Channeling Huck Finn

Well, Huck Finn minus the mighty Mississippi, the wooden raft, the slave companion and the illiteracy. Instead, I had a small creek in Wimberley, Texas, a pair of Target-bought innertubes, my favorite lady and a rope swing.

We made the nearly four hour commute from Houston with hopes of a unique adventure, of sorts. Originally we were thinking Galveston for a day on the beach, but being CA born and raised, we realized we'd likely be disappointed. My sister, who's become a bit of a swimming hole seeker, told us about this spot somewhere in Texas, and the rest was left to us.

The drive alone proved worth our time. After getting away from the 10 Freeway, we were on one-lane highways passing through small towns the rest of the way. Between the endless acres of farmland and the clear blue skies, it was exactly the sort of separation from city living that we'd been hoping for. We stopped and had breakfast tacos from a small trailer in one town, and then passed through what seemed liked the watermelon capitol of the world, Luling. Nearly every vendor along the road seemed to be selling them and the water tower identifying the town was even painted like one.

Located just outside Austin, the "Blue Hole" is actually a State Park, though, aside from charging access, I'm not certain what else the state does. But $7 was well worth it for hours of enjoyment. We went on Saturday and were hoping for a less than chaotic gathering. Maybe the 90-plus degree heat would be more than most would be willing to endure? Yeah, right.

There was a bit of a crowd, mostly families, but the kids stuck to the rope swings. Which allowed us some peaceful floating and sunbathing a bit further down the way. Direct sun was hard to come by with the huge trees hanging over the water, but that was hardly a reason to complain. It was a very serene setting. The water was a bit murky, but for the most part, clean. It has a nice greenish-blue color and was the perfect temperature – not too warm, not too cold.

My lady and I did eventually try to fight back the devil children for a chance on the rope swing, which proved more enjoyable to me than to her. It wasn't quite as easy as the kids made it out to be.

Overall, it was a fun afternoon; something different from the norm. Though my lady is now back in CA, I'm hoping I'll find similar ways to spend my time over the coming months. Hopefully it doesn't include white picket fences.