HAPPY CAMPERS By Devin Greaney, Freelance Writer,

HAPPY CAMPERS. Published in SOUTH TEXAS HEALTH AND FITNESS, September, 2002

Solitude.

That’s the feeling walking through Lost Maples State Natural Area in the the Texas Hill Country. Even in the height of the summer travel season once one leaves the main camping area and walks through the park surrounded by high cliffs, seldom is seen another human being.

The cliffs keep out the rest of the world. No cell phones, TV or FM radio signals enter into the park. At night in the primitive camping areas the sounds of wind, crickets and cicadas but no human sounds let someone believe he or she is the only person on earth. For those lovers of biology and geography, a visitors center explains how the Sabinal River gave Texans a forest of maples in an area better known for live oak and juniper.

About 30 miles away Garner State Park brings also brings in people who enjoy the Texas Hill Country, but other sounds are heard.

At Garner and Lost Maples, the natural wonder of the Texas Hill Country abound. They are both nirvana for bird watchers who sometimes come in from other countries to see where birds from the Eastern and Western US cross flight paths. The two places are also just a county apart but the resemblance ends there, especially when it comes to camping. Swimming, miniature golf, dances, tennis courts, basketball, paddle boats and a rock climbing wall give Garner a theme park atmosphere. The five hundred or so campsites are almost always filled during the summer, according to park ranger Frank RobertsThe park in 2000-2001 had more than ten times the campers of Lost Maples, even though it is 2/3 rds the size. More activities, more campers and fewer feet between them.

In the Texas Hill Country alone there are twenty one state parks, natural areas and historic sites. In addition the area has numerous county parks and private campgrounds. But diverse ways of camping, be it “hard” or “soft” shows up at the two parks. Visitors provide different viewpoints as to what constitutes “outdoors.”

Early this year, Sage Kawecki left Austin for a town less than 1/ 10,000th the size to serve as executive director for the Texas Hill Country River Region, Uvalde County’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. When marketing the area to potential visitors she sees different expectations in different people. “The number one reason people come here is to experience nature,” Kawecki said. What kind of nature is of up to the visitor. Generally speaking she said her agency markets “hard” camping to the professional with a high stress job traveling alone or with other adults. They wants to leave the urban pressure cooker behind. “Soft” camping usually appeals to families. A five year old may not be up to walking a mile to a campsite and when diapers are thrown into the equation, packing ones trash out is much easier said than done.

SAGE KAWECKI PREFERS GETTING BACK TO NATURE
A tent or an RV? Both sleep people in the great outdoors. Do you fall asleep to the sounds of frogs or Conan O’brian fed in from a satellite dish? Is bird watching or people watching a bigger draw?

Kawecki is one of those “hard” campers. Even after a couple decades removed from her Girl Scout days she still looks the part. Outdoors is her passion and has spent days in a row away from human contact. “My mind is very clear after about three days alone. I’m at one with the wilderness... It’s a good way to resolve issues of the heart like should I change jobs or should I stay in a relationship,” she said.

Greg Booth and some other parents brought in a group of teenage girls from the Mormon Church in San Antonio. The group backpacked 3.8 miles of rocky trails through Lost Maples to camp along Can Creek. Aside from this reporter, they were the only campers in any of the primitive campsites at Lost Maples.

“What we are trying to do is to find a little more rugged experience,” Booth said as the youth group was getting up for breakfast. The girls will join the less experienced group for some softer camping the rest of the week. Booth said they were after “trying to challenge yourself to hike with all the stuff on your back.” he said.

When asked about her experience, Ashley Montoya liked all but one aspect. “I’m fine with roughing it. It’s just the ticks dig into my skin. I can’t stand things burrowing into my skin,” she said.

