summer – Texans Travel Life

November 22, 2018January 11, 2019

Choke Canyon State Parks

Choke Canyon consists of two branches: South Shore (day-use only) and Calliham (full-service side of the park). We planned our visit as part of a Labor Day extended weekend trip since the area is nowhere near close to where we live in North Texas. We arrived midday. In August. It was a blistering 97 degrees by the time we arrived – the kind of heat that makes the very air itself feel like it’s suffocating you. Because the weather wasn’t working in its favor, Choke Canyon State Park was a hard sell while we were there. Nevertheless, we pushed ourselves to experience a sampling of what CCSP offered and here’s what we found.

Cons: Let’s just go ahead and get them out of the way.

Heat. Hot as Hades comes to mind. Seriously. With no breeze. Stifling hot. The kind of hot that makes you keenly aware that even the environment is thirsty for water and your body is the current source of this precious commodity. But we were there in August, so that’s on us. Can’t really fault the park for the weather. Just a consideration when timing your visit.

Drought. The effects were pretty dramatic as there were concrete jetties that were clearly meant as walkways “into the water” that were a whopping 29 feet above the actual water level at the time of our visit. Everywhere you looked the land was parched. Dry. Thirsty. Brown was the predominant color of the landscape. The sound of dead vegetation crunching under your footfalls was part of the soundtrack of the day. But again, you cannot fault CCSP for natural disasters.

Pros: On to the Good Stuff!

Fishing. Apparently Choke Canyon Reservoir is great for fishing – especially if you have a boat. Catfish Marv, whom we met at the HQ, routinely takes groups out on his 24′ pontoon boat between 7am-1pm, and his latest expedition at the time of our introduction yielded a whopping 125 fish! We met a married couple at the fish cleaning station in the early afternoon of our visit that had caught 26 crappie in the span of 4 hours, also from their boat.

Bird Center. Many species of birds can be spotted at CCSP. In fact, one thing we appreciated about our visit was our songbird soundtrack. We heard the beautiful songs of birds during our entire visit. In addition, we crossed paths with a couple of roadrunners on the South Shore side of the park, our first up-close encounter with that speedy species.

Rec Hall. Tennis anyone? How about basketball? Are you more into soccer? CCSP has you covered as it has the facilities for all of these in or around the Rec Hall. Didn’t bring equipment? No problem! They have loaners you can borrow during your visit.

Shaded Parking. This is a serious consideration when the temps are soaring, yet not many Texas State Parks have much of it. CCSP has it in spades and you will appreciate it if you time your visit during the hottest months of the year like we did.

Shelters. CCSP offers screened shelters and shelters with air conditioning, a must-have in the summer in Texas. Situated on their own street within the park, these shelters look like a community of adorable Tiny Houses complete with front porches.

Insects. I think it’s worth noting that CCSP wasn’t buggy. We didn’t experience a single mosquito, which is unusual for us! In fact, the place appeared delightfully bug-free (though we know this is unrealistic).

Trails. They were wide. Well-maintained. Clearly marked. Level. Teeming with deer.

Alligators. There are signs, which is why we didn’t fish on the shore. We were told that alligators sunned in this spot, or that spot. The Manling even heard one enter the water, saw the splash, but just missed actually sighting one. The fact that they are there and that we didn’t have a dangerous close encounter is a Pro. (A Park Staffer pointed out that they have never had a visitor experience a disastrous encounter with one of their resident reptiles, and I am happy we were able to continue that streak on our visit.)

Why We Love Choke Canyon State Park

Wildlife. Amazingly, even during a drought, CCSP is home to deer, alligators, many species of birds, javelina, and many more!
Water. Summer in Texas = Water. Bring or rent a boat and enjoy a day on the Choke Canyon Reservoir. We hear the fishing is amazing! (And if you hire out Catfish Marv, tell him Texans Travel says hello!)

Must Do’s

Water. Look, with Catfish Marv willing and able, there’s no reason not to enjoy some time on the reservoir, especially with a rod in hand. Give the man a call (Capt. Marvin “Catfish Marv” Elledge at 210-365-7967).
Tiny House Community. There is no more affordable way to stay in the area than CCSP, and since they have accommodations with a/c, you can even enjoy a summer visit! Come on. You know you want to.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Choke Canyon State Parks! Please leave your comments on this resilient State Park in the comments 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.

