Texas State Parks - What Are Your Faves?

My Top 5 Visited, (not in any order):

1. Palo Duro SP - beautiful, rugged desert, colorful canyons
2. Guadalupe SP - river tubing & swimming

3. Goose Island SP - great fishing & birding

4. Huntsville SP - horseback riding & tall pines

5. Dinosaur SP - nice hiking and creek

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/

Trip Calculator

http://www.tripcalculator.org/ Trip Calculator uses distance, fuel economy, & fuel costs to help figure out how much travel costs will be. Good for budgeting and planning.

Trailblazers! My First Backpacking Class

Veteran Packers - B, L & R

Hey friends, thanks for believing in me! Can't wait to go again. Next time, I'll give you a string to find your way back in the dark...hee hee hee.

I started doing something I love, teaching Backpacking 101, and I took my first class on a trip this past April to Bastrop. It was great! I have more planned for the fall, check back!

Bastrop - A Backpacking Adventure!

Just a note, something I wanted to do even before I had kids. As twenty-something year olds, B & I took some 8 and 9 yrs olds backpacking in the High Sierras in Mammoth Lakes, California with the camp dog, Brandi, a graying golden retriever. Since then, I couldn't wait to take my own boys backpacking. We went this April and did a short hike to a nice spot just inside the primitive camping area. Lovely trail, sandy with gentle slopes, piney woods, frilly ferns and a little creek made for a wonderful first experience. Thanks boys- I love you.

(Did NOT bring the golden retriever-too hyper- but opted for the

chocolate lab instead- our little pack mule, Tucker. Yes, he's wearing a backpack too.)

Becker Vineyards - 1890 Cabin

Stonewall, TX. http://www.beckervineyards.com/index2.htm A birthday present from my honey… we stayed in the little…and I do mean little…rustic, nicely decorated, cabin on-site. They lock the gate after hours, and you have the grounds to yourself. We walked around the lavender fields at sunset with a glass of wine…very enchanting. Husbands, this is one she'll remember!

"The Lavender Fields at Becker Vineyards are located on a three-acre field behind the winery. Richard and Bunny Becker’s trip to Provence, France influenced the creation of the lavender field. In June of 1998, the Beckers planted the 10,000 lavender plants.

Lyndon Johnson State Park nearby, 1 hr. 15 min. from Enchanted Rock SNA, this is the one of the most visited parks in the state, but not as crowded on Sunday- everyone is heading home by then. On the Texas Winery Trail http://www.texaswinetrail.com/map.html- winery #2.

Chanticleer Log Cabin

Spicewood, TX. About an hour west of Austin. I have one!!! http://www.chanticleerlogcabin.com/index.html T & I have stayed there 3 times. Only choose the actual log cabin, not the newer ones. Her food is awesome and the log cabin is the real deal. Cabins start at "With continental breakfast: $165 per night · Without continental breakfast: $150 per night (includes homemade granola and milk). Rooms are priced per night, double occupancy All rooms have central A/C. No children or pets. A two-night minimum is required.

Chanticleer is a turn-of-the-century log cabin, restored by the Mellengers (that's us!) on our Lake Travis property in the hill country near Marble Falls. It was originally a seed house in Bertram, Texas, then purchased and moved to a ranch in Blanco. "

Love your blog!!!

Love to you,
S

Sherbet Cottages

Pelican Bay Resort - Rockport, TX. Cottages & "Garden mini-Suites". http://www.pelicanbayresort.com/ Close to everything, nice little gazebo on-site where we relaxed and had a glass of wine while kids slept. Pool & hot tub kept the kids happy, small property nestled by the shore - rocky access, not sandy beach. Nearby Rockport City Beach Park is family-friendly, shallow, low waves, kayak rentals (of course we did!), estuary and birds nearby. Favorite restaurant- Charlotte Plummer's- have been back several times. Seafood- mmm...Pretty little New England style cottages. Yes, I'd stay here again.

Rustic & Romantic

http://www.mycountryinn.com/ Fredericksburg, TX - remote (do you see a theme?)

Just Byron & I went on this one. You get the keys in town at the motel and they give you a map and send you out to the country. You enter the gate of a ranch and there are little limestone cabins grouped on a hill, with longhorn cattle surrounding the settlement. The cabin we stayed in, number 1 I think, was rustic and romantic, complete with Texas antiques, no TV (at the time- I liked that), small and quiet. It was peaceful and beautiful and I especially liked the cattle, who incidentally licked my car in the morning! This is definitely off the beaten path. You could take kids, and get a bigger cabin, but there wasn't a whole lot to do on-site when we visited, about 3 years ago. That may have changed. Great, quiet spot for couples. For the 1 bdrm cabin, as of this posting- June, 2009-RATES$115/night Sun-Thurs $169/night Fri-Sat (for up to 2 persons) Extra person is $25 more per night.

Quiet Hill Ranch Cabins & Lodge

Doss, TX near Fredericksburg, Hill Country- remote! http://www.quiethillranch.com/

One of my favorite family cabin camping experiences, we went here in January, 2009 with my sister-in-law Kathryn and brother-in-law, Jerry. There is a small lodge that all three cabins share, with a fireplace, games and puzzles, which my boys played with another young visitor whose family was staying there, and tables for dining. The kitchen is provided for you to do your own cooking and breakfast items are provided for each family, with room to store your own groceries. A beautiful “naturally heated” limestone pool overlooks the valley. The horseback riding is the most unique ride we’ve ever had, the horses run free, a pig named Pork-n-Beans will eat your scraps, and you are welcome to help yourself to fresh eggs from the hen house.

My favorite part was the BIRD OBSERVATORY where you can get close up to view birds bathing and flitting. Included is a big beautiful sky. It is truly "Quiet Hill", except for the children, but that’s okay! They felt right at home, exploring, going in the hen house, looking for the pig and getting in the freezing cold pool in winter on a dare! We would definitely return here and recommend it to other families- bring extended family!

TREEmendous!!

http://www.cypressvalleycanopytours.com/lofthaven.php

Not stayed here yet- would like to though. A zip-line adventure, Cypress Valley Canopy Tours in Austin, TX has lodging a treehouse! That sounds like fun to me- check it out and get back to me. Rather pricey- "The price for weekdays (Tue-Thur) is $300 for weekends (Fri-Sat) is $325 plus the cost of the tour (Individual Canopy Tour: $65.00) you choose. The Lofthaven offers Canopy Tour guests an opportunity to zip into their evening quarters. You spend the night nestled in the trees with the sounds and sights of the creek ravine at night. Many nights you will be close to creatures such as raccoons and ring-tails. You are likely to hear the local coyotes sing to the moon and often be serenaded by the resident screech owls and great horned owls."