From childhood, I’ve associated springtime with tulips. Each year, my mother planted the ubiquitous, red variety. The bright blooms, while short-lived, signaled the arrival of warmer weather and Easter. Wherever I lived, I would plant tulips. At least I did until I moved to Texas. Tulips aren’t readily adaptive to mild Texas temperatures. Without the colder winter, tulips won’t develop their flower bud. I tried one year to trick my tulip bulbs by pre-cooling them in the refrigerator for forty-five days. Alas, the result still proved disappointing that spring. But I have new hope. I found Texas Tulips, a small tulip farm near Pilot Point. Yes, a tulip farm in North Texas.
Texas Tulips
Pieter and Petra Koeman, originally from the Netherlands, own and operate the small farm. Beginning late February, the tulip fields are open to visitors. This is not a formal garden. It’s a working tulip farm with rows of blooms waiting to be picked. The novelty of you-pick tulips drew hundreds of people the afternoon of my visit. There were college students from nearby University of North Texas, families with small children, seniors, and a surprising number of young couples, all there to enjoy the spring blooms and take home a bouquet.
Parking is free, but entry to the farm is $5 a person. The tulips sell for $2.50 a stem. That can be a bit pricey, but I was able to assemble a $20 bouquet with some unique tulip varieties that you will not find at your local Kroger. To avoid crowds, try a weekday or come early in the morning. You’ll have to hurry as there are only a couple of more weeks left for tulip blooming. Texas Tulips is located at 10656 FM 2931 in Pilot Point.
Buy the Bulbs
If you miss the farm this season, don’t despair. Texas Tulips sells bulbs online for planting next year. Order your bulbs now and they will be shipped to you the first week in December for your own spring tulip display.
If you want a longer walk to stretch your legs, I suggest the Chaparral Trail. The section between Farmersville and Merit provides mountain bikers and hikers five-miles of improved trail surface through rural farmland and township.
Chaparral Trail
Sponsors boast about the trail’s multipurpose use for hikers, bikers, and yes, horses, though I’ve yet to encounter an equestrian on the path. The historic Onion Shed in Farmersville serves as the western-most trailhead. A city park and large adjacent lot offer parking, picnic, and restroom facilities, along with easy trail access. The town of Farmersville maintains the first five miles of Chaparral Trail. The level pathway is paved for 2.5 miles and then becomes crushed gravel for the final miles. The paved surface makes it an easy trail for families with small children and strollers.
The path crosses streets through town, skirts schools and parks, and traverses past East Texas farms. I enjoy that change of scenery and its easy ambiance. Walking the Chaparral Trail seems like a stroll through time to catch a glimpse of rural Texas before super highways and urban creep. I appreciate the length of trail, too. If you want a ten-mile hike, then trek the entire distance to Merit and then retrace your steps back to Farmersville. If you’d prefer a shorter walk, you can do that, too.
Northeast Texas Trail System
The Farmersville to Merit path is part of the ambitious Northeast Texas Trail system. The 130-mile project follows the unused routes of the Union Pacific and Chaparral railroads. When complete, it will connect Farmersville in the west, to Paris, and finally to New Boston in the east.
Rail Banking
In the 1980s, a law allowed railroads to ‘bank’ unused rail lines through lease, sale, or donation. This left old rail right-away intact for use as trail systems. Three private agencies banked the 130 miles now known as Northeast Texas Trail. One of the three, Chaparral Rails to Trails, banked the section from Farmersville to Paris. In total, the three banking entities control unused rail line connecting 19 rural towns.
It gets complicated, but many of the small towns along the route obtained quit claim deeds from the banking entities for sections near their municipalities. For example, the City of Farmersville quit claimed the land between it and the Collin County line. That’s the part of the system I’m most familiar with. On my hikes, it’s apparent the trail draws both out-of-town visitors and local residents.
Northeast Texas Trails Coalition
Through grants and donations, bit-by-bit, the 130-mile trail system has been maintained and improved. Still there are sections that are barely passable … it’s an ambitious project to keep up a 130-mile trail. Perhaps the most difficult challenge is repair of the old railroad trestle bridges. The Northeast Texas Trails Coalition (NTTC) maintains a website and Facebook page to help people navigate through all trail sections. Maps delineate trail conditions and cautions in town-to-town segments. You can also query NTTC on their Facebook page to get updated information from Rail Stewards. The group is working with the Texas Legislature for funding and are exploring options to designate the trail system as a state park.
