Stillhouse Hollow Lake — Where?

Where?  This is the question I kept hearing every time I mentioned my Dive Around Texas Diving Destination.  Of course I had never been there and only knew where it was in relation to the other destination I had in mind.  Earlier in the year, I proposed this as my store sponsored Dive Around Texas Location.  Why did I select this lake?  Well, in doing some research for an earlier Club Aquarius meeting, I ran across a description stating simply “the second clearest lake in Texas.”  Other articles talked about the clarity of the lake.  In looking at a map I found it was near Salado so a trip was born. 
Why would a destination near Salado be attractive?  Because it is a small Texas town, with a number of bed and breakfast facilities, a collection of small shops featuring the works of some well known and not so well known Texas artists and the famous Stage Coach Inn restaurant.  In other words, it had things for divers and non-divers alike.
On Friday night, Ann and I as well as Steve Brennan, Yulia and Andy Marcer and Wade and Tena Sparks all moved into the Rose Mansion.  The Rose Mansion is a turn of the century Texas mansion that has been converted into a bed and breakfast.  What makes this property unique is that they have moved a number of other buildings onto the property and converted them into lodging options as well.  This made it the perfect location for our group (Pat and Thersa Croll came up on Saturday morning).  That evening, we had dinner at The Range, another converted property.  It was an old farm house that two Chef’s converted into a fabulous restaurant.
Saturday time to dive.  After a wonderful breakfast at our Mansion we headed to the lake.  Arriving we found others from our group already set-up and diving.  Like everywhere else outside in south and central Texas this weekend, it was HOT!  The water was warm but was certainly cooler than the air temperature.  Ann and I quickly assembled our dive gear and headed to the water with our borrowed Dive Flag and float (yes we forgot to bring ours and the fine for not having one is a little steep).  The first thing we noticed after swimming out to the platform, marked by a small water-bottle was that the visibility was not too impressive, especially for the “second clearest lake in Texas.”  Of course Wade’s students and some of the other divers had been here earlier so Ann and I ventured out and found the visibility better but still not what we had hoped.  Oh well, such is life, we were still diving and enjoying ourselves.  Ann also accomplished her goal of re-acquainting herself with her twins and doing a min-water equipment removal and replacement.
That evening, dinner at the famous Stage Coach Inn complete with their well known hush puppies and some really cold iced-tea.  Of course Wade, who had been diving with students all day,  had a little different order for our waitress “I would like a really cold Bud light, 10 minutes later I would like another and then 10 minutes later, please bring me another.  I’ll have one more after 20 minutes.”  And, like clock-work she took care of him.
Sunday, part of the group headed out for more diving but the remainder, including Ann and me, Theresa, Wade and Tena, all headed out to see what surprises the town of Salado had to offer.  We ran into a lovely lady who runs a store TexMexToGo, who was from Houston and lived near the store.  They had some real treats too.
After a little shopping we all hit the road, Ann keeping up with her Texas History lessons by reading “Why Stop” along the way.  Why Stop is a book originally written by a friend of my Father’s detailing the contents of many of the Texas Historical Markers found along the Texas highways and towns.  It has been updated and added to by his daughter.  Ann just keeps telling me that I am “indoctrinating her into Texas“…you have to know some of the history to live here in God’s Country!