The details of the events are posted on Meetup. If you would like to join an event as a non-member, please contact us to RSVP and get details.
Our monthly meetings are every 4th Tuesday of every month. Anyone is welcome to attend. We offer both in person and Zoom options based on the current health advisories.
We welcome speakers on various outdoor related topics at every monthly meeting. If you have expertise on a topic or know of someone who does, please contact us.
TOWN Austin Holiday Party
Friday – Sunday, January 5th-7th, 2018
McKinney Falls State Park, 5808 McKinney Falls Parkway
What: The annual TOWN Austin Holiday Party will be January 5th-7th, 2018 at McKinney Falls State Park. We have reserved the dining hall on Saturday, January 6th for indoor games, our fabulous potluck dinner, and our lively gift exchange.
Who: TOWN-Austin members, spouses, partners, children, friends, and well-behaved dogs on a leash. Please note that dogs are not allowed in the dining hall but can be outside on the dining hall patio.
Where: McKinney Falls State Park, 5808 McKinney Falls Parkway
Details:
Friday – Generally, campers begin arriving. Depending on interest, members can walk, bike, eat, and play games. Campers may want to bring firewood.
Saturday – We have reserved the group dining hall from 10 am until 9 pm on Saturday. To reach the building, pay your entrance fee; then take the second right (toward the Smith Visitor Center); then continue down the road past the parking lots for the visitor center and the waterfall. It will be on your right and it has its own parking lot. The dining hall is warm and will be a place to gather and visit. Please bring your favorite games to play especially if the weather is bad.
Our potluck will be in the early evening so that we will have time for our gift exchange. Please bring a dish to share and serving utensils. TOWN Austin will provide paper goods, dining utensils, and drinking water. The dining hall has a refrigerator and a stove/oven but you may have to coordinate with others who plan to use them. We have to clean up and vacate the dining hall by 9 pm.
We will have TOWN Austin membership applications and will be accepting renewals for 2018.
Guidelines for our White Elephant Exchange
Here are the rules for the white elephant gift exchange which will start after the Saturday potluck. Please bring one wrapped gift if you wish to participate – the gift can be old, new, funny or junk or really nice. The rules of the game are:
- Everyone brings one wrapped gift.
- We will draw numbers to determine the order in which we choose our gift.
- When it is your turn to play, you can choose a gift from the pile of unopened gifts or take someone else’s gift. Each gift can be taken only 2 times and then it stays with the owner.
- When someone takes your gift, you immediately replace it with a gift from the pile of unopened gifts or take someone else’s gift.
- The person who drew #1 gets the last draw and swaps with someone (other than the gifts that have been taken 2 times).
Additional notes:
- Everyone who brings a gift is eligible to play, members and guests.
- If you are bringing a child to the party, please bring a gift for that child and mark it as a child’s gift. That way we can be sure he/she will get a gift they like.
- Bring only ONE gift per person.
- Don’t go out and buy something elaborate – hunt around your house for something useful, not useful, funny, weird, left over, or something you don’t want.
We are looking to HAVE FUN and LAUGH – not to bring home a great gift. One ladies’ trash is another ladies’ treasure. So, don’t expect to get a great gift out of this game. Come to have fun. If you bring more than one gift, they will be donated to ladies who didn’t bring any gift.
Sunday – likely some walking/hiking/biking before we all pack up and head home.
CAMPING RESERVATIONS: Call 512-389-8900 or visit http://texas.reserveworld.com/
Please RSVP via Meetup or reply for questions, to RSVP, or to volunteer to lead an activity. It would be good to note if you are coming Friday- Sunday or if you are only coming out for the Saturday activities.
Hope you can join us for the Holiday Party. It is a signature TOWN event, and it is always well attended and fun!
McKinney Falls State Park Hike
January 6th (at TOWN Holiday Party)
Outing Leaders: JennyF & JanB
When: Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 @ 10:00 a.m.
Where: Dining Hall
McKinney Falls State Park
5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy
Austin, TX 78744
*This hike is in conjunction with the TOWN Austin Holiday Party.
Who: everyone including well behaved dogs on a leash. Please note that dogs are not allowed in the dining hall but can be on the dining hall patio.
Cost: $6 per adult unless you have an annual pass in which case admission is free or a Texas Parklands Passport-Senior Partial (65+) which is 50% off or $3.
Difficulty: mostly easy
Time: approximately 2-2.5 hr.
Route: our route will depend on the weather and ground conditions. There are several hikes to choose from including the Homestead Trail (3.1 mi.) and the Onion Creek Trail (2.8 mi.).
Hope to see you there!
Cheers,
Jan & Jenny
Game Night at June’s
January 20, 2018
It’s time for another game night. Bring your favorite game, and beverage-or not.
I will provide dinner, not sure what.
Outing Leader/RSVP: June Apprill – RSVP on Meetup !
When: January 20, 2018, 5:30 pm.
Who: Members
Please reply on Meet-up !!!
JuneA
Leader: MarshaK
Distance: 4 -5 miles at a very brisk pace
Difficulty: moderate to difficult; these hikes are not for beginners and are fast paced.
Meet at Marsha’s house before 7:30 am. Group will finish before 9:30 as Marsha needs time to prep for church.
Water is required as well as good walking shoes. Sticks are also helpful.
Dogs must be on leash. Prepare to pick up your dog’s poop. Furnish water for your dog.
