Passport to Texas

Camping Primer Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I know it feels like summer just started, but it will be over before you know it. And camping is the perfect way to turn an average summer weekend into a vacation. With parks in every region of Texas, your destination is only a short drive away.

Most state parks have campgrounds, and some of those have water and electric hook-ups. Several parks also accommodate RVs for those who wish to bring a little piece of home with them to the great outdoors. Before you travel, check to see what RV connections are available at your campsite.

For the pampered camper, check out state parks that offer cabins and lodges. Historic landmarks and secluded ranches make for a relaxing getaway.

When tent camping, remember to properly dispose of food waste to discourage unwanted animals visitors; and always pack out what you pack in.

When camping, remember that you are you are not just a visitor, you are part of the natural world, and as such, it is your responsibility to keep it healthy and inviting to others.

If you’ve never been camping before, consider attending a Texas Outdoor Family workshop where TPW staff teaches you and your family the basics in a fun-filled weekend.

Find more outdoor opportunities at the website lifesbetteroutside.org.

That’s our show for today…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Camp Cuisine: Dutch Oven Cooking, 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Cast iron is a durable metal with an outstanding capacity to hold and transfer heat. No wonder it’s used to make Dutch ovens.

07—A Dutch oven is a cast iron pot that pioneers used to cook their meals in over an open fire.

Tim Spice is manager of boater education at TPW and an accomplished Dutch oven cook.

07—I’ve done some stuffed Cornish game hens and quiche. Whatever you can bake in your oven you can bake in a Dutch oven.

For the new Dutch oven enthusiast, Tim recommends starting with a foolproof recipe.

17—Stews are easy. Liquid recipes are forgiving in a Dutch oven. So, I just tell people to start with that. Pick a great beef stew or a chicken stew and go after it. Vegetables, stock and the meat of your choice – and just let it cook away. And you’ll have a great meal in a short period of time.

If you’re worried about using your Dutch oven for the first time in the wide open spaces, Tim says to do a test run in your home oven.

16—If I want to try something on a fire, I’ll get my Dutch oven out and I’ll cook it in my oven so I don’t have to worry about temperature control. I can focus on recipe adjustment. Let’s face it, when you’re out in the woods, camping – you’re trying to have a good time –you don’t have a full kitchen behind you. So, that’s what I do. I use it a lot.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Dutch oven cooking at the campsite.

Camp Cuisine: Dutch Oven Cooking, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If your meal planning includes al fresco dining…a Dutch oven will make cooking up tasty treats a snap.

06—And you can cook anything that you would at home, on a fire, outdoors, while you’re camping with your family or friends.

Dutch oven enthusiast, Tim Spice, heads up boater safety at Parks and Wildlife. In use since the 1700s, Dutch ovens are made of cast iron.

10—Today the Dutch oven has legs on the bottom and a rim on the lid so that you can put coals under it and on top of it and cook as you would in your oven at home.

The key to Dutch oven cooking success is temperature control.

22—You hold your hand six inches above the coals…thousand one…thousand two….thousand three…if you have to pull your hand away sooner because it’s uncomfortable from the heat – it’s hotter than three-fifty. If you can hold your hand longer than three seconds, it’s colder than three-fifty. And, since most food is cooked at three hundred and fifty degrees in the oven, that’s where you’ll want to start gauging your heat.

Tim says the best way to learn how to Dutch oven cook is to just do it.

12—Don’t be intimidated by that Dutch oven. Grab one and take it home and practice. And then, take your folks out to the state park and spend the day and have a great meal at the end of a great day outdoors.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

State parks offer a variety of overnight accommodations for outdoors enthusiasts. And as our State Park guide Bryan Frazier tells us—it’s wise to make your reservations early.

62—The great thing about Texas is we do have a lot of year-round opportunities because of the weather and the seasonal nature of the state that we live in, but without question, our busy time is traditionally spring break all the way through labor Day up into September. We’re in that period right now, and what we really encourage people to do is—as early as you know when your plans are going to be—call and make a reservation or go online and make a reservation for a campsite, for a cabin or for a screen shelter. You can make a reservation 11 months in advance, and you can do that by phone, by fax; there are lots of different ways. The best way is online. Now, there’s no extra fee charged for an online reservation. You can go straight to our website, texasstateparks.org and follow the prompts. You can call 512-389-8900—that’s our main reservations number that people are familiar with for years to get a reservation. If you’re not camping, come on ahead, unannounced. It’s great—the more the merrier. But if you’re going to be doing overnight accommodations in any way—campsite, cabin, screen shelter—people need to make a reservation if they can at all, as far in advance as they can.

Thanks, Bryan.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet…building dependable, reliable trucks for more than 90 years.

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

Plan Ahead for Overnight Visits Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

If you’ve decided that winter is best spent indoors, then you can use this time to prepare for the outdoor season ahead, as our State Park Guide, Bryan Frazier, explains.

55—For a lot of the state the wintertime is fairly short, but it is a time where a lot of people consider it in-between seasons: hunting season has just ended; fishing season is around the corner…some people don’t really like to camp right now. So take this opportunity to really look at your gear: your tent, your boat, your fishing line. Clean your gun. Sight your bow. All those things where you are ready to go once the weather does turn—which is going to just be in a manner of weeks literally here in Texas before we’re into spring break trips and all of those fun activities that we like to do that are outdoor related. Don’t overlook this time to prepare and do some maintenance on your gear; it can save you some headaches, and it’s a safety issue. It’s something you really need to do during this down time or off season. Take advantage of that and it will get you motivated and that much more ready to get outdoors when the time does come.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet…building dependable, reliable trucks for more than 90 years.

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

Maintaining Your Outdoor Gear Play Now | Play in Popup | Download