Leave a Comment / Self Care, Texas State Parks / By Susan Svec
Watch the Visit
Before you read on, pull up a chair and come along for the visit. The video captures things words can’t quite hold — the stillness of that wetland pond, the moment I spotted the alligator, the quick sketch before the park closed. Sheldon Lake State Park is worth the visual. Press play and then keep reading.
This One Surprised Me
I want to be honest with you: I did not know quite what to expect from Sheldon Lake State Park. It does not have camping. There’s no entrance fee. It closes at five o’clock. On paper, it reads like the smallest stop on this journey.
But that is the thing about these parks. Every single one is different. And Sheldon Lake taught me something I keep learning over and over: the places you approach with low expectations are often the ones that leave the deepest impression.
I saw an alligator. Right there, less than the prescribed thirty feet from where I was standing, on the grass at the edge of the lake. Just sunning itself. Unhurried. Completely unbothered. Just living its life at the edge of the water.
How about that.
An Environmental Learning Center, Not a Destination Park — And That’s Exactly the Point
Sheldon Lake State Park functions more as an environmental education center than a traditional state park. They host school groups, nature programs, children’s events. The ecosystems here — the wetland ponds, the managed habitats — feel intentional in a way that’s different from a park built around a lake or a forest.
Jerry and I were essentially the only ones there the afternoon we visited. We arrived close to quarter till four, which gave us just over an hour before the five o’clock closing. The highway noise from behind the tree line reminds you that you are deep inside the Houston metro area. And yet.
And the green grass stretched out in front of me under the trees. And the water was still with the afternoon sun shining on it. The gravel paths beckoned. And for a stretch of time, none of the noise behind us mattered at all.
The places you approach with low expectations are often the ones that leave the deepest impression.
The Sketch: A Quick One, and Still Worth Every Minute
I will be straightforward — this was not a leisurely sketching afternoon. With the park closing at five and our late arrival, I pulled out my pens and kept it moving. A quick sketch of the wetland pond. Simple lines. Not my most elaborate work from this journey.
But here’s what I have come to understand about the sketchbook practice: it is not about the quality of the finished drawing. It is about the act of stopping, looking, and committing to seeing a place on its own terms. Even a quick sketch asks you to be present in a way that just walking through doesn’t.
I scribbled that wetland pond with its surround of flat rocks and green plants, and by the time I closed the sketchbook, I felt the particular kind of quiet that only comes from having truly looked at something.
The sketches from all 88 parks will eventually illustrate a book I am writing about this journey. A quick sketch still belongs in that book. It still counts.
Even a quick sketch asks you to be present in a way that just walking through doesn’t.
What Happens When You Step Outside — Even Briefly
There is a measurable thing that happens when you step into a natural space, even an imperfect one. Even one with highway noise. Even one you only visit for an hour.
Cortisol — the stress hormone that contributes to inflammation, dull skin, and the general wearing-down feeling that accumulates over a lifetime of busy days — responds to time in nature. Not dramatically. Not in an hour. But the body notices. The nervous system begins to settle.
I could feel my blood pressure drop just standing beside that wetland pond. That is not poetic license. That is a real, physical thing I have come to recognize over the course of this journey. And it is worth a lot. It really is.
Almond Oatmeal Soap: What I Carried and Why
I brought my Almond Oatmeal Soap to Sheldon Lake State Park. The reason is a simple one: it has always been a favorite with kids. My son loved it when he was younger — the mild scent, the gentle lather, the way it never felt like it was doing anything harsh to his skin.
An environmental learning center that works with children felt like exactly the right place for this particular bar. There is something grounding about a soap that has been trusted by the people you love most. It is not a complicated reason. It doesn’t need to be.
My approach to what I put on my skin — and what I make for others — has always come from that same instinct. Fewer ingredients. Nothing that stresses the skin. Things that feel like care rather than correction. A bar of soap should feel like it belongs in a place like this: uncomplicated, natural, honest.
You Just Never Know
That is the line I keep coming back to from this visit. You just never know.
You do not know what a park will look like until you get there. You do not know if the light will be right or the water will be still or an alligator will be sunning itself right by the path. You do not know if an hour will be enough.
But I have learned on this journey that showing up is almost always enough. The parks give you something. They give you the thing you needed, not always the thing you expected. And that is a lesson I am trying to carry into the rest of my life, too — into how I tend to my skin, how I spend my days, how I approach this season of life.
You show up. The rest follows.
The Quest: 88 Parks, One Practice
The Texas State Parks Passport gets a unique stamp at each of the 88 parks in the system. I am visiting every single one, documenting what each stop teaches me about nature, about tending to yourself well, and about what it means to age with intention rather than resistance.
Sheldon Lake is stop 8 of 88. Next, we are heading to Sea Rim State Park. Come along.
New episodes post every Friday. If this resonates with you, share it with someone who is ready to show up for themselves.
Practical Notes for Your Sheldon Lake Visit
- Location: 14140 Garrett Road, Houston, TX 77044
- Day use hours: Open daily; closes at 5:00 PM — plan accordingly
- Entrance fee: Free — no cost to visit
- Park highlight: The wetland pond ecosystems and the wildlife that come with them — keep your eyes open
- What to bring: Water, comfortable walking shoes, a sketchbook if that is your thing, and patience — the wildlife appears on its own schedule
- Wildlife note: Alligators are present — stay at least 30 feet away and enjoy them from a respectful distance
- Best time to visit: Weekday mornings before any scheduled programs; early spring and fall for cooler temperatures
- Worth noting: It is closer to Houston than almost any other park on this journey — a genuine escape that does not require a full day
FAQs
What is the Texas State Parks Quest?
The Texas State Parks Quest is my personal journey to visit all 88 official Texas State Parks. Each visit is documented through video, journaling, and sketching — with a focus on how time in nature supports graceful aging, skin health, and intentional living at every stage of life.
Is Sheldon Lake State Park worth visiting if you only have an hour?
Yes. Genuinely. The wetland ecosystems are unlike most Texas state parks, the entry is free, and the wildlife — birds, alligators, whatever the water is holding that day — does not require a full afternoon to encounter. Arrive with no expectations and low pressure. That is exactly the right way to approach it.
Why do you sketch at every park?
The sketchbook is one of the anchoring practices of this whole journey. Sketching forces me to slow down and truly look at where I am — which is both a meditative practice and a creative one. The sketches from all 88 parks will eventually illustrate a book I am writing about this journey, so each drawing is also building something larger. Even a quick one.
What does spending time in nature have to do with skincare and aging?
More than most people realize. Chronic stress accelerates aging both internally and in the skin — contributing to inflammation, collagen breakdown, dryness, and reactivity. Time in nature measurably lowers cortisol, supports better sleep, and reduces systemic inflammation. Combined with thoughtful topical skincare, it becomes a genuinely holistic approach to aging well. Even an hour at a wetland pond counts.
References
Susan Soaps & More — Almond Oatmeal Soap