Passport to Texas

Tossing a “ghost” through a ring is just one of the kid-friendly activities offered in the fright-free area at Halloween at the Hatchery.

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This is Passport to Texas

Life is unpredictable, unless, of course, it’s October. That’s because in October you can always predict a spell of Halloween hijinks at Texas State Parks and Historic Sites.

08—You’ll find Halloween events in every corner of the state from far El Paso down to the Gulf, up to far North Texas.

Thomas Wilhelm is with state parks. He says there will, of course be trick-or-treating in the parks.

15—But there are also some other events—educational type events like: Not so Creepy Critters, where you can learn about spiders and owls and bugs. And then some downright spooky events, like the Wake of Henry Fanthorp at Fanthorp Inn. That event is 10 years old and up.

Historic sites will offer some of the more intriguing Halloween programs, suitable for mature audiences.

10—Battleship Texas is doing an event called The Seedier Side of Battleship Texas, where they talk about some of the shenanigans on board. And that’s a twenty-one and up only event.

Well, we are talking about shenanigans, after all. State Parks and Historic sites; who knew, right? Find a full schedule of Halloween and fall events in State Parks by region at texasstateparks.org/holidays.

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.

Caddo Lake

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When mist cloaks Caddo Lake it’s easy to understand how the lore and legend about this east Texas water body came to pass.

Native American legend says a giant flood created Caddo Lake. Others say an earthquake was responsible.

Meanwhile, scientists believe the lake formed when floodwaters, blocked by massive log jams on the Red River, backed up into the Cypress Bayou watershed, forming the lake.

One thing that is true: Caddo Lake’s beauty. And visitors to Caddo Lake State Park/Wildlife Management Area not only experience nature at her most beguiling, they also have a plethora of recreational opportunities — from hiking to hunting – to choose from.

With an annual public hunting permit, hunters may harvest deer, eastern wild turkey, and quail during appropriate seasons. Licensed anglers find largemouth bass, catfish and brim plentiful in the lake.

Find more on Caddo Lake SP/Wildlife Management Area on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show. The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series. Through your purchases of hunting and fishing equipment, and motorboat fuels, over 40 million dollars in conservation efforts are funded in Texas each year.

For Texas parks and wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Women on the water at a BOW Workshop.

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This is Passport to Texas

Autumn is gaining on us…and no self-respecting Texan would allow an entire summer to go by without spending time in or on the water.

Fortunately, state parks provide opportunities for both.

Want to do a little canoeing, but don’t want to go it alone? This month you can join a ranger for a two-hour, three mile long guided canoe trip through the Martin Dies Jr.’s State park’s swampy marshes and the Neches River. Be on the lookout for wildlife such as bald eagles, belted kingfishers, herons, turtles and alligators. Find the schedule on the calendar at texasstateparks.org.

Make tracks – or is that waves – to any Texas inland or coastal paddling trail. These trails provide well-mapped accessible day trips in a variety of settings, for all levels of paddling experience. Find trail maps online.

Anglers experience a new perspective on the sport by casting a line from a kayak or canoe. It’s simple to do, and you can find tips on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

There’s still time to get neck-deep in cool water, as the hot days are quite over. No matter where you live in Texas, there’s a state park with a pool, lake, river, creek, or even ocean just waiting for you to dive in.

Find information about all the wet and wild opportunities in Texas on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

For Texas parks and wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Blanco State Park damage

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This is Passport to Texas

Over Memorial Day weekend, 12 inches of rain fell in Central Texas, causing the Blanco River—which runs through Blanco State Park—to crest at 40 feet.

13—The water rose very quickly, so it basically tore through the park. The park was destroyed. There were trees up in trees 20 feet high. Our office building—we had seven feet of water in there. So, we have to completely rebuild everything.

Park interpreter, Kate Boysen, says portions of the park reopened for visitation in August.

12— It was a lot of work, and we had a lot of help. We had the Texas A&M Forrest Service, and different fire departments from all around the state come and help us to remove debris, cut down trees, cut trees out of trees…

Staff and volunteers disposed of debris, leveled the ground, and replaced picnic tables and signage. There’s more work to do, but visitors are welcome.

20— The HQ building where you enter, that’s currently open. That’s where you can pay your day use fees and get your registration for camping… And then as you enter the park, the south side of the river, which is the side where the camping is—and then we have a day use section there—and that’s the only side that’s open right now. And that’s the only side that people can access the river from.

For the most up to date information about the current status of all state parks, visit texasstateparks.org.

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

Hanging sausage to dry at Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm

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This is Passport to Texas

Buying ready to cook food wasn’t an option for early Texans. Most grew vegetables and raised animals to feed their families. Timing was everything when processing certain foodstuffs.

05-Things like this butchering that we’re doing today, or making sausage, has to be done in the wintertime.

Summer heat would spoil fresh meat. The Sauer-Beckmann Living History farm, at the LBJ State Park and Historic site, interprets early Texas life.

05-What we’re doing on a daily basis down here is just trying to show you how people would have lived a hundred years ago.

Which means this early 1900s farmstead did not have the benefit of refrigeration. If families wanted bacon or sausage in summer, for example, they had to plan ahead and make it during the cooler months of the year.

05-Because a lot of the meats we prepare, they take about ten days to cure.

Attempting to cure meat in 10 days of Texas– summer heat would raise a stink. Staff uses 60 % beef to 40% pork when making sausage, a favorite of the German families that settled Texas Hill Country communities.

10-You know, these people ate a lot of lard, they ate a lot of fat. But they were working so hard that it really didn’t make them fat, because they burned it all off. They worked their way through all those calories.

Something to consider next time you’re in air conditioned comfort, eating a sausage sandwich, unbuttoning the top button of your jeans.

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