Stonehenge II and the serene Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country
Cruising through tiny Ingram, Texas, on the way to a river cabin rental over Memorial Day weekend, we spotted something that made us laugh out loud, and then pull over for a closer look. Stonehenge! Or rather, Stonehenge II, the wild-hair creation of two locals with a sense of humor and some time on their hands.
Dreamed up by Al Sheppard and built by his buddy Doug Hill, their plaster Stonehenge originally graced Sheppard’s pasture in nearby Hunt. After Sheppard’s death and the eventual sale of the property, the community rallied to relocate the quirky and beloved structure to the grounds of the Hill Country Arts Foundation, where visits are free and open to the public.
According to an informational sign, Stonehenge II is 90% as wide and 60% as tall as the original. I guess not everything is bigger in Texas.
Not being quite as old as the original 2,500 B.C. monument, it also has all its top lintel “stones” in place. To compare it with the actual Stonehenge, click through to my post from our 2018 trip to England.
For good measure, Sheppard had added two mo’ai replicas after he traveled to Easter Island, and they stand nearby, impassively turned away from the stone circle. What a hoot to happen upon this place and see that it’s not just Austin keeping things weird.
We stayed the weekend in nearby Hunt, in a cabin on the placid Guadalupe River. We kayaked and swam in the cool, green water lined with towering bald cypresses. Our children used to attend summer camp in Hunt, and it was fun to return and play in the river as a family.
What a beautiful, peaceful place.
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Digging Deeper
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Pretty cute! Stonehenge II appears to be standing up well (pardon the pun).
It appears to be rock solid. 😉
Hahahahaha Stonehenge in TX. A good one. A friend of mine has one of these Easter Island heads in their garden. He welcomes everyone into their very tidy formal garden. Yes, they have a great sense of humor.
The river scenes look inviting.
I love it, a surprise twist on a formal garden entrance!
Quirky and fun. That river looks so inviting.
It really was, and we accepted the river’s invitation!
Love this!
Lone(star)henge. Very interesting! Does the sun shine through the right place at the Summer Solstice, like the original?
The river looks serene indeed.
Good question about the solstice orientation, HB. I don’t recall the info sign mentioning that.