Eco-Adventures

Piney Woods of Texas: We’re a Prozac society. Our brains crave dopamine, instantaneous gratification, positive feedback, likes, follows. “I sent her a text a minute ago, why hasn’t she responded?” “Yes, Mr. Barista, another double latte please”! Give me Pandora pounding in my earbuds. The miracle of WiFi! I’m connected, plugged …

Confessions From A Kayaker’s Cockpit By Fred Mays We glided silently through the salt marsh, the only sound the droplets of water as they dripped off the paddle.  Ahead of us on the bank, a big bull gator lumbered into the water with a splash. Oh sh*t! Can I paddle …

Located about an hour north of the sprawling Far North Dallas area, you find the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. Located west of Sherman, its main attraction is the flocks of migrating birds drawn to these wetlands on the south shore of Lake Texoma. Timing is important for visiting Hagerman. Migrating …

Spring is the time to haul out the camping gear and start planning trips to your favorite camping destinations. Whether it’s off to the mountains, finding a spot in the national forests of the Piney Woods, or maybe even the seashore, Texas has lots of camping sites to offer. A …

First Day Hikes on New Year’s Day are a tradition for many hiking clubs and outdoors groups. The Texas State Parks system has scheduled hikes at many parks around the state. In north Texas First Day Hikes are planned at Ray Roberts Lake State Park near Denton, Eisenhower State Park …

It was a trip to photograph fall colors at Beavers Bend State Resort Park in southeast Oklahoma. Unfortunately we missed the peak colors by a week or two. So what is a photographer to do? Get up early and hope for good sunrise pictures. Sometimes you get real lucky, like …

Every evening in the summer and fall millions of Mexican free-tail bats  take flight from the Congress Avenue bridge in Austin. They have become a tourism magnet, drawing hundreds of people to witness the nightly event. Many watch from the bridge. Others watch from party boats floating in the Colorado River. …

One thing about North Texas summers is that no matter where else you go, it’s going to be cooler. I recently spent a week hiking the Ozarks in the mountains of Arkansas. It was hot, but not 100 degrees. My excursion started at Devil’s Den State Park, south of Fayetteville. …

Lighthouse Rock is an icon of the Texas State Parks system. The towering monolith can be found at the end of a long hiking trail in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, near Amarillo. My wife, Mary, and I set off on a Saturday morning to hike into Lighthouse. It was …

April 22nd, this Saturday, is Earth Day. Locally, the biggest observation is Earth Day Texas at Fair Park in Dallas. Events are scheduled all day, all weekend, so check their website for details. In addition to Earth Day events, it’s a good time to do your own family observance of …