Lake Ray Roberts Views along the Johnson Branch

Dead Wood on banks of Lake Ray Roberts



Lake Ray Roberts shoreline - great walking locale

Sunset at Ray Roberts Lake, TX

On a recent visit to Lake Ray Roberts I stayed late into the evening and was bedazzled by the glorious sunset I got to witness. I spent only about 3 hours at the State Park but the experiences are worth much more. I hiked the 2.7 mile Randy Bell Scenic Trail when it was still light and was lucky to get the glimpse of few deer grazing by the trail. Then after finishing up my hike I went back to the swimming area and waded across the icy cold water for a few minutes as the day gave way to dusk and to night. As I stood there beholding the beautiful azure waters of the lake, I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen the past few years. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the sun which changed from golden yellow to a blazing red to a soothing orange and then into a dull brownish yellow, I almost forgot to click pictures.

The moment was tranquil, it was just me and the vast aqua forte, for a moment I was transported back to India where I would travel all alone to remote lakes, mountains and forests to enjoy the outdoors. Here I was in a pretty popular location but all alone because it was a weekday and it is still too early for people to visit state parks. Anyway for me personally it was a great moment of union with nature and as I soaked in the beauty I felt months of fatigue flowing out of my soul and new energy from the elixir of life getting imbibed. Looking forward to more such moments in the future.

Ervin Park, McKinney, TX

Here are some more pictures of Ervin Park landscapes. This is a large and sprawling park with great hiking/ walking trails. I will definitely complete this trail soon... it must be a few miles long.

Lake Bonham Recreation Area

Bonham, Texas is a small town with just over 10,000 population, but it has enough attractions to sustain a tourist inflow of many times its population. The Bonham State Park with its beautiful lake; the Sam Rayburn library and museum, the Fort Inglish Park and then the Lake Bonham Recreation Area. Each one of these places attract several visitors during the summer when the weather is nice and warm.

Lake Bonham is particularly interesting because it is a huge lake, with several channels and recreational opportunities. Sprawling over 1,000 surface acres the lake's azure waters are a treat to the eye and its fish are a treat to those who catch them and eat. The of course like every other recreation area there are camping, walking, hiking, boating and other recreational facilities.

Entrance to the Lake Bonham Recreation Area

Picinic area Lake Bonham Recreation Area

Fishing Pier at Lake Bonham Recreation Area

Lake Bonham facade

Swimming beach in Lake Bonham Recreation Area

Bonham State Park

Last week I visited Bonham State Park in North Texas area. This is a comparatively small park with a 261 acre lake in the center. The park offers the usual activities such as bicycling, walking, hiking, some wilderness, camping, swimming, canoeing, boating, fishing, among others. Anyway now it is winter and coupled with the bad economy, there were hardly any visitors in the park. It seemed as if apart from the staff I had the park all for myself. I drove around the lake, took some short walks along the trails and departed.
Here are some pictures of the Bonham State Park.

Lost Lake Waterfall in Indiahoma, OK

The waterfall that is formed when water gushes over the dam that forms the Lost Lake within the Indiahoma Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma

Another view of the waterfall in Indiahoma Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma

Born in a water sun sign I am naturally fond of water, any natural or artificial water body, flowing or stagnant, sweet or salt I simply love it. As long the water is clear, clean and without any disease causing pathogen I am more than glad to get into it if I am allowed to, and I often wish I was born as a fish so I could explore the depths of ocean without requiring a ton of equipment that needs a ton of money to buy or even rent. As a fish I'd have just swam across the ocean depths exploring and discovering new facets of the underwater world.

McKinney, Texas - Nature Friendly City

Image by gurdonark via FlickrMcKinney, Texas is a small city both in terms of geographic area and population. I moved here to be closer to classes and since then I have begun to discover small joys of this city. I have noticed that this is one of the most eco-friendly cities I have been in. There are a number of outdoor spaces such as wooded parks, trails, playing fields, lakes and creeks for the benefit of visitors.

I simply enjoy going for evening walks on the 1.2 mile trail that circumambulates the McKinney Town Lake. Of course there is the small wooded area with its own nature trail besides the lake. The meditation garden sited amidst the woods where the Wilson creek and Comegys creek meet is one calm place right next to the I-75. I'd say this is one of my favorite places in this city.

 The McKinney Town Lake is full of birds and every evening it is quite a sight to watch them come out of water on the trails waiting for people to come by and feed them. On days when not many visitors come and feed the birds stop anyone and everyone walking the trail with the hungry expression in their eyes and demand in their beaks.