Water, Water Everywhere
In the old days, Texans fell into two categories: lake people and folks who wouldn’t be caught dead within a hundred yards of the shore. But times have changed—lakes are more accessible, facilities are more family friendly, and activities include a heck of a lot more than going out on a boat and drinking beer. We scoured the state from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande to find twenty great adventures, from skiing on Lake Texoma to flying high above Lake Conroe. So dive right in. The summer won’t last forever.
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14. Row Your Boat
Town Lake, in Austin
WHEN IS A RIVER A LAKE? WHEN IT flows through a city—and then, of course, it’s called Town Lake. The Colorado River, as it passes through Austin, is wide and slow moving. (It’s also dammed at either end.) If you want to take full measure, rent a kayak at the Texas Rowing Center (you can also go to the Rowing Dock or Zilker Canoe Rental). Kayaks are easy, just you and your paddle. At first you may find yourself going in circles, getting drenched, and being quacked at by ducks moving out of your way. But eventually you’ll get the rhythm right: Dip deep and close to the boat for power and speed, shallow and wide to turn. You can head east toward downtown, the recommended path if there is a concert at Auditorium Shores or if you want to see the bat colony emerge from the Congress Avenue Bridge at dusk. Or you can go west, toward the huge mansions on the bluffs. I found myself drifting and watching: the people jogging on the hike-and-bike trail; turtles sunning themselves on roots protruding from the water; fish rising to the surface and then disappearing; black cormorants waiting silently in the lush trees along the bank, looking like long, dark fruit pods; white herons sitting higher up, staring out at nothing in particular, their necks curved like question marks. So, they all seemed to be asking, we’re in the middle of a city?
Texas Rowing Center: 1541 W. Cesar Chavez (on the north shore of Town Lake); 512-467-7799 or texasrowingcenter.com; kayaks start at $25 per day; open daily. MICHAEL HALL
15. Go Back in Time
Lake Meredith, near Amarillo
STANDING ON TOP OF FRITCH FORTRESS, ON THE east side of Lake Meredith, one thought kept popping into my head: I wish I made it out here more often. My vantage point offered a perfect view of the lake and the beautifully scarred land of the High Plains that surround it. Five boat ramps make for easy access to get out and fish ($4 fee for day use; $10 for three days), but when I visited in April, the lake was at one of its lowest points. The ramp at Harbor Bay, for example, ended a good fifty feet from the water. But the attractions around the lake were just as interesting. Take, for example, the Alibates Flint Quarries, the only national monument in Texas. Here you hike through land studded with yucca and mesquite with a ranger, who explains the history of the land, which has been home to people going back 12,000 years. Don’t expect massive openings in the earth; remember that workers had only tools made of bone or rock. But the remnants of the quarries are powerful and provocative nonetheless. For a more challenging hike, McBride Canyon is just a short drive away, where trails for hikers and horseback riders await. Just mind your manners; wild turkeys are sure to cross your path, and the gobblers aren’t shy about letting you know who’s boss.
From Amarillo, head north on Texas Highway 136 for 21 miles and turn left at Cas Johnson Road. Follow the signs to the Alibates Flint Quarries and McBride Canyon; for a tour of the Alibates quarries, call 806-857-3151 (free but reservations required) or go to nps.gov/alfl. BDS
16. Fly Through the Air
Lake Conroe, near Conroe
SHAPED LIKE A TROLL’S HAND, LAKE CONROE REACHES north across the boundary of Montgomery and Walker counties, straddling the transition between nature and, well, a lot less nature. Most of the palm is surrounded by the kind of luxury development you might expect, but in the north, long fingers of water reach deep into the Sam Houston National Forest; by the sandy shore, hardwoods and the occasional cypress tree mingle with the tall pines. All I heard on an overcast weekday in March at the Cagle Recreation Area were birds singing and the occasional fishing boat, and the sense of peace and solitude was almost overwhelming. There were different sounds reverberating across the southern part of the lake that afternoon; I made out hammers banging and drills whining as workmen constructed expensive homes along the lake’s edge. The loudest noise, though, was the one my WaveRunner was making as I bounced over the water at top speed. I was just having fun, but I’m told that prospective home buyers consider personal watercraft to be a great way to look at property. Resort Attractions, where I rented the craft, also offers introductory flights on what they call an Amazing Flying Boat, which is a hang glider attached to an ultralight aircraft engine and strapped to an inflatable boat. You have to fly with an employee, but that doesn’t lessen the thrill of soaring up to 10,000 feet. Just don’t forget to sign the waiver.
Cagle Recreation Area: From Conroe, head north on Interstate 45 for 18 miles, turn left at FM 1375, and proceed for 5 miles; 888-361-6908; day use $5 per person. Resort Attractions, on FM 830; 936-856-3010 or resort-attractions.com; personal watercraft rentals start at $60 per hour (2-hour minimum); flying boat tours $150 per hour. CL
17. Do What You Want
Grapevine Lake, in Grapevine
“WOW” WAS MY FIRST THOUGHT WHEN I FINALLY saw Grapevine Lake after fighting the sprawl of freeways that dominates the Mid-Cities. Slipped in between Grapevine and Flower Mound, the lake proved hard to find, which only made the sight of sails dancing across the water in the afternoon sunlight that much more enchanting. I felt I had discovered a secret kingdom of summer fun tucked away behind Grapevine Mills Mall and the Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center. I basked in the neighborhood ambience, but the residents of Grapevine appear to want to keep this little heaven to themselves. A recent advertisement in this magazine trumpeted the city’s many attractions but neglected to mention the lake. On the afternoon I was there, a panoply of activities was on display at Rockledge Park on the north side of the lake: In addition to the sailors and windsurfers, a school of kayakers was organizing just offshore, and along the water’s edge, people were sitting and relaxing or just enjoying walking along the beach. But most of the coming and going centered on the nearby nine-mile hike-and-bike trail. Boaters and campers should head for Murrell Park, also on the north side, where there are primitive campsites and boat ramps. And best of all, everything is free.
