Ram I Am LbNA #38185 (ARCHIVED)
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Add Location| Owner: | Boots Tex  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Mar 5, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Ottine |
| County: | Gonzales |
| State: | Texas |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Mousepie |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Mar 17, 2010 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFa |
| Last edited: | Mar 5, 2008 |
Palmetto State Park is an unusual botanical area that resembles the tropics more than Central Texas. The ranges of eastern and western species merge, resulting in an astounding diversity of plant and animal life. Most notably, a stand of dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor) plants, from which the park gets its name, is found around the park's ephemeral swamp. These palmettos are found in east and southeast Texas, as well as much of the southeastern United States, but only individuals or small clumps are found to the west and north of this park. Wildlife frequently seen in the park includes white-tailed deer, armadillos, squirrels, raccoons, and numerous birds. The hydraulic ram pump in this park is one of the few operational ram-jet pumps in existence today and was installed here in 1936. This pump is unusual because it uses no electrical power. It is driven by the force of a rising column of water supplied from an artesian well below. It pumps water to a cistern atop the adjacent water tower, which originally supplied the nearby group picnic shelter with drinking water. The water outflow maintains the level of the swamp and provides a suitable microevironment for the palmettos and other associated biota.
Directions:
Palmetto State Park is close to I-10 near Luling, Texas. From San Antonio, go east for 60 miles to Hwy 183 at Luling. Turn right (southeast) on Hwy 183 for about 6 miles, turning right on Park Road 11 for 2 miles to the park. Pick up a brochure at the headquarters and check out the first section of the park by the oxbow lake. Then proceed to the second section of the park, parking your near Palmetto Trailhead, by the Picnic area and CCC building. Pick up a trail guide in the box near the entrance.
To the box:
Find the entrance to the Palmetto Trail. You’ll immediately see the tall tower building in front of you. This is the hydraulic ram. Stop and read the information board to find out how the ram works, and notice the artesian well bubbling behind you. Now, to around the ram tower counter-clockwise until you reach the side opposite the trail. You will see a boarded-up double window. Between the window and the corner of the rock building, in the second tier of rocks from the ground, there is a loose stone. Behind the stone hides Ram I Am. Please replace the box and the stone so that it remains hidden for others to find. Also look for the “Palmetto—Quilt Block Series” letterbox by Lone Star Quilter in this area.
Directions:
Palmetto State Park is close to I-10 near Luling, Texas. From San Antonio, go east for 60 miles to Hwy 183 at Luling. Turn right (southeast) on Hwy 183 for about 6 miles, turning right on Park Road 11 for 2 miles to the park. Pick up a brochure at the headquarters and check out the first section of the park by the oxbow lake. Then proceed to the second section of the park, parking your near Palmetto Trailhead, by the Picnic area and CCC building. Pick up a trail guide in the box near the entrance.
To the box:
Find the entrance to the Palmetto Trail. You’ll immediately see the tall tower building in front of you. This is the hydraulic ram. Stop and read the information board to find out how the ram works, and notice the artesian well bubbling behind you. Now, to around the ram tower counter-clockwise until you reach the side opposite the trail. You will see a boarded-up double window. Between the window and the corner of the rock building, in the second tier of rocks from the ground, there is a loose stone. Behind the stone hides Ram I Am. Please replace the box and the stone so that it remains hidden for others to find. Also look for the “Palmetto—Quilt Block Series” letterbox by Lone Star Quilter in this area.