aussies – Texans Travel Life

Our trip to Lake Brownwood State Park could be considered a series of unfortunate events at first glance. The fact that we left our house at 5:30am would be the first of those unfortunate events to 3/4 of the population of Smiths living in our home in North Texas. Fortunately, The Reader is a morning person and once we picked her up at 6:15am, there was a second cheerful person on board the S.S.Suburban bound for Lake Brownwood State Park. We chatted. I read a humorous chapter from Of Mess and Moxie to her. She laughed at my observations. She showed me adorable pics of her furr babies. I coveted her new iPhone. Just a delightful passing of time as we headed west in the wee hours of the morn.

And then we stopped for gas and a bio break. No biggie, except this time while The Man was filling the behemoth tank of our land yacht, he noticed this, which could rightly be considered the second in our series of unfortunate events –

We just didn’t think the “wires” of our inner tire should be showing. And since we’d had the tires checked the day before at a reputable tire place, we were scratching our heads as to how this could have happened.

Sigh.

Not only was the Suburban filled with coolers (plural), sporting equipment, fishing gear, 5 humans, and Our Awesome Aussie, the spare tire was also in the back instead of in it’s rightful place under the vehicle thanks to a years ago off-roading adventure gone awry. Hence the sigh. We were going to have to offload three bikes so that we could unload the heavy coolers and finagle around our miscellaneous sporting equipment in order to get the good spare tire out and onto the truck. And by we, I mean The Man and The Manling because the rest of us are ladies (including our Awesome Aussie) and the ladies promptly took off for a photo shoot with the cool sculptures and such that make roadside gas stations more than just pit stops.

Thirty minutes saw us back on the road – which I count as a miracle because the jack that the giant Suburban had looked like it would have had trouble lifting the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside), so kudos to the makers of that priceless piece of engineering! About an hour later, we reached our destination without further incident.

After taking our group selfie at the entrance –

In what the lady-folk would consider the third unfortunate event, Kinder Frau pointed out the leavings of a snake’s skin – right at our feet. {Just. Breathe.}

– we headed straight for the HQ to register our vehicle and get the lay of the land from the excellent Park Staff. Which is when I noticed the flyers stacked on the counter inviting everyone for a volleyball game at 10:30am and a kickball game at 1pm. You see, I had called earlier in the week to talk to the Park Staff about a couple of items I’d noticed on their website – volleyball courts and a softball field – that were free for use by park visitors. I asked if they could invite other visitors to join us for volleyball and kickball the day we would be there and they enthusiastically replied, “Absolutely! We are all about community.” That same day, I saw an announcement posted on their social media! Upon arrival at the park, we saw the flyers sitting right on the counter where everyone checked into the park! Major props to the LBSP Staff for living their motto!

Since it was about 10:15am, we headed straight for the volleyball court by the swim beach. We played a hilarious hybrid game of volleyball & nukem that attracted a fair amount of odd looks from the few people that walked by and maybe weren’t living their best lives like The Smiths clearly were. Not everyone can live our level of cool in the heat of summer.

And then things got real – someone joined us!!! The social media blitz combined with the old school flyers landed us an actual human being willing to join our crazy shenanigans! And he was in full length denim pants, people…owning the court! Let’s take a moment to give proper kudos to Caleb for going with the flow, laughing, and pretty much #winning at that carpe diem thing!

Our new bestie Caleb, The Man, and The Manling in about 1000 degree weather

This shot makes us look like we know what we’re doing. The Reader took video that proved that we were more of a spectacle than spectacular. But we had fun, so we’re cool with that.

Hot and tired. And also the self-proclaimed winners.

We told Caleb about our upcoming kickball game, invited him to join us at 1pm at the field for more fun, and then headed back to the truck for some lakeside eating in the comfort our air conditioned Suburban. Nothing spectacular to report except the lake views, which are gorgeous and complete the ambiance when you are eating in your air conditioned vehicle lakeside.