Farmersville
I have a confession to make. Often my hike on the Chaparral Trail is an excuse. I love the little town of Farmersville. With brick and limestone storefronts spanning eighty years of architectural styles, the town exudes charm. Use a little imagination and you can picture classic Studebakers and old Ford trucks parked on the diagonal outside Dyer Drugstore instead of today’s Hondas and Toyotas. Like many small Texas towns, there are vacant storefronts, however, in Farmersville you sense the possibility of rebirth. The Odd Fellows Lodge built in 1899 has been restored and is now home to Fiber Circle Yarns. A realtor, a physician’s office, and an engineering firm have taken up residence in other restored downtown properties. Throughout the historic area, you will find eclectic antique stores.
Farmersville delivers on a collection of small antique malls, you know the type, big buildings partitioned into smaller stalls filled with a multitude of collectables and junktiques. Country Roads Trading Post (110 McKinney Street) has 50 smaller vendors with an assortment of goods from handmade lavender soap to 1940s kitchenware. I found some particularly well-priced treasures there. Main Street Antiques & More (103 S Main Street) is a smorgasbord of china, crystal, depression-era glass, and more.
When You Go
Farmersville is located off US Route 380 between McKinney and Greenville. The Chaparral trail head is near the old Onion Shed. Farmersville Visitors Center is located at 201 S Main Street, though hours vary. A self-paced walking tour of historic Farmersville buildings can be downloaded before you go.
The Heard Natural History Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary Wood Duck Trail
The Heard Natural History Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney offers more than just a gorgeous natural setting for local hikes. During winter months, youngsters will delight in the exhibit of life-sized dinosaurs and naturalists of all ages will enjoy the year round museum exhibits. And did I mention the hiking trails through diverse habitats from forest to prairie to wetland?
Dinosaurs Live
A thunderous roar shatters the forest stillness. Beware. Beasts not seen for millions of years stalk the Heard Natural History Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary. Young paleontologists will find Brachiosaurus, Diabloceratops, Dilophosaurus, and the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex roaming the trails at the sanctuary. View ten different dinosaurs along a loop trail through forest and meadow. These life-sized dinosaur replicas roar and move delighting young dinosaur enthusiasts.
Dinosaurs Live at The Heard
Billings Production in Allen makes the animatronic creatures. The Heard dinosaurs are part of over 200 Billings’ dinosaurs found at zoos and museums throughout North American. The robotic dinosaurs are uniquely adapted to operate outdoors. A hinged steel structure within the fabricated body allows dinosaur heads and limbs to move. A computer program further enhances dinosaur movements making these monstrous creatures look and act almost real — Jurassic Park Texas style. The Heard’s fifteenth annual Dinosaurs Live continues through February 15.
Hike The Heard
While the dinosaurs draw the crowds, there is more to The Heard. Five hiking trails offer differing habitats to explore.
Bluestem and Wood Duck
We live in an ecoregion known as Blackland Prairie running from the Red River to San Antonio. Farming, ranching, and urbanization has decimated the original prairie land of tall grasses to just one percent of its original acreage. The Heard has restored several meadow-sized areas to prairie by careful cultivation of indigenousness grasses and plants. Bluestem trail gets its name from one of these clumping prairie grasses. The trail is one mile out and back, and easy walking.
Bluestem joins with Wood Duck to offer a completely different wetland habitat. The Wood Duck boardwalk takes you on a loop over shallow water and in among flooded trees. During summer months you’ll find turtles and snakes galore sunning themselves on fallen trees. We even found a few confused turtles out soaking up rays from a warmer than normal January sun. Across from the boardwalk, egrets often use the wetland for their rookeries. Combining Bluestem and Wood Duck trails, gives you a pleasant two-mile hike.
Hoot Owl
Located at the lower level of the museum, you’ll find the trailhead for Hoot Owl. The loop takes you through forest to the highest elevation at the sanctuary. At the overlook, you get a glimpse of Texas from before the dinosaurs when our region was covered by an ancient inland sea. The soil all around the overlook is white and part of the geological formation called Austin Chalk formed by long-dead sea creatures.
