Goliad is a pretty history-rich place to visit. In and around this quaint little town lies a handful of locations to visit in order to enrich your knowledge of Texas history and Zaragosa’s Birthplace State Historic Site is one such place. The Man, The Manling, Kinder Frau, and I stepped back into Texas’ history when we stopped by for a quick visit to the building in September 2018.
Zaragosa’s reconstructed birthplace is nestled in front of the Presidio La Bahía and is included with your entrance fees to Goliad State Park, which is just down the road. (The Presidio is not run by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, so there is a separate fee to enter.)
It was pretty cool to see the Presidio’s wall in tact. It gave us a sense of scale for the mission walls down at Goliad State Park, which were originally around 10 feet tall.
I believe this was the mission inside the Presidio, which the website at the time of publication stated the public could reserve for overnight accommodations (in the priests’ quarters). That would be so unique!
Why We Love Zaragosa Birthplace State Historic Site
History. While it is a quaint, two-room building, it is chock full of information on the Tex-Mex hero, Zaragosa. Plus, it’s air conditioned and that matters in 100 degree temps in Texas!
Location. There is so much to see within the small town of Goliad. Zaragosa’s birthplace is one of a handful of worthwhile stops on a Tour of Texas History.
Must Do’s
Birthplace. Maybe you’ve never heard of Zaragosa? Walk through and soak up some knowledge about this Tex-Mex hero.
Explore. You cannot visit the area without taking in the historicity of the area of Goliad. Visit all the places on the website above. When we thought we were done, we went geocaching in the town square of Goliad and found this quite by accident –
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Zaragosa Birthplace State Historic Site! Please leave your comments on this teeny tiny corner of Tex-Mex history below.
*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.
Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is as unique to visit as the Lone Star State is itself! Located along the mighty Brazos River, Washington-on-the-Brazos is a historical complex that serves its visitors a heaping helping of the serene beauty of the South Texas countryside alongside a smorgasbord of opportunities that nourish both the mind and the body.
The Manling and I devoured every moment of our half-day exploration of WotBSHS in August 2018. We got our bearings at the Visitor Services Complex where Park Staffer Mary (with the most beautiful eyes!) gave us the lowdown on all of the must-see-and-do activities during our visit.
With an hour before our first tour, we heeded Mary’s advice and headed toward the Old Washington Town Site Loop Trail (say that three times fast!) and meandered down a beautifully wide path toward the Brazos River…
…catching no glimpses of it until…
…we reached the Scenic Overlook, which was kind of on the wild side. There, we read a lot of signage (see below) that gave us a pretty good overview of the importance of the site. I won’t go into detail because I hate spoilers, but suffice it to say, WotB brought it’s A-game in educational pursuits.
We left the blissful shade of the trail and the Overlook to head up this trail – once an ancient roadway – reading the signage along the way that taught us even more Texas history. There was even a tree that witnessed the events of Texas history covered at the park. Yeah, it’s that old!
We made our way back to the Visitor Services Complex just in time for a quick pit stop before we headed out on a walking tour with Adam Arnold, who has obviously found his calling as a Park Ranger at WotB, with family lines that traced all the way back to…well, someone of significance, but I cannot remember who exactly. But I remember one of our fellow visitors on the tour being duly impressed, so I followed along.
Our tour guide Adam passed out what he termed period-appropriate air conditioners like the one he was holding since it was a hundred degrees during our tour in August. Thanks for doing us a solid, man!
When our outstanding guided tour ended (TRULY a Must-Do with Adam!), we headed back to the nearby Visitor Services Complex to try our hand at the Scavenger Hunt.
For time and financial reasons, we decided to skip the Star of the Republic Museum on this visit. Instead, we headed next to the Barrington Living History Farm. The BLHF was originally located about six miles from its current site where the last President of the Republic of Texas lived in it. The delightful lady that checked us in at the HQ there told us as we headed toward this –
“…When you walk over that bridge, you’ll be in the 1850’s.”
Never ones to miss an opportunity to time travel (and current über fans of NBC’s Timeless), we hastily crossed said bridge, safely navigating whatever time vortex there that made the trip possible.
And then we saw this cow. This 1850’s cow. Which looked a lot like cows in the 2018’s.
Ahead on the path, we saw a house to the left…
…and some out buildings to the right. We went right because, honestly, I’m a sucker for country living and pioneer America is my love language, so off we went to explore the barn, the animals, and what ended up being the slaves’ quarters.