Once we were fed and cooled, some of us felt energized enough to tackle the Nopales Ridge Trail atop our bikes, so we reparked the Suburban at the trailhead (which is off the main park road on the right, just past the split). We left The Reader and Kinder Frau to read, relax, and chill in the Suburban with Our Awesome Aussie while The Man, The Manling, and I took to the trail.

It started simply enough, lots of flat earth shaded by pretty trees and serenaded by the call of locusts and birds. Then we got to the portion that the Park Staff forewarned might be “challenging.” I’d like to say we kicked the trail’s butt, but honestly? We had to get off and walk portions of it because the rocks were so big and I was on my city hybrid bike with the teeny tires which I was morbidly afraid would go POP! rendering me a walker for the remainder of the trail while the midday sun slowly melted me. So we experienced about a fifth of the trail on foot, which inherently held it’s own challenges to me because of the cactus and the incredibly rocky, narrow path on the “challenging” portion of the trail and my recurrent fear of snakes, which I was assured lived in the park when we were registering our vehicle earlier in the day, but I had been less afraid of encountering on the trail when I was enjoying it atop my bike at a decent clip. Eventually we made it back to the wider, more earthy trail and we were riding the bikes once more, enjoying the wind in our faces as we blazed through the rest of the trail and back to the Suburban. We had so much fun overall, I suggested that The Man and The Manling do it again sans me and my sissy bike after our kickball game, an idea that held real appeal to my menfolk.

As we were storing gear, loading up the bikes, and downing H2O, The Reader kindly let us know that a rather alarming engine-related message appeared on the dashboard while we were gone. Long story short, without thinking we did a big no-no (our fourth unfortunate event of the day, for those that are counting) and this happened –

We quickly emptied water bottles into our coolant reservoir and headed slowly to the sports field for kickball at which exactly no one joined us, which was not a mystery because it was

but that didn’t stop The Smiths from playing the most ridiculous game of four-way kickball ever invented! The Reader served as our permanent pitcher while the rest of us constituted one-man teams and Our Awesome Aussie jogged around the field not sure who she was rooting for and far more preoccupied with the abundance of new olfactory sensations to care anyway.

We were all winners after our epic 23-minute, four-way, individual kickball game, but I might have had more of a reason to smile than the others when it ended. Just sayin’.

Game over, we re-focused our attention on the fourth in our series of unfortunate events. We oh-so-cautiously drove to the boat launch area with hopes that we could possibly find a boat owner with engine coolant to spare. While The Man and I searched and read manuals and refilled water bottles to add to the car’s reservoir, the kids treated Our Awesome Aussie to a much-appreciated swim because Our Awesome Aussie is practically ferrel when it comes to the likes of water and wallowing and she was about to melt from the heat trapped in her beautiful blue merle coat.

Once we found a generous boater with coolant to spare, the Suburban seemed right as rain again (Thank you, Jesus!). We headed back to the Nopales Ridge Trail to drop the guys off to re-do the loop on their manly bikes with their ginormous tires while the gals explored the rest of LBSP via Suburban.

I want to post the cry-laughing emogee, but that’s not an option.

The Manling might have petered out during their second take of the “challenging” mountain bike trail and left The Man outside to load the bikes back onto the Suburban.

The second, more testosterone-filled mountain bike ride, both The Man and The Manling crashed (fifth in our series of unfortunate events) at the very spot we previously commented seemed way too narrow for handle bars to fit through. Apparently, we were right. We hit the road shortly after the guys’ smashing second mountain bike ride and thusly brought our day-long series of unfortunate events to a surprisingly happy conclusion.

Why We Love Lake Brownwood State Park

Water. Summer + Texas + Water = Smiles
Mountain Biking. This. Was. Awesome. It’s the first time in years we’ve taken the bikes to a State Park for some off-roading and we were feelin’ every minute of it! Just make sure you have thick mountain bike tires. You’ll need ’em.
CCC. LBSP has the most CCC structures of any of the Texas State Parks. You have to take a moment to enjoy their historical beauty. The Trails Map points many out to you, along with a news bite of information. You can find out more info on the park’s History page.
Athletic. I love, love, LOVE that LBSP encourages you in outdoor pursuits. Bring your thick-tired mountain bike and ride the Posales Ridge Trail. Explore the beautiful Lakeside Trail on foot. Borrow a volleyball and get a game going at one of the two volleyball courts. Check out all the equipment you’ll need to enjoy America’s favorite past time at the HQ. Go for a swim in the refreshing waters of Lake Brownwood. Like Nike would say, Just Do It.

