Tag: hike

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Lake Tawakoni State Park

Beloved Lake Tawakoni State Park,

We have fished you, biked you, hiked you, swum you, camped you, and deeply loved you since we first discovered you and the Texas State Parks system.

Our affection for your tall trees, sandy beaches, meandering trails, and picturesque shoreline fishing spots has only grown deeper as the kids have grown taller. You provided the perfect backdrop to some of our favorite memories like the first camp out The Manling planned all by himself with his little Scout friends…

Circa 2014, which was a lifetime ago because that is how time passes when you’re in the Wonder Years. The boys had a camp site all to themselves while Kinder Frau and I camped separately one spot over. Good times.

…and the many hours of playing fetch with Elanor (R.I.P., most faithful canine companion) and Rosie…

Awww, I just noticed wee Kinder Frau in the background swimming.

…and the group bike rides on your wide paths that left us feeling a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment…

…and the times spent swimming in your depths because it was a thousand degrees that summer…

…and the time of togetherness in the tent when Kinder Frau and I read aloud from Pride & Prejudice during that summer rain shower…

…and the pages upon pages of lakeside reading I have enjoyed while the minions fished and frolicked in your nearby waters…

…and the time the minions and I ran your trails and I inadvertently just missed stepping on that skinny green snake because we were living our best life instead of fretting over slithery adversaries…

…and the list goes on and on and on.

In late June 2018, we added another priceless memory into our shared history together, Lake Tawakoni State Park: scenic backdrop for a photo shoot. After all, Kinder Frau has a public to please nowadays.

While The Man and The Manling got their shoreline fishing on…

…I was Kinder Frau’s to command for a couple of hours during an on-location photo shoot within your breathtaking boundaries.

Exploring your paths and shores and even your roadways was so much fun as the two of us simultaneously walked down memory lane, one location at a time.

Lake Tawakoni State Park, you’re our soulmate. You complete our family like no other Texas State Park. You’re always up for a visit from us, and you have never failed to deliver an awesome adventure for our family. For that, we will always love you.

Thanks for the memories, LTSP.  –The Smiths

Why We Love Lake Tawakoni State Park

  1. Fishing. I’m pretty sure we’ve caught every single time we’ve dropped a line from the shores of LTSP. The water levels fluctuate, but the fishing is always pretty great on the lake. Or try your luck at the picturesque Pair-O-Trees Pond on the right, just past the HQ.
  2. Sandy Beaches. In North Texas, there’s no pretending that we’ve got this beach thing down. It’s an exasperatingly long car ride to the Gulf from our humble abodes. Which is why when we find inviting sandy beaches, we are all in. LTSP has the prettiest light sand beaches. Grab your camping chair, a good book, and go find yourself a private piece of beach-y paradise, my friend. LTSP’s got you covered.
  3. Meandering Trails. The trails are wide, well-kept, mostly shaded and the Spring Point Trails (on the east side of the park) are delightful to enjoy at a casual pace. Life is fast-paced. Take your time and meander down one of LTSP’s almost 5 miles of trail.
  4. Camping. LTSP has really great camp sites. They are mostly private with excellent shade. We have enjoyed an excellent array of flighty friends visiting us while we camped and their birdsong is the absolute best way to wake up any day of the week.
  5. Tall Trees. I hail from Alabama, whose motto is “Alabama the Beautiful.” Mama loves her tall trees and LTSP has some really tall beauties which are a feast for the eyes and minister to the body as they shade you from the Texas summer heat. They will be your constant companion no matter where you explore in the park. Love them. Appreciate them. They are the best.
  6. Biking. The three loops off of the Farkleberry Trail are excellent for biking. They are shaded by the aforementioned tall trees, wide, twisty-turny, and well-kept so that your adventure will end up a positive one. The Manling and Kinder Frau have ridden those trails since they learned to ride bikes, so in our opinion, they make for great family rides.
  7. Photo Ops. Sure, we’ve always taken pics on our visits to LTSP. But they’ve always been to preserve our family memories. After our last visit, we’ve seen the park in a whole new light! Seize the Golden Hour at LTSP and capture some breathtaking family photos in this beautiful landscape that LTSP has to offer.

