Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Texas Independence Day is March 2. And Washington on the Brazos is where it all started.

This town was chosen as the site of the general convention, which met on March 1, 1836, and adjourned on March 17.

Janice Campbell, an interpreter at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, says those seventeen days in 1836, paved the way for Texas future.

In those seventeen days, the elected delegates that came here, they declared their independence from Mexico; they wrote a constitution; and they elected some officers for a government. So, I guess you could say the groundwork of the government of the Republic of Texas was created right here in Washington.

Campbell says one cannot help but feel a deep connection to the past when visiting Washington-on-the-Brazos.

It’s pretty awesome to be able to walk out there, and walk along the main thoroughfare of the town and know that we are walking in the footsteps of history…right here in Washington.

Washington-on-the-Brazos SHS plans to celebrate Texas’ independence the last weekend in February. We’ll tell you about the festivities tomorrow.

It will mark the 174 anniversary of the signing of the Texas declaration of Independence.

Find details about this and other state park events on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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

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This is Passport to Texas SP Getaways

Goose Island is the oldest of the Texas coastal state parks; Bryan Frazier takes us there this week for a state park getaway.

Goose Island SP is renowned and loved for lots of reasons, and a great place to go. It’s a smaller park; it’s only about 320 acres. But there’s still a lot to do. It has lots of hiking trails, there’s even biking along the roads inside the park. You’ve got a great place to see whooping cranes, right against the federal wildlife refuge there on the upper coast—and it’s beautiful as well. You’ve got this outcropping of big coastal live oak trees; and its home to the Big Tree, which is a thousand year old coastal live oak tree. It was the state champion in 1969, and it still remains to this day just a phenomenon of nature. But the fishing there…very popular species in Texas, whether you’re talking about flounder, redfish or speckled trout. Right there at the boat ramp, you can go right in. It’s also very popular with waterfowl hunters. It’s one of the few places to launch an airboat to duck hunt in that area. The camping there—even the tent camping—is really, really incredible. But you can camp right on the bay front. In fact, you can fish out of your campsite, and a lot of people do—and those campsites go fast. So, Goose Island SP is definitely a stop on the map.

Thanks, Bryan.

That’s our show…check out State Park videos on the TPW channel on YouTube…

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

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This is Passport to Texas SP Getaways

Bryan Frazier works for State Parks, and will join us regularly to talk about your state parks. This week, he’s taking us to Mustang Island.

Mustang Island State Park…you’re talking about almost 4-thousand acres of park that goes on both sides of the bay and the gulf.

Whether you’re talking about red fish or black drum or speckled trout, things that the Texas coast is famous for—Mustang Island SP is a great place.

Thanks, Bryan.

Check availability and reserve your campsite at Mustang Island SP by visiting the TPW website.

That’s our show…watch State Park videos on the TPW channel on YouTube channel…

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

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This is Passport to Texas

This month on the TPW TV series you’ll get to the bottom of Palo Duro Canyon. Producer, Ron Kabele.

It’s the second largest canyon in the country. And, it has a big advantage over the Grand Canyon, and that is you can drive down to it.

The Grand Canyon is nice to stand on the edge and go. ‘That’s a great canyon.’ Here, you can get into the canyon and you can become part of it.

I heard about this 24-hour bike race that they were doing, and it was to raise money for cancer research. And so, what better way to show off the park than to show people actually uses it.

When you’ve got a huge park like this, these are the only places where you can do these kinds of events. That’s what the parks are for.

And one of the kids, his name was Joe. I got some video of him during the race, and then afterwards I interviewed him, and that’s when I realized that he only had one arm.

They’re like you can’t bike a hundred miles. You know, I was able to do the fifty with ease; I’m sure I can bike a hundred. Yeah, they did kind of think I was crazy.

You don’t have to be crazy to visit Palo Duro State Park—just adventurous. Learn what awaits you at Texas’ Grand Canyon, when you log onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

Seminole Canyon SP and Historic site in far west Texas is, for many, off the beaten path…in more ways than one.

We really don’t get too many people [visiting], and so it’s kind of odd to have an atlatl competition. And you have to be kind of off the wall to even know what an atlatl is.

What are you, then, if you take part in the 3rd Annual Archeolympics—a kind of pre-historic hunter competition—at this out of the way park? To park ranger and Interpreter, Tanya Petruney, that makes you an archeolympian. She tells us about the event planned for February 6.

It is a primitive skills competition, which consists of the atlatl, which is an ancient spear thrower…the rabbit stick, which is a boomerang like weapon used for small game, such as rabbits, and our friction fire starting competition.

At 4-thousand years old, the park boasts the oldest pictographs in North America, making it the ideal place to get in touch with your inner caveman.

All ages are welcome in the competition. You have to register; and if you do not feel like being in any of the competitions, we do offer public demonstrations, which will be the atlatl and rabbit stick, flint napping, friction fire starting, cordage making from native plants, and replica artifacts of this area.

There is a $3.00 per person Entrance Fee, and winners receive prizes. Find details about the February 6 Archeolympics at Seminole Canyon SP and Historic site, on the TPW website.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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February 6, 2010 — Seminole Canyon SP&HS — 3rd Annual Archeolympics — Step back into prehistory and compete in this fun, primitive skills event. Open to all skill levels, try your hand at atlatl spear throwing, rabbit stick throwing and a fire starting race. Demonstrations and displays of prehistoric technologies will be available for all to see. Call for rules and regulations. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (432) 292-4464.

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