Tag Archives: balmorhea

my favorites: best texas swimming holes

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thank goodness for summer! time to relax and slow down.

thank goodness for summer! time to relax and slow down. (taken at jacob’s well in wimberley)

and just like that, spring is over.  the temperatures are creeping up, and not cooling off at night.  my husband and i walked to our neighborhood wine night (yes) last week, and i was struck by how quickly jeans season ended.  after years in california with its cool nights, we’re back in texas, where it’s time to shed pants for summer shorts and skirts.

just relaxing at jacob's well in wimberley, texas

just relaxing at jacob’s well in wimberley, texas

so its the perfect time to talk about my favorite texas swimming holes.   i’m much more of a city girl than a nature lover, but california taught me a lot about appreciating nature (maybe it was our proximitiy to griffith park that helped me live at peace with coyotes and that rogue mountain lion), and now i can’t get enough of the perfectly and naturally formed swimming pool, shaded by trees and open to all. there are three that i’ve really enjoyed visiting: two in or near austin and one in far west texas.

the scene at jacob's well in wimberley, texas (the dark circle in the water is the 30-foot well)

the scene at jacob’s well in wimberley, texas (the dark circle in the water is the 30-foot well)

  • jacob’s well, wimberley, texas – just southwest of austin in the beautiful texas hill country lies wimberley, a place i visited a lot growing up and never fully appreciated until i was older.  jacob’s well is a 30-foot deep well in the middle of a shallow creek, surrounded by rock cliffs and shaded by trees.  though the well is deep, the surrounding creek bed only has about two feet of water lined with slippery rocks.  scuba divers used to dive to the bottom of the well, and crawl through a narrow space at the bottom that opened up to another drop-off, estimated to be around 150 feet deep (a couple of deaths caused the city to grate over the drop-off and prohibit scuba diving).  go early as lines can form in the summer, bring a picnic and goggles, and find a warm rock on which to sun bathe while taking a cool dip in the well.
cooling off in austin's barton springs

cooling off in austin’s barton springs

  • barton springs, austin, texas – located in the middle of austin at zilker park, barton springs is an austin favorite.  formed from natural springs from main barton spring, the water is refreshing and sparkling (read: freezing, no matter what time of year), and is where the party’s at.  the city has lined the springs with cement to make it into more of an outdoor pool, and there are plenty of grassy areas or bleachers to set up for the entire day.  the people watching is fantastic (especially if you go outside the gates a bit further down), and remember: topless sunbathing is allowed everywhere in austin.
sun bathing at austin's barton springs, with a token guitar player in the background

sun bathing at austin’s barton springs, with a token guitar player in the background

  • balmorhea springs, balmorhea, texas – so, this one is…remote.  we stumbled upon this gem during a trip to marfa in far west texas, and it is definitely worth a stop.  these springs have the clearest water i’ve ever seen, and are located at balmorhea state park.  for $7, you can enter the springs, swim for awhile, and enjoy the grounds.  there are campgrounds and cabins onsite, and it seems to be a favorite among kids.  this would be a perfect stop during a tour of west texas that could include a couple of nights in marfa, a stop in alpine, a drive through big bend with a stop at terlingua (home of the texas chili festival), and a visit to the mcdonald observatory (see more of my thoughts on that here).
mountains in the background at balmorhea springs

mountains in the background at balmorhea springs

the next step is to find some swimming holes closer to home around dallas – do you have any favorites in your part of the world?

rushing grass-filled stream at balmorhea springs

rushing grass-filled stream at balmorhea springs in west texas

my jaunts: marfa, texas

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shortly after i started dating parker (now my husband), he mentioned wanting to travel to a small town in far west texas, marfa. i had never heared of marfa and, after looking it up on a map, realized it was pretty much in the middle of nowhere (over two hours from the nearest cities of el paso or midland/odessa). parker had read about it in texas monthly, and mentioned it was known for its modern art scene. hmmm…modern art in west texas? i was thinking more like ranchers from edna ferber’s giant (side note: the movie based on the book was filmed in marfa- it was the last movie james dean filmed before his death).

we went for three nights, and it was one of the quirkiest and coolest trips i have ever taken. we ate marfalafal at the food shark food truck (before food trucks were cool), where they gave me change in the form of a two dollar bill, a dollar piece, and a fifty cent piece (so whimsical, as my friend tara would later describe it). we strolled through the tiny downtown, with its art galleries (a warhol exhibit comes to mind), a light-filled library, and hipster bikes leaning against buildings (no locks, no crime). at night we stayed at the thunderbird hotel, a hipster haven where we rented bikes, a typewriter, and a record player.

donald judd’s chinati foundation is located in marfa, and we spent over a day touring the facilities and seeing the many exhibits spread over acres of the flat west texas land. we spoke with interns who had moved to marfa for the summer, and learned how they liked the tiny town (loved it), where they went shopping (online or in nearby alpine for the closest grocery store), and what the neighboring ranchers thought of the neon light installations (amused).

east of town, there is a strange phenomenon called the marfa lights. at a rest stop off the highway, you can park at night and look out over the flat land and see twinkling lights at the horizon. many people have speculated as to what they are, but the lights (and their origin) remain a mystery, with UFOs being the prevailing idea. somewhat spooky (ok, i was entirely freaked out), but seemingly in step with the rest of the town’s eccentric vibe. check it out.

who should go: modern art lovers, hipsters, texans
what to read: giant by edna ferber
what to watch: no country for old men and there will be blood, both partly filmed in marfa
the surrounding area: drive south to the border and head east along the rio grande through big bend national park. stop for a drink at boathouse in terlingua, a ghost town with a high hippie population and home to a texas-sized chili festival. head north from marfa for a night spent watching the stars at the university of texas’ mcdonald observatory, or swim in the natural (and freakishly clear) springs in balmorhea.