Lone Star Travelers Blog » texas

West Fest and Cabrito Cook-Off, Marathon Texas

joanie7 — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 21:59:07 +0000

Post Park

For those longing for another goat cook-off, after the big Goat Cook-Off in Brady, Texas over Labor Day Weekend the Cabrito (goat) Cook-Off is coming up in Marathon, Texas.
Mark your calendar, the dates are Saturday, September 17th and Sunday September 18th, 2011. This is the 10th annual West Fest. Cooks will present their goat dishes to the judges as they vie for the top cash prize. Come out and participate in washer pitching, team roping, softball as well as a dance on Saturday night featuring live music. Just turn on Ave D in downtown Marathon, travel 5 miles south and you will arrive at Post Park, site of West Fest 2011. Post Park, for you frontier fort history buffs, was once a cavalry fort called Camp Pena Colorado, a sub-post of the better known Fort Davis. www.marathontexas.com 432-386-4482

Pecan Valley RV Park, Junction Texas

joanie7 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:55:36 +0000

Pecan Valley RV Park, Junction Texas

This is a pleasant park with long fairly level pull-thru sites, some with shade. Tent campers are welcomed. The grounds are well maintained and the restrooms clean. Deer roam this quiet, peaceful park. There is no wi-fi and no cable TV. Our only criticism would be that this park likes to portray itself more as a riverfront destination when in fact the riverfront access is a small stretch behind the owner’s house. You may fish or launch a small boat however you cannot see the river at all from the campground. The camping fee in June 2009 was $22 per night. Even though this is not riverfront camping we enjoyed this park and would stay here again for an overnight. Access is off I-10 in Junction, Texas. If you are traveling east bound take exit 445 and follow service road (RR1674) 4 miles. Westbound on I-10 exit 451, turn left and follow the signs for 3 miles. It is recommended that you call ahead for reservations. 1-800-426-3065 website

The Oasis RV Resort, Amarillo Texas

joanie7 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:52:49 +0000

We recommend The Oasis RV Resort in Amarillo, Texas as a convenient overnight stop for those of you driving from the Dallas/Fort Worth area to Colorado or perhaps you Oklahoma folks on your way to Albuquerque. The pull-thrus are paved, long and mostly level. They offer free wi-fi, free cable and free laundry. You may wash your RV at your site if you wish. We found this facility to be clean and fairly well run. A few comments: They advertise an adults only spa that was closed both times we stopped by in the summer of 2009. The cable TV reception was not good at our site. When we called this in maintenance came right out to check it out but could not clear it up. We don’t know if this is a park-wide problem or not. They do state that doggie bags are available in dispensers around the park to clean up after your pet. On both occasions we stayed here the dispensers were empty. I let the office know of this however they did not re-stock the dispensers while we were there. And finally, we decided to stay 4 nights on our way back from Colorado and do some sightseeing in the Amarillo area. The advertised special at the front desk was “stay two nights with us and receive the third night free. We thought we should qualify for one night free on this promotion however the clerk stated that we could pay for two nights but would need to leave after the third free night to qualify. We paid for and stayed the 4 nights anyhow. We turned in a comment card explaining this but never did receive any reply. The prices are $17 for Class C or $20 for Class A per night. There is a restaurant on site serving breakfast and dinner that we did not try. The access is easy on and off exit 60 in Amarillo, TX. 888-RVX-9697 myrvoasis.com

