Travel Texas: Concan and The Frio River
There's a little hidden treat in South Texas. Crystal clear water, beautiful hills, and the most amazing firefly displays make up the neat little package that is Concan, Texas. Concan is about an hour west of San Antonio, so for many Texans, it's a drive, but it is so worth it. The obvious star of the show in Concan is the Frio River. We made the trek for our anniversary this week and we had an absolutely amazing trip!
5 Things to Do in Concan
So what is there to do in a tiny little river town? Plenty. Trust me. And all of them include the great old outdoors! Also, I want to mention that this was a makeup-free trip for me. I didn't put a single bit of makeup on the entire time. I wanted to prove to myself that I didn't need it, and I see more makeup-free days in my future! But now, here are 5 things to do in Concan:
1 | Unplug
Chances are, you won't have service. Use this to your advantage and just completely unplug. I promise you won't die without your handheld devices. Instead, bring a stereo and listen to your favorite music while relaxing outside.
2 | Hike at Garner State Park
Before our trip, I had never been to Garner, but I had definitely heard about it from many people. This park did not disappoint. The Frio snakes through the park, where many people swim or tube. And on pretty much every side, there are hills that begged to be hiked. On the morning we went to Garner State Park, it was misting. We threw on our rain jackets and started up the steep hill, anyway. We got to about 1700 feet on the first trail when we decided it was best for us to turn around and go back down the hill. The mist made the white rock super slippery. We did manage to make it up to the White Rock Cave, though. And the view from that height was simply beautiful. 
We weren't ready to give up once we reached the bottom of that trail though. We still wanted to hike up Old Baldy. We started on that hike and we were extremely thankful that the trails (although steep) were less slippery than the first, so we continued up to the 1800 foot summit. The views from the top were simply stunning. We could see for miles and miles. The large Frio River below looked almost small, and there were birds flying below us. 
3 | Enjoy the fire fly light show at dusk
Our first night in Concan, we traipsed around the grounds where our cabin was situated. The Frio River only a few hundred feet in front of our porch, and behind us were gorgeous hills and wooded areas. When it was almost dark, we began to see the flicker of the fireflies. I've seen them before, but nothing like this amazing show. There were hundreds of them lighting up the woods. It's something you definitely don't want to miss.
4 | Grill
We live in an apartment and grills aren't allowed. For many people this may not be a big deal, but we're "grill people". We like the taste of grilled meat. It's in our Texan blood. I was so glad to have a grill right outside our cabin. We grilled every. single. night. We're now on a veggie cleanse, but I have no meat regrets from our trip. ;) 
I should also mention that it's important to stay on top of taking care of your skin while at the Frio. It can be easy to forget to put on sunscreen, or to wear a big hat to cover your face. Luckily for me, Cappelli Straworld's publicists sent me the Cappelli Straworld Pack-A-Hat before my trip to review. The hat is UPF 50, which makes my fair skin super happy. (If you use my link to purchase the hat, you'll get free shipping!)
5 | Float the Frio River
This iswhat many people think of as the "main attraction" of Concan. Every year, thousands of people come from all over to rent some floating tubes and float slowly down the river with an ice chest full of beer. We were so afraid we wouldn't be able to do it this time because Texas has been hit with some ridiculous weather and the river was much higher than it usually is. The Frio River gets it's stellar reputation from being cold (hence it's name--The Frio River) and it's beautiful crystal clear waters. You can literally see the bottom of the river at practically any point. The day we arrived, many of the roads and bridges were flooded with water from the river. After we mustered the courage to forge through (ignoring all of that "turn around, don't drown" talk), we didn't get any more rain. Hallelujah. We floated the river twice, and it was just as amazing as I thought it would be. The roads and bridges were clear for our departure on Wednesday. 
If you ever get a chance to visit this little honey pot, please jump. We're already talking about spending our next anniversary there. :) 
Have you ever floated a river?