Lastly, we visited the main house where we encountered a lady from the 1850’s whose speech was somewhat awkward to our ears as we weaved in and out of the downstairs rooms of the dog trot style house. We were encouraged – okay, the kids in a separate group were encouraged, but we heard it as we were invited to join – in doing some household chores like washing clothes and hanging them to dry; play checkers on the porch; or catch grasshoppers to throw to the chickens. We did the last one and had the kids in that other group enraptured even though the chickens were a bit on the dim-witted side and 100% of the grasshoppers made it out of the chicken yard unscathed.
Once we exhausted our explorations in the wee patch of 1850’s that is Barrington Living History Farm, we headed back over the portal to the 2018’s (a.k.a. the bridge), back to the modern convenience of true air conditioning inside the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside), and on to our next adventure.
Why We Love Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site
Guided Tours. Anything Adam Arnold does. Seriously. We threw question after question at him and he remained unfazed. That man is a treasure to the park. Sit yourself under his wing for 45 minutes to an hour and soak up some Texas history.
Old Washington Town Site Loop Trail. Read the signage along the way. Listen to the Brazos River. Imagine yourself in the shoes of those who came before you.
Barrington Living History Farm. Travel back to the 1850’s. It’s priceless! Just know it will be hard to come back.
Must Do’s
An Adam Arnold Tour. See #1 above.
Old Washington Town Site Loop Trail. See #2 above.
Barrington Living History Farm. See #3 above.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site! Please share your experiences at this vintage State 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.
My selfie game is is dire need of attention. Is there a support group? A class? My chin and I need training.
Our visit to Sheldon Lake State Park was sandwiched between two others on a day in which we had been up-and-at-’em since before daybreak. We were tired. We had never heard of Sheldon Lake State Park. We could not envision what awaited us from the description on the official website. It was hot & humid. To be brutally honest, we just wanted to get this one officially checked off our list before moving on to the next park on the day’s packed agenda. There’s the truth. When you’re attempting to visit all 99 Texas State Parks in 12 months, that’s just how you roll sometimes.
We arrived midday in August 2018. Ours was the only car in the parking lot. We got out, looked around for signs of life and found exactly none. We headed to the Pond Center simply because it was the first building we saw. It turned out to be a type of courtyard-ish area with exactly no people. We began reading the educational signage, searching for a clue as to how to explore this state park when around the corner Park Interpreter Jacob appeared. Seeming as surprised to see us as we were to see him, he paused before asking, “Can I help you with something?” in a surprised, but friendly manner. We {somewhat} awkwardly explained that we weren’t quite sure what SLSP was, how to experience it, or what we were suppose to do. Our new friend (whom we later found out used his lunch break to help us!) brightened as he began to share all that SLSP had to offer, a brief history, and (per our request) the top three must-do activities during our visit. This place was clearly his passion and his enthusiasm for it was delightfully contagious.
Filled with knowledge of SLSP and a loose plan, The Manling geared up back at the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside) and headed toward one of the two ponds available for catch and release fishing. The one fishing deck was closed because of an incident involving a recent park visitor fishing from said deck, the fish said visitor had landed on said deck, and an alligator that may or may not have insisted on first rights to the aforementioned fish caught on said deck.
Say hello to our little friend.
Fishing from the raised shoreline, The Manling landed little guy after little guy while I chatted with Robert under the shade of a tree. Robert is a local whose hobby happens to be wildlife photography and SLSP happens to be his favorite locale to hone his skills. While I listened to all the details about the recent incident from the previous weekend from Robert (a firsthand witness), The Manling nonchalantly informed us that the ‘gator that had been eyeing him from across the pond was stealthily approaching. After parking himself in the lily pads about ten feet from shore, the alligator sat and waited for an easy meal like the one my new friend, Robert, had been describing minutes before the alligator joined us.
Wildlife photographer, Robert, hoping to catch one of his favorite shots – an alligator walking on land.
Before long, The Manling felt the familiar tug on his line, which quickly caught the attention of the alligator, which prompted Robert to “excitedly suggest” to The Manling to quickly yank his catch onto the land before he caught something more than he bargained for, which The Manling did, which drew the alligator up short at the water’s edge nearest to where we were standing on the elevated shoreline. Hearts skipping beats and blood coursing just that much faster through our veins, The Manling quickly set to work unhooking his catch while – let this soak in – the resident reptile watched, actually hissing at him from the water’s edge. Let me add that I don’t know much about alligators, but judging from this particular one, once they get an idea in their head (especially involving food), they aren’t easily dissuaded. Long story short, this particular local couldn’t quit The Manling, so The Manling had to quit fishing.
Jesse’s stalker – a little too close for comfort – while he unhooked his latest catch.
Considering they are suppose to be faster on land than you’d think, this guy was too close for my comfort, too!