Contact MarshaK via email by Saturday evening if you wish to walk with her.
Monthly meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of the month. The location is the Northwest Recreation Center at 2913 Northland Dr, 78757. Enter the front doors, look left, and you will see and hear us.
Visiting begins at 6 pm with our business meeting following at 6:30. Our speaker begins at 7.
Our agenda is typically the following: bring your brown-bag dinner or a snack; we gather at 6 pm & socialize; 6:30-7:00 greetings, introductions, business, outings reports and planning; 7- 8 speaker; 8 – 8:15 adjournment and cleanup.
Our speaker will be Val Bugh who will talk about moths, a much ignored insect. Val is an excellent speaker and always brings bit of humor to her presentations. Her topic is Moths ~ The Mysterious Majority. Of about 2000 species of lepidoptera found in the Hill Country, only 150 are butterflies. Moths are far more numerous and diverse than butterflies, including more varied lifestyles, far greater size range, and some rather surprising survival strategies. This program will cover both caterpillars and adults, identifying the major families as well as some oddities, and a look at the beauty of these often overlooked insects.
Valerie Bugh is a local naturalist specializing in the arthropods of the Austin area, with interests in taxonomy and photography. She runs the Fauna Project at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, leads insect discovery walks, teaches entomology courses, provides insect/spider identifications, gives talks to local organizations, and is the author of pocket guides to “Butterflies of Central Texas” and “Spiders of Texas.” Website: http://www.austinbug.com/index.html
Join us and bring a friend!
CANCELLED – Camping at Hill Country Natural Area
January 26-28
Outing Leader/RSVP: JudyL
Where: just outside Bandera
When: January 26-28
Interested? I’d like to reserve the chapa group site which has 10 rv hookups, barn with electricity and picnic tables, plus horse stalls, yes you can bring your horse!
The web site to view pictures and accommodations is thru texas Parks and wildlife. This group site is $150 per night so I would need 9 other people, at least, to commit to $15 per night.
Please rsvp if you are in – the park offers great hikes as well as biking plus Bandera is a cowboy heaven.
Please contact JudyL if interested.
Leader: MarshaK
Distance: 4 -5 miles at a very brisk pace
Difficulty: moderate to difficult; these hikes are not for beginners and are fast paced.
Meet at Marsha’s house before 7:30 am. Group will finish before 9:30 as Marsha needs time to prep for church.
Water is required as well as good walking shoes. Sticks are also helpful.
Dogs must be on leash. Prepare to pick up your dog’s poop. Furnish water for your dog.
Contact MarshaK via email by Saturday evening if you wish to walk with her.
Camping – Colorado Bend State Park
February 1-4, 2018
Outing Leader/RSVP to Meetup Please: email CherylC
What: Camping at Colorado Bend State Park – First weekend in Feb
Where: Colorado Bend State Park – Bend, Texas,
When: Feb 1-4, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, departing Sunday
Who: TOWNies, guests and well-behaved dogs
February 1-4 Camping Trip Colorado Bend State Park
Make your reservations asap as this hidden gem is becoming more and more popular and will fill up. As of 10/12/17 there are only 11 drive up sites suitable for rvs (30ft max) the first weekend of Feb 1-4 Thurs thru Sun, $15 per night.
This is a boondocking camp – no hookups or dump station, no shower facilities. There are several water spigots and composting toilets.
Activities: Gorman Falls, Spicewood Springs and River trails are all awesome. IF the river is flowing, there’s a possibility for kayaking. Who wants to explore a natural cave? Cave tours must be reserved in advance – $12, Discovery tour 45 mins, doesn’t involve crawling, but is still a wild (natural) cave with no installed lighting, etc http://cbcaves.com/
We’ll work out details as the date approaches. Of course, plan for pot luck dinner on Friday night, and bring something to grill on Saturday night to enjoy with left overs.
If there’s a great deal of interest and all sites are booked at Colorado Bend State Park, there are sites across the river at Sulphur Springs Camp (approx 10 miles away by road) with hookups for rvs ($28) and cabins (listed on web, plus hotel tax) for those who might want that choice. I haven’t ever camped Sulphur Springs, so could be an adventure! http://www.bendtexas. com
Leader: MarshaK
Distance: 4 -5 miles at a very brisk pace
Difficulty: moderate to difficult; these hikes are not for beginners and are fast paced.
Meet at Marsha’s house before 7:30 am and will depart promptly at 7:30. Late arrivals will be left behind.
Group will finish before 9:30 as Marsha needs time to prep for church.
Water is required as well as good walking shoes. Sticks are also helpful.
Dogs must be on leash. Prepare to pick up your dog’s poop. Furnish water for your dog.
Contact MarshaK via email by Saturday evening if you wish to walk with her.
Super Bowl Watch Party
at JaniceB – Feb. 4th
Outing Leader/RSVP: JaniceB
What: Super Bowl Watch Party Sunday 2/4/18.
When: Kickoff is 5:30pm, but feel free to arrive before kickoff.
Where: 4622 Manchaca Rd, Austin.
Note on parking. There is limited parking at my house, but I am on the same block as Woodlawn Baptist Church which has a parking lot. If anyone has a mobility issue, and needs to park at the house. Let me know, and we can save you a spot.
Bring: Your favorite snack food to share. I will supply plates, forks, and cups.
RSVP: JaniceB