Yesterday, one of Jon’s colleagues said, “When are you ever going to take a vacation?” Answer: at the end of the month. Destination: Rocky Mountain National Park. We’ll be camping near Estes Park during our week-long stay, which will allow us time to acclimate to the altitude before hitting the trails. After traveling to Grand…
The American humorist Garrison Keillor once said, “The problem with paradise is that it’s temporary: You don’t belong here and the neighbors are nobody you care to know, so it’s only blissful for a week or so.” We lost count of how many blissful weeks we’ve spent camping at Loyd Park this season, but one…
It has been said that time is our most precious commodity. We’ve long subscribed to the idea that the best way to spend our time is by traveling. And so, three years ago this week, we took possession of our first Airstream, a 22-foot Sport, and spent our first night camping out. We kept that rig…
Adventures / Cloud 9 / General / Texas Parks
We’re wrapping up a six-week spring staycation at Loyd Park, and we’re in no hurry to leave. In fact, Jon’s Mom recently asked, “Do you think you’ll ever stay in your house again?” There are campers who have no desire to stay, and campers who are in no hurry to leave. We fall squarely into…
Our Sunday at Loyd Park brought thunderstorms, with lightning, winds and flooding rains–quite a change from previous days of warmth and sunshine that gave us clear skies and spectacular sunsets. Life at Loyd Park is a wonder, precisely because it includes an occasionally rainy Sunday. We had an unexpectedly quick move to site 139 on Thursday afternoon,…
We often spend two or three weekends a month “at the lake,” but the fact of the matter is that we spend very little time in or even near the water. Oh, we catch an occasional glimpse of the shore as we drive in or out of the park. We see a couple of ducks…
We returned to Loyd Park for the weekend that closed Spring Break, surrounded by families trying to make the most of the gorgeous weather. Mild temperatures and gentle breezes made conditions perfect for dining al fresco, sitting by the fire, and sleeping with open windows. In a word, the weekend was ideal. We’ll return again…
The second weekend in March found us among the spring breakers at Loyd Park. It seemed like children were everywhere: playing street hockey, screeching through the forest, riding bicycles. Thankfully, most parents (and grandparents) call a halt to their activities around sunset, so we were able to enjoy calm, quiet nights. Typical of spring in…
With temperatures in the 80s, it was hard to tell whether it was spring or summer as we arrived at Lake Waco. But the calendar told us it was February, so our winter weekender was a bit deceptive. We met up with our Heart of Texas Camping Unit for a February camp-out in perfect conditions. One…
We spent the weekend at Cedar Hill State Park, enjoying unseasonably warm temperatures while contending with seasonal allergies. By late Saturday, a cold front moved in, bringing pop-up thunderstorms, sustained winds and overcast skies that lasted well into Sunday. Still, we were able to grill steaks on Friday and lamb on Saturday. And a quick visit…
We headed to Loyd Park for the long weekend that included the Martin Luther King holiday, making it our first outing in four weeks. It was quite a hiatus, one which included an unplanned trip to St. Louis, a brief hospitalization, and several days of single-digit temperatures. Upon setting up, we realized the cold snap…
The weekend before Christmas found us at our beloved Loyd Park enjoying warm breezes and mild temperatures ahead of an expected arctic plunge. With dire predictions of sub-zero wind chills, we decided to cut short our camp-out and head home, where a cold Sunday morning in front of a cozy fireplace sounded much better than…