Must Do’s

  • Fish. Pair-O-Trees Pond or shoreline fishing? You can’t miss. You’re welcome.
  • Camp. Like I said, the camping spots all seem primo at LTSP, but personally, we love the White Deer Reach Camping Loop, specifically sites #17-21. The sites on the outside seem the most private and the sites on the inside of the loop are big.
  • Explore. Almost 5 miles of trail are doable in one visit! Explore them all, or choose a shorter adventure. Run the trails. Or bike. Or meander. Just get out there and explore the beauty LTSP’s trails has to offer.
  • Play. Do something fun. Mountain bike. Hike. Fish. Meander down the shoreline. Have a photo shoot. Play fetch in the water with your dog. Swim. Do something fun! Its good for you.
  • Relax. Look, you are busy. Life is busy. You cannot avoid the stressures of daily life. But you can escape them for a day…or extended weekend. LTSP is the perfect place to de-stress, relax, and recenter. Do yourself a solid and let LTSP help you ease your angst.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Lake Tawakoni State Park! Please share your thoughts on the Smith Family’s State Park Soulmate 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.
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McKinney Falls State Park

We first discovered McKinney Falls State Park several summers ago when The Man and I took The Manling and Kinder Frau on a “Tour of Texas Waterholes.” It held fond memories for us, especially the wet trek down Williamson Creek while holding an impromptu rock skipping contest. We swam in the Lower Falls, and the guys fished a bit that visit, but we didn’t explore the park properly that first trip because we were on a schedule and had to get to the next waterhole.

Pay attention to this photo out of yesteryear. It will be important later during the test-taking portion of this post.
The water felt so good on that hot, hot Texas summer day. Soon we were skipping rocks and talking big and having a grand ole time until we decided to change into our swimsuits and submerge ourselves in the Lower Falls.

The second time we visited MFSP was in mid-June 2018. The weather was threatening a pretty big thunderstorm, so we weren’t sure exactly how long we’d have to explore the park before we had to take shelter. As we arrived, people were exiting because of the aforementioned thunderstorms headed our way. Exactly like Superheroes, we headed the opposite direction from the fleeing masses. Toward the danger. Into the unknown.

Okay, in reality, some people left and they may have just been tired. I can’t know everything. What I do know is that when we took this entry selfie –

Test-taking portion of the post. Find ten things that are different in this entry photo than the one out of yesteryear. (Answer at the bottom, but don’t cheat and scroll down without first really trying. That’s no way to go about life.)

– the sky behind us was blue and the sky in front of us looked pretty scary. Like, I-think-we-might-be-in-Kansas kind of scary. But we headed in anyway because, honestly, we’d bothered to drive all this way and it was not going to be for nothing. Because we’d already done some of the things in this park previously and because it was Father’s Day Weekend and The Man loves to hike, we focused primarily on hiking. Well, that and fishing because The Manling had just turned the big 1-8 and life is colorless for him unless he can drop a line in the water.

After constructing a good attack pattern with the Park Staff in the HQ (and buying a cute window sticker for the Tiny Toyota Tardis – because the Yaris in bigger on the inside), we pointed the Jeep toward the Lower Falls. Even though the park sometimes has to close due to capacity, we found a great parking spot recently vacated by a park evacuee. We headed on foot to the rock flats. We hunted for the famed “ruts” in the rock caused by wagon wheels in the days of the Old West. We stared at the people swimming in the Lower Falls. And then we began hiking the pleasant (and mostly shaded) Rock Shelter Interpretive Trail.

The vast rock flats aren’t far from the parking area and lie between that and the water of the Lower Falls. Notice the blue skies on the left, and the heavy dark clouds on the right.
We “think” this is the Rock Shelter (#4 on the Trails Map), but it was a neat spot overlooking the water even if it wasn’t.
Heading toward the Rock Shelter Interpretive Trail from the rock flats for a quickie hike.
A stop along the Rock Shelter Interpretive Trail to enjoy the view of the creek below.
A view of the creek they are enjoying in the above pic.
The Manling, longing for his rod & reel.
I love this pic because it’s not even staged! The Manling took the narrower path that followed the creek more closely while The Man led his ladies down the wider path.
At this point, I haven’t the faintest idea where we are. The trail seemed to close ahead, so we turned back after admiring the view in the next photo.
We think that’s a beaver’s dam.

