GUADALUPE RIVER - Cody's "Down By The River Birthday"

 #ZMilesCamp

We've been floating the Guadalupe River's horseshoe [almost] every year since 2004. ​In our 20s we slept in tents, but in our 30s we stay in air conditioned (and dog friendly) cabins! 

If you know who Chris Farley is, then you better know who is Matt Foley is too!  In honor of one of our favorite SNL skits, we host an annual, "Down by the River" party to celebrate Cody's birthday.  In 2018 I made hangover kits, brochures, Snapchat filters, bocce ball trophies, & koozies.

Everyone got a handout of events, sunglasses, a hangover kit, & koozie

Custom Koozies

Bocce Ball Trophy

Handout (flat)

Handout (Folded)

WHERE WE STAY

There aren't a lot of places that allow dogs during peak season due to insurance rates, but honestly even if we had more options, we'd still choose Mystic Quarry.  It is seriously one of the best spots to camp and they have something for everyone. They have tepees, RV rentals, cabins, tiny houses, and camping slabs. We're all about the A/C since we go in the month of August, so we opt to stay in a Deluxe Cabin (No. 11 is our favorite because it's near the dog park, the bocce ball court, and the front office).  We usually rent a golf cart for the weekend too.

WHAT WE BRING

• String Lights, Folding Table & Chairs - We like to setup our own outdoor eating area
• Dog Fence/Pen - Again, we bring this to have an enclosed "yard" for the dogs so while we're playing bocce ball we don't have to worry about them getting away.  We bought 2 at $25 a piece to create a substantial size dog pen.
• S'More ingredients!  You can't go camping and not have s'mores, it's illegal.
• Bug repellent tiki torches
• Febreze - We spray it around the room to help mask any smells that might make our dogs uncomfortable

FLOATING FACTS

Another perk at staying at Mystic Quarry is the shuttle that transport you to & from the river (dogs are allowed on the shuttle too). No need to wait in a long line to rent your tubes or carry them for long stretches of time. This is a must for us since we are drinking while floating. Cody & I bought our 2 person tube at Academy. We use the built in ice chest in the middle to put our dry pack full of snacks & clothes. We rent a beverage tube for our ice chest (it has a bottom), but by the end of the trip one of the dogs is sitting it in too.

​The horseshoe is our favorite float because there are less children around, we like to stop at the party rock to mingle, and we like the fact that there's two path options- Long & Short. The short route is usually an hour long unless the river is flowing slower, and the long route is about 4-5 hours. We usually float the short route twice.  In addition to beverages, we bring snacks & a speaker so it's like a party on the water for the entire day. My staple "river drink" is Sweat-tea Vodka mixed with Mike's Hard Lemonade- An Arnold Palmer but with hard liquor, so a "Horny Palmer" if you will. I drink it in my 52 oz. tie-dye Buc-ees mug.

RIVER TIPS

• Get a waterproof case for your cell phone & Driver's License.  We found ours on Amazon
• RTIC Backpack Cooler. It's much easier to carry in/out of the river than a traditional ice chest
• A dry pack for your clothes. There is a bar near the Horseshoe entrance that sells tacos, so having a swim cover-up is handy to have.
• WATER PROOF SPEAKER!  You will hear a lot of interesting music on the river, so if you don't want to be the mercy of others, do yourself a favor and bring your own, or do what we did and befriend someone who has one (with good taste in music)! *Hip Hop Backyard BBQ*
• If you bring your dogs, they MUST have a life vest on, it's actually a rule.
• There is a police check point during your float- They're there to make sure you're using the mesh bags given to you at the entry point for your empty cans.They also make sure you don't have any glass bottles. Make sure you have your ID, it rarely happens, but be prepared.

MORE TO DO THAN JUST FLOAT

 There is more to do in Gruene than floating the river.  A few of our favorite spots are:

• For Dinner we LOVE The River House!  It's fresh farm to table food (the pasta... SO GOOD)!
• All the cute antique shops, like the Traveling Gypsy
• Pick up THE BEST pickles on the planet & grab a killer cup of coffee at​ Fickle Pickles 
• Catch a concert at the historic Gruene Hall

OUR GOOGLE MAP

Have you floated a river in Texas?  Which is your favorite?  Is there anything I missed?  Tell me about it in the comments below!