Passport to Texas

Barrington Farm Christmas

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This is Passport to Texas

The holiday season is a special time to visit your state parks. Parks throughout Texas offer festive activities that could cause even old Scrooge, himself, to crack a smile.

During the entire month of December enjoy History in Lights with a beautiful evening stroll through the grounds of Mission Espiritu Santo at Goliad State Park and Historic Site. Festivities begin at 6 p.m. each night.

On December 7th Celebrate Christmas at Mr. Buck’s historic ranch home at South Llano River SP in Junction, and decorate trees, take pictures with Santa, and sing Christmas tunes on the front porch, and more!

On December 13th it’s a Pineywoods Christmas Drive-thru at Tyler State Park. Drive through the Cedar Point, Lakeview and Big Pine Camping Loops; enjoy a Pineywoods Christmas in lights. Campers staying at the park for this event are encouraged to decorate their sites.

On December 15th, head to Johnson City and join the Texas Hill Country community for the 50th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at LBJ State park and Historic site, started by President and Mrs. Johnson. Enjoy carolers, a live nativity, Santa Claus, refreshments, and of course, the spectacular tree lighting.

Check out the calendar section of the Texas parks and wildlife website for more holiday events at state parks.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Kriesche Brewery State Historic Site during the Trail of Lights.

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This is Passport to Texas

Thousands of twinkling lights illuminate a quarter mile walking trail at the Monument Hill and Kriesche Brewery State Historic Sites in LaGrange.

The trail of lights is open to the public five nights during the first part of December from 6 pm to 8 pm. And our park is decorated with lots of lights and different ornaments throughout the grounds. Kriesche house is open, it’s decorated for Christmas. We have entertainment, refreshments, and Santa Clause is there for children to tell their wishes to.

Dennis Smith is park superintendent. The remaining dates are December seventh, eighth, fourteenth and fifteenth.

[It’s] just a really pretty site here. We sit on a 200 foot bluff that overlooks the city of La Grange—and see the night lights of the city. It’s just a really spectacular opportunity for people to come out and enjoy a great Christmas celebration.

The trail of lights is the perfect family activity for the holiday season.

Every year we have comments from families that say we’ve been coming out here for the last 20 years. Families that come from Houston, Austin, San Antonio—just to come back to the trail of lights each year. We see more and more of that as we go by, and are just really glad to see these families keep coming back with more generations of their families to help celebrate the season.

Find details about all holiday events at State parks at texasstateparks.org.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Making Christmas Cookies at LBJ State parks. See larger cookie recipe below.

Thanksgiving & Christmas in State Parks Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

November is the gateway to the holiday season. And that means Texas State Parks will be bustling with festive activities.

04—Yeah, we have a lot of fall activities happening in November.

Thomas Wilhelm works with Texas State Parks.

13—For example, at Meridian State Park, which is just west of Waco, they’re having a Thanksgiving recovery hike. So, the Saturday after Thanksgiving you can go out and hike off some of those calories that you may have picked up on Thanksgiving.

Want to go in the other direction and consume calories instead of burn them? Learn to make food fit for a holiday camp out… including sweet treats.

14—Palmetto State Park is having a harvest themed Dutch oven Cooking session, and Lyndon Baines Johnson State Park near Johnson City is having a holiday cookie decorating event as they start preparing for the Christmas season.

The folks at LBJ State Park even shared an old fashioned cookie recipe with us. Find it at passporttotexas.org.

11—The holidays tend to be so rushed—and they’re so commercialized—so, parks offer an opportunity to slow down just a little bit. Take it in. And celebrate the holidays the way they were intended.

Go to texasstateparks.org/holidays for a list of all holiday events in parks.

That’s our show for today… Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Unwrap the Wild, image courtesy www.mattskoog.com

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This is Passport to Texas

Nature is a gift we give ourselves the moment we step outside. Share the beauty and Unwrap the Wild; give the gift of the Texas outdoors to others w/a state park pass.

12-This is the second year that we’ve launched Unwrap the Wild. And it’s an opportunity to give back to Texas by supporting your state parks, and to provide friends, family, loved ones–or yourself–with an annual parks pass.

Anne (Annie) Brown is executive director with the Texas Parks and Wildlife foundation, the official non-profit partner of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. During Unwrap the Wild a park pass only costs sixty-five dollars.

12-Which is five dollars off what they usually cost. In addition, they can be purchased online and mailed directly here from our offices in Dallas to individuals for a holiday gift.

Ninety state parks–many within a 90 minute drive or less for most of us–provide pass holders outdoor adventures that are close, convenient, and available a
full 365 days.

13-We launch our Unwrap the Wild on November third, and it will run through December 19th, to make sure that we can get all the park passes to homes before the holiday is here.

Pass holders have a year from the day they redeem their certificate to use their State Parks Pass for waived entry fees for themselves and all the guests in their vehicle. Find details at tpwf.org.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.