Camping Trip | Mineral Wells, TX

Texas is God's Country! Do you know why?  Because no one here has ever met a stranger. And the further inland you get you'll discover that, and you will fall in love with it. Texas has so many amazing little small towns to discover and a great resource that we love is our friend Chet Garner - a.k.a. "The Day Tripper."  The Day Tripper is all about Texas - duh! And anywhere that you can go on a "day trip" if you live in a major Texas Metroplex. Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Amarillo, etc. Randomly surfing through the channels (the only ones we had since we don't have cable) we came across an old episode of Day Tripper on PBS and it definitely sparked our interest for exploring the small town of Mineral Wells, TX.  You can check out a small preview of the episode in the video below. 

Mineral Wells is a small town just west of the DFW area and yes, only a day trip away. I think the total drive is less that 2 hours away. Just far enough away to have a nice getaway for the weekend. 

And of course just as any small town should, we had to make a few pit stops for some antiquing along the way. 

On your way to Mineral Wells you will pass through Weatherford, TX on 180.  What looks to be an inconspicuous little traffic circle is actually the town's gothic style courthouse. You can read more about the Historic Parker County Courthouse here.  Makes for a great little pit stop!

The town of Mineral Wells has a great history and specifically some great stories about the live and active mineral springs that are a constant source for the town's visitors.  Just a brief history moment: Back in the early 1900's a man named James Lynch dug a well, and after drinking the water from the source he noticed that he felt better, healthier and more agile than he had in years. Word got out, and the small town started to boom.  Travelers from all over came to Mr. Lynch's well to get a taste for what became known as "Crazy Water." 

You can still sample and purchase Crazy Water at the town's store, or you can even purchase at Central Market and Whole Foods located in Texas. 

Right before entering the Lake Mineral Wells State Park, you should take another pit stop at the National Vietnam War Museum.  The outdoor park features a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. There is also a Meditation Garden, and a Huey Helicopter mounted high above the Memorial Garden.

Setting up camp at Lake Mineral Wells State Park (LMW). All of their camp sites are pretty wooded.  On this occasion we ended up being next door the bathrooms and had neighbors (see the blue tent in the background) who wanted to party until 4am. Ugh.

Among the many great activities including swimming, fishing, hiking at LMW they have a rock climbing area called Penitentiary Hollow.  Named one of the most unique places to climb in Texas, Penitentiary Hollow is a little different because instead of climbing up it, you top-rope down the rock scapes into the hollow beneath.  It's closed when it rains, but legend has it that this hollow was named after the jail kept in its crevices. The park also hosts many night hikes along with an old Cowboy Campfire Story Time on Friday nights if you can get there in time.

Just along the LMW Trailway, a 20-mile paved path on an old railway line that used to connect downtown Mineral Wells and Weatherford.  Garner, TX is a great place to take a break on the ride. Husband is at the start of the Trailway in the picture above.

If you have some time and want a great place to explore. Clark Gardens boasts of 35 acres of gorgeous landscapes, fountains, a chapel and botanicals that will leave you breathless. The grounds are gorgeous, and huge, but definitely worth your time to visit. Admission is only $9.

After our camping and exploring of Mineral Wells we are set on coming back.  With so much to do and see the experience is worth coming back for time and time again.