This month, Scott and I took our first State Park adventure in many weeks. My pregnancy really slowed me down this spring, as well as some early, very hot weather. We were glad to finally get back into adventuring together. We visited a state park we hadn't officially explored and had so much fun.

Longhorn Cavern State Park is a very small state park. It has just over a mile of hiking trails, some pretty cool CCC-built buildings, and (of course) the cave.

The cave tour is a little pricy. We splurged on it (we went on a weekday at it was $25.25 each) and really enjoyed it. This one has a few water-made formations like soda straws, flow formations, stalactites, and stalagmites. However, the parts that impressed me most were the rocks. The primarily limestone walls gave so much to look at. 

 Of all the Texas State Parks we've visited, Lake Brownwood holds a very special place in our hearts. Why? We've stayed there three times. The stone cabins, built by the CCC in the 1930s, are precious places. We spent our first anniversary, a birthday, and a mini vacation here. 

Four years ago on February 6th, 2021, Scott told me he loved me and wanted to pursue a serious relationship. We always try to commemorate the day in a special way. We enjoyed three days and two nights away this year, a much-needed break. We've both been busy working on various tasks and it was nice to enjoy some quiet time together, good food, and hiking. 

We stayed at a cabin at Lake Brownwood State Park, which is special to us. We stayed here for our first anniversary and for my birthday in 2023. We were so happy to be back. This was the first time we had spent much time exploring the town of Brownwood. We enjoyed a fabulous bookstore and a local steak place.

The next day, we enjoyed going to a new-to-us State Park: Abilene. 

Scott made an amazing dinner for us that evening and we enjoyed an evening hike at Lake Brownwood.

On our last day, we returned to Colorado Bend State Park. We had been here once before and adored it. It was a strenuous hike that felt amazing. We saw a cave opening, returned to the Gorman Falls, and enjoyed scenic views.

I am so grateful for this time together to enjoy some hiking and time together. Where has been your favorite place to hike?

Scott and I are fortunate to live within a couple of hours of a lot of Texas State Parks. Palmetto is among our favorites. It's far enough from Austin to feel like we've been able to leave the city far behind, but not so far that we can't make a round trip easily. 

While Scott and I like to hike year-round, shade is pretty important for much of the year due to heat. Most of the trails at Palmetto have wonderful shade and, because of the nearby river, they are cool.