Here are some things I like about camping:
- Spreading out and enjoying some privacy in the great outdoors
- Drinking beer
- Staying up late with friends after the kids have gone to sleep
Here are some things you CANNOT do at Buescher State Park:
- Spread out and enjoy any real privacy in the great outdoors
- Drink beer
- Stay up late with friends after the kids have gone to sleep
Seriously. This place was a total downer.
We decided last week that the weather and timing was right for camping, so we planned an overnight trip with our BCF (Best Couple Friends) Wally and Leigh and their kids. [begin understatement] Leigh and I aren’t big campers [end understatement] and have individual agreements in place with the men that if they want us to camp with them, they’re required to do all the heavy lifting and, well, WORK in general. (This could possibly be considered an anti-feminist move but let me clarify: It’s not about man vs. woman so much as “person who likes camping” vs. “person who thinks camping is a bunch of unnecessary, crappy work” thing. I do not discriminate against anyone who wants to pack up my car, unpack it, put up the tent, and grill sausages for me.)
Turns out, there’s this silly thing called a burn ban going on throughout Central Texas right now, and finding a place to camp where we could have a fire was a bit of a challenge. Since campfire s’mores are a dealbreaker for us, the menfolk searched until they found a spot that would allow fire – which is how we wound up at Buescher State Park, located off of FM 153 in Smithville and about an hour’s drive from home. Which was fine. But then we got there and had to reserve a campsite (can’t just pick your own spot) and followed the map to a tight cul-de-sac of campsites, where our closest (and I mean SUPER CLOSE) neighbors were a group of 10 or so twenty-somethings with no kids, no dogs, basically nothing but tents. Of course, WE showed up with three kids, three dogs, and a bunch of beer (which is prohibited in the park) – not sure they were too thrilled to see us.
I don't know if you can see it, but there was a *slight* disparity in the sizes of our tents (not a euphemism)
There were some pretty cool things about the park itself. For starters, the facilities were AWESOME. Great bathrooms with roomy showers, which were really close to the campsites (are you getting the “close” theme here?). And lots of stuff to do – fishing, two large playgrounds with playscapes, hiking trails, etc. Also, the park is obviously well-kept and safe. All pluses.
Happy Campers, hamming it up for the camera
BUT. A few things.
- Dogs are required to be leashed, which I understand given the close quarters, but we didn’t expect it and showed up with our wiener dog Napoleon in tow, sans leash. Napoleon doesn’t like leashes and has the Jaws of Life so he bites through them in (literally) two bites. We tried tying some rope to his collar but every time we turned around there he was, with a little nub of rope hanging from his collar and a really proud look on his face.
By the end of the trip he had a necklace of nubs. Kind of like in Vietnam when those guys would string up the ears of their kills.
- Did I mention that public consumption of alcohol is prohibited? This means NO BEER. In case you were confused. (We sure as hell were.)
- There was an unusually strong park ranger presence out there, which I guess is a good thing for safety’s sake but kind of sucks when you have (1) a dog who likes to chew through his leash and (2) BEER.
- After we put the kids to bed, we sat around the campfire drinking… wait for it… BEER, and talking. Just before 10 pm, the park ranger came by and told us it was time to “quiet down.” We weren’t exactly sure what that meant so we continued talking and about an hour later Ranger McNofun showed up again and gave us our “third and final warning.” We’re not exactly sure when the second warning happened (could we have drunk THAT much beer? well, yes –yes we could) or the first one either, for that matter. And it’s not like we were shouting at each other and dancing naked around the fire — we were sitting in chairs, by the fire, talking. You know — CAMPING.
Maybe this kind of Big Brother camping experience works for other people, but it just was NOT our thing. Next time we’ll hit good ole Muleshoe or some other park where we can choose our own site, let the dogs roam around a little and drink our beer in peace. With all that said, though, it should be noted that the kids had a fabulous time. They played track ball and some kind of kids’ precursor to beer pong, fished, climbed on stuff, roasted marshmallows and slept like babies. Wally and Leigh’s oldest created the most spectacular camping hors d’oerves I’ve ever seen.
