Huntsville State Park

The Man is a native Texan. He was born and raised in Houston. He relocated to Dallas in 1994. We have traveled I-45 between these two massive cities more times than I can count over the past twenty-five years, visiting and revisiting the people and places that shaped The Man’s past and forged his future. Embarrassingly, I don’t recall even once noticing that there was a State Park along the way, much less one as extraordinary as Huntsville State Park.

Being a native of Alabama the Beautiful, I adored the beautiful drive to and through the park’s colossal pine trees. That’s my happy place right there.

The Manling and I visited HSP in August 2018, unsure what to expect from a park that hadn’t managed to catch our attention over the course of two decades. What we discovered was an awesome park deep in the thick, towering pine trees of the Sam Houston National Forest. With a plethora of activities to choose and only six hours to spend, we quickly prioritized our line-up and began enjoying a leisurely summer afternoon around Lake Raven.

Knowing that The Manling’s primary love language is fishing, we headed for fishing spot numero uno – a pretty pier located between picturesque camping spots 154 and 157. While The Manling began reeling in fish after fish after fish, I spent some quality time with my iPhone attempting to capture the beauty of the place digitally.

Next, we explored the rest of the park from the inside of the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside), surprised to see so many tent campers enjoying the park deep in the throes of the hottest month of the year. August in Texas, dear reader, is akin to swimming in the lava pools of Mordor in Mount Doom. It’s hot as Hades. Did I mention the humidity? South Texas is famous for its heat AND its unbearable humidity. My mother-in-law, a native Houstonian, once told me that you have to have gills to breathe in Houston. It’s a thing. Look it up. And yet, there were families who had chosen to forsake the blessed comfort of air conditioning in order to make memories tent camping at HSP. I could drop the mic right there because that, amigo, says A LOT about the awesomeness of Huntsville State Park.

While exploring HSP from our sweet {air conditioned} seats in the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside), we discovered another fishing pier in the Coloneh Camping Area (between spots 78 and 82) and decided to pull over and drop a line in the water. Well, The Manling dropped a line. I grabbed my iPhone and continued my search for the perfect picture that would speak more than a thousand words to us both.

Here it is:

In the effort of full disclosure, I did not take that photo myself. Marsha did. Marsha was one of the many campers in the park that day, completely living la vida loca by camping in August with her hubs and three grandkiddos. Huntsville State Park, you see, is home to some of these bad boys and Marsha aimed to hook us with “front row seats” to see them up close, but not so up close that our own personal safety was at stake (a philosophy her dear husband did not share – story to follow, keep reading).

The Manling and I hunkered down on the pier, him with his rod and me with my iPhone, while we waited for one or more of the local ‘gators to make an appearance. Marsha gladly shared her experience (and the above photo) from the night before along with all the information she knew about alligators, including this little tidbit – the lines through the growth in the water hugging the shoreline and the pier were tracks made by the alligators as they entered and exited the water.

The Manling, Marsha’s husband, and two out of their three grandsons fished from the pier, catching hand-sized little fellas left and right. Marsha and I chatted. Time passed.

Marsha’s Man announced to the pier that he saw a ‘gator across the lake. Skeptical, The Manling and I shaded our eyes with our hands, squinted against the late afternoon glare off of the water, and slowly scanned the area that he indicated. We saw nothing. After surveying the area several times, I ventured to mention that I saw nothing, to which he responded, “That thing that looks like a log right there,” pointing exactly where I should look. Sure enough, we saw what looked like driftwood floating adjacent to the shoreline. Still somewhat skeptical that it was a bona fide alligator, The Manling and I took up “log watching” like it was an income-generating venture. And guess what. It WAS a bona fide alligator! (We were clued into this when a fish jumped out of the water and the “log” course-corrected to follow it. For about ten minutes.)