We divided and conquered after that first hike. Kinder Frau and I opted for the air conditioned Jeep while The Man and The Manling went fishing. This translated into us rating all the campsites (see below under Must Do’s) as we explored every single road in the park from the comfort of our car while the guys headed back to the Lower Falls area to do their thing.

When we met back up, we decided to explore the other side of Lower Falls in search of both the Gristmill (#9 on the Trails Map) and the McKinney Homestead (#8 on the Trails Map, and for which the park is named). Both were packed with lush foliage, and cool breezes because of the thunderstorm rolling into the area.

This was a pretty, green, well-maintained path through tall trees with lush undergrowth – and plenty of places for snakes to hide. But I was motivated. I’m a sucker for the historical stuff.
The Man admitted that once the trail narrowed this much with the lush greenery thick all around, he walked faster and kept well ahead so that I couldn’t easily engender his sympathies with my rapid breathing and force us to head back to safer grounds where rattlers weren’t waiting to wound us, thereby missing the focal point of our hike – the McKinney Homestead. I’m so thankful for him because I loved this hike and stepping back into history at the homestead.
The remains of the McKinney homestead. Well worth the panic I paid to get there.

We enjoyed a few hours pleasantly spent rediscovering a history-rich, water-filled state park located in the state’s capital with exactly no run-ins with my arch-nemesis the rattlesnake. Or a Texas summer thunderstorm. #winning

Oh, and about the test-taking portion of the post. There isn’t one. I just thought it was cool that the three of them were almost identical to the photo from years ago…before selfies were a thing and I was always behind the camera instead of in front of it. Don’t hate me. I thought it would be funny.

Why We Love McKinney Falls State Park

  1. Water. This is an essential ingredient to enjoying any summertime activity in Texas. Wade down a creek. Swim at one of the falls. Float down the creek. Fish in the water. Trust me.
  2. Trails. The foliage even in the heat of an oppressive Texas summer is so lush and beautiful! It’s like MFSP didn’t get the memo that it’s time for everything growing to turn brown under the summer sun. It’s beautiful with lots of shade. There’s no downside to that winning combo.
  3. History. Pick up a Trails Map from the HQ. Pick a trail. Follow it, reading the bits about certain spots you pass along your walk. Read the signs. The place is rich with Texas history!

Must Do’s

  • Hike. The trails are well-maintained, marked and easily traveled. In fact, I would say the trails are more like paths than most of the hiking trails we’ve traveled at other parks. We even came across an elderly couple with their yippie dogs coming from the homestead and gristmill trails and they said it was an enjoyable walk when we asked them.
  • Swim. Both times we have visited MFSP, the water levels were low. But that didn’t keep anyone from enjoying either of the falls. I’m telling you, opportunities for wet fun in Texas in the summer is what you want and MFSP has it.
  • Camp. We were hard-pressed to find a bad camping spot. All of them were shaded and spacious and completely delightful for a weekend visit or a week-long trip. We look forward to returning and taking our own advice!
  • Explore. One of our fondest memories continues to be the time we explored Williamson Creek and had a rock-skipping contest. Bring your sense of adventure and have fun exploring the capital’s own State Park.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at McKinney Falls State Park! Please share your thoughts on this Texas State Capital gem 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.
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Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

Captured the only blue skies that day. A summer thunderstorm was chasing us as we continued north along the Rio Grande.

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park was our third birding center on our Father’s Day weekend trip in mid-June 2018. It was over a hundred degrees that day as we skirted the Rio Grande trekking ever northward, keeping just ahead of a summer thunderstorm that doggedly pursued us from the Gulf of Mexico. We were hot and tired and a teeny bit concerned about the storm catching up to us and kind of just over birding centers and state parks and nature and driving and sweating and all the things. Our enthusiasm had evaporated with the sweat earned at the first two birding centers and now at our third and final stop on our tour of the World Birding Centers operated by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, we just weren’t feelin’ it.

And then we began a conversation with a Park Staffer in the HQ that changed our lives for the good. She offered this option –

I confess, I wanted to cry happy tears when we discovered the availability of this. It was June 16. Yes, the very day they began offering shuttle rides every hour! Praise be!

It was 4:25pm. The tram stop was only a couple hundred feet away. No walking. No backpacks of water. No fear of rattlesnakes preying on our calves. No heat exhaustion. Just sitting and enjoying. Yes, please!

