Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest Pool was the first 50-meter pool to open in Austin.

I took my first swim lessons at Northwest District Pool in 1970, more than a decade after it opened as the first 50-meter Olympic-sized pool in Austin.

In the ensuing years, my sisters and I spent long afternoons there, leaving our belongings in wire baskets behind the entry desk, working up the nerve to jump off the high dive and buying ice cream sandwiches from a vending machine in a chain link shed.

The diving board and vending machines are long gone, but the pool recently underwent a renovation. And at noon on Aug. 9, it will mark its 70^th birthday with free entry and a community celebration.

The City of Austin purchased land for the park – at 7000 Ardath Street, the site of an old quarry – in 1955. The pool opened for a swim meet on July 28, 1956, and was formally dedicated on August 9, 1956. During the pool’s first month of operation, more than 31,000 people visited – more than visited Barton Springs Pool at the time, according to a press release from the city.

Read more: Why swimming in a lake, pond or river beats a pool every time

The park was renamed to honor former Parks and Recreation Director Beverly S. Sheffield in 2001. Sheffield’s daughter, Sally Sheffield Attaway, will speak at the Aug. 9 celebration, and other family members will attend.
Recent renovations included resurfacing of the 50-meter pool, new shade structures, upgraded fencing and lighting, and an improved entry area. Thankfully, the curved, open-air bathhouse looks the same, although it’s been upgraded with new fixtures.

The celebration starts at noon and will include a demonstration by the McCallum High School swim team and displays of historic photos and memorabilia. Snacks will be provided. Austin Parks and Recreation, Friends of Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest District Park, Austin Parks Foundation and the Allandale Neighborhood Association are hosting the event.

Shield Ranch Barton Creek is located 20 miles west of downtown Austin. Photo courtesy Shield Ranch Foundaiton

Dream of scampering up and down rolling ranch roads in the Hill Country on a mountain bike?

Registration is open for this fall’s Wild Ride at Shield Ranch Barton Creek, set for Sept. 26. The ranch, a 6,600-acre property west of Austin protected through land easements, allows rare cycling access to the property. The ranch makes up about 10 percent of the Barton Creek Watershed.

Here’s a story I wrote about Shield Ranch for The Nature Conservancy a few years ago.

Proceeds from the ride will benefit the Shield Ranch Foundation’s Wild for Good Circle, which supports programs including Camp El Ranchito, which brings fourth- through twelfth-graders from low-income households to the ranch for nature immersion camps.

Shield Ranch will open to mountain bikers for Wild Ride on Sept. 26. Photo courtesy Shield Ranch Foundation

Participants can choose from 8-mile and 16-mile routes.

Cost is $150 and includes a $100 tax deductible donation to the Shield Ranch Foundation. Lunch and post-ride refreshments are included. (Cost is $50 for non-riders.)

The ride starts at 8:30 a.m.

Last year I hiked and swam up Santa Elena Canyon at Big Bend National Park. Charlie Gandy photo

I first got hooked on hiking as a kid, when my dad led me into the ravine at the end of our street in Northwest Hills. That led to longer hikes along Shoal Creek and the Barton Creek Greenbelt. But even I discovered plenty of new routes while researching my latest book, “Urban Trails Austin” (Mountaineers Books; $18.95.)

The guide, set to publish Oct. 1, highlights 40 trails in and around the city, from the Ann and Roy Butler Trail at Lady Bird Lake to the Brushy Creek Regional Trail in Round Rock.

I’ve hiked over Whitney Pass on the John Muir Trail twice. Chris LeBlanc photo

The book is available for pre-order now here. I’m also planning several book signings. Stay tuned for more information on that.

I’ve spent the last couple of years sneaking in hikes whenever I can, and I’ve learned a lot.

The best trail if you’re training for a backpacking trip? The River Place Nature Trail.

The best trail for birdwatchers? The Hornsby Bend Trail.

The best trail if you want to take a dip when you’re done? The loop at Commons Ford Ranch.

The 224-page book covers these trails and more, including routes at Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park and along Onion Creek.