Hikers descend from the overlook into older forest of elm and oak. At the bottom of Hoot Owl, is the oldest tree on the sanctuary, a great Burr oak that has been core dated at over 230 years old. The Hoot Owl trail is a mile loop, but a more moderate hike due to changes in elevation.
Animals of the World
After your hike, check out the Animals of the World outdoor exhibit. The Heard houses a small number of native and exotic animals. Many exhibit animals imprinted with humans and cannot be released into the wild. Seized from an illegal animal breeder, some animals found new homes at the wildlife sanctuary. There are deer, bobcat, fox, and capybara, the world’s largest rodents. An albino raccoon found a home here too. My favorite are the bobcat brothers. These two were rescued by a farmer from a fire. The farmer brought the small kits to a rehabilitation center. The bobcat brothers recovered from their burns, but spent too much time with humans to be released back into the wild. The ‘boys’ are beautiful cats. During colder winter months, some of the exhibit animals, like the lemurs, are housed inside the museum.
When You Go
The Heard Natural History Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 1 until 5 p.m. Pets are not allowed in the sanctuary and there is an admission fee. The trails around Dinosaurs Live are accessible with a stroller, however all trails within the sanctuary are on natural, unpaved surfaces — challenging for wheel chairs and strollers. Picnic areas are available. Restrooms are inside the main building. The Heard Natural History Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary is at 1 Nature Place in McKinney.
Pandemic Impact
The Heard outdoor and indoor exhibits are open, however, masks are required throughout the sanctuary. Trails are narrow and there is enough crossing traffic, that masks are needed even when hiking. Because the dinosaurs draw so many families, you may want to consider a visit during the weekdays when trails are less crowded.
It’s pumpkin time! If you are looking for a Fall family outing, check out The Big Orange Pumpkin Farm at Preston Trail Farms. Located in rural Gunter, a trip to the farm makes for a relaxed, low-key afternoon in the country.
More than a pumpkin patch
The Big Orange Pumpkin Farm has a little something for everyone. Of course, you’ll find the requisite furrowed field with small pumpkins positioned along the rows. Ah, but there is so much more.
Petting zoo
Preston Trails Farm petting zoo
My personal favorite is the petting zoo with its cattle (including longhorns), sheep, and goats. Your admission includes a small sack of feed, all you need to make close friends of the animal kind. Unlike other petting zoos, you don’t go into the livestock enclosures but feed the begging goats at the fence. This worked much better for my younger grandkids. The fence barrier kept the farm critters from surrounding and overwhelming the little kids. If you haven’t seen a longhorn cow up close and personal, here’s your chance.
Hayride and maze
A farm tractor pulls several flatbeds with hay bale seating for you ride. The course is just around the farm perimeter, but there’s more. Be sure to read the whiteboards posted along the track, as they tell a clever little story about Farmer Rick. As you round the last curve of the route you’ll discover the fate of the missing farmer.
The maze, created from bales and rolls of hay was surprisingly difficult. There are enough dead ends and crazy twists to give maze runners a challenge. Not far from the maze are several wooden sawhorses where older kids (and adults) can practice their lasso skills. And on weekends, the kiddos can ride the farm train, a tractor-pulled train of barrel cars.
Photo op
Be sure to bring your camera. Scattered throughout the grounds, family photo opportunities abound. There are hay rolls painted as pigs and pumpkins, great wooden cutouts to stick your face through, and picturesque old farm equipment. And of course … there are pumpkins!
Preston Trail Farms
The whole pumpkin patch experience is behind Preston Trail Farms, a year-round general store. It’s a cross between a feed and hardware store, just like the ones I remember from my youth. The general store even has three different kiddie rides out front, the type that used to be in front of grocery stores, in this case a mechanical horse, longhorn, and two-seater carousel.
Tender Smokehouse is a small restaurant, is tucked into one corner of the store. The smokehouse has a limited menu serving breakfast tacos and BBQ sandwiches and banana pudding.
Once pumpkin season passes, you can shop the store, grab lunch at Tender Smokehouse, and enjoy the year-round petting zoo out back.
COVID-19 precautions
The Big Orange Pumpkin Farm encourages mask wearing in all places. While we were there, about half the folks wore masks. There are cute signs all throughout encouraging six-foot distancing and the hayride seating also encourages distancing. I’d suggest visiting the farm during the weekdays or early in the morning to avoid crowds.
