Planning was definitely easier. Last year over spring break we went to Caddo Lake and loved the piney woods area. It was much less crowded than hill country and we loved the tall trees and birds. So I picked three parks to visit somewhat close together and planned 5 nights away. The problem was Natalie got truck sick on our last trip which was only 2 hours drive and we were looking at 4 hours of driving on the way home from Jasper. But we really wanted to take bikes with us. So we decided to take 2 vehicles even though that meant entrance fees for 1 adult everywhere we went. State park passes cover everyone in one vehicles unless you opt for 2 cards. Our park choices were Stephen F Austin, Village Creek (near Beaumont) and Martin Dies Jr. (near Jasper).
We left on Tuesday morning having fully recovered from my birthday and the time change. Stephen F Austin is the original homestead and town founded by Stephen F Austin. His cabin and other historic homes are free to tour and just outside of the park. We only spent 1 night here and it was very busy with first time campers. The sites are fairly small and close together, but they do have a water only tent loop which is nice. There is a nature center and trails with large trees and nice sloughs to watch for turtles. The river is also close by, but the kids and I did not get a chance to make it down there. We had playground drama, so they had to stay with me instead of going to play with other kids. We went geo caching and saw beautiful butterflies down the nature trail. My favorite thing was the owl calls starting around dusk. We heard Great Horned owls, Barred owls, and Screech Owls. I also spotted a couple bluebirds, cardinals, and a few woodpeckers. The trees were lovely. It was quite cold that first night, but we stayed warm and toasty in our new sleeping bags. Overall it was a nice park, one that I would like to return to explore the river and historic areas.
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