During a recent trip to Galveston chasing mystical blue water, we decided to kick off our fall season of state park touring with a park on the southwest side of Houston. Numerous factors made it personally undesirable for camping. Namely, the presence of over 300 free roaming alligators! Not to mention, the swamp environment and close proximity to Houston attracting crowds. We were also grateful to not have Sally on this particular trip, let’s not add to the crazy with alligators about! So while Mommy had her apprehensions, the kids were ECSTATIC. They wanted to see all the gators, snakes, and frogs…oh my.

 

We arrived a little before 11 on a 103 degree day and decided our objective would be to see as much as we could, as quickly as we could and in as much shade as we could find. Armed with our camelbaks, we started out with a 1ish mile trail that circled the optimal alligator viewing area. The adventure worked out in our favor! We saw ONE alligator and he stayed in the water. If you zoom in on the middle of the photo where the kids are looking at the water, you can see his head out of water not 10ft from the bank! That’s a close enough encounter!

 

A viewing tower along the trail provided a break in a shade, a chance to catch a breeze and a look out over the wetlands.

 

While on a bathroom break, we noticed a posted schedule of events for the day at the nature center and had enough time to make a Ranger Chat about snakes. Fun! We so rarely visit parks on the weekends and since that is when most of the events are scheduled, we hadn’t participated in many yet. This experience did not disappoint! We learned so much in addition to up close encounters with live non venomous snakes. Fun fact, there are 70 different species of snakes in Texas. 11 of them are venomous. 8 of those venomous snakes are rattle snakes with their telltale (punny) rattle for identification. That leaves a mere THREE snakes in the entire state to learn for proper good snake/ bad snake identification. Copper head (with Hershey kiss shapes along its back), cotton mouth/water moccasin (with a zoro mask across its eyes), and the coral snake (the tri color of black, yellow and red). The rest are constrictors and while they can bite, are non venomous and some even eat other snakes! What?!

 

The end of the chat consisted of getting to touch and see up close 6 different snakes and then the kids got to pose with a 6’4″ rat snake!

 

The rest of the nature center was fun on its own with numerous items retrieved from the park and put on the display. Including baby alligators that were hatched onsite and cared for before releasing back into the wild. Ashlyn was brave enough to pet one!

 

After our break in the AC we crossed the road and checked out the George Observatory that is managed by the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Unfortunately, it was under renovation and we did not get to go inside, but it definitely sparked an interest in finding one to go inside sometime.

 

The Brazos River runs along the eastern border of the park and we found a half mile roundtrip trail that gave us a view and just like that we wrapped up our experience at Brazos Bend State Park.

 

This park is huge. There were numerous trails we never even saw and 2 other ponds/lakes amidst the swamps lands we didn’t check for alligators either. We really lucked out on the lack of crowds while there as well. All of the parking areas were large and obviously equipped for the masses. While we stand by the don’t-need-to-camp-there thought process, we were bummed to not get a better look at the observatory. Perhaps, if we find ourselves passing through again, we’ll duck back in.

-Lindsay

Earlier this year, Nathan and I decided it was time we took a vacation! Just the two of us and for more than 2 nights! Something that hadn’t happened since our honeymoon 9 years ago! We knew we wanted to go somewhere neither of us had been before and after playing some dot to dot connections of internet links, we landed on Blue Ridge, Georgia. A four day weekend was squeezed out between work, dance and baseball obligations, arrangements were made for the kids to stay with their wonderful Grandma and Grandpa and then began the fun of planning!

We started out with a 5:20am flight out of Houston, for which we arrived entirely too early (we were a little zealous) and the gate location changed to the opposite side of the terminal while we were waiting resulting in us arriving just at the end of our group boarding…but we made it and managed seats together. The flight was quick and I managed to doze for part of it. We landed and managed to navigate the “nation’s worst airport” rather seamlessly with the exception of the 40 minute wait to get our previously reserved rental car. An apologetic upgrade hooked us up with a SUV instead of the compact car and as it would turn out, would REALLY come in handy.

