Tiny Toyota Tardis – Texans Travel Life

November 5, 2018November 30, 2018

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 8, 2018September 17, 2018

Sea Rim State Park

The Manling and I pointed the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside) toward the Gulf of Mexico in the wee hours of an August 2018 morning, excited for a one-day getaway to a new-to-us, beachy destination in the southeast corner of the Great State of Texas. We arrived about an hour after Sea Rim State Park opened, profusely excited over two things – the probability of seeing alligators and the possibility of catching sharks. The Park Staff that we met in the HQ was an encouragement to us regarding the attainability of our goals and even shared a personal video that she had taken the day before of one of the local ‘gators crossing the road from the beach to the marsh side of the park. This one gesture served to fan the embers of our hopes and dreams, bursting them into a full-fledged fire on the spot. Next, she gave us tips on what other ocean anglers had used to catch sharks at SRSP and directed us to the nearest bait shop, unfortunately located ten miles east. Back into the Tiny Toyota Tardis we went, headed east toward a grocery store we “couldn’t miss” in Sabine Pass to buy both shrimp and mullet, the tasty treats that would {hopefully} land The Manling his first shark.

Bait acquired, we headed back to Sea Rim. We stopped by the Marsh Unit on the off chance that an alligator might be visible before we continued to the beach side of the park. We parked the car near the rental cabin and began looking, looking, looking.

Was that…?

Yes, lying completely still and silently observing us observing her near the kayak launch was a roughly 6 foot beauty! Apparently shy, she noiselessly disappeared under the surface of the water as we slowly approached, making the far away photo below the only evidence of our encounter.

Can you spy with your little eye our new friend?

With goal #1 accomplished before lunch, we headed to the gulf side of the park with a proverbial spring in our step to work on goal #2. We passed the HQ and steered the Tiny Toyota Tardis onto the beach – yeah, onto the beach – because at SRSP, the sand is so “packed” that you can actually drive onto it, even in a tiny, lightweight 2-door stick shift! From that moment forward, the world (or at least this beautiful, beachy portion of it) was our oyster!

SRSP boasts five miles of gulf front property and we, my friends, were the sole occupants. See?

Once we set up shop for the day, The Manling got down to the very serious business of trying to land himself a shark. He fished for five straight hours while I read, relaxed, and simply enjoying the bliss of this shared moment in time at this special place.

Shortly after lunch, we headed to the Gambusia Nature Trail, an easy twenty minute trail through the marshes atop a genuine boardwalk. As in, the entire trail is a boardwalk through the marshes and since rumor had it that some of the alligators enjoyed sunning themselves around midday, we thought we’d take a peek. I was admittedly a wee bit cautious as we entered the boardwalk trail because of the au naturale condition that greeted us.

I persevered, however, around that curve to the right, through the super tall growth that I was afraid concealed some hungry ‘gators, and all the way to the first glimpses of water under our path. In other words, about 150 feet. Then I looked down into the water to the left just in time to see a snake swim out from under the boardwalk about four feet in front of me, at which point I decided to make a hasty exit.

Feeling exasperated by my phobia, I began to think of a way to conquer my fear and this trail. It was then that I spotted my new best friend, Marie, enjoying a picnic lunch with her husband and sweet granddaughter. Before giving it any thought, I walked straight over to them and asked if they were, by any chance, planning to walk the boardwalk trail after their picnic. Reader, I visibly exhaled when she answered that they were and agreed to let us tag along – a little Colorado Bend State Park déjà vu for the win!

Totally stoked, I left Marie and family to finish their picnic in peace. I walked back to the Toyota to inform The Manling of the good news, at which he may have rolled his eyes in exasperation. But, he let it lie and just rolled with it. This wasn’t his first time at the rodeo.

Long story short, Marie and her daughter had a fabulous time walking, skipping, and basically just enjoying the sights and sounds of the birds, the fish, and a couple of times, me. I was on Mr. Marie like white on rice. The poor man practically wore me like a knapsack as we strolled casually around the 3/4 mile boardwalk, which in places seemed a little too on the rickety side for my preference. Nary an alligator did we see, sunning itself or otherwise. I did look up from my frozen view of Mr. Marie’s shoes a couple of times and was treated to some breathtakingly beautiful scenery.

Photo Credit: Marie, who shared this photo she took of her blessed husband and The Manling dutifully flanking me like we were the British on patrol during the Revolution.

Since the rest of the trails were all paddling trails (and we didn’t ask the Tiny Toyota Tardis to shoulder the burden of carrying the kayak, which would definitely be a picture-worthy sight), all that was left on the agenda was to live in the moment on the beautiful bit of beach we had claimed while The Manling continued his quest for goal #2.

While The Manling landed one fish after another, in the end a shark was not counted among them. I did a very little bit of exploring on my own (mainly the Dune Boardwalk), and spent the rest of our time at Sea Rim State Park savoring the memories I was making with The Manling from the comfort of my camping chair.

