hiking

Palmetto State Park and Ottine Mineral Springs

/ gravescolleen / Leave a comment

What’s better than a day hike? Relaxing in natural mineral springs AFTER a great day hike! Just 30 minutes outside of Austin is the tiny unincorporated community of Ottine, TX where you can enjoy Palmetto State Park and then GO SOAK for hours at Ottine Mineral Springs Spa. Big thanks to my adventure buddy, Shana for suggesting this great day!

This is a lovely little Texas state park that is super shady and has a tropical feel due to the Palmettos! The San Marcos runs right through it, so visitors can enjoy hiking and swimming. Experienced paddlers can even put in at the Luling City Park and paddle the 6-7 miles to Palmetto State Park.

There are 17 tent sites and 19 RV sites and they are all in the shade. They even have a cabin that sleeps six! As of 2025, the bathrooms are under renovation in part of the park, so there is a mobile bathroom/shower by Oxbow Lake and older bathrooms at the RV camping site (Campsites with electricity).

I love the CCC buildings in this park. The Civilian Conservation Corps built many state park features around Texas during the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s New Deal seems like one of the biggest takeaways of great government in action that I had as a teen during my history class. I love seeing all these historical environmental projects around the state (and the nation) that employed young men during that difficult time. The Group Pavilion resembles the one at Garner State Park, and the water tower features one of the few remaining operational ram-jet pumps. I was really impressed to see that this pump uses no electrical power, but is instead driven by the force of the rising water coming from the artesian well below it. It smells quite sulfurous now, but the pump used to supply the water to the picnic area.

With five miles of trails, you can easily hike the whole park with plenty of time to relax at your campsite, or walk next door to the newly reopened Ottine Mineral Springs Spa.

Ottine Mineral Springs

These springs have been used as therapy in the area since the 1930s, but the newly developed Ottine Mineral Springs Spa just opened to the public in the summer of 2025. It’s still very much under development and looks to be a promising resort in the future.

Members can book massages and soak in some private pools. Alternatively, the public (that’s me and Shana!) can buy a half-day or full-day pass to enjoy soaking in 5 pools of different temperatures. The Palmetto pool is pretty much a normal pool treated with chemicals, so we only spent a few minutes in it. The rest of the pools are spring-fed and have different benefits. My favorite thing was to alternate between immersing myself in the cold plunge (53 F), and then warming back up in the hot pool (104 F) and I repeated doing that over and over!

My other favorite pool was the Cypress pool that seemed to be at the perfect temperature for a Texas fall day (aka it was hot, but not summertime hot.) This pool bottom was covered in stones that were supposed to be therapeutic for your feet (we found them sort of painful, and okay at the same time… but not therapeutic.) The temperature and minerals were just right in this pool! Plus, it mostly remained in the shade thanks to a giant oak tree. The Sage pool was pretty, but it was quite busy, loud, and not that relaxing. We spent the majority of our time in the Ivy pools (hot/cold plunge.) and Cypress pool. There was a barrel sauna by the cold plunge, but I didn’t try it out. I loved the lounging areas, and hammocks, but it took quite some time for those to open up! Lots of people left their things on the hammocks as to save them.

The drinks were spa priced and food was fairly pricey as well, but my Burrata salad WAS delicious!

Accessibility note: The website states it is ADA-accessible, and they do have a chair lift for use at each of the pools. But if you are mobility-limited, you might find walking around and up and down the steps a bit strenuous. Luckily, there are handrails at each pool as well.

Also note, if you forget proper footwear, you will have to buy $25 flip flops or walk around barefoot, and the pavement is hot in the Texas sun.

Overall, it was a unique and enjoyable experience, but at $65 dollars, it felt underwhelming compared to somewhere like World Springs that offers over 40 Mineral Pools, a Finnish spa, and soaking comes free with a paid massage! I was disappointed there was no yoga, massage therapy, or any of the things that I’d read about in the Texas Monthly article that inspired Shana and I to go. There weren’t even private showers to use when you finished your soak. I think once more amenities are open, it will be a stellar experience for all who want to go. For the fall/winter, I believe they are raising the temperatures, but they are also raising the cost to $85. For me, I’ll go back for an evening soak when the passes are on sale.

The American Southwest Film Review

/ gravescolleen / Leave a comment

The American Southwest is a gorgeously filmed movie showcasing The Colorado River, the wildlife it sustains, and the impact humanity has had on the river. Narrated by Quannah Chasinghorse, we meet some really interesting animals like a bull elk whose call sounds like a bugle, a family of industrious beavers, the hardworking Salmon fly, and the ever taboo rattlesnake. (I never thought I would witness the live birth of rattlesnakes!)

As a Texan, you might know Ben Masters, the writer and director of this film, for Deep in the Heart, narrated by our very own Matthew McConaughey. This is also a visually stunning piece of cinema that follows a diverse landscape and shares what makes Texas unique.

I was fortunate to see The American Southwest on the big screen at AFS Cinema, and I highly recommend seeing this gorgeous film in theaters. As far as the wildlife stars, I had a lot of favorite characters, and I loved the way the narrative focused on the beatific natural landscape and the animals, with a bit of humor about the way some things go down in nature. (I’m looking at you, Scooter the Mojave rattlesnake!)

The amplification of nature sounds was on an ASMR level, creating an immersive experience that enveloped the viewer in a soothing auditory landscape. Each gentle murmur of bubbling water, juxtaposed with raging water, to even the sound of no water flowing- contributed to an atmosphere that truly made watching this movie not only very relaxing but also profoundly awe-inspiring. I felt transported to the tranquil wilderness, allowing for a deeper connection to why this river needs to be protected and the river’s health prioritized now.

This film also did a profound job discussing how human laws, rules, and habits are changing this magnificent river. It was disheartening to see how much humanity has altered the landscape, the river, and the ecology surrounding this once mighty river that carved the Grand Canyon. It’s pertinent that we take action now to change the way this river is managed. At the end of this bittersweet film, we are presented with numerous opportunities to help. Here are some relevant links so you can take action.

How you can help