Must Do’s

Play. Listen up. The HQ has loaner equipment so that you can play til your heart’s content, my friend! For FREE. Take them up on it and hae some old school fun playing with some peeps – old, and new!
Explore. There are around 6 miles of trails you can hike, run, or bike. Explore them! (Note: If you explore by bike, bring some thick tires. These trails aren’t made with sissy city tires in mind.)
Fish. There is a super cool bridge around the boat launches that has a pier behind it where we saw three generations of fisher people catching crappie while we were there in the heat of the day. Give it a try.
Swim. We saw people enjoying the water the whole time we were there. LBSP has a GREAT beach area, which is exactly what the doctor orders when it’s 103 out there.
Grand Stairway. Short, sweet climb to a precious little shaded sitting area with scenic views of the lake. The Man and I enjoyed some alone time up there on our visit, but it would be the perfect spot for a small family picnic.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Lake Brownwood State Park! Please share your thoughts on this eventful park in the comments.

*In all natural areas, you are a guest. Educate yourself on what lives in the areas before your visits, always talk to the Park Rangers upon arrival and take precautions so that your experiences end as positively as ours.

Waking in the wee hours of a Saturday morning in mid-June 2018, the final four of our fam set out on a day trip to Fort Parker State Park in Mexia, Texas, with our family mascot, Rosie. The park promised a little something for everyone: hiking for The Man, fishing for The Manling, photo ops for Kinder Frau, frolicking for the Awesome Aussie, and history for The Mom.

Introducing our Awesome Aussie, Rosie. She loves swimming, running, barking, wallowing in dirt, peanut butter, and her family. She is up to an adventure anytime, anywhere.

We arrived about an hour after the HQ opened, one group out of a few checking in at that time. When our turn for some face time with the Park Staff came, we were made to feel surprisingly unhurried. No “treat ’em and street ’em” mindset at FPSP. Each guest is made to feel like a V.I.P. and that definitely deserves a shout out, in my opinion.

Once we were squared away with our registration, our Park Staffer helped us plan our day enjoying this new-to-us State Park. And that’s saying a lot because all four of us had different ideas of how that would be best accomplished. First off, he said, I would hike while it’s still cool. If you park by the Recreation Hall here on the map, you can easily get to the pontoon bridge here (circling it on our map) and then you’ll be on the Springfield Trail which will take you past the cemetery (a San Jacinto survivor is actually buried there!), Group Camping, Springfield Lake, the Dam – oh, and if you listen for the spring about here (pointing to the map), you can follow the sound to see the spring! – and then past the historical marker where…” All that to say, Mr. Park Staffer hooked us up with an excellent adventure that checked all of our boxes!

An example of some of the great trails at FPSP.

Following the Park Staff advice, we followed the Springfield Trail to all of those wonderful spots, which happen to contain signage along the way to educate adventuresome hikers like us on the unique history of FPSP. With our morning hike behind us, The Manling settled in for some fishing at one of the three spots that Mr. Park Staff highlighted on our map while The Man played fetch in the water with our Awesome Aussie (She’s quite ferrel when it comes to getting her country on.), Kinder Frau updated her online presence, and I got some reading done.

Shoreline fishing at “The Point,” which is just past the Recreation Hall. Nada. (A nearby fisherman told us he hadn’t caught either and was going to try the river near the boat launch.)

Rosie is a country dog at heart. She LOVES getting wet followed by a good wallow in the dirt and a nap.

