Under the shade of a pecan grove in the middle of the Texas Hill Country, nearly 100 people joined REI for a weekend at the Lyndon B Johnson National Park (LBJ).
As REI kicked off the camping season at Lyndon B Johnson National Park outside of Austin, families and friends, old members and new members all took part in a variety of activities planned for the day. Arrivals rolled in at lunchtime on Saturday and soon the campground was bursting with the energy of people enjoying the outdoors.
Nature scavenger hunts and guided bike tours throughout the park gave families a great way to get moving.
Later in the afternoon, REI Outdoor School instructors hosted a hands-on campstoves and water filtration class in the campground. Participants were able to handle a wide variety of stoves and filtration tools in order to learn about features and use.
Free play was a big part of the day. At any given time the campground was a mix of football, soccer, tag and other games the kids were playing. The sounds of people enjoying the activities faded when the dinner bell rang and the evening kicked off. Fajitas with all the trimmings were cooked up for this campground feast. And keeping true to Austin tradition, live music by Gina Chavez floated over the campers as the day came to a close. Or so we thought…
The REI Camp Out was greeted by cool weather and a light breeze that floated through the leaves of the towering pecan trees. But as dinner was coming to a close, a serious storm began moving in. On short notice, the campground was a flurry of activity as everyone prepared their camps for the strong winds and rain that were fast approaching.
Adjacent to our campground was an old Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) building made of stone, and once the campground was secure, everyone headed inside for shelter. While we waited for the storm to pass there was impromptu storytelling as well as a more formal astronomy presentation by a local night sky buff. The storm brought everyone together, as weather events tend to do, and the next day it was the topic that every kid wanted to share.
The LBJ National Park was an amazing host for our group. The REI Outdoor School was proud to showcase both the outdoors and the important history of this national park with everyone who joined us to kick off REI’s Camp Out season.
REI Outdoor School has you covered whether you are a novice or an expert. Find a class, event or outing near you.