A Family, A River, New Braunfels, TX

Family Time On A Floating River in New Braunfels, Texas

By Lorenzo Vigil, Adventure Traveler for Global One Magazine

PHOTO CREDIT: LORENZO VIGIL and MARY LOU SAUCEDO

One of the greatest joys in my life has always been to travel with my family. I love to watch my kids’ faces light up when they are having fun or when they see something new. On most of my trips I try to include them and have them participate in the many things that I enjoy and hopefully they continue to explore as they get older. I know the older they get, as all teenagers are, they will outgrow the family trips but maybe, just maybe, later they will still seek adventures on their own.

Every year we try to plan a trip for a week somewhere that we will have to cook outside and camp in tents. It is not for everyone... I know, but the part of getting close to nature doesn’t feel close enough in a camper/RV. We sit down and decide what part of the country were going to go and what we can afford. Do not think for a second that camping is cheap, because it's not. We own all our gear, and that not what I'm referring to. What I'm talking about are the camping fees, the food, the new river shoes, and don’t forget the booze to keep mom and dad happy so we don’t kill the kids. The menu is decided day by day ahead of time. It's not all hamburgers and hot dogs either. We get pretty creative and design a menu, so everyone has something that they choose so that they also feel special.

For this trip we chose to go to New Braunfels to float the river. For young and old this is a classic Texas destination. It's almost a rite of passage for some. There are certain things and places that you must participate in to be able to be called a “True Texan”. This one in particular includes of course, the river but also the float trip and everything that comes along with it. This means mostly bikinis, swim trunks, floating coolers, waterproof Bluetooth radios, and for the adults plenty of alcoholic refreshments, and that’s just while on the river. It’s so much fun.

Let's not get to ahead of ourselves, let's start at the beginning. We take this trip in July when the Texas heat is on maximum. It’s a time when you are bombarded with the sun's peak energy, and you feel like your skin is going to melt off. If you can't tell, I prefer the cold weather over the air fryer summers we have. We pack everything we think that we could use and more, but nevertheless we always forget something. I must add, some of the places that rent camping spots take advantage of people in the summer. What I mean by this is they over charge for simple things like ice and the things that you forget. Don’t forget to shop ahead of time because if you don’t EVERYTHING is way too expensive. I mean who charges $7.00 for a ten-pound bag of ice? I get it...it's all their income but still.

Campers Tricks

A little advice, Try to take four gallons of water in your cooler that you can completely freeze. #1 it will keep longer than small ice and #2 you'll have it to clean and to drink as it thaws. Here’s another camper's trick. The cheap over-the-door shoe organizer that you can get at a dollar store is a great organizer. From kitchen stuff, river shoes, sunglasses, phone cases etc., you'll wonder how you did without it.

So, with two of our kids and a niece in tow we head south for a week for some fun in the sun. We always stay at the same place, Camp Huaco Springs, because its clean, the grounds are immaculate, the mini store has what you need, and the noise has a time regulation. Every morning a golf cart drives around selling breakfast burritos and coffee. I honestly can't say enough good things about this camp. If you have small kids, they have an area not attached to the river that is a type of kiddie pool with a short lazy river. Parents can take shifts watching the little ones where they still feel like part of the excursion. Camp Huaco Springs facility has many options. You can be tent campers or supermax full RV in tow. They have something for everyone. They also offer rafting trips from this location. You can rent a tube and they will shuttle you upriver for full day and half day trips. I would recommend that you plan ahead and make reservations. This place fills up quick up because it’s a quality location.

The Small Things Mean A Lot

It's imperative to find a place that has clean showers and I found that this property is well maintained. Trust me, it took a while for us to find the right place. We’ve stayed in some places that the bathrooms were so dirty that the smell was apparent before entering. The showers were never cleaned and to make it worse they charged you to get in. The small things mean that much more when you’re not in your own home.

Take Your Time Before Getting Into The Water

Arriving at the camp and setting up our home away from home always takes a few hours. We are not the type to pitch a tent and rush into the water. We take our time and put everything in its place. With the heat though I did go jump in to cool off to keep from melting. We use a tenman three room tent because it gives us plenty of room to move around. No one wants to be on top of anyone else when its 80 degrees at night and just a fan to move air...no people there is not air conditioners in a tent. So, we use queen air beds with just a sheet over the top to stay cool at night. I also take a full-size gas grill; it makes cooking easy!

