This past year with the travel budget a little light from the family ski trip we ditched the summer trip to Florida (sorry sis) to instead get to know some old familiar in the neighborhood activities. Well they familiar with me anyway, having grown up visiting these recreational areas several times through out my childhood. We started with the premise of heading to the heart of the hill country and making my mothers house the starting point of our day trips to the great swimming holes of central Texas. With the help of a few web sites and the book Splash Across Texas by Chandra Moira Beal, we found our targets of choice. We decided on Hamilton Pool, Krause Springs, the Guadalupe River, the Comal and Barton Springs as our natural swimming holes of choice.

When the chosen time arrived one Friday night we packed up and headed out of Hot Houston Town for the home base in Austin just off Mopac (Loop 1) Express in Northwest Hills. We put up camp in the 3 spare bedrooms my mom has to offer any wayward member of the clan - after the necessary hugs and greetings and a little obligatory catching up conversations. Bright and early Saturday morning I got up and made my usual trek out to find the best Latte in the hill country. Which quite often is Starbucks, but this time I gave a little place across from the running mecca of Murchison Middle school a try. It was a very pleasant surprise to find a great latte without out all the hype. After a quick haircut at my favorite Haircut Store in Austin, the family set out for Hamilton pool.

When we arrived at Hamilton pool just after noon we found the parking lot had already filled up and they were only letting cars in as others cars left. Seeing that we were the four or fifth car in line we made a u-turn and headed for the little known private swimming hole of Krause Springs.

Due to some great last minute planning and some last minute issues at work we left all the info and maps we downloaded off the internet sitting on my desk at home. So, using my male tracking, I got us in the general vicinity and let my wife ask for directions at the corner gas station for the final fix on our target.

Really, It is Their Backyard

Krause Springs is the back yard playground of Elton and Jane Krause. The Krause