Once on the road, priority number one became finding coffee and breakfast! Up until this point I was very happy with our wake-up-at-2am-and-get-on-plane idea, but after the hold up at the rental car desk, I was starving and caffeine deprived. Next time, I think I would opt to stand in the long lines at the airport and get my fix out of the way. 😉 After a little bit of meandering through Atlanta and spotting old relics of the 1996 Olympics, Dunkin Donuts came to the rescue. Now it was time for BEEERRRR! I’m pretty sure we could’ve spent the entire four days brew touring, there are so many breweries! But the mountains were calling, so we selected 2 breweries on the way north and thoroughly enjoyed lunch and flights at Porter Pizza & Brewing and Reformation Brewing.

We arrived in Blue Ridge a couple hours before checkin for our cabin. Enough time to tour Expedition: Bigfoot! The Sasquatch Museum. 😁Nathan enjoyed examining the artifacts on display (including a Bigfoot butt impression lol), listening to Bigfoot sounds and life like statues. But, I may or may not have fallen asleep during a documentary showing. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Finally! It was time to checkin to our cabin in the woods! And we did good on this airbnb find. It was up a windy road and while we drove past other homes, once on our porch, it was total seclusion in the woods. The interior was comfortable and themed just like mountain cabin in a magazine haha. We opted for a swanky dinner in town that evening and hit the hay early in preparation for a full day of hiking.

Our first destination Saturday morning was Springer Mountain to the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The 6 mile drive up the mountain took 45 minutes due to the gravel, single lane, blind curve, switch back condition of the road and it was then we were so grateful we had an SUV with ground clearance! The hike was 1 mile in and back and when we returned to the car, we had officially hiked the first mile of the Appalachian Trail!

Along the way we checked out a camp site with anti bear equipment and a spring labeled adequate for drinking. We also passed the head of the Benton MacKaye Trail. The view from the summit wasn’t a wide open one because apparently the entire state is trees stacked on trees! Except where there’s water.

Another hour and a half in the car on crazy mountain roads and we arrived at Amicalola Falls State Park. An absolutely stunning experience hiking/climbing stairs alongside and across the falls from bottom to top. While the total distance was only a mile round trip, we did ascend and descend a total of 1208 steps! After, we enjoyed a late lunch at the lodge overlooking the state park.

Next up, we took the long way back to the cabin and stopped at Fall Branch Falls. We were pretty tired at this point and found the unstructured environment and lack of human presence super relaxing. I even felt at liberty to put my feet in the FREEZING water at the base of the falls. We could have easily spent longer than an hour here but showers and more craft beer back in Blue Ridge were calling our names 😀

Fannin Brewing Company and Grumpy Old Men Brewing did not disappoint. Beers-to-go came back to the cabin with us and we enjoyed the pitch black, quiet night on our screened in porch.

Sunday morning we started out after breakfast for the 2 hour drive to Tallulah Gorge State Park near the South Carolina state line. The gorge and the falls scattered throughout were a spectacular sight. We spent hours there hiking the entire rim trail and climbing another total of 2400 steps in, across and up the gorge. COMPLETELY exhausting but oh so worth it.

Our drive back to Blue Ridge took us through Helen, Georgia which equated to the state’s version of New Braunfels in our eyes. This place was definitely the touristy destination we were glad we avoided! We also witnessed the tubing activity of the Chattahoochie River (like the Alan Jackson song!) where they used sticks to guide themselves down the river….interesting concept. That evening was spent relaxing with a microwave dinner in bed in front of the TV.

Monday morning brought our long day back to East Texas. We loaded up in our well used equinox and drove back to Atlanta making a stop at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park to take a quick look at Civil War battle sites. And to take a picture of a chipmunk for the kids ;).

It turns out ATL’s reputation is true when you’re trying to depart that airport! But, we made it to the gate just in time (again) and managed seats together (again). Our flight was quick, baggage claim was easy, we picked up the kids and were home before we knew it.

Georgia was a fantastic time and it turns out Nathan and I vacation well together! For the next one, the only thing I want to do differently is not tie us to one accommodation for the entire trip. I think having the ability to stay along the way will allow us more activity time. We shall see and I think we will test that theory in Arizona next year. 🙂

-Lindsay

A few years ago I decided that as the kids turned 10, we would celebrate turning the double digit milestone by taking a one on one weekend trip. Obviously Ashlyn’s turn came first…and rather quickly! 😉 I left the destination up to her within the guidelines of it being within 3 hours of home. She decided on a beach and I narrowed it to Galveston… 4 hours away… but an easy beach. Especially easy, because Grandma and Grandpa live on the way and would make for a fun getaway for the boys as well!

