View Full Version : Tx/Strawn/4-26-14 (overnight)
Gimpy and I are going to head back out to Strawn for an overnight. We will be doing a little bit of hiking, but the trails are not well marked, so it might turn into more of an "exploring" event. Anytime I go through Strawn I have to stop at Mary's Cafe (some really good chicken fried steak....don't get the large unless you want to hurt). I plan to get to Mary's Cafe at around 11:30 on Saturday and from there head out to the park. We will roam around for a while until we find a decent place to set up and then head back in the early afternoon on Sunday. (if you don't want to eat at Mary's, we will plan to be at the park by 1230 (pending wait time at Mary's).
Here are the GPS cooridates that I came up with:
Lat: 32.533699
Long: -98.562384
Let me know if anyone is interested.
Caveman
FreedomVan
04-18-2014, 12:37
I might be in. Need to clear the weekend with the gf. I'm not familiar with Strawn, what's there? Are you talking about Possum Kingdom Lake?
Strawn is a small town (a bit south of PK). Not much there other than Mary's and a gas station. There is a lake (Tucker Lake) pretty much right there where we park the cars. Camped there last year and it was nice, but there was a guy with a generator at the main park, so I'm planning to try and get a little further away this time.
Link to the location:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=32.533699%20-98.562384&gbv=2&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
FreedomVan
04-18-2014, 13:54
Strawn is a small town (a bit south of PK). Not much there other than Mary's and a gas station. There is a lake (Tucker Lake) pretty much right there where we park the cars. Camped there last year and it was nice, but there was a guy with a generator at the main park, so I'm planning to try and get a little further away this time.
Link to the location:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=32.533699%20-98.562384&gbv=2&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
So is just public land or something? You can camp wherever you like? Sorry for my ignorance in this, I have no experience with TX camping. One of the reasons I've been so interested in LBJ is because I know you can camp wherever, but I know that to be true with Nat'l Forrests. Didn't know that there were other places in TX that you can do that.
ScottyDale
04-18-2014, 14:27
Sweet, sweet Mary's Cafe... Been hurt there a time or three also. I was also unaware of the camping/hiking possibilities there. May need to 'splore in May...
It is a future Texas State park. It was a huge city park. There isn't much there now. Trails vanish and such. There was a generator for an RV running, then a train rolls within a mile, every like hour. Hence maybe hiking out farther
FreedomVan
04-18-2014, 15:16
It is a future Texas State park. It was a huge city park. There isn't much there now. Trails vanish and such. There was a generator for an RV running, then a train rolls within a mile, every like hour. Hence maybe hiking out farther
:jj:
I checked out your blog... If you decide to come out, can I decide which car you bring?:jj:
I might tag along, Caveman. How's the water situation at Strawn? Should I plan on packing it in?
I'll be bringing some water. There's a lake right there, but I don't remember how hard it is to get to the water.
I might tag along, Caveman. How's the water situation at Strawn? Should I plan on packing it in?
I think it is dry except for the lake. I don't remember any water at that small camp ground. Or maybe there was one tap and the ..... RV had it. The lake is pretty large. I don't remember how hard a climb down to it would be. Not bad. But where we camped before was around a half mile from it.
That's good info to know. Thanks!
So should we look for anyone else? I thought someone said there was some bad weather coming, but my phone shows it to be pretty nice until Sunday.
FreedomVan
04-24-2014, 21:22
Man... All I'm hearing is t-storms with tornados. Turns out this weekend is no good for me for other reasons. Unless things get cancelled last minute I think I'm out. Y'all be careful if you head out. Pretty sure it's supposed to get nasty.
Weather tonight is saying storms starting Saturday night and into Sunday. Some bad. Hail, high winds, possible twisters.
I won't make it. My work partner had to head to Missouri for family issues. We can't both be away from phones and com-putters....
gospidey
04-25-2014, 10:21
If you go Caveman and Gimpy be careful. I wouldn't want to loose my mentor and my guru!!!;)
will lightening hit a pepper-eater? I doubt it....
sargevining
04-25-2014, 11:54
will lightening hit a pepper-eater? I doubt it....
If it did, I think we'd have some kind of "event" on the order of the volcano blowing in Yosemite.
The EPA would prolly get involved and everything.
If you go Caveman and Gimpy be careful. I wouldn't want to loose my mentor and my guru!!!;)
I'm a little hurt... You won't even miss me, but you'll miss Gimpy twice? :)
gospidey
04-25-2014, 14:00
Read as: If you go Caveman and Gimpy be careful. I wouldn't want to loose my mentor and my guru!!!:boggle:
Turned out to be a pretty good trip. It was just Zeddy, Gimpy and me. Mary's was awesome. Nobody finished their meal, but it wasn't because it didn't taste good. They give you way too much food (but I'm not complaining). Once we got to the park, we did some exploring around the lake and found a really nice spot not too far from the vehicles (though we walked a ways to get there) :) . The wind was kicking pretty good most of the night, but everyone was able to keep their tarps staked down. The only rain we got was just a few sprinkles at around 7a, but it was barely enough to get my tarp wet. Next time we may bring the fishing gear. There were fish making noise all night long.
No generators this time, and I faintly heard the train once, but just barely and I wouldn't have heard it if I had been sleeping.
Overall a cool trip. I think there is potential for this place to be a nice park.
Good times!
Glad it was great! As I wrapped up a bunch of maintenance on my Mustang, I was thinking "Mary's.....they are eating now....shoot.....". Glad the weather was decent. Sounds like you camped up over by the lake then? out past that earthen dam?
Ya, We were right on the lake. We hiked around past that house just a bit and found a nice spot for a few hammocks. Not a lot of hammock options though. We made it work and it was good.
House? I remember like an old equipment building or something....close to where the RV was....
If you walk up to where the spillway is you can see an old abondoned house on the right. There's a "trail" that goes by the spillway and past the house. We didn't see the trail on the way out, but we found it on the way back.
I don't know what was better, Mary's chicken fried steak or all the great hammock and backpacking advice I got from Caveman and Gimpy. Thanks, Guys!
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gospidey
04-28-2014, 11:10
What Zeddy sayz. Gimpy and Caveman will enlighten you and your pack! Glad y'all had good weather.