And the Winner Is ...

The Colorado River Trail's 2011 Flickr Photo Contest was a big success!  Twenty-six days, 107 contest entries, and 950 votes later, we are pleased to announce our winner.  This photo by David Stall of the four young cowboys watching the rodeo at the Colorado County Fair captured the hearts of our voters and won the grand prize.

David's grand prize is a round of golf for two at the Wolfdancer Golf Club located at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa near Bastrop.  Our category winners also received prizes.  Those prizes included an RV site at Matagorda Bay Nature Park, a Light 'O the Moon float trip from McKinney Roughs Nature Park, two days and one night in a mini-cabin at Black Rock Park, an annual entrance pass to six of LCRA's recreational areas, and a Day on the Bay guided kayak trip also at Matagorda Bay Nature Park.

For more information on the contest and to see photos from our runners up, visit the photo contest page on our website.  Even though the contest is over, your photos are welcome in the Colorado River Trail's Flickr group any time.  Come join the fun!

The Colorado River Trail Flickr Photo Contest Is Back!

It’s back! LCRA's Colorado River Trail invites shutterbugs of all varieties to get involved in our photo contest – the "Discover True-Blue Texas" Flickr Photo Contest. Share your best photos of people enjoying the fun things to do along the Colorado River Trail, and get a chance to win exciting prizes.

Entering the contest is easy! Starting April 4, enter through Flickr, an online photo-sharing service, and add your contest entries to the Colorado River Trail group. Enter as many photos as you’d like. This year, we are asking people to submit photos that fall into five specific activity categories:

• Outdoor activities – includes camping, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, etc.
• River and lake activities – includes canoeing, kayaking, boating, fishing, swimming, rafting, etc.
• Festivals and events – includes street fairs, festivals, rodeos, carnivals, etc.
• Entertainment – includes live music, dancing, nightlife, attractions, etc.
• History, heritage and culture – includes historic sites, public art, wineries, etc.

Contest Deadline: April 30

Here's How to Enter:

1. Visit – For more information about the contest, rules, judging and some FAQs, visit the "Discover True-Blue Texas" Flickr Photo Contest Web page. You'll be glad you did.
2. Log in – To submit your photos via Flickr, use your Yahoo ID. If you don't have a Flickr or Yahoo account, that's okay. You can sign up for a Flickr account for free.
3. Upload – Once you have logged on, upload the photos you want to enter in the contest to your account. Do this by clicking on the blue letters that say "upload photos and videos" and follow the prompts.
4. Join – To enter the contest, you must join the Colorado River Trail group. If you aren't already a member, join by clicking "Join this Group?" on the group's homepage.
5. Add – From your photo stream, select the photo you wish to enter in the contest. Use the "Send to Group" function above the image to add your photo to the Colorado River Trail photo pool.
6. Tag it! – Once added to the group, you’ll need to add three tags to each photo.
   1. First, tag them with CRTContest2011 using the "tag" feature in the right-hand column of the individual photo's page. This identifies your photo as a contest entry and distinguishes it from existing photos in the group.
   2. Next, tag them with the category name (outdoor, water, festivals, entertainment or heritage) that best fits your photo.
   3. Lastly, tag them with the locationof where the picture was taken so we can ensure that it is in one of the 11 counties of the Colorado River Trail region.

Judging and Prizes:
A team of LCRA staff members with backgrounds in photography, communications, parks, outdoor recreation and tourism will judge the contest. The team will select three finalists in each category from all contest submissions. The finalists will be notified of their status by Flickr mail during the first week of May. Then we'll need a little help from you!

This year the grand prize is a round of golf for two from the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa at their award-winning Wolfdancer Golf Club. You can "like" them on Facebook too! Prizes for the 1st place winners in each category could include a Light 'O the Moon Float Trip on the beautiful Colorado River, courtesy of LCRA's McKinney Roughs Nature Park, a voucher for overnight camping at one of LCRA’s parks and more! The grand prize winner will be announced May 17.

You Be the Judge.  You will have the chance to help us choose the grand prize winner by voting on your favorite photos. Visit the Flickr Photo Contest web page for updates, or follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter. The hashtag this year is #CRTContest11. We'll keep you posted on all the voting action.

C'mon, give us your best shot!

Gas Saving Getaways - McKinney Roughs

It's time for another installment of LCRA's "Gas Saving Getaways"!  LCRA parks are close to nature and close to home, and this week's destination is no exception.  Need a quick trip that's fun for the whole family?  Then head on down the road to McKinney Roughs Nature Park near Bastrop.

In addition to the great hiking trails, did you know you could fly through the air on a zip line?  Or ride a horse?  You can also participate in one of the many nature and recreational programs offered to the public.  For a monthly calendar of fun and educational public programs, click here.

Here's this week's Gas Saving Getaways video:



McKinney Roughs is a child's dream, with so much to see and do.  Parents, don't forget to sign your child up for one or more weekly sessions of the McKinney Roughs Nature Camp coming up this summer.

Hope to see you at McKinney Roughs soon!