110 Fairway Drive; 817-481-4541 or swf-wc.usace.army.mil/grapevine/; free. CL
18. Land the Big One
Lake Fork, near Emory
I’VE HEARD THE EXCUSES BEFORE: “It was the glare” or “I didn’t set the hook.” But I was horrified when words like that started flowing from my own lips during a bass fishing trip to the mother of all bass lakes: Lake Fork. Where were the ten-pounders? (The lake record was set by Barry St. Clair in 1992 when he caught a 18.18-pound largemouth.) At Lake Fork it was supposed to be nearly impossible not to catch anything. Heck, a group of fishermen staying at the Lake Fork Lodge had told us the night before that they had caught 25 bass that day. So where were they? Staying still and trying to keep warm. The overcast March morning my husband and I put in at Val’s Landing, on the south side of the lake, which has 315 miles of mostly undeveloped shoreline, the surface-water temperature was a cool 56 degrees. Our guide, Dennis States, who has been fishing this lake for 25 years, said we might get a bite at Garrett Creek, where the water would be warmer. I focused on the positive—the branches of white oak trees still visible above the water, the sounds of ducks playing—as States dunked a plastic lizard into his special concoction, a chartreuse dipping dye with garlic scent, and rigged it Carolina-style on my rod. I made my cast. Nothing. I cast again. And again. I’d feel a tug, but I didn’t land a darn thing. But I know I had one. Honest.
Lake Fork Lodge: 8 miles east of Emory at the intersection of FM 515 and FM 17; 903-473-7236 or lakeforklodge.com. Guide: Dennis States, 903-473-2039; call for reservations and fees. PMC
19. Find a Fabulous Forty
Choke Canyon Reservoir, near Three Rivers
CHOKE CANYON SUPPLIES WATER TO CORPUS CHRISTI, and the first time I saw it, the reservoir looked unremarkable. Dropped in the middle of mesquite-dotted ranchland, it did beat out the other local attractions: a federal penitentiary and an oil refinery. But the myriad birds that live and pass through here obviously consider the area to be some kind of avian La Cantera, and they tell their friends about the inviting water and the thick mesquite and acacia bushes that surround it. Texas has the most documented bird species sightings in the country—620 and counting—and of these, roughly 40 are found nowhere else in the country. Keep your eyes open at Choke Canyon and you might see a few of these “fabulous forty,” such as a green jay or an Audubon’s oriole. I’m fairly sure I didn’t see either, but during a gentle stroll around the well-kept trails in the adjoining Calliham Unit of Choke Canyon State Park, I was lucky enough to get a fantastic sighting of a golden-fronted woodpecker and spot many other species, mostly cardinals and many “little brown birds” I couldn’t identify. Deep in the bright-green thickets, serenaded by birdsong and constantly accompanied by darting and swooping wings, I realized I was indeed in a very special place. Next time, I’ll remember my bird book.
From Three Rivers, head west on Texas Highway 72 for 10 miles to Rec Road 8 and the entrance to the Calliham Unit of Choke Canyon State Park; 361-786-3868 or tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/choke_canyon/; day use $3 per person. CL
20. Live on
The Lake Lake Amistad, near Del Rio
LAKE AMISTAD IS A GIANT, IMPLAUSIBLE SPLASH of brilliant indigo-blue in the otherwise scrubby, featureless desert along the border near Del Rio. On many lakes, featured attractions like beaches, resorts, and vacation homes lie along the banks. Not here. With more than 850 miles of coastline, there are few amenities of any kind. A lot of nothing, you might say. Here the action is all on the lake. And that’s why the ultimate thing to do at Amistad is to get on those glassy waters and stay there. By far the best way to do that is to rent a houseboat. There are several cool things about these big, boxy, waterborne condos. They come with such perks as full kitchens, outdoor grills, waterslides, and air-conditioning. They are big enough to sleep ten comfortably. And, for reasons that elude me, ordinary, non-seafaring people are allowed to drive them away from the dock. Check out these vacation economics: Rent a 56-foot houseboat for four weekdays for $2,295. Split the cost with two friends (or families). That comes out to $191.25 a night (prices are cheaper before June 7). You have total freedom, total autonomy. Motor up the spectacular canyons of the Devils River. Drink beer. Fish one of the best bass lakes in America. Grill hamburgers. Swim. Stargaze from the deck. Enjoy.
Lake Amistad Resort and Marina: From Del Rio, take U.S. 90 West for 12 miles to Amistad National Recreation Area; 800-255-5561 or lakeamistadresort.com. S.C. GWYNNE 
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