Assured by Marsha’s hubs that the thing would feed on the fish they were catching under the pier around 6pm, we not-so-patiently watched the clock, waiting for him to make his way across the lake to us so we could get a good look at him. By 6:30pm, he had disappeared altogether. Feeling slightly disappointed, we bid our new friends good-bye and headed to one last spot, a place that Marsha’s husband assured us he’d seen a 10-12 footer earlier in the day. After driving around for about fifteen minutes, unable to find the spot he had referenced, I unexpectedly got a text from Marsha that said the alligator had shown up! The Manling and I pointed the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside) back toward the pier and were rewarded with these up-close encounters with a 5-6 footer –

After the excitement wore off (for the alligator, not us), Marsha’s Man hopped on a scooter and escorted us to the place he’d seen the 10-12 footer earlier in the day. Stopped on the side of the road, Marsha’s Man crossed the road and ventured into the dense brush under the towering pine trees. Alone. Wearing flip flops.

After searching a few minutes, he found what he had been looking for… sitting utterly motionless in the water looking at him, only his head visible. And it was a ginormous head. Can you see it?

After several failed attempts to lure The Manling into the brush to get a closer look (This came out of my mouth: “That’s going to be a hard ‘no’ because I love him. And your family loves you, too, so I think it would probably be best for you to come back out here with us.”), he finally joined us back on the road. In his excitement, he commenced trying to convince us that approaching the alligator’s home – for we assume it was indeed it’s home since there was a camera box in the brush pointing at it – wouldn’t be too unsafe. He eventually understood the meaning of our “no’s” in all of its varying forms, bid us farewell, and we parted ways – him back to the pier, us back to I-45…and the safety of our own home.

Why We Love Huntsville State Park

Fishing. In our experience, it should be called “catching” at HSP. Go old school with worms.
Camping. Like I said, there were tent campers. In August. In 100+ degree weather. That speaks volumes.
Alligators. This could easily become classified as an obsession. Until this year, I had only seen alligators in the zoo or on the screen. It is insane to know they are around and that they aren’t out to get me. You know, like the snakes. Or the alligator on Lake Placid.
Towering Pines. Being a native of Alabama the Beautiful, ya girl loves her towering pines. This places is tall tree heaven. Bonus: Lots of shade, which lowers the oppressive summer temps.

Must-Do’s

Alligator Watch. Seriously! Go to the fishing pier. Take binoculars. Be patient. Better yet, ask Park Staff on your way in where the best place to spot an alligator is and follow their advice. (NOTE: The alligators are not tame. They are 100% wild. Keep your distance. Don’t be stupid.)
Fish. The fishing piers were perfect for catching hand-sized fish. We didn’t drop a line anywhere else, but I’m sure the Park Staff could give you good tips. Just ask them when you check into the park.
Camp. Beautiful, roomy camping spots. RV spots. Not your jam? How about a shelter with a/c? HSP has you covered, whatever your preference for camping.
Hike. Because of the allure of the alligators, we ran out of time to be able to hike. I imagine the trails would be gorgeous winding through such beautiful trees. Let me know if you have first-hand experience. I’d love to hear from you.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Huntsville State Park! Please share your thoughts on this no-longer-overlooked 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.

October 1, 2018August 23, 2018

Lake Colorado City State Park

We first met Mater when we visited Lake Colorado City State Park about four years ago, chillin’ in the field across from the park entrance. We waved a friendly “hello” as we headed home after a few hours at the park, glad that he’d come to see us off that uneventful day. Uneventful in the truest sense because our first visit to this self-proclaimed desert oasis was kind of a dud. Not only was the park desolate in an eerily creepy kind of way, the park was in the deep, dark part of a severe drought at the time and what was left in it’s wake looked to our eyes like the aftermath of an apocalyptic event. Mangled docks looked like a shockwave had rendered them completely unusable and almost unidentifiable had they not been standing so tall on parched ground that was, in former days, the lake.