We drove down the morning of May 15th and got the boys settled in Houston with Grandma. Ashlyn and I then arrived at our seawall beach front condo in Galveston by 2pm. The airbnb find really set the trip off to a great start! The condo was set up like a hotel suite with a full kitchen and a balcony facing the beach. The building was quiet, had a clean pool, round the clock clerks and best of all, beach access right across the street. For a steal of $70/ night, I will absolutely rent the condo again.

We spent our first afternoon and evening catching up with some of my local friends and their kids on the beach. Dad then came down and took Ashlyn and I out to Benno’s for dinner. Where we FEASTED on shrimp, crabs, and fish. So yummy.

 

 

The following morning after a bacon and eggs breakfast, Ashlyn and I enjoyed a morning walk on a near deserted beach. Another bonus to the timing of our trip; school wasn’t out yet and we were there during the week. After our walk, Ashlyn wanted some pool time and that’s where we hung out until Auntie Jen joined up with us for the remainder of Ashlyn’s agenda. First up, lunch at Chick-fil-A on the seawall. Then a stroll across the street to Murdoch’s Pier, an elaborate souvenir shop positioned over the beach. Ashlyn purchased shark tooth necklaces for the boys and a turtle snow globe for herself. She and Auntie Jen also enjoyed shopping the jewelry. 😉

 

 

Next up was the ferry with hopes of seeing some dolphins. No luck on the dolphins, but Ashlyn had a great time snapping photos from the upper deck and enjoying a boat ride without feeling sick. NOW it was time for the beach. After a quick stop at Walmart for snacks, chairs and a boogie board, we gathered up the rest of the gear and spent the afternoon enjoying the surf and Ashlyn’s joy in the waves.

 

 

Dinner that night was simple at Ashlyn’s request with macaroni and cheese and veggies in front of the tv.

Friday morning was departure time and we pit stopped along the deserted seawall to check out some historical monuments and scenery one last time before meeting Auntie Jen in Seabrook for breakfast.

 

 

As we were en route to pick up the boys and head back to ETX, already lamenting that we were sad to leave the beach, Ashlyn asks me if I grabbed her pink teddy from the room. LOL. Making a long story with a lot of last minute decisions short, we retrieved the boys from Houston and then the bear from Galveston. By 3 pm, the four of us were setting up on the beach at Galveston Island State Park. 😂 The Schultz Family joined us a few hours later and we finally had to force everyone out when the sun started going down.

 

After a good night’s sleep at the Schultz’s and easy morning visiting with our sweet hosts, we officially headed home looking forward to our next time at the beach.

Galveston thoroughly delivered one heck of a vacation surprisingly! I had very low expectations for this experience and once I let myself get caught up in the kids’ simple pleasures of it all, I can see us making an easy trip to Galveston at least once a year!

-Lindsay

Ashlyn turned 10 this year! Coincidently, the final competition for her Dance Team was the same weekend, May 3rd-5th. We decided to make the most of a trip to the city and jam packed it with not only birthday shenanigans for Ashlyn, but family fun for all since Daddy would be joining.

We arrived Friday evening in Mansfield and checked into our hotel. By 7:30 we were sitting in a brewery in downtown Mansfield playing UNO and sampling some brews. I braved a dill pickle beer and I tell y’all, it tasted just like Grandma’s homemade pickles lol! Everyone was tucked in by 9pm and we slept the best we could that night with a room on the freeway side of the building. My 6am alarm was abrupt Saturday morning, but Ashlyn and I managed an early breakfast and got to work on her hair and makeup while the boys started their day. We all loaded up and had our tiny dancer at the auditorium by the required 1 hr prior to performance time at 8:50am. Phew! The entire team performed and earned platinum elites and best overall trophies. I’m still learning the lingo, but these are all exceptional things. By 10am, we were cut loose until Ashlyn’s next performance time at 6:30pm

A quick change of clothes and snack at the hotel and we were on our way to a busy afternoon. First stop was the mall in Arlington, where we ordered a birthday cookie cake for Ashlyn and ate Chick-fil-A at the food court. Next up was one of the 2 Arlington breweries we had on the agenda for the day. We were surprised to find an Art Festival on the same street as Division Brewing and even more surprised that we were allowed to stroll the street with our beers! We enjoyed seeing a wide variety of crafts and art. There was even a perler bead booth and the kids marveled for quite a while. On the way back to our car, Weston met and requested a photo with the REAL Spider-Man. 😉

Legal Draft Brewing had quite the set up and variety of beer! It was unfortunate that we didn’t have more time for this place, but retained our leftover tokens for another visit before this Summer’s Astros v. Rangers game we will attend.

