This weekend I treated myself to a digital detox. We got lucky enough to grab a spot for two for a weekend camping trip organized by Random Events Dallas, a volunteer run group on Meetup.com.

Prior to this trip, I found myself being swept up by the fast pace of work and other commitments. So when camping happened, I was thrilled.

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My man and I drove out to Inks Lake State Park in the Texas Hill Country. We reached our camp late in the night and were welcomed by our fellow campers. The campfire was already up. After the introductions, we unpacked and set up our tent. We grabbed our dinner which we’d picked on our way and sat beside the cozy fire, chit chatting the night away. We then retired for the night in our tent which we had managed to make pretty comfy with an air mattress, duvet, cushions et al.

The morning after, we woke up to this.

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The moment we saw this, we knew we were going to have a great day. After all, how often does one wake up to a lake. The previous night, we had no idea our campsite was so close to the lake. Surprise! Surprise!

I haven’t been camping in years but I’ve always enjoyed it. Coming to camp this past weekend, my mood was instantly lifted. I don’t know what happened to me but I was extremely happy the first night I was at the camp site. And my mood got even better the next morning.

Soon, breakfast was being prepped.

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V helping with the breakfast preparations 🙂

Post breakfast and the morning rituals (this did not include bathing; yes, this is part of my 10 commandments for camping, which I’ll share with you in another post), we set out to do a small hike to the Devil’s Waterhole. The weather was perfect – spring seems to be the best time to venture outdoors in Texas since there is a nice sunshine along with a cool breeze.

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It was a beautiful hike with lots of wildflowers on the way.

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Devil’s Waterhole

Everyone relaxed and cooled down for a bit here.

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We hiked back to our campsite which by noon was a maddening green.

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V decided to be adventurous and try his raft for the first time. I needed to stay back to chronicle his success. 😀

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I won’t be lying if I say I was relieved to have him back. :p

The rest of the day was spent relaxing by our tent, admiring the beauty of the lake.

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And this brave lil’ dog. Awww…

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We had visitors who made us completely lose track of time.

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They took a special liking to V.

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Before we even realized, it was time for lunch. We drove out to Burnet and ate a hearty Chinese meal at a small home style restaurant called Mei Yuan.

On our way back to the camp, we saw these beauties.

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We were to go for a hike on the Enchanted Rock with the others but somehow that couldn’t happen since the place was closed for any more visitors for the day. Well, another reason to make a second trip down here.

Since we found ourselves with lot of time on hand for the rest of the afternoon, we decided to engage in a little work out of sorts.

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It turned out to be a good upper body workout since it got super windy and was a lot of work to kayak back from where we started. But we had a blast!

Back at the camp, all of us played some UNO, took walks, and generally reveled in the beauty of the park. Some of us headed out for dinner to Burnet. We ate at this popular place called Bill’s Burgers Wings & Things. The place is famous for it’s Double “D” Burger and beautiful patio seating.

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Back at the camp, it was time for campfire and toasted marshmallows.

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I have to say, I could really get used to life without technology.

Overall, we had a grand time.  Great sunrises, sunsets, and a few fine folks in between. The water was cool and calm, the campgrounds were clean and everyone respected other campers.  It was a great spring camping trip in the Texas Hill Country and I can’t wait to go again!

I can easily say that Inks Lake State Park is one of my exciting 2017 discoveries. It is one of the best state parks in Texas and almost all the campsites are by the water and offer a beautiful view. You can never run out of things to see and do here. It’s a must for all camping and nature lovers. Hope you plan your next trip soon! It’s very possible that you’ll run into me during your visit.

The next morning we set out to what now seems to be becoming our annual spring ritual – looking out for the pretty bluebonnets.

What details have I missed? Would love hear about your Inks Lake State Park experience in a comment!

For those interested:

Inflatable boat – Same

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Spring Camping at Inks Lake State Park Texas

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