I’ve had reason to rest at this picnic area more than once. I dare say it’s the prettiest roadside rest area in all of Texas. There are no bathrooms and only three tables. The part that I enjoy the most is the creek and waterfall nearby. I was amazed there wasn’t a cache here already. April 20, 2005 I was traveling home to Austin from Galveston and placed my prepared cache.
First let me tell you what I know about the area. The picnic area is located just West of Brenham on 290 on the banks of Mill Creek. Let me site one of my favorite sources on all things Texan, Handbook of Texas Online. “EAST MILL CREEK. East Mill Creek rises near the Antioch Church in the Sand Flat community in north central Smith County (at 32°29' N, 95°17' W) and runs east for a mile to Lake Clear, through the lake for one mile, and then northeast for four miles to its mouth on the Sabine River, four miles north of Winona (at 32°32' N, 95°11' W). It traverses flat to rolling terrain with some local steep slopes, descending into low-lying floodplains at the mouth. The area soil is a sandy clay loam, occasionally covered by gravel or a fine light-colored sand, that supports pines, hardwoods, and grasses near the creek's source and water-tolerant vegetation at its mouth. MILL CREEK (Washington County). Mill Creek rises in two branches, the East Fork, also known as East Mill Creek, and the West Fork, in Washington County. The East Fork rises three miles northeast of Burton (at 30°13' N, 96°35' W) and flows southeast for thirty miles. The West Fork rises four miles southwest of Burton (at 30°09' N, 96°38' W) and flows southeast for twenty-seven miles. The two branches unite to form Mill Creek in central Austin County (at 29°56' N, 96°19' W). The main stream flows southeast for fourteen miles to its mouth on the Brazos River, on the Austin-Waller county line two miles north of Stephen F. Austin State Park (at 29°50' N, 96°07' W). The stream travels through level to moderately sloping terrain surfaced with clay that supports grasslands and post oak forest. Settlement in the vicinity of the East Fork began in the mid-1800s. The creek was originally named Palmetto (Palmito) Creek but received its current name either in the early 1820s when the Cumings family erected a mill on the main creek, or in 1845 when a mill was established on the upper East Fork. The community of Mill Creek is located on the east bank of the upper East Fork five miles west of Brenham. MILL CREEK, TEXAS (Washington County). Mill Creek is on County Road 28 and the Southern Pacific line, three-fourths of a mile south of Lake Lange and 5½ miles from Brenham in southwestern Washington County. The predominantly black community had become the ninth largest population center in Washington County by 1930, when it had seventy-five residents. It reached its maximum growth in the twentieth century, unlike many Washington County communities. Mill Creek maintained the same population level from 1930 until 1950, when the estimated number of residents dropped to forty. Although commercial activity declined by 1970 due to the proximity of Brenham and improved transportation, in 1988 Mill Creek remained a supply point for the surrounding area. With an influx from Brenham and Houston of new weekend and permanent residents, the community had become predominantly white. Extensive house construction had resulted in a fine new residential section. Mount Pilgrim Church is in the Mill Creek vicinity. The population was still reported as forty in 1990.”
Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "EAST MILL CREEK," http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/EE/rbead.html
Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "MILL CREEK," http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/MM/rbmac.html
Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "MILL CREEK, TX," http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/MM/hnm43.html
If any one has any history on this picnic area in particular please let me know. I thought at first it was a Depression Era CCC work of art. It didn’t seem to be listed under that, though. How long has it been there? Anyone?
Now that the history lesson is over with, lets talk cache. One of the best reasons to road trip cache is the ability to go directly to the coolest spots in any given area. This spot is not just a park and grab, but a visually appealing place to rest. Not only am I an unrepentant cacher, I collect postcards like a crazy person. They too are visually appealing, usually highlighting a cool spot. I decided to make this a Postcard Exchange Cache. The idea is that you bring a really nice card and swap it for one in the cache. Now I’m gonna get tricky. The title of the cache is Creatures Great and Small, so you guessed it, postcards of animals. I mean animals in the very broad and loose definition. Yes, unicorns, mosquitoes, and school mascots count. Mermaids, cartoons, and Hindu gods all count. Creatures Great and Small. I have seeded this cache with quite a few fabulous cards from my personal collection. You will feel bad and wish you brought a card for trade if you don’t bring one. Take a moment at the truck stop to find something cool. I suggest leaving the cache site and sitting at a table to inspect the cards. The container is just big enough to hold a travel bug, if you need to get one going. This one is doable at night if you have a flashlight. No matter what, cache in spy mode. My collection may not be able to bear a muggling. Beware the guardian of the cache…
P.S. Be grateful I didn’t follow through with my original idea of writing the whole cache page in animal idioms…