Finding spot #1 a dud, we moved to spot #2, which looked to have a small Boy Scout troop getting ready for a canoe trip upriver. We cast in the full sun. We cast from a tree that had fallen into the water. We cast from the shade. We were using lures, corn and worms. Nothing. Because catching is more fun than fishing, I was about ready to throw in the towel and read while the guys continued their quest. I cast one last time in a shaded spot to the left of the boat launch and BAM! My bobber disappeared! I yanked and reeled her in only to find that my worm had disappeared, too! The Manling hooked me up with another worm and I dropped a line in the same spot. Within seconds, my bobber was underwater AGAIN. I yanked and reeled her in a second time to find my worm was MIA again. I asked The Manling what I was doing wrong. “Is my hook too large for this fish’s mouth, maybe?” No, it’s fine. You’ve just got to…(insert man-spanation here because – teenager). This song-and-dance continued for several more casts before I managed to hook something – the tree that was providing the shade over the water. While The Man helped me disengage my hook from the tree (via the snapped line method) and then repair my reel, The Manling thought he would drop his line in where I was getting the only action on the river. And BAM! The Manling quickly landed the thing that had been stealing my worms! Super happy for him, I offered him a heartfelt congratulations and asked him how he did it. Smaller hook, he replied sheepishly. Really, man? (In his defense, he truly felt guilty for catching “my” fish. I spent quite a while assuring him that I was just glad the little booger was caught and even more glad that he was the one that got to catch it. I think he was maybe feeling guilt about the mansplaining about how I was somehow fishing incorrectly when it ended up being the very thing I had asked him about, but I’m his Mama and I could exact my revenge when I wrote about it later. Patience is a virtue the old possess.)

This is another spot near the boat launch on the river that we fished.

I spy The Man, who found the shade of the trees to the right of the boat launch the best place to drop a line. (That tree in the foreground? That is all I caught that day.)

THE catch of the day was this little guy caught by The Manling in the shaded water under the tree I caught.

Why We Love Fort Parker State Park

Park Staff. Truly some of the finest people on the planet! Ours hooked us up! Our hike even did double-duty, checking off the physical with the historical!
Beautiful. One of the Boy Scout leaders that The Manling had early on in his scouting career said you should always take into consideration what you’re going to be looking at when you camp. Beauty is important. FPSP has beauty in spades and around every corner. It’s just gorgeous greenery against the backdrop of the water and the bluest skies. Every location is picture perfect.
Fishing. The Park Staff can direct you to where the fish have been biting lately, but we found the river to be our luckiest spot on our visit. FPSP also loans fishing gear for use during your visit. AND…they have worms you can buy at the HQ. They go out of their way to help turn your fishing into catching.
Rentals. You can rent canoes and kayaks at FPSP and really enjoy the water on hot summer days.
Hikes. Their trails are (mostly) wide with the shade of the tree canopy overhead. Plus hiking the Springfield Trail gives you a historical tour of the place at the same time. Win-win.
Trees. There are tall trees everywhere at FPSP and because of that, most of the picnic tables and camping spots are gloriously shaded.

Must Do’s

Springfield Trail. Did I mention how much The Man loves hiking and I love exploring the history of the area? This trail combines the two and throws in beauty, shade and water features. It might just be the perfect hike, so don’t rush. Linger. Explore. Enjoy.
Fish. Start at the river. Drop a line in the shade on the right side of the boat launch using worms that you just bought at the HQ. Trust me.
Camp. They have some EXCELLENT spots! We recommend #43 and #49 in the primitive area because they are really big; spots #13-16 at the end of the camping loop are equally spacious sites and provide privacy and shade in spades.

FPSP has some of the most beautiful views. They were literally everywhere, like this view of the lake from the Springfield Trail.

Pier fishing mid-afternoon proved hot and fruitless this trip. But a group of three buzzards came hopping around the fish cleaning station and then went under the pier for some shade. They reminded us of the buzzards in The Jungle Book – remember them?

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Fort Parker State Park! Please share your thoughts on this precious piece of paradise in the comments.

*In all natural areas, you are a guest. Educate yourself on what lives in the areas before your visits, always talk to the Park Rangers upon arrival and take precautions so that your experiences end as positively as ours.