This was a good weekend.
I went camping this weekend. I went to Lost Maples State National Area. I've been there once before, years ago, during the fall (which is breathtaking, by the way), and I went again this weekend. And I was in charge. And I kicked ass. I was fully prepared, I was fully stocked, I did everything right. I did not get dehydrated, sunburnt, bitten by insects, or injured more than a nick on my finger from cutting a fishing line.
And it was beautiful. I did nigh 8 miles of hiking, saw about five lizards, one snake, and too many hawks to list. The water was lovely, and the pond was very cold. And the stars. The stars, the stars, they shine for you out there. I had forgotten what it was like to escape the light pollution of the cities and just look up into the night sky and get vertigo.
This is one picture from the state park website:
Yeah, I've been there.
P.S.
I truly believe that if there was a competition of the best natural scenery in America, Texas would place in the top three more than any other state. We might not get first place all the time, but we would consistently rank high. The Grand Canyon might take the gold, but Palo Duro would take the Bronze or Silver. The sunsets over the Texas Hill Country, the beaches off Mustang Island, the sheer wildlife in the riparian thornforests of Bensten Park, the centuries old forests of Caddo Lake. You could find just about anything you want in the lower 49 in Texas. Yeah. Sorry Max, Kij. Your states just aren't as versatile.
And it was beautiful. I did nigh 8 miles of hiking, saw about five lizards, one snake, and too many hawks to list. The water was lovely, and the pond was very cold. And the stars. The stars, the stars, they shine for you out there. I had forgotten what it was like to escape the light pollution of the cities and just look up into the night sky and get vertigo.
This is one picture from the state park website:
Yeah, I've been there.
P.S.
I truly believe that if there was a competition of the best natural scenery in America, Texas would place in the top three more than any other state. We might not get first place all the time, but we would consistently rank high. The Grand Canyon might take the gold, but Palo Duro would take the Bronze or Silver. The sunsets over the Texas Hill Country, the beaches off Mustang Island, the sheer wildlife in the riparian thornforests of Bensten Park, the centuries old forests of Caddo Lake. You could find just about anything you want in the lower 49 in Texas. Yeah. Sorry Max, Kij. Your states just aren't as versatile.