If you’re not familiar with my work, I’m a long-time journalist who spent 21 years at the Austin American-Statesman, where I wrote mainly about fitness and adventure. (Remember the Fit City column?) I’m happiest outside, and biking, hiking and swimming are part of my daily life. I’ve backpacked the John Muir Trail and the High Sierra Trail in California, as well as routes through Glacier National Park and Big Bend National Park. Here in Austin, you can frequently find me on the Barton Creek Greenbelt, especially if there’s been rain.

Today I’m on the loose as a freelance writer. I focus on travel, outdoor adventure and environmental issues for about 30 publications, including Texas Monthly, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, The Nature Conservancy Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler, Texas Highways, and Texas Coop Power Magazine. Find links to my latest work at www.pamleblancadventures.com.

Pam LeBlanc sits in a Helinox Zero LT. Chris LeBlanc photo

A can of beans. A large bag of potato chips. Four sticks of butter.

The newest ultra-light chair from Helinox, the Chair Zero LT, weighs barely an ounce more than each of those things, which means it might actually make it into my backpack when I hit the John Muir Trail again later this summer.

I’m a weight weenie. I work hard to keep the weight of my backpack low. Nothing’s more miserable than trying to lug a heavy pack over mountain passes.

When I hiked 200 miles on the John Muir Trail in 2016, my backpack, including nine days of food, weighed 28 pounds. (That’s without water, which weighs a little more than 8 pounds per gallon.)

The Helinox Zero LT, center, weighs 1.1 pounds. Pam LeBlanc photo

I didn’t carry a camp chair then, but I’m thinking about it now. I’m older. My bones are creaky, and the idea of settling into an actual camp chair instead of lowering my buns onto a hard rock at the end of the day sounds appealing.

With that in mind, I recently tested the Chair Zero LT by Helinox, which weighs just 1 pound 1 ounce.

That’s significantly lighter than the Helinox One, which weighs in at about 2 pounds – not worth it on a long backpacking trip, but good for a shorter adventure. That chair is sturdier and an inch or two larger in every dimension. It also holds more weight– 320 pounds for the One compared to 265 pounds for the Zero LT.

The new Zero LT is made of lightweight mesh and ripstop fabric, so tears don’t spread. The poles are shock-corded, so it whips itself into place when you unpack it. It comes with an X-shaped stabilizer strap that helps prevent it from sinking into the sand or grass, but I’d leave that at home.

One complaint? I staggered like a drunk trying to get up from the seated position. And it’s expensive. The Helinox Zero LT costs $159.95. The Helinox One costs $139.95, but you can find it on sale for less than $100.

Now I’ve just got to figure out where I can shave a few more ounces off my base weight so I can take my new chair with me.

The new Rebecca Caroline tasting room occupies the historic Hye Post Office. Pam LeBlanc photo

William Chris Vineyards has officially entered the bubbly business.

The Hill Country winemaker west of Johnson City opened the doors of its Rebecca Caroline tasting room today. I stopped by for a sneak peak, and sampled four types of sparkling wine, all made with Texas grapes.

The history runs deep.

The new tasting room occupies the old Hye Post Office on Highway 290, across the road from the main winery. Lyndon Baines Johnson mailed his first letter here when he was 4 years old, and years later, as president, swore in his postmaster general on the front steps. Inside, you can belly up to what was once the counter of the old post office, see some of the building’s original mailboxes or look up at the stamped tin ceiling. (A tiny post office still functions in one corner of the 120-year-old building for a few hours a day.)

Marcy Stellfox sips sparkling wine at the new Rebecca Caroline tasting room at William Chris Vineyards. Pam LeBlanc photo

From the front porch, you’ll see a faux storefront for M.L. Leddy’s, a Fort Worth-based bootmaker. Peek inside and you’ll see an antique barber chair, a cache of old ledgers and some cool old hats and boots. Just don’t plan on placing an order. The shop isn’t real; it never opens.

The Rebecca Caroline tasting room also serves raw oysters and caviar.

Chris Brundrett, co-founder of William Chris Vineyards, shows off some of the winery’s grapevines. Pam LeBlanc photo

Chris Brundrett and Bill Blackmon teamed up to start William Chris Vineyards in 2008. While the winery has gussied itself up in recent years, expanding and adding a formal tasting room in 2019, it’s held on to its small-town roots.

