Home, home on the range...
After little debate, Mason and I decided to go on our one night camping excursion to Garner State Park in Texas Hill Country. With nightly temperatures reaching 40 degrees, we figured that with enough blankets and liquor we'd stay warm enough! And we did!
Garner State Park is a great area to camp. It seems like camping is a common pastime in Texas, so most campgrounds have hundreds of campsites. We were lucky enough to get a decent sized plot and our neighbors were fairly considerate. It wasn't long after the campfire was going before the Texas wildlife came out to play.
The first animal to get the flashlight spotlight was a deer and her fawn. Next up, a confused armadillo who didn't quite know what to do about our shining light. Later on our trip we would encounter woodpeckers, a 3-legged dog, cows, goats, buffalo, bats, quickly evolving salamanders, a rattlesnake, and a bobcat!
An early morning hike in Garner was cut short due to a confirmed bobcat or puma growl. As Mason and I almost never stick to the designated trail, it was time to hightail it out of there once we heard the warning sound of the cat! It was exhilarating; but I am glad we got our camping out of the way the night before. It was time for a closed door.
We made our way to Vanderpool, TX. The drive to our cabin made me feel like I was actually IN Texas. As much as I hate to say it, Texas offers some pretty great landscapes. We drove across endless ranches and up steep inclines. If it ever snowed here it would be great for skiing! The nearest town was full of antique shops and drive-thru liquor stores; we explored both. With so many dry counties in Texas, it wasn't a surprise we had to wait in line at the drive-thru.
It was a peaceful rest of the weekend. Zero cellphone service, the common sounds of gunfire in the distance and eating delicious BBQ an older woman was selling out of her Tupperware containers. We spent two more nights in a cabin located on a secluded ranch property.
I wish I had the talent (and time) to take a picture of the night sky. Our host had recommended that we drive up to a scenic lookout in the middle of the night. I don't think I have ever seen that many shinning stars in the night sky. It was so tranquil until I remembered the possibility of a bobcat attack. I convinced Mason it was time to go after my realization.
Lost Maples State Park is another great place for hiking and camping. I think if I ever wanted to do a short hike-in camping trip this would be the area to do it. I heard rumors that there were spots in Texas where the trees change colors in the fall. Although not as colorful as Connecticut, the trees were beautiful. I think the heavy rain and cooler weather the week before prevented some of the colors to pop this year.
We made a detour on the way home to Cascade Cavern in Boerne, TX. Who knew you could find a cave 140 feet below a Texas ranch? Our expectations were low, but being the only two people on the tour we could make it as fun as we wanted to!
Our tour guide was a younger man who was enthusiastic about the cave. He was very knowledgeable and tried to answer all of our questions to the best of his ability. Looking back on it, he might have been one of the more knowledgeable tour guides I have ever had on a cave tour! I was impressed with the size and history of the cave.
Parts of a prehistoric mastodon have been found and are featured in the cave. A visible, nonactive fault line could be seen running along the cave ceiling along with huge circular erosion holes from a recent flood that filled the cave a few years back.
Imagine this over 100 feet above you. Many of the holes looked about 2 meters wide.
For being a cave, it was unusually 'alive'. We were told the cave grows abnormally fast compared to other caves. The animal that was the most astonishing was a threatened species of salamander. Appropriately named the Cascade Cavern Salamander, this little fella recently started to develop eyelids due to the large amount of light coming into the cave from organized tours. In more recent years, the owners of the cave decided to limit the amount of permanent cave lighting and provide flashlights to guests. It is a must see if you are near San Antonio!
A few more things got crossed off the Texas bucket list this fall, but many more still subsist.
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