Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Social media allows state park enthusiasts to keep connected with their favorite natural hangouts. Bryan Frazier, our State park Guide, says visitor can stay in touch with parks and activities in real time.

65—We have some 40 state parks that have Facebook pages. There’s so many ways for people to stay connected. With our tag line of: Everything you Love about Texas…now you can just get more of it.

And so you say things are happening real time, What kinds of things would matter real time.

Park events. Rare bird sightings. From Titter, from Facebook…you know, you can get that information in such a fast amount of time that you can actually do a spontaneous trip that coincides with these activities or events and things that you want at that particular moment. And it’s making it to where people can stay up to date on the things that they care about.

And so would this also be a place for somebody to plan a trip if they’d never been there to get a sense of the park?

It’s a great opportunity to do that, and the park is very good at posting that relevant information. And what we’re finding is, it’s a portal to not just plan the trip, but find out all kinds of information—maybe things you didn’t know were there, that once you get there, it’s not a total surprise. It’s a better trip; it’s something you can really do in advance so that your park experience is that much better.

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.

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This is Passport to Texas

Winter may not be the time when most folks think about fishing, but it is the only time in Texas to reel in rainbow trout. Our State park Guide, Bryan Frazier, says parks are an ideal place to cast for this stocked species.

56—They’re a nice fish to catch for kids because they’re pretty easy to catch when they stock them. And we have about 15 State Parks where you don’t need the freshwater stamp, you don’t need the freshwater fishing license—so you can just come out to fish at your leisure and have a good fishing experience during a time of year when maybe you’re not doing anything else; it’s a great outdoor activity for the winter.

And I know you’re an angler. What kind of bait would you use to reel in one of these rainbows?

You know, these rainbow trout will fall prey to lots of different things: little spinners, little jigs, little power bait. Corn. Table corn is something they’ll go after, too. I’ve even heard of marshmallows and things like that. I would throw a little spinner, or corn, or a little power bait if I was out there.

And we still have the bag limits, and they’re good table fare as well.

They’re actually delicious to eat, and all the bag limits and length limits will apply, so check those rules and regulations in your outdoor annual, or online on our website to find out more.

Find other trout stocking locations on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

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.

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This is Passport to Texas

You don’t have to walk far inside a state park before you come across fallen branches and twigs. But if you’re thinking about collecting them for your campfire, our State Park Guide Bryan Frazier say—think again.

A lot of people still assume that they can scavenge for firewood on site at the parks. That’s not true in most places. State parks, Federal Lands—you can’t gather firewood that’s lying around. That dead wood that falls form the trees, first of all it’s state property, second of all it provides habitat for lots of different animals. It eventually decomposes into the soil. You can always buy it either at nearby convenience stores—they’ll usually sell firewood, or the state park stores here in Texas will sell firewood to you, or their friends groups. But it’s smart to plan ahead and take some of it with you. A lot of us have fireplaces or big barbecue pits, so we have wood piles at home. Take that along, It’s cured wood. It’ll burn, it will light. It will burn easy, and that can save you down the road. You’re going to want a fire in cooler weather. You’re going to want a fire not just for cooking like in the summertime, but you’re going to want a fire that’s sustainable to provide some radiant heat and gather around. And it just makes the camping experience what everyone envisions. Nobody really thinks about camping and tents without having a nice campfire.

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.

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This is Passport to Texas

In summer when we can predict long days of heat and drought, but winter isn’t so predictable. So, when you plan a cool weather camping trip, it’s a little harder to know how to dress.

State Park Guide, and Passport style guru, Bryan Frazier, says to definitely pack a warm coat.

Just in case. You never know what the weather is going to exactly do. But, what you want to remember is, when you are in the out of doors, it’s probably smarter to start out with lots of thin layers. You’re talking about days that may have 30, 40, 50 degree temperatures swings from morning to evening. So, if you find yourself cook, in the morning, you may find yourself warm in the afternoon. So, take those layers that come off easily and comfortably. Wear comfortable clothes; moisture wicking clothes and t-shirts are very good to keep you dry, to keep you warmer. And also remember, even though it’s winter time, you want your sunscreen; you want your sunhat, especially here in Texas. We get a lot of reflective light when we’re out camping or out on the water. So, make sure you take that as well.

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.

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This is Passport to Texas

There’s a chill in the air, and our State Park Guide, Bryan Frazier, says that means it’s a great time for tent camping.

If you have an older tent it’s not a bad idea to set it up in your backyard before your trip—be sure there are no rips or tears. Or, if you’re purchasing a tent, today’s fabrics are lightweight and very durable, so you’re not going to have a problem packing them. Just make sure you get one big enough to accommodate you, the other people who are going to be with you, and in the winter time you’re going to have extra stuff: extra blanket, extra clothes, jackets, whatever. So you want to take that into account when you get a tent. There’s not reason you can’t have a tent for several years with just basic maintenance and care. Make sure you have plenty of stakes to stake that thing out. And once its set up, keep it zipped up the whole time to keep the critters and other things our maybe while you’re out on your day hike.

They’re sized per person—a one man, a two man, a four man. So, you can count on a two-person tent as a very basic one. If you go any smaller than that—unless it’s just you in a very remote area—most of our audience will want to go to a two-person tent just to make sure everyone is comfortable and that you can bring some of the items from home to really make that camping experience great. But those are some basic tips this time of year; that modest amount of advance planning will really pay off.

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.

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