We sat and enjoyed almost a half hour tram ride through BRGVSP while our own personal Park Staffer (OJ) gave us a V.I.P. tour! The day of our visit happened to be OJ’s two year anniversary working at the park. We asked lots of questions, which he answered in the friendliest way possible at this point in our day – from the driver’s seat of our terrific tram. Since our interests lie more with ground animals than with flying ones, he happily shared about all of the animals that call BRGVSP their home – which we loved! He stopped when we saw a threesome of armadillo and allowed us to get out and take closer photos. We saw a wild turkey, butterflies, lizards (including an endangered one!), a Texas tortoise, and a few different types of birds (of course).

Look at OJ being all cool with us. Look at our smiles. This was the best blessing, you guys. It totally won the day.

OJ also shared a little about the history of the park, including how the boundary line between Mexico and the U.S.A. was determined in the past (see photo below) and how the area used to have cacti until a flood changed all that. The park has exactly one cactus left, and OJ pointed it out (see photo below) so that we could photograph it.

We were enamored with the little armadillo family on the side of the tram road. We’ve never seen one…alive.
Pretty old school how they used to determine where the border was located, right?
The sole remaining cactus in the park? It’s at the top of that tree!
Wild Turkey, anyone?

I have no harrowing stories of close calls with nature (real, or imagined) from BRGVSP to share. There were none. It was just a thoroughly delightful time on a tram tour with our new friend OJ learning about the park he has enjoyed up-close and personal for the past couple of years.

Why We Love Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

  1. Tram. This was so much fun! When someone offers you a tram tour, take them up on it. It’s relaxing. Educational. Conversational. Breezy. You hit the highlights, basically, without exhausting yourself by hiking. Win-win.
  2. Trails. The place looked fun to explore. The tram road was wide and paved. The trails we saw from our perch in the tram looked well maintained and easily marked. If this had been our first stop, we definitely would have taken advantage of the trails.
  3. Wildlife. Armadillos. Butterflies. Birds. Lizards. There are more, but these came out to say hello to us while we rode through the park with OJ.
  4. History. It’s fascinating to hear about the past and the Park Staff are great story tellers! Make sure to ask about the flood and the border markers.
  5. Staff. We were so weary. The Park Staff completely changed our perspective on the park by their friendliness and willingness to go the extra mile in making our visit the best.
  6. Newness. This park seemed like a combo of the first two birding centers we visited – newness in the HQ area with a more historical wildness in the back part of the park.

Must Do’s

  • Tram Tour. Cannot recommend this enough! I would take it any time of year they offered it because the one-on-one interaction with the Park Staff is such an educational encounter. Take the tour first. Then figure out what you’d like to go back and explore further, perhaps by bike.
  • Bicycle Tour. The park rents bikes very affordably, which would be another excellent way to explore the park.
  • Hike. The trails are short according the park map. We would definitely want to explore them if we were ever in the area again.

 

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park! Please share your thoughts on this Southwest Texas treasure 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.
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Resaca de la Palma State Park

Have you ever been to a bona-fide birding center? Neither had we before Resaca de la Palma State Park. Over an extended weekend mid-June 2018, we headed to the border of Mexico to visit the three Texas State Parks nestled in the Lower Rio Grande Valley that are part of the World Birding Center network.

We were greeted by beautiful bird sounds at the gate. Well, that and…locusts?

From the moment we entered the park, we were greeted by bird song, a sound that became our soundtrack throughout our entire visit at RDLPSP along with what I think may have been locusts?

At the HQ, Ranger Kelly helped us plan the best hike for our visit, one that included her favorite spot in the park. We were excited to get started on the “main path” – which is actually a road for the park’s tram. You see, RDLPSP is fancy – they offer tram rides to drop your party off at the various trailheads stemming from the main road. Since we enjoy hiking and fancy ourselves sturdy people able to look the Texas summer heat in the face, we set out on foot with a plan to be picked up by the tram if the heat (or mosquitos) overwhelmed us on our visit. That was another way Ranger Kelly did us a solid. She forewarned us that the mosquitos were out in force that day and we should make sure that we not only sprayed ourselves before heading out, but that we took the spray with us “just in case we needed it” (along with more water than we thought we’d drink). Those of us with lady bits took her at her word and I’ll just say we weren’t itching for the next week like the other half of us.

