Smokestack Restaurant – Thurber Texas, Population: 5
If you have ever driven through Thurber Texas, you probably didn’t realize it. There isn’t much there other than a couple of restaurants and a few historic buildings. With a population of only 5 people it is possible that more people commute into Thurber to work then actually live there. Don’t let its small size fool you….there is plenty of reason to visit this small town.Thurber's Smokestack RestaurantThurber's Smokestack signThe number one reason you should visit Thurber is the Smokestack
Village Creek, Arlington Texas – Paddle Trip
Back in October a friend and I went back to one of my favorite “local” paddling spots. Village Creek in Arlington Texas.Village Creek, Arlington Texas You see when I lived in the Dallas Fort Worth area I didn’t always have time to head down to the hill country for a 1-2 day river trip. The Brazos is a nice river but was still over an hour away. Let’s not talk about the Trinity river (it literally has a smell). So
Lost Maples SNA, Texas – Backpacking with Children
Last Friday I took my nine year old daughter on her first backpacking trip. We headed down to Lost Maples State Natural Area (SNA) for a short one night trip.Entrance to Lost Maples State Natural AreaThis time of year Lost Maples is alive with fall color and we hoped to take it all in. With this being my daughter’s first backpacking trip I was real worried about mileage. But Lost Maples SNA provided the perfect place.We arrived at Lost Maples
Hunter Peak 8,368 feet – Sixth Higest Mountain in Texas – Summit Hike
On Thursday October 21st I hiked to the Summit of Hunter peak in the Guadalupe Mountains National park. At 8,368 feet Hunter Peak is the fourth highest mountain in Texas. I had come to the Guadalupe’s for a long planed backpacking trip through the heart of the mountain range. I arrived a day early to ensure my group could reserve the necessary backcountry sites needed to complete our hike. (The Guadalupe’s are a popular place in the fall). Having acquired
Pine Springs to McKittrick Canyon – Guadalupe Mountains National Park
A couple of weeks ago two friends and I headed out to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park for three days and two nights of backpacking. We started off at the Pine Springs trailhead and planned to finish at the McKittrick Canyon trailhead. Before us lay 19 miles of trail that traversed the heart of the Guadalupe Mountains allowing us to sample everything that makes this place unique.Fall Colors in McKittrick CanyonFriday morning we woke up at the Pine Spring
Koffee Kup Family Restaurant – Hico Texas
About 30 miles southwest of Glen Rose Texas in the little town of Hico is a small café (or is it “Kafé”) called the Koffee Kup.The Big K BurgerLocated at the intersection of hwy 6 and 281 the Koffee Kup isn’t on the way to much of anything other than more small Texas towns. I first discovered the Koffee Kup while seeking a more scenic route south into the Texas Hill Country. To me the interstate serves its purpose but
Guadalupe River – FM 3351 to US 281 – Texas
The Guadalupe River was my first love with the outdoors. As a young child my parents would take me “toobing” on the Guadalupe and Comal Rivers near New Braunfels. If you have ever lived in Texas it is likely you have heard of “toobing the Guadalupe.” The most popular section of the Guadalupe river, and the section I have spent the most time on, is between the Canyon Lake dam and the town of New Braunfels. Any given
Exit Glacier – Kenai Fjords National Park – Alaska
This summer I had the opportunity to spend some time in Alaska. Although the nature of my trip was not recreational, I did find some time to get outside and enjoy the natural, abundant, beauty of Alaska. One thing I really wanted to do was get up close to a Glacier. Talking to some locals, Exit Glacier, on the Kenai Peninsula, was highly recommended. I was told that I could take a short hike to the edge of the glacier
Sierra Blanca – Summit Hike – New Mexico
Last Labor Day weekend a friend and I decided to head out to south-central New Mexico to summit Sierra Blanca. Sierra Blanca rises 11,973 feet (some sources say 12,003 feet) above sea level and about 8,000 feet above the surrounding desert floor making her the most prominent peak in New Mexico. The peak is owned by the Mascalero Apache Indian Tribe and is considered the sacred place where “the creator gave us life.”Sierra Blanca New MexicoWe decided to make
Mount Livermore – Summit Hike – Davis Mountain Preserve, Texas
Last weekend the family and I headed back to Mount Livermore to see if we couldn’t make it to the summit this time. If you have been following the blog then you know our last attempt was plagued by thunderstorms. This weekend was the exact opposite. Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day and my family took advantage of yet another open weekend at The Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountain Preserve. Madera Canyon Road below the pipe gate.Once again we drove