The kids are officially out for summer (well most of them), and I've been thinking about when I was kid and summer meant swimming....swimming.....and MORE swimming.  When I was a kid I got to spend almost every summer at my grama's house in Rankin.  Between the swimming pool in town that my great grama Winnie used to work at, the snack bar, the pond that was at the land my grama and grampa owned and the place at the river the family took all us kids, I swam all summer.  In fact, I swam so much when I was a kid that one summer the chlorine in the city pool died my hair green.  I used to be a tomboy so on top of all that swimming and not caring about brushing my hair or the fact that the chlorine was destroying it, I got knots so bad that I just told my mom to cut it....that was the first time I had my hair that short.  I got some compliments when I went back to school, I didn't mention to anyone it was only the result of having to cut out the knots I let develop in my hair.

We may not be too close to water here in this area of west Texas but we do still have options.  I have a list of not so far away "watering holes" that comes in handy at summer time.

Lake Colorado City State Park (depending on the water levels) 4582 FM 2836, Colorado City, TX

Google Street View Colorado City State Park
Google Street View Colorado City State Park
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Buffalo Springs Lake 9999 High Meadow Raod, Lubbock, TX

Google Street View Buffalo Springs Lake
Google Street View Buffalo Springs Lake
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San Angelo State Park 362 South FM 2288, San Angelo, TX

Google Street View Twin Buttes San Angelo, Tx
Google Street View Twin Buttes San Angelo, Tx
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Balmorhea State Park 9207 Texas 17, Toyahvale, TX

Google Maps View of Balmorhea State Park
Google Maps View of Balmorhea State Park
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Google Street View Balmorhea Lake
Google Street View Balmorhea Lake
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Balmorhea Reservoir 347 W Cr 319, Balmorhea, TX (I'm not so sure about swimming in this one but I hear the fishing can be good depending on water levels)

Abilene State Park 150 Park Road 32, Tuscola, TX

Google Maps View Abilene State Park
Google Maps View Abilene State Park
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Keep in mind I wouldn't visit any of these locations without a little checking and calling around to make sure the conditions are safe and to find out about park rules ect....

 

https://thefw.com/most-popular-national-parks-ranked/

 

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