I recently moved to Austin Texas from San Francisco California for school. Being new to a city is a pretty exciting thing. There is nothing I love more than experiencing new things and exploring new places. One of my favorite parts about Austin (besides the music scene) is how active and outdoorsy it is. Especially since my roommate and I just got a baby golden retriever, Riley. Although there is nothing better then having a puppy in the house, puppies tend to have A LOT of energy. To try and get some of this puppy energy out, over the past few weeks my roommate and I have been discovering new dog friendly parks in the area. Out of all the parks we have gone to so far, Red Bud Isle Park has been my absolute favorite.
Red Bud Isle is an enchanting island along Town Lake, right below Tom Miller dam. To get to the park you have to drive over a small bridge that has the dam on one side then the lake on the other. Eventually you come across the park and turn left where there is a little parking lot for guests. The best part about this place is that its free and you can stay as long as you want. Right when you get there, there is a big open space for dogs to play. But off to the side is where the trail to the peninsula begins. Along the trail there are several little paths that will take you right to the lake, where many fisherman and kayakers like to hangout. Because it is a dog friendly park I usually always go with Riley. But because Riley can be a little distracting, I decided to go alone so I could really focus on nature and the things around me.
“ Our ability to perceive quality in nature, begins, as in art, with the pretty” -Aldo Leopold
It was a gorgeous 81 degree Wednesday afternoon in January when I went to Red Bud, nothing but blue skies. I couldn’t believe the weather (People were sure right when they told me that Austin tends to have all seasons in one week).Because of the nice weather, the park was packed with people and their dogs. Dogs were swimming in the lake, chasing each other through the trees, Great-Tailed Grackles were singing, people were laughing, all enjoying this beautiful day.
Even though it felt like a warm summer day, everything else still looked like winter. As I walked along the path there was still a lack of color, the Eastern Cotton wood, Red Bud, and Live Oak trees were bare, crumpled dried up leaves lied on the dusty ground and bunches of mistletoe sat in the empty branches. But because of all the bare trees the Lakes blue green color sparkled through the naked branches.
After walking along the path for a little I eventually wondered off onto one of the secret paths. At the end of the path there was a big Log with moss growing on it. Quercus Stellata trees and Carolina Buckthorn surrounded my own private oasis. Just to top off this incredible spot I found, huge Cyprus trees that had grown along the banks of the lake.