Giddy Up! Cattle Drives Bring Back the Old West

Think cattle drives are a thing of the past?  Not so in Matagorda County.  The spirit of the Old West lives on with the Huebner family who has been driving their herd between their ranch in Bay City to the Matagorda Peninsula for 101 years.

“The mother cows spend the winter on the peninsula and then we bring them all back with their calves in the spring,” said Kristi (Huebner) Meyer, fifth-generation cattle rancher. “We move about 500 mother cows to the peninsula but keep the yearling calves here in Bay City until springtime, allowing them to eat winter grasses we planted on about 4,000 acres.”  They made their most recent trip on December 16, 2010.



“A lot of the winter Texan snowbirds or tourists in the area are mesmerized by them, and amazed at the fact that we still use cattle drives to move our herd from one property to another,” Meyer said. “For me, this is just such a way of living – the cattle drives happened every year of my life.”

If you'd like to watch the Spring drive, contact the folks at LCRA's Matagorda Bay Nature Park for information at 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 4740 or via E-mail matagordabay@lcra.org.  If you love the outdoors, you may be interested in the calendar of outdoor programs offered at Matagorda Bay Nature Park and McKinney Roughs Nature Park near Bastrop.

To read the full cattle drive story on LCRA's website, follow this link.

Video by LCRA Matagorda Bay Nature Park staff member Rhonda Westbrook.

Get a Little Closer To Nature

There's probably not a better time of the year for a nature hike in Texas than in the early winter.  The weather is cool, but not too cold, so it's a perfect time to get outside.  LCRA's McKinney Roughs Nature Park provides a great opportunity to do just that.

On the first Saturday of every month, the public is invited to "Take a Walk on the Wild Side!" at McKinney Roughs.  The easy hike on the park's trails is a family favorite.  The guided hike is lead by the park naturalist who tells each group about the natural and human history of the area in a fun and interactive way.

These free nature hikes are from 10am to 12 noon, and are limited to 20 people.  To reserve your spot, call (512) 303-5073 or E-mail outdoorprograms@lcra.org.  For more information on the monthly nature hikes and other LCRA nature park programs, check out their online program calendar.  You - and your family - will be glad you did.

McKinney Roughs Nature Park Celebrates Earth Day with a Fun Family Event

More than 650 visitors made it out to McKinney Roughs Saturday April 17th to celebrate Earth Day at the parks annual event. Families enjoyed music, games, and hands on activities that centered on Nature and preserving the environment. This year 140 volunteers throughout the company and the community generously donated their time to help at the festival.

On Earth Day - April 22nd - what will you be doing to reduce, reuse, and recycle?

Take your best shot in our "Discover True-Blue Texas" Flickr Photo Contest

Do you like to take pictures of friends and family having fun? Have we got a deal for you! LCRA's Colorado River Trail invites you to enter our photo contest - the "Discover True-Blue Texas" Flickr Photo Contest. Share your best photos of people enjoying the fun things to do on the Colorado River Trail, and get a chance to win exciting prizes.

Entering the contest is easy! Starting April 5 enter through Flickr, and online photo-sharing service, and add your contest entries to the Colorado River Trail group. Enter as many photos as you like. Remember that we want action! Photos should show people doing something. The possibilities are endless: fishing, kayaking, hiking, cycling, shopping, eating out and more.

Contest Deadline: April 30, 2010

Here's How To Enter:

1. Visit - For more information about the contest, rules, judging and some FAQs, visit the "Discover True-Blue Texas" Flickr Photo Contest Web page. You'll be glad you did.
2. Log on - To submit your photos via Flickr, use your Yahoo ID. If you don't have a Flickr or Yahoo account, that's okay. You can sign up for a Flickr account for free.
3. Upload your photos - Once you have logged on, upload the photos you want to enter in the contest to your account. Do this by clicking on the blue letters that say "upload photos and videos" and follow the prompts.
4. Join the Colorado River Trail group - If you aren't already a member, join by clicking "Join this Group" on the group's homepage.
5. Send your entry to the group - From your photo stream, select the photo you wish to enter int he contest. Use the "Send to Group" function above the image to add your photo to the Colorado River Trail photo pool.
6. Tag it! - Once added to the group, tag each photo with CRTContest using the "tag" feature in the right-hand column of the individual photo's page. This identifies your photo as a contest entry and distinguishes it from existing photos in the group. Also tag each photo with the location of where the picture was taken so we can ensure that it is in one of the 11 counties of the Colorado River Trail region.

You be the Judge. The five finalists will be selected by our judging team during the first week of May 2010. The you will have the chance to vote on your favorite to help us choose the grand prize winner. Voting will be open for one week (May 10-16). The grand prize winner will be announced no later than May 17.

The grand prize winner will receive a Light O' the Moon Float Trip on the beautiful Colorado River, courtesy of LCRA's McKinney Roughs Nature Park. Prizes will also be awarded for second- through fifth-place winners.

C'mon. Give us your best shot.

Rafting on the Colorado River Is Fun!

Raft trips on the Colorado River are a great way to spend a Spring afternoon. This shot was taken near McKinney Roughs Nature Park just outside of Bastrop, Texas. Photo courtesy of LCRA.