Spring Break Camping

[Starryart]

I feel bad for those of you who have to wait to camp because of the cold weather still around so I decided to share my camp trip.
     Last week was spring break for the school district I work for here in south Texas. Since DH is still unemployed (downsized last year when Koch bought the DuPont plant.....Boo Hiss!!) we went camping at our fav SP, Lake Texana. We went on sunday and stayed all week until Friday. 5 days!! It was great. The winds were real strong, around 30 to 45 mph gusts at one point but we picked the perfect spot in protective trees and bushes so all we got was a gentle breeze. Some of the poor folks who camped on the lake shore were blown away. Felt bad for them.
     Anyway, we spent the days in our usual camp routine. Sleep late (7:00am is late for me) make coffee, sit at the picnic table and watch the birds eat from the feeder we hang and watch the sun rise. Then take our dog Daisy for a walk around the campground (2 miles) come home and make breakfast.
      After breakfast, I would fix me a glass of iced tea and sit in my camp recliner chair under the trees and read my romance novel. Later I worked on a pencil portrait sketch of my daughter and her boyfriend while hubby worked on an aiplane model he was building (and cussing when a part flew in the wind and landed in some leaves....luckily I found it), somedays go to Wal mart for those whatevers we forgot, snack on a late lunch, maybe take a nap, go for a walk on the hiking trails.
    Supper is cooked outside either on the BBQ or the outdoor coleman stove we put on the table.
    Evening time we light a campfire and watch the sunset. No fires after Wednesday when a burn ban is established due to the drought we have going on. Walk the dog again before bed. Feel bad for first time campers as they struggle to erect a new tent in the dark by headlights. Don't think they practiced it before.  Do you offer to help and chance stepping on egos or would they be grateful for the assistance?
  Watched the news at ten for weather reports, read for a while then go to sleep while listening to the Barred owls hooting and calling each other and the coyotes howling at the full moon.
     In the dark, we chuckle to ourselves when we hear raccoons tearing up some greenhorns trash because they did not know to put it in the canister before bed.
They will have a mess to clean tomorrow. Live and learn.

DD came home from college and we went home Friday to spend time with her. had a wonderful relaxing time. A mini-vacation much needed.
    Now we are waiting for Easter break.

[balbrt1]

Thank you for sharing you lovely mini vacation..  We are one of the poor souls that can't camp right now. Sleeting right now and snow will begin anytime..High today will be 34..(  We are on the edge of the storm so only suppose to get 2 to 4 inches.  Your story made me dream of the peaceful mood that nature brings.  I think we will have to wait until next week to camp . We are so ready to start the camping season.  Enjoy your beautiful weather.. :frosty:

[vjm1639]

wow....Thanks for sharing....I had to read it twice ....just to remember that peaceful camping feeling! ;> So glad you had a wonderful trip. We can't wait to get out again, but alas....we're in for a tad bit of snow today too.

[pipers family]

We also joined the thousands of Texans and other southern folks for Spring Break camping.  We got in at the end of the week with rain forecasted each day, a very welcome prediction.  Many of the counties in Texas are under different levels of burn bans, and where we camped on Lake Georgetown, at Jim Hogg corp. park was no different.  We did get to put our pup up before the rain came, but soon after our 3 days of rain began.  In some states this could have meant a very cold camping experience, but in 70 degree weather, it wasn't bad.  We camp with family, so continued as if it wasn't raining for the most part.  Jim Hogg has great big covered picnic tables at each campsite with raised cement platforms, this helped a lot at meal times and for a big area to play table games.  I am an avid Baylor Lady Bear basketball fan, so I was planning on listening to the NCAA playoff game Sat. evening on the radio, when what to my wondering eyes should appear??  A satellite dish compliments of my wonderful son-in-law.  We were able to enjoy the camping, hikes, joint bike rides, and all of the other great experiences of being in the big (wet) outdoors, plus my girls playoff game.  WOO WOO, life is good (plus, they won).  I hope all of our northern friends are out camping and enjoying the good ol' outdoors real soon. If you can't wait- Come on down to Texas- "we'll leave the light on, y'hear?"

[Kelly]

sounds wonderful.  My parents winter in Port Aransas and many times I've toyed with the idea of taking a few days off work and heading south to join them during spring break.   Couple more years, though.  Have to wait til the chirren can handle r e a l l y long stretches in the car ~ not just long stretches!  

Thanks for sharing ....[/FONT]

[VaporTrails]

Sounds like you had a great time!!!

The district I work for here in So Cal goes on break in April. We'll be leaving for my favorite winter camping spot. Not only is it out in the middle of nowhere, but the historical aspect is quite interesting.