The main path was actually a somewhat shaded road, which was an encouraging start to us on the hot day we visited. It made a loop around the park that was a little under 3 miles total.

For the most part, our walk through the park was uneventful. We saw some pretty scenery, heard some pretty birds, and enjoyed organic conversation about nothing in particular while the mosquitos feasted on the {unsprayed} menfolk and left us {sprayed} ladies alone. We passed trail after well-marked trail, mostly on the left side of the tram road, until we came to a big turn in the road where the Hunter’s Lane trail began. It was a short walk around a half mile until we came across this:

Soaking it all in (and enjoying blessed shade on this 100+ degree day) at Ranger Kelly’s favorite spot in the park.
The view behind you while you enjoy the respite from the heat in the shade on Ranger Kelly’s bench.
So, so beautiful. Quiet except for the serenade of the birds…and locusts.

By this time, it was early afternoon, super hot and we were enjoying the shade, the view, our waters, and that bench all in equal proportions. And it was also about this time that we decided a tram ride would rock our heat exhausted worlds, so we headed back to the tram road to call for a ride. And when I say we headed back, I mean we walked kind of slowly, trying to conserve our energy because we were beat down by the heat. Defeated. In need of a hero.

Like a modern-day knight on his trusty steed, James rolled to a quiet stop in his electric tram not ten minutes later, smiled at us, and inquired in what I may have interpreted in my heat exhausted state as something akin to the Lone Ranger’s voice, “Did someone call for a ride?” Oh, James! I think we all developed a mild crush on James that hot summer day when he rode into our lives in his electric white tram.

James gave us the best darn half-tour of the park as he drove us the rest of the loop to the HQ one could have ever imagined. He was dreamy! James was enthusiastic about his job, and his contagious love of his park permeated the blessed tram. James, we’ll always have Resaca, man.

Why We Love Resaca de la Palma State Park

  1. Main Loop. I’m a sucker for a good loop and prefer it much more than a “there and back again” trail. The fact that all of the trailheads are off of a loop is magnificent to me. Just walking the Main Loop provides marvelous opportunity for some great encounters with some beautiful birds. Everything else is icing on the cake.
  2. Hunter’s Lane. This is the only icing on the cake we had on our visit, but we recommend it as enthusiastically as Ranger Kelly. It’s peaceful, quiet (except for the birds and locusts), beautiful, somewhat shaded, wide, and completely pleasant.
  3. Park Staff. I know we’ve said this before, but we sincerely didn’t come across even one person that seemed half-hearted at their job at RDLPSP. And they helped us devise a perfect plan for the amount of time we had for our visit. And it’s free with admission!
  4. That Tram. First of all, hello, it’s a free service! Take them up on it. They will drop you off at trailheads or pick you up. Either way, plan to join James for a ride on his Tram. It’s cool in more ways than one on a hot summer day.

Must Do’s

  • Hunter’s Lane Bench. Go back and look at the photos. You can easily see why that is Ranger Kelly’s favorite spot in the park. And now it’s ours, too. Thanks, Ranger Kelly, for the heads up. We loved it.
  • Tram Ride. If you’re a beast, go ahead and walk on the Tram Road and all the trails. Prove whatever you’ve got to prove, if you must, but having already gone that route, we recommend the Tram. Save your energy for the trails. Don’t waste it on the Tram Road. Let James chauffeur you to your adventure at RDLPSP in style.
  • Explore. There are a whopping 13 self-guided trails within the park. In addition, the park lists 4 suggested hikes ranging from 2 hours (2 mi.) to all day (11+ mi.) on their Trails Map. Or you can do what we did and ask Ranger Kelly to help you plan your own adventure. Make sure to take a trail map with you – just in case you decide a Tram Ride is for you, after all. You know, because of the heat. James’ number is listed on the Trail Map.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Resaca de la Palma State Park! Please share your thoughts on this border birding haven 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.
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Inks Lake State Park

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned in passing about the “Tour of Texas Waterholes” that the fam did several summers ago. One of the waterholes we visited on that trip was the Devil’s Waterhole, which happens to be located inside Inks Lake State Park. During said trip, the fam focused exclusively on the waterhole all. day. long. At one point, we even rented a canoe to see the spectacle up close before we ventured a try ourselves.

