TRAVEL TEXAS (Chalk Bluff Park) -

Just wrapped up our first camping trip of the year. Of course, it was supposed to be in our new vintage camper. Instead, I was in a tent. But that’s another story…

We tried out was Chalk Bluff. I had heard about it (and its crystal-clear waters and beautiful bluffs) for years, just had never made it out there. The boys had a Friday off from school and my mom could get off work, so it was the perfect chance to go try it out. We drove up immediately after school on Thursday, stayed until Sunday.

While the buildings and cabins looked very aged (and I’d worry about the inside conditions)… the grounds, the bathhouse that we used, the playground, the animals, and the water were all fantastic! And it was the best weekend!

My parents brought their rv and their pups. Ben got to sleep with them in the a/c. We had their stovetop for meals, as well as Dad bbq’ing on his grill. Evan and I slept in the tent that they brought along for us. And thanks to my incredible blow-up mattress and the nights getting into the 50’s, it was very pleasant.

I was thankful that we all brought our bikes, since the grounds were nice enough to bike everywhere. Evan’s favorite stop was the playground. With several new pieces of equipment and a couple of great (vintage) swings, we ended up there quite a bit. My favorite stop was the strip of pins, filled with animals. The park had resident pigs and guineas, donkeys, goats, axis deer, a zebra, a brand new foal, and the sweetest horses! (They also have the big jumping pillows. But we never ran out of other things to do.)

Ben and I spent one morning trying to find the unmarked path up to the top of the bluffs (for the stunning images I’ve seen on instagram). But no luck. And we couldn’t find any other hiking paths, so we spent all the rest of our time in the water.

The area has been in a severe drought, so the water was low. But it was clear and beautiful. And cold! We found some deeper spots, so that we could swim with the fish. We lounged in our tubes for hours. Evan snorkeled. The chalky bluffs provided a beautiful background (and some shade in the late afternoon). It all made for a wonderful spot to relax and cool off in the afternoons.