“We get to see hyper experienced wine connoisseurs and people who just downed a Dr Pepper,” Brundrett said. “Wine can be so dang intimidating.”

The Fredericksburg area is now the second largest wine region in the country, behind California. It’s known for a variety of grapes, including tannat, a full-bodied red heavy on tannins and dark fruit flavors.

William Chris Vineyards sees about 60,000 visitors annually. It uses grapes grown in the High Plains of Texas, the Fredericksburg area, the Llano Uplift and the ancient salt flats of West Texas to make its wines.

“We used to hear that Texas wine sucked,” Brundrett says. “That perception has changed. People know who we are now.”

Reservations are recommended.

The Faust Hotel in New Braunfels reopened in May after a multi-year renovation project. Pam LeBlanc photo

For decades, my memories of New Braunfels centered around sausage, beer and dirndls, because I only visited during the ten-day German celebration known as Wurstfest.

That changed last week, when I made an overnight trip to experience the city in summer. Turns out it’s heaven for a water-loving swimmer like me.

Here are my suggestions for what to do if you plan a trip…

1. Stay at the historic Faust Hotel, which opened as the Traveler’s Hotel two weeks before the stock market crashed in 1929. It reopened in May after a $10 million renovation, and staying there feels like sliding back into the Roaring Twenties. A pocket bar off the lobby occupies what was once the hotel barbershop, a speakeasy will open soon downstairs, and the hotel’s original cash register is on display next to the front desk. Pro tip: Instead of paying for valet parking, park for free in the city lot on South Castell Avenue, a block away.
2. Eat dinner at Wilhelm & Werner. I’m no foodie, but dinner here ranked as one of the best meals of my life. The menu is Texas-themed (think Texas sweet onion soup, Gulf oysters, Hill Country rabbit pie and a dessert called the Cenizo Pot made of smoked Texas sage custard that brought me to my knees.) Just bring a fat wallet, because it’s expensive.
3. Take a flying leap into the spring-fed pool at Landa Park I might have been the oldest person to launch myself off the rope swing the day I visited, and I loved hanging out on the floating platform at the center of the pool. If you don’t like the feel of aquatic grass under your toes (who doesn’t!), you can opt for the cement pond and splash pad just up the hill.

Stacy Thigpen paddles along the Guadalupe River with his dog Joey. Pam LeBlanc photo

4. The park was nice, but the highlight of the trip for me came when we hopped on inflatable standup paddleboards and rode them down the Guadalupe River upstream of the city. The half-day trip took us past huge cypress trees, along limestone bluffs, and through a rocky, natural chute in the riverbed. If you book with Stacy Thigpen at PaddleTX, like I did, the trip includes lunch at the Lonestar Float House. (Order the burger and sit on a half-submerged picnic table in the river for best results.)

5. Back in town, drop by Red Stag to shop for clothing, jewelry and furniture, all arranged in a sprawling restored historic building. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt.

Naegelin’s Bakery in New Braunfels opened in 1868. Pam LeBlanc photo

6. My mom used to bake anise-flavored cookies called springerle, and I was thrilled to find them at Naegelin’s Bakery, which opened in 1868.

7. I didn’t make it to the city tube chute this time, but for $7 you can hang out on the riverbank downtown and make as many trips down the cement-lined channel around the dam as you want. (When I was a kid, we called this area Stinky Falls.) You can rent a tube on site for $15.

8. I also skipped Schlitterbahn Water Park & Resort, but if you’re into man-made pools, waterslides and a lazy river, it’s mecca.

9. If you’re feeling fancy, head to Old City Hall, a high-end eatery located in what was once the New Braunfels City Hall building. We went for lunch on a weekday, and the joint was packed.

10. Krause’s Café & Biergarten once only served a noon meal, but it evolved into a place where people went to drink beer and play dominos and card games. Now it’s known for live music and German specialties like schnitzel, bratwurst and pretzels. I swear it’s home to the longest row of beer taps I’ve ever seen. Oddly, it also serves breakfast, and the peach French toast made me swoon.