A Desert Oasis
Balmorhea State Park. A place tucked away in the middle of nowhere. As we pulled of highway 10 I have to admit I was skeptical. There was nothing around us but more land covered with dirt and splotches of green grass. In fact, nearly our entire trip from Las Cruces until now contained the same dull scene.
A roadrunner in our ‘backyard’
So why should I believe there was anything close to an oasis anywhere near these parts. There’s been several instances when I think Google maps is steering me wrong. That is, only to find out in the end that it knew exactly where it was going, imagine that! A GPS program that knows where to take me.
About 10 miles down the road, an unassuming, simple, brown sign with white letters titled ‘Balmorhea State Park’ points to the right. I make my turn, check in at the office, get our Junior Ranger backpack and head to our assigned spot. As I’m getting things settled, the kids go off with their uncle to check out the pool.
This pool isn’t any old ordinary chemical controlled body of water. The beauty of this pool is the fact that it’s fed naturally by a spring. In fact, it’s the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool. And the most amazing part is that this is happening in the middle of the high desert! How cool is that?
Signs of life – raccoon prints
Balmorhea was really, really neat. Instead of being surrounded by the concrete jungle many RV parks exude, we were able to get back in touch with nature. From the bunnies that could be found exploring everywhere, to the roadrunners and wildflowers in colors of yellow, purple and blue.
Then there were the cienegas (desert wetlands) that had been restored by the park. We stood on the deck overlooking one of the cienegas watching the turtles look up at us. One night as we stood there, we spotted over a dozen. One fella’ was really big! There were also various types of fish as well as birds living in the reeds.
When I went to go see the pool for the first time, I was amazed. The park and pool was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The pool is HUGE and very nicely laid out. It’s incredible to see so much crystal clear water sitting in the middle of the desert.
More than 15 million gallons of water flows through the pool each day. The water gushes from the San Solomon Springs, a collection of artesian springs found within Balmorhea. The pool is up to 25 feet deep, covers 1.75 acres, and holds 3.5 million gallons of water. The water temperature stays at 72 to 76 degrees year-round.
The first day I went with the kids, I didn’t get in. I sat on the edge and let the little fish nibble on my feet. It was like on of those fancy spas. The kids had a good time. There are several diving boards near the deeper ends of the pool.
Do you see the fishies?
The second day, I donned my bathing suit and was determined to enjoy the water. Of course, I picked the cooler of the two days. But as soon as I entered the water and got over the initial chill, I felt so relaxed. I borrowed one of the kids tube floats and sat back and chilled.
crystal clear sparkling water
I did some swimming and played with Nadia. It was so relaxing and I loved the fact that it was all natural. No chemicals, no chlorine, just pure nature. It was like being in the Caribbean, crystal clear beautiful water. I played and soaked up the sun for a couple of hours. It felt magical and was just what I needed at that moment in time.
We didn’t stay at Balmorhea very long. Just long enough to refresh ourselves, enjoy the scenery and complete the Junior Ranger program. No badge this time though, they were awarded ‘Texas State Park’ button.
AH, refreshing
Please promise me that if you’re ever driving down highway 10 near Toyahvale, TX and you have the time to spare, drop in and see this amazing natural resource. Even if you don’t have time to swim, I guarantee it will energize and refresh your spirit, just as it did mine.
I’m a little behind blogging about our travels. Next up, I’ll fill you in on our Easter stop at Lake Medina. If you ever want to find us in real time, sign on to our twitter, instagram or Facebook feed. I often post pics of where we are and what we’re up to.
{HUGS} from the Crew!
Spot the bunnies?
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