While The Manling fished in only two of the park’s ponds, there are actually a total of 28 ponds at SLSP. If you’ve ever been to a fishing hatchery like the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, TX, you will have a better understanding of what I mean by pond. SLSP has 28 of these man-made ponds, 26 of which they have allowed to grow wild (or what they call “naturalized” on the website). And by wild, I mean WILD. As in alligators live in them. And birds (over 300 species!). And snakes. And who knows what else. With the exception of the two fishing ponds, the others are actually not discernible as manmade or ponds at all – nor do they appear explorable.
Fishing pond #1, with The Manling enjoying doing his thing
Fishing pond #2
If you look at the map of the park, you will see the two rows of ponds, all orderly and planned and perfectly spaced. In real life, it looks the polar opposite of that – but in a beautifully natural way. The best way to experience them is on the Pond Trail Loop, which passes all 28 ponds, via a soft-surface wide trail complete with canopied tree branches that provide the perfect amount of shade for hot summer days. From this trail, the ponds look like Secret Gardens to the side of the path almost entirely enclosed by vegetation save a break in the greenery about the size of a Hobbit door through which you can see the pond “rooms” in all their splendor. It’s like nothing we’ve ever experienced before or since! Each pond “room” seems to have its own identity, its own theme. No two are quite the same. It’s breath-taking and beautiful…and {admittedly} a wee bit scary now that we knew that the park is home to over 100 alligators, the longest of which was some 13 feet in length, according to Park Interpreter Jacob!
The über hospitable Pond Loop Trail is picture perfect.
One of the 26 pond “rooms,” as I called them.
Another pond room
And another
And another…each one different and unique
Just after beginning the Pond Loop Trail, The Manling was thoughtful enough to point out a long, black snake in the vegetation that took me exactly forever to see because it blended with the thick vines on the ground a little too easily for my preference. Fresh off our first real encounter with an alligator, the adrenaline was already pumping, so suffice it to say I was a sheer delight to The Manling every time the breeze rustled the leaves or his voice startled me in the otherwise quiet solitude of the path.
I spy with my little eye – something that slithers and creeps me out like a boss.
When our trail forked at the end, we took a right on the Swamp Rabbit Trail en route to our destination – the John Jacob Observation Tower – which had caught our attention earlier as we entered the park. Once we reached the observation tower, The Manling and I put my adrenaline to good use by climbing to the top of the metal observation tower. Which was super high. And yours truly happens to be dreadfully fearful of heights. Yeah, so there’s that. Oh! And did I mention it was windy because all day we had attempted to outrun a pretty massive summer thunderstorm and it was starting to catch up to us? There was that, too. Legs shaking, heart beating out of my chest, we explored the top of the observation tower and enjoyed ourselves heartily until we figured wisdom would tell us to get off the super tall metal structure with the thunderstorm so close at hand.
Looks harmless enough from a distance. But once you get to the first platform, it’s scarier than a roller coaster up there!
Had to get a pano of that view! That view was worth the cost in stress on my body – both from the height and knowledge that we were standing on a giant, metal lightening rod with that storm quickly approaching.
Can you see the San Jacinto Monument in the distance? We could!
We made haste back down the tower and began the trail back to the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside). Shortly after we reentered the canopied Pond Loop Trail, the wind picked up even more, large drops began pelting us through the trees, and we agreed that now was a good time to pick up trail running as a hobby. When we had almost reached the two fishing ponds near our car, we were stopped short by…drum roll, please…that huge black snake! It decided to cross from the foliage between the loop and into the foliage around the pond room we were passing. Right as we were passing it!!! All the times I had hiked with much fear and trembling only to discover that the fear itself was the scariest part of the hike. And here. Now. At the alligator asylum, I had my first close encounter with my nemesis. I’m pretty sure I screamed. And I’m certain my scream scared The Manling. And I know that if anyone else had been present, I would have cause to be embarrassed by the spontaneous dance I proceeded to perform for the approximately one hundred alligators I’m sure I scared right alongside The Manling. Let’s not dwell.
Remember this – What began as a pit stop on a long day of state parking ended up being a place of excitement, adventure, beauty, and refuge. And one we cannot wait to repeat.
Why We Love Sheldon Lake State Park
Alligators. So many parks down south boast alligators. We saw a couple from a distance at Sea Rim State Park, but they were timid and silently slid under the surface of the water when they saw us. The ‘gators at SLSP aren’t so shy!
Fishing. Like shooting fish in a barrel, you have to try to NOT catch fish in the two fishing ponds. Great place to take beginners and experienced anglers alike. Bonus: The alligators want to wrestle you for your catches. Beware.
Observation Tower. Even afraid of heights, if there is an observation tower, The Manling and I take advantage. These are mandatory.
