He Went to Paris

Texas is big. It isn’t only large in size, but it is large in variety, offering countless new experiences and different landscapes in every direction.

Traveling south from Oklahoma, the first thing I encountered was a lush sprawling grassland, dotted with farms and ranches. For a week, I found a home in Paris, Texas, where I frequented The Paris Coffee Co, to enjoy their brews, and to do work on my laptop.

During the evenings, I would stay in free dispersed camping areas in the Caddo Grasslands, only a short twenty minute drive to the west. While the word “grasslands” might give the impression of infinite, grassy plains, I found there to be rolling hills and tiny lakes with ample, mostly coniferous, tree coverage.

I spent the weekend camped along the shore of Coffee Mill Lake in a public campground and recreation area that did require a small fee. The lake itself was a superb place to put the kayak in for a relaxing float.

While I was by the lake, I was visited by Matt Peifer who had been following my journey on social media, and wanted to get together to share a campfire. I welcomed the company! Matt (@gozerthedozer on Instagram) is a great new friend, a passionate adventurer, and an active member of Texas Overland. Having been spending so much time traveling and camping alone, it was absolutely refreshing to enjoy laughter and beer with a kindred spirit!

Marble Falls

After a brief stop in Austin for some deep dish pizza and a new pair of shorts due to a shrinking waistline (despite said pizza), I found myself in Marble Falls, about an hour southwest of Austin. I didn’t have any reason to be there except that I wanted to experience as much of Texas as possible.

I found a sublime free campsite near Marble Falls, along the eastern shore of Texas’ Colorado River (unrelated to that other well-known Colorado River), and adjacent to the Camp Creek tributary. The Camp Creek Recreation Area is clearly loved, and well taken care of. Although this site is no secret, it is peaceful, beautiful, and unspoiled. If you plan a visit, please help to keep it that way.

Hidden Falls Adventure Park is only a few miles down the road for some exciting four-wheeling opportunities. I passed numerous well-equipped vehicles in the area, suggesting that it was a very popular off-road destination.

Enchanted Rock

While I was in Marble Falls, a friend from back in Pennsylvania messaged me and asked, “Are you going to Enchanted Rock?”

As usual, I was unfamiliar, since my wanderings are mostly random. I looked up Enchanted Rock online, and found that it was a gigantic granite dome and state park roughly 30 miles to the west of Marble Falls. It was a unique geological feature that I deemed too special to pass up.

It was the middle of the week, and while I usually spend weekdays doing work at my computer, I made an exception in this case. As I traveled west, the landscape became arid and mountainous. Finally, along a rural two-lane road, I rounded a bend and there it was looming on the horizon - an enormous granite dome that looked like it had been belched up by the Earth a billion years ago.

Since Enchanted Rock is a Texas state park, there was a small, per person, admission fee for the day. It was well worth the money, as I spent the entire morning exploring the base of the rock on foot. Then, in the afternoon, I hiked to the top of the dome to experience the view, and to climb around the crags, boulders, and outcroppings that were strewn about.

You’ll want to bring shade, sunscreen, comfortable footwear, plenty of water, maybe some snacks, and your camera. It was definitely a unique landscape, even for Texas, and is an experience that I highly recommend!

Pronghorn Overland Gear

A company that I’ve always had a close eye on is Pronghorn Overland Gear. I don’t have any of their equipment on my own vehicle, however there are a few things that cause their products to stand out:

First, is their design language. It’s very unique, from their branding to the products themselves. Their “futuristic-utilitarian” Jeep and Toyota bumpers look like space-marine props on the set of an Aliens movie. Simple, highly-functional, and cool.

Second is their modular, lightweight aluminum construction. Their Jeep bumpers can be configured in dozens of different ways. They can be stubby or wide, with a short grille guard, tall guard, or no guard. You can select from a variety of recovery configurations. The importance they place on weight-savings is underappreciated in today’s market.

Finally, their innovation and “outside-the-box” thinking is refreshing. They recently introduced a unique traction mat consisting of a series of aluminum links. It’s an idea with great potential, and it makes me excited to see what else might come out of their factory.

Out of sheer curiosity, I visited their office near San Antonio and met with Julie Vo, who gave me an inside look. Currently, they share a building with another company, and manufacturing is outsourced. However, recent growth is enabling them to move into their own space.

People will pay for quality and innovation, and I feel if Pronghorn Overland Gear sticks with their fundamental philosophies we’ll see more innovative ideas, an expanded product line, and continued growth.

If you own a Jeep Wrangler JK or a 2005-2015 Toyota Tacoma, I recommend taking a close look at their products. The styling might not be for everyone, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a smarter bumper system.