I guess at this point I should confess that I am using the royal “we” here because I let my fear keep me from experiencing this particular Texas water hole with the fam on that particular visit. You see, there are two options for reaching the Devil’s Waterhole – by trail system or by free swimming across a tiny section of the lake. Years ago, hiking on the trails was not a thing that was going to happen because I love my dear family. Nope. God had given me a brain and I was going to use it – because snakes. What about the other route, you may be asking? Well, dear reader, the other route may not be as perilous as the one on dry ground – because snakes –, but it was an equal no-no to me at the time – because catfish. While The Manling is up for anything involving fish (including noodling!), I most assuredly am not. And neither is Kinder Frau. So the two of us staked claim on a rock in the water directly across from the Devil’s Waterhole and watched The Man and The Manling have all the fun. Until Kinder Frau decided to man up and swim across (at an Olympian’s pace, mind you, because of the fish sharing the water) and join the menfolk having all the fun. I admit that I felt embarrassed to be shown up by my baby, but hand-to-God, every single time I put my feet in the water to try to cool off, a dang catfish came up like I was feeding them my toes!! (Seriously, ILSP should host a fish fry or something because that lake is teeming with catfish!) So, I tried to buoy my self esteem the rest of the day with the fact that I was serving the family by taking photos of their adventure. It didn’t work, but I kept telling myself that anyway. And here are a few proofs –

God bless poor little Kinder Frau. She is making the most of that smile with the sun full in her sweet little face.
The Manling was fearless! He took full advantage of the underdeveloped part of the brain in youngun’s that seem to make the males feel invincible. He jumped from ALL the heights. Multiple times. On purpose.
Sweet Kinder Frau showed her Mama up like a courageous conquerer! Note that The Man is treading water, waiting for her to jump in so that she could basically boulder on him back out of the water. Catfish.

Long story short…I was photographer and chief cheerleader on our first trip to Inks Lake State Park. Missing out on participating at the Devil’s Waterhole on that trip is my biggest regret from that whole vacation.

Fast forward to early June 2018 and you can almost share my excitement to redeem that lost opportunity! For starters, I was a bona fide hiker now. On trails, man! Also, I don’t want to brag, but I had even hiked with a back pack once, so (at least in my eyes) I was was a recent inductee to the elite sub-category of a backpacker! With The Manling’s help, the plan was to conquer those aforementioned trails at Inks Lake State Park, face the trifecta of my fears at the Devil’s Waterhole (heights, fish, & snakes!), and then enjoy some relaxation while we basked in the glory of the day’s accomplishments by fishing in the lake. Like I said, that was the plan.

The way the plan actually unfolded was like this…Earlier in the day while we were logging miles in the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside), I very cooly, very casually, asked The Manling if he was excited to do the Devil’s Waterhole again, to which he replied that he wasn’t going to. I was all, What do you mean, man?! I can’t brave the water or the trail solo! You’ve GOT to do it! and he was all, Nah. Not without Dad. So my much-anticipated shot at redemption flew out the window as we drove those Hill Country back roads toward ILSP.

When we arrived mid-afternoon, we snapped our obligatory entry photos with the State Park sign and then headed into the HQ to hatch our plan of attack with the Park Staff. By this visit, I knew enough to help myself to both the Park Map & the Trails Map while The Manling took care of our entry into the park with his State Park Pass. I was terrifically relieved to see a heron as the chosen clip art for the trails map instead of the dreaded rattlesnake, and did a quick flip of both pages to make sure one wasn’t hiding on the flip sides. Satisfied, I asked the helpful Park Staff if they could recommend a good trail (or two) for The Manling and me to hike. After highlighting a couple of options (Park Staff are famously fond of highlighters!) on our map, I sought verification for my presumption regarding the clip art.

“So, I assume the chances of us coming across critters this time of day on the trails are slim?”

Oh, no! Not at all,  I was told. Gulp.

I replied, “Really? Is there a chance we will see snakes? Like rattlesnakes?”

I’d say so, the helpful staffer answered. We have a LOT of rattlesnakes and I’d never tell someone they wouldn’t see one. 

I stared, blankly, at the honest staffer before turning to The Manling and cooly commenting, “I’m kind of tired already. This heat. Sheesh! Wanna skip the hiking here?” to which he (thankfully!) replied, “Sure, Mom.” (His passion is fishing, so anything other than that is his generosity toward me. “It’s your trip, too, Mom.” Gotta love The Manling.)

