by John Jefferson
One August, I heard a man say he was going to slug the next person who asked, “Is it hot enuf fer ya?”
So, I won’t ask.
KRAUSE SPRINGS IS ONE OF THE MANY cool places to beat the heat in “Cool … Clear … Water” in Texas. Stay hydrated – inside and out! (Photo by John Jefferson)
Summertime heat will get you to that point. But you can survive. Here are a few of my favorite ways.
All involve water. “Cool … Clear … Water.” Hydrotherapy. If I’ve omitted your favorite, I apologize. Texas just has more swimming holes to cool off in than this column has word space.
One of my earliest favorites was the beach. Texas has something like 361 miles of beaches. Nothing takes your mind off the heat like getting smacked in the face by a big breaker. Morning is best time to avoid sunburn — inevitable unless you use plenty of sunscreen and limit exposure time.
But you’ve gotta avoid the vibrio bacteria. Just don’t eat raw or undercooked seafood or play in saltwater with an open cut or abrasion. 80,000 folks in America got sick from it and 100 of ‘em croaked. Some were Texans. Others suffered amputations. Vibrio eats your flesh. If you’ve got a cut or open sore, apply liquid bandage BEFORE entering the water!
Moving inland, Hamilton Pool, west of Austin, WAS a favorite for years. Don’t plan on it! The Valentine’s week freeze and snowstorm loosened rocks that are falling 60-feet down onto the pool and shore. It’s sadly closed for this summer.
An alternative is Krause Springs, at Spicewood, 30-miles west of Austin. It’s enchanting. Thirty-two springs feed the pool and creek below. RVs need reservations. Caution: I’ve killed three cottonmouths there.
Some of the Hill Country streams and rivers offer cooling dips. One of my favorites is the Frio River at Concan. Garner State Park is there, but extremely popular and crowded. Reservations required. Neal’s Lodges and Frio Country Resort are popular, but there are others, too. Google! Frio, in Spanish, mean cold. In my lingo, it stands for refreshing! The river is spring-fed.
The Guadalupe west of New Braunfels offers plenty of options. We love River Inn and the water chute. Look for us there this summer. And fall.
If you’re coming from the north or east, Blue Hole in Georgetown and one likewise named in Wimberley, will cool ya. And for the thermally adventurous, Austin’s Barton Springs is probably the “coolest” place in Texas. In addition to the scenery, the spring-fed, improved, natural pool’s temperature makes you shiver, at first. Just being near the pool has a cooling effect.
But for anyone heading west, the best news is the natural, spring-fed pool at Balmorhea State Park opens Saturday, June 26, from 8:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m. – or sunset. The rest of the park is closed, and limited day passes are required through the Texas State Park Online Reservation Center. It’s truly an oasis in the dessert — one you’ll never forget. I was five when my father swam across it with me on his back, seeing turtles and fish — in the Cool … Clear … Water.
JJ
