Pedernales River

Reimer’s Ranch

Just 30 minutes west of Austin, you will find three miles of continuous frontage along the Pedernales Rivers, with 2,427 acres to explore.  Local anglers come to fish for white bass, rock climbers hang out and there are four mountain biking and hiking trails with difficulty and length.  Fish, swim, enjoy the some of the most pristine public land remaining around Austin. Take Highway 71 west of Austin through the town of Bee Cave and turn left onto FM 3238 (Hamilton Pool Road). Travel 12 miles to the Park entrance, on your right. Day use only. Fee.

Hamilton Pool  Preserve

Hamilton Pool is a collapsed grotto formed by thousands of years of water erosion.  This pristine swimming hole is located 3/4 miles upstream from the confluence of Hamilton Creek and the Pedernales River. Rock strewn trail leads to the river. Water quality is carefully monitored, so call 512 264 2740 before making plans..  Take Highway 71 west of Austin through the town of Bee Cave and turn left onto FM 3238 (Hamilton Pool Road). Travel 13 miles to the Preserve entrance, on your right. Day use only. Admission is limited to 100 people. Fee

Pedernales Falls State Park

About 30 miles south of Austin off  Hwy290, Pedernales contains white water over a gradual slope and deep, slow-moving pools at the bottom of the “falls.” Access to the river from the parking lot is a rugged, steep climb. The park offers camping, showers, restrooms, hookups, and hiking trails. Visit TPWD website for more information. 830/868-7304. Fee.

Krause Springs

There are 32 springs on the property.  There is a man-made pool that drops into the natural pool  that flows into Lake Travis. Take Texas Highway 71 west from Austin, past the Pedernales River and drive 7 miles. Turn right on Spur 191, take a right turn on County Road 404.  You will see Krause Springs entrance is on the right.Day use, camping and 24 RV sites.  Fee

On the way to Florida, we had stayed at Fontainebleau State Park on Lake Pontchartrain for one night in the rain.  We wanted to return and explore the park in better weather.  We were rewarded with two days of sunshine on the return trip.

The park is surrounded on three sides by water (Lake Pontchartrain, Bayou Cane and Bayou Castine). The Tammany Trace, a 31-mile scenic trail, forms the other boundary of park.  The paved hiking/cycling trail with a parallel equestrian trail is the first of the Rails to Trails program in Louisiana.

The size of the lake and the sandy beach were surprising, as were the huge pavilion and an even larger fishing pier on the shore.  The power of hurricanes was demonstrated by a portion of a brick wall lying on the beach, part of the ruins of the sugar plantation that once stood nearby.

At the interpretative center, we met a ranger who asked if we wanted to see Bald Eagle hatchlings.  She met us outside and set up a spotting scope.  There is a photograph of the nest above, taken through the scope.  If you can spot the hatchlings, you have better eyes than mine.

This park has everything a RVer or camper might want.  There are 23 camp sites with full hookups, 103 with electric and water, 37 unimproved sites, 10 cabins, a lodge and group camping areas.  Add playgrounds, trees with grape vines large enough to swing, lots of shade and picnic areas and you have everything needed for family fun.

George Island is on the Forgotten Coast of Florida off the Big Bend Scenic Byway, Hwy. 98.  When you reach the town of Eastpoint, look for the 4-mile bridge to St. George Island.  St. George Island is a 28-mile long barrier island with little development.

There is a small town in the middle of the island, with beach homes, some small inns, a few restaurants, and canoe, kayak, bicycle and golf cart rentals.  Mostly there are white sand dunes and beautiful beaches on both coasts of the island, the coast on the Apalachicola Bay and the coast on the Gulf of Mexico.

The park covers 1,962 acres on the east end of St. George Island.  Here you will find sandy coves, salt marshes, slash pines, wild rosemary and windblown oaks.  There are tall dunes, covered with scrub, rosemary, sea oats, tree roots and tiny creeping and blooming flowers.

There is primitive camping at the end of the East Slough Nature Trail, which ends at Gap Point.  The RV sites in Sugar Hill Camping Area are easily accessed from the Park Road.  They are all sandy, spacious back-in sites with table, fire ring and two poles for stringing a drying line.

The first day, we parked and then rode our bikes on the East Slough Nature Trail and explored the beach on the Gulf coast.  There are nine miles of beaches, four that are in the main park and include boat ramps, parking, shaded picnic tables, swimming areas and restroom facilities.

The next day we decided we would explore the sensitive protected area eastern portion of the island.  There was a rough road in place, so we decided to bike it.  We had no idea how long the road was, but it did not look that long on the map of the park.

After about two miles, the road worsened, so we decided to leave our bikes and walk the rest of the way.  It was a beautiful sunny day and we enjoyed the walk that went on for three more miles.  When we reached the end of the Island, where the bay met the gulf, we decided to visit the Gulf beach.

It was a beautiful white sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico.  Our footprints were the only ones on the beach.  As we explored, we found seashells, dead horseshoe crabs, driftwood and empty turtle eggs.  We sat in lee of a dune and ate our picnic lunch.  We could have easily taken a nap after our lunch, but the sun was going down and the wind was turning cold.

We walked most of the way back on the beach, finally cutting across the dunes to find the road.  Luckily, we had plenty of drinking water or we would not have made it back to our bikes.  When I was about ready to drop, we found our bikes.  We peddled with all we had, but it was cold and dark by the time we reached the campground.

We were freezing, with windburns on our faces and hands.  We hurt–bad.  After loading up on anti-inflammatory drugs, we fell into our bed and slept for ten hours.  So, we survived the ten-mile-round trip walk/bike marathon, with no lasting damage.