A cheese puff bonded to a piece of cheese by squeeze cheese. This child is a genius.
And there was a paved driveway, which allowed my husband to attempt “skateboard skiing” and led to this video, which I can watch over and over and over again and never get tired of:
(note illegally freed wiener dog)
So the weekend wasn’t a total wash.
Glad you had fun, but dude, that is seriously a lot of rules. That video is awesome & totally something my husband would try. This blog is great, I’ve never been to Texas and now I want to visit Austin.
Snirk. I loathe camping with a passion. In fact, my key ring says “I love not camping.” I, like you, am married to a guy who loves to camping. It’s pretty much his favorite thing to do.
But I think he’d disapprove all the rules you had at Buescher.
For starters, where DO you camp? It’s evident you’ve never been to a state park before. They all have the same basic rules, as do most private parks including (but not limited to): No public consumption of alcohol, quiet time between 10pm-7 or 8am, and pets must be on a leash.
This was the first time we’ve stayed at this State Park, and LOVED it. Our particular campsite was secluded from the others (#22), & had a beautiful view of the lake. Admittedly, this may be considered the nicest site at the park. It does stink that you can’t book a particular site ahead of time. If that were the case, some of the better spots would never be available for all to enjoy. However, we did scope out the rest of the park, but each site with some exceptions aren’t nearly as close as you seem to imply. Most sites are several yards away from one another, and offer a decent amount of seclusion. I myself prefer to be close to the bath house. Less walking in the morning, and easier on the little ones, come “potty time.”
“No public consumption of alcohol” is translated to mean you keep it in an undisclosed container (plastic, or beer koozie), drink only in your site, and don’t become obviously intoxicated. The key word to all of this is OBVIOUSLY. As long as it’s not obvious to everyone you’re drinking, nobody cares, including the park rangers. All this is in sticking with a “wholesome” family atmosphere. You can drink in your tent, or keep it on the “down low” when you’re drinking in your own campsite. And yes, we did enjoy a drink or two while we were there ourselves with no problem.
Quiet time is after 10pm…that means, keep the noise down, including excessively loud talking and/or laughing. I can hear my neighbors in my OWN backyard at home with the doors closed. Imagine what your neighbors are feeling when they’re camping neighbors are keeping them awake by excessive noise next door. It’s all about common sense, courtesy, & respect. We stayed up talking well after 11pm, sitting around the campfire, enjoying each other’s company as well as just enjoying the evening. We had both our dogs with us. Nobody said a “peep” to us. But, we were keeping the noise level down, weren’t playing music, and being, in general, courteous of others.
Pets must be on a leash. This one ticks me off more than anything when owners do not have their animals on a leash. We travel with two dachshunds (one mini, one full size) just about every time we travel. Anytime they go out, they’re on a leash, PERIOD. I would not expect other people to be happy if MY dogs decided to out of the blue attack their dog and/or family member, even though every indication would be to me that they would “never do such a thing.” Come on…they’re animals. Use your brain here. If nothing else, do it for your OWN dog’s own protection against others who choose to be so careless with their animals. If your dog chews on his leash, leave him at home, or try a harness. I have yet to come across a park that does not require their animals to be on a leash at all times. Even in the city, if your dog is outside of your house or yard, it is expected to be on a leash. Why would a state park be any different?
If you don’t enjoy “camping,” then I would recommend renting one of their cabins. You may feel more at home. They have two bunks, a table, a mini fridge, a long counter, a microwave, and an outside bbq pit. The deck area, overlooking the lake, is the nicest part about it. They also have “AC”/”Heat” to boot. They’re reasonably priced ($65-$75 per night), and the $75 cabins, you can also bring your tent, or small camper, too, for your friends. Nothing beats the view. You do need to bring your own linens, though.
Of all the parks we’ve been to (admittedly, most private), this has been BY FAR one of our absolute favorites, and we would not hesitate to recommend it to any of our family and friends. We can’t wait to get a chance to return. Our original destination was Bastrop Park. Since it was full, we found Beuscher State Park. Originally, because it was close to Bastrop is why we chose this destination. After visiting, we feel it is far superior to that of Bastrop State Park.