Here in southeast Texas, we've been enjoying the most beautiful spring with below-normal temperatures and lots of sunshine. A cool front came through last week, dropping temps overnight into the upper 40s. With a beautiful weekend forecast ahead, we decided to squeeze in one last camping trip on Saturday night. This time, we headed an hour and a half east to Village Creek State Park, which is just north of Beaumont in the Big Thicket.
Village Creek State Park was new to us, and it is a small park, but it is lovely and one we all want to visit again. There are only 25 camping sites and you get to pick your own, so we scouted the few remaining spots and picked number 1. It was perfect for us, with a shady grill/picnic area, a dead-end trail behind us, and a grove of trees with a perfect spot to pitch the tent. First order of business for Will was reading -- Lord of the Rings.
Henry helped Gene set up the tent.
Excited to be outside!
Once everything was set up, we set off on our first hike, which the boys decided would be a "leisurely jog." Gene and I just walked.
You might notice that the boys are in swim clothes. We hiked a little over a mile to the park's swimming area!
After hiking about a quarter of a mile, we came to this. And yes, we had to ford the stream. It came up to mid-thigh!
The boys were so excited when we arrived at the sandbar and immediately jumped in the chilly water.
Lots of water pics follow. The boys had so much fun!
We found a beach wolf spider that jumped ahead of us and blended in really well.
It was really beautiful.
Then it was time to hike back, sticks and all.
We found a toad
and had to ford the "river" again.
We got back to the campsite just in time for dinner.
Gene lit the fire
while Will read aloud to us.
S'mores after dinner, of course.
One highlight of this camping trip was seeing fireflies after dark, blinking away in the trees. Fireflies remind Gene and me of the Midwest and visiting family in the summer, so it was fun to see them with our boys right here in Texas.
It was a great night for camping, with a low around 65 degrees. The boys woke up with the birds, as usual, and we started coffee and breakfast right away.
My chef made breakfast sausages, eggs and toast.
And then we took our usual morning hike, just a short one-mile look around Village Slough.
Bonus points if you can spot the toad in this picture!
Skinks.
And one last shot of the pines in the park.
Village Creek State Park provided us with a lovely getaway and it's a place we're excited to visit again.
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