Up the Enchanted Rock

"Good news ! I climbed all the way up the Enchanted Rock and it was really fun."

Climbing Enchanted Rock !

This page in our son's kindergarten journal amused us. In his class, they used to write in a journal every Monday, capturing the best activity from the previous weekend. Choosing the visit to Enchanted Rock over his fun birthday party at Chuck E Cheese's, speaks volumes about the place. The sense of achievement he must have felt on climbing up the rock made him jot this down as a wonderful memory.

Located a little over an hour away from our house in Austin, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is a part of Texas State Park system. The massive pink granite dome, referred to as the Enchanted Rock, is visible from miles away. Though there are many legends about why it is named so, the appearance of this huge batholith amidst the vast greenery is enough to make the visitors feel enchanted.

Enchanted Visitors

Enchanted Rock

Among the numerous trails, the one that goes to the summit is the most popular. As we neared the park entrance, we could see colorful specks all over the huge rock. These were people going up and down the summit trail.

On the Summit Trail  !

Up we go ..

As we climbed up, it was great to look back and see the cars in the parking lot get smaller and smaller. With sweeping green vistas of Hill Country, the trail to the summit was a steady climb. The descent was the harder part putting more stress on the leg muscles. All of us, including my brother and sister-in-law who were visiting, enjoyed this pleasant hike on the warm winter day.

At the top !

A few months later, when my parents visited, we decided not to go on the summit trail, considering my dad's knee condition and my mom's susceptibility to wheezing. If at all we visited, we thought we could take other trails around the rock. After couple of weekends of active hiking on numerous trails in and around Austin, they felt ready to head up the Enchanted Rock. It was August, the peak of hot Texas summer. We had to visit early before the heat made the bare rocky landscape intolerable.

Here we come ..

Almost there ..

With ample breaks, my parents made it to the top and back without any setbacks. The kids were faster and enjoyed playing in the cool shade of a tree as they waited.

Hand in hand ...

Yay! We made it !

Welcome to Fredericksburg

When we reached the base, our son asked "When are more people going to visit us? We can bring them here!". To complement his invitation, we now have the perfect place paired with this hike! The quaint German town of Fredericksburg, with its laid-back, take-it-easy attitude, is an excellent stopover for food and shopping. Even in the hottest summer afternoons, the awnings that line the main street provide shade and make it a cool place to walk around. A delectable lunch followed by a walk among shops filled with antiques and other trivia adds to the enchanting experience.

After a hearty meal at Auslander restaurant

Shaded paths for better window shopping

And benches for tired feet

To sit back and read interesting facts ;)

So, who will be next to try this fine "hike and food" pairing?