After we picked up a super cute cookie cake, it was time for an easy in room dinner and get our dancer ready for her final 2 performances. Their performances were complete by 7pm, but we didn’t have an awards ceremony to attend until 10pm! Crazy dance life, right? So we filled the time with a hotel pool birthday party for Ashlyn. Much to her excitement, all of her teammates with the exception of one were able to attend and they played hard for about 45 minutes. At one point the fire alarm went off in the hotel and we were looking at possibly doing cake in the parking lot! But an all clear was called and the kids were able to have a few more dives and sing happy birthday in doors.

A bunch of tired kids and parents arrived back at the auditorium where Ashlyn was surprised with the entire place singing happy birthday to her and 2 others and her team received gold elite and platinum awards. We all happily hit the hay after a happy day. Lol!

Ashlyn started her actual birthday sleeping in and having breakfast with her friends. The remaining plan was to check out the Scarborough Renaissance Faire on our way home. We always enjoyed our times at Texas Renaissance Faire until the crowds took over. We had high hopes for this spring time Faire in Waxahachie. And while it definitely wasn’t as crowded and is similar in size to TRF, it was also lacking. We couldn’t find food variety beyond typical carnival food and their shows were not on the extravagant scale we were used too. The kids still had a fun time and plenty of money was spent on activities and souvenirs. I don’t know that we would make a point of a future trip.

When the weekend was over, we had one very happy and accomplished 10 year old.

-Lindsay

On St. Patrick’s Day, we jumped at one last opportunity for a free day before baseball took over and accomplished State Park #30! Cedar Hill is south of DFW but still very much encroached upon by the cities’ ever growing suburbs. Even though it is a sizable park with numerous camping sites, I filed it under daytrip worthy because it just wouldn’t suit my camping style. Aka remote and quiet.

The park is less than 2 hours from our house, so we leisurely woke up and packed up some fishing gear and a lunch before heading out. The entrance to the park looks like it is set up for major crowds and we actually had to wait in line 5 cars deep to get in. A first! The large size of the park is spread along the shores of Joe Pool Reservoir containing multiple locations for boat ramps, fishing piers and swimming areas. We started with the far end of the picnicking site options and had our lunch beside the shore. I was really surprised by the flood evidence on other picnic pads that were once functional closer to the shore.

We started with some fishing after our lunch. There was a perch pond near our picnic area and hundreds of yards of shore line to choose from. Ashlyn and Daddy opted for perch pond, while the boys and I took Sally to the more manageable lake shore. The bottom was sand and pebble with minimal weeds, so we had an easy time casting and reeling shad and beetle spin baits. Weston managed his own and I told Archer if I hooked something, he could reel it in; although I found that unlikely. But surprise, surprise something snatched the shad and the hook was set! I dutifully let Archer reel it in…that’s true love, y’all. And he landed a small mouth bass! Weston did a solid job of gripping the mouth while I removed the hook and he released the undersize fish back in the water. Daddy and Ashlyn weren’t as successful, but enjoyed the wildlife around the pond.

A number of the hiking trails were closed due to muddy and standing water conditions from constant (and STILL constant) rains, but the remaining accessible one was just right for our day trip anyways. We enjoyed a nice stroll along side creeks and across bridges eventually making our way up to a hilltop for a view of the lake. There were more people on the trail than I prefer, but most everyone passed respectfully. You never know when you’re this close to Dallas 😉. I still find myself surprised when exploring these new close to home areas how much it can look like the hill country!

We finished out our itinerary with a tour of the Penn Farm historical site. Before the reservoir and suburbs, the area was farm land belonging to the Penns and their previous homes and equipment have been restored and maintained as relics viewable from outside. I tried my best to look inside windows. I like to draw inspiration for our ongoing renovation, haha. We were able to walk through the big barn and the kids spotted a buzzard of all things nested in one of the sheds!