When you go
Preston Trails Farm (15102 Preston Road) is located in Gunter. Admission to the farm is $10 for all over the age of two. Your admission includes a small bag of food for the petting zoo. On weekdays your admission also includes a small pumpkin. On weekends, you pay for pumpkins in the store. The Big Orange Pumpkin Farm is open seven days a week now until November 25. Hours are 8 am to 8 pm.
History Trivia Fact. Preston Trail Farms and the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm are on the old Shawnee Trail cattle drive route.
Fossil Hunting at Post Oak Creek in Sherman, Texas
Post Oak Creek in Sherman teams with fossils waiting to be discovered. Most trek to the rural creek in search of shark teeth. For me, I’m content to gather any type of fossil. Summer, despite the heat, is a prime time to visit. The creek water level is low, exposing sandbars and allowing hunters the opportunity to walk miles up and down the stream bed.
Abundance of shells
In geological time, the formation exposed at Post Oak Creek is from the late Cretaceous period, some 90 to 66 million years ago. At that time, an inland sea covered the area. Seawater rose and receded with events like the formation of the Rocky Mountains.
Sedimentary rock embedded with fossil shells
Walking in Post Oak Creek, I literally reached into the water and retrieved millions-year-old shells. No digging or much hunting required. Fossil shells, mostly oyster, layer the sedimentary rock lining sections of the stream’s bank, exposed over years of erosion. If you want to find a fossil, Post Oak Creek is the spot.
Shark tooth prospectors
Oyster shells abound throughout the creek area, but most visitors search for more elusive finds like shark teeth and the even rarer mastodon bone or tooth fragment. Shark’s teeth range in size from a quarter to dime, and their shape reminds me of a fat capital letter-T. Sharks have been swimming in oceans for 400 million years, and some of the teeth found at Post Oak are from now extinct Cretalamna and Petaldus species.
To successfully hunt teeth, you need simple tools and patience. It’s a little like panning for gold. Scoop up some stream gravel, place it in a sieve, and then sluice the sieve around in the water to rinse out clay and dirt. From there, you can examine the remaining rocks for fossil treasures. A garden trowel or small hand shovel works well for the digging. The day I visited, people used all sorts of things for sieves including box screens and vegetable colanders. In fact, one clever family used plastic hamburger baskets – the red ones with the side slats — as sieves.
Other Post Oak finds
In addition to fossils, the careful scavenger may find other artifacts like arrowheads, more recent bone from mammals, and old pottery and glass. Through the years, the town of Sherman was home to many different factories. One lucky hunter found an old 1890 bottle from the now defunct Sherman Bottling Works.
South Travis Street Bridge
Post Oak Creek meanders through south Sherman, but getting to the creek itself can be a challenge. The easiest access is at the Travis Street Bridge. Here you can park on the road shoulder and use a short trail down to the stream. The address, 2400 South Travis Street, Sherman, works well for directions in most mapping programs. The creek flows under US 75, and some fossil hunters recommend the access road near the interstate as another egress. My recommendation is to stick to South Travis Street. It’s true, this area is well-picked over from scores of visitors, however, just hike up or down stream to get to less congested hunting grounds.
When you go
Be weather aware. In the height of summer, creek levels are low, however, strong rains fill the creek rapidly and can create a dangerous flash flood situation. This is not a park. No restrooms. It’s good ol’ Texas-styled boondocks. Come prepared with hat, bug spray, sunscreen, and lots of water on hot days.
I wore wading boots, in part, to protect myself from water snakes. I confess, I was the only one in the crowd in my galoshes. Still be watchful and alert for snakes. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet and dirty. A hand trowel and sieve is all you need to hunt shark teeth, though I also recommend bringing lots of baggies for storing your finds. I found a gallon bucket worked well for lugging around my equipment and for storing larger finds. If you don’t mind carrying it, a small camp stool can be useful for sitting in the creek while you search the gravel for treasures.
After you come home
The website Your Fossil Adventure has a page dedicated to Post Oak Creek. Here you’ll find pictures identifying the fossils typical to the location. Also, if you aren’t sure what you have, the Facebook page Texas Fossil Hunting is wonderful. Post a picture of your find and ask for help identifying it.
