All I need to say is, "Legally haunted..."

This past weekend we decided to attempt a hike at Sam Houston National Park about 40 minutes north.  Along the way we also made it a point to stop anywhere that peeked our curiosity.  Well...let's just say we ended up taking a half hour hike because of how long it took us to arrive at our final destination.  Our first amazing sight was a HUGE dead boar on the side of the road.  Those things look so nasty!  Amazing we even saw it as the speed limit on the back farm roads is a posted 70 MPH!!!!  Seriously, these are two lane winding roads with hills (limited visibility).  We held it at a steady 60 and that felt a bit fast to me.  Eventually I had to pee...so we stopped in a town called Willis.  Your classic small southern Texas town.  Some minor inbreeding (sorry if anyone is from Willis), lots of men with T-shirts that had the sleeves cut off to reveal their side fat and arm-pit hair, and ladies in florescent clothing (a bit of a fashion time warp there as well).  A lady in a gift shop let us use her bathroom, so we felt compelled to buy something.  We agreed on some Mayhaw jelly.  This comes from a small swamp-berry similar to a cranberry.  At check-out we asked if there was anywhere we should see before heading out of town.  This was when she told us all about the "legally haunted" abandoned jail down the road.  It is on the grounds of a historic building cluster, so lots to see.  I had to stop her there and ask what "legally haunted" means.  Well, the T.V. show Ghost Hunters was there, and they got proof.  Lots of orbs captured on film, and years of tales from those who have spent time in the building.  She also cheerfully suggested we have a picnic under the "Hanging Tree".  Our Google research suggests that there were as many as 300 hangings over the years from this tree, as well as a few lynchings.  It is also a favorite place for weddings?!?!

Outside an old Post Office.

Uh...Where is everyone?

Fiona tried to play on the old abandoned piano.

This horse scared the pants off me.  He was lurking under the hanging tree...I was already on edge!

Hanging tree/climbing tree.

In the end I felt bad for the tree.  It is so beautiful, just lots of bad karma around it.

Not a movie set...real life.  Creepy.

Haunted jail.

Read this sign carefully.  Yikes right?!

We do get a little foliage.  This is as bright as it gets.

HAD to stop for this photo op.  (Just on side of the road outside a building for sale)