Canopied Hikes. Starry-eyed emoji. Heart-eyed emoji. Come on, what’s not to love about a wide trail with trees canopied overhead. LOVE.
Wildlife. First true encounter with an alligator. There was action. Hissing. Following. Obsession. That. rocked. And then there is the matter of a SNAKE finally (and literally!) crossing our path!
The Locals. Meet the locals. Talk to people. We all have stories to share. You never know when you’ll hit the jackpot like we did meeting Park Interpreter Jacob and Wildlife Photographer Robert.
Must-Do’s
Fish. Bring your own gear like The Manling, or borrow their loaner gear. Just keep a sharp eye out for the reptilian residents who may not take kindly to your poaching in their ‘hood.
Explore. Lots of trails to explore, both on land and in Sheldon Lake.
Talk. Chat up the staff, other visitors, and most especially the locals. They have the inside scoop on what’s what and can elevate your experience to sublime.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Sheldon Lake State Park. Please leave your comments on this wild place of adventure below.
*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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Hallhere 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.
One of the more ferrel trails
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.
Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway is an easy drive from DFW, situated northwest of Fort Worth in North Texas. We first visited Fort Richardson on a school field trip years ago during a living history weekend and have looked forward to returning ever since. It wasn’t until this second visit that we became aware of the Lost Creek Reservoir portion of the park and now we look forward to returning for overnight camping and to ride the trailway on our bikes.
Why We Love Fort Richardson:
History. There’s lots of it at this site! They offer guided tours during business hours or you can grab a brochure for a self-guided walking tour in the building closest to the parking lot at the historic site. We’ve done both! I highly recommend checking their Events page when planning your visit because the living history weekends are fantastic!
Fishing. The fishing is great at Quarry Lake (located just behind the park HQ), especially at the end farthest from the park road. In addition, the Lost Creek Reservoir offers opportunity for fishing off the pier (which was closed when we visited in May 2018) as well as that part of the park’s shoreline.
Camping. The Historic Site’s camping isn’t appealing to our family, as it doesn’t seem private enough for our liking, but the Lost Creek Reservoir side has excellent campsites – super spacious & very private. We recommend sites #7-10 for the most privacy, and sites #1, 3, 6 for great water access. NOTE: There is some road noise from nearby Bowie Street.
Biking. We cannot give first hand experience because we didn’t have the time on our day trip to explore, fish, AND bike, but we plan to take them when we camp so that we can take the trailway from the Reservoir side to Fort Richardson and back. The park’s website boasts wide trails with smooth terrain, beautiful views and even some shade along the way.
Must Do’s:
History Tour – whether self-guided or ranger-led, the historicity of the place is a huge draw. Don’t miss out on some Texas History!
Fish – we caught from the shoreline, which is a huge plus in our book (see photo).
Explore – The trails are multi-use for foot, bike and even equestrian use. Get up close to nature while exploring FRSPHSLCRT (Whew! That’s a long one!)
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway! Please share your thoughts on this sweet little park packed with big adventures 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.
Cedar Hill State Park is one of the largest (if not the largest) state parks in North Texas. Living within an easy drive of Cedar Hill, we have visited many times as the kids have grown. It has a ginormous lake, lots of trails to both hike and bike, a fishing pond, a good swimming area and beach with shaded picnic tables, and even an authentic 150 year old farm to tour.
CHSP is so large that for years it hosted a nationally known mud run that our family enjoyed participating in yearly.
Biking. This place has an incredible mountain bike trail complete with switchbacks, plenty of shade, gorgeous views and a great combo of easy to difficult terrain. Bikers flock here, especially on the weekends, but if you can catch it when it’s not overly crowded, even the kids can enjoy mountain biking the trails.
Hiking. We have been enjoying Duck Pond Trail since our first visit to CHSP. It’s an easy, shaded hike that even my smallest enjoyed as wee folk. The aforementioned DORBA Trail is also available to foot traffic. Same varied terrain. Same gorgeous views. Plenty of shade. Mind the trail directions at the trailhead.
Swimming. There’s a pretty great sandy swim beach surrounded by shaded picnic tables past the boat launch. In the summer, it’s enjoyed by many, so get there early to stake your claim on a picnic table.
Must Do’s:
All of the above! CHSP is an entire day’s worth of adventure so pack up the car and go have one at Cedar Hill State Park!
NOTE: Camping is available in spades at this huge park, but we have no first hand experience to share. Potential campers should know that you can hear road noise at the park due to the nearby roadways.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Cedar Hill State Park! Please share your thoughts on this Texas State Park nestled in the North Texas suburbs 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.
