Lola Reviews: Bull Creek

This particular review has to start with some groveling towards the nice folks over at TopTenz. A few weeks ago, they made a list of the top ten dog-friendly cities in the country, and Austin was numero uno.  And in this post, rather than simply mentioning the list and being pleased about it, I had to be all bitchy about their grammar and whine about how the only dog park they mentioned was Bull Creek and it isn't all that great.  

They left me a couple of very nice comments, especially considering how carried away I got with my critique.  And I learned that when you link to someone's website, they will notice, and then they will pop over to see what you said about them.

And I'm afraid I have to take it all back.  Because Lola's Daddy and I took Lola to Bull Creek this morning, and this place rocks.  The Project for Public Spaces seems to like it; also check out this incredibly detailed account of the hike from Austin Explorer.

There are lots of places to park and enter the greenbelt, but to get to the off-leash area, go north on Capital of Texas and then left (east) on 2222.  Take the first left (north) on to Lakewood Drive, and park when you see the sign above.  (Note: you do have to drive through some shallow water to get there, so don't take a Trans Am after a week of heavy rain, if you know what I mean.)

The park itself has a lot to recommend it: a rocky creek-bed creating little waterfalls, 4.5 miles of trail along the creek, and an astonishing sense of seclusion, especially considering that it crosses Capital of Texas Highway.  Only a small part is off-leash, but it still works out well.  And yes, I know I need to find another adjective to describe my many outings with Lola, but seriously, this place is so beautiful.

From the off-leash area, here is the view down the creek, looking towards Lakewood Drive.  You can just barely see the people doing tai chi off on the other side of the creek.

Here is Lola's Daddy at the rope swing.  The creek rushes down the little channel on the left into the deeper pool beyond.  I've seen little kids using the channel as a water-slide and splashing into the pool; all the rocks are slippery with algae so I expect it works out quite well.  Also, note the fun little sun-glare I got off the water.  I took a vocational interest test recently and it said I would be a good photographer, and now I'm all self-conscious about my pictures.

Another view down the creek, showing the little slippery channel and the rope swing. Also two dogs in the water and the guy who was throwing tennis-balls for them.  And would you look at that tree?  I've been in Austin for five years and I still can't get over the TREES.  Growing up in Dallas, there are no trees.  There are "mesquite trees," which everyone knows are actually shrubs.  That baby is a TREE.  Growing out of the STONE.  It's so amazing.

This is the view looking up the creek.  You can see it start to become the little channel in the right-hand corner.  And oh, yeah, there's a hill in the background.  That's another thing Austin has, which constantly amazes me: geography.

Just a tiny way up the creek, many people were gathered in the shallow water, playing with their doggies.  I hadn't yet let Lola off-leash, because she'd never been here before, but she was a very good girl for all the doggies who wanted to come sniff her.

You can stay down by the creek if you want to, but there are also a few trails up on higher ground.  I'm glad we scrambled up to this spot because it was just lovely.  Also, I think my vocational interest test was right-on.  This photo rocks.  (Mom -- I feel like the Rule of Threes is in here somewhere?  Or maybe I just think it is because of the brown-green-blue of path-grass-sky?)

Here is Lola's Daddy on the trail, striking a pose.  Also he is hiding a Starbucks cup behind his leg.  His roommate works at Starbucks and often brings home a few large plastic cups of coffee, all set to go, with sugar and milk already added.  We snagged a cup this morning before setting out, but Lola's Daddy insisted on hiding it in the photos because, and I quote, "come on, why do we have to be a commercial for Starbucks?"  We are both coffee-shop snobs, in that we religiously patronize the many independent coffee-shops in Austin.  And yet we will happily take the free Starbucks out of the fridge.  I think this says something about principles, incentives, and human behavior.

And oh, yeah, my boyfriend makes me laugh.

Here is Lola's Daddy stopping to look at a pretty, tiny blue flower.  Lola was not interested in the flower.

Here is another spot to cross the creek.  We paused here for a few minutes and let Lola off-leash.  In the background is Capital of Texas Highway.  It's really insane that all this pristine beauty is so close to the freeway.

Me and Lola saying hi to the tadpoles.  Seriously.  Hundreds and hundreds of tadpoles.  I was worried about squishing some but then I decided it was just natural selection.

Me trying to get Lola into deeper water.  Shortly after this she fell into the rushing water in the tiny channel you can see.  I wish I had a video camera.

Lola looking dopey.

A photo of Lola in mid-helicopter-ears, captured by Lola's Daddy, immediately after she fell in the water.  He was so proud.

Me and Lola, the Queens of Bull Creek.

Lola wandered around a lot while we rested in this spot.  I think it was too much stimulation and excitement because she couldn't lay still for a moment.

Lola's Daddy, the King of Bull Creek.  

Lola's Daddy isn't a huge fan of this photo, but I had to post it, because the internet needs to know that he is cupping a cigarette in his right hand so that you can't see it.  This led to the following exchange:

Lola's Mommy: I am totally posting this photo to my blog and saying that you were hiding the cigarette so that your mom wouldn't see it.  And then you'll never be able to tell your mom about my blog because then she'd know.

Lola's Daddy: It's not just that!  Cigarettes don't have a place in nature photos!  They ruin it!

This baffles me.  It's all right to smoke in Mother Nature (never leaving your cigarette butts of course), but not all right to have photographic evidence of the fact?

Besides, Lola's Daddy is kinda sexy when he's smoking.

Anyway, my camera abruptly ran out of batteries after that photo.  We made our way back to the off-leash area on the other side of the creek, which incidentally is much more difficult to traverse.  And then I abandoned all dignity and splashed around in the water in my clothes to try to get Lola to actually SWIM, and she DID!  She swam to me a couple of times, and then she swam right on past me, and I thought that meant she was really enjoying it, but actually she was just heading for the shore.

I love my dog.