Que Frio
You know, there are many people who hear the word travel and think Far-Off Lands, taking 12 hour long flights, and crossing countries. For me however, traveling can be anywhere. It can be down the road or across the state. Any place that I haven’t already experienced is a travel for me. I think when I started this blog I didn’t make it clear that I don’t necessarily take trips to exotic lands. I also don’t have the kind of time or money to go on extravagant vacations. However what I do have is experiences, and adventures in places that aren’t necessarily the most foreign. And I think if you open your mind, you may realize that sometimes the biggest travels can be right in your back yard. They DON’T have to cost 3 months’ salary, and they DON’T have to take 2 weeks’ vacation. All you need a willing select group of friends and the right idea about how to explore your own state.
Our Glamp-Site. I really wish I would've remembered the number, Because it had a trail in the back which led to a cute creek.
Having talked much about my move to Texas I don’t need to reestablish the fact that where I am living is ALREADY pretty new to me. (Yet I just did it anyway) Furthermore Texas is not what I grew up thinking. I’ve always imagined that it was flat land, ranches, and cattle. Never would I have expected to see mountains, desserts or beautiful waters that make Louisiana water look like sewage. So having discovered this, I wanted to make camping a more regular part of my life in Texas. Which is why I spent my 25 birthday weekend at Garner State Park.
This boxed wine (The Owner's Box) was the absolute WORST. It tasted like Arbor Mist Wine. Once you go Black Box, you Never Go Back-Box.
Enchanted Block
Initially the idea was to go out to Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg Texas. One of the more famous and well-touristic campsites in the state. But when I went to book the campsite (weeks ahead, I might add) it was booked to capacity. That’s one thing I will say I run into ALL the time in Texas. Good things, being way over booked. So I called the Texas state parks with the hopes of finding SOME place that had openings. Luckily Garner State Park had some, and having looked them up online I was immediately accepting of this place.
The campsites were supplied with electricity, there were showers, and there were so many activities to do while there. So we packed our tents and headed west. The drive was not very long at all, and finding Garner State Park was fairly simple. So the beginning of the weekend was off to a great start. Everyone was in a good mood, we played music while we set up our glamp-site, and the weekend was the most beautiful weather that I HAD EVER experienced. Period. It was comparable to what you hear about California weather. The breeze cooled your skin and the sun didn’t rage down on you like it is currently doing in San Antonio, August Summer. It was the perfect day. I remember looking around, hearing the running water of the creek nearby and taking a deep breath of fresh Texas Air.
Bailey was the happiest little weiner ever. She also climbs the mountain better than any of us, even though her legs are the smallest.
Conquering Old Baldy
We didn’t know much about the trails but you can’t miss the huge Lookout Mountain that is PERFECT for a one day hike. It was the Old Baldy trail and the hike to the top which took a couple of hours. It was pretty short of a hike, but also very steep. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge though. Especially since this was my first hike since the weight loss. So getting to the top was worth the work. The view from the top was also an amazing experience. The Mountain overlooks the Frio Rio, and it’s a stunning view of the type of land Texas has to offer. The May weather was still beautiful, and at the top there was a huge pile of rocks that everyone would climb to add their contribution-rock to the top. It was this beautiful little tradition that people seemed to do, and it was really quite adorable the way it was all piled up there being filled with the memory of every visitor who conquered Old Baldy.
Damn. that water might have been cold but I was looking pretty hot. #FromFlabtoFab
The walk down was hilarious because we ended up somehow off trail, and climbing down dangerous steep-as-hell rocks. We also had 2 dogs with us who were kicking our butts as far as endurance. One was Bailey, Sarah's miniature dachshund who lead the way 95% of the hike. We even came out next to a "Danger DO NOT ENTER" sign which helped us realize we did something wrong.
The Frio Rio
After reaching the bottom we made our way to the beautiful Frio Rio. It means Cold River in Spanish, and it was no false name. The water was pretty damn cold. But after a couple hours of hiking in the sun and finally warming, mid-day temperatures it felt like heaven. We gathered the dogs, rented tubes, rented a paddle board (Which Bailey enjoyed the whole hour), and headed into the water. Easily the best tubing experience I have ever had.
That night I was in charge of dinner because I had some frozen gumbo my Uncle made... BUT I forgot the most important thing needed when cooking in the wilderness... pots and pans. Luckily Sarah had little ones from one of her many camping adventures, but it took a very long time to cook gumbo for five people in a 6 inch wide bowl. Sometimes I feel like the least prepared human on the earth; we ALSO forgot to bring lights. We had flashlights, but it would have been pretty genius to have some string lights hanging around the campsite. Oh well, the fire was all we really needed and I’m so glad the smart-cookies I’m friends with brought blankets to sit on. It was one of the most relaxing weekends I have had in a long time. I remember looking around with everyone that night and just thinking about how smoothly everything went. A rarity these days.
Easy Like Sunday Morning
Note to self: Dont Hike in Chacos. K Thanks. Bye.
The next morning and last day were pretty simple. We woke up and slowly made breakfast. We lazily packed our campsite and once we were done we even went on another hike. This time we decided to just follow some off-the-grid trail behind our campsite. It lead us to the most beautiful creek I’ve ever seen. The water was crystal clear, the rocks were huge and weathered smooth by the shallow running waters. The dogs ran freely and Diego flew his drone. What was so amazing about this moment was the fact that we were all just in a calm relaxed state. We all just were laying on the islands of rocks enjoying the silent crisp surroundings. It really felt like what I was looking for when I planned this escape. Leaving was hard but it was one of the best birthday’s I’ve ever had and I can’t thank my friends enough for enjoying it with me. I highly suggest the park if anyone ever wants to check it out. There are so many family-friendly activities to partake in, and it is a short distance from San Antonio. Perfect for a weekend get-away.