Balmorhea, "an Oasis in the High Desert"

[TwoTiredTeachers]

One of the most fun trips the Two Tired Teachers have taken is to Balmorhea State Park, in Balmorhea, Texas.

You need to know a couple of things before you go. The park is famous for its spring fed pool which holds 3.5 million gallons of water. More than 15 million gallons of water run through the pool. The amazing part is that this pool is in dry, West Texas.

Another thing you need to know is not to plan on just pulling into the park on the weekend and using the pool. It is packed on weekends in the summer.

A final thing to remember is that it is a natural spring, not a chlorinated pool. That means algae is growing on the steps into and out of the pool. I recommend that you go to the shallowest place to exit.

The water is some of the clearest you will ever find. The pool is 25' deep in places, and you can see the bottom as clearly as you can see the floor in your home.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the water is cold. It stays at a steady 72 -76 degrees year round.

One of the reasons the Two Tired Teachers enjoyed this park so much was that we snorkeled. We'd never done that before, and it was spectacular.

The daily entrance fee is $7 per person. Campsites with water only are $11, and those with water and electricity are $14. I think we paid either $16 or $17 to get a campsite with cable hookups. Do not expect even basic cable. We got maybe one or two channels, but that's okay. We went to Balmorhea for the pool.

Rooms are also available in the San Solomon Springs Courts. A room with a queen size bed is $75, and a suite with three queen size beds is $95 for two adults and $10 for each extra person who 13 years old or older.

Although the campsites don't look like much, Balmorhea was a great trip for the Two Tired Teachers. Get a cheap snorkel and go if you like to swim.