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I went to Krause Springs today, because we're going to do the window loan signing thing tomorrow and a potential student (and maybe her girlfriend) wants to meet with me. So today was the best day to go.
The drive was a bit long (I think it's right around 50 miles from my front door) but it was a nice one, and the place was not hard to find. I arrived at noon, and there were maybe 30 people there. The first thing I did though was check out the garden. That guy has an absolutely stunning garden. It was mostly native plants as far as I could tell, with a pretty heavy leaning towards purple coneflowers. I think it was meant to attract butterflies too, since they were there in abundance. He also had a passion flower vine that had the most brilliantly purple and typically crazy-looking flowers. He also had a grotto thing that was basically built with rocks, planted with water-loving plants on the sides, and with water cascading down it so that it watered the plants and filled a small pool at the bottom. There was a lovely statue of Aphrodite (I think) in it as well, and there were statues of angels and swans and whatnot all over the garden. If you go, check it out.
The first body of water you come to is a swimming-pool shaped area that's fed by the springs. This looked a little too mundane so I continued down to the natural area. It was one of those bald cypress cathedrals you see all over central Texas. There was a nice deep swimming area, and a beautiful waterfall where the aforementioned pool emptied. This was in front of a deep little cave that you swim in, all covered with moss and maidenhair ferns.
So why did I only stay 2 hours? Because more and more people poured in, and 50% of them were shrieking kids carrying huge fluorescent colored pool toys and it just was pretty difficult to feel close to nature. I don't know why I'm feeling extra introverted lately, but it's almost getting to the point of mild misanthropy. So after not feeling much peace I decided to get in my little car and head for Hippie Hollow.
If I haven't mentioned it elsewhere (and you don't already know) the Hollow is a clothing-optional limestone 'beach' along Lake Travis and it's 18 and over only. I was tired (my energy's been flagging lately too) but the hike down to Radio Rock where I usually camp was pleasant. And it was quiet. Yeah, there were the usual annoying jet-skiers trying to look at the nekkid people but there was one fellow at Radio Rock chasing off gawkers; it was very chivalrous though he was a bit more confrontational than was really necessary, and is probably going to get his ass kicked. But I appreciated it and got in another couple of hours of swimming and floating and enjoying the nature. The lake level's down quite a bit from last year- this was my first visit since September. The fish were also extra nibbly for some reason. I couldn't sit still in the water near the shore for more than a minute before they were trying to eat me. Hey, maybe it's the new all-natural froo-froo sunscreen that makes me taste better. I love that stuff. For interested parties, it's Alba Botanica organic lavender 30 SPF 'very water resistant.'
The drive was a bit long (I think it's right around 50 miles from my front door) but it was a nice one, and the place was not hard to find. I arrived at noon, and there were maybe 30 people there. The first thing I did though was check out the garden. That guy has an absolutely stunning garden. It was mostly native plants as far as I could tell, with a pretty heavy leaning towards purple coneflowers. I think it was meant to attract butterflies too, since they were there in abundance. He also had a passion flower vine that had the most brilliantly purple and typically crazy-looking flowers. He also had a grotto thing that was basically built with rocks, planted with water-loving plants on the sides, and with water cascading down it so that it watered the plants and filled a small pool at the bottom. There was a lovely statue of Aphrodite (I think) in it as well, and there were statues of angels and swans and whatnot all over the garden. If you go, check it out.
The first body of water you come to is a swimming-pool shaped area that's fed by the springs. This looked a little too mundane so I continued down to the natural area. It was one of those bald cypress cathedrals you see all over central Texas. There was a nice deep swimming area, and a beautiful waterfall where the aforementioned pool emptied. This was in front of a deep little cave that you swim in, all covered with moss and maidenhair ferns.
So why did I only stay 2 hours? Because more and more people poured in, and 50% of them were shrieking kids carrying huge fluorescent colored pool toys and it just was pretty difficult to feel close to nature. I don't know why I'm feeling extra introverted lately, but it's almost getting to the point of mild misanthropy. So after not feeling much peace I decided to get in my little car and head for Hippie Hollow.
If I haven't mentioned it elsewhere (and you don't already know) the Hollow is a clothing-optional limestone 'beach' along Lake Travis and it's 18 and over only. I was tired (my energy's been flagging lately too) but the hike down to Radio Rock where I usually camp was pleasant. And it was quiet. Yeah, there were the usual annoying jet-skiers trying to look at the nekkid people but there was one fellow at Radio Rock chasing off gawkers; it was very chivalrous though he was a bit more confrontational than was really necessary, and is probably going to get his ass kicked. But I appreciated it and got in another couple of hours of swimming and floating and enjoying the nature. The lake level's down quite a bit from last year- this was my first visit since September. The fish were also extra nibbly for some reason. I couldn't sit still in the water near the shore for more than a minute before they were trying to eat me. Hey, maybe it's the new all-natural froo-froo sunscreen that makes me taste better. I love that stuff. For interested parties, it's Alba Botanica organic lavender 30 SPF 'very water resistant.'
