One of the things I love most about my man and this marriage we’re still perfecting is the fact that we are also still discovering new things about each other.

Hiking is One of Those Things

In the first place, we didn’t date long enough to know much about each other. In the second place, I guess that’s part of what has made these years together so much fun. We are still combining what makes us individually him and individually me into what is collectively known as us.

For example, neither one of us ever individually knew that we would like hiking so much together. Until we moved to Austin.

The Violet Crown Trail

The Texas hill country is full of absolutely stunning spots to get your fill of nature, and if you like to hike, there are tons of trails to explore.

This is where we parked to access entrance to one of the most amazing places I’ve ever placed a foot, The Violet Crown Trail.

Doing it Over Fifty

Don’t consider this a professional rating of the Violet Crown’s hiking difficulty; however, according to this criteria, I would say the trail is mostly easy and some moderate.

There’s not a lot of incline, so that’s good for those who want to hike but have bad football knees!

Go Early if You Can

If you’re able to get to the trail at sunrise, you’ll have it to yourself for a while.

As the morning goes on, you’ll be sharing the narrow space with runners, a few families and lots of friendly Austin dawgs.

Still Inside the City

As we hiked west on the trail and went under a bridge, we were amazed by the fact that it felt like we were in the mountains somewhere else, but we could also hear the traffic just above our heads.

Are there any other cities where you can so easily grab your water bottle, take a step into the woods and feel as though you’re a world away?

The Sun Peeks Through 

One thing that makes The Violet Crown Trail so wonderful is the sheer abundance of the trees.

Here, when we looked up over the water, the sun was shining so beautifully on the fall colors of the hill across the way.

The Water Rushes By

When you find yourself in complete awe of the sights and sounds of the rushing water, do like we did and perch yourself on a big boulder to enjoy the moment. Goodness gracious sakes alive, as my Grandmommy would say. This is some kind of beautiful creation.

Speaking of water, make sure you take your own. There are no fountains along the trail.

Go Rugged if You’d Like

Mike and I both agreed that if we’re going to keep doing this wonderful hiking thing, we’ve got to get some shoes made for the experience.

If you want to go rugged, wear some good hiking shoes and have at it. There’s tons of this kind of terrain.

Lots to Photograph

If you’re the photographer-type, you might want to plan a slower stroll.

There’s so much to see and capture through the eye of a lens. Or the backside of an iPhone.

More of the Good Stuff

For me, the water is always the highlight of any hike.

If you feel the same way, you’ll love all the spots where you can listen to rapids like these.

We Got Lost for a Hot Minute

Have you heard all the millennials use hot mess and hot minute in their daily lingo? Well, we were both of those things for about an hour during this hike. How hard can it possibly be to follow the route you took in when you’re ready to go out? That’s what we kept thinking and saying to each other for the whole hour we were lost.

Somewhere, somehow, we missed a turn or ventured off the beaten path, and everything started to look the s-a-m-e.  Thankfully, my iPhone’s GPS knew where our car was parked, so we were able to at least point ourselves in the right direction until we found our way out of the woods.

Extra tip: There are no restrooms on the trail. 

Back to Scenic Serenity

After we realized we were back on track, we both agreed that we could make a pact to keep our lost-ness completely secret from the kids if we wanted to. At least we didn’t have to call 9-1-1 to come get us, right? It was all worth it, though, and we made some fun memories.

At the end of the day, or just the end of the hike, we plopped ourselves back in the car and felt as serene as could be. Kind of like this photo. Quiet, calm, peaceful.

Yep, that was us.

More to Come

I wonder what else Mike and I will learn about each other in the years to come. There’s just no way to guess.

Maybe we’ll talk about that on our next hike.

Encouraging a life filled with everyday intentional adventure, and a compass to get you back home,

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