Imagine our surprise when we saw Mater again during our revisit mid-July 2018, sitting in the same spot across from the entrance to the park, reminiscent of the good ole days when hard working folks sat a spell on the porch, sipping sweet tea, enjoying the gentle breeze of the summer evening after a long day of sweaty labor on their land. Love.

Kinder Frau, The Manling, and me – circa 2014

But there ends any similarity between our first visit and our second.

On our second trip to LCCSP, what we happily discovered was a park slowly, but surely, recovering from the devastating effects of years of drought. The fishing piers that were formerly disfigured and damaged by the drought were replaced with sturdy, robust piers that hosted a small, but continual rotation of anglers eager to drop a line in the water, which now delightedly covered the ground under them once again.

Where the park was desolate years before, we now encountered a handful of families both in the RV camping area and using the lakefront, air conditioned shelters, all of which look like newly build tiny homes complete with shaded front porches.

On our first visit, the lake was deserted, unused. On our more recent visit, we crossed paths with a family setting up a canopy in preparation for a day in the sun and surf once again available at Lake Colorado City State Park.

On our first visit, our imaginations were stirred for hours, imagining various scenarios that could have caused the undisclosed apocalyptic event. On our revisit, our minds were engaged geocaching. The park has a couple of great finds, by the way. And this is a great way to explore the park on foot for singles, couples, or the whole family.

While we restricted our explorations to the main roads on our first visit, this second time around Park Ranger Sky encouraged us to discover the roughly 1.5 mile (round trip) of bike trail they have been working to clear.

This park that was once fodder to spark conversation and creativity, is slowly becoming one that we can imagine will again hosts hoards of West Texans seeking to escape the heat in the cool waters of Lake Colorado City, on the cusp of becoming a desert oasis once more.

Why We Love Lake Colorado City State Park

Mater. I know he’s not technically a part of the park, but he has been a part of our park experience both visits and we love him. Make sure to wave a friendly “hello” to him when you see him.
Water. It’s hard to not hit a home run during the Texas summer heat when water is part of the equation. Thankfully, LCCSP is making a comeback in that department.
Fishing. Boat docks and fishing piers in the early morning and evening are the best times to drop a line.
Geocaching. There are one or two in some pretty ferrel areas, but there is one that is hidden in a truly spectacular location. Let the treasure hunting begin!
Trails. The trails were still under construction while we were there, but they are already taking shape and I think they will be pretty awesome either on foot or by bike in the near future.
A/C Shelters. I’m a sucker for tiny homes and these cute little shelters with a/c look like a newly built community of them, all lakeside. Bonus!

Must Do’s

Geocache. Hands-down, I think this is the absolute best way to get up close and personal with a new area. State Parks included.
Fish. The Manling wasn’t able to catch much on our visit, but we were there during the middle of the day. He will definitely try again the next time we are at LCCSP. You can count on it.
Swim. The water is making a comeback. A family was enjoying their floats on the water when we were there. Dip a toe in.
Stay. Tiny homes. RV’s. Even tent camping (in a more hospitable time of year). LCCSP can accommodate all budgets and preferences.
Explore. The trails look like they will be nice, wide, level trails for mountain biking…or exploring on foot. I’m especially psyched to try the one that runs adjacent to the lake. That promises to have some pretty great views.

August 30, 2018July 30, 2018

Balmorhea State Park

Balmorhea State Park was one of the bucket list locales on our Tour of Texas Waterholes we did several summers ago with The Manling and Kinder Frau. During the planning stages of our trips, BSP showed up on list after list as this big deal in Texas. Like, you’ve not arrived until you’ve experienced Balmorhea in person. It is, after all, the WORLD’S LARGEST SPRING-FED SWIMMING POOL and it just so happens to call Texas home. So obviously, being the good Texans we are, we pointed the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside) toward West Texas to see what all the fuss was about.