This post is dedicated to all parents who are considering taking their kids camping.  Camping is a wonderful experience for children as they gain knowledge of the natural world, develop orienteering skills and develop self-confidence.  Camping in parks adds a safety factor that allows parents to relax and enjoy nature and their children.

One of the coolest things to do with a child is to have them prepare their own breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Of course, you are the best judge of whether your child should be playing with fire.

Once you know how to fold the aluminum into a packet that holds the food as it cooks to perfection, your kids will think you performed magic.

Instructions for Folding Foil Packets

Place food on a piece of heavy-duty foil.  Turn the aluminum foil up on either side of the food.  When the sides meet, fold down once or twice from top (like a sack lunch).  Take the top and bottom of each open end, and fold the foil over once or twice. To allow for expansion, do not wrap raw food too tightly.

This packet acts as a pressure cooker unless you vent it.  Do not vent packet while cooking because the steam will burn you.  If you must open packet, use tongs and potholders to do so.  To brown or to broil food as if you are using a frying pan, partially unfold the top seam to vent the packet.

Place the foil packet in a bed of coals and place some embers on top, carefully.  If you have vented the packet, do not place embers on top, but just surround the packet.  Diced vegetables and meat cook in 10 to 15 minutes, while whole potatoes cook in 40 to 50 minutes.  Each recipe below will feed 12 people.  All recipes may be reduced or doubled.

SHRIMP BBQ

4 Lb. large shrimp

1 C margarine

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 t black pepper

1 t salt

1 C parsley, minced

Peel and clean shrimp. Cream margarine in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients to the margarine mixture and stir. Cut six nine-inch strips of heavy-duty aluminum foil; then cut each strip in half to make 12 pieces of foil. Divide shrimp equally onto each piece of foil. Top shrimp with a portion of the margarine mixture, Fold foil in packet around shrimp. Place shrimp packet in and cover with embers. Cook 5 minutes.

STUFFED FISH

12 medium catch-of-the-day

3 medium onions, chopped fine

1/4 Lb. margarine

1/2 t black pepper

1 t salt

Clean the fish thoroughly.  Salt and pepper the inside of fish. Fill each fish about 3/4 full with onion and put a pat of butter on the top of the onion. Wrap each fish separately in aluminum packet. Bury in hot embers. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

HAMBURGER DINNER

12 potatoes cut into chunks

12 carrots, sliced into sticks

1 large onion, diced

3 Lb. Hamburger

1/2 t black pepper

1 t salt

Form 3/4-inch-high patty using 1/4 Lb. hamburger and place on a piece of aluminum foil. Add veggies to the side of the patty. Season with salt and pepper.Wrap in foil and place packet in the coals. Cook 10 to 20 minutes.

BEEF STEW

3 Lb. beef cut in 1-inch chunks

12 bacon slices

12 tomatoes, quartered

6 onions, sliced thinly

Place 1/4 lb. of beef, one slice of bacon cut into pieces, one sliced onion and one quartered tomato on foil. Form foil packet. Place in embers. Cook in 30 to 40 minutes.

APPLE DELIGHT

12 large apples, cored and chopped into large pieces (peel or not)

4 T sugar

3/4 C Biscuit Mix

3 T cinnamon (or to taste)

Raisins or other dried fruit

Place a chopped apple on foil. Combine one t sugar, some raisins and cinnamon to taste with one T biscuit mix. Stir into chopped apple. Wrap mixture in piece of greased aluminum foil, leaving a steam vent. Cook in the embers for approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

As you can see, the only thing that limits you is creativity.  If the kids want beans and weenies, they can cook it in foil.  Pigs in a blanket–no problem.  Even leftovers taste wonderful after being cooked in foil. Try it.

Ginnie Springs

Playing in the clear freshwater springs

What attracted us to Ginnie Springs were the seven springs and spring runs that empty into the Santa Fe River.  Although the weather during our stay was rainy and cold, Ginnie Springs is one of our favorite spots in Florida.  Each group of springs has entry/exit stairs with handrails, a pavilion, a bathhouse, a volleyball court, campsites and plenty of parking.  The springs have limestone bottoms and each spring was a unique shade of blue.

The water in the Santa Fe River is colored brown by tannin; where the spring water faded into the river water was an eerie sight.  The springs are 72 degrees year round, so swimming and snorkeling in them was not a problem.  The last day we were there, we aired up the Sea Eagle, our two-person kayak, and set off from the first river entry.  Luckily, we were wearing wet suits because the river was about 50 degrees!

While kayaking, we found three unnamed springs on the other side of the river.  We would spot bubbles on the surface and paddle close to see the springs.  The paddle down to the river take out was about 3-1/2 to 4 hours and the river was high from all the rain this season.  During the summer, you would tube, canoe or kayak the Santa Fe, emerging from the river at different springs or just drifting to the tube take out.

The dive shop/office/store sells or rents all types of diving equipment and has instructors available for cave-diving or basic snorkel or scuba lessons.  We camped at Ginnie Springs for four nights and five days.  We were the only RVers, so we had our choice of camping sites with electricity and water.  For tent camping, there are some gorgeous sites along the banks of the Santa Fe.  Each tent site came with water, BBQ grill and picnic table.

Ginnie Springs, Otter Springs, Poe Springs, Hart Springs and Blue Springs (one of five in Florida) are located in Gilchrist County, an area with the highest concentration of freshwater springs on Earth.  We did not see all the springs in northern Florida, but we tried.

We have many pictures to share when we are able to find a solution for a slide show.  Stay tuned.