Lake Brownwood State Park, Brownwood Texas

joanie7 — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:33:26 +0000

Lake Brownwood State Park near the geographical center of Texas, opened in 1938, is a smaller (537.5 acres) park located on the shores of the large (7300 acre) Lake Brownwood. With miles of shoreline to enjoy folks come here in the summer to swim, waterski, jets ski, boat and fish. There are 2.5 miles of hiking trails and a .75 self guided nature trail. This is the Texas Oak Trail loop with 16 numbered stops. You may turn this into a slightly longer walk by continuing on to the fishing pier We camped in the Council Bluff area with 19 full hookups and a partial view of the lake at $25 per night. Water and electric sites range from $15-$20 per night with primitive sites at $12 per night. We found the restrooms in our camping loop to be clean and well maintained. Summer does attract crowds to the campgrounds nearest the swimming beaches so you may want to avoid these if you wish a more solitary camping experience. 16 cabins for 2-4 people are available at $65-$75 per night. Lodges are offered for groups ranging from $95-$290 per night accommodating from 4-26 people A barracks with dining hall is available for groups up to 32 people for $290 per night. Shelters rent for $30 per night. Be aware that poisonous snakes are native to this area including the rattlesnake and cottonmouth. Poison ivy and poison oak also exist. Avoid tall grasses and brushy areas and stay on the trails! Native wildlife include the gray fox, raccoon, opossum, wild turkey and white-tailed deer. 325-784-5223

Snakes in Texas

joanie7 — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:54:35 +0000

Texas has 68 species of snakes and if you include subspecies a total of 115, the record for the most snakes found in any state in The United States. Every single one of the 254 counties in the state of Texas is home to snakes. Only 15 % of snakes are venemous. Of these 4 of the 5 categories are found in Texas. Coral, Copperhead, Cottonmouth (or water moccasin) and Rattlesnakes. Texas does not have any Boas. Snakes, like people are vertebrates (they have a backbone) however unlike us they are cold blooded. They will warm themselves in the sun or on rocks and hibernate through the colder winter months. In Texas they emerge from their dens in late February or early March, shed their skin then mate. They do not care for their young and are solitary mostly shy creatures. Snakes donot migrate. Central Texas had the largest number of species of snakes however West Texas or South Texas are the best places to look for snakes as they have the largest number of resident individuals. Snakes are predators and swallow their prey of rabbits, rodents or other snakes whole and alive. Snakes number one enemy is man. Snakes avoid the extreme heat of a Texas summer day limiting activity to the early morning or cooler evenings.

Hummingbirds in Texas

joanie7 — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:18:46 +0000

The tiniest of all birds descend on Texas every Spring as they migrate northward. 18 species of hummingbirds have been identified in Texas with 9 being common. The greatest variety are found in West Texas. The Davis Mountains and Chisos Mountains areas are great places to observe the black-chinned hummingbird, the black feathers on his throat catching the light and flashing a beautiful royal purple as the rapid beat of his tiny wings, up to 80 times a second produces the hum these birds are named for. East of Interstate 35 including where we live in the Dallas/Forth Worth area the ruby-throated hummingbird is common. To prepare your own hummingbird food mix 1 part sugar with 4 parts water. Bring the water to a boil, stir in the sugar, boil 2-3 minutes until sugar is dissolved and let cool. Never substitute honey for the sugar. It is toxic to the birds. Red food coloring is not necessary. The hummers feed every 10-15 minutes so you can expect a lot of activity at your feeder especially during migration. It is recomended that Texans leave their feeders up year round as some birds spend the winter in Texas. At night they go into a hibernation like state called a torpor and arouse from it quickly as necessary. The hummingbirds northward migration is timed to the blooming of certain flowers. Many of them travel 2.500 miles from Mexico to Alaska. resting in South Texas after flying 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico. If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden choose native plants of bright color with tubular shaped flowers. 25 percent of the hummingbird diet consists of insects so choose plants for your garden that attract insects as well. When you are camping at Davis Mountains State Park in West Texas or Big Bend National Park set up your hummingbird feeder in a nearby tree and enjoy these tiny birds as they hover, fly up and down then backwards putting on one of nature’s greatest shows.

