Leave a Comment / Self Care, Texas State Parks / By Susan Svec
I Didn’t Even Know This Place Existed
There is a version of rest that is sitting on a couch. And then there is this.
I am at Fort Boggy State Park — a small, quiet park in Leon County named for Boggy Creek, the slow-moving body of water that winds through it. I did not know this place existed until I began my quest to visit all 88 Texas State Parks. And that is something I keep thinking about: how many good, quiet things are out there that I simply never made room for.
The day I visited, there were a few kids playing nearby. A handful of other visitors passing through. The kind of scene that settles you without making a sound. It was exactly what I needed.
This is the kind of rest that actually stays with you.
A Park Worth Finding
Fort Boggy is small by Texas standards — but there is something about a small park that asks less of you. You do not have to decide where to go. You do not have to cover ground. You can simply arrive and be somewhere.
The lake trail is short and easy, and I found myself slowing down even further than I expected to. The water moves slowly here. The trees stand close. The light comes through in pieces. It has the feeling of a place that does not need to announce itself.
The best parks do not ask you to be impressed. They just ask you to be present.
Why I Sketch — And It Has Nothing to Do With Being Good
I brought my sketchbook to Fort Boggy State Park, as I bring it to every park on this journey. And I want to say something about that, because I think people assume sketching is about artistic ability.
It is not. Not for me.
I sketch because it takes me out of my head for a few minutes. That is the entire reason. When I am looking closely enough at something to draw it — really looking, studying the way the light falls or the way a branch curves — I am not thinking about anything else. Not the to-do list. Not the week ahead. Not the noise.
The sketchbook is one of the most practical tools I own for tending to myself well. It does not require talent. It requires attention. And attention, it turns out, is the thing that rest is actually made of.
The sketches from all 88 parks will eventually illustrate a book I am writing about this journey. So every time I open that sketchbook at a new park, I am building something too.
I don’t sketch because I’m good at it. I sketch because it takes me out of my head for a few minutes — and I love doing it.
What Quiet Does for You — Inside and Out
There is something that happens in your body when you step into a place like Fort Boggy. Even if you cannot name it, you feel it within the first few minutes.
That shift is not just poetic. Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, and cortisol is one of the quieter contributors to dull skin, inflammation, and accelerated aging. When we genuinely stop — not just slow our scrolling, but actually stop — we give our bodies a chance to lower that cortisol and begin the kind of repair that cannot happen when we are always in motion.
Inside-out health is the quiet foundation of aging well. And small, unhurried parks like Fort Boggy turn out to be very good medicine.
What I Brought — and Why
I brought one of my Chocolate Mint Soap to Fort Boggy. The fresh, clean scent of mint just seemed right here. It was one of the first scents I made and still a favorite. A smooth silky soap with the scent of mint and a hint of chocolate from the loads of cocoa butter in the bar. — I wanted something simple that worked with the kind of day I was having, not against it.
After a few hours outdoors in Texas air, the wind and the dry and the season all registering on your skin, a proper cleanse with something gentle and grounded is not a luxury. It is the same kind of maintenance I give everything else I want to keep in good condition.
My approach to skincare has shifted a great deal as I have gotten older. I do not believe aging is something I need to fight anymore. I think it is something I tend to and support — with fewer, better things. Formulations rooted in nature. Products that feel like care, not correction. That is what every bar I make is built around. And it is what this whole journey is built around too.
The Kind of Rest That Stays
I have been thinking about what Fort Boggy State Park gave me on that visit. It was not a dramatic experience. There was no big view or signature landscape. It was a slow creek, a short trail, a few quiet hours with a sketchbook.
And yet I left feeling genuinely rested. Not tired-person-on-a-couch rested. Actually rested. The kind that comes from being somewhere instead of just passing through it.
That is what I keep learning on this quest. The parks that ask the least of you sometimes give you the most.
There’s a version of rest that’s sitting on a couch. And then there’s this.
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, and 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.
Fort Boggy State Park is stop 10 of 88. It is the kind of stop that reminds me why I started.
If you are in a similar season — looking for a way to slow down and approach your days with more care and less urgency — you are welcome to walk this with me.
Practical Notes for Your Fort Boggy State Park Visit
• Location: 4994 TX-OSR, Centerville, TX 75833 (Leon County)
• Day use hours: Typically 8 AM to 10 PM — confirm current hours at the Texas State Parks website
• Entrance fee: Standard Texas State Park day use fees apply; the Annual Pass is worth it if you are visiting multiple parks
• Park highlight: Boggy Creek and the lake trail — slow-moving water, close trees, very quiet atmosphere
• What to bring: Water, sunscreen, a journal or sketchbook, comfortable walking shoes
• Best time to visit: Weekday mornings or overcast days; spring and fall offer the most comfortable conditions
• Worth noting: This is a smaller, lesser-known park — which is part of what makes it special
FAQs
What is a 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.
Why do you sketch at every park?
The sketchbook is one of the anchoring practices of this whole journey. I do not sketch because I am good at it — I sketch because it takes me out of my head. It 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.
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.
How do I get a Texas State Parks Passport?
The Texas State Parks Passport is available through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department — online or at many park visitor centers. Each park stamps your passport with its unique stamp when you visit. It is a quiet, satisfying way to mark the journey.
Fort Boggy State Park is stop ___ of 88 on my Texas State Parks Quest. New episodes post every Thursday. If this resonated with you, share it with someone who is ready to rest in a way that actually stays with them.