By the end of that tour, we were pretty well spent and looked forward to sitting for the drive home. I suppose it would’ve been fun to have spent our 30th park as something more “ooh and ahh,” but I’m mostly grateful we got it done before baseball season kicked in. Cedar Hill state park is a very functional and entertaining park and I would definitely utilize it many times a month if I were a DFW dweller, but I’m not and this park is one and done for us. 😁

Hopefully I have another one to report before Summer starts!🤞🏻

-Lindsay

Another beautiful weather day, another park! And this time, we brought friends! It was something we haven’t had the privilege of yet and it really amped up the fun for a rather run of the mill park. And all 6 six herded along quite nicely, lol!

The park is 1.5 hours from the house, so the kids were anxious to hit the playground on the lakeside picnic area. While they played, I got some pictures of the scenery. The swim area looks nice and reminded me of Tyler State Park, but the water in this lake is definitely cloudier.

Nearby, we found a preserved cemetery from the mid 1800’s that was part of Fort Sherman. There was no longer evidence of the fort that started in 1838 as protection for settlers from Indians. It was abandoned sometime in the 1840’s and vanishes from history accounts in the 1850’s. We were quite intrigued with the cemetery when we learned about a radar survey of the area that showed there were 27 unmarked graves! The kids immediately went to work surveying for themselves and guessing who might be buried where. Lol

After lunch, it was time to get after some hiking. And boy oh boy, did we! 2 different trails and 5.5 miles later, the kids had explored creeks, ponds, a lake, plant species, fallen trees and every single water puddle they could stomp through!

And after all of that begged for more time on the playground! 😆

This was a great park. It’s small, but offers all the outdoor activity you could want. There isn’t an abundance of trails, but the few there are nice strolls and well maintained. Probably one of the more kid friendly that we have visited in the way of just cutting them loose with little worry of hazards ahead. Worked out well for these Sweet Six.

-Lindsay

We FINALLY visited a park this year! Between various illness and absolutely cruddy weather we had one set back after another. BUT! We’ve kicked the year off and started with a beautiful park that was on my list for a daytrip type visit. I had tent camped in my early 20’s at McKinney Falls and remember it being a little too close to Austin’s city noise and lights back then. I could only imagine the encroachment was worse 10 years later. Thank goodness for the state park’s system, because what they’re preserving there is fantastic.

We arrived early Sunday morning after Day Light Savings made everyone “lose an hour”, so we had the place to ourselves initially. There are many trails that vary in length and ability to choose from, but we selected an ideal one that traveled along Onion Creek highlighting many points of interest for both history and scenery. Starting out, we enjoyed the view of the upper falls. The first of 2 in the park. The kids were amazed by the water worn rock and immediately began the “can we swim!?” antics.

Next up was a stop at a 500 year old Cypress Tree. It was obvious that this area had been affected by the flooding this past fall by the state of the trails and a shutdown activity center. But this seemed to be the only area still under repair. The kids then had a good time climbing behind a boulder to feel like kings of the mountain.

After the tree, the trail brought us underneath a rock shelter overhang which is not the first the kids have seen, but had them excited nonetheless. What really took us by surprise was the massive limestone plateau the trail opened into. We learned that the El Camino Real crossed the creek in this location and there were ruts in the stone, but we couldn’t locate them. I’ve included a satellite image of the area so y’all can see just how massive it is.

Across the plateau, were the lower falls where we crossed the creek ourselves and carried on to learn more about the history of the area.

The McKinney family moved to this location from Galveston in the 1840’s building the house and a gristmill operated by the creek. They sold to the Smith family in 1885 and they kept the property in their family until donating it to the state in the 1970’s.

Before it was time to retrace our steps back to the car, the kids FINALLY got some water play! No one fully submerged themselves, but the boys waded waist deep attempting to catch some carp and Ashlyn played in some rapids below the pool creating a dam. Nathan, myself and Sally happily watched from a rock seat and snacked. Dry and warm.

I maintain this park was just enough for a daytrip. We heard highway noise every way along our hike and the parking lots were full when we left. If we find ourselves in Austin on an idle, warm Tuesday afternoon with nothing to do–we will certainly pop in again for a swim.