Back in WWII Patton trained over a million soldiers at Camp Coxcomb in the desert east of Palm Springs. There is a lot of eveidence of their presence; even 60 years later.

The Coloroado River Aquaduct runs through here and it's fun to hike along. There're plenty of places to target shoot and trail ride. There is great satellite reception but no cell phone reception! Whoo-hoo! Hurry up March 31st!!

[esclark]

Wow.  It sounds like you go some much needed rest and relaxation.  Thanks for sharing.  

balbrt1 - I can totally relate!  It's so cold up here in Chicagoland.   :frosty:  :frosty:  :frosty:  :frosty:  :frosty:  :frosty:  :frosty:  :frosty:

[NadMat]

Hi pipers family.
Hogg is a great place to camp! I usually camp there several times per year. You can boat, ski, swim or fish in lake, and the mountain biking is great. This year it may be more, as gas prices may shift my camping travels from distant to more local stuff. But that is ok because is plenty of great camping within about hour or two drive of me here in Central Texas.
I didn't get to camp, but did get to get out to Lake travis for boat ride, long slow cruise up lake and back from arkansas bend park. My pup is down for repairs at moment, so would just have been tent camping anyway. But should have new canvas on pup this summer and be ready to roll again.
Glad you got out to enjoy, and thanks for posting and hopefully helping inspire me to get out and get repairs underway.

[pipers family]

This was our first time at Jim Hogg.  It was chosen because it's centrally located between camper's home towns.  It was also chosen because we procrastinated on our reservations and our favorites were not available.  Some things happen for a reason, we would not have visited this park otherwise.  At night you could hear the coyotes, owls, and even ducks flying over.  I loved the terrain.  You could almost visualize indians right over the next hill (as I am sure they once were).

[NadMat]

This was our first time at Jim Hogg.  It was chosen because it's centrally located between camper's home towns.  It was also chosen because we procrastinated on our reservations and our favorites were not available.  Some things happen for a reason, we would not have visited this park otherwise.  At night you could hear the coyotes, owls, and even ducks flying over.  I loved the terrain.  You could almost visualize indians right over the next hill (as I am sure they once were).

Growing up in the area, before they put the dam in, we used to do boy scout camporees in the valley that is now the lake. There were several indian sites through area, most underwater now. Some were excavated and preserved prior to flooding of lake.
I also go out there sometimes just to ride my mountain bike on weekend or sometimes weekday.

edit: ps. my current pup has been camped in what is now the bottom of that lake

[Starryart]

I've never been to Jim Hogg park. Will check it out. sounds great.
Ever been to Bastrop? We love that one too. And Guadalupe SP, Lake Corpus Christi, Choke Canyon, etc........
Let's face it...WE LOVE CAMPING!!!!!!!!!!

[threebeachboys]

The boys & I will be at Jordan Lake here in NC from M-F next week.  Unfortunately, we have to come back into "town" for a docs appointment & 2 soccer practices. . . . but it will still be camping & I can't wait.

Poor DH is going to Boston for a meeting. . . . .

Pam

[NadMat]

I've never been to Jim Hogg park. Will check it out. sounds great.
Ever been to Bastrop? We love that one too. And Guadalupe SP, Lake Corpus Christi, Choke Canyon, etc........
Let's face it...WE LOVE CAMPING!!!!!!!!!!

yea, we used to do bastrop buesher SP's as a warm-up riding camping weekend before doing the MS150 ride from houston to austin. have also done guadalupe many times. never done lake corpus christi, if I get that far south I usually end up on beach.

[pipers family]

At Jim Hogg it even looked like Indians could be just over the hill.  My grandson and I were talking about it.  There was so much flint laying around, perfect for their tools.  

Bastrop SP near Austin is another fun place to camp.  One of the most fun times we had there was sliding down the pine needle hills on card board.

[Starryart]

Nadmat , we love to camp but....we don't do the beach. Can't stand the grit in my teeth not to mention the sand in bed. YUK! Guess we live to close to ithe gulf coast most of the time anyway. We like a lake or mountain kinda park. We also love Colorado in the summer.
Pippers, we've done pineneedle sledding too. Great fun! Planning a trip to Bastrop SP the week after Memorial day. In fact, we will arrive on Memorial day as everyone else leaves to go home. He He!
Can't wait.
BTW, we actually got an inch of rain today! YIPPEE!!!! We are having a bad bad drought here. Maybe 7 inches below normal. No rain in over three months. :mad:  Very bad for farmers- can't plant seed, ranchers having to sell cattle - no grass. Also means no campfires too.
We even thought our camp trips would certainly bring rain but hasn't worked yet. Guess we'll keep trying.