Lola Reviews: Barton Springs

Barton Springs is one of the most awesome things about Austin.  For three dollars (plus three dollars' parking if you go on the weekend during summer), you can hang out at a verdant, landscaped natural spring that stays at 68 degrees year-round.  I am a huge fan of all the beautiful swimming holes around Austin, but if you don't have time to drive out of town a little ways, nothing can beat Barton.

It's even better for dog lovers.  The spring, which feeds into Lady Bird Lake, has been made into a channel about twenty yards across and over 900 feet long.  At the end is a small dam, which feeds into the FREE OFF-LEASH DOG PARK.  Hell yeah.  I love this town.

Here is the doggie part of Barton Springs.

You can see the people and doggies playing, and beyond that the small dam/sluice thing with its chain-link fence, and beyond that the beautifully maintained sloping hill where people who have paid three dollars can sunbathe.

(I specifically went on a weekday morning when there would be less people.  I think there were four other dogs there.  But I have seen over twenty-five, easily, on weekends.)

Looking the other way, you can see where the spring feeds into Lady Bird Lake.  Note the swans and kayakers.

Lola has not been very receptive to water so far (aside from her bath, when of course she was wonderful).  I figured that Barton Springs on a quiet day would be a good first experience.  The slope into the water is so gradual that I'd be able to lure her farther and farther out with treats.  Good plan, right?  Right?

But sadly, the best laid plans of mice and men... (I really wish I could link to the Eddie Izzard clip for that, but YouTube doesn't seem to have it.  Phooey.)

Actually, it went really well.  I kept her on-leash, and she loved the park and the people, and came out in water almost up to her neck to take a treat.  I wanted to see if she could actually SWIM, but I decided not to push it for our first time there.

Here is a bedraggled Lola.

Actually you can't really see the bedraggledness there.  I posted the photo because 1) she's looking at the camera in such an amazingly adorable way, and 2) what the HELL is up with my toes?  See them?  See?  See?  There at the bottom of the photo?  I have short, fat slug toes in this photo!!!  Why?  Why???

Here is a better photo of bedraggled Lola.  Ha ha, she's all wet.  Sucker.

In the final analysis, she loved the park, and she was neutral regarding the water.  We'll see what happens next time.