-Lindsay

On our most recent trip down to Houston, we opted for a change of scenery driving back roads from our house, through Palestine and intersected I-45 just north of Fort Boggy SP. With only a handful of primitive campsites and cabins and minimal trails, we knew this was ideal for a day trip. It’s a relatively small park that opened in 2001 named after Fort Boggy that was constructed in 1840 to protect settlers from Keechi and Kickapoo Indian raids. The exact location of the fort is not known, but this 1,800+ acre section along Boggy Creek was farm land in the general area back then. It is wild to me that a 75 sq yard structure commissioned by the Republic of Texas under military command wouldn’t be geographically recorded, but apparently it was only operational a few years before the constant Indian attacks and disease sent settlers to today’s town of Leona.

Our visit was gambling with an incoming cold front and when we arrived with our box of tacos at lunchtime, it was about 65 degrees had just started misting. The lake side pavilion worked out for our lunch and gave me a chance to optimistically look at trail options.

Out of basically 2 options, we settled on a 1 mile trail around the lake over the 2 mile paved “trail” that took you to primitive camp sites and cabins. Luckily, the rain paused just in time and long enough to risk a hike. Our walk was pleasant and scenic with fall color and lake views. The kids were impressed by the levee that created the lake in this section of Boggy Creek and Weston got to use his pocket guide book to identify some tracks.

I ought to add that Archer did really well this trek! We’ve been telling him every trail this past year when he started complaining about fatigue that he’s in training to walk up Enchanted Rock, so he better suck it up. Haha! And FINALLY he walked/ran a whole mile without a single, “I’m tired”.

Once we made the loop, curiosity got us and we crossed the elaborate bridge that led to what turned out to be some elaborate cabins! I have no idea what inspired erecting 5 cabins of this caliber in this little park or if they’re even utilized that much, but you never know when the knowledge of a nice cabin in the woods along I-45 will come in handy. 😉

Satisfied with what we had explored in this park, we loaded up and made the rest of the drive to Houston happy to have accomplished another state park since Labor Day’s fiasco. I’m hopeful we can pull off one more day trip before the end of the year.

-Lindsay

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written anything homeschool related! And I definitely found inspiration in the latest little project the kids and I got ourselves into. A friend on Facebook posted a link about a free educational program that Texas Parks and Wildlife hosts and long story short, I managed to sign us up! And what we received exceeded my expectations so much that I felt obligated to share. 😁

FedEx delivered the first of two large trunks that we would receive this “semester” to our front porch containing what I thought would be a few native animals skulls, animal track molds and something to do with skat (haha). Upon opening it, we discovered it was FULL of goodies!

In a very organized manner, FIFTEEN different native Texas species were packed in represented by a skull, foot print mold and skat mold for each animal. A stack of books in a variety of non fiction and children’s stories came with and to top it all off; a 4 inch thick binder full of curriculum and activities to do with the items! And I wanted to do IT ALL in the 2 weeks time frame we were allotted for this trunk. Haha

Our first activity was learning about wildlife biologists by watching a YouTube video the curriculum provided a link to and then performing our own wildlife survey with a provide worksheet and instructions. The kids were able to emulate how a biologist takes random “head counts” and formulated the average number for the area. So we even did some math! 😉 After they assessed the bunny population on the worksheet, they examined a cottontail rabbit skull.

The next day was a big endeavor! I started out by putting all the skulls on the table with no identification. The kids then went around trying to match the picture/name card with skull. They got pretty close! There was heated discussion between which animal the raccoon and possum skulls belonged too and in the end Weston against Ashlyn and Archer had it right. We left the skulls on the table and our friends that were over for a later play date were able to check them out.

We kept it simple with our foot print activity and the kids were able to use the provided molds and make play dough forms with them.

A few days later, we got into the poop! 😆 Ashlyn read one of the story books to the boys while I scattered the scat all over the floor. Using one of the provided reference books, they took best guesses at which animal the pooped belonged. It definitely wasn’t as easy for them as the skulls and they were rather repulsed by the authentic appearance. Once everything was identified, for “shits and giggles”, I had them claim they’re favorite terd and take a picture with it. 😜 No such thing as too much fun.

Our time with that trunk came to an end and as easily as it arrived, it went back! We simply packed it back up, changed the shipping label and put it on the porch the day my email told me to. Fed-Ex came again and we anxiously awaited our 2nd trunk!