Just to recap: Devil’s Waterhole was scrapped before we drove into the park. Now that we were inside the park, hiking was scrapped, too. That left fishing, reading and being – all of which are fantastic activities to do at ILSP. “We” had already done the Devil’s Waterhole before, and I’m a new backpacker, so fishing could be the new thing we did there that day. Still a win. Don’t judge.

Seriously? That is gorgeous, right? He’s fishing on a rock ledge under the water. Beautiful!

By this time, Mama was tired. The heat beat me and I stayed in the Tiny Toyota Tardis with the a/c blasting while The Manling dropped a line at a different spot.

Why We Love Inks Lake State Park

  1. Devil’s Waterhole. Come on, the name alone intrigues you, doesn’t it? And Texas Waterholes are where it’s at when it’s 100* in the summer in Texas. I still regret never having taken the plunge. (Note: There are underwater hazards, so heed all warning signs regarding the Devil’s Waterhole and proceed with all caution.)
  2. Park Staff. Not only were they honest with us regarding the possibility of coming across snakes, they were helpful in planning our time so that it would be enjoyable to us. This is a priceless service they provide, free of charge!
  3. Fishing. The Park Staff highlighted 3 good fishing spots to try on our visit that day. The South Pier has a fantastic sign detailing what’s in the water, photos of real people who’ve caught certain fish at ILSP and even info on the type of bait they were using when they caught them. Super helpful!
  4. Beautiful. It truly is beautiful at ILSP. Just look at the above photos, all taken either on my iPhone 4 or my iPhone 6 (not on a fancy-pants digital camera), and all of them are beautifully unfiltered.

Must Do’s

  • Devil’s Waterhole. At least go and watch. It’s quite the spectacle. If you’re braver than I, maybe consider participating. Maybe. (That said, caution is always recommended. We watched for at least an hour before they swam over there. Then they talked to others who’d already taken the plunge, and watched from a perch on the cliffs for an even longer while before venturing off the very lowest spot. Land where others are landing. There are underwater hazards, so proceed at your own risk. Don’t do this lightly.)
  • Fishing. We didn’t catch anything the day we were there, but we saw a great many under the clear water. They just weren’t eating what we were casting that day. Both piers are suppose to be great for fishing, but probably not during the heat of the day (which is when we were there).
  • Camping. One of the Park Staff called it “the Village” while we were talking with them in the HQ and that was about as apt a description as could be given. It would seem the whole of the park was for camping. It is a masterfully organized community of camp spots, shelters (with a/c!), and RV spots. And both times we have been, they have been used. At the time of this publication, there was a warning about reaching capacity on the State Park’s website; apparently they are so popular they have to sometimes turn people away!

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Inks Lake State Park! Please share your thoughts on this Texas Waterhole 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.
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Purtis Creek State Park

Purtis Creek State Park has been a favorite of ours since The Manling was a Cub Scout. It’s a smaller state park in the Prairies & Lakes region of Texas, an easy hour and fifteen minute drive from Dallas.

We love Purtis Creek because…

  1. Trees. They are everywhere and in Texas shade is a savory thing. Plus, they’re pretty. Life is short, so enjoy the view.
  2. Water. Water is always on our radar when traveling in Texas. Not only is it pretty (see #1), it is cooling on 100 degree days and it’s the best element in which to go fishing, which happens to be my manling’s love language. (Side note: We have literally never left Purtis Creek SP without catching* something. Ever. And catching is way more fun than just fishing.)
  3. Uncrowded. Summer months can draw crowds (because of #1 & #2), but weekdays the rest of the year are blissfully uncrowded. You can almost trick yourself into thinking you’ve struck it rich and all this is yours. Love.

Must Do’s:

  • swim
  • fish – from the dam, the shoreline on the far side of the dam and the two piers in the camping area; we use canned corn and worms
  • hike one of the trails through the towering trees or the creative Solar Trail along the dam
  • interact with the park staff; their love for the park is contagious
  • camp (our personal picks are lakeside sites #21-24, but truthfully most of the campsites are private with plenty of shade and natural divisions)
  • enjoy the wildlife – moles, coyotes, birds, fish

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Purtis Creek State Park! Please share your thoughts on this East Texas gem 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.

 

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