For our last soundwalk we are returning to the banks of Onion Creek, taking in McKinney Falls and its environs. It’s been a whirlwind four stop soundwalk tour of greater Austin, TX. Spring mornings in this part of the country are hard to beat!
McKinney Falls lies within a 641 acre state park where Onion Creek plunges over amphitheater-like limestone ledges. Our soundwalk route connects the upper and lower falls by way of a trail that leads through an overhanging rock shelter, and across a broad limestone plane.
Artifacts found in McKinney Falls State Park in Austin show Indigenous people inhabited the area starting 9,000 years ago. The names of the early groups are unknown, but it is believed the Tonkawa, among others, descended from them. (texashighways.com)
My instrumental arrangement for woodwinds, synthesizer, harp, zither, and celeste floats lazily along with the songs of Northern Cardinal, White-eyed Vireo, Red-breasted Woodpecker, and Black-crested Titmouse in the scenic canyon.
Thank you for listening and joining me on this chapter of Soundwalk in central Texas. For our next season, we return to Portland, Oregon in search of the quietest natural places in my home city.
McKinney Falls Soundwalk is available on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple, Tidal, Amazon, YouTube…) Friday, August 16th.
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