Thanksgiving break provided for some family camping at Garner State Park near Utopia, Texas, with a side trip to Lost Maples State Natural Area. Though not quite Appalachia, it’s a far cry from Houston —

Boy likes to lead …

Cameraman lags behind …

You want colors? Get a load of them shirts!

Not bad … not bad a’tall.

Baby Girl follows the leader …

We were about a week or so beyond peak color …

“I remember that old Frio River where I learned to swim.
And it brings to mind another time where I wore my welcome thin.
My transcendental meditation, I go there each night,
But I always come back to myself long before daylight.” — George Strait

The Frio was accessible, just behind our camp sight, down a steep grade.

Frio’s hills silhouetted at sunset.

Old Baldy.

Old Baldy from one of the peaks (2,200 feet).

My kids referred to these as “hills” till they had to climb them.

Blue skies are, even in Houston, typical …

… as is scraggly.

Hiking around the parks I couldn’t help but remember all those cowboy movies I watched while growing up.

Looking down into Crystal Cave …

Yikes! (Wait … that’s not Crystal Cave!)

Aha! There’s Crystal Cave’s uvula now …

Boy and I ascended from the darkness … fully expecting a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

But, normally Texas acts normally.

Baby Girl making a list of all the things for which she’s thankful, Thanksgiving day.

The kids had dubbed this rock formation “King Takatoka” — bested here by Master B.

These two were dubbed by the Camerman “Lewis & Clark.”

From mine to yours – Ta-ta for now!