This area for temporary and important messaging. COVID RESOURCES

Apply
Your Journey Starts Here
Apply
Donate
Support Our Mission
Donate

We Heart Austin in June

T.J. and Annie Freeman enjoy Austin, even in the hot summer. Follow their We Heart Austin posts for their favorite places to hang out in this great city. T.J. has completed his second year towards an MDiv. They came to us from the Diocese of Indianapolis.
 
As the Texas summer begins to heat up, there are few things that are enjoyable during the hottest parts of the day. Swimming is one of those things. Some days we have to leave the Episcopool behind and head down towards the Colorado River and Deep Eddy Pool. Deep Eddy is not quite as famous or as well known as Barton Springs, which will be talked about in a later post, but it is a lovely little place to spend a hot Texas afternoon. Deep Eddy is the oldest swimming pool in Texas, built in 1915. Before that it was a swimming hole in the Colorado. Annie loves swimming and being in the water; I am not a huge swimmer. I prefer to take a quick dip and then retreat to side of the pool to read a book. Deep Eddy is perfect for either type of person. One side of the pool is emptied and refilled with fresh spring water every other day. The pool is also surrounded by plenty of green grass and shade trees. You can lie out your blanket and stay cool despite the temperatures being well above 90 degrees. The fresh spring water that fills the pool is a bit cool, but it is very refreshing on these hot summer days.
One of the great things about Seminary of the Southwest and Austin is that we can bike to most of the places in the downtown area that we want to visit. Deep Eddy is definitely one of the places to which we can bike. Deep Eddy is connected to the Town Lake Trail. The Town Lake Trail has about ten and half miles of trails that circle the lake and connect many parks and trails throughout the downtown area. From the seminary campus you can head west on 30th street, turn south on Guadalupe, and then west on 29th street; after you cross Lamar boulevard you will run right into the Shoal Creek Trail. Shoal Creek will take you all the way to Town Lake and you will have successfully avoided the road for most of your trip and most of this part of the trail is shaded and quite lovely. The trails are great for biking, running, and walking; I have used them to train for a marathon and to train for my 530-mile pilgrimage. If you have a dog, a lot of the trail is a leash free zone so you can let your pooch run around and play in the water with the other dogs. Town Lake also has plenty of places to rent kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, standup boards, or even a dinner cruise.
Summer in Texas is hot, but there are a lot of options in Austin to get you into the water or the shade that make the heat bearable. Besides, after a day stuck in the hospital during CPE or in the basement of Booher Library during the end of the semester, anywhere without air conditioning is awesome.
Blessings… T.J. and Annie

Theological Degrees

Learn more about a Master of Divinity, a Diploma of Anglican Studies, or other programs that lead to ordination.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Learn about a CACREP accredited Master of Mental Health Counseling Degree.

Ways to Support

Learn about opportunities to support  Southwest through Annual Fund, Scholarships, and more.

Looking for Something?

Apply Now (MHC and MSF)

Apply Now (MDiv, MAR, and DAS)