfest itself yet.
No problem.....I use my big honkin' nose to do what it does best -- sniff for food!
*sniff sniff*
*sniff sniff* Ah-hah! That way!
We hop back in the car and continue driving past the far more obvious but less entertaining method of the sign with an arrow pointing in the direction of WurstFest, and make our way to the traffic jam of people trying to find a place to park. After a bit, we made our way into a little lot where a couple were directing folks in (wow, that wife had some serious cleavage on display...oh, right -- story) to park in a field that was right next to the front entrance. We parked under a tree next overlooking the Comal River, where I could see a small waterfall where we would be entering the festival.We hike a bit to the gate and while we're standing in line, we're greeted by an elderly couple in front of us who just happen to have an extra coupon for buy 1 entrance fee, get the second free. Well that was awfully nice of them to give them to us, I think as I put the remote control to the orbital mind control laser back in my pocket. We pay our fees and enter the park, first pausing to take a few pictures of the waterfall I had noted on our way in. We debate entering the contest for a vacation or whatever it was, but on purusing the back, found that it was mainly a trick to get registrants for contacting by a timeshare sales company. No thank you!
Besides, it was lunchtime and I was ready for some wurst-ification! Make a beeline for the Marketplatz and within minutes, I'm tearing into a knackwurst sandwich loaded with sauerkraut and dijon mustard, followed by sweet potato fries, a multi-wurst kabob, and a slice of german chocolate pie....mmm....chocolate & coconut.....
We debated going on a couple of the rides, but at a buck a ticket and all of the rides costing 4 or more tickets each, we figured our funding was getting a bit low for rides. We took a stroll along the Comal River, enjoying the scenery and getting another nice shot of the waterfall there, before glancing at the time and realizing our time was running out, since we wanted to stop at the Hidden Dutchman on the way back, and they closed at 6pm.
Cutting over to 281 out of New Braunfels took us along some more interesting Hill Country roads, and we even passed a ranch with a castle look at its front gate. It appeared to be a tourist ranch, and we may have to see if we can stumble across it again to find out more about it. Heading north along a familiar back road, we reflected on the trip, all that we had seen and done, the messed up plans and easy shift to backup plans and we saw that it was a microcosm of life.
You see, life will throw you hardships...what matters is how you deal with them. Granted, that's a little bit of wisdom you might hear everywhere...life also lobs the occasional bit of opportunity, which takes a different kind of viewpoint to see. As you travel down your path, you will see many branches...some merge back together, barely having any consequence except slightly different scenery...some veer off in distant tangents, where you can easily become lost, and some have obstacles that must be hurdled, avoided, or otherwise overcome to continue that path. Many see the obstacles easily. Some become stuck staring at them...others take steps to chip away until they can get through them...others see the barely visible game trails of opportunity that slip through the forest, only to come out in the clearing just a bit down the path. These are backup plans, each with their own risks and rewards....we couldn't set up the tent on the beach? We could have slept in the car, or gone to camp at the next nearest park, or even found a hotel room. But instead we went just that little bit further to stop at my parents' place a day earlier than expected, and ended up getting to have my father along on an adventure for a day. That reward was worth giving up the night on the beach, and we at least got to see the full moon over the waves with the beach all to ourselves...not a ruined plan, just a shift to a different one.
Keep an eye out for other ways to do things, or other things you could be doing....is it worth turning off the TV and driving out to take a walk in a park or fly a kite in a field? My opinion is my own...but why don't you try it, and see what you think?
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