Camp Out at Guadeloupe River State Park

Pack Camp Out

24-28 June 2009

Seven families traveled to Guadeloupe River State Park near New Braunfels Wednesday to enjoy a long weekend of fun and scouting. The pack paid for the camp site and dinners for all the families. In addition, boys who worked at least two hours at the link sale fundraiser in May earned all their tickets for this trip, or the entrance fee for Sabine District's Day Camp.

Although the temperature was blazing (the average high was 102F and low was 78F, the families found creative ways to stay cool. Although the most popular was to go play in the river a short walk from the camp site, this was only effective until dark. Because we had sites with electric and water hook-up, everyone used a fan to keep cool at night except for the Guidry's, who brought a window unit A/C.

The park rangers warned us about the 25-pound raccoons when we checked in - dextrous critters that can take the bungee cord off an ice chest and get into your food. Put your food in your car, they warned. The first night we found out they were right as they cleaned up a few scraps that were left out and then climbed to knock down our trash bag.

On Thursday, everybody travelled into New Braunfels for a day of fun at Schlitterbahn, where we rode the new Congo River ride, and many other water slides and inner tube rides throughout the old and new park. Exhausted when the park closed at 8 p.m., we all stopped at Subway on the way back to the camp site.

On Friday we slept off the big first day and got a very late start. We visited the Exotic Animal World and Snake Farm and got to see the video of Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe cleaning the snake pit and the alligator pond. Following lunch we visited Natural Bridge Caverns, where many scouts got to see stalactites and stalagmites for the first time. Bats once lived in these caves, but much to the parents relief and kids disappointment all that remained were some stains. Though it was still warm inside the caves, it was 20 cooler than outside.

Saturday we changed plans and went to visit The Alamo in San Antonio. Off to an early start for once, we beat the crowd and walked through this shrine to Texas heroes. Volunteers dressed in period costume told stories of the battle and we even saw a short film. We then went to lunch on the Riverwalk. After that, though we planned to visit the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the kids talked most of the parents into heading back to the camp site and cooling off in the river. (They were easy to convince.) Two scouts and one sibling did earn Junior Ranger at the National Park.

Sunday morning we broke camp, then relaxed in the river a while before heading home, exhausted but satisfied.