Burger's Lake, it's not really a lake, but it is!

If you have never been to Burger's Lake, just stop reading now.  Get away from the computer, go find your swim suit, and just GO!!  Labor Day weekend is the last time they are open for the season, and summer is not complete without a trip (or two) to Burger's Lake. 

Burger's Lake really isn't a lake at all, but it is. Confusing?  Well, the water isn't what you expect from lake water.  Coming from underground, natural springs, the water is cold!  Then it's micro-filtered, and chlorinated.  Meaning that there is nothing living in the water, no turtles, no fish, no wiggly little things, and no harmful bacteria.  Well, no more than what you are going to find in your average swimming pool. 

But the water is NOT like a swimming pool, because it's a LAKE!  You can scrunch your feet in the sand when you walk around in it!  (Sand, there is NO slimy mud!)  It's fantastic!  My kids love diving down to get rocks on the bottom, which they can see!  The water is BROWN, although clarity is very good.  Why does BROWN water excite me?  Because, unlike swimming pools, the darker water ABSORBS the sun's rays.  It doesn't feel as HOT,  and the rays aren't being reflected back into your face and eyes.  But my favorite is the SMELL.  A friend of mine commented about this to me, too.  It just smells like a lake!  Your hair, your towels, they just have a good, clean, natural scent! 

Unlike swimming pools, there is very little concrete throughout the park.  There is sand, and dirt and grass!  As a mom who DREAMS of spending a concrete free summer with her children (and sadly realizing that as they get older and camps, sports, etc.  require more and more, this dream will likely never happen) I love the significant lack of hard surfaces! 

But similar to a pool, there are LOTS OF LIFEGUARDS!  There are diving boards, including two high dives, and slides!  There is shallow, zero depth water which gradually gets deeper, like a pool, that is trying to imitate a lake.  There is a spray park (where the water is REALLY cold)!  But to remind you that you are AT A LAKE, they have a rope swing! 

Unlike most pools, you are surrounded by NATURE!! Picnic tables are nestled under big, shady trees!  Volleyball courts await in the grass.  When we first arrived, we were greeted by Raquel, a very friendly little raccoon who was found by the park owners.  We were, as always, the VERY LAST to leave, and thrilled when we spotted several deer venturing out to eat at dusk.  Accompanying them were a mother and twin babies!  My kids will talk about that for a year!!

You are allowed to bring food, drinks and ice chest!  Grills are scattered among the picnic tables.  A concession stand offers snacks and treats to help cool off!  Sandy beaches offer hours of digging and castle building fun for kids! 

You can also bring floats, etc. from home.  They rent large intertubes, and the water is chilly enough that you can close your eyes and almost believe you are floating along the Guadalupe! 

But my FAVORITE thing about Burger's Lake is that it's deep.  20' in some places.  And I like  LOVE to swim in deep water!  There is something so FREE about swimming in water so deep that you can't see the bottom!  I know lots of people complain that they don't swim in water they can't see in, ruling out lakes, rivers and oceans from their choices, but WHY?  Assuming that you use good, common sense, the most dangerous thing about swimming, aside from drowning, and if you aren't a good swimmer you shouldn't be out there, is the DRIVE IN THE CAR to where you are going to go swimming!  So turn off River Monsters and dive into some reality!  STepping down from my soap box, now. 

My Mommy Tip:

Now that I have just ranted about the JOY OF SWIMMING, I am going to warn you of the dangers.  It's NOT A POOL!  It's a large lake filled with people.  If your child isn't a good swimmer, take or borrow a life jacket!  Yes, there are life guards, but they can't see the bottom of lake.  Keep an eye on your children, and keep your little ones close to you! 
This was the first year I let my kids swim out to the swim platform in the middle of the lake, by themselves.  I couldn't go because of my four year old, and they don't allow life jackets, or any floatation devices in the deep water. But I kept a constant eye on them!  And I enforce the buddy system; ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOUR BUDDY IS!   But, after half a day of swimming, I asked my kids, "What would you do if your buddy dived in the water, and didn't come out?  Their response?  "I would come find you".   WHAT!!!!   I explained that NO, after you are sure that they didn't come out (and this is no time for games) you QUICKLY GET A LIFEGUARD!!  Discuss it with your kids, don't just assume that they know what to do in an emergency! 

Interesting Trivia
As we were leaving, I was surprised to learn that each winter the spring is rerouted to flow into the nearby Trinity River, and the lake is drained until the next year.  It makes sense, from a financial perspective.  It would be expensive to filter and chlorinate the water all winter.  But it just amazing me that they can do this.