Village Creek / Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary in Texas

Trip Overview

Canoeing is really a team sport. Our group decided to switch up partners at every stop. This gave everyone a chance to get closer to each other. The total trip was called the 4-hour trip, but we had till 6pm to show up at "Baby Galves", our pick up point, so we didn't have to rush. We found a few streams to explore a short way and got some great pictures. The same canoe dumped over a second time, with the same crew in it, I might add. But by this time we had removed all their gear for safe keeping by the better boaters (the men). We reached Baby Galves by 3 and were not ready to leave all the fun behind so we decided that up stream on the north branch would be fun. That's the branch that we were warned was full of trees in the river and not to take coming down.

Up stream paddling is hard work. We were not prepared for the adventure. But no one was hurt and it was fun to see family working as a team. We rested at the fork we had passed for over an hour once we made it around the island at Baby Galves. The shady little beach there on the north west side was shallow and cool. Everyone must have forgot how hard it was to come up that side of the island so we turned right around an went back that way, excited about the adventure. When navigating what you know is going to be an obstacle filled route canoers should place a lot of distance between boats. Giving the one ahead time to work past trees and such. We piled up at these and caused ourselves extra hazards. All in all we reached the pick up point in good shape and very pleased with the trip. I recommend this trip for any family that wants to get closer to each other.

Accommodations:

Silsbee has services available, bring your own trash bag for your trash !

>Our family outing began with putting in 4 canoes at the hwy 327 bridge. It was about 10am on August 31, 2002. 9 adults and tons of gear off and paddling for what we hoped would be a daylong adventure. Not 5 minutes into the day and the first canoe dumped over with all gear going to the bottom, except the cans of sodas and the lid of an old cooler, those swiftly caught the current and attempted an escape. The three passengers bobbed up from the deep with expressions of fright on their faces. We managed to "save" them quickly enough and only spent half an hour bobbing to the bottom of the river looking for that last lost lawn chair.

With all gear recovered, and a bit of trash we found on the bottom as well, properly disposed of in the trash bags we brought with, we set about applying this new lesson. We used what little line we had and tied those non-floatables to the rails of the canoes so the next dump into the drink would result in less time hunting for thing in the water. The river was in good shape and the water flow was slow and easy. We encountered very few obstructions. The sand beaches were beautiful. We stopped along the way on these and swam, played frisbee, ate and took lots of pictures.

Canoeing is really a team sport. Our group decided to switch up partners at every stop. This gave everyone a chance to get closer to each other. The total trip was called the 4-hour trip, but we had till 6pm to show up at "Baby Galves", our pick up point, so we didn't have to rush. We found a few streams to explore a short way and got some great pictures. The same canoe dumped over a second time, with the same crew in it, I might add. But by this time we had removed all their gear for safe keeping by the better boaters (the men). We reached Baby Galves by 3 and were not ready to leave all the fun behind so we decided that up stream on the north branch would be fun. That's the branch that we were warned was full of trees in the river and not to take coming down.

Up stream paddling is hard work. We were not prepared for the adventure. But no one was hurt and it was fun to see family working as a team. We rested at the fork we had passed for over an hour once we made it around the island at Baby Galves. The shady little beach there on the north west side was shallow and cool. Everyone must have forgot how hard it was to come up that side of the island so we turned right around an went back that way, excited about the adventure. When navigating what you know is going to be an obstacle filled route canoers should place a lot of distance between boats. Giving the one ahead time to work past trees and such. We piled up at these and caused ourselves extra hazards. All in all we reached the pick up point in good shape and very pleased with the trip. I recommend this trip for any family that wants to get closer to each other.

Accommodations:

Silsbee has services available, bring your own trash bag for your trash !