[Sunday] We left home about 2:00 pm and after getting stuck in a Houston traffic jam for an hour, we arrived at Lake Livingston State Park at about 5:30pm and settled into site 52.

< < Our campsite.

Click on the small photos to enlarge them.

[Monday] This morning we walked on the trail adjacent to our campsite along the edge of the lake for 1 mile.

After lunch we walked along the Trinity Trace Trail to where the Pineywoods Boardwalk Trail, a 1-mile loop starts. We walked that loop and returned to the trailer on the road, because the Trinity Trace Trail had lots of wet spots. We walked a total of 3.4 miles this afternoon.

< < Lake Livingston trail.

[Tuesday] We left Lake Livingston State Park today and moved north to Martin Creek Lake State Park. We arrived at our site #54 at about 2:30 pm. The Park Ranger told us about their ant problem. They don't bite or sting, but they get into your stuff. We put Sevin dust around outside our trailer and sprayed hoses and lines with Raid. We didn't see any ants.

Our campsite was across the lake from a coal fired electric power plant that uses the lake for cooling. There was some noise from the power plant, but not bad.

In the late afternoon, we walked to the Island Trails and on a short loop on the large island in the lake. We saw lots of birds including the colorful Cedar Waxwing.

< Our campsite. < Looking across to the power plant.

[Wednesday] After breakfast this morning, we walked along the 1.5 mile Harmony Hill Loop Trail. We didn't see many birds on this trail. There were several wet spots on the trail, but we were able to get around them. They had an area enclosed with a fence that had a lot of bluebird houses attached to the posts. We only saw one bluebird family around one box.

< Bluebird houses.

This afternoon we went over to the large island and walked the 1.2 miles of trail on it. We didn't see many birds today. There were a couple of wet spots, but we got around them.

[Thursday] Today we drove to Longview and went to the LeTourneau Museum at LeTourneau University. We ate lunch in The Hive, in their Allen Family Student Center.

LeTourneau University is a Christian Polytechnic University named for its founder, R.G. LeTourneau, one of the world's greatest inventors of earthmoving equipment. A businessman and devout Christian, LeTourneau started the school in 1946, that would become the university.

< LeTourneau Museum.

< < < LeTourneau University campus scenes.

We then drove to Kilgore and went to the East Texas Oil Museum on the Kilgore College campus.

Kilgore College is a community college with an annual enrollment in excess of 5,000 students. The school was established in 1935 at the height of the East Texas oil boom, and as such, is home to the East Texas Oil Museum which houses a large collection of memorabilia documenting this period of Texas history.

< < < < < East Texas Oil Museum.

[Friday] After breakfast we left the park and took US-59 south. We arrived back home at about 3:30 pm.

This draws to a close our very brief vacation to some nice Texas State Parks. We hope you enjoyed the photos and brief descriptions of our activities. God willing, join us again soon for another travel adventure.

Goodbye for now,

Lawson & Kay

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield. (Psalm 5:11,12 NKJV)