Unfortunately when I scheduled the 2nd trunk a few months ago, I was not aware how much we were going to be traveling to Houston during that 2 week period. Fortunately! This trunk didn’t have as much interactive curriculum that required the items in it. So we spent the few days we had with the new set of skulls, tracks, books and pelts and I scanned some of the worksheets and activity directions for use in the upcoming weeks. The kids are most looking forward to homemade turkey calls. Haha

The 2nd trunk’s curriculum guided us through a scripted discussion as we explored each animals’ items. The examples provided helped us understand how and why each animal has adapted to an environment as either prey or predator. There were so many, I split them up over 2 days. I learned a lot right along with the kids on this trunk! They loved the Horned Toad the most. Did y’all know it will shoot BLOOD from a gland near its eyes as an evasive maneuver from predators?! We thoroughly enjoyed feeling the different pelts and variety this trunk had from the first. Even though we were studying some of the same animals!

The program allows 2 trunks/semester, so that is all for this year. Y’all better believe I will be jumping online for our spring semester sign up and can’t wait to share what we receive in those trunks.

-Lindsay

On Wednesday, September 5th, it was time to head home from our detour vacation in Fredericksburg and we still hadn’t gotten a State Park visit out of the trip. With no real rush to get home by a certain time, we jumped on the nearby day use park of former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s historical site.

It was really an impressive and large set up! The area was split up into state park and national park sections. A small museum about Johnson and his family and a working farm representing the early 1900’s were on the state side. The National Park area across a Farm-to-market road held many in tact historical buildings for the Johnson Family on their cattle ranch that is still operational.

We started on the state side where we were already parked and walked to the Sauer/Beckman Farm along a “nature trail”. We encountered a memorial statue of Lyndon Johnson and stopped for a photo op while Sally barked at it, haha. Also on the way, there was a neat display on whitetail deer’s yearly antler cycle and a cute little footbridge.

The farm was FANTASTIC! Everything had been restored and preserved to replicate farm life in the early 1900’s. Complete with period costumed “residents” that took you along on their daily chores and let you participate where applicable. First we learned the ownership history starting with the German Immigrant Sauer Family building the 2 room stone house in 1869. By 1885, they had 10 kids and built the 2 story building beside the stone cabin to house the children/farm workers bunkhouse style. Boys slept upstairs and girls downstairs. In 1900, the Beckmann family “acquired” the farm and thanks to WWI took in substantial income with cotton farming and by 1915 built the posh house next door. They converted the bunkhouse into a kitchen and connected the 2 buildings with a dog run porch perfect for dining. The property stayed in the Beckmann family adding electricity in 1945 until sold to TPWD in 1966. Archeological survey took the house back to its prime in 1915 and froze it there.

When we arrived, the man and woman on staff that day were preparing their breakfast on the wood burning stove and the kids got a run down of the food on hand that day. Everything being harvested from the farm itself. We self toured the original stone house and fancy house when the woman caught up with us told us an interesting story about the 1 Sauer son that left Fredericksburg and travelled the world as a member of the American Embassy.

She then took us to the barn and introduced us to their 2 dairy cows, bull, new babies born to each dairy cow and pig. Strolling all over the farm were chickens, sheep and 1 old turkey that is now a fixture- not dinner. The cows were very friendly and the pig was fascinating! Apparently they only keep pigs for their annual butchering that they do onsite each January, but this particular one is “some pig” and gets to live her days as a pet.

The garden was envy worthy and the kids got to collect eggs before we headed out for lunch. We spent over an hour in that one area and I could come back again and again to just to see what they were up to that particular day!

We found a perfect picnic area by the longhorn pasture and when we were done with lunch, headed across to the national site for a drive thru tour of the ranch. After a quick look at the one room schoolhouse that Johnson attended as a boy, we drove past the home he was born in, grandparents’ house and the family graveyard.

Once across a cattle guard, we drove through the ranch around to an airport that was put in place so President Johnson could visit his ranch when he wanted. It was pouring rain at this point, so we made the quick run to the retired, small Air Force one jet on display for a few photos, but skipped the museum set up in the old hanger. Apparently you used to be able to drive by and tour LBJ’s post presidential ranch house coined “The Texas White House,” but not anymore. Oh well.

Finally, no ranch tour would be complete without waiting for a cow to cross the road 😉.

This park was the perfect end to our Labor Day Getaway. I’m grateful it is on the way to Rocksprings, I especially would like to pop back into the farm every other year at least!

-Lindsay