As all good things must, our magnificent day at SRSP came to a close- just as a summer storm crested the northern horizon behind us.

That’s a big storm brewing behind the Tiny Toyota Tardis!

On our way out of the park, we stopped by the Marsh Unit one more time on the off chance that we might see another alligator, which proved the perfect way to end our time at Sea Rim State Park on a very high note.

Can you see that big, beautiful head in the water?

Why We Love Sea Rim State Park

Water. Texas summers should always, 100% of the time, equal water. It’s hot as Hades here. Water makes it bearable. The steady breeze off the waters of the Gulf aren’t too bad, either.
Fishing. The fishing was excellent and even though The Manling didn’t land his first shark, he had a stellar day doing what he loved. It’s always more fun catching when you go fishing.
Alligators. I have a morbidly curious fascination with the alligators in Texas, especially in the State Parks. And we saw TWO this day! Score!
Uncrowded. The location (which is remote) is the only sense that I can make of the place being so unpopulated. But hey, that’s our jam! We loved feeling like this was our private piece of paradise for the day!

Must Do’s

Fish. Grab some mullet and shrimp before heading to the park. That grocery store in Sabine Pass 10 miles to the east can hook you up. Then park your keister on the beach for the day, reeling ’em in til your heart is content.
Relax. The park is situated in a pretty remote place, which seemed to be the only reason it was uncrowded on our visit. You can do some serious de-stressing on that underpopulated stretch of Gulf coast. You’re welcome.
Nature. Enjoy the sea birds. I literally watched their shenanigans for hours. Go on an alligator hunt – just keep your distance and don’t be a fool. Those things are completely wild. Exercise caution.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Sea Rim State Park! Please share your experiences at this uncrowded 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.

July 16, 2018June 23, 2018

Top 5 Things We Learned on our First State Park Road Trip:

(This post contains affiliate links.)

The first TexansTravel.Life road trip was epic! We were tempted to drive 4.9 miles around the ‘hood just to make it an even 1000 miles, but we were tired, gross and ready to be home.

The Manling and I learned some valuable lessons the hard way on our first Texas State Park road trip:

Water. Stay hydrated. It’s about a thousand degrees in the summertime in Texas. Whatever amount you think you will need to stay hydrated, triple that amount. Seriously. And plan your activities in the hottest months around water – swimming, fishing, tubing, canoeing, paddle boarding. Get wet.
Shoes. Two things: 1) Get shoes with grippy soles because I’m telling you, you won’t regret them when you hit the trails. These have served me well. 2) Break in your shoes before your trip because blisters are a pain and a real kill joy to exploring all the great state of Texas has to offer!
Clothing. Pack lightly by making smart fabric and clothing choices. You can wash clothes in the sink and hang dry to rewear on the same trip, which will allow you to pack lighter and save valuable space in the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside – but even she has her limits, man!) for the important stuff like coolers of water – see #1 above – and fishing gear.
Maps. iPhones are great and Waze may rock your world in the city, but when you’re traveling the isolated country roads of Texas, have paper back up. You won’t regret kicking it old school when your phone is in an area with no service. Trust us. We bought this inexpensive map the day after we got home.
Car. We logged almost a thousand miles on our first road trip, three-fourths of which were on tiny, twisty, isolated back roads in Texas. Always get a check up on your car before setting out on your adventures. (At the very least, make sure your tires are good. Firestone will even check your pressure and eyeball your treads for free.)

Bonus Things We Learned

Research. Check websites before heading out for important things like hours of operation and closures because that kind of stuff can put a real damper on your experience.
Ask Questions. Especially of the Park Staff. They love their parks and want to ensure that you do, too! Talk to them when you arrive and ask them anything. They are your best resource for planning a most enjoyable experience.
Consider Products. Let our sunscreen and bug spray be your friends when you’re exploring the outdoors.
Explore Unhurried. Enjoy living in the moments without the need to stick to a rigid agenda. The unplanned is where the magic happens.

July 12, 2018June 23, 2018

Mother Neff State Park

Vanity of vanities…Knowing my selfies are a sorry collection of proof that I am über unphotogenic, I actually put on make up and decided to take my hair out of it’s pony tail every time we took photos. Even though it was a thousand degrees that morning.

The Manling and I visited Mother Neff State Park in early June 2018. Our trusty map app had trouble locating the entrance, but the reason became clear once we did. MNSP is situated on the Leon River, which sometimes floods the plains around it. In 2015, the park relocated the HQ and campsites outside of this flood plain so that the park could remain open, even when the Leon River was disagreeable to the notion. Our map app apparently didn’t get the memo.