At he same time back at Garner, a travel trailer, storage trailer, pickup, dune buggy, yard chairs, Astroturf , patio lights and a Harley Davidson Motorcycle was camping gear for Gary and Judy Smith of Round Rock along with their dogs Scarlet and Demi. The Smiths were happy to show off their trailer complete with beds, a CD player a shower and “you’ve never seen a Harley Davidson commode before” said Gary Smith showing off indoor pluming. The storage trailer serves as a walk in closet.

JUDY AND GARY SMITH ALSO ENJOY CAMPING, WITH A DIFFERENT KIND OF GEAR
Garner State Park is a tradition for the Smiths who have been showing up on the first Friday to the third Friday in June for the 28th year in a row. One time they considered breaking tradition according to Judy Smith, but the daughters would not have it. “My kids chose Garner over a cruise. There was no hesitation,” she said.

Differences in people sometimes cause people to look at themselves as better or their way as best. Solitude in the wilderness sounds deep, like someone should come back more fulfilled in life. Do soft campers fail to have a meaningful experience by surrounding themselves in creature comforts? Is camping with amenities close at hand no different than staying at a chain motel on the Interstate?

Ranger Frank Roberts, points out the experience at Garner is more than just an outdoor carnival. They give visitors nature, history and culture along with miniature golf. Dances at Garner have been going back to the days the Civilian Conservation Corps built the park in the 1930’s. Music on the jukebox in the dance hall dates from that CCC era to modern times, he said. Members of Gen Y find themselves dancing to the music of the World War II generation. Roberts and his staff puts on the Sunset Serenade, a show of cowboy songs, poetry and education. Unlike some of the larger shows around the state such as “Viva El Paso” in the city that bears its name or “Texas” in Palo Duro Canyon, this show is limited to 35 people. A hay ride takes the visitors to the canyon that serves as a backdrop to the show and Roberts becomes a singing cowboy as nighttime begins to take over the park. “To people who live in Texas we have a real pride in being Texans,” Roberts said. The show is aimed at the he “younger ones to have a real sense of identity”, he said.

The Smiths credit the Garner experience with growing up “two good girls,” Gary Smith said. “It’s mom and dad and two kids 24 hours a day seven days a week,” he said. Growing up he let the girls select their activities at the park as long as they stayed in the park and returned for dinner . He thinks it helped instill a sense of responsibility in the two girls, now women both with masters degrees who were brining the Smith’s grandchildren over later in the day.

Kimberly Tully of La Porte came over to the Smith’s motor home. This was her eleventh year at the park and she and her fifteen year-old son have become good friends of the Smith’s. They met at the park and during off seasons have attended each others family functions. The Smith’s have made many close friends over the years and like many of the campers, they all return the same time the following year.

ASHLEY (5) AND JESLEY (10) HERNANDEZ OF HOUSTON ENJOY THE FRIO RIVER AT GARNER
As for the hard campers, are they socially disconnected misanthropes who can’t deal with the human race? Of all of Kawecki’s backpacking stories (this writer received at least an hour’s worth), her best memories are of the people she has met on her excursions and she has faithfully kept a journal of her trips and the people.

Mark was a park ranger who captured rattlesnakes (professionally) in Utah, but ended up becoming a lawyer in Manhattan. She met the Tuckers and their friend Scott while camping in Arkansas and joined them for a nearby Renaissance Festival. There was Sara and her dog Sam from Kentucky who she met in Caprock Canyons, Texas. Carol from Arizona was a nature photographer and writer. “I correspond several times a week with Sara and Carol. Because we have so much in common I would say they are now among my best friends,” according to Kawecki.

There is an old philosophical question that asks if one person describes one thing does the other visualize the same concept? For example, does the words like “love,” “happiness” and “freedom” mean the same thing to two different people? “Outdoors” is not one of those concepts that is regarded as vague and hard to pin down. But from bivouacking to a Winebago, to all points in between, “outdoors” has different meanings. However the concepts of fresh air, scenery, making friends and learning a bit about life are not exclusive to anyone willing to leave their four walls.