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Racing, and attending track at events, isn’t cheap. Instructing helps cut cost, but I don’t do it often. I work overtime, and on my free time, it’s making stickers, or working on my car. There are times where you take time for yourself, and relax. My wife, and I schedules aligned which gave us a couple days off together. Perfect timing to go out together.
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Growing up in Austin, I was close to the Texas hill country. I have driven the country roads and even explored some parts of the Texas overlanding route in the Land Cruiser 3 years ago. But never camped.
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January weather in the hill country is chilly during the night. During the day it gets to a pleasant 65F and down to 30F at night. My wife and I are not into the cold, but Lambo loves this kind of weather. Texas hill country is vast, with pleasant views, but majority of it is private land. You have to ask permission from the land owners if it is okay to camp.
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I used this app called HipCamp to find a camping spot. The app is like AirBnb, spots ranging from glamping, RV sites, down to bare bones primitive camping. They very in prices depending how well equipped you want your camping spot and location. We did primitive camping, because it’s most secluded from the crowds, nicer views, and cheaper then the other options.
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Taking the main roads from Houston to the camping spot was about 4 hrs. We took the back country dirt roads, which added an 1hr to the drive. We didn’t mind. The views less traveled is often the better view. Drove through limestone hills, passed small river crossings, and the occasional livestock along the side of the trail. It rained couple days ago, and some parts of the trail was muddy. The Land Cruiser went though it with ease. The main thing when taking the back roads, is not crossing though private property. Their are signs littered all around, marking private property. So make sure you read the posted signs, and stay on the main dirt road.
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We continued to drive though the dirt road and saw the marked entrance to the campsite. We continued on and the eventually lead to the fire pit marking the campsite. We reached our camping spot, with couple of hours daylight left.
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We set up camp, and I started the campfire. We kept dinner simple with instant noodles, which was perfect for the cold night. As temperatures continued to drop, the campfire and whiskey kept us warm.
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Eventually the fire started to die down, and was time to sleep. Away from the warmth of the campfire, we noticed how cold it got. I recently got a nice wool blanket from work, and what a perfect time to test it out. The cold was soo cold that it wasn’t enough. Learning from past experiences, we came prepared. Ultimately we had 3 layers of blankets and wore our jacket. Lambo cuddled next to us, providing extra warmth.
The night sky was clear showing a starry night. Nadine and I reflected on our experiences in the past and plan on how to reach our goals this year.//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js
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The next day, the warm rays of the sun woke us up. The thing I also like about camping, besides the views, is it puts you in a circadian rhythm. You sleep when the sun goes down, and wake up when the sun rises. So refreshing and relaxing, and not having to look at the watch to wake up.
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People ask us often, how to do you use the bathroom? We have a portable toilet seat where you put a plastic bag to do your business. Then add kitty litter to the waste, and tie it up. All in the privacy of the green avocado tent. I rather to do that, then do my business in a public restroom, or port-a-potty.
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After doing the morning bathroom business it was time to pack up. Since we are in the hill country, it would be a shame if we didn’t get BBQ. We headed to Coopers Old Time BBQ in Llano, Tx. They open at 11am, but there was already a line when arrived at 11. The employees saw Lambo, and gave him some BBQ. He is soo food driven. Once you give him food, he will be your best friend. The BBQ was very good, haven’t had Texas BBQ for sometime now. I did miss it. We got extra, because we visited my parents before heading back to Houston.
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It was a short overnight camping trip but a much needed one. I track a lot and miss time from my wife and Lambo. I haven’t seen my parents for months even though we live 3 hours away. You have to balance that out, and spend time with your loved ones.
Natsukashi Garage 