Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Fifteen years ago, on the sixtieth anniversary of Caddo Lake State Park, a time capsule was buried at the site.

I wasn’t here, so I don’t know what’s in that time capsule; it’s going to be very interesting to dig it up.

Superintendent Todd Dickinson says July 4th, the 75th anniversary of the park, staff will unearth that capsule.

That’s correct. We’ll be unearthing a time capsule which was placed at the sixtieth anniversary, and we’re trying to find as many people as we can that were here at the sixtieth anniversary, so they can participate in this.

They intend to rebury the container with new artifacts, to be opened in 2084, the park’s 150th anniversary; you can help decide what future Texans find.

On this day, we will be gathering items, but we’re not going to actually place [bury] the new time capsule probably until two or three weeks later, once we decide what all’s actually going to go in there.

In addition to images and artifacts from the park and region, Dickinson hopes to add something truly special.

There’s a handful of people that were here at the grand opening, you know, as children, seventy-five years ago. And. We’re going to try really hard to have them be here on that day and maybe—if they will—put some thoughts down on paper about what they remember and what’s changed over the years. And that would be something that we could include in the time capsule.

So what should go into the time capsule? Log onto passporttotexas.org and let us know; we’ll pass along your suggestions.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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July 4, 2009 — Caddo Lake SP & WMA — 75th Anniversary — Originally celebrated on July 4, 1934, the park was the first authorized Civilian Conservation Corps project for a Texas state park. The day s events will include the unearthing of a time capsule buried at the 60th Anniversary, plus we will be gathering items to place in a new time capsule. This new capsule will be opened at the 100th Anniversary Celebration. Also, there will be traveling exhibits depicting historical information about both the Caddo Indians and the CCC. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (903) 679-3351.

Caddo Lake State Park Time Capsule Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Caddo Lake State Park is among 30 Texas State Parks developed or improved by the Civilian Conservation Corps…but this site has a special distinction…

Caddo Lake State Park was the first authorized Civilian Conservation Corps project in Texas…all the way back in 1933. . .

The grand opening took place July 4, 1934, and park superintendent Todd Dickinson says they’re hosting a 75th anniversary event this July 4th.

We’ll have a formal event here at the state park. And there’ll be some speakers and some demonstrations. We will have some traveling exhibits on hand—both for the CCC and then a second set of traveling exhibits on the Caddo Indians.

There’s more happening at the event than we can mention here. But one thing Dickinson wants you to know is that once activities wind down at Caddo, they rev up down the road.

There will also be Fourth of July celebrations down in Uncertain, Texas, which is just about six miles from our park entrance. And, their events start around 3PM, with a boat parade on the lake, and culminates at dark with fireworks.

The activity that interests me most is the unearthing of a time capsule buried in the park. And we’ll have more on that tomorrow.

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

Caddo Lake State Park Turns 75! Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

If your Christmas activities have become a ho-hum jingle-bell bore, maybe it is time to take your celebration to the next level—the lower level—of Longhorn Cavern.

Every year we do what we call our caroling in the cave, and what that is, is a Christmas party for our visitors.

Pam Plant is the event coordinator at Longhorn Cavern State Park in Burnet. She says everyone needs to leave any Scrooge-like tendencies at the door for this all ages holiday hoedown.

I mean, it’s Christmas. It’s time for us to let the kid in us come out.

Visitors participate in trivia games for prizes, until it is time to descend into the cavern singing the Twelve Days of Christmas.

We have various artists who will be coming out doing these concerts, and most of them will do the sing-a-long Christmas carols that the audience really loves. Toward the end of the caroling or concert segment, we hand out candles, and the guests come out of the cave singing silent night. Once they return back to the surface, we have a feast that awaits them. We’ll play some more games, give out our big door prizes, and then we end the whole evening with a reading of The Night Before Christmas.

The concerts at Longhorn Cavern State Park are December 17, 20 & 21. We have complete details, including cost and times at passporttotexas.org.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Give a gift as big as the Texas outdoors to someone you love and receive the 2009 commemorative State Park Christmas ornament for yourself.

If you buy a state park pass gift certificate, you get an ornament for free And you get the gift card in the little pillow box so that you can give it as a gift. This is about our fourth year to do that, and it’s really popular.

Bryan Frazier is promotions coordinator for state parks, and says this special opportunity continues through December 31.

State Park gift certificates are sixty dollars. We’re really trying to encourage people to give these as gifts, and the free ornament really makes [it] a nice gift package for people.

Of course, you can keep the ornament for yourself. No one has to know. The certificates and the ornament are available only through Parks and Wildlife central reservations.

It’s the same reservation number that people call to make a reservation for a state park. It’s a little easier, a little more coordinated, to handle it all through one place for our fulfillment. And so we’re doing it again this year.

Now through December 31, when you buy a sixty-dollar state park pass gift certificate, you will receive the 2009 commemorative State Park Christmas ornament free to give to a friend or keep for yourself.

Find complete details at passporttotexas.org, including that central reservation number you’re going to need to call.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

The 2009 commemorative State Park Christmas ornament is as big as Texas—at least in spirit—and is available through the end of the month.

Each year it showcases something different that is particularly unique to what you can find when you go and visit our state parks.

Bryan Frazier is promotions coordinator for state parks. The newest ornament is gold-plated, diamond shaped, and has a fly rod gracefully arching over the top.

There’s a ring-tailed cat on the inside, there’s the windmill that’s at Brazos Bend State Park, there’s a magnolia flower, and a desert big horn sheep, and part of the mountain range of Big Bend Ranch in there.

And that’s only half of what’s included in this lovely, delicate decoration. If you’ve been collecting these ornaments, be advised you only have until the end of the month to get yours.

They’re $5.50 plus tax, and you can order them from our central reservation system. And a special promotion is going to happen starting December first and runs through December thirty-first, where if you buy a state park pass gift certificate you get the ornament for free.

There is also a nominal fee for shipping and handling.

We’ll tell you about the special promotion tomorrow.

Until then, go to passporttotexas.org for details on how to get your 2009 commemorative State Park Christmas ornament.

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

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