Matagorda County is seeing high daily temperatures in the upper 90s, with the sun smothering the area in a blanket of heat from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It’s official. Summer is here. And I for one, as I do every year, forgot how hot it gets in Texas. That being said, I have to say this: there’s nothing better than a Texas summer. It can really only be described as torturous, splendid, glorious, heat-stroke inducing, maddening, gorgeous, unforgiving and perfect. But hey, at least it’s a wet-heat! I visited my cousin in Phoenix two summers ago and experienced a dry 120-degree heat. Ouch. Here, I might be covered in sweat by the time I get to my car from my front door, but there, I’d get third degree sunburns in the same amount of time. Unforgiving and painful. I’ll take the sweat any day. We’ll soon be seeing high temperatures in the 100s, and lucky for most of us, there is a nearby easy escape for this heat…the beach. But even I didn’t have the possibility of sprinting into the ocean on a hot summer’s day, which I actually did two weeks ago and am still recovering from, I’d still choose Texas over anywhere else to spend my summer. Cool summer rain on a hot tin roof, hanging out under the unforgettable Texas star-filled summer sky all night, but most importantly…it’s river-floating time! If there’s a river left to float in, that is. Ever since I could walk, I floated. My family owns a couple ranches north of Hondo, where I grew up. Thirty minutes up the road lies Concan and the beautiful Frio River. There isn’t a river on earth I’d rather float. The Frio gets its name from the ice-cold springs that feed the entire length of the river, and as freezing as they may be, there’s nothing better on a 100-degree plus Texas summer day. It’s one of the last rivers to stay natural, no commercialization, no vendors, just you and the river…and a large ice chest full of your favorite summer beverage. There are stretches of the float, depending on what part of the river you’re on, where you won’t even be able to see a single home or business, just the beautiful Frio River valley. I made the trip down the Frio twice last year, even after being warned that the area’s drought made floating impossible, and had a great time. It was low…very low…but we still had a lot of fun. It’s hard not too, because even in areas where there isn’t but 6-inches of water, you are still surrounded by friends and family. The area hasn’t gotten much rain since last year and the river is supposedly even lower now than it was then, but that’s still not going to stop us from going. We, my fiancé and I, have a really big trip planned for next month and I’m hoping for at least a little rain before then, but we’ll be going no matter what. There’s no better escape from the Texas heat than a dip in Frio. The ocean does come pretty close, though. Just be careful if you decided to sprint into the water, because saltwater face plants sting. Lesson learned.
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