Adventures with BeeGee

Spontaneous Trip to Watch the Super Blue Blood Moon Having finally comprehended the rarity of the upcoming Super Blue Blood Moon, I decided to plan a quick overnight camping trip. I quickly looked at a light pollution map to locate the nearest state park with a low level of light pollution. My 2 best options were Enchanted Rock State Park and Colorado Bend State Park. I went with Colorado Bend because BeeGee is allowed every in the park (unlike Enchanted Rock), and I knew BeeGee wanted to see a crazy r are moon event. Super Blue Blood Moon at Colorado Bend State Park Background Info : Colorado Bend State Park is 5,328.3 acres in the Texas hill country and contains springs, caves, trails, sinkholes, and a river. If you want to bring a pet (aka your best bud), they are allowed as well on leash. Address : 2236 Park Hill Dr, Bend, TX 76824 Admission Cost : $5 entrance fee; $10-15 for campsites Difficulty : Easy to strenuous Getting Ready I called the Colorado Bend P...

Adventures with BeeGee’s First Patreon Hiking Trip We just went on our first Adventures with BeeGee monthly hike with supporter Linda! The trip was short, but fun nonetheless, and know we know what a cool location Pace Bend is. A rough patch of Lake Travis shoreline Background Info : Pace Bend Park is a Travis County Park and sits on the shores of Lake Travis. The park has 9 miles of lake shoreline, limestone cliffs, rocky alcoves, and over 15 miles of multi-use trails. If you want to bring a pet (aka your best bud), they are allowed as well on leash. Address : 2011 Pace Bend Rd N, Spicewood, TX 78669 Admission Cost : $10 per vehicle; $15 per night; $20 for RVs Difficulty : Easy to intermediate Map of Pace Bend Park The Drive Out Pace Bend Park is about 1 hour from North Austin, and the drive takes you through the gorgeous Texas Hill Country. If you enjoy a swerving, up, and down road then the trip will be a blast. If you get car sick easy, plan your route care...

Long-Term Review of the REI Elements Rain Jacket I purchased this jacket in 2012 for a trip to Peru and have used it many times on the trail or on rainy days when I need to take the dogs out for a potty break. The REI Elements Rain Jacket, now known as the REI Ultra-Light Jacket , is a lightweight, 2.5-layer, waterproof, breathable, coated shell that weighs 16 ounces. The jacket works great as a rain jacket, wind jacket, or for warmth as an outer layer. Wearing my REI Elements Rain Jacket on a rainy day in Peru Construction The Elements Rain Jacket is made of diamond-ripstop nylon and is waterproof, breathable, and windproof up to 60 mph. The seams are sealed, the zipper features a bonded placket with securing snaps, and the shell is DWR coated. Additionally, the jacket features 2-way stretch for enhanced comfort and multiple pockets for easy access to your equipment. Another set of nice features is the design to help keep heat in: the hood is fully adjustable (i...

Crowded Car Camping at Garner State Park Angela, BeeGee, Jack and I were all able to get 2 days off at the same time and we decided we needed to take a trip somewhere. Since it has just begun cooling off in Texas and the promise of Halley’s Comet, there was a shortage of available campsites around the state. Thankfully, we found a few spots at Garner State Park. Angela, BeeGee, and Jarrett posing on a huge rock on the Blinn River Trail The Background Location: 234 RR 1050, Concan, TX 78838 Admission: $8 per adult, Children under 12 are free; $15+ for campsites Elevation: 1320 to 1890 ft. Weather:  Sunny, humid, low 80s Difficulty: Easy to strenuous Website: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/palmetto Garner State Park - Day 1 We had a later start than preferred but, we hustled out to the hill country as quick as we could. Making good time, we made it with plenty of time to set up the tent, realize we forgot the water, and found a backup wat...

Michelle's Big Adventure in Mexico City Hi everyone! My name is Michelle and I am Linda’s youngest sister. I am a Spanish teacher in East Texas and this summer I was able to go on vacation with my best friend Raquel who is also a Spanish Teacher. We decided to travel to Mexico City in August for about a week. Jarrett has asked me to write about my trip, so here it goes! Mexico City - Day 1 We arrived in Mexico City at about 10 am on Tuesday. On our way to the airbnb is when we first noticed the crazy amount of traffic that is found in Mexico City. Once we dropped off our bags, we went to a coffee shop that a friend wanted us to try. I did not have the coffee, but my friend seemed to greatly enjoy it. After this we decided to get some groceries in order to be able to eat at home and save some money, I mean we are on a teacher's budget after all. This was THE LONGEST grocery trip EVER! It took us about an hour and a half to get to a Walmart because the Traffic...

Lessons Learned During Hurricane Harvey I recently volunteered to assist in Texas areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. I was with a team that began with high water rescues and searching houses for survivors. We quickly transitioned to handing out life-sustaining supplies at distribution points. Along the way, I learned valuable lessons as a first responder and some of those could be beneficial for impacted area survivors. Flipped semi-truck at a distribution point Power With food, water, and shelter provided, I quickly realized power was going to be one of the biggest issues. I had a personal, work, and satellite phone, to receive calls from various people and agencies in support of our mission to help locals. The catch, we were in areas with no power or areas with so many people hooked up to the grid there wasn’t enough power to go around.  Thankfully, I took an amazing combination for keeping my communication equipment powered up. I have a StrongVolt 5W solar p...

Guest Post: Adventuring with Mitsu Meet Mitsu: An adorable, twenty-three-pound, one-eyed Shiba Inu who specializes in being a drama queen and acts like the biggest diva around. Her cute appearance may lead you to believe that she is a house dog first and foremost, but behind that fox-like appearance is a hunter who hasn't lost touch with her primitive roots.  Every morning we follow the same routine: she jumps down from the cozy bed where she curled up in luxury and comfort all night. She lets me put on her pink collar and harness her for a walk. We go outside, she takes her sweet time to walk the pavement to the grass, and then we approach the woods for our morning hike.  As soon as we head down one of the trails, Mitsu grows increasingly energetic. She starts to smell the air and listen to every crunching leaf and snapped branch. She picks up her pace and responds immediately to every sign of movement. If she can, she pounces at moles and mice, tackle...