August 16, 2018July 17, 2018

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 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

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.

August 13, 2018July 17, 2018

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!

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.

August 6, 2018August 6, 2018

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

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.
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.
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!
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.

June 28, 2018June 19, 2018

Old Tunnel State Park

Old Tunnel State Park. The night that I went (early June 2018), it was at the end of a long day spent state parking with The Manling. We had adventure after adventure after adventure already on this particular day, but since seeing the bats emerge is a sunset activity and we were only an hour away, we decided to go for it.

First off, if you’re wondering what the big deal is, I’ll tell you, dear reader. The fine folks in the Texas Hill Country have this thing about watching bats emerge at sunset. All of these Mexican free-tailed bats hole up in the Hill Country for some reason April – October. Google it. You’ll see. There’s a bridge in Austin where millions emerge in a whispy-type ribbon that is completely mesmerizing. There are caves on privately owned Hill Country land where the things fly like bats outta you-know-where just because the sun is setting (see photos below) and you’d better not be nearby if one falls because, Hello! They will crawl up your legs until they are high enough to launch themselves back into the air from hanging on you! Knowledge is power, my friend, and that little tidbit of knowledge was enough to make me seriously consider power walking back to the car! And now? We discovered that there is a whole Texas State Park completely devoted to the little guys. Just go with it.

The Man and me a handful of years ago. The smiles were before the bats emerged from that abyss behind us.

Exactly half of us were “into” this several years ago when we Groupon’d a deal for viewing on someone’s private land in the Hill Country. Surprise, surprise, The Manling was in that camp.

I gotta say, on the private land with the hole-in-the-ground cave, we definitely saw bats. Maybe a little too closely? But we saw, smelled and heard them. Plus, the bit of education regarding the possibility of them crawling up your legs if they collided and fell is kinda priceless information in my book.

We arrived at OTSP about 8:35pm, quickly parked and made a beeline toward the people congregated on the upper viewing deck. Everyone was mostly quiet. I figured they must be anticipating the awe until I read the signage asking everyone to be library quiet. I started whispering to The Manling at this point because there was park staff on-site and I didn’t want us to get the boot so close to what was sure to be an amazing spectacle. After waiting – quietly – for about 10 minutes, we noticed another park staffer down near the tree line waving her hands to our park staffer, who let us know that they had begun their emergence. We saw nothing. We waited with baited breath. We still saw nothing. We kept our eyes peeled. Finally we saw what appeared to be the smoke monster from Lost smudging the view of the trees. We {quietly} asked our park staffer if that smoke was the colony emerging. She excitedly explained that it was! Bless her. She really digs the bats.

We eventually allowed the strongly-scented ammonia air (um, guano) to signal that we were good-to-go…home.

We hoofed it back to the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside) and headed her toward our home away from home. As we were sharing our perceptions, The Manling noticed something traveling in the sky about 10 feet above our car. Bats!! Those little buggers were swarming just above our Tiny Toyota Tardis, helpfully devouring the mosquitoes that like to feast on our flesh during the summer here in Texas. They continued to travel with us for a couple of miles down that tiny Texas back road** until we finally out horse-powered them. (I envisioned our Tiny Toyota Tardis bursting free from the ginormous sand storm of bats that had completely enveloped us. It was epic.)

I just want to point out that the mom in the lower left of the picture is having to point out where her minion should be looking. The bats emerge into the trees and it’s hard to see from the upper observation deck. (The lower observation deck wasn’t open on the day of the week we visited.)

I seriously need to figure out how to up my selfie game.

Why We Love Old Tunnel State Park

Bats. Make sure you plan your visit April through October. And time your departure while they are still emerging because while we didn’t really see them from the upper observation deck, we definitely experienced them up close and personal on the road as we left!
Park Staff. These folks are enthusiastic about these bats. Ask questions – quietly, of course.

Must Do’s

See the bats emerge. It’s a Hill Country must.
Drive away while the last rays of sunlight are disappearing. Cross your fingers, drive slowly and maybe the bats will make your trip to OTSP as memorable as ours.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Old Tunnel State Park! Please share your thoughts on this twilight Texas 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.

**Tiny Texas back roads are narrow. Please use extreme caution, especially when deer are present. We had two dart in front of our car as we drove home that night, a very dangerous thing when their weight rivals your Tiny Toyota Tardis! Upon the advise of friends, we bought these for future trips.