The Hill Country

So we thought we'd be the only ones crazy enough to venture over to Lost Maples State Natural Area last weekend, due to the pending overcast skies and high chance of rain. It was a risk, because it was a three hour drive for us, but we reserved the hotel to stay in San Antonio and Lost Maples had been on my list of places to see for a while. There are a lost of state parks just west of San Antonio, including Garner State Park which we'd already been to. Lost Maples is famous around here for being one of the few nearby places you can go to see the leaves change colors in the fall. Autumn isn't much of a season in South Texas, as it's more of an extension of summer, so seeing something like leaves changing is different. Well, we were wrong about being the only ones who wanted to see it. Even in the light rain, the park met capacity limits at 10 a.m. and the rangers wouldn't let anyone else in. We got there at 11 a.m. Good times. But as I said, there are a lot of other parks nearby, so we went back toward San Antonio and stopped at Hill Country State Natural Area. It was down a long, narrow dirt road that made you believe the hills were going to have eyes by the time you got to the state park. A blown out tire would have cast us immediately into the middle of a horror movie. Ok, not really. It wasn't that bad, but the park was off the beaten path. There were a handful of other adventurers out there, riding horses, hiking, and otherwise enjoying the misty, humid weather. We took what I assumed to be the premier hike to the top of the towering 1,800 foot mountain and got a decent view of the hill country.

Nolan had too much H-E-B Hill Country Fare Grape soda. Gotta get that energy boost to get up the mountain.

Enjoying a picnic lunch under a tree in the park in the light rain before a hike in the park on an Autumn day.

Doing the same.

This view of the Hill Country is brought to you by H-E-B. At least, I imagine it was in some way or another, since everything else around here is.

At the top of the mountain! Or hill... whatever you want to call it.

Paul always enjoys these outdoor adventures. We do frequently have to tell him to "take a hike" or "jump in a lake" so he really does love it.