Spring Break 2011-Day Six

Well, five days of camping with five family members can leave you with a pretty low supply of clean socks and underwear so we planned a visit to the local Laundromat before we headed out on the days adventure. I was able to compile everything into just four loads which was pretty good I think. Let me just say that Laundromat prices have really gone up since my college days! $1.50 for cold wash and $1.75 for warm? Like I would ever really want to wash anything we had worn to hike and sweat in with cold water? Then drying them was a quarter for five minutes? Luckily I had a $20 to use in the change machine. We needed about $12.00 to get it all done but it only took about an hour and 15 minutes. Then we were off to Enchanted Rock!


To get to Enchanted Rock we had to drive through Fredericksburg and I have pretty much decided that the next trip Jayme and I take by ourselves needs to be there. A wine shop on every corner and a different winery every mile on the road? I’m there!! We were too tired from the climb to stop anywhere on our return to the park but it was fun to dream.

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is something every Texan and every tourist who comes to Texas should do. It was a definite experience! It’s no joke either. The summit trail is really whatever way you decide to go, and we all took a slightly different line up. I was the last on to summit and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I was just proud of myself for not throwing up! I am not in the best shape of my life (FACT!) but I think when I get home I will be in good enough shape to start a nice exercise regimen.

The trail to the summit takes you up 425 feet in .6 miles to a summit of 1825 feet above sea level. That may not sound like much when you read it, but when you hike it, it feels like the top of the world! It was beautiful up there. And I got my first good cell signal for a while so I called my parents. Jayme and the kids went off exploring the other side of the peak. We were all shocked to find trees growing out of the granite dome. Not just any scrub oaks or mesquite or Ashe junipers either. These trees were covered with tiny pink blooms and were quite beautiful. The map showed a cave near the spot we were resting, so we hiked over there and they did a little spelunking. Luke and I kept watch on our stuff and let the rest of them get “cavey” without us. The walk back down wasn’t exactly easy but it sure was easier than going up. Once you are all the way down, they get you one last time by making you climb up 50 steps to get to the parking area level. Those last 50 steps were not exactly easy on jellied legs and feet.

After a short bike ride around the campground we built a campfire and were on our second libation of the night when some neighboring campers came over to talk trucks with Jayme. A third neighbor joined us a little later and we ended up having a great time watching the stars come out while we swapped camping stories and truck and trailer tips. We had so much fun, in fact, that we kind of neglected to have dinner. Oh, well. That’s why God made Vienna Sausages! I know, I know, I just threw up in my mouth a little but typing that but my family seems to enjoy the disgusting little things. Personally, I don’t even like to smell them so I had a little tuna salad lunch pack for “dinner” and then we finished the movie we had started last night while we wound down and got ready for bed. Spring Break 2011 Phase Three would commence tomorrow!

Enchanted Rock