Expedition Me & You

To most people, yesterday was Black Friday, a consumerist holiday that it seems like nearly every American store in existence participates in. Even pet stores have Black Friday sales. I remember all of our efforts at Petsmart while I worked there, getting hyped up about how great our sales would be. We would spend hours merchandising and getting things ready only to be sorely disappointed by sales by the end of the day. My attitude toward this tradition and toward consumerism in general has changed a lot since then. I had been quite happy to see so many nationwide retail outlets not open on Thanksgiving. I was even more appreciative when other retailers announced that they would be closed on the day after. One of our favorites, REI, was one such store. Last year, Chris and I spent our day after Thanksgiving hiking in Bastrop . This year, REI encouraged their employees and members to do the same thing with a campaign called #OptOutside. We were already planning on visiting a state pa...

Chris and I had a wonderful time today hiking a loop of trails at the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge . The area we ventured to is called Doeskin Ranch. While the refuge has a number of trails that are smaller in size, we opted to take portions of each trail and essentially travel a large loop around the area. Doeskin Ranch Trailhead Approximately 45 minutes from Austin, it is easy to get to. We didn't even use the GPS, just maps. Signs direct you to where you need to go. Very user friendly. Though the parking lot is a little small! Be sure to pick up a Doeskin Ranch Creek Trail self-guided tour brochure. There are nine numbered spots along the trail that you can view with corresponding educational information. Stop #1: Who's Home? We began at the Creek Trail, heading left and then south along the creek. The video at the start of this post features footage from that trail. Pictured above, this was once the home of settlers. Nature has sin...

Austin recently opened a new portion of the Violet Crown, a trail which winds along through the Austin Greenbelt. A couple of weeks ago, Chris and I visited for the first time.  Visitors should note that the new trailhead does not have its own parking lot. You're advised to park at a nearby shopping plaza. Get directions to 4970 W Hwy 290 and park in the Spec's lot close to the frontage road. The trailhead is just slightly east from there on foot. This is what the entrance looks like. You can just barely see it from the frontage road. You're welcomed by a switchback just past the entrance. The trail is well shaded and quite woodsy. Near the 4.5 mile marker you'll find an intriguing cave to look at. The terrain is on the rocky side but the beautiful bluffs give you something to look at as you slowly make your way over the sometimes jagged rocks. Even though the trail winds through an area of the city that is q...

Chris and I visited Bastrop State Park today for a nice hike. It's been a few weeks since the last time we went exploring and Chris was really itching to get out there. Her goal for the both of us is to one day backpack so the sooner we start training, the better.  Several years ago, wild fires destroyed homes, land, and public areas throughout Bastrop. The state park stands as evidence. Regrowth is happening, but it will be decades before the park is normal again.  Despite the destruction, the park really is beautiful. It has vibrant fall color. The ground is speckled with mushrooms, ants, and wild animal scat. Our path led us over fallen, charred trees, but the trails were level and otherwise easily navigable.  Entrance to the park is $4 per person 13 and over. We started our journey at the scenic overlook near the route 1C leading to Beuscher State Park. From there we picked up the Purple Trail until we found the Old Road...