Garner State Park is about an hour and a half outside of San Antonio and was Little Man's pick for a last minute weekend camping trip.
We left Houston around 5pm on Friday night and decided to spend the night at the Holiday Inn Express in Uvalde. We made it into town around 11:30pm. That included a stop for gas and dinner.
Saturday morning after breakfast at the hotel and a quick trip to H-E-B to gather up food we made the hour drive from Uvalde to the park. When we arrived we were informed they had just sold out of sites. No lodging in the park available whatsoever. Next time we know that we need to reserve several months in advance.
We decide to make the most of the park and trekked off to explore the White Rock Cave and followed it up with the Old Baldy hike. The steep climb of Old Baldy had breathtaking views while White Rock Cave provided Little Man with about a half hour of fun and a good excuse to use his flashlight.
Getting to the top of Old Baldy was exhilarating as we made it to the highest point of our hiking outing. We stayed at the top of the mountain for about an hour and took in the sights. One thing we did note was how the campsites are on top of each other. I wish they had more space between them but being the most popular state park in Texas I understand why they cram in as many people as possible.
Hiking worked up quite an appetite and since we were not prepared forgetting camping utensils and not having an actual site we decide on giving the Garner Grill a try. The burgers were too fatty to enjoy and the sweet tea tasted awful. It was expensive so it was disappointing I didn't enjoy it as much.
After lunch we did the miniature golf course which is $2 per kid and $5 per adult. Each hole looked about the same with no real course change but we still had fun. Little Man even sunk his first hole-in-one. He also had an accident at hole 16 walking into the metal sign giving himself a bruise in the middle of his forehead.
It was not warm enough for a dip in the Frio River so we attempted to rent a paddle boat but arrived as they were closing. Little Man was bummed. We sat along the riverbed instead listening to the sounds of the river. I cannot believe how clear the water is. It's a really beautiful river.
It was about an hour til sunset so we decided to call it a day since we didn't have a campsite and no cancellations came available for us. We debated on spending the night in San Antonio and spending Sunday there but instead decided on making the drive all the way back home to Houston. We made it home a little after 2am, unloaded the car, and passed out.
I woke up this morning tired and sore. Muscles are sore that obviously never get used and I'm ready for a nap this afternoon. We thoroughly enjoyed our time outside and cannot wait to go back. Garner State Park is something everyone should experience from it's cold crystal waters to Old Baldy and the amazing Hill Country scenery. One day was not enough.
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