Allow Your Children To Help… It’s Great For Their Knowledge

I must also add that our kids are old enough and have set up camp enough that they MUST help set up. My 13-year-old son, Lorenzo, being in his third year of scouts does not need help setting up, neither does my 11-year-old daughter Izabella. My niece Sunny needed some direction but was always willing to lend a hand. When we announce camping for a week some kids might be upset with the idea of being away from their WIFI, PlayStation, and cell phones...but not our kids. It is answered with joyous exclamations of happiness! All our kids are like fish they are avid swimmers, however, just to be extra safe with invisible underwater obstacles we always mandate a lifejacket rule on the water. Is it overkill? Maybe, but better safe than sorry!

Now It’s Time To Relax

After the drive, checking in, and set up, its late afternoon. Kids are fed and playing, it's time to grab a camp chair and sit halfway in the water with a cocktail and relax. The afternoons are filled with music from every genre and the smell of every type of food cooking on BBQs. Kids play at the water's edge or in tubes as the parents unwind trying to forget about paying bills, work, the city commute, or just adulting in general.

The Environment Is Easy and Pleasant

One of the many things I thoroughly enjoy about this location is the environment. You drive north northwest coming out of New Braunfels on river road. It’s part of the Texas Hill Country. The roadside is covered in green fields, dotted with wildlife, and highlighted with cows lumbering under the thick cedar trees that are attempting to cool off in the shade. You get to the last turn at the convenient store and the terrain starts to rise and drop sharply into a narrow canyon. This is my favorite part; it blocks the cell signal. You’re in Texas and you know you’re a few miles from big chain stores, but you feel miles away from the city.

As the sun drops the canyon gets dark pretty fast, kids are called in from the water, and dinner is started. This is not one of those augh I have to cook type of days. Everyone is happy and enjoying the days end. We’re listening to music giving out snacks before we eat, and everyone is happy. In the distance we can see and hear one of the campsites has set up a full DJ system with lights and a lot of adults have gravitated to the party. We finish with dinner stay up till the lights and music are turned off at 11pm and then we retire for the evening.

A Few More Tips

Day two begins with a full big breakfast. Eggs, bacon, potatoes, pancakes, juice, and coffee. Feed the hoard good now they will not be bugging through the day. Everyone eats, everyone cleans, and then off to enjoy the water. We bring our own tubes on the trip because it's cheaper, more convenient, and the kids all stay busy in the water. Rentals are available but for our needs it does not make sense to pay $20.00 a day per kid then trip fees. I paid $15.00 a tube and we own them. We use them all year at home when we are at the lake, so it's just makes sense as much as we are outside. We lock everything up that we don’t want to go missing and take a long walk with everyone carrying their own tube. The more rain before your trip the higher the river and the faster it runs. You don’t want it to be a drought year; you'll end up walking a lot carrying your tube over the low spots. So, we walk about ¾ of a mile up and float past our campsite to the “get out” spot which is about half a mile down river close to the end where everyone's most favorite spot is.

It’s Fun To Watch People

This is the spot where you can get out of your tube set it on the riverbank and scale a small cliff. Over the years they have cut in paths to climb up and walk up this 25-foot cliff where kids and adults alike get to test their fear of heights and jump from this rockface into the river. People float nearby watching the acrobats fly through the air some with perfect angelic landings, others that have painful torturous expressions as they immerse gasping for air after landing wrong on the water.

Kids Remember Their Adventures

The number of pictures of the beautiful landscape, kids smiling from ear to ear, and sheer utter happiness is astounding. Kids will never remember their best day gaming, but they will remember everyone chanting “jump, jump, jump” that one time they stood on the precipice of a cliff with 100 on lookers as they grabbed their nose and found the courage to jump into the water. That level of joy can only be found as you turn off the video game, grab some sunscreen, and go experience an adventure outside.

MORE ABOUT CAMP HUACO SPRINGS: Camp Huaco Springs is one of the largest and most beautiful campground facilities on the Guadalupe River. Located at the First Crossing on River Road, this 30-acre paradise has something for everyone with over a mile of riverfront sites. Located on the scenic River Road in New Braunfels, Texas. Our beautiful property has something for everyone, from primitive camping, electric camping, RV’s of any size and even cabins. The campground is nestled in the Texas Hill Country between San Antonio and Austin. In addition, we are located 3 miles from Historic Gruene, Texas. Camp Huaco Springs staff makes every effort to make your stay here the best camping experience you can imagine.

For More Information Contact: Camp Huaco Springs

www.camphuacosprings.com 4150 River Rd, New Braunfels, TX 78132 (830) 625-5411 75 RV · 49 Tent All year Swimming · Kayaking · Fishing · Canoeing · Boat Ramp