The Manling and I were impressed by the newness of this State Park. It was all so immaculate and driving up to the HQ felt akin to arriving at the model home of a new neighborhood! As we approached the building in the early morning, I asked the Park Staffer who was tending to the flower gardens around the HQ if he’d found anything interesting. He replied that he’d already relocated them. “Them,” I asked? The snakes, he replied with a mischievous grin. “For real,” I asked again, to which his smile only widened. The Manling passed him by and kept walking the paved garden path to the doors of the HQ to register our visit.

Per our usual, we chatted with the State Park Staff on-duty and learned that we had underestimated the extent of closures in this particular park due to the recent floods. While several short trails, the Cave, the Tower, and Wash Pond were still accessible, the big attraction for The Manling was and always will be water access for fishing. (Did I mention that fishing is his love language?) And that part of the park was completely & disappointingly inaccessible to park visitors.

Tourist Tip #1

Don’t choose a destination based on proximity and assume everything will be kosher when you show up. Actually visit the website and do your research because the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is fantastic at keeping you up-to-date on information that will be important to know for your visit – like the inaccessibility of the water feature due to flood damage. Lesson learned.

Park Map in hand, we went back to the car to drive to the trail head of the Cave, our first stop. After circling half of the roundabout, we saw a somewhat towering gate extremely reminiscent of Jurassic Park, toward which we pointed the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside). I would be remiss to not point out here that we both began humming Welcome to Jurassic Park (and continued to do so until we parked at the Cave’s trail head!).

Tourist Tip #2

Download Welcome to Jurassic Park to your phone, buy the soundtrack for your car, or download it on Spotify in case you don’t have service (We didn’t.) because this is the perfect score for that gate and the tree-canopied drive through the park. It will elevate the ride to epic instantly.

To abbreviate our short, uneventful trip for you, dear reader, we visited The Cave (which was kind of neat), The Tower (which was our longest hike at the park, but super short compared to our hikes at other parks), and Wash Pond (which was super low on the day we visited). To be honest, The Manling wasn’t feeling MNSP because of the closure of the river end of park and our brief hikes consisted of a lot of quiet punctuated by me either stomp-walking or making noise with my water bottle (you know, to scare the snakes) with the occasional “Are you okay? You seem upset with me” thrown in because, well, The Manling seemed upset with me and all brooding teenager, which is unlike him. So, after our third mini-hike (to the Tower), I asked if he just wanted to head home and plan to come back when more of the park was open (ie the river for fishing). In his funk, he managed to deliver a heart-warming reply in a half-hearted tone – “I’ll do whatever you want to do, Mom. This is your trip, too.” Bless him. We hit the restrooms and then pointed the Tiny Toyota Tardis for home, vowing to revisit Mother Neff when she was recovered from the flood.

The Cave. The Manling offered to explore, but since it didn’t seem trail-like enough at either end of the Cave, I politely declined his offer.

Note the rocks (good camo for rattlesnakes) and the tall grass ahead (good hiding spots for rattlesnakes), both of which may have made me annoying to The Manling because I walked behind him in a “heard” manner, like the Park Staff suggested.

Taken atop the Rock Tower, which was pretty cool and the only time I wasn’t attempting to “make us heard” by any snakes in the vicinity, which The Manling appreciated because my noise may have fanned the flames of his disappointment with the park’s river closure.

Why We Love Mother Neff State Park

It’s new. I confess that I was digging the new digs at MNSP. The HQ was awesome, cold (important in 100 degree temps!) and homey with ginormous windows overlooking the brand new porch with an assortment of chairs welcoming you to sit a spell.
It’s historical. I love experiencing the places of yesteryear. I enjoy reading about it and imagining what it would have been like so many years ago. MNSP is steeped in history!
It’s road. We are a sucker for a beautiful drive and the main road through the park offers a delightful canopy of trees over the small road, punctuated on one end by the fabulous Jurassic Park-esque gate and by the Leon River on the other (though at the time of this publication, that part of the park was closed due to flooding).
It’s possibilities. The Manling loves state parking for the fishing. The Man loves state parking for the hiking. I love state parking for the history. This little park offers a little of each of these.

Must Do’s

The Cave. This was a short little hike from the main road and it was pretty cool to contemplate people actually living there. Read the information posted at the entrance to the cave.
The Tower. It literally is a tower in the middle of trees that you can climb to get a 360 degree view of the park. Neat trail that includes a bird blind if you use the trail head across from the restrooms in the new camping loop.
The Pond. You’ve got to see the pics on-site and read the info about Wash Pond in order to appreciate it when the water levels are low (like they were when we visited).
Fishing. Once the river portion of the park reopens, we plan to return and take our own advice on the Leon River.
Camping. The new campsites look fantastic and there were quite a few campers enjoying them during our visit, even though it was in the 100’s. There are two playgrounds nearby, as well as the Live Oak Trail, which leads to a shaded bird blind and The Tower.
Sitting. Spend some time just sitting and enjoying the flower gardens and the view from the HQ’s porch on those lovely new chairs.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Mother Neff State Park! Please share your thoughts on one of Texas’ oldest State Parks 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.