Javelina in Texas

joanie7 — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:29:32 +0000

The javelina is not really a pig but a member of their own family, the peccary. Only one of the three different species is found in the United States, the collared peccary or javelina. (have ah lee nah) In Spanish javelina means spear or sword, referring to the tusk like sharp, cutting canine teeth Adults weigh up to 60 lbs and are black and gray with a lighter colored collar. Youths are reddish to yellow brown. In Texas the javelina are mostly found in the arid regions of West Texas or the brush country of South Texas. They travel a tight range of usually less than one mile in small herds sleeping in caves and feeding on grasses, mesquite beans, fruits, insects and their favorite food, prickly pear cactus which supplies at least half of their food requirement and most of their water needs. They will forage for food in campgrounds. Tent campers in Big Bend National Park are often advised to partially break camp and leave their tents flat on the ground for the day while they explore the park to prevent javelinas from raiding and tearing into tents and supplies. At the nearby Davis Mountains State Park the javelinas make the rounds of the campground at dawn and dusk rooting around for food. As with all wild animals people should not feed them. They are rarely agressive towards humans unless cornered however they will cripple or kill an approaching dog who perhaps reminds the javelina of the coyote who preys on their young. When they come around you will probably smell them before you actually see them due to a musk gland on top of the rump releasing a strong odor especially if alarmed. They have poor eye sight but excellent hearing. If they stay and rummage around your campsite you can scare them off with loud noises. They are very vocal and good runners. They may snort, squeal and whoof as they take off at speeds up to 21 mph. In Texas javelinas are game animals and may be hunted with a license during hunting season. Other predators include bobcats, coyotes and mountain lions.

Davis Mountains State Park Fort Davis, Texas

National Hunting and Fishing Day

joanie7 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:39:48 +0000

Texas and the nation celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day on September 27th, 2008. Congress has set aside the 4th Saturday of September every year as National Hunting and Fishing Day, a public reminder that good conservation depends on hunters, anglers and shooters. Texans will have a chance to participate in the Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo at their headquarters in Austin Texas on October 4th and 5th. Amongst the many outdoors events taking place will be a youth fishing derby, casting clinics, adult and youth shooting, demonstrations and seminars. Outdoorsmen are encouraged to share the values and fun of the outdoors with young and old alike. Hunting and fishing play an important ecological role by managing wildlife populations and creating a healthy environment.

Pronghorn Antelope in Texas

joanie7 — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:29:19 +0000

Texas Parks & Wildlife biologists have completed a study showing a considerable drop in the population of the Pronghorn Antelope in portions of Jeff Davis and Presidio Counties in West Texas. The region west of the Pecos River known as the Trans-Pecos has experienced 7 months of drought and a rare late hard freeze at higher elevations. These conditions may have resulted in poor physical condition of he animals contributing to a possible loss of up to 50% of adults as they became more vulnerable to predators. No signs of disease has been detected. The Pronghorn Antelope is named for it’s backward curving horns that split to form forward-pointing prongs. They are generally recognized as the second fastest land mammal in the world, (after the cheetah) able to run long distances at sustained speeds of 40 mph with bursts of up to 60 mph. They have exceptional eyesight due to the large eyes set on the sides of their heads allowing almost a 360 degree field of vision.

Antelope Canyon

Mountain Lions in Texas

joanie7 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:00:40 +0000

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has published a brochure titled Mountain Lions In Texas. You may obtain a copy by calling the Wildlife Division 800-792-1112 or 512-389-4403. The information outlines a study conducted from 1983-2001 stating “Sightings and mortality reports have consistently increased since 1983 and appear to indicate that the mountain lion distribution may once again be statewide.” They go on to say that “The mountain lion is also known as a cougar, panther, catamount or puma, and has the widest distribution of any wild cat from Canada to South America.” Additional information states that the mountain lion is large (100-150 pounds for males and 45-96 pounds for females) slender long bodies of 6 1/2 feet for females and up to 8 1/2 feet for males. Their range is primarily in the west, south and central portions of the state however when we camped at Daingerfield State Park, an East Texas Park, the ranger spoke of a puma who roamed through periodically reinforcing the case that the Texas Mountain Lion is back.

Pedernales Falls State Park, Johnson City Texas