But first, we spent the front half of the day sand boarding at Monahans Sandhills State Park, making sure we were primed and pumped to experience the desert oasis that is Balmorhea SP. Once we were completely sandy, abominably hot, and desperately seeking some sand-free refreshment of the H2O variety, we began the exciting 1.5 hour drive to BSP.

Exciting, you may ask?

Yes, exciting!

The north-to-south road that we traveled the bulk of our trip on looked like the set of an old-fashioned movie akin to The Grapes of Wrath. Lots of dust was blowing in winds that were constantly causing us to course correct the Tiny Toyota Tardis. Lots of skeletal structures peppered the landscape after something had clearly blown the rest of the building materials away. We seldom passed another car. We saw another living soul exactly never. And in the west, the vast expanse of sky was growing the largest storm you could imagine – heading toward us. With no where to seek refuge, we continued driving south, sometimes at a snail’s pace, as we helplessly watched that storm slowly sweep toward us, overtake us, and finally – thankfully! – leave our tiny two-door Toyota in it’s dust. Never have we driven in more frightening and unexpected weather than we did that day.

By the time we reached the entrance to BSP, the rain had stopped even though the clouds lingered. We had no idea if the park remained open during inclement weather, but we entered the HQ with our fingers crossed and our prayers prayed that what we’d just driven through would not have been in vain.

It wasn’t! To the contrary, the storms that we had driven through caused an understandable mass exodus from Balmorhea State Park, and now? Now the park was ours to explore and enjoy in almost complete solitude!! (With a cap on the allowable number of visitors per day, it is a big deal that we got in, much less that we practically had the place to ourselves.)

I love that Kinder Frau is practically on top of The Man. I’m laughing so hard I’m crying. Swimming with the fish can be a Man thing. We’re good with that.

We headed straight for the cool of the pool and enjoyed a few unforgettable hours of swimming, cannonballing, and snorkeling the deep end (a 20 footer!) to get a closer look at the pool’s finned inhabitants (no fishing or noodling allowed).

No noodling? No fishing? No problem! He’ll snorkel.

I’m super glad we had that unforgettable experience in yesteryear because when The Manling and I returned mid-July 2018, our experience was not quite the adventure we remembered. As in, we were there for a whole ten minutes which included a bio break, our signage selfie…

…and registering the car in the HQ with the Park Staffer who regretted to inform us that everything except the picnic area was closed. Every. Single. Thing. See?

Turn that frown upside down, fellow Texas Travelers. They will be open and renovated and repaired and ready to help you create your own memories to share very soon!

Why We Love Balmorhea State Park

Water. Come on. It’s the WORLD’S LARGEST spring-fed swimming pool. WORLD’S LARGEST. That’s worth checking out. You can swim, scuba dive, or snorkel. (The fact that the constant temp of the pool is in the mid-70’s during the summertime in Texas is bonus gold.)
CCC Buildings. Truly, your mind wanders and wonders if you’ve somehow stepped back into history and are living in your own West Texas version of Dirty Dancing focused on swimming with the locals instead of sneaking out to forbidden dances with them.

Must Do’s

Swim. WORLD’S LARGEST spring-fed swimming pool. Why do I have to keep telling you this? Check this one off your bucket list. It’s a definite Must Do!
Stay. Camp. Motel-type lodging. With the Davis Mountains as your backdrop, this is one sweet place to park yourself overnight, or over an extended weekend.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Balmorhea State Park! Please share your thoughts on this wet & retro 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.

August 23, 2018August 12, 2018

Lake Brownwood State Park

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

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

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

Sigh.

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

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

After taking our group selfie at the entrance –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why We Love Lake Brownwood State Park

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

Must Do’s

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

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

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

August 20, 2018July 30, 2018

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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.

July 9, 2018June 22, 2018

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

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.)
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!
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!
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.

June 7, 2018June 19, 2018

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…

Trees. They are everywhere and in Texas shade is a savory thing. Plus, they’re pretty. Life is short, so enjoy the view.
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.)
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.