This past weekend was my first service trip with CALUE! I thought a weekend trip would be the perfect way for me to see what the organization was about and it did not disappoint.
When we got in the van to leave on Friday I was not sure what to expect, but when we arrived in Turkey, TX it definitely had a home like feel. For dinner we ate at a place called Hotel Turkey. It was a great atmosphere and even better food. I definitely recommend stopping by if you are headed to Caprock Canyon State Park.
Saturday was the day that our service actually started. It was super windy and way colder than expected, but that was not going to stop us from going to the canyon. We spent the morning taking a tour of the canyon. I thought this was a great experience and a great educational moment that was added to the trip. After lunch we started our work even though the wind was still blowing strong. We went down a hiking trail and cleared all the branches that might have been over hanging. It was great that we got to enjoy a nice hike while helping the community.Â
Sunday the weather was much better, which made it even more exciting to get out there and help. We showed up and went right to work clearing another trail. We had beautiful views overlooking the canyon which made the work go by even faster. We even got to see a heard of bison along the way. We finished up the trail and had lunch as a group. We even had some time to play on the swing set! Afterwards, the group headed to the visitor center and cleared all the weeds out of the flower garden. This went by fast and it was great to make the place look a little better for all the future visitors. Before we headed home we went down to the creek. This was one of my favorite parts because it was a different part of the canyon to see and it was a great bonding experience for the group.
Overall, going on the trip was such a good experience. I got to help improve a state park and worked with an amazing group of people!
– Courtney