{"id":21820,"date":"2025-03-20T06:20:48","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T11:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/?p=21820"},"modified":"2025-03-20T06:20:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T11:20:52","slug":"expecting-the-hilton-getting-the-wilderness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/?p=21820","title":{"rendered":"Expecting the Hilton, Getting the Wilderness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A few months ago, Carl won a silent auction prize &#8212; three days and two nights at Lake Bastrop South Shore. Sounded wonderful! We imagined a cozy little cabin, a warm cup of coffee in the morning while gazing at the lake, and all the comforts of home wrapped in a nature-filled getaway.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Donna.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21822\" style=\"width:438px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Donna.jpg 960w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Donna-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Donna-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Donna-120x90.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Thankfully, Carl had the good sense to call ahead. That\u2019s when we learned a small but significant detail: the cabin had no bathroom. Instead, the fine folks at the park assured us that the communal showers and restrooms were \u201cnearby.\u201d Now, I don\u2019t know about you, but my idea of nearby does not involve putting on shoes and grabbing a flashlight at 2 a.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, we pressed on, adventurous spirits that we are. After all, the drive was only an hour, and maybe &#8212; just maybe &#8212; the beauty of the place would make up for the lack of\u2026indoor plumbing.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Donna-Header-e1742354573262.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21823\" style=\"width:495px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We arrived at the camp store, received our key, and took in the gorgeous setting &#8212; towering pine trees, the shimmering lake, a peaceful, tucked-away haven. We can do this, we thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, we opened the cabin door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One room. Two bunk beds. No bathroom. No kitchen. No chairs. No sheets. Not even a microwave to heat up a cup of something comforting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We looked at each other. We looked at the cabin. We looked at the long, dark walk to the \u201cnearby\u201d bathroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then we took a nice, long hike, having some photo opts, then right back to our car.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Looking-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21824\" style=\"width:538px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Looking-2.jpg 960w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Looking-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Looking-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Looking-2-120x90.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of roughing it, we found ourselves in the charming town of Bastrop, dining at Wanda\u2019s Caf\u00e9, surrounded by Lucille Ball memorabilia and the nostalgic glow of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. And you know what? It was delightful.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"654\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Donna.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21825\" style=\"width:338px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Donna.jpg 654w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Donna-204x300.jpg 204w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 654px) 100vw, 654px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, life doesn\u2019t unfold the way we planned. We expect the Hilton and get the wilderness. But even in those moments, God reminds us to embrace the unexpected. The beauty of the trees, the laughter at our own missteps, the joy of a simple meal in a small town &#8212; those are His gifts, too.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Donna-Maxine2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21826\" style=\"width:465px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Donna-Maxine2.jpg 960w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Donna-Maxine2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Donna-Maxine2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Carl-Donna-Maxine2-120x90.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Proverbs 16:9 says, \u201cWe can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.\u201d Even if those steps lead us out of a cabin and straight to a plate of comfort food!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"777\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Lucy.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21827\" style=\"width:382px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Lucy.jpg 777w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Lucy-243x300.jpg 243w, https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bastrop-Lucy-768x949.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 777px) 100vw, 777px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>And in all things, give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18) &#8212; even for a getaway that turned into a getaway from the getaway.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A few months ago, Carl won a silent auction prize &#8212; three days and two nights at Lake Bastrop South Shore. Sounded wonderful! We imagined a cozy little cabin, a warm cup of coffee in the morning while gazing at the lake, and all the comforts of home wrapped in a nature-filled getaway. Thankfully, Carl&